The Course Through Chaos This season in our nation is more chaotic than any I can remember. Certainly, the old saying, “In an election year, everything is about the election,” is proving true.  If the followers of Jesus are going to chart a course through this chaotic time, we must understand God’s big picture. We need to have insight into how this current season…

Dear CrossBridger, We have so many options on how to approach life. We can chase pleasure, comfort, knowledge, and achievement. We can do more and try harder. We can pursue perfection and affirmation. We can chase all the joy to avoid pain. My preferred approach to life is to simply follow Jesus, and when I don’t, to re-follow him as quickly as possible.  The crazy part…

While I would expect most of you reading this would not consider yourself racist, one thing of which I’ve been convicted lately is what I’ll call the “sin of complacency.” It comes about when I focus almost exclusively on how things are going for me personally and neglect to consider how our culture might be experienced by others.  When I feel the pain of conviction…

Today, I’m praying Ephesians 3:12: “In my relationships with Jesus and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Good morning, Father God! I’m so thankful I can draw close to you in freedom and confidence. I am free!—you’ve taken away every barrier by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus. I’m pure and clean in your eyes. Nothing can…

As I’ve been in our 40 day fast, one of the most significant things Jesus has re-emphasized to me is the importance of my engaging my brain in worship. Maybe this sounds like a weird statement, but I’m pretty sure we’ve all found ourselves mouthing words sort of mindlessly on Sunday mornings…or zoning out while someone is praying in life group.  The Holy Spirit has…

On Tuesday of this week, CrossBridge jumped into a 40-day fast leading up to Easter. Our goal isn’t just to deprive ourselves of things our bodies want, but rather to turn down the volume of the world so we can turn up the intensity of our pursuit of a deeper friendship with Jesus.  If you missed last Sunday, you can hear the explanation how fasting helps develop intimacy…

This past Sunday, we went verse by verse in Paul’s prayer to the Church at Ephesus in Ephesians 3:14-19. There is power in praying God’s Word, believing it by faith and declaring it with confidence. It changes us on the inside and fuels a deeper intimacy with God. We come boldly into God’s presence knowing He is eager to talk with us and asking for Him to strengthen our…

To have the highest quality of relationships, we must take time to connect with God because we simply do not have the emotional resources to relate well unless our hearts are energized and filled with peace by the Holy Spirit.  Effective prayer flows best from those who are in strong kingdom relationships—sharing deeply with one another, partnering together in…

The world has a lot to say about sexuality and gender. So does Jesus, but if the church isn’t talking about it, then no one will know. For lots of reasons, these issues are rising to the forefront of discussion in our culture. They also need to rise to the forefront of discussion in the church so we know what God says is true and, just as importantly, why he says it’s…