Worthy Places to Invest in End of Year Giving
Looking to invest some end of year giving well? Our gospel partners would be a wonderful place to start. ...
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Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 11: Luke 15 - The Lost Sheep, Lost Coin & Prodigal
By teaching these 3 parables in this chapter, Jesus demonstrates that God not only receives sinners, but He intentionally seeks them out! And that there is great rejoicing when even one sinner repents! ...
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 10: John 10 - The Door, The Good Shepherd, One with the Father
In John 10, Jesus continues to reveal more of His identity, His mission, and His motives....
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 9: Luke 14 - Prideful Hard Hearts & the Gospel of Mercy
In Luke 14, Jesus again confronts the hard hearts of the Pharisees. He also deals with pride, apathy, and lukewarm commitment disguised as busyness. He also teaches that those originally invited into the Kingdom will not respond (Israel), and therefore others (Gentiles) will be invited and will respond. He does this by way of parables, showing that His gospel is to be preached and shared with the poor, the lowly, the afflicted, not just the affluent, those of social status and the well-to-do, who many times will reject His message. The chapter ends with Jesus teaching about the very personal cost and evidence of following Him. ...
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 8: Luke 13 - Continuing toward Jerusalem, The Narrow Door
In Luke 13, Jesus continues His ministry, with His intention to go to Jerusalem one final time. (v. 22, 31-35). Also confirmed in Luke 9:51 where He 'set His face’ to go to Jerusalem....
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 6: Luke 12:35-59 -Living Obedient, Ready & Expecting His Return
In Luke 12:35-48, Jesus commands us to live a life ready, filled with faithful stewardship and service and prepared for His return. ...
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 5: Luke 12:1-34 - Living a Life Devoted to God and His Kingdom
In Luke 12, Jesus gives us some tremendous promises but also some very direct warnings and sobering teaching. This week we will cover verses 1-34. ...
Important Safety Updates Starting Sunday, February 21st
The 9am and 11am services will have differences in restriction levels starting Sunday, February 21st. ...
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 3: Luke 10 - Spiritual Priorities
In Luke 10, Jesus demonstrates and teaches the priority of: God's heart for the lost Team ministry Earnest prayer, asking the Father to provide workers for His ministry (laborers for the harvest) Focused ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit The necessity of God's power, will, and initiative to open blind eyes to see (reveal) Him Loving God completely Loving all people sincerely with hearts filled with mercy Devotion and worship, over well-intentioned service and busyness...
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 2: John 8
In John 8 we find Jesus' deep compassion for and forgiveness of a sinful woman. His bold assertions of Godly origin, character and attributes His clearest teaching on faith and belief in Him leading to eternal life and spiritual freedom from sin and death The Jews most troubling issue; questions about who Jesus was and who He claimed to be His most direct confrontation with and condemnation of the Jewish religious leaders His foretelling of His crucifixion His most direct claim of being God...
Spring 2021 Bible Reading Plan, Week 1: John 7
This week our scripture passage is John 7. In John 7, Jesus attends the seven-day Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, the longest Jewish festival. It was a celebration of God's provision for the Israelites in the wilderness and a celebration of the completion of the year's harvest. During the festival, there was a ceremonial water drawing commemorating the provision of water in the wilderness (Numbers 20:2-13) and a lamp lighting ritual. The first of these ceremonies provides the setting for Jesus' first proclamation in John 7:37-38, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink." The second, His declaration in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world!"...
Our Hope in Life and Death
We belong to God. This Sunday we took this simple Scriptural truth and applied it to current challenges. This week take some time and see how Christians have expressed and applied this truth. ...
Read the Bible With Us in 2020
Want to grow in your faith in 2020? Join us in reading the Bible together in 2020. We'll get a little help with some free resources. ...
Resources on Justice, Racism, Unity, and Hope
We want to encourage our whole church to spend time in the Word of God, with key passages and messages that can help inform our understanding of the world around us....
Marriage and Parenting in Quarantine is Tough, This Can Help
Ricky and Joe talk about the need for help in the areas of marriage and parenting during quarantine and offer a free resource from the church that can help! ...
Even If... - Our sermon series on the book of Habbakuk
The small book of Habbakuk transforms us from being a “What if?” people to being an “Even if” people. It takes us from being a worried people wondering what will happen next, to a people confident that even if the worst happens we are secure because God is in control. ...
Gospel Resources for the Midst of a Pandemic
In the midst of a very tumultuous season, our hearts can grow restless and our minds wander into all sorts of questions: "Will my family be ok? Will they be safe from the Coronavirus? Will I be able to keep my job? Are we going to be financially stable?" If we are not careful, our anxious hearts can lead us to doubts and fears. How then, are we to respond? Where do we go for comfort? ...
Church Service Update
These are extraordinary times. It feels like everything in life has changed in just a few days -- everything from our workplace to getting groceries to visiting friends to plans to even gathering as a church. ...
Kids Ministry Update
Ricky shared a few challenges our church is facing regarding our volunteer base and the variety of factors that contribute to them. Our Kids Ministry is facing the most significant problem, so here is the appeal we believe we need to make right now: If your kids are benefitting from Kids Ministry, we are appealing for your help in the ministry. ...
Gospel Culture 101 - An Invitation
When the gospel changes lives and brings people together it creates a gospel culture. It transforms our relationships, families, and churches. It creates a culture of unity, grace, love, and hope flowing from the gospel. Whether you've been a Christian for a month, a year, or a decade, this is a class worth taking. ...
Who Cares? - A Sermon Mini-Series
Everyone needs care. Everyone is called to care for others. Join us for a sermon mini-series this January on why God has called us to care for people around us and how to do it well. Whether you're feeling fainthearted, stuck, or weak, God has help for you in his word. ...
An Invitation to Our Emerging Leaders Course
Do you want to grow in your understanding of the Bible and theology so you can make an impact in your family, church, and world? Then consider joining us for this 12 month study program. ...
3 Reasons to Come to the Gospel Parenting Seminar
I'm so excited about parenting seminar coming up soon. We have a wonderful opportunity to learn from Bob Kauflin next month. Bob is a well-known writer and speaker but also someone my wife Jenn and I know personally and who is someone we want to emulate in this area. ...
Our VISION as a Church
This Sunday we’re going to take a short break and launch a five-week mini-series at Cross of Grace on our vision as a church. In the next few weeks, we want to layout where we think God is taking us as a church, what we long to see happen in our city, and how we want to live as a church community. ...
God at Work in the Broken City
Pastoral resident Andres Contreras shares lessons his church learned during the worst period of violence in Juarez. He encourages us that God can and does work even through hard times to build his church and reach the lost. ...
6 Ways to Pray for Our City After Tragedy
At times like this fear and anxiety are near but the Lord is at hand. Because he is at hand we can pray. Here are six ways we can begin to pray for ourselves and our city. ...
6 Ways to Love Your Neighbor in the Aftermath of the Shooting
It seems surreal that it was only a few days ago that a gunman opened fire in El Paso. On Monday I had to go back to the store. Next week our boys are going back to school. We are here for a reason as disciples of Jesus and one of our tasks is to love our neighbors well in a way that serves them and points them to Jesus. But how do we do that? ...
Quick Ideas for a Christ-Centered Easter
With Easter approaching, here are some easy ways to make your family celebrations Christ-centered to share the truth, hope, and joy we find in Him. ...
Soundtracks for our Isaiah Series
Playlists to pair up with our sermon series on Isaiah ...
Our 2019 Sermon Series on Isaiah
We're about to embark on a one year journey through the book of Isaiah. Over the next year most of our preaching will focus on this book and even our worship and liturgy will be shaped by this book. Before we jump in, I want to answer a big question: "Why Spend a Year in Isaiah?"...
Jesus Perfect Family Series (and 5 Ways to Apply It)
We all feel pressure to be perfect around the holidays, but none of us are. The good news is that Jesus' family is made of imperfect people like us. And as a result, we should invite in others and care for them the way Jesus has cared for us. ...
Two Services One Mission
On March 4th we'll launch two services at 8:45am and 11am. There's a lot of change ahead but one thing that won't change at all. ...
Tracing the Theme of the Spirit in the Gospels & Acts
On Sunday we looked at Jesus' promise to send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to give us power to advance the gospels. One of the things you see when you read the gospels is that the Holy Spirit didn't suddenly "show up" after Jesus left but that Jesus did his ministry in the power of the Spirit. We encourage you to explore and meditate on these verses as you trace this theme in the gospels....
Watch a Great, 4 Minute Overview of Proverbs
As we start our series on the Book of Proverbs for the summer we thought you'd enjoy this 4 minute animated introduction to the book. It's a great overview, and the art is great too. ...
The Beginning of Wisdom and the Bible on Your Shelf
Proverbs says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This means that getting time with God is one of the most practical things we can possible do. Here are some suggestions. ...
Good Friday Reading: A Brief History of Death
The following was a reading Pastor Ricky Alcantar shared at our Good Friday service called "A Brief History of Death." "Death entered the world like a knife?- quick and silent and irreversible....
Make a Plan to Read the Bible in 2016
We believe that the words in the Bible are God's very words, breathed out by him (2 Tim 3:16), as carried along writers across the centuries (2 Peter 1) to tell one great story. Now is the perfect time to plan what you'll read in 2016....
Making the Most of the Season
As the Christmas season turns to a new year we want to make the best use of our time to live an intentional Christ-focused life (Ephesians 5:16). Here are a few suggestions to get you started....
Praying for Paris & The Coming Kingdom
Here is a prayer offered in light of Friday's tragedy in Paris and Sunday's message: The Lord reigns, let us rejoice, mourn, and long for his return. ...
Why Join a Community Group? Four Reasons
Wondering whether to jump in to a community group this year? Here are four reasons why we think you should jump onboard. ...
Fall Bible Reading Plan Week 12: Luke 7:36-50
In Luke 7 we see Jesus' full power and compassion on display! He heals a centurion's servant from afar with just his word. He raises a widow's son from the dead....
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan Week 8: Luke 6:46-49
Luke chapter 6 gives us a long block of Jesus’ teaching. Much of Jesus’ teaching is counter-cultural and counterintuitive. What Jesus teaches here is in line with the heart of the law to love God and love your neighbor, but Jesus applies it radically to situations like loving enemies and sharing with those in need....
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan Week 7: Luke 5:1-11
As Luke shows us the early ministry of Jesus we see that Jesus does not do his ministry alone but forms a group of disciples. This story shows us how Jesus called Simon Peter. Jesus performs a miracle, but there is also a deeper purpose in the miracle. Jesus’ miracle illustrates what following Jesus will look like for Simon Peter. ...
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan Week 6: John 2:1-12
John’s gospel is structured differently than the other gospels and one of the ways it’s different is that John gives us a series of “signs” that unfold as we read the gospels. These “signs” help reveal not only Jesus’ power and identity but also reveal what he came to do on the earth. In this week's passage we see Jesus' first "sign" and it occurs at the begi...
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan Week 5: Luke 4:1-13
After the longest of introductions to the person of Jesus, Luke now shows us the start of Jesus’ ministry. But before even ministering publicly Jesus faces a test: being tempted by the devil himself. This story is meant to echo two scenes from the Old Testament....
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan, Week 4: John 1:1-18
This chapter provides a prelude to the life and ministry of Jesus. In these initial verses, the apostle John gives us a description of Jesus' true identity. In contrast to the opening of the other Gospels, John begins his writing by fixing the attention of his readers to the eternal Christ. ...
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan, Week 3: Luke 3
This chapter focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist. In particular, Luke is portraying John the Baptist as "the voice in the desert" who would come and prepare the way for Jesus' ministry, as prophesied by the prophet Isiaiah. John calls the people of Israel to repentance from their sins and to be baptized as a sign of that repentance. ...
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan, Week 2: Luke 2
This chapter focuses on the narrative of Jesus’ birth. This joyous chapter includes the famous section of the angels' announcement to the shepherds and proclaiming the good news that Jesus, God incarnate, had been born. Additionally, Luke provides for us two scenes of Jesus’ childhood. ...
Keep ReadingFall Bible Reading Plan, Week 1: Luke 1
The section we'll be focusing on this week describes the foretelling of Jesus' birth. This remarkable little passage, provides for us a glimpse into who Jesus is and what He has come to do in the world. ...
Keep ReadingWhy Join a Community Group? Four Reasons
Wondering whether to jump in to a community group this year? Here are four reasons why we think you should jump onboard. ...
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