Speaker: Sam Draper

Series: Origin Stories

What does it look like to stand at the edge of everything God has promised, knowing the only thing between you and it is a river you have to actually enter? In Joshua 1 and 3, we find the people of God at exactly that moment, and the lesson they faced is one we still face today. God had already made the promise. The land was already theirs. But the water was not going to part until their feet touched it. This is the difference between admiring faith and active faith. We explore what it means to stop waiting for certainty before we obey, and why so many of us are essentially praying for God to give us what he has already given us, while we stay safely on the shore. The crossing of the Jordan is not just an ancient story about a river. It is a mirror held up to every area of our lives where we know what God is asking and we have simply not moved yet. Whether it is a hard conversation, a step toward forgiveness, going public with our faith, or serving the people around us, God is not withholding. He is waiting. And the invitation this message extends to us is clear and urgent: take the first step.

Speaker: Kris Segrest

Series: Origin Stories

What happens when the things we love most quietly take the place of God in our lives? That is the piercing question at the heart of this message drawn from Exodus 32, where the people of Israel melt down the very gold God provided for them and fashion it into an idol. The central spiritual lesson is both ancient and urgently modern: idolatry is not just a relic of the past. It is the daily temptation to place anyone or anything ahead of God. The message cuts through comfortable religion to expose what might be called Christians in name only, people who still carry the name of faith but whose affections, time, and resources tell a different story. We are reminded that the heart, as described in Jeremiah 17:9, is naturally deceptive, and that without guarding it intentionally, we will drift toward lesser things without even realizing it. The World Cup illustration lands with surprising force: we are all great worshipers by nature. The only question is what we are directing that worship toward. This overview invites us to honestly examine the trail our time, money, and attention leaves behind, because that trail reveals what we truly treasure.

Speaker: Sam Draper

Series: Origin Stories

This week's message, "What Feels Like Delay Is Often Preparation," reminds us that the seasons we often see as delays are actually God's training grounds. Looking at Exodus 16–17, we discover that Israel's time in the wilderness wasn't punishment—it was preparation. God used the wilderness to expose what was in their hearts, teach them to depend on Him daily, and reshape their identity into the people He created them to be. The message centers on three powerful truths:

• The wilderness exposes what's inside you. Pressure doesn't create bitterness, fear, or misplaced worship—it reveals what's already there so God can heal it.
• The wilderness teaches daily dependence. Just as God provided manna one day at a time, He invites us to trust Him for today's grace instead of worrying about tomorrow.
• The wilderness reshapes your identity. Through Christ—the true Bread of Life and the Rock who was struck for us—God replaces the labels of our past with the identity He has purchased for us through the cross.

The big takeaway is this: God uses the wilderness to strip away what doesn't belong, shape us into who He's calling us to be, and feed us with everything we need in Christ. What feels like a delay may actually be God's preparation for what's ahead.

Speaker: Kris Segrest

Series: Origin Stories

This powerful message takes us deep into Exodus 14, where the Israelites find themselves trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea—a dead end that seemed like certain destruction. Yet this wasn't a mistake in God's navigation; it was an intentional setup for His glory. The central truth resonates through every verse: God is motivated by glory while we're motivated by ease. When we face impossible situations—whether financial crisis, relational breakdown, health challenges, or spiritual drought—we're confronted with a fundamental reality: if God doesn't come through, we're going to fall through. But here's the beauty: our dead ends don't mean it's the end. God works beneath the surface, building foundations in us that no one sees before He erects the visible miracles everyone will witness. The Israelites had known God as their liberator for only three weeks when they faced this crisis, yet many of us who've walked with Him for decades still respond with the same fear and complaint when trials come. The measure of our spiritual maturity isn't found in how we worship during victory, but in how we respond when we're backed against our own Red Sea. Will we move toward faith or fear? Will we trust that the same God who came through before will come through again?

Speaker: Kris Segrest

Series: Origin Stories

This powerful message takes us deep into the story of the final plague in Egypt and the institution of Passover, drawing remarkable parallels between ancient Israel's deliverance and America's 250 years of freedom. At its heart, this teaching reveals three essential truths about God's character: He is mighty, demonstrating His power through the plagues; He is fair, holding sin accountable while providing a way of escape; and He is gracious, always offering redemption to those who seek Him. The blood on the doorposts becomes more than just a historical detail—it's a prophetic shadow pointing forward to Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb. We're challenged to understand that being God's creation is different from being His children, a distinction that calls us to live differently in a culture that increasingly blurs spiritual lines. The message confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: if the church loses its distinctiveness and fails to take bold stands on biblical truth, our nation loses its moral compass. We're reminded that favor isn't the absence of hardship but the tangible evidence of God's hand upon our lives, demonstrated through His approval, blessing, and support that others can see. The call to 'Make America Godly Again' isn't political posturing but a spiritual imperative—a recognition that national morality cannot prevail without religious principles as its foundation.

Speaker: Kris Segrest

Series: Origin Stories

This powerful exploration of Moses at the burning bush challenges us to examine whether we're truly ready to become answers to someone else's prayers. Drawing from Exodus 3, we're confronted with the reality that God never changes the world without first changing us. The message unpacks four essential qualities for those willing to be used by God: staying inquisitive about His character, placing our lives completely on the altar, understanding both God's terrible holiness and tender compassion, and eliminating our excuses. What's particularly striking is how Moses—at 80 years old, tending sheep in the desert—thought his best days were behind him. Yet God was preparing him to liberate two million people. This reminds us that our past failures, our current mundane circumstances, or our advanced age don't disqualify us from God's purposes. The burning bush wasn't in a temple or at a conference; it was in an ordinary field. God meets us in the everyday moments when we're willing to turn aside from our well-worn paths and pay attention. The challenge here cuts deep: Are we so captivated by lesser pursuits—bucket lists, experiences, comfort—that we've reduced our spiritual lives to familiar trails? Or are we willing to say 'send me' when God calls us to the hard things?

Series: Holy Commotion

Speaker: Kris Segrest

This powerful message confronts us with a sobering reality: wokeness leads to brokenness. Drawing from the short but potent book of Jude, we're challenged to examine the spiritual dangers facing our generation, particularly young adults transitioning into independence. The message identifies three critical roots of spiritual decline: progressive theology that treats Scripture as merely a starting point rather than unchanging truth, the prosperity gospel that uses faith for personal gain, and deconstructionism that tears down the foundations of belief we were raised with. Through the biblical examples of Cain, Balaam, and Korah, we see how moral compromise, greed, and division have plagued God's people throughout history. The warning is clear: in about 120 days, many graduates will face the ultimate test of whether their faith is truly their own or simply inherited. We're reminded that God doesn't change with cultural trends, and that true freedom comes not from throwing off biblical boundaries but from embracing them. The call is urgent: will we conform our lives to God's Word, or will we reshape God to fit our preferences? This isn't just about avoiding bad theology; it's about recognizing that churches are imperfect because they're filled with imperfect people, yet we must remain committed to the body of Christ rather than becoming victims of 'church hurt' who walk away entirely.

This powerful message takes us into the origin story of Moses, revealing a profound truth that echoes through eternity: our value is determined not by what we accomplish, but by whose we are. Through the dramatic account of a Hebrew baby hidden in a basket among the reeds, we discover that before Moses ever parted the Red Sea or led a nation, his worth was already settled in the eyes of his parents and ultimately in God's design. The sermon draws stunning parallels between Moses and Jesus—both targets of murderous kings, both preserved through divine intervention, both deliverers of God's people. We're challenged to see ourselves in this narrative: like Moses floating in that tar-covered basket, we too are protected by something far greater than our circumstances. The blood of Christ covers us just as that pitch sealed the basket against the dangerous waters. This isn't just ancient history; it's a direct confrontation with the lies many of us believe about ourselves—that we're mistakes, that we lack value, that our past defines our future. The message calls us to embrace our true identity as masterpieces created by God, protected by His hand, and destined for purposes beyond our imagination. When we understand our origin in Christ, everything changes—our self-perception, our mission, and our eternal significance.Learn more about us at thecross.comWatch more messages at thecross.com/watch

We often find ourselves chasing after things we believe will finally make us happy—a better job, a new relationship, a different city, more money. But what happens when we get those things and still feel empty? Luke 15's story of the prodigal son reveals a profound truth: the empty life always has an address. Whether we're running far from God in pursuit of worldly pleasures or staying close while secretly resenting our obedience, both paths lead to the same emptiness. The younger son squandered his inheritance in a distant country, ending up feeding pigs—the lowest place imaginable for a Jewish man. Yet his older brother, who never left home and followed all the rules, was equally lost. He worked not out of love for his father but for the rewards he expected to receive. The heart of this parable isn't really about either son—it's about the Father who runs toward both of them. When the younger son was still far off, the Father saw him and ran, covering his shame with a robe, restoring his identity with a ring, and placing sandals on his feet to declare him son, not servant. The Father interrupted the apology because forgiveness was already given. This is the scandalous grace we're invited into—not because we've rehearsed the perfect apology or earned enough spiritual points, but because the Father desperately wants relationship with us. The question we must ask ourselves is: are we chasing things that will never satisfy, or are we running home to the Father who is already running toward us?

Speaker: Sam Draper

Stand Alone Message

This powerful message from Philippians 4 challenges us to examine whether we truly embrace transformation or simply settle for selective obedience. We're confronted with a penetrating truth: having access to the gospel isn't the same as living out its demands. Just as signing up for a gym membership doesn't automatically make us healthier without changing our entire lifestyle, claiming Christ without transformation leaves us spiritually stagnant. The passage addresses four critical areas where obedience matters most. First, we cannot stand firm in Christ while harboring unresolved conflict with others—division threatens the stability of the church and distorts the gospel message. Second, our anxiety reveals where we trust ourselves more than God, and we're called to replace worry with prayer and thanksgiving. Third, our thoughts aren't neutral—they're actively forming who we become, which means we must guard our minds intentionally. Finally, contentment isn't something we stumble upon; it's learned through disciplined dependence on Christ. This isn't about feeling better or finding quick fixes. It's about recognizing that if Jesus' blood is sufficient to cover our sins, it's sufficient to cover others' sins too, uniting us across every cultural and personal difference. The call is clear: stop waiting for perfect circumstances to find peace, and start surrendering control to the One who holds all things.