Text of the Day: He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Luke 23:52) Reflection Questions: 1 — What are the deterrents in your life that keep you on the straight and narrow? 2 — Have you ever had a moment where you had to show everyone what and who you believed in? What were the circumstances? Could that be part of your witness to share? 3 — Would you be willing to go against the grain and stick your neck out for Jesus? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@crosswalk...
Mar 31, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. (Luke 23:51) Reflection Questions: 1 — Did God ever use you, even though you weren’t sure about him? 2 — How did that happen? And have you seen it happen in any one else’s life, as well? 3 — What can you do to further the work of God today, even if it goes against reasonable thought? Want to get in touc...
Mar 30, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, (Luke 23:50) Reflection Questions: 1 — Do you think someone would consider you “good and righteous”? Why or why not? 2 — Have you ever had to go against popular wisdom in order to follow God’s will in your life? 3 — What can you do today to make sure you are following what God has placed on your heart? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@crosswalkvillage.com ...
Mar 30, 2020•3 min
Here are some questions to go along with this week’s sermon: 1 — What do you think happens when you die? 2 — How can we relay the powerful sacrifice and claim the innocence of Jesus to those who will listen? 3 — What is your story with the death of Jesus? How have you reacted over the years to this part of the gospel story? 4 — What can you do to prepare others not to “miss the boat”? 5 — Do you think it was a difficult decision for the centurion to declare the innocence of Jesus, even though he...
Mar 27, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching. (Luke 23:49) Reflection Questions: 1 — How can we recognize the power of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us? 2 — How can we share this power with those who don’t know? 3 — Have you continued to pray for that one person who needs to either discover the power of Christ on the cross or rediscover it? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@crosswalkvillage...
Mar 27, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. (Luke 23:48) Reflection Questions: 1 — Who are you praying for this week? Have you had an opportunity to speak with them? Has God opened a door? 2 —Have you ever felt like you missed the boat on something? What would you do differently if you could? 3 —How can the death of Jesus become part of the narrative you share with others about the gospel? Want to get in touch wit...
Mar 26, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshipped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” (Luke 23:47) Reflection Questions: 1 — What is you ministry? 2 —When did you last confess the innocence of Jesus to someone in your circle? 3 —Why is it important to confess this innocence to others? How is it part of the Gospel narrative that we have been entrusted to give to the world? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@cr...
Mar 25, 2020•6 min
Text of the Day: Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever wondered about the difference between spirit and soul? Is there any difference? 2 —Have you prayed for the one who needs to find Jesus? We will ask each day this week. 3 —How can you continually give your “spirit” to God each day? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@crosswalkvillage.com (Mike R...
Mar 24, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. (Luke 23:45) Reflection Questions: 1 — If Luke is interested in the transformative nature of the cross in people’s lives, shouldn’t we be as well? How can we be as focused on the innocence of Jesus as Luke was? 2 —Is there someone you need to be praying for that might accept the gospel? 3 —How can we grow in our understanding of the cross of Christ and its importan...
Mar 23, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock (Luke 23:44) Reflection Questions: 1 — Do you know someone who used to believe but has now rejected Jesus in their lives? 2 —Write their names down and the circumstances on why they left. Was it the church that drove them away, abuse at the hands of the super-religious, a difference in worldview that didn’t include God, or another reason. Be specific. 3 —Start to pray for them today. Pray...
Mar 22, 2020•4 min
Here are some questions to go along with this week’s sermon: 1 — How do you respond to losing someone you love? 2 — What does it mean to no longer have any separation between you and God? 3 — Have you ever thought about Jesus’ cry of desolation before? What were your thoughts? 4 — What does that cry mean to you now? 5 — Did you ever think that Jesus might not have been able to see out of the grave from his vantage point on the cross, and that he might have been going to the grave for you without...
Mar 20, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. (Matt 27:52-53) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever been so upset that you wished the earth would respond with you? 2 —How much do you think that those around Jesus were mourning his loss? Do we still mourn his loss in the same way? 3 —Have you read the text about ...
Mar 20, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart...(Matt 27:51) Reflection Questions: 1 — Has there ever been a time when you thought you needed someone to get to God for you? 2 —What do you believe separates you from God now? 3 —Why can we approach God with confidence because of the death of Jesus on a cross? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@crosswalkvillage.com (Mike Rh...
Mar 19, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.” 50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. (Matt 27:49-50) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever waited for a miracle from Jesus, and when it didn’t come, it verified your previous doubts about him? 2 —Have you had the privilege to be there when someone you loved died? Spend a moment thinking about it, reflecting on it. 3 —What gave your strength during this time? Want to get in touch with...
Mar 18, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink (Matt 27:47-48) Reflection Questions: 1 — How do you think God reveals himself to the biblical authors? 2 —How does He inspire them to write what He would like them to write? 3 — Do you think it was a divine/human partnership? 4 — Do you think God might still do this at times, to certain...
Mar 17, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matt 27:45-46) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever thought about the last moments of the life of Jesus, and what he might have been thinking? 2 —Which explanation makes the most sense to you from the above explanations? Why? 3 —How can you show Jesus some of the...
Mar 16, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. (John 19:28-29) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever felt like you “fulfilled prophecy” about your life? Did you do what everyone thought you might? 2 —Why is it important for Jesus to have fulfilled all the OT prophecies about the Messiah? 3 ...
Mar 15, 2020•4 min
Here are some questions to go along with this week’s sermon: 1 — Why were there no other followers of Jesus at the foot of the cross? 2 — Do you think you would have been brave enough to be there? 3 — Would watching the soldiers take a business-as-usual attitude have frustrated you? 4 — Have you ever been adopted into someone’s family? Have you ever adopted someone? 5 — What does it mean to be a child of God? And who are your brothers and sisters? 6 — What role did women play in the life of Jesu...
Mar 13, 2020•4 min
What does the Cross of Christ mean to you? Reflection Questions: 1 — What do you need to get done for your spiritual walk today? What do you need to get done for the more practical aspects of your life? Is there time for both? 2 —How could any conversation from the cross be seen as normal? What do you think the impact of Jesus’ words would have been on his mother and John? 3 —Does the picture of the soldiers playing a game of chance for the garments of Jesus seem sacreligious to you? Why do you ...
Mar 12, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:27) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever “adopted” someone into your family? What were the circumstances? 2 —Have you ever been “adopted” into someone’s family? What were the circumstances? 3 —How can you show someone that they belong in the family of Christ this week?Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@crosswalkvillage.com (Mike Rhy...
Mar 11, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”(John 19:26) Reflection Questions: 1 — When was the last time you took your parents out to eat, or for coffee, or just to hang out? 2 — If you were on a cross, who would you want to be there with you? 2 —How can you make sure your kids understand the importance of taking care of each other? 3 — Why do you think Jesus gave his mother to John and not any of th...
Mar 10, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25) Reflection Questions: 1 — Was there a time that you heard the gospel in a powerful way from anyone? 2 — If you were on a cross, who would you want to be there with you? 3 —What do you think about where our church is with women in ministry (Adventist church)? Of course, you don’t have to agree with me! Put down your thoughts and do a study to back ...
Mar 09, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,, (John 19:24) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever thought that we have been treated unfairly by God? 2 —What would be a fair way for God to treat us? 3 —How can we recognize the grace that comes from God and its value in our l...
Mar 08, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, (John 19:23) Reflection Questions: 1 — How do you interpret scripture? 2 —What tools do you use? 3 —Do you have a job that might make you more callous to human suffering, like these soldiers? 4 —What can you do to avoid becoming callous or hard to the suffering of others? Want...
Mar 08, 2020•4 min
As we look at these texts in the sermon today, ask yourself these questions: 1 — What does the crucifixion story mean to you? 2 — Can you identify with any of the characters you have met so far? If so, which ones? 3 — How can you respond to what happened to Jesus that day? Is it possible to respond this much time later? 4 — How do you tell someone that this is the most important story that has ever been told? And how do you have them connect to this story as if it were their own? 5 — How can we ...
Mar 01, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews. (Luke 23:37-38) Reflection Questions: 1 — What is the worst thing you have said that came back to bite you? 2 —What tools do you have in place to keep you from diving in when people are talking about someone else? 3 —Do you think Jesus was tempted to come off the cross and give them what they deserved? Would you have? Want to ge...
Mar 01, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. (Luke 23:36) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you ever joined a crowd or been involved in a mob mentality situation? What led you to it, and would you have done things differently if you could have? 2 —What do you seek to preserve in your life? What would you fight to keep? 3 —How do you think following Jesus might change what you seek to preserve? Want to get in touch with a pastor? Crosswalk Redlands: mike@cross...
Mar 01, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”. (Luke 23:35) Reflection Questions: 1 — Are you usually the mocker or the one who is mocked? 2 —What is the worst thing you have said about someone? (This is between you and God, so be honest) 3 —How can you repair what has been said, and how can you make sure you won’t fall into this behavior again? 4 —Why do you think that this mockery ...
Mar 01, 2020•4 min
Text of the Day: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. (Luke 23:34) Reflection Questions: 1 — What does forgiveness mean to you? Do you like to receive it? Do you like to give it? 2 —What can you do today that will help cultivate a culture of forgiveness in your life? 3 —Can you think of one person you need to forgive? Can you think of one person to whom you need to apologize? Make it all happen tod...
Mar 01, 2020•3 min
Text of the Day: When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. (Luke 23:33) Reflection Questions: 1 — Have you suffered physically for someone? (Moms, this is obvious for you! And thank you!) What was that like? Would you do it again? What made it worth it? 2 —How do you feel when someone gives up their seat for you on public transportation? Hardly the same thing as “suffering,” but there is a...
Mar 01, 2020•4 min
