Sermons From The Crossroads

Wanted -- Dead And Alive

Paul reminds us we were dead and were called to life by Christ. Romans 6

Statuses and Legacies

Pastor Nathan Willowby use Romans chapter 5 to speak about the forces that surround us, updating our current status, and think about what legacies we will leave those around us with.

Paul's Story

Romans is the outlier in Paul's letters. It's the most quoted, but also the only one written to people he didn't know at a place he'd never been. This makes Paul's introduction of himself and what he has to say even more appropriate to our ears today. Romans 1: 1-17

Paul's Paradigm

When Paul and Barnabas were sent, the collection who sent them were probably not who we would think of today as those who should be leaders. And when they arrived in a place, they didn't really fit the expectations of the people they met, as well. But Paul was not following 'normal' paradigms. Maybe we shouldn't, either. Acts 14:8-18

A Predictable Surprise

In Acts 10, before he meets Cornelius, Peter is given a surprise from God, a vision that completely reshapes the image Peter has in his mind of what is acceptable to God. Looking backward, it makes sense, but nothing in Peter had prepared him for that. How he reacts to that is instructive for us all.

Disciples Discipling

(Apologies from the tech team: We had technical difficulties recording this sermon. We removed the annoying hum as well as we could.)

God Shows - And Tells

This Is Our King

The Key To Being Sheep - Do Not Try

Ready? Or Not?

Pastor Nathan Willowby uses the parable of the ten virgins to discuss what it is we need to cling, to build on, to keep in stock, so we may have oil for our lamps when the bridegroom comes. Matt 25:1-13

God's Agressive Grace

Pastor Nathan Willowby uses Matthew 22:1-14 (the parable of the wedding feast) to show us that while God invites all, the the good and the bad, to His party, the guests are supposed to realize and acknowledge who the host is, and the honor He is bestowing upon them.

Fairness and Hyped Expectations

Pastor Nathan Willowby uses the parable of the workers in the vineyards to show us how sometimes our expectations get in the way of recognizing fairness. Matt 20:1-16

Forgiveness and Freedom

A debt is owed to the King. Because of our otherness, our relationship to God is one of absurd level of debt. Pastor Nathan Willowby uses the parable of the two servants in debt to illustrate for us that we can never truly be free until we are forgiven. Matthew 18:21-35

Stand And Set The Captive Free

Guest speaker Genene Hibbler brings us a message today from Psalms 10, linking the approach it takes to the Christian Women's Connection project to raise awareness of, and help stop, the scourge of human trafficking.

Something For Our Nothing

In the story of the feeding of the five thousand Jesus shows us how he can take what little we have, and do whatever needs done with it. Matthew 14: 13-33

Don't eat, Pray, Love Appropriately

Nathan Willowby brings us another message from Jesus' Sermon On The Mount (from Matthew 6:7-21). In this Jesus moves the focus to fasting, the Lord's Prayer, and treasures.

Kingdom Path for Kingdom People

The Sermon on the Mount. It's where Jesus interacts with a whole crowd and teaches a wider message. And He packs a lot into just a few words. Matthew 5:1-16

Toe To Toe

What was Satan tempting Jesus with, there in the desert? There's the obvious, but Pastor Nathan Willowby takes us through some of the context and subtext of the conversation as Jesus and Satan stodd there toe-to-toe. Matthew 4

More Than Repentance

We usually see baptism as a sign of repentance, a sign of a new person arising from the water. What then does the Baptism of Jesus signify? Matthew 3

Fullfilling Dreams

God fulfilled the dreams of prophecy, and is still active doing so today. What does it mean for us that he fulfilled the dreams of a broken world?

Oh, but the big picture ...

Pastor Nathan Willowby uses the story of Joseph finding out Mary is pregnant at the end of Matthew 1 as a stepping off point for discussing the differences between our own limited points of view and the "big picture," the view that more accurately represents what is happening. Scaling out from the disappointment of an honorable man to the man God chose to raise His son to be savior of the world.

A Season of Paradox

Christmas is indeed a season of paradox. Join us as Pastor Nathan Willowby talks about the image of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah.

Preparing For Peace

Peace. Esther was high-placed but had to risk it all to ensure peace for herself and her people. Esther, Chapter 4

Waiting for UPS (Ultimate Problem Solved)

Using the book of Habakkuk, Pastor Nathan Willowby talks about Christmas as God's solution to a problem. The description of Habakkuk's world could be equally applied today, which is a strong prompt for us to remember this is The Season, for a Reason.

The Wild And Fearsome Call Of God

Tim Gabrielson returns as our Guest Speaker today, bringing us a message from the life and calling of Jeremiah. We've all been seduced at one time or another by the image of God as Cosmic Vending Machine -- deposit one prayer, receive one blessing. But the calling of Jeremiah reminds us that sometimes God calls us into a plan that will never bear fruit for us, or within our lifetime. Even then, in the midst of sorrow and suffering, Jeremiah reminds us to praise, and even delight in, God, Jeremia...

Hope or Illusion?

Its hard tell real hope from illusion, sometimes. Pastor Nathan Willowby talks about Sennacherib and the Assyrians coming against Israel. The text is Isaiah chapters 36 and 37.

Minor Prophet - Major Message

Pastor Nathan Willowby brings a message this time from Micah, Chapters 5 and 6. Micah is one of the "minor prophets" but what he brings us is anything but minor, from one of the clearest announcements of the Advent to the clearest, simplest restatement of the law. Instead of a laundry list of offenses and penalties, Micah 6.8 boils everything about how God wants us to behave, what God wants us to do, into three simple (to understand, if not always to do) things.

Great With Respect To What?

Kings can be great. Warriors can be great. Ballplayers can be great. But everyone has things they are better at than the greatest of these. Today Pastor Nathan Willowby talks about how Elisha was great at recognizing opportunities for the Lord. 2 Kings 5: 1-19

Seeking With Purpose

Out of all the things Solomon could have asked for, he asked for the Wisdom to govern God's people properly. He seeks his gift with the purpose of serving God better, not aggrandizing himself. Pastor Nathan Willowby talks of seeking after God's purpose, using Solomon's gift. 1 Kings 3

Good King? Bad King? Our King!

The Story of Nathan confronting David. David, a hero, a man after God's heart, has screwed up. And how he handles being made aware of that, is a lesson to us all. 2 Samuel 12