When it came to how we did church, CrossHope Chapel held to the following four church purposes and seven governing values that guide our practices and focuses as a church. Biblical Purposes 1. We seek to be a church where one can safely, without denominational bias, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 … Continue reading →
For nearly 12-years CrossHope Chapel was an informal, simpler expression of church, where one could encounter the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, engage others in authentic New Testament fellowship, and be encouraged through the verse-by-verse study of the Bible. When you walked through the doors you would immediately notice that we had round tables, no pews or side by … Continue reading →
I’ve been contemplating 2 Timothy 4:8 and Paul’s mention of those who “love his appearing.” Paul is reflecting on the end of his life and ministry and writes, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them … Continue reading →
Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 3 and talked about the three churches mentioned in the chapter. Jesus dictated to John letters for these seven churches and in this chapter we have the letters for the last three: Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The letters have application to each of the local churches of John’s time, an application to … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 2 and talked about the four churches mentioned in the chapter. Jesus dictated to John letters for these seven churches and in this chapter we have the letters for the first four: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyartira. The letters have application to each of the local churches of John’s time, an application … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to Revelation 1 as we began our journey through this new study series and I want to share with you some of the highlights from our study and discussion… Revelation 1:1 — It is important to note that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the Anti-Christ. Some translations say “the revelation from … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we completed our study through the book of Matthew when we opened to its final chapter. In Matthew 28 we dealt with the resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission. One of the things that caught our attention was Matthew’s account of how the soldiers were bribed by the priests to lie and report that the … Continue reading →
I want to mention my deep gratitude for the Pastor Appreciation gift you all gave to Steph and myself on Sunday, October 10, 2021. Your kindness and love is greatly appreciated and we dearly love you all in our Lord Jesus Christ. This year has posed some challenges to our small group, mainly to our gatherings as a result of … Continue reading →
This coming Sunday, October 17th, at CrossHope Chapel we will open to the 27th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and continue through the closing scenes of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. We will cover Matthew 27:1-44 this coming Sunday, and on the following Sunday, October 24, we’ll look at the remainder of Matthew 27 into Matthew 28 as we … Continue reading →
Last Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we opened to the 25th chapter of Matthew and read two parables and an explanation of the separating of the saved from the unsaved at Jesus’ return. This chapter was a continuation of the same discourse found in Matthew 24 where Jesus was warning His disciples to be watch for the signs of the end … Continue reading →
Last Sunday, August 15th, at CrossHope Chapel, we enjoyed the 22nd chapter of Matthew and discussing Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet, and the questions posed to Jesus with the intention to trap Him up in front of the people there in Jerusalem. The parable of the wedding banquet was rich with Jesus’ warning that the work of the winning … Continue reading →
Last Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we had a rich time in the 21st chapter of Matthew, partly because it was loaded with differing accounts and partly because it was the beginning of Jesus’ final week. We enjoyed so much interaction as we looked through this chapter that it is kind of hard for me to pull together one or two … Continue reading →
This past Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we paused from our current series through the Gospel of Matthew for a Prophecy Update. It was a First Sunday so we also celebrated communion and had potluck together. We talked briefly about conditions in the Middle East but my intention with this Prophecy Update was simply to encourage us all to stay focus … Continue reading →
This past Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we examined the 20th chapter of Matthew, but we spent the bulk of our time discussing the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The chapter engaged us with the stories of Jesus healing two blind men, the mother of James and John asking Jesus to make her sons the two highest in command … Continue reading →
I thought it might be good to update you on where are in our verse-by-verse study at CrossHope Chapel through the Gospel of Matthew and I am going to that by just hitting some highlights… Matthew 14 was a great chapter that transitioned us from the previous parables of the Kingdom of Heaven to the account of John’s beheading, Jesus’ … Continue reading →
This morning at CrossHope Chapel was a good one as we went through the 14th chapter of Matthew. We studied through three stories recorded by Matthew, the beheading of John the Baptist, the feeding of the 5000, and Jesus walking on the water. All three of these accounts were tied together with Jesus’ response to the news of His cousin’s … Continue reading →
If you follow my Today’s Daily Promise devotionals you have likely noticed that I have recently been using the New International Version, having recently switched from using the English Standard Version. In this post I want to explain why I have been using the NIV again. This story has to begin in 1980 when I became a born again believer … Continue reading →
We are about a month away from our 10-year anniversary as a church fellowship, which we’ll be celebrating on January 3, 2021 at the Chapel in west Mobile. Please mark your calendar to attend or if it looks like you may not be able to attend, please consider sending us a note to be read on that day to your … Continue reading →
I’ve been thinking about Revelation 1:10 lately and how it relates to CrossHope Chapel. I probably need to mention that with this pandemic I’ve been thinking a lot about CrossHope Chapel, where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re heading. This coming January 2, 2021 when we gather we’ll be celebrating our 10th consecutive year of fellowship as a … Continue reading →
I was reminded this morning by a friend still living in my home town of Rossford, Ohio that it was 40 years ago today that we graduated from High School in the class of 1980. After the shock wore off that it was 40 years already, it occurred to me that Payton is graduating from High School on this very … Continue reading →
The church I serve as pastor, CrossHope Chapel, does not have an official sign on the dotted line type of local membership. You can’t sign anything that says you want to be a member of CrossHope Chapel or you can’t sign any commitment to be a member of CrossHope Chapel. One becomes a member of CrossHope Chapel by being a … Continue reading →
The coronavirus is challenging many of the ways we do life in America. Some businesses are discovering that employees can work from home, families are adjusting to actually spending more time together, and church members are realizing that a weekly formal program may not be as necessary to their personal spiritual growth as they once thought. I am guessing that … Continue reading →
This morning was a great time together in prayer, worship, and God’s Word. I enjoy every week when we gather together, but this morning was just a sweet time of fellowship. There was a song that came to my mind too, called, “Sweet, Sweet, Spirit.” If you don’t recognize that song, it’s one that goes, “There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit … Continue reading →
Our church fellowship began on January 6, 2011, meeting on Sunday morning at a community room of a Ryan’s Restaurant on Rangeline Road near I-10 in Tillman’s Corner, Alabama. The manager allowed us to use the room at no cost if we ordered their buffet breakfast, which we did and enjoyed, but after several weeks we all seemed to have gotten … Continue reading →