Crossroads - Weekend Messages

As the visibility of the children of Israel grows, so does the opposition. After the defeat of many of the people on the east side of the Jordan River, Balak, the king of the Moabites, decided on a plan. He was going to invite the prophet Balaam to come and curse the children of Israel.

Jesus>Everything. That has been the theme of the entire book of Galatians. Jesus is more important and more glorious than any human creation or effort. And Paul closes his letter to the churches in Galatia with this same idea. Our journey through Galatians ends this weekend at Crossroads, although the lessons learned will continue on with us as we continue to simply respond to Jesus!

In each of our lives, the issue is the same: apathy or action? Will we be passive and disengaged? Or will we be active and passionate? It is in these types of decisions that we really see what our faith is all about. And not just for us either. The same was true with the churches in Galatia. So the Apostle Paul encouraged them to be active in simply responding to Jesus!

When some people become Christians, they experience a radical, total life change. Life truly changes for the better. For way too many others, however, nothing much happens at all. Yes, they call themselves "Christians," but no, they don't have that life change. What's the difference? What does it take or mean to be "all in"?

There is a very real battle going on in everyone's lives, between the flesh and the Spirit. Jesus died and rose again so we could walk in the Spirit and not the flesh, because Jesus Than The Flesh! How does that happen? This message spells it out in a powerful, easy to understand way.

The children of Israel are preparing themselves to enter the Promised Land. But before they can take that step, there are a few battles to fight. In Numbers 21, we see small skirmishes with the Canaanites, Amorites and others. But, once again, the greatest battle is in the heart of the children of Israel. The children battle with trusting the Lord. And that has consequences. It also is the scene of God’s great forgiveness.

Jesus didn’t say we’d live trouble free lives. But He did say we can experience true blessedness – blissful contentment and happiness. So, what is the secret to experiencing this blessedness? In Psalm 1 we find the primary principals by which we find the full, abundant life God promises His people.

Those who the Son sets free are free indeed! But how does this freedom function at street level where we live? The Apostle Paul wrestles with question in Galatians, and in this message from Jesus > Everything, we will learn the real truth about freedom.

Numbers 20 centers us on four sad events, each one setting the stage for the transition into the Promised Land. Three of those events involve the death of Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Also we will see that the Edomites, who were related to the children of Israel, were unwilling to let them pass through, which will also set up future issues.

How we answer deep “religious” questions will literally set the trajectory of our life. Is Christianity a religion or relationship? Does God accept us because of what we do or because of what Jesus has done for us? How can we know we are a child of God? God answers this through the Apostle Paul. Dive into Galatians 3 and 4, to learn why Jesus > Law!