Church at the Cross : Sunday Messages

The Great Exchange

Scripture : Romans 1:18-32 This Sunday, Pastor JR Vassar continued our series in Romans. This sermon takes a closer look at idolatry and sexual sin and the different approaches of the traditionalist, revisionist, and the ways of Jesus. Notes: Revisionists: Paul was not addressing monogamous, consensual, committed same-sex relationships as we have today Revisionists: Paul is speaking about heterosexuals who commit homosexual acts contrary to their own personal nature. The WORDS of Jesus - Matthew...

The Wrath of God Revealed

Scripture : Romans 1:18-25 Notes: The Universal Condition of all People + Humanity has REJECTED GOD. + Humanity has REPLACED GOD The Universal Consequence for all People The Universal Cure for all People + Be saved + Be sane + Be sent

Good Trouble

Scripture: Acts 4:13-31 When was the last time you got into “good” trouble? Join us as we take a break from Romans and look to the book of Acts. Casey Schutza asks the question why is it so hard to be a vocal witness for the gospel? Notes: + Spiritual formation is preparation for witness + Witnesses will attract good trouble + The trouble we face cannot silence the gospel + Way to respond to trouble...

The Righteousness of God

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17 The book of Romans answers the deepest questions we have as humans -- who do we belong to and why are we here? If we truly grasp and believe the message of Romans we will personally know God, have an assurance of heaven, and understand the gospel. This fourth sermon covers what the righteousness of God is and why it’s good news to us. Notes: + Righteousness of God: Something He is + Righteousness of God: Something He gives The righteousness of God is “God’s righteous wa...

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Scripture: Romans 1:7-17 The book of Romans answers the deepest questions we have as humans -- who do we belong to and why are we here? If we truly grasp and believe the message of Romans we will personally know God, have an assurance of heaven, and understand the gospel. This third sermon looks at the cultural shift away from Christianity and how we need a deeper faith, not a new one. Notes: The Gospel is God’s truth and power to save Christians still need the Gospel + The Gospel not only saves...

The Gospel of God

The book of Romans answers the deepest questions we have as humans -- who do we belong to and why are we here? If we truly grasp and believe the message of Romans we will personally know God, have an assurance of heaven, and understand the gospel. This second sermon looks at what the gospel is. SERMON TEXT: Romans 1:1-6 SERMON NOTES: +The Gospel has always been the plan of God + The Gospel is Jesus + The Gospel demands a response of faith fueled obedience + The Gospel is destined for all nations...

Paul - Servant, Set Apart, Sent

This Sunday, Pastor JR Vassar began our new series in Romans. The book of Romans answers the deepest questions we have as humans -- who do we belong to and why are we here? If we truly grasp and believe the message of Romans we will personally know God, have an assurance of heaven, and understand the gospel. This first sermon looks at the life and testimony of Paul, the writer of Romans. SERMON TEXT: Romans 1:1 SERMON NOTES: The most critical realities you and I need to deal with are “whose we a...

Remembering the Poor

Sermon Text: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-10, 18 + Intentionally create margin for generosity + Establish a sustained response to the poor • Sustained • Strategic • Personal

Prayers for the New Year

Christmas Day - Jesus Christ

The Wise Men and Herod

Matthew 2:1-18 “Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship—be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles—is that pret...

Simeon and Anna

Mary and Joseph

Zechariah and Elizabeth

Sermon Text: Luke 1:5-25, 55-66 God uses unlikely but available people to bring about his purposes . God’s plans always involve a time of waiting. All our lives are to bear witness to Jesus.

Visible Discipleship

Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-12 Identity of the Disciples Mission of the Disciples The Cost and Motivation of Discipleship

The Persecuted Pt. 2

Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-12. “Rather than the good life being defined in predominantly moral terms (i.e., seeking virtue, shunning vice, and conforming to a divinely given “way”), now the good life is often defined by a pursuit of a feeling, which is won by the accumulation of all the things you would find if one were to weld together ideal versions of a job résumé, dating profile, and Christmas list. By achieving success, wealth, power, and the right body type, we’ve allowed a modern combinatio...

The Persecuted

This is the ninth message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” Pastor JR shares with us what being a real peacemaker is. Sermon Text: Matthew 5:10-12 The Certainty of Persecution The Cause of Persecution The Forms of Persecution The Response to Persecution

The Peacemakers

This is the eighth message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” Pastor JR shares with us what being a real peacemaker is. Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-9 Sermon Notes: God is a Peace-Making God God’s children are peacemaking people Rest in the Peace you have with God Don’t Settle for Counterfeit Peace Prepare to have your attempts at peace rejected Spread Peace by Spreading the Gospel...

Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:8 What is it? For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23) Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3-4...

The Merciful

This is the sixth message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” Pastor JR shares with us what mercy is, how do we learn it, and what is the promise. Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-7 Sermon Notes: What Is Mercy? How Do We Learn Mercy? “Like nothing else could ever do, the gospel instills in me a heart for the downcast, the poverty-stricken, and those in need of physical mercies, especially when such persons are of the household of faith. When I see persons who are materia...

Those Who Hunger

This is the fifth message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” Pastor JR shares with us how to pursue righteousness. Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-6 Sermon Notes: Legal Righteousness Moral Righteousness - You evaluate everything in your life by how it affects your pursuit of righteousness - You embrace everything that promotes righteousness Social Righteousness You embrace everything that promotes righteousness You will work to alleviate the sufferings of others even a...

The Meek

This is the fourth message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” JR shares with us how meekness is the key to the Kingdom of God, why we should desire meekness, and how to cultivate it. Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-5. Keep your eyes on the eternal Keep your eyes on Jesus

Those Who Mourn

This is the third message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” Sermon Text: Matthew 5:4 + Those who mourn over the sin and brokenness in them. + Those who mourn over the sin and brokenness around them. + Those who mourn over the sin and brokenness inflicted on them. + He comforts us with Pardon . “Suppose for a moment that in a flash of insight you discovered that all your motives for ministry were essentially egocentric, or suppose that last night you got drunk a...

Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

This is the second message in our series, “The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation To The Good Life.” This sermon covers what the Kingdom of God looks like and why being poor in spirit is foundational to living in his kingdom. If you feel like you are not enough for Jesus, you are ready for Jesus You never graduate from poverty of spirit The poor in spirit never feel superior to anyone

Jesus and the Good Life

Sermon Text: Matthew 5:1-12. “At length they gradually deviated into a taste for those luxuries which stimulate to vice; porticos, and baths, and the elegancies of the table; and this, from their inexperience, they termed politeness, whilst, in reality, it constituted a part of their slavery.” ― Tacitus, The Agricola and The Germania. “Jesus did not die at the hands of muggers, rapists, or thugs. He fell into the well-scrubbed hands of deeply religious people, society’s most respected members.” ...

Keeping Yourselves in the Love of God

Jude 17-21 Sermon Notes: “The Ring of Sauron is only one of the various mythical treatments of the placing of one’s life, or power, in some external object, which is thus exposed to capture or destruction with disastrous results to oneself.” J.R.R. Tolkien Keep yourselves in the Love of God Building Yourselves up in your most holy faith Praying in the Holy Spirit Waiting for the Mercy of Jesus CHALLENGE 5.4.3.2.1 5 times a week in the Scripture and Prayer 4 times a month in corporate worship 3 t...

Rooted and Grounded in Love

Ephesians 3:14-19 Sermon Notes: Paul’s (and Scripture’s) great concern is our interior life. "The sad reality is that most of us will not go forward until the pain of staying where we are in unbearable." Pete Scazzero Notes: In Scripture In silence and solitude In Community CHALLENGE: 5 times a week in the word and prayer 4 times a month in corporate worship 3 times a month in your life group 1 time a month in corporate prayer...

Renewed Passion for Discipleship

Renewed Passion for Discipleship This is the last message in our sermon series, "Songs of Renewal." Minister to Young Adults and Alpha Director, Casey Schutza, challenges us to make faithful disciples in every generation. Psalm 78 + What is our greatest temptation? + What is our greatest gift? + What hope do we have for the future?

Renewed Vision of King Jesus

This message is the tenth message in our sermon series, "Songs of Renewal." Minister to Young Adults and Alpha Director, Casey Schutza, encourages us to renew our vision of Jesus. Psalm 2 + Inditement of the King + Identity of the King + Invitation of the King

Song of Repentance for the Sinful Soul

This message is the ninth message in our sermon series, "Songs of Renewal." Friend and Pastor from Providence Church, Afshin Ziafat, shares with us what true biblical repentance is. Psalm 51 + Turns to God + Confesses Sin + Begs for Mercy + Longs for Restoration + Seeks God's Glory