CrossWalk - Cross Culture Church RDU

"Pray18" Pt 2: Message - "'Getting A Hold Of God' Prayer - With a Capital ‘P’" (Daniel 6:10-13)

If you have pluming problems, you call plumber. If you have car trouble, you call a mechanic. When we have a problem with something, it’s natural to call someone who is an expert at dealing with that problem. So when we have problems in life in general, who do you call? Obviously, God is not like a repairman waiting for our call, but God is an expert on everything. Why wouldn’t we turn to Him to meet our needs and handle the problems of our life?

In our “Pray18” series, we’re exploring some of the various parts of our prayer life in order to help us understand both the purpose of prayer and the power of prayer. And as we’ll also hear in this week’s message, our motivation for going to God in prayer should be much more than just to fix our problems.

"Pray18" Pt 1: Message - "'Getting A Hold Of God' Prayer" (Daniel 6:1-1)

Praying is one of the fundamental practices of Christians. From the very beginning of our faith journey, we are taught to pray. So, why do so many seem to struggle to be consistent in their prayer life?

As followers of Jesus, we know that prayer is supposed to be an important part of our lives but many people struggle to find the desire and the time to pray. If we want to experience God’s power working in our lives and in the life of our church, we have to make prayer a priority. That’s why we’re beginning 2018 with "Pray18," a new series to teach us some basics on prayer from the life of Daniel.

 

The am i Series (Part 19) - Text: 2 John 1:1-13 & 3 John 1:1-14

A lot of people struggle with where they are as far as their relationship with God and this series through the New Testament books of 1, 2, and 3 John has been designed to help all of us understand what it actually takes to have a relationship with God and what the expectations are for a person who professes to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

This week, we conclude "The am i? Series" here at Cross Culture Church with Pastor Clay walking us through both 2 and 3 John, where we find a great deal of similarities between the two books and with the book of 1 John, most notably, the connection with the importance of truth.

The word of God tells us the truth about what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. Walking in truth and loving through truth are a big part of what it means to call ourselves followers of Jesus. Because God loves us, He makes clear what truth is, and why it is so important for our lives.

 

The am i Series (Part 18) - Text: 1 John 5:16-21

Am I a follower of Jesus Christ? Obviously, that’s an important question to be able to answer. But, there seems to be a lot of different ideas about what it means.

Answering the question of what it means to call yourself a follower of Christ is really what “The am i? Series” has been all about. It’s a look at the books of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. In these three letters, John lays out both the characteristics and the expectations of a follower of Jesus. This week, Pastor Clay is winding up the book of 1 John, and as John closes out this first letter, he has some wise council for us all.

Christmas Message - "Peace Is The Missing Piece" (Luke 2:1-20)

At Christmas time the idea of peace is mentioned a lot. But, these days, there doesn’t seem to be much "peace on earth." What’s the answer? Is peace even possible? And, if so, where is peace to be found?

The world is in an uproar. Men and women’s lives are unsettled, and peace sounds more like a pipe dream than a reality. But, as you’ll hear Pastor Clay say in our Special Christmas Message this week, peace is the missing piece that all of us need.

 

The am i Series (Part 17) - Text: 1 John 5:16-21

Sin, most of us understand what it is and most of us understand that we are all guilty of sin. But when you know of a brother or sister in Christ who has become entangled in sin, what should you do? Hopefully, at least part of your answer would be to pray for them. But, does God hear those prayers?

This week, we wind up the book of 1 John in our series, "The am i? Series" and in verses 16 through 21, we're going to find, among other things, what seems like a strange example of praying in God's will. John begins to discuss praying for a person guilty of sins that do not lead to death, and not bothering to pray for someone guilty of sins that do lead to death. Just exactly what does John mean? It's certainly a difficult passage to interpret, but Pastor Clay is going to help us answer three questions, that then should help us interpret this text.

The am i Series (Part 16) - Text: 1 John 5:14-15 (Continued)

Do you ever struggle with prayer? Not so much the discipline of praying, but understanding the how, when, and why God answers prayers?

For the last two weeks Pastor Clay has been teaching us from 1 John 5:14-15, where the Apostle John assures us that if we are praying something that is in God’s will, then we know that God hears us and we that we have what we ask for. But what happens when you believe you are praying something that is in God’s will but you don’t see it happening? That’s probably a scenario we can glad you’ve joined us today. Let’s get started.

The am i Series (Part 15) - Text: 1 John 5:14-15 (Continued)

Prayer is an important part of our lives. It is something we should all do, but when we pray what should we be praying for, God’s will, or ours? Last week, Pastor Clay focused our attention on the priority of praying according to God’s will. This week, we’re going to dive into what is required to know God’s will.

We’re picking up where we left off last week in 1 John 5:14-15 and will see again this week that praying according to God’s will is the key to a powerful prayer life. God wants us to come to Him in prayer. And when we seek His will and pray according to His will, we can be confident that God will answer those prayers.

 

The am i Series (Part 14) - Text: 1 John 5:14-15

Prayer, virtually everyone believes in it, in one form or another, but what does it take to see our prayers answered?

Today, as we continue in our series, "The am i? Series," we're going to be looking at 1 John 5:14-15, which has to do with our prayer life and the will of God. All of us want to think that God hears our prayers but exactly what does that mean? Pastor Clay is going to help us to understand the importance of praying according to God's will and the confidence we can have when we do.

 

The am i Series (Part 13) - Text: 1 John 5:1-13

If what you believed about something wasn't true, wouldn't you, like most people, want to know? The answer to that question seems obvious, but when it comes to what a person believes about God, you'd be surprised how many would say, "No, I don't want to know."

Today, as we continue in 1 John chapter 5, we come to more of John's teaching on truth. There was a great deal of untruth spreading into the church and John is combating it by helping us understand how we can know something is true. As Pastor Clay is going to explain, God has given us a witness to know His truth, and therefore to be able to recognize untruth.

 

The am i Series (Part 12) - Text: 1 John 5:1-13

Just exactly what does it mean to say, “I believe?" It’s a phrase and a concept that we use a lot. “I believe that it will rain today,” “I believe that was the best pizza I have ever had,” “I believe my team is going to win!” What about this one? “I believe in Jesus.”

We know that belief, or faith, is essential for a relationship with God, but just exactly what should that look like? This week, we’re diving into 1 John chapter 5, as we continue in “The am i? Series,” discussing the idea of what it means to call ourselves a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. Pastor Clay is going to show us from 1 John 5, some of the characteristics of real belief.

 

The am i Series (Part 11) - Text: 1 John 4:7-21

As we’ve seen in the first three chapters of 1 John in our Cross Culture Church series, “The am i? Series,” John has a lot to say about the kind of evidence that should be in our lives if we are a follower of Jesus Christ. Today, as we finish up 1 John chapter 4, Pastor Clay is going to share with us what love is, where it comes from, and why it is so important for our lives. No subject in all the world has been thought about, talked about, written about, and sung about more than the subject of love. But, really, what is love? And, where does love come from? Listen to this week’s podcast and we’ll answer those questions, straight from God’s word.

The am i Series (Part 10) - Text: 1 John 4:1-6

Do you remember that old television show where three people tried to convince a contestant to believe them about who they are and what they do? One person is telling the truth and the other two are lying. With cash and prizes on the line, the contestant has to guess which one is telling the truth. Well, in life all of us need to know who’s telling the truth and who isn’t, and there’s a lot more on the line than just cash and prizes.

We are making our way through the New Testament letters of 1, 2, and 3 John in "The am i? Series," a series designed to take a hard look at what it means to call myself a follower of Jesus and to ask the hard question, "am I really a follower of Jesus?" Today, we start into 1 John chapter 4, where we find the Apostle John stressing the importance of truth, the danger of those who bring untruth, and how we can discern the truth.

We are living in a time when truth is being questioned at every turn, or if there even is absolute truth. Pastor Clay is going to show us why it’s important to know truth, and what it means for our lives.

The am i Series (Part 9) - Text: 1 John 3:1-24

Have you ever had someone comment on your family resemblance with your child, or maybe with your parent? Well, if we are a child of God, shouldn’t we resemble Him?

This week, Pastor Clay takes up where he left off a couple of weeks ago in 1 John, chapter 3, in our series, “The am i? Series.” As we are making our way through the New Testament letter of 1 John, we are seeing that John was confronting some false notions about what it means to call ourselves a follower of Jesus. Back then, just like today, there were many false teachers that were leading people away from God, rather than toward Him.

We saw in the first part of chapter 3, the reality of whose we are. What an amazing blessing to belong to Christ and be part of the family of God. In this message, Pastor Clay is going to show us two more important aspects to consider, when we consider ourselves children of God.

Cross Culture Church - Youth Pastor Cale Little (Deuteronomy 32)

Pastor Clay is away this week and our Youth Pastor Cale Little has this week's Cross Culture message.

And, join us next week when Pastor Clay returns with the next message in "The Am i Series."

The am i Series (Part 8) - Text: 1 John 3:1-24

The film, “The Man in the Iron Mask,” is about a man who has been locked in a prison cell for years with an iron mask covering his face, and he has no idea why. He doesn’t know what he has done. He doesn’t even know who he is. All he knows is that when he was a boy a man dressed in black came and put the mask on him, and had him taken to a remote prison where he has lived for years. No contact with the outside world. No visitors. No real life. Just existing. One of the most powerful scenes is when the mask is removed and the man in the iron mask discovers his true identity.

This week as we continue in “The am i? Series” and our study of 1, 2, & 3 John, we come to a passage in 1 John chapter 3 where each of us has the opportunity to make a similar discovery of our true identity. Like the man in the mask, many people live their lives without really knowing their true identity. But, when we come to understand whose we really are, it is astonishing.

The am i Series (Part 7) - Text: 1 John 2:12-29

In church, we talk a lot about believing God, but we also need to talk about who to not believe. This week in the “Am i? Series,” we finish up the second chapter of 1 John. The Apostle John, writing 1, 2, & 3 John toward the end of his life, lays out a description of what a follower of Jesus Christ looks like and apparently in John’s day, as today, there were people who professed to have faith, but their lives showed something different. In this message, Pastor Clay talks to us about the lies the world will try to get us to believe. It’s clear from the passage today that God has given all believers a way to know whether something is true or not.

The am i Series (Part 6) - Text: 1 John 2:12-29

"Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15), is passage that certainly raises some interesting questions, doesn’t it? For instance, my family is in the world; does that mean I shouldn’t love them? What about ice cream? Is it wrong to say, "I love ice cream?" Well, before you empty out your freezer, maybe we should talk about it.

This week in "The am i? Series," we’re going to see what John has to say about loving the world, what he means when he says "world" and what he means when he says "love." John’s intent in writing this letter, and our intent in this series, is to understand more fully what it really means to call ourselves, "Christian."

The am i Series (Part 5) - Text: 1 John 2:1-11

Salvation, it basically means to be saved or delivered from something. A person pulled from a burning building might say, “That fireman was my salvation!” Spiritually speaking, Christians understand salvation to mean deliverance from Hell, and a promise of Heaven, when this life is over. We believe that salvation was made possible by what Jesus Christ did on the cross. But, here’s something to think about; what does salvation mean for my life here, and now? Is my life different because I’ve been saved?

We’re continuing our series through the New Testament letters of 1, 2, & 3 John where we’re discovering that calling myself a Christian is not to be something taken lightly. This week, we’re in 1 John chapter 2, looking at John’s explanation of just exactly what salvation is. Last week Pastor Clay showed us, from John’s letter, that salvation is expensive, that it is exclusive, and that it is extensive and this week, we’re going to look at one more aspect of salvation that is very important for us to understand.

 

The am i Series (Part 4) - Text: 1 John 2:1-11

What is salvation? Most of us probably have some idea of what we think spiritual salvation is. But, there may be more to it than a lot of people realize.

In our series entitled “The am i? series,” we’re making our way through the New Testament letters of 1, 2, and 3 John and today, we’re in 1 John chapter 2. As we will hear in today’s message, the Apostle John is laying out some fundamental truths about salvation; what it looks like, what it requires, how it is made possible. Listen in as Pastor Clay shows us some of the important truths about salvation. 

The am i Series (Part 3) - Text: 1 John 1:1-10

What does it mean to say that I am a follower of Jesus? Should my life be different as a Christian? From a biblical perspective the answers to those questions seem obvious. But, as you’ll hear today, sometimes people want to change God’s truth into what they want it to be.

In our new series entitled, "The am i? Series," Pastor Clay has been taking us through the first chapter of 1 John where the theme for John’s whole letter is being laid out. Some false teachers with distorted views of God’s word were influencing the church, and causing confusion for followers of Jesus Christ. There are still plenty of false teachers around today, so John’s message has just as much application for us today as it did for the church 2,000 years ago.

The am i Series (Part 2) - Text: 1 John 1:1-10

What does a follower of Jesus Christ look like? Can a person really know for sure that they are saved and going to heaven when they die? Those are a couple of important questions and fortunately, God gives us the answers.

This is the second part of a message that Pastor Clay started last week as we kicked off a new series entitled: "The am i? Series." This series will take us through the New Testament letters of 1,2, & 3 John, and is a series designed to help us biblically see what it means to say, “I believe in Jesus.” John lays out the evidences that will be found in the life of a person who is in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

The am i Series (Part 1) - Text: 1 John 1:1-10

Have you ever wondered if you can know for sure if you will go to heaven? Have you ever thought about what a follower of Jesus is supposed to look like? If you’ve ever asked questions like that, then you’re going to want to join us for our new series starting today.

We just finished a series entitled, "The I Am Series," where we took several weeks exploring ideas and concepts about God, the Great I Am. Well, starting today, Pastor Clay is going to turn that around with this new series entitled: "The am i? Series." We’re going to walk through the New Testament books of 1, 2, & 3 John, discovering what a follower of Jesus Christ looks like. As Pastor Clay is going to share in a few minutes, the Apostle John states in his first letter that he is writing these things so that we can know for certain that we have eternal life. A lot of people struggle with uncertainty about whether they are saved or not. “Am i saved?” “Am i going to heaven?” As we will see throughout this series, God tells us exactly what a follower of Jesus should look like, and the assurance we can have of our eternal destination when we are a follower of Christ.

 

Message - Things I Wish Jesus Never Said (Pastor Steve Pierce)

With Pastor Clay returning from our Mission Trip from Peru, Pastor Steve Pierce brings us a message about some things in the Bible that we sometimes may wish Jesus hadn't said. Today, we examine the story of the woman that was to be stoned for adultery, and what Jesus had to say on the matter.

Truth or Consequences (John 18:33-38 & John 8:31-47)

We live in a world where people are searching for truth. A significant number of people believe that truth is relative. What about you? How would you answer the question, what is truth?

This week, Pastor Clay is taking us to the book of John to discuss the idea of truth and its implications for eternity. A lot of people have ideas about life, death and eternity and there are so many claiming to have the truth that it makes it hard for people to recognize the real thing. Knowing the truth is vitally important for life, here and now, and life in eternity. But, Satan is determined to keep people from the truth. He doesn’t want them to discover the freedom that comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ.