SERMONS

 

Anytime we add something to the gospel we lose its essence all together. As Tim Keller puts it, “the gospel is not the ABC’s of the Christian life, it’s the A-Z.” It’s the way that a person is born again and the way the same person grows as a new creation. The gospel is the power that changes individuals and through changed individuals, change the world. The gospel is the Good News that God has done all that was necessary to reconcile us to himself and to restore broken creation. The church in Galatia was a church like the American church. They had lost the essence of the gospel that had formed that church in the first place. Because of that, their community was falling apart.  It’s because of that that Paul writes. Paul desires to realign them to the good news of Jesus so that the church in Galatia could once again flourish. The modern American gospel has been co-opted by competing ideologies. We must not allow that to happen. We must return to the basics.

As we kick off the year it is common for us to make new year’s resolutions. While having positive goals and developing healthy habits are important, we must remember to not leave God out of every pursuit. God should not only be part of every pursuit but he must come first in every pursuit. Jesus’ famous Sermon On The Mount makes this point clear. His words on Matthew 6:33 are foundational for his whole sermon. The sermon is about how life in his kingdom works. In his kingdom he is the king, therefore he comes first! It is when we realize this principle that all the missing pieces of our lives will fall into place and when we will finally experience fullness and peace.



Advent is the time of reflection, preparation, and expectation that precedes Christmas. This period of the Christian calendar is marked by the announcement of the arrival or coming of the expected Messiah of Israel, the Holy One of Israel, the Christ. The term “Advent”, from the Latin “ad-venio” – hence “adventus” -, means “arrival”, “appearance” or “coming”, in this way, incorporated by the Christian Christmas tradition, the event of arrival carries within itself a double meaning. First, to the coming of the incarnate Christ for this remarkable and historic fact of the incarnation, of the humanized Christ. Second, it is directed toward the ardent expectation of His second coming, of the glorified Christ, to restore all creation. The series of Christmas messages The Eternal King Arrives aims to lead us to a feeling of hope and fulfillment, as well as awareness and recognition, and simultaneously invites us to challenges in the face of that which we cannot remain inert or indifferent to.

Every year during the month of November we launch our church-wide pledge campaign called “Making Our House A Home”. This campaign is designed to celebrate the previous year of ministry, and look forward to where God is leading our church for the next year. God uses vision, commitment, service, generosity, and sacrifice to fulfill His purposes through His church. He is using you and me to help make this house a home for others. This year we have decided to launch a new campaign in place of MOHAH, but with similar elements. Our November campaign this year is called “Gospel Legacy”. This year the Crossbridge family celebrated 15 years as we began in Pinecrest in 2008.. God has been exceedingly gracious, generous, and good to us and we want to celebrate those stories. Additionally, we believe this next year, 2024 is a crucial year in the life of each of our churches, and the pledges, generosity, sacrifice, service, and prayers given will set the course. We ask that you do everything possible to journey with us for the next 3 weeks, and pray that God would give you a vision for your place in building a gospel legacy.

Where does our protection come from when we’re afraid? What kind of refuge do we create for ourselves instead of running to God? And how do we trust God to be someone who keeps His Word? Throughout this series we explore some internal struggles that we face mentally and emotionally that feels like a fight that leaves us wounded and hurt and angry. This is a series based out of the Psalms as we believe there’s power in the Word of God to bring wisdom and healing and strength and a vision for the future as these struggles do not define us or imply that there’s something wrong with us.

God through the prophet Isaiah paints a picture of the best kind of liturgy (worship service) one can offer to God based on OT stipulations: calling of assembly (ecclesia), proper liturgy calendar (New moon…), emotive worship (prayers, lifting of hands), songs (the best choir ever - professional levites), but these things can become hateful to God. Why? When we divorce them from a lifestyle of justice and compassion. When our worship is not accompanied by care and advocacy for the most vulnerable and marginalized in the city (widows, orphans, immigrants, etc). Through this series I want us to understand that this is the entire gospel: not by works… for good works.



While the Thessalonian epistles contain some of the most important New Testament teaching concerning eschatology, they also reveal the loving heart of the Apostle Paul. There is a sweetness and tenderness expressed in these epistles that is quite touching. They read like love letters, and the love relationship that Paul enjoyed with the Thessalonian church provides a beautiful example for all pastors and churches. Preparing to preach from these letters would do well to speak with the same passionate love and urgency that is found in them

The Woven series will center around the theme of stories. We will look at how our stories intersect with one another’s stories, and ultimately with God’s story. How well do we know our own story and how we have become who we are? Am I able to see the overlap of my themes in my spouses’, fiance’s, friend’s, neighbors lives? How can the story of salvation bring healing and prepare us for what we were truly made for (to know and to be known)? 

This year, during the season of Lent, we will retell the story of Easter from the perspective of the table of the people of God. We will begin with the people’s story in Egypt and the first passover meal, then go to the Disciple’s Passover with Jesus and culminate with the Christian Passover (Easter) which has set a permanent table for God and sinners to meet and feast at.  Tables are places of redemption because at the table our stories of pain and hope meet. This story will tie in perfectly with our Bridge Movement theme this year of being a family and pursuing depth in our relationship with our people.The Bridge Movement is a family with a long and wide table where all are welcome

The book of Joshua records the end of an era and the start of a new one. With the death of Moses that led them through the desert and Joshua the “promised land leader” the people of God are called to continue to trust their God and remain faithful to the covenant. As the year changes and new seasons arise, we are called to continue to trust the unfailing character of the God that loves and wants us to live under his promises.

Through the Sundays of Advent, we will trace the family line of Jesus from Eve who first received the promise of the future Messiah to Mary who gave birth to the Savior. In each of these stories we will encounter elements of brokenness that we can all identify with and elements of longings and hope that ultimately find its fulfillment in Jesus. 



The church tends to rely on things other than the Spirit to thrive. No wonder why things are so indifferent and apathetic around us. Jesus depended on the power of the Spirit for his earthly ministry and that’s why he was always 100% - 24/7on. Jesus was permanently activated to do the work of the Father who sent him. If we are able to rely on the promptings and equipping of the Spirit as Jesus was, we will also live permanently activated to do even greater things than he. As we journey through this series it is our hope that you would be activated for service.

The gospel according to Abraham and Jacob.

During the summer months we will journey through the pages of Genesis by taking an in depth look into the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their family story is foundational to understand how God prepared the way to usher his salvation into the world. Moreover, we are able to see ourselves in their life stories. Just like them, we are all wanderers and wrestlers. And he (God) is always pursuing and loving us to the point of surrender. 

The apostle Paul compares the Christian life (more than once) to a race we’re all called to run (1 Cor 9:24-27, Phil 3:12-14). It is clear that Paul saw his own life as a race that he strived towards the ultimate prize in Christ (2 Tim 4:7-8). As we read about Paul’s life in the book of Acts we see the different parts and elements of this race that he ran. Our hope is that as we trace Paul’s life through Acts that we would learn what it means to run well the race that has been set before us.

The gospel of Mark narrates the last 3 years of Jesus’ life. Mark starts with Jesus' precursor, John The Baptist and ends with the resurrection. This concise and possibly the first gospel will be instrumental in introducing/ reintroducing Jesus to those at Crossbridge as we prepare ourselves for Lent and Easter. This is a great series to invite seekers into. From Jan 2 - March 20 we will cover chaps 1-12, and from March 27 - April 17 (Easter Sunday), we will cover the last 3 days before the resurrection of Jesus. By splitting it this way, we can allow the Bridge Movement to join in for an Easter series.

Christmas brings earth and heaven together. It brings people of different races, cultures, and classes together. In the Gospels accounts, Christmas can be seen from different perspectives. There’s the perspective of those who prophesied and announced its coming hundreds of years before it took place. There’s the perspective of two galilean teenagers through whom the drama of Christmas was viscerally lived out. There’s the perspective of the humble class of shepherds who witnessed the majestic royal announcement by an army of angels joyfully singing, who by the way had an interesting perspective on the miracle of Christmas. All of these perspectives when brought together as a mosaic give us a rich, insightful, colorful, and powerful image of what God was really up to when he literally took on flesh. Each of the sermons in this series should be crafted to explore the perspective of each of the characters with the intention of showing how their perspectives may intersect ours in a way that restores hope to our lives during this important season of the year.

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The phrase “under the sun” is used 29 times in Ecclesiastes and nowhere else in Scripture. In Ecclesiastes, “under the sun” means something very specific. It means reality apart from God. If God is out of the picture and what we see is all there is, is there purpose and meaning in life? Are there answers to the big dilemmas? Is there anything worth living for? Is there hope for the future of this world? King Solomon answers through the pages of the book, that if reality under the sun is all there is, then life is utterly meaningless. The quest to find these answers is compared to chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes is the only book that questions unbelief! Throughout this expository series our goal is to wrestle with all the questions but to show how they find their answer in The Son above the Sun

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Paul writes to a fractured church in Rome with the hopes of bringing unity to the church around the essential message of christianity -- the gospel. In Paul’s mind, if they could agree on the gospel and unity could be reached, the church in Rome could bear a great impact in the world of his days. The church in America is fractured and polarized. It even lacks agreement on what the gospel actually is. Our hope through this expository summer series is to clarify and to seek alignment into the message that Paul says is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.




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Love is more than sentimentality. Love is work. Actually hard work. Love takes dedication, cultivation, and sacrifice. Without these three things no relationship can flourish, and without loving relationships, we die. As we focus on the God of The Bible we are reminded that God himself is love. The good news is that God who is love, is constantly working on our behalf. In the person of Jesus he performed love’s greatest work, by giving himself for us. For eight weeks our intent is to focus on that love and to work out all of its implications for every form of relationship we are called to participate in.

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During the 40 days that lead to Easter, Christians through out the centuries and around the globe have used this season to intensify prayer and to meditate on the meaning of the life and work of Christ. This season has historically helped to prepare the hearts and minds as we build anticipation for the grand celebration of the Resurrection of the Son of God. 

During Lent of 2021 we will be focusing on the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and we will draw from it practical principles of how to better prayer as well as how to allow The Lord’s Prayer to shape how we live life in the world. 

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As the world moves out of the COVID-19 pandemic into the new year, after a long period of social isolation and decreased in person church attendance, there lies before us the opportunity to help give our people a vision for what the Church of Jesus Christ is. Even with the availability of a vaccine, and a possible end in sight, pandemic trauma will still be very much a reality in the lives of people that had their health, their careers, and their family life affected by it. Moreover, people’s habits of worship and “doing church” will have changed drastically. Some changes are healthy while others could be very unhealthy. In the aftermath of the pandemic, it is crucial that we recover a strong Biblical ecclesiology in order to remind our people of the identity, purpose, and mission of the Church of Jesus in its local expression. The juxtaposed concepts in each of the sermon titles are intended to build a healthy tension in the themes suggested, where each should find its resolve with the Gospel of Jesus

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When it all seemed hopeless, God flipped the switch. At the end of a very dark tunnel there was light! The message of Advent as John describes in his gospel  is one of hope because God in the person of Jesus sent light into the darkness. Light to expel our fears and shame. Light to bring joy and meaning. Light to reveal to us a beautiful future.



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Not every house is a home. What makes a house a home is not brick and mortar, it’s not furniture and fixtures. What makes a house a home is people. A home is a sanctuary, it’s a place of authenticity, it’s where life and growth takes place, and where we prepare ourselves to face the world outside. Moreover, a true home is a place where others can be welcomed and belong. Every year at Crossbridge we remind ourselves that we have been called to build a spiritual home for those who do not yet have a home in Miami and beyond. The truth is that this calling cannot be fulfilled by a few individuals, it will take the efforts and investments of all who call Crossbridge their home.

And like every year, we are asking you to renew your vows and commitment of time, talents, and treasure so that together we can continue to build a home for the spiritually homeless

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Back in January we launched a year wide campaign titled Focus One. The  core message of the campaign is to encourage people to think of the gospel as a lifestyle. Through the sermom series we will challenge people to commit to walking alongside someone for a year with the purpose of ministering to them and leading them to Jesus. In part 1 of the series we talked about the mission, the message, the transformation that the gospel brings, and our neighbors as our focus. In part 2, we will give 4 Biblical examples of people that did that by posturing themselves as a bridge between God and others.

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This series is designed to teach us that a living hope in Christ is a firm, vivid hope in contrast with a lifeless philosophical doctrine immortality. The apostle Peter reminds us that an assured inheritance and preservation by God’s power gives us ground for rejoicing even though we face many present trials.

 
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With chaos everywhere what will we find in the middle of the storm? Besides fear and frustration is it possible to find God and redirect our lives like Jonah? In this summer series we will be dealing with ethnic, tribal, and racial issues and how the heart of the gospel can bring healing.

 
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David is known in the Bible as the “king according to God’s own heart.” His heart is both tender and fierce. David simultaneously writes beautiful poems to God (harp) and masterfully wields a sword to protect God’s people from their enemies. A heart like his is the heart that the Spirit of God creates in the lives of those who surrender their lives to The Anointed Son of David. Just as David was possessed by The Spirit of God so are the ones who have surrendered to his son, Jesus. This type of heart is the heart we all need to lead in a season such as this one. A heart that breaks and mourns over sin and evil, whether personal or corporate, yet is strong to face uncertainties, and frightening enemies.

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Most people that come to reject Christianity nowadays do so for reasons such as the witness of other christians, the restrictive ethics of Christianity, or the apparent inconsistencies between Christianity and science. Therefore, Jesus remains a mysterious messiah figure to many. Instead of looking at the peripheral issues of Christianity, what people should be looking at is the person of Jesus. Is Jesus who he said he was? If he isn’t who he said he was, then nothing else matters. But if Jesus is who he said he was, then everything changes. In the Mysterious Messiah series we will look at what Jesus said about himself to others in order to remove the mystery of Jesus Messiah.

 

Explore God is a mini-series that seeks to look at life's toughest questions in an open and authentic way. In partnership with Explore God Miami that covers over 100 ministry and market place leaders in the city, we hope to equip the Church to engage those in our city who are doubting, skeptical, or seeking for deep spiritual answers.

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“FOCUS ONE” is a campaign that emphasizes on evangelism and discipling. This year along with our other Crossbridge family churches we are going to be equipping you with contextual language for Miami on how we should respond to people when we are answering the “Why’s” and the How’s” of Christianity. And here’s what FOCUS ONE means - "One life focused for one year on one message to make a difference in one city through the life of one person

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Christmas is the only Christian holy day that is also a major secular holiday - arguably our culture's biggest! It's the one time a year where the basic truths of the faith are a bit more accessible at countless gatherings, concerts, & parties. Our hope for this advent series is to make the meaning of Christmas a little less hidden as we partner with all of our family churches local and abroad.

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We live in a celebrity culture where ideas, trends, and products are used out to the masses from those with a large following on social media. The ability to influence in our culture has become a means of self promotion that has placed the center focus of all we do on ourselves. In opposition to that we have the message of the Kingdom of Jesus which called us to steward everything including our influence for the sake of others and the gospel of Jesus.

That’s the meaning of connecting to the Way of Jesus as we become salt and light. We are called to be influencers so let’s embrace this calling together and see our city change.

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Anxiety. Depression. Shame. Loneliness. Fear. Burnout. Anger. 

These are all symptoms of a soul that has lost touch with its source of life. Like a flower snipped from the vine, the soul that is not turned toward God can only wither away. This series seeks to shed some light on the most overlooked, underrated, and least-understood part of your being as we work through selected Scriptures from the Psalms

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God relentlessly offers his grace to people who do not deserve it, seek it, or even appreciate it after they’ve been saved by it. Throughout this summer series we are going to be reminded why we need something better than a human judge; something more than a permanent leader who dies; something that can deliver the soul, as well as the body.

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The church tends to rely on things other than the Holy Spirit to thrive. Jesus depended on the power of the Spirit for his earthly ministry and so should we. If we are able to rely on the promptings and equipping of the Spirit, Jesus says we can expect to do greater things than He. This series is designed to learn why it’s important to distinguish spiritual gifts, spiritual disciplines, natural abilities, and how all three form to create a nexus of guaranteed power.

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LOSING OUR RELIGION

With the advent of social media today it’s incredibly easy to broadcast our opinion and share our stories. It seems everybody’s a journalist now a days putting out information as quickly as possible with which leads to false narratives and misinformation. The need to be first is more important than the need to be true has not only become popular but also fashionable. If Christians are to engage in and contribute to the cultural conversation in a meaningful way we need to do so with honesty and integrity. If that’s true of anything we broadcast, how much more true of the most important message of all, the gospel of grace.

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GOD IS

No matter how vicious the storm, no matter how dry the wilderness, with our heavenly Father on our side, we have nothing to be anxious about. This series will start 2019 exploring the characteristics of God and hopefully answering some questions as to why He does things a certain way and how we should reflect those ways in all aspects of life.

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LOve invites

Have you ever received an invitation that ended up changing your life? A wedding proposal, a job offer, a once in a life time opportunity that changed you forever? This Advent season we hope to learn why God’s invitation is the most important one you can ever receive.

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The good life

We live in a society consumed by “more”. More money, more time, more friends, more followers on social media, etc. As a result, many of us live beneath the quality line that God desires for us in living a good and meaningful life. The hope is to look at the letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians this Fall and glean from the wisdom this early church plant had in the gospel.

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Instrument 

The way God works in the world is not mainly by supernatural means but through people in ordinary ways. Esther’s story is an example of that. Each of us have been gifted uniquely created to be instruments of redemption in his hands. In the beautiful symphony he’s writing (the gospel), we are called to know our part and play our role. 

 

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Face to Face

The Gospels are full of encounters that have made a profound impact on those who spoke with Christ. The hope is that throughout the summer months we’ll look at all these encounters that Jesus had with different people for the first time or the hundredth time, and that you’ll be struck again by the person of Christ and what He has done for us. What has Christ done for us? What is Christ currently doing for us? 

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The Chase

It's been said that human history is kind of an endless record of people madly chasing something that's going to make all of life make sense, bring fulfillment, and meaning. However, along this mad race for that elusive something we often settle for a lot of things and try to make them work only to discover that what satisfied us for a while didn't really satisfy us ultimately and the race goes on. Throughout this series we're going to answer some of life's toughest questions about purpose and meaning as we journey through the wisdom of Ecclesiastes.   

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Kingdom Culture

Every kingdom has a king and every king has a kingdom. Jesus made it His ministry to preaching the coming of the kingdom, teach the way of the kingdom, and to demonstrate the purpose and power of the kingdom. Throughout this series we'll learn how we are made citizens of His kingdom and how to reflect the nature, values, and character of the King while going through each beatitude in Matthew's gospel. 

Overcome Part 2

The same themes in the life of Jacob, continues into the life of his son Joseph. Joseph’s naiveté causes him a lot of pain and destruction in his life, but through the grace of God, he is able to overcome life’s major obstacles and in the end become a blessing for his family. 

 

Wind and Fire

The Holy Spirit is God. In Genesis the Spirit creates along with the other persons of The Trinity. In the creation narrative "the wind of God hovered over the surface of the waters". As the Spirit recreates, the Spirit also regenerates. Throughout this series we'll learn more about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

 

LOVEWAR

The greatest proof whether someone is being changed by the gospel is the way in which they love. Love by God consequently breeds love for self and others. The corinthian believers are a negative example of what love ought to look like in the lives of christians. They were filled with self love so Paul writes this letter to contend for the gospel. The gospel implication for anything is always love. His desire is that they would fight for love in their church.

Making our house a home

Our vision for 2017 is to make our house a home. There's a great example in the Old Testament of two men that shared a similar desire. Nehemiah and Ezra felt the burden to rebuild the walls of their ruined city. At the heart of their vision lied the desire to make Israel a home for the exiles, a home for the oppressed, and to make each heart a home for God.

 

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Grace Affords

Grace changes everything. Grace not only changes our standing before God which allows us to see him through different eyes but it ought to change the way we go about everything in life. Especially our relationships. The disfunctionality of our relationships have to do with the fact that we fail to apply grace to others. It’s a hard thing when you feel you don’t have enough of something to then  have to share it with others. To the degree we understand how much we have been given in Christ, we are then able to afford extending it to others. This series is designed to bring health and healing to all our relationships so that we are able to live according to God’s design for us. After all, “it is not good for us to be alone.”