THE MYSTERY NOW REVEALED

What is marriage? God established marriage in the beginning and called it good. And it has remained his good gift ever since - even as man fell, sin entered into the world, and the deepest meaning of marriage remained a mystery. But now, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the true meaning of marriage has been revealed and we receive the example of marriage par excellence and are motivated and empowered to enjoy marriage to its fullest extent. Listen to this sermon to learn more about the glorious way in which husbands and wives are equal in value, different in role, and come together to reflect the most beautiful of pictures to a watching world.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

LIVE OUT YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST AT ALL TIMES, IN ALL PLACES, AROUND ALL PEOPLE

Are you a person of integrity? Better yet, how would you rate the integrity of your Christian life? If we’re honest, all of us experience a gap between what we believe to be true and who we believe ourselves to be in Christ and how we actually behave. God gives us Ephesians 5:15-21 to help us close that gap by his grace. Listen to the sermon and be encouraged to step into a new year making the best use of the time the Lord has given us.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

YOU SHOULD HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR PASTOR

This past Sunday, marked a milestone moment in the life of our church. We commemorated the transition of Jeff Schlieder into the role of Senior Pastor of Cross of Grace Church. As we did, we heard God’s word proclaimed from 1 Pet 5:1-5 and learned what we should expect of our pastors and how we should respond to them. The picture of faithful pastoring that is offered by the Apostle Peter and the entire scope of the Scriptures is that of a shepherd. Pastors come into God’s own shepherding work and are called to model their ministry after Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd himself who lays down his life for the sheep. Pastors have been temporarily entrusted with the care, protection, and leadership of Christ’s sheep and their task is to direct them back to him, time and time again. Would we receive our pastors with gratitude and humility as an expression of our trust in the Chief Shepherd of our souls - rejoicing in the Christ who suffered once for our sins, and will return to receive us into glory with him.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

THE PEACEMAKER HAS COME

We’re all longing for peace. But, if we’re honest, peace is not our normal experience. According to the story of Scripture, the whole history of mankind has been one of trying and failing to be at peace with God, with each other, and with ourselves. But at Christmas, God himself comes to us from heaven in order to bring true and lasting peace on earth. Charles Spurgeon sums up the story of the world and declares the wonder of Christmas by saying, "There had been no peace on earth since Adam fell. But, now, when the new-born King made His appearance, the swaddling-band with which He was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man's conscience and himself, and between man's conscience and his God." Our search for peace ends when we find it in the person of Jesus Christ. The promise of Christmas becomes ours when we welcome the Peacemaker into our lives (Lk 2:14).

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

BY SINGING LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR

This past Sunday evening, we hosted our first ever Carols in the Park, and what a joy it was! Church members and neighbors gathered together in French Park for a night of singing well-loved songs, enjoying warm drinks and sweet treats, and celebrating the holiday season. We had fun, made new friends, deepened existing relationships, welcomed our neighbors to join us at church on Christmas Eve, and worshiped Jesus Christ - the One who was born to bring us into his joy forevermore!

Thank you to all who served us by singing in the choir, bringing cookies and drinks, and setting up the event! Relive the celebration by scrolling through some photos from the night.

LET THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINE UPON YOU

Getting dressed in the dark is not a good way to be well prepared for the day. It leaves us prone to pick up dirty old clothes and put them back on again, place our shirt on backwards, or piece together an outfit that doesn’t match at all! The same is true of our lives in Christ. As we strive to put off the old self and put on the new, we need to get dressed with the lights on. Shining the light of God’s truth upon the actions and attitudes we clothe ourselves in so that we turn away from the “unfruitful works of darkness,” and walk in all the goodness, freedom, and no-strings-attached joy of Christ’s light. The Savior is eager to drive away the shadows that remain within our hearts, cause us to be a people who shine forth his beauty to a watching world, and make us more and more, today, the people we’ll be on that Great Day, when we step into the fullness of his light, see him as he is, and are seen by him with any trace or stain of sin.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

HELP US SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER

It’s the best time of year! What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than by singing loud for all to hear. 

This Sunday, 12/17, from 7pm-8pm, we’re making plans to gather together in French Park to sing carols, spread Christmas cheer, and invite our neighbors to share in the celebration with us. We’ll serve up some hot chocolate, enjoy sweet treats, and extend an invitation for our neighbors to join us at church on Christmas Eve.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Invite our French Park neighbors, your family and friends to a night of Carols in the Park, and come sing with us! You can share the digital invite linked here.

2. Along with extending an invitation, consider ways you’d like to get involved, either with setup, being part of the choir, or bring a couple dozen cookies. Sign up below to get involved

SIGN UP HERE

AND PUT ON WHAT BUILDS UP

Paul turns from the general principles of putting off the old and putting on the new and provides specific aspects of the old life we need to do away with in Ephesians 4:25-31. But, far from this passage being a list of “don’ts” there is much for us to do as well. Because as we live the new life, we’re not just saying “no” to the old and broken but saying “yes” to the new and following Jesus into a better, blessed, and more beautiful kind of life together. A new life governed by love that does away with all the words and deeds that are incompatible with how God has spoken and acted toward us in Christ (4:32-5:2).

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

WHAT DOES THE NEW LIFE LOOK LIKE?

Beginning in Ephesians 4:17, Paul begins laying out what it looks like to live lives worthy of our calling (4:1). He begins by contrasting the believer's way of life apart from Christ (4:17-19) with our new life in Christ (4:20-24). Likening it to a change of clothes: putting off the old-sin stained garments, and putting on our new set of clothes in Christ. Something which happens decisively at our conversion but continues on throughout our entire lives. Continuously tossing the sin-stained rags back into the coffin-hamper, and putting on our new identity in Christ. And everyday, as we exercise our faith in Christ and get freshly dressed in him, the Lord will continue to make us more and more like Christ - renewing our minds, re-orienting our desires, and restoring his image in us. We used to go all out getting dressed up in the old clothes. Should we not work just as hard to put on the new?

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

ways to get involved

It’s the best time of year! What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than by singing loud for all to hear. 

On 12/17 at 7pm we’re making plans to gather together in French Park to sing carols, spread Christmas cheer, and invite our neighbors to share in the celebration with us. We’ll serve up some hot chocolate, enjoy sweet treats, and extend an invitation for our neighbors to join us at church on Christmas Eve.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Invite our French Park neighbors, your family and friends to a night of Carols in the Park, and come sing with us! You can share the digital invite linked here.

2. Along with extending an invitation, consider ways you’d like to get involved, either with setup, being part of the choir, or bring a couple dozen cookies. Sign up below to get involved

SIGN UP HERE