Crossroads - Weekend Messages

In Acts 23 we see Paul’s story continue to take unexpected and challenging turns. But, even in the middle of those challenges, it is evident that God is at work. For us, this story helps us learn how to live with an Unstoppable Hope as we face the disappointments and challenges in our lives. 

Have you ever been wrongly accused? Whether small or large, any unjust accusation is painful to endure. Accusations are a form of opposition many of us go out of our way to avoid if possible, yet the apostle Paul leveraged an unjust claim about himself to make Jesus known to people far from him. Join us as we take a closer look at the power of an Unstoppable Defense, a testimony of the power of Christ unto salvation. 

God’s desire for His children is that we seek to discern His will. God also wants us to submit ourselves to Him so that we can join Him in His work. This is something that we see on display in the life of Paul the apostle. Paul is constantly seeking to be a part of God’s will. We will see this, once again, this weekend, as we continue our Unstoppable series through the last section of the book of Acts. We will see the Spirit revealing, over and over again, Paul’s impending imprisonment. Paul accepts his situation and seeks to glorify God in his arrest in Jerusalem.

The life of the apostle Paul is nothing short of amazing. From his exploits as an upstart Jewish rabbi to his miraculous conversion, Paul’s journey is unique. As we continue to watch his third missionary journey, we find Paul making disciples and building up the body of Christ at every stop he makes. He is singularly focused on this one thing. This is such a great challenge and encouragement for us: that we might seek to live our lives like the apostle Paul!

This weekend at Crossroads, we are beginning our final series through the amazing book of Acts. From what we have seen thus far, it is undeniable. The gospel is unstoppable. The message and ministry of Jesus will not be denied. No matter the pushback or the persecution, God is moving. When God is working, the movement it creates is Unstoppable. As we begin our series, we will see a riot starting because of God’s work. Don’t miss it!

Strength is an attribute most of us would say is physical. But we know that strength is also emotional and spiritual. When faced with trials and circumstances that appear to be gigantic and unbeatable, we naturally want to lean on our own strength to fight. What we learn in scripture, however, is that God calls us to solely rely on Him, and not ourselves. As we read today’s passage in 1 Samuel, we will find just as David did, that surrender to God allows the strength of God to fight the giants we face. 

The Lord is doing unique things here at Crossroads. As we simply respond to Jesus, we are constantly seeking to align our will with God’s will. In this weekend’s special message, we will take some time to look at what Jesus is doing in our midst and the fresh steps of faith He is inviting us to take in our Year of Uniqueness.

One of the best parts of life is the relationships we have. God created each of us to be hard-wired for relationships. Humans, like God Himself, are relational at the essence of our being. And there is much to learn from the people in our lives. Sometimes we see bright shining examples of how we want to be. Other times, we see how we don’t want to act. In either situation, God’s desire is that we continue to mature as we move through life. As we bring our Uncharted series to a close, we will learn unique lessons from different people in the book of Acts.

Everyone loves a good story and the Gospel of Jesus is the greatest story ever told! As we continue in the Uncharted series, today we will see how Paul and Silas move forward with their mission of bringing the message of Jesus to varying people groups. Though they press on with this Godsent assignment, we learn that the people in each city have a different response to their efforts. Regardless of the unique challenges they continue to face, their hearts were set on sharing this lifesaving message with everyone who would listen. May we be encouraged to do our part in turning our communities right side up for the cause of Christ.

The Bible says that “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). This is one of the challenging parts of the human condition. God expects us to make our own plans. It is a gift that God has given us. But we need to remember that God has His own plans as well. And God’s will is better and higher than others. The apostle Paul learned this in Acts 16. His plan was to go to Asia with the gospel of Jesus. But the Lord directed Him to Europe instead. And what a work the Lord did!