What is Grief?

Christians are not stoic in the face of death. You don’t need to sweep your grief under a rug or pretend that everything is fine when it is not. Like Jesus, we weep, even as we look ahead at what is to come.

Dear Class of 2020 – Don’t let the Devil Take More From You Than this World Already Has

This post is a guest submission by my friend and colleague DCE Andrew Nelson.  To the Class of 2020, “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:13–14). First things first: Congratulations on all your …

Family Passover Meal Directions

To prepare for your family Passover Take time to read through the “script” ahead of time. The meal is intended to take longer and be a time of reflection for the family, yet you know your family and what can be done to enjoy the meal most. Adding things like movement (start in a living …

Joy in the midst of Ashes

[Sermon Preached on Easter Sunday April 21st, 2019] Last Monday I was shocked when I opened up my phone and saw the pictures of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris engulfed in flames. The building itself is an architectural marvel. It’s beautiful and it’s enduring. It has stood for over 800 years, and thankfully much …

Forgiveness in Romans Bible Study Questions

Week 5 – God’s Plan of Forgiving Sinners Romans 8 -   29-30 – Why is Paul bringing predestination up? Eternity Past – Present – Eternity Future Romans 9     (one of the more difficult chapters in the Bible)                9:1-13                   …

Honestly Hadn’t Planned On Giving Up Quite This Much For Lent

“Honestly Hadn’t Planned On Giving Up Quite This Much For Lent.” You can say that again. Like everyone I’m trying to wrap my head around what three weeks with my kids at home (but still expected to do school work means). I’m also trying to wrap my head around the new realities that social distancing …

Every Week Bible Challenge

I’ve got a bit of an embarrassing confession to make: I don’t know everything about the Bible. I don’t even know everything about just one book of the Bible. I think many people assume that because I’m a pastor I know it all. But I don’t. But the fact that I don't know it all …

Building the Faith: One Goldfish at a Time

A couple weeks ago I was talking with a friend about church. We attend different churches and it’s always interesting to hear what other churches are doing and how they are doing it. As we talked he shared some of the struggles of worshiping with children. He’s got a couple preschool age children and there …

God’s Gift of Life

God's first gift to a person is the gift of life. And for Christians it's a gift twice-given. Everyone received that gift first at their conception. And Christians receive that gift a second time at their baptism, when they are born again into God's family. And yet this incredible, miraculous gift is one that many …

Seek the Lost

This month we’re taking a closer look at our mission statement. It’s made up of four simple statements about what it is that we do as God’s people at Chapel of the Cross. It’s meant to be a description of what centers us as a congregation. We study God’s Word. We seek the lost. We …