Christians Want Current Events, We Preach the Bible — Problem?

There’s a recent poll out from Lifeway that says this: “Four in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers (80%) believe a pastor must address current issues to be doing their job, according to a Lifeway Research study. Few (16%) disagree, and 4% aren’t sure.” Embedded in that definition of “current issues” is a range of topics from current elections to Supreme Court decisions to global conflict and cultural flashpoint moments.

Yet, if you come to Cross of Grace on Sundays you likely won’t find us doing a sermon series on a particular topic but instead walking through books of the Bible, methodically, passage after passage.

Is this a problem? Are we failing to serve our people by doing this?

No. And here are four reasons I think our pattern of preaching actually gets at the need Christians feel for being equipped to think well about current issues:

1. We believe in allowing God and His word to set the agenda in our church and lives. The last thing we want is for our culture or current headlines to determine what and how we preach. If we are to be useful and effective we must be primarily shaped by God and His Word. Christ is our Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5) and we take our priorities and marching orders from Him and no one else.

2. We believe every passage is more useful in our current cultural moment than anything else. The Word of God breathed out by God and *useful* for life. The Bible is the most relevant text on human experience, life, politics, sexuality, conflict, etc. ever written because it was written by the God who made us and sees all. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

3. We believe in bold and unapologetic application of the word to our cultural moment. When the Word addresses matters in our culture, as uncomfortable or as unpopular as its words may be, we are committed to preaching them clearly and boldly. Timothy is charged to “preach the word” during a time when people will “not endure sound teaching” (2 Tim 4). So when topics like sexuality, justice, abortion, government, and gender arise we are committed to tackling them head on as the Bible does.

4. We believe we can create other contexts outside Sunday’s sermon for application and equipping. While the main agenda for Sunday will be set by the next passage we also want to create classes, groups, and other contexts to equip people to think biblically on a range of topics. In fact, our recent launch of COG Firepit Chats (where we talk about identity and work in episode one) is a place to do this. We want to create more. So the main direction and agenda is set through expository preaching but we want to supplement that helpfully in other places.

So is there a disconnect between people wanting their pastors to address current events and our pattern of preaching through books of the Bible? No, I don’t think so. And in fact, I think this way of doing it protects the church and sets it up to prosper long term.

Let me give one current illustration here. I’ve been pastoring at Cross of Grace here for 14 years now and one of the things I’ve learned is that I don’t have a great sense of what "current events” will ripple out for years. Some things I thought were incredible important ended up fizzling (anyone remember the “emerging church” back in the day??) . Other things that didn’t seem important at the time ended up becoming powerful cultural forces (when I studied critical theory in a dingy college classroom I never imagined it going mainstream!). I want to serve our church well but I have to admit that over the last 14 years I haven’t been able to guess very often what will be relevant 5-10 years from that day.

Yet, over those 14 years I’ve seen something else. Passages that I thought were distant and difficult to relate to for our church ended up resonating with surprising power. (Our most requested sermons and sermon series have been some of the strangest places in the Bible like 1 Cor 11 and Revelation.) I’ve also seen that as much as changes in culture there is “nothing new under the sun” as Ecclesiastes would say and human beings have temptations, needs, and challenges that cut across generations. And I’ve also seen that God’s Word just works. It goes forward in power. It changes hearts. It encourages. It confronts. And there is no irrelevant passage in Scripture.

So will we continue to preach the next passage in the Bible on Sunday? Yes. Will it be relevant to our cultural moment? Yes.

As it has been for the last 2,000 years of history. And as it will be until Christ returns.

Amen.

In Christ Statements

Recently on our COG Firepit chats we talked about how Scripture gives us a new identity in Christ. Here are just a few of the statements that shape our identity.

I AM ACCEPTED IN CHRIST

• I am a child of God (John 1:12)

• I am called Jesus’ friend (John 15:15)

• I am no longer a slave, but a son/daughter (Galatians 4:5-7)

• I have been adopted as a son/daughter (Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:5)

• I am a son/daughter of God and he is my Father (Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6)

• I am an heir of God – a joint heir with Christ, sharing his inheritance with him (Galatians 4:6-7; Romans 8:17)

• I am united with the Lord and am one in spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17)

• I am saved by grace through faith and not of my works – I have nothing to boast about before God (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• I have peace with God, and am reconciled to him (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

• I am loved by Jesus and freed from my sins by his blood (Revelation 1:5)

• I have been forgiven of all my sin (Colossians 2:13)

• I have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11)

• I am a slave of God and a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:18-19, 22)

• I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family (Ephesians 2:19)

• I am a partaker of Christ; I share in his life (Hebrews 3:14)

• I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5)

• I have been bought with a price and I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)

• I am dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11)

• I am a new creation – the old is gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• I am a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2)

• I am righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24)

• I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

• I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18)

• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14)

• I am complete in Christ and have all I need (Colossians 2:10)

I AM SECURE IN CHRIST

• I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2)

• I am never left alone or forsaken (Hebrews 13:5)

• I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

• I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

• I have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13)

• I have been given all I need for a godly life (2 Peter 1:3)

• I can resist the devil and he will flee from me (James 4:7)

• I have been given spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:12-18; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

• I am strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might (Ephesians 6:10)

• I can stand firm against every scheme of the devil (Ephesians 6:11)

• I am confident that the work God started in me he will see through to completion (Philippians 1:6)

• I have victory through Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)

• I am more than a conqueror – overwhelming victory is mine in Jesus (Romans 8:37)

• I have overcome the world (1 John 5:4)

• I overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11)

• I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)

• I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

• I have my name written in heaven by the Lord (Luke 10:19-20)

• I can find grace and mercy in my time of need, coming before God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16)

• I am assured that all things work together for my good (Romans 8:28)

• I am free from any condemning charges against me because God is for me (Romans 8:31-34)

• I am constantly being prayed for according to the perfect will of God by Jesus (Romans 8:34; Hebrew 7:25)

• I cannot be separated from the love of God that is in Jesus (Romans 8:35-39)

• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)

• I am confident that the good work God has started in me he will see through to completion (Philippians 1:6) 

I AM SIGNIFICANT IN CHRIST

• I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

• I am the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)

• I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)

• I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)

• I am a member of Christ’s Body and have a unique role to play in the Church (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30)

• I am seated in the heavenly places with Jesus (Ephesians 2:6)

• I am a temple – a dwelling place of God. His Spirit and His life dwells in me (1 Corinthians 6:19)

• I am God’s co-worker (1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1)

• I have been purchased with the imperishable and precious blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:19)

• I can approach God with freedom, confidence, and boldness through Jesus (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16)

• I am a child of light, not of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

• I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9-10)

• I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit, fruit that will last (John 15:16)

• I have received all of God’s promises in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20)

• I am God’s workmanship, created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10)

• I was chosen by God before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)

• I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Colossians 3:4)

• I am a holy partaker in a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)

• I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life to others (John 15:1, 5)

THE WHY of Our Theology Cohorts

For you

As J.I. Packer once said, “What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” It’s the most important thing because it shapes everything else we do in life. Whether we believe God is just affects whether we trust him when life is hard. Whether we believe God loves us affects whether we look for love elsewhere. What we believe about God as a father affects the way we relate to our children. What we believe about Christ and the church affects the way we live in marriage.

We often have two obstacles though when it comes to growing in our knowledge of God — First, it’s often hard to find time to study in depth and make progress on our own. Second, it’s not enough simply to grow in knowledge because the Lord calls us to apply that truth to life.

That’s where this cohort can help. In this cohort, we’ll aim to grow together in both theological skill and application of that truth to daily life. It’ll be an investment of time, but God willing, an investment into your long-term life as a Christian.

For the church

When churches raise up leaders in the pattern of Jesus the org chart is flipped and leaders serve. But one key way they serve is not just in godly character, and not just in practical help, but in contribute theological strength to the church. For example, deacons who serve in practical ministry are the “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” Leaders can serve others by being equipped and holding that mystery of the faith.

But for this to work we must have strong godly leaders at all levels and in all areas of the church. When serving people in grief ministry, many will deal with questions about God’s character. When serving in ALPHA, many will answer questions and interact with people who are exploring the faith. When serving in worship, the songs we sing, the Scriptures we read, and the encouragements we share will flow from our understanding of the word.

By being part of the cohort you’ll strengthen the whole church.

For the city

El Paso is, in many ways, a theological desert. Traditionally a strongly Catholic area it’s quickly becoming a place where millennials and Gen Z have little religious faith at all. Geographically isolated from other evangelical seminaries, large Word-oriented churches, and ministries, there is a great need here. Many Protestant churches are dealing with aging congregations and pastors. And there has, so far, been little church planting and renewal effort in the city.

One of the brothers from the church once remarked on this situation saying, “The evangelical Calvary isn’t coming.” But another brother replied with a smile, “Well brother, the Lord has sent us though and we are here.”

By being part of the cohort we have the opportunity to make a difference in a city with great gospel need.

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Our Commitment to You

• To give you the best of what we’ve learned as elders over many years

• To be available for questions, encouragement, and personal help

• To provide good and edifying resources that will hopefully serve you for years to come

Your Commitment

• Faithfully attend the cohort meetings (If you’ll miss more than a few meetings it may be better to wait to participate until next year, or work with an elder to develop a customized individual meeting plan)

• Faithfully do any pre-reading and assignments

• Faithfully present to the best of your abilities in class

• Time commitment of meetings is 90 minutes per month

• Reading commitment per month is about 50 pages of theological reading per month

• Writing commitment is about 500 words per month

Our Pastoral Training Fund

This week we launched a new fund here at the church — our pastoral training fund. We’d love for you to pray about participating in it.

The First Step

We’re beginning this fund with a specific need to invest in Brayden Peterson as he heads to the Sovereign Grace Pastors College this fall. He is a young man with a heart for ministry that has seen him graduate with an undergraduate degree while also serving in college ministry in Lubbock.

You can hear Brayden’s testimony and about his heart for ministry in our Sunday service:

This year will be a foundational one as Brayden explores God’s call on his life and seeks to be equipped to serve the church. While we don’t know what is next for Brayden after this Pastors College year we do know that this year will prepare him to serve the church wherever the Lord takes him.

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES FROM BRAYDEN’S JOURNEY

All funds collected right now will go toward Brayden’s year at the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. Brayden is seeking to raise $1,400 per month to attend classes full time for the next 10 months and currently has about 10% raised. We’d love to send him to the Pastors College fully funded if we can. Please consider giving by the end of the month of July so he’ll know where he stands.

Give to the Pastoral Training Fund

The Fund

Beyond Brayden this fund will specifically aim to invest in young men who are exploring pastoral ministry and desiring to pursue it. This fund will specifically go toward things like:

• Students attending our Sovereign Grace Pastors College

• Men traveling to events like the Pastors Conference, RELAY, or other events exploring pastoral ministry

• Pursuing other kinds of pastoral training such as seminary classes, Simeon Trust events, etc.

• Resources and books for men exploring ministry
  

The Need

In our city and across the world there is a great need for men to rise up in gospel ministry. Our heartbeat at the church is build the church, reach the lost. That is a call for every Christian. But there we pray God would specifically raise up those with a heart for preaching the Word and equipping the saints for ministry.

The Opportunity

Located where we are in El Paso Del Norte people often end up here from around the country and beyond — brought by the military, federal work, migration, or university studies. We also have many born here in El Paso who know what it is like to live among and minister to dechurched and unchurched people, rapidly the kind of world America is becoming. We see these as God-given opportunities.

May the Lord raise up many faithful brothers who will lead the way in seeking to build the church and reach the lost in the years to come.

The REAL Man

The Principles

What does it mean to pursue manhood? Four principles of what it means to be a man drawn from author Robert Lewis: 

1. Reject Passivity

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2)

Every man faces the temptation to do nothing, to be passive, not to take action. The world then conforms us to its mold. Biblical manhood means shaking off passivity and doing what needs to be done and taking action. 
Read the story of a young boy who saved his sister from a dog attack.

2. Accept Responsibility

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Every man faces the temptation to shirk responsibility. But men are made to accept responsibility for themselves and others at home and work and the world around them. This is a posture that says “I’m willing to take this on, I’m willing to be accountable for this.” 

Watch a small character accept a large responsibility, taken from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

3. Lead Courageously

“But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:16)

Every man faces the temptation to shrink back where there is a moment that calls for leadership and courage. But men were made to lead out courageously whenever there is opportunity across the various areas of their lives. Courage is the call for all men, not just a few. 

Read Teddy Roosevelt on courage and the call to the arena.

4. Expect the Greater Reward

“Behold I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done” (Rev 22:12)

Every man faces the temptation to trade long term good for short term pleasure or comfort. But biblical manhood means looking to the reward ahead and working toward it. The great things in life of eternal significance don’t happen immediately so men work faithfully now. And the greatest things in life we only receive in eternity so biblical men work for that great and final day. 

Read the story of Jim Eliot who said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” 

The Need for Men

Men and boys are in a crisis today: Boys are 7% more likely to drop out of high school than girls, a gender gap that Fortune last year noted "has gone largely unaddressed by schools." They have higher rates of unemployment, have shorter life expectancies, and are four times more likely than females to die by suicide. For every 100 bachelors degrees awarded to women only 74 are awarded to men. The largest drop in employment in recent years has been that more and more men aged 25-34 are unemployed. In the new category of “death by despair” (suicide, alcohol, addiction, etc.) 3 out of 4 deaths are men. (See more in The Washington Post.)

One man a reporter talked to summed up the main issue many men are facing: “I just want someone to tell me how to be.” But where do we turn to get guidance on what it means to be a man? And how to become one? 

The Guide 

We have a book, we have a guide and it is found in the Bible. Being a man is not making the most money, hitting the highest workout PRs in the gym, having the most man toys, or being popular on dating apps. Being a man is much more fundamental. 

Men were created, by design, and that design is good. God embedded some things deep within men that they were meant to be. From Genesis 1-3 author Jon Tyson defines manhood this way: a man is an image bearer and son of God, entrusted with power and responsibility to create, cultivate, care, and defend, for God’s glory and the good of others. 

Our first father, Adam, failed to be what he was made to be with devastating consequences in Gen 1-3

• He was passive and didn’t stop evil from entering the garden

• He did not accept responsibility for his wife, creation, or his failure

• He did not lead out courageous when he should have

• He traded the greater reward for the bite of a forbidden fruit

But Jesus Christ provides a hopeful picture of what it means to be a man in Romans 5

• Jesus was not passive but actively on his Father’s mission

• Jesus accepted responsibility for his mission and even for all his people, going to the cross for them

• Jesus leads courageous as the head of the church and is working a plan to restore all things

• Jesus endured the cross for the eternal good of his people

In manhood we aim to imitate Jesus. 

The Hope

All of us fall and fall as men. None of us are who we should be. That’s why Jesus came. John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life.” Because Jesus died for our failures we can life a new life. Read more about the hope of Jesus here.

Resources

Community

• Find community at Cross of Grace

• Find other good churches in your area

Books on Biblical Manhood

• The Shepherd Leader at Home by Timothy Witmer

• Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes

• Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle

Books on Raising Sons

• Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis

• The Intentional Father by Jon Tyson

Books for Men

• Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose (non-fiction)

• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (non-fiction)

• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (fiction)

Books for Boys Becoming Men

• The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (fiction)

• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (fiction)

4 Tips for Interpreting Difficult Passages of Scripture

Share these tips with your bible study partner!

Often when we come across difficult passages of scripture we are tempted to either:

1. Skip it because we think we'll never understand it or,

2. Begin to believe that maybe parts of the Bible aren't relevant.

But neither are helpful or right mindsets! Thankfully, there are steps we can take to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

Evidence for the Resurrection

““If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said?” ”

— Timothy Keller

Here are a few places to start exploring the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection: 

Lee Strobel — My Testimony and the Case for Christ — This one might be my favorite. It’s a 40 minute testimony from former investigative journalist on how he spent two years examining the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection.

Neil Shenvi on 4 Pieces of Resurrection Evidence – A research scientist examines the data. 

George Sinclair on 10 Concise Pieces of Evidence for the Resurrection – Very clear and short points in evidence of the resurrection. A great place to start. 

Matt Perman on Historical Evidence for the Resurrection – A long form article going into more detail on the history of resurrection and surrounding evidence. 

Video – William Lane Craig on Evidence for the Resurrection (35min) – A short punchy talk on evidence for our beliefs in the resurrection jumping off from 1 Corinthians 15. 

Lee Strobel’s book on The Case for Christ– The investigative journalist approaches the resurrection like a skeptical reporter and finds ample evidence. 

Tim Keller’s book on The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter – While battling cancer a second time Keller talks about resurrection and its implications for daily life. 

Quotes on the Resurrection

 Some selections from Keller that I hope confront and inspire you: 

“If you are looking at Christianity, start by looking at Jesus’s life as it is shown to us in the gospels, and especially at the resurrection. Don’t begin, as modern people do, by asking yourself if Christianity fits who you are. If the resurrection happened, then there is a God who created you for himself and ultimately, yes, Christianity fits you whether you can see it now or not. If he’s real and risen, then just like Paul, even though he had none of the answers to any of his questions, you’ll have to say, “What would you have me do, Lord?”…

“In Jesus’s day the message of the kingdom contradicted all the world’s categories. In our time the Christian faith is seen as something traditional rather than radical and disruptive. Nothing could be further from the truth…

“Belief or nonbelief in the resurrection is never merely an intellectual process. We are not computers. We are flesh-and-blood human beings, and when we confront the claim of the resurrection, we address it not only with logic but with a lifetime of hopes and fears and preexisting faith commitments. And we will never be able to accept it until we see our need for God’s grace…

“In the resurrection we have the presence of the future. The power by which God will finally destroy all suffering, evil, deformity, and death at the end of time has broken into history now and is available—partially but substantially—now. When we unite with the risen Christ by faith, that future power that is potent enough to remake the universe comes into us…”

Want to Learn More?

We invite you to be part of our next ALPHA class starting at the end of the summer. But you don’t have to wait, either. You can download the material and read through it with a friend. Then join us when our classes start again soon.

28 Pages of Holy Spirit Power

A few years ago one of our pastors, Joe Alcantar Jr., put together a list of Scripture references with comments to help us as a pastoral team better understand appreciate the role of the Holy Spirit in the church.

It’s 28 pages of Holy Spirit beauty and power. Mostly, it’s simply collected references to the Spirit but it also has some helpful comments on how they fit together in the whole of Scripture.

This isn’t an academic paper, rather the fruit of one pastor’s study with key references. Reading through this served to encourage our hearts and give us boldness as we pursue the mission God has given us. It’s our prayer this could do the same for you.

Read it all at once to get the full cumulative force, or work through it section by section devotionally. It will bless and encourage you.

Read it online

Get the paper in PDF

Get the paper in Word Doc

Resources on the Holy Spirit for Busy People

Want to learn more about the person and work of Holy Spirit? It’s a beautiful powerful and pervasive thread through the Scriptures. And understanding the Spirit has the potential to transform your life in Christ. Yet I know life is busy so here are short, punchy, important resources on this topic:

Read One Article

I’d recommend my friend Jared Mellinger’s article on what it means to believe in the ongoing work of the Spirit. He lays out why this is true in Scripture and why it is beautiful and powerful in practice.

Read One More Thing

I’m writing a short introductory book on the Holy Spirit and I’m sharing a section from it on the gifts of the Spirit. 

Here are the three chapters there:

7. The Body – How does the Spirit unify and build the church?

8. The Gifts, pt 1 – Why does the Spirit give Christians gifts?

9. The Gifts, pt 2 – What gifts does the Spirit give?

Buy One Book 

If you only buy one book to study this make it Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. You’ll get a great resource for many topics but it is especially clear, Scripturally saturated, and helpful on matters of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts. 

Listen to One Thing 

Last year Sovereign Grace Executive Director Mark Prater was with us and shared a clear and winsome introduction to the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Read One Paragraph

Okay I lied, it’s two paragraphs. But they’re our view committed to our confession in our Statement of Faith and I think they’re beautiful. Read the paragraphs and trace the footnotes for yourself.

When Christ ascended, he poured out the Holy Spirit on the church, ushering in a greater experience of God’s presence and power among his people.[1] The Spirit transforms hearts by the miracle of regeneration[2] and indwells all believers in abundant, new covenant measure.[3] The Spirit also desires to fill God’s people continually with increased power for Christian life and witness.[4] To be filled with the Spirit is to be more fully under his influence,[5] more aware of his presence,[6] and more effective in his service.[7] All Christians, therefore, must continually seek to be filled with the Spirit[8] by living and praying in such a way that invites the Spirit’s work among us, actively longing for God to accomplish his gracious purposes in us and through us. The filling of the Spirit brings to God’s people a deeper knowledge of Christ,[9] an increased desire for holiness,[10] a stronger commitment to unity and love, a greater fruitfulness in ministry, and a deeper gratitude for our salvation.[11]

Christ loves the church, his body, and provides for its health and growth through the Holy Spirit.[12] In addition to giving new life, the Spirit sovereignly bestows gifts on every believer.[13] Spiritual gifts are those abilities and expressions of God’s power given by his grace for the glory of Christ and the building up of the church.[14] The variety of these gifts—some permanent and some occasional, some more natural and some more remarkable—reflects[15] the diversity of the members of Christ’s body[16] and demonstrates our need for one another.[17] The gifts are not to be exercised with apprehension, pride, or disorder, but with faith, love, and order,[18] and always in submission to the authority of Scripture as the final revelation of God.[19] With the exception of those among the apostles who were commissioned as eyewitnesses of Christ and made recipients of normative revelation,[20] the full range of spiritual gifts remain at work in the church and are given for the good of the church and its witness to the world. We are therefore to earnestly desire and practice them until Christ returns.[21]

[1] Acts 2:17-18; 2:33; 10:45.

[2] Titus 3:5; John 3:3; 1 Pet 1:3.

[3] Ezek 36:26-27; Acts 2:38-39; 1 Cor 12:12-13. 

[4] Acts 1:8; 4:8; 4:31; 13:9; Eph 5:18. 

[5] Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-33.

[6] Acts 3:19; 7:55; 19:6; Rom 8:15, 23.

[7] Acts 4:8; 6:3.

[8] Eph 5:18.

[9] John 15:26; 16:13-15; Eph 3:16-19; Rom 5:5. 

[10] Rom 8:13; Gal 5:22-23.

[11] Rom 8:15-16; Eph 5:19-20; Col 1:11-14.

[12] John 16:4-15; Eph 4:7-8, 13-16; 5:25-27. 

[13] 1 Cor 12:7, 11.

[14] 1 Cor 12:7; 14:26; Eph 4:12.

[15] Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28-30; 1 Pet 4:10-11; Eph 4:11-12.  

[16] 1 Cor 12:21-26.

[17] 1 Cor 14:1; 13:1-3; 14:33.  

[18] 1 Cor 13:1-3, 14:1; 14:33.

[19] 1 Thess 5:19-21; 1 Cor 14:29; 2 Tim 3:16; Rev 22:18-19.

[20] Acts 1:20-26; John 14:26; 15:27; 16:13-15; 1 Cor 14:37; Gal 1:11-20; Rev 21:14.

[21] 1 Cor 1:7; 12:31; 13:8-12; 14:1, 12.

Wayne Grudem,

Systematic Theology, 2

nd

edition

: Ch. 30, 39, 52-53

122

Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?

(Grudem): Preface, pp. 25-64, 239-308

110

Jeff Purswell, "Empowered by the Spirit" paper

7

Showing the Spirit

(Carson)

Ch. 5

52

Max Turner, “Holy Spirit,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, pp. 551-558

12*

J.I Packer,

Keep in Step with the Spirit

, ch. 1

Testimonies: Reidlands

Cross of Grace is a church full of diverse people from different backgrounds who all have one thing in common: Jesus! We want to highlight this by sharing stories and testimonies from the people at CoG. First up: Mike and Donna Reidland

"There was a time in my life when I knew that I was going to hell; two divorces, drunkenness, I knew I had missed my chance to be good enough to go to heaven. But because of God‘s mercy and grace, my sins have been forgiven, Donna and I have been married for more than 41 years, and I know that one day I will go to heaven to be with Him." - Mike Reidland

"There was a time in my life when I thought that being a reasonably good person was all I needed to do to go to heaven, but God had to let me see that it was impossible to be good enough and that I wasn’t actually good by anyone’s standard. Then in His mercy, He saved me, and life has never been the same. Now, in spite of the tests and trials that God allows into my life for my good and His glory, I have peace and joy, knowing that one day I will spend eternity with Him." - Donna Reidland

The Reidlands have attended Cross of Grace since last September and shared their testimonies at this year's Easter service. They have lived in El Paso for about 50 years and came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in 1983, right before they married. Over the years, they have served the Lord throughout the city and now call Cross of Grace their home church!

P.S. Want to get connected to the church? Check out our various groups on our ministry page.

The Thread — A Psalm 136 Retelling

This Sunday I shared a poetic version of Psalm 136 that was originally done by the great English poet John Milton. I’ve revised the refrain and added some language at the end. I pray it helps you hold the thread this week. -Ricky

John Milton, revised

Let us, with a gladsome mind,

praise the LORD, for He is kind:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

Let us blaze His name abroad,

for of gods He is the God:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

 He, with all commanding might,

filled the new-made world with light:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

He hath caused the golden sun

all day long his course to run:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

He with thunder-clasping hand,

smote firstborn of Egypt land:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

And in spite of Pharaoh fell,

He brought forth His Israel:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

He in battle has brought down

kings of prowess and renown:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

To His servant Israel,

gave their land therein to dwell:

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

Even now his victory rings

In my life and new hope springs

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

Recent peace and hope and love

Given from his hand above

 See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

Let us therefore hold the thread–

Of all He’s done and all He’s said

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

The story told and then retold

In my life now will unfold

See his steadfast love endure

Ever faithful ever sure

Always Better News Book Interview

We are giving away copies of Pastor Ricky’s new book, “Always Better News” on Easter Sunday! What is this book? Who is it for? Read on to find out!

1. What inspired you to write this book?

I (Ricky) grew up in church so I heard the basics of Jesus, the gospel, etc. many many times. They were the wallpaper to my life. But somewhere in my teenage years I began to see the gospel not as the wallpaper to the Christian life but as the pathway of the Christian life. 

Even more, I learned that the gospel isn’t just true it’s also good. The term gospel literally means “good news” but for too many the gospel itself is boring, irrelevant, or disconnected from their lives. But as I grew in my faith as a teen more and more the gospel became not just news but good news. Since then every year I’ve studied the gospel it has become more amazing, astounding, surprising, and shocking to me. 

As a pastor for the past 14 years I’ve seen over and over that I’m not alone. Many Christians see the gospel as wallpaper. Many Christians see the gospel as news but not particularly good. I want to change that. 

2. Who is it for?

Really, I wrote this for my city of El Paso. If you read statistics on how many claim to have some kind of Christian religious affiliation or have every gone to church, it’s most people. But if you read statistics on how many read the Bible, or follow Jesus consistently, it’s far lower. That gap is what I’m writing to. Because I was once in that gap myself. 

First, I wrote it for anyone who grew up in or around the church or religious environments. There are blessings to that, but one huge downside is that the gospel – the heart of our faith – no longer amazes us. I’m hoping this helps. 

Second, I wrote it for anyone who is seeking to re-establish a relationship with God. Maybe they grew up in or around the church but drifted as some point. And maybe they’re really going to examine their relationship with God – perhaps even for the first time come to their own relationship with God through the gospel. Or maybe they have wandered for a while, known they’re a Christian, but want to reground themselves in who God is, who we are, who Jesus is, etc. 

And third, if someone has no Christian background but wants to honestly examine the heart of the Christian faith, this is a great place to start. Skeptics, doubters, naysayers welcome. 

3. Why the title “Always better News”?

One of our most faithful church members is Mrs. Wheeler who has followed Jesus for decades. And over the years I’ve been in many small group meetings with her. And the thing that has amazed me is that every year the gospel seems to be more wonderful for her. She tears up as she speaks about it. She smiles when she remembers it. I want to be like her when I grow up. She is more and more amazed with each passing year that Jesus loves her, that he died for her, that she has life and hope in him. 

In many ways the gospel is like a diamond. You can look at it from a thousand angles in a hundred different lights and it shimmers and shines just slightly differently and beautifully. The more you examine the gospel the more you see. 

So that’s why I say the gospel is always better news than you think. 

I would love to see a generation of Christians who confess that the gospel is not just good news, as if it was something that impacted us once, but always better news and is something that continues to amaze us. 

4. Why is the gospel better news to you?

It’s not. And I know that’s a bad answer to that question!

But the gospel doesn’t always feel like better news to me. I can hear it and sing it only for it to begin to fade back into the wallpaper of my life. The incredible news that I have a creator who loved me and set his affection on me and sent Jesus to save me…is truly incredible. Yet sometimes it doesn’t feel incredible. 

That’s why I’ve found that I need to hear it over and over and keep hearing it. Because the gospel is always deeper, more profound, more beautiful, more intricate, than I understand. The problem is not with the gospel, then, it’s with me. And only my staring at the diamond again until it shimmers will help me match my wonder to the reality of the truths there. 

5. What do you hope people take from this book?

I hope people become Christians. I’m a good old fashioned revival preacher. I want that because being a Christian is the best thing in the world. 

And I hope that Christians will be amazed again by truths that are familiar to them. I hope that perhaps the next Sunday after they read this the songs they sing they’ll sing louder, the preaching they hear they will Amen, and their Bibles will shimmer with glory just a little more. 

6. Where can people get the book?

Here’s the deal: We do not want to make any money on this book. None. Our church has covered the cost of me writing it and getting it edited and into print. 

So you can get it in two ways: First, on alwaysbetternews.org you can just download it for free. 

Or second, you can grab it on Amazon. It’s less than $4 I think, which is the lowest we could charge. 

Or last, if you come to church we’ll happily give you a copy. And a coffee to go with it. 

7. Anything else you want to tell other people about the book?

This book came from a church. My name is on the cover but the members of Cross of Grace are on every page. The pastors before me did such an amazing job building a culture of gospel preaching and gospel amazement. A book like this only comes out a culture like this, and I’m so grateful. 

This was a labor of love from some specific people as well. I want to thank Jeannie Glenn, Becky Gayle, and Anna Parrish who edited the book in different forms and improved it immensely. 

I did the majority of writing in Marfa, TX which is a place of such strangeness and wonder and I hope that just a little of that is left in the book too.

-Ricky Alcantar

How should I prepare for Resurrection Sunday?

The week leading up to Easter is a great way to join Christians all over the world in a focused remembering of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. These are a couple practices that I’ve found helpful in following the Apostle Paul’s lead in “resolv[ing] to know nothing but Christ and him crucified” during this week that I would encourage us to do:

1. Read the accounts of the events leading up to the Resurrection from each of the gospels. Start in Luke 19, Matthew 26, Mark 11, and John 13 and read through the resurrection account.

2. Pray that the Lord would continue to draw people to himself this week, and every other!

3. Listen to music that helps stir our affections for Christ as we are reading and praying. (check out our Good Friday and Easter Playlists)

4. Get together with other believers and reflect on the mercy and grace shown by Christ through his sacrifice.

5. Anticipate and participate in a great celebration on Easter Sunday!

- Jon Vogan

P.S. Get more details for Good Friday and Easter Sunday services here.

Praying for Easter

Thank you CoG for taking all 500 of our Easter invitations to share with our city!

This Easter, we are praying that the Lord will bring the people in our city to auditoriums (and amphitheaters) all over El Paso, as the gospel is declared!  We also pray that eyes and ears will be opened as the good news both comes alive and is celebrated in the hearts and out of the mouths of everyone as we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death.

Please continue to pray people will find a church service to attend this Sunday and that our city experiences the new life that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

~Abby

P.S. Have someone in mind that you want to invite but haven't yet? It's not too late! Head to our Easter page to download a digital invite.

CYP Snaps

A few snapshots from CYP last Wednesday!

Our College and Young Professionals dove into the spiritual discipline of fasting with Jake Elliot. They ended the night with a challenge from Jake to do a fast from sundown to sundown the next day.

We are grateful for this group that challenges each other to look more like Christ!

~Abby

P.S. Want to join the next meeting? Click here to find out more details.

2 Guardrail Questions for Life

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

Two weeks ago Ricky encouraged us to consider two different questions when faced with dilemmas in everyday life.

1. Does this help my neighbor?
2. Can I do this for the glory of God?

These questions function as guardrails and bike pedals for our lives when deciding how to use the personal freedom that we have in Christ.

Let us allow this mindset to change every part of how we live and turn our focus outward to how we can serve others and glorify God.

~Abby

P.S. Missed the sermon? You can now listen to our Sunday sermons on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Just search for "Cross of Grace Church Sermons" to start listening.

Women’s Brunch 2024

February 10th was our annual Women's Brunch. Thank you to all our table hostesses and to everyone who participated. It was a wonderful morning of food and fellowship!

Julia Novoa talked about biblical productivity based on a small booklet by C.J. Mahaney. We still have a couple of extra booklets in our Zero Dollar Bookstore if you would like a copy.

We are so grateful for the encouragement and community we have through our church family!

~ Abby

P.S. Want to get connected with events like this? Go to our events page.

Resources for Smashing Idols

On Sunday we covered 1 Corinthians 10 which was a call away from idolatry and toward the Lord. Because the Lord loves us he warns us that idols never love us back and never save and sustain the way they promise, but the Lord loves us and saves and sustains us in a way no idol can.

If you want to read and study more on this particular topic here are some top recommendations. They’re great for smashing idols in our lives.

• One Page — Paul Tripp “Idol Worshippers” — The best one page summary of this concept and the image won’t leave your mind

• One Seven Minute Podcast — John Piper on What Is Idolatry? — A wonderful summation of the Biblical theme of idolatry in a simple and winsome format

• One Article — David Powlison on Idols of the Heart and Vanity Fair — It’s no exaggeration to say this article changed my life and helped me understand my heart better that I might turn to Christ

• One Book — Tim Keller Counterfeit Gods — This book not only helps you understand idolatry but helps you through the process of replacing your idols with the Lord in the areas of money, sex, power, and much more

May the Lord help us see what to flee from and what to flee toward that we might find life.

-Ricky

Resolved

This past Sunday Ricky encouraged us to live as “heavy metal Christians.” In other words, to be all in, all the time, in all things for the Glory of God. He introduced us to Jonathan Edwards, a man who began pastoring a church at 19 years old and created “resolves” for his life to help him live all in for Christ. Ricky followed Edwards’ example and drafted the following resolves as an example of how we can create our own resolves:

1. Resolved, to pray that God would sovereignty direct my life for the greatest gospel impact. 

2. Resolved, to consider honestly whether I should move to reach the unreached and give my life away for the sake of the gospel. And if not that, consider how else God has called me to give my life away for the sake of the gospel.

3. Resolved, to decide what career and vocation to pursue not based on wealth or notoriety or excitement but on God’s calling and whether he might use it for the kingdom.

4. Resolved, to decide where I’ll live not based on amenities and comfort and even family but on where God is sending me.

5. Resolved, to plan to never retire and instead spend my life serving others and making an impact as long as God gives me the breath. 

6. Resolved, if God leads me to join a church plant team and move away for the sake of the gospel.

7. Resolved, to pray for my local church and that God would position me well to participate in its mission. 

8. Resolved, to pick my church not based on comfort and convenience but on whether it’s clearly preaching the gospel and on mission.

9. Resolved, to be the most committed and encouraging member of my small group so that those in the group might be strengthened for their individual missions. 

10. Resolved, to search every Sunday for those who are new or out of place — they may well be those God is drawing to himself. 

11. Resolved, to serve in kids ministry, youth ministry, and young adults ministry so that God might save the next generation of the church. 

12. Resolved, to help resolve conflicts where I am involved and help others by being a peacemaker, so that the church’s mission might not be distracted and hindered.

13. Resolved, to pray for the lost around me and ask God to send me into the harvest with opportunities to share the gospel. 

14. Resolved, to study the Bible and gospel so that I might faithfully share it with others.

15. Resolved, to become friends with people who don’t know Jesus and invite them into my life. 

16. Resolved, when I’m regularly around people who don’t know Jesus, to not just sit there but learn their stories. 

17. Resolved, to take every opportunity to share what Jesus has done for me and what he can do for others. 

18. Resolved, if God does give me a family, to pray that God would help us be a family on mission. 

19. Resolved, if not married to choose my spouse not only based on looks and compatibility but also on whether we’ll make an impact together for Jesus. 

20. Resolved, to spend time not only managing my kids or playing with my kids but laboring to display and preach the gospel to my kids.

21. Resolved, to be willing to say no to my kids at times so we can serve the Lord through building the church and reaching the lost. 

22. Resolved, to pray that I’d live differently with all that God has given, seeing it not as mine but as God’s.

23. Resolved, to plan my budget and spending with kingdom priorities, giving regularly to my local church and beyond it.

24. Resolved, to plan my time and calendar with kingdom priorities that move even other good priorities like vacation and hobbies and comfort around. 

25. Resolved, to set my time with God in your daily schedule as not optional but more necessary than eating and drinking. 

26. Resolved, to help a brother or sister in Christ with finances as needed and as God allows.

27. Resolved, to see anything I have or own as dust and air when I look ahead to eternity and therefore offer them in service to Christ. 

28. Resolved, to do all of these motivated not by pride or by fear but by what Christ has done for me.

29. Resolved, to fight the accusations and failures and condemnations of the enemy when I fail and fall with the blood of Christ and promise of glory.

30. Resolved, to pursue the mission of Christ with all my might ultimately trusting not my resolve to cling to Christ but his resolve to cling to me.

As we go into a new month, we encourage you to think about one resolve you could dedicate yourself to. Let us be a church known for our “heavy metal” Christianity, known for being sold out for Jesus.

“Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive / Unless the Lord does raise the house, in vain its builders strive / To you who boast tomorrow’s gain, tell me what is your life / A mist that vanishes at dawn, all glory be to Christ” - All Glory Be to Christ by Gospel Community Worship

~ Abby

10 prayer points for Sanctity of Life

In light of Sanctity of Life Sunday, Stephen Prescott shared 10 prayer points for us to pray about this week.

1. Pray for a softening of the hearts of U.S. governors, State lawmakers, and members of Congress to the gospel. Pray for them to see babies in the womb and their mothers as valuable people made in the image of God.

2. Pray for women around the world who feel as if they have no other option than to end the life of their unborn child.

3. Pray for the fathers of unborn children to encourage women to choose life for their child and that they would get involved with appropriate support for life.

4. Pray for the Church. Pray that she will be able to show love and compassion to women in unexpected pregnancies. Pray that she will continue this love and compassion for women that choose life or an abortion.

5. Pray for the Christ-exalting pregnancy resource centers throughout the U.S. and the world. Pray for their protection. Pray that women in unexpected pregnancies will be connected with them.

6. Pray for the abortion providers in the U.S. and around the world. Pray for their salvation, and for their eyes to be opened to the precious lives they are seeking to abort.

7. Pray for those providing abortion recovery services. Pray that women will connect to them and will learn about forgiveness and redemption through Christ.

8. Pray for OBGYNs. Pray that pro-life OBGYNs will flourish, and women will be led to these practices divinely.

9. Pray that the Lord will use whatever means necessary to give women truthful information about the adoption option.

10. Pray that, in God’s miraculous way, women will connect with Lifeline Children’s Services and other Christ-exalting pregnancy counseling ministries so that we will have an opportunity to share the gospel with them.

P.S. Prayer points taken from Image Bearers: Shifting from pro-birth to pro-life. lifelinechild.org/nextsteps