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 also that love his appearing.” It’s noteworthy to me that he is saying that all … 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 the church universal today, and an application as seven consecutive eras of church history from … 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 to the church universal today, and an application as seven consecutive eras of church history … 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 Jesus Christ” because the word used means both “from” and “of” but the meaning is … 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 disciples stole Jesus’ body out of the tomb while they were sleeping. In particular, we … 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 the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been encouraging to me that there has remained a … 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 study the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Finally, we will conclude our study of … 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 and be ready for His return. In Matthew 25 Jesus uses two parables to show … 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 the world with the gospel was going to be taken away from Israel and given … 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 highlights to share with you. So, instead I’ll give you an overview… Within this chapter … 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 on Jesus and not get dragged down with the anxieties of these times. We looked … 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 when He establishing His kingdom, and Jesus sharing the prophetic details of the events when … 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’ feeding the 5000, and Peter walking on the water. I don’t know about you, but … 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 death and we reflected on how Jesus simply sought solitude as He likely was processing … Continue reading →
