Here we are. Another year. But 2025 is a very, very special year for the Crossroads family. Why? Because our church family turns 50 years old this year. On October 5, 1975, Crossroads humbly began at Columbia River High School. And what God has done!!! We will be celebrating throughout this entire year as we embark on a Year of Legacy.

The new year often brings hope for so many. This is because we all want a fair shot at a new beginning. Unfortunately, a new calendar date doesn't always equal new habits and healthier life choices. Jesus offers a more accurate reality. The Gospel is unique in providing the fresh start we all want because it gives us a brand-new life. The only way to truly start over is by exploring the life-giving message of Jesus in the gospel of forgiveness. 

It’s Christmas Eve! It is time to celebrate and stand in awe of the most important birth in history. Every child that is born is a gift. Every parent is in awe of the blessing of a new life entering the world. But the birth of Jesus is completely and utterly unique. Why? Because Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Together we will look at the response of a man named Simeon to the birth of Jesus. Simeon was living a unique life with a unique purpose. We are excited to join Simeon in beholding the gift of Jesus this Christmas Eve.

There may not be a more exciting time than the last few days before Christmas. In our contemporary culture, especially for children, there is soo much excitement. We are right there, on the threshold, of something beautiful. To put this idea into the account of the birth of Jesus, the impending birth of the Messiah was a tectonic shift in everything. The coming of God’s Son would change the entire course of human history. So as we continue to embrace this Unique Season, it’s important that we explore how we get to live at the threshold of what God is about to do.

The Christmas season is trademarked with flashing lights, frosty weather, too many sweets, and lots of joy. If we aren’t careful, we can fill our schedules with to-do’s and have-to’s, as opposed to making room for what’s most important. When we look at the birth of Jesus, we see that God can use the most unique circumstances to bring forth His divine purposes. This Advent season, let's choose to intentionally Make Room for Jesus no matter what comes our way.

The advent season, in the life of the people of God, is all about waiting. We are awaiting the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Let’s be honest, most people despise waiting. There is a reason that one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit is patience. Biblical patience isn’t only about us waiting, but also how we behave as we wait. Since we are embracing this Unique Season, it is a powerful opportunity for us to learn how to wait well for the purposes of God to come to pass.

As a husband of almost 19 years, I find lists from my wife extremely helpful. I sometimes wish everything had a comprehensive list of to-dos to help me stay focused and on task. Often, I find myself searching the scriptures for a list of steps to take to follow after Jesus. While Jesus calls us deeper into a more relational approach, His younger half-brother, James, provides us with a helpful inventory of behaviors and actions that are pleasing and acceptable to God in any season of life.

In a world where complaining permeates our conversations, our culture, and our hearts, we can use gratitude as both the healing antidote to what ails us and the weapon that empowers us. But this is not a surface-level “put on a happy face and pretend everything is fine” type of gratitude. This is a gratitude that takes cultivation, long suffering, and surrender; only then can it become a deep well that can’t be impacted by the cynicism and negativity that swirls around us, allowing us to uniquely live lives of gratitude in this holiday season.

Life is full of seasons. Just as the weather changes from season to season, so do our lives. In each season, there are unique blessings and also unique challenges. The key is to learn to trust God in each season. This weekend, we are beginning a brand-new series that will lead us from before Thanksgiving until New Years, as we will look at the uniqueness of the end of the calendar year.

One of the driving passions in the life of Paul the apostle was to bring the gospel of Jesus to Rome. Through all of his journeys, this had been his focus. What is even more extraordinary was that Paul, in writing to the church in Rome, was hoping to use Rome as a jumping-off point to bring the gospel into Spain. At last, here in the final chapter in the book of Acts, Paul arrives in Rome. His trip to Rome was full of peril and hardship, yet Paul never wavered in his resolve to serve Jesus wherever he found himself.