Crossroads - Weekend Messages

When Paul met Jesus, he not only had his life rocked by the power of the gospel, he also experienced a radical renewal of his social life. As he served, traveled, and ministered, he developed a few trusted friends that saw him through the most difficult seasons. More than ever, we need the same thing. According to a recent study, 67% of Americans feel lonelier than ever before. Because of the pandemic, lockdown, social unrest, and growing national divisions, many of our friendships have been tested or even dissolved. How do we, in a time when so many of us are struggling with loneliness, find true friends? How can we be good friends with others? What does it look like to forge lasting relationships in the midst of divided, hostile times?

The pressure to believe and live in a particular way has never been greater than it is today. Regardless of what we believe, the news, social media, and the educational community tell us how we should live our lives. It’s easy to simply be swept along and go with the flow. Is that what any of us truly wants? God has something so much better for us! Discover the BIG game changer this week and learn about God’s simple, powerful, and straightforward plan for our happiness.

Take a second and breathe in slowly, and breathe it out again. Rest. It’s so easy to feel like we can never really rest because life is constantly moving. And that’s why we love to imagine ourselves sitting on the beach with our toes in the sand after a long, stressful season of work. But when a vacation actually comes along, how many of us spend the vacation worrying about “having fun” and “resting” because we know the upcoming work week is right around the corner? It works the same way with spiritual things. We’re all longing for God’s rest and wondering what the best route is to get there. Then once we find it, how do we hold onto it? In this message from Hebrews 4, we will unpack some amazing insights that lead us right into God's perfect peace.

We want to be made well, of course. Believe it or not, we can grow so comfortable with our situation – when we have been living for so long being sick or hurting or broken – that it just feels “normal.” It's time to break out of the haze and step into the light! In this season of restoration, God wants to help us get off the mat (literally!) and walk into the life that we have been waiting for. Come and receive the hope and encouragement we all need.

In our life and the lives of those we are pouring into, God always has another restoration project in mind. And we get to be part of the process! He knows that things tend to deteriorate and fade away, often including our spiritual commitments and plans. The important things can often get forgotten as we fall into the slow slide of settling for less than God’s best. In this final message from our series in the book of Nehemiah, we unpack the powerful steps that Nehemiah went through to keep his restoration project on track. Learn how to focus on what matters most, and let God go to work and do the rest!

The God of the Bible is covenantal, always committed to his people...and it is built on the foundation of the relationship. Have you found yourself trying to make a relationship work when it's clear the other person isn't committed to the relationship? It can be a heartbreaking experience and one that needs reconciliation in order to see rehabilitation. But once those two steps are taken, there is renewal and restoration waiting on the other side! You don't have to feel like all hope is lost...in Nehemiah 10 we’re gonna discover God’s plan to help our relationships to thrive and prosper.

God is always telling his people, “Remember…” Why? As we remember our pasts, it gives the Lord an opportunity to heal us and teach us, and it serves as a reminder that although people can be unfaithful, God is always faithful. Looking back on God’s faithfulness is a source of hope for us in the here and now and a powerful expectation we can count on for the future.

Lots of things are important, but only a few things are eternal. In fact, the only eternal things are God, people, and God’s Word. In a world of constantly shifting values and priorities, the only way to make sure we have our priorities straight as followers of Jesus is to keep our sights set on the eternal things...when we do THAT, amazing things begin to happen in all the other important things too! As Nehemiah continues his pursuit of restoration in Jerusalem, we see him zeroing in on the eternal things with amazing results.

When God moves in power, it has nothing to do with our own ideas of power structures and what they look like. In fact, when God moves in power, it has everything to do with elevating the powerless and meeting the needs of the marginalized and oppressed, so they can be free too. One of our most important callings as followers of Jesus is to carry on his work of caring for the oppressed––this was one of Nehemiah’s most important contributions in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.