CrossBridge Church Westbury, NY

Living Life by the Power of the Gospel

Has your life ever been hard? Have you ever dealt with troubled people? Life in a broken world presents many difficulties which often include relational and situational problems. Many times people make unwise and sinful choices which potentially hurts, hinders, or inconveniences you or others. When you are hurt, hindered, or inconvenienced by someone else’s sin or folly, how do you respond? Are you easily angered, frustrated, put off, or otherwise irritated? When you see others who are making poor personal and life choices, how do you respond?

The gospel provides a better way to respond to life’s difficulties. In Christ we can now demonstrate compassion, show kindness, offer support, and forgive. Individually and as part of the body of Christ, God can use you to make a difference in your home, neighborhood, and the lives of those who hurt in your community.

-Dr. Kevin Carson

Unity, Humility, and the Christ-Follower

Philippians 2:1-11

I’m sure you have noticed that there is a great deal of disunity in the world today. We have political, economic, racial and relational disunity. Perhaps the most tragic of all of these is the disunity that is found among Christ-followers. The very people whom Christ called to Himself, those whom he instructed to be light in a dark world often find themselves at odds with their fellow brother or sister in Christ. So what are we to do when we find ourselves in a contentious position with another believer? Paul says we are to be united together, but how? Lets look at Philippians 2:1-11 and see what God’s says about Christians living in unity with one another.  -Pastor Matt

JONAH // 4. A Missional God

Jonah 4:1-11

The book of Jonah is one of the great missionary stories that we find in the Bible. Jonah was called and sent out by God to preach and proclaim God's word. The result of Jonah's preaching was simply amazing.  In this great Bible story we see one of the greatest responses ever seen to the preaching of the Word of God. 

But what makes this story great isn't the missionary, it's his God. This story is about God, His mission, His heart, and His love for His creation. The better we know our missional God, the more missional we will become.  The more missional we become, the more our hearts will be like His.  Missions is a matter of the heart!

-Pastor Terry

JONAH // 3. A City Awakened

JONAH // 2. A Heartfelt Cry from the depths

Jonah 1:17 - 2:10

What most of us remember about the story of Jonah is the great fish that swallowed him.  But if our focus is only on the great fish we miss seeing our Great God in this Biblical account.  My desire for each of us is to meet the God that Jonah is running from.  The God who confronts us and brings us to the end of ourselves, leads us back home in faith to Him.  Just like He did with Jonah.

In today's text we see the incredible display of God's sovereignty over His creation by sending a great fish to swallow Jonah.  It is in the belly of that great fish that Jonah has a rude awakening. God provides a window for us into the lessons the prophet has only begun to learn as a result of his running away in disobedience.  Let's look today at God's greatness and His loving pursuit of His children.

-Pastor Terry

JONAH // 1. The Runaway

Today we’re beginning a new sermon series on the book of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet of the Lord. He was a preacher who ministered the Word of God among the people of the northern kingdom of Israel under the reign of Jeroboam II, sometime around the 8th century BC. God commanded Jonah to go to “Nineveh, that great city” and deliver a message to that city from God. But Jonah refused to go. The rest of the story unfolds in the wake of Jonah's stubborn refusal to submit himself to the Word of God and the call of God in his life. It is a story of Jonah's resistance to learn lessons of God’s astonishing, relentless, sovereign grace. And it is a huge challenge to all of us to care for the salvation of the world, to care for those who are not like ourselves, and to care for the lost wherever we may find them.

The story of Jonah is not just history for the sake of history. The book of Jonah is a story intended to teach the reader, you and I, some very important lessons. Did Jonah learn those lessons? Are they lessons that we, too, need to learn? Let's look together as we begin the study of Jonah.

-Pastor Terry

LUKE // 41.The Grace & Mercy of God

Luke 8:26-39

Have you ever noticed that some Christians only cry out to God when they have a problem? Health, wealth, and prosperity can rob us of our sense of desperation. Love for this present world creeps into our lives subtly, like a spiritual leprosy and can damage our spiritual sensitivity. When that happens we have a tendency to believe we don't need God so we no longer cry out to Him.

Then trouble comes. Perhaps a deadly disease, a financial crisis,broken relationships. In these moments of desperation we cry out to God. But it's during these times that God may choose to give us something more than just the momentary relief of our present situation. He gives us His grace and His mercy. Let's look at both of these gifts as we study our text today in Luke 8:40-56.

-Pastor Terry

LUKE // 40. Jesus Loves the Unlovable and Shows Mercy to the Unmerciful

Luke 8:26-39

As we continue our study in Luke, we are once again given an opportunity to see the love, mercy, and power of Jesus on full display. If we are not careful we can grow cold to the amazing nature of everything that Jesus is and does. We must be careful to ask God to keep our hearts sensitive to His word and passionate to learn more about Him. 

I hope today you are renewed and refreshed in your heart to come to God’s Word with a passion to see Jesus for who He is and revel in His glory. Let us rejoice that He would give us the opportunity to know more about Him through His word and love Him more because of it.

-Pastor Nate

LUKE // 39. Who Then is This?

Luke 8:22-25

Perhaps you have noticed that in Dr. Luke's gospel he often groups together what seems to be very different stories. But each story serves a purpose with a point or truth that he wants to emphasize to us. Earlier in this gospel we focused on the miracles that Christ performed. These revealed to the multitudes that Christ is the Savior.  

In today's text we'll look at another miracle performed by Jesus. This is directed primarily to the disciples. Luke recorded this miracle and others to teach the disciples how to live the life God had called them to in a fallen world. These lessons can be applied to us today. How did Jesus respond when faced with trials and tribulations? How should we respond?  The disciples witnessed the power and authority of Jesus and asked, "Who then is this?"  Let's look at that question today as we prepare to study God's word.

-Pastor Terry

LUKE // 38. Did You Listen to What I Said

Luke 8:16-21

Today we return to our study in the Gospel of Luke. Previously, we read of the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:1-15. Jesus gave an exhortation to His disciples and to you and I, “…as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” In this parable, Jesus was speaking to His disciples about what the Word is designed to produce in our lives and how we know whether or not we have truly received the Word of God. 

In today's text, Luke 8:16—21, we'll read about the story of the lamp and about the mother of Jesus and His brothers coming to visit Him. This passage reinforces the point made in the parable of the sower. That is, did you listen to God's Word and  respond to it? So let's bear that in mind as we prepare to hear God's Word.

-Pastor Terry