Crossroads YTH Podcast

Discover powerful lessons from Ezra's life about maintaining spiritual integrity and being ready for God's calling. Learn how this ancient Jewish leader stayed faithful to God while serving in a foreign government, and how his example applies to modern life. This inspiring message explores spiritual preparation, trusting God in challenging times, and the true nature of repentance. Key topics include spiritual disciplines, faith in action, divine protection, leadership challenges, biblical study, prayer, fasting, spiritual restoration, personal transformation, and practical faith application. Perfect for anyone seeking to deepen their faith, understand biblical leadership, or navigate challenging circumstances while maintaining spiritual integrity. Explore how God works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes, and learn practical steps for staying close to God in today's complex world. (Preached by Steve Coots on 4-13-25 during Sunday main services)

 True worship goes beyond mere songs and raised hands - it fundamentally transforms lives and leads to meaningful action. When we genuinely encounter God's holiness, we're compelled to share His message with others. The Samaritan woman's story demonstrates how a genuine encounter with Jesus naturally leads to sharing our testimony. Our personal stories, regardless of their perceived drama, can uniquely reach others and lead them to Christ. This call to action-oriented worship requires stepping out of comfort zones and being ready to serve wherever God leads.  (Amber Vanderham 4-9-25)

Hidden sin creates barriers between us and God, leading to spiritual, emotional, and physical burdens. True transformation requires both confession to God and genuine repentance - acknowledging sin and actively turning away from it. While we can confess directly to God through prayer, sharing with fellow believers provides valuable accountability and support. The closer we draw to God's holiness, the more clearly we recognize our own need for spiritual cleansing and transformation.  (Delivered by Steve Coots on 3-26-2025)

 God's holiness, meaning His complete separation and elevation above all creation, stands as His defining characteristic. This profound truth is emphasized in Isaiah's vision where angels continuously declare God as holy three times - a unique emphasis in Scripture. Understanding God's holiness should fundamentally shape our approach to worship, moving us beyond mere preferences to genuine reverence. True worship involves acknowledging God's supreme worth, giving Him credit for all good things, and offering our whole hearts in both personal and corporate settings.  (Message given by Steve Coots 3/12/2025)

The message focuses on the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel from the book of Genesis, emphasizing themes of feeling unseen, dealing with jealousy and competition, and understanding God's love and plans. Our teacher highlights Leah's feelings of inadequacy and Rachel's struggles with unanswered prayers, relating these experiences to the students' lives. The message stresses that God sees and loves each individual, even when they feel invisible or are struggling with difficult emotions. It encourages students to persevere in prayer, even when they don't receive the answers they expect, and to align their prayers with God's will. We also heard about the inevitability of trials and sorrows in life but saw the joy and strength that come from a relationship with Jesus. (Given by Jennifer Rosowitz on Feb 26, 2025)

This message dives into Mark 8:27-38, a pivotal point in the Gospel of Mark, focusing on Jesus's key question: "Who do you say I am?" The message explores the passage in three parts: restoring our sight to understand who Jesus truly is, answering the crucial question of Jesus' identity, and the call to take up our cross to truly follow Him. It challenges listeners to move beyond intellectual agreement to a personal understanding and confession of Jesus as Lord. The sermon emphasizes that salvation depends on correctly identifying Jesus and responding by releasing control of one's life to Him. It also examines the cost of discipleship, urging listeners to deny themselves and surrender everything to Christ for lasting joy and hope. The message concludes with the questions: "Who do you say Jesus is?" and "What are you going to do about it?" (Preached by Steve Coots on Sunday, Feb 16th, 2025 in regular service)

Bold faith means trusting God confidently even without seeing the complete path ahead. Rebecca's story in Genesis 24 exemplifies this through her immediate response to God's calling, leaving her family to marry Isaac sight unseen. She demonstrated unwavering trust by serving Abraham's servant and his camels, accepting his gifts, and following God's leading. This kind of bold faith can be developed through public expressions of faith, confident approach to God in prayer, and trust in His guidance for the future. (Delivered by Amber Johnston on Feb 12, 2025)

Sarah's journey from childlessness to motherhood at age 90 demonstrates God's power to make the impossible possible. Despite initially responding with skepticism and laughter to God's promise, Sarah's faith ultimately prevailed. Her story teaches us that no situation is too difficult for God, and His promises remain true regardless of human limitations or natural impossibilities. This powerful narrative encourages believers to trust God with their own seemingly impossible situations, knowing that His timing and methods often transcend human understanding. (Message given by Beth Goldstein to Crossroads Youth on 2/5/25)

This week, the students were taught about God's power and how it should impact their lives. As people who have been forgiven through Jesus, their lives should be transformed. The students were encouraged to recognize God's power at work in their lives, not just through dramatic miracles, but also in the everyday aspects of life like their very existence and the fact that they are breathing and thinking about God. They were reminded that they were once dead in their sins, but have been made alive in Christ through the power of God. This same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to those who believe. (Given by Steve Coots on Jan 22nd, 2025)

Discover the biblical guide to hearing God's voice in your daily life. Learn about the three primary channels God uses to communicate with His people: the Bible, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Understand why the Bible is described as living and active, and how it serves as God's direct communication to us. Explore the role of Jesus' teachings and the Holy Spirit's guidance in our spiritual lives. Get practical insights on testing and discerning God's voice, including key characteristics like biblical consistency, steadiness, and proper conviction. Perfect for Christians seeking to deepen their relationship with God, new believers wanting to understand divine communication, and anyone interested in spiritual growth. (Delivered by Steve Coots on January 15th, 2025)