CrossWalk - Cross Culture Church in Raleigh

This episode of Global Gospel Conversations with Co-hosts Pastor Dan Johnson and NC Baptist Senior Consultant, Asian Church Planting, Ralph Garay. Special Guest is Pastor Erick and Mayette of Cambodia. Recorded live via video January 29, 2021.

This episode of Global Gospel Conversations with Co-hosts Pastor Dan Johnson and NC Baptist Senior Consultant, Asian Church Planting, Ralph Garay. Special Guest is Pastor Jay Mathew Mariano of London, England. Recorded live via video January 27, 2021

This episode of Global Gospel Conversations with Co-hosts Pastor Dan Johnson and NC Baptist Senior Consultant, Asian Church Planting, Ralph Garay. Special Guest is Pastor Alessandro Di Leonardo of Italy. Recorded live via video January 26, 2021

Second episode of Global Gospel Conversations with Co-hosts Pastor Dan Johnson and NC Baptist Senior Consultant, Asian Church Planting, Ralph Garay. Special guest is Pastor Joel Cuellar in Toyoko, Japan. Recorded via video live on January 21, 2021

First episode of Global Gospel Conversations with Co-hosts Pastor Dan Johnson and NC Baptist Senior Consultant, Asian Church Planting, Ralph Garay. Special guest is Jay-Are Delos Reyes in Qatar.   Recorded live via video on January 21, 2021.

This week Elder Nate Jones finishes his series "Experience the Presence of God" by walking us through passages in John and Hebrews to help us see how God is the one and only source of true strength and comfort, and even in trials we can sing praises to Him.

God wants you to enjoy His presence. Practicing proper behaviors can issue us into the presence of God and allow us to receive the promised benefits in His Word. Elder Nate Jones continues our series "Experience the Presence of God."

The miracles in our lives and the very marvels of nature cry out supporting the existence of God. Elder Nate Jones begins our series "Experience the Presence of God" with a defense of that existence of a loving Creator.

No one encounters the presence of God and stays the same. Today we explore God's vision and our purpose on the first Sunday of the new year. In a message entitled "Gone Fishing", guest speaker Pastor Dan Johnson brings the Word from Luke 4 & 5, encouraging us not to limit God.

Shepherds sat in darkness and silence watching their sheep. An angel broke that silence and illuminated their, and our, promise. History tells His story. Join us as Youth Pastor Cale Little shares how the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand from Luke 2.

When we think of Christmas, we thing of jolly ole St. Nick; but the real gift came much earlier. God so lord the world that He gave. Join us as Pastor Chris Hankins brings "Be Christmas" from John 3.

When you are full of fears and doubt and all your plans go awry, what do you do? How do you handle it? God doesn't always show up the way we thought He would, but He does show up. Today, Justin Gillespie brings us the word from Luke 24 and reminding us that Jesus is closest to the broken hearted.

Today, Nate Jones walks us through Genesis 12:1-9 as we look at Abrams Walk of Faith, and the Obedience, Opposition, and Opportunities he faced along the way.

Today, Cale Little walks us through Zechariah 3 as we look at how we should cling to our King.

Fear, it’s a real thing. All of us have experienced fear at different times. But, what happens when fear affects our calling as a follower of Jesus? And, more importantly, what can we see happen without fear? In John chapter 18 we find the story of Jesus’ arrest and trial. Obviously, the story is about Jesus and His victory through the fulfillment of His purpose in coming. But also woven into the story is the Apostle Peter, and his failing due to fear. By comparing Jesus’ actions and Peter’s, we’re going to discover just exactly what all of us can accomplish without fear. Now, here’s Pastor Clay

Thankfulness; most of us understand the importance of being thankful, especially to God. But, it’s not always easy, is it? This week, we’re finishing up a message that Pastor Clay began last Sunday, from 1 Peter chapter 1, where we find out that there are some things that we can and should thank God for.  What we’re going to hear is a reminder to all of us that an attitude of gratitude is critical for experiencing a life of joy.

Often in life, our “circumstances” less than desirable. Trials can test our faith and cause us to struggle, spiritually and emotionally. In those times a little encouragement can go a long way. The first century church faced many obstacles, including persecution for their faith. In 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter is writing to believers to encourage them to stay strong in the faith and to remind them of what it is we have to be thankful for as followers of Jesus. When we face difficult trials, it can be easy to focus on the trial itself. But as Pastor Clay is going to show us this week from 1 Peter chapter 1, we have much to be thankful for.

The road of life; it’s up and it’s down and sometimes, it feels like it’s all over the place. At times we feel very secure on the road of life. At other times, we could probably all agree, fear and uncertainty are present as we walk that road. This week, Pastor Clay is taking us to a psalm written specifically for travelers facing an uncertain journey. We may not always know what is on the road before us, but we can be sure of the God who goes before us on our journey.

Sight is a precious gift and there is so much to see all around us. But, there is another kind of sight that is even more valuable than physical sight. Can you guess what it is? This week, Pastor Clay is taking us to Matthew chapter 9 and the account of Jesus’ encounter with two blind men, where we will discover that even though they were physically blind, these two men could see things that others often can’t.

What matters to you? For many people wealth and possessions matter; the big house, the expensive car. For some people health, being in shape, working out and eating right, that’s what really matters. If you ask all kinds of people, you’ll probably get all kinds of answers. So, what matters to you? In the book of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul, the author, gives much instruction, much direction, a good bit of correction, and plenty of inspiration in this New Testament book. This week, as we close out our study of 1 Corinthians, Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, leaves the Corinthians and us with a reminder of what really matters in life.

What does meditation look like and what does it mean to be mindful of God? Pastor Clay is on vacation this week. Today's message is from Student Pastor Cale Little and the focus in on Psalm 119:15; "I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways." With all the distractions of life and all the things clamoring for our attention, how to we push the world aside and ponder on His Word?  

Have you ever seen a product for sale online or on television that promised results that were too good to be true? In most cases, products like that over-promise and under-deliver. Not so with the promise we’re going to look at in 1 Corinthians 15. In fact, this is a promise that is guaranteed to over-deliver. In our series “Crossroads - Where Your Faith Intersects Your Culture,” we’ve been making our way through the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, a city at the crossroads of trade and commerce in the ancient world. This is our fifth week in 1 Corinthians 15, as we’re taking an in-depth look at Paul’s discussion of the Gospel. As Pastor Clay is going to explain in this week’s message, the Gospel makes a promise that almost seems too good to be true. But, as we’ll see, God always delivers on His promises.  

How are the dead raised back to life? And, what kind of body do they have? Over the last several weeks we’ve been in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, as the Apostle Paul carefully lays out a case for the validity of the resurrection. As Pastor Clay has explained in earlier messages, cultural influences had caused some in the church in Corinth to question whether the resurrection was actually true. In this week’s message, Pastor Clay is going to explain how the Holy Spirit led the Apostle Paul to anticipate two questions; how are the dead raised and what kind of body will they have? Paul’s answer to those questions is simpler than you might think, but incredibly important for all of us who have put our hope in the Gospel.

"I’ve got great news! God sent His Son to earth to die on a cross for our sins. He did that, but death couldn’t hold Him and He rose from the dead three days later." In a nutshell, that is the Gospel, the Good News that the church is built on. But, how do you answer a skeptic; specifically, someone that doesn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead? As we’ve been making our way through 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul has logically walked us through reasons to believe in the resurrection and the consequences if the resurrection isn’t true. This week, Pastor Clay is taking us deeper into Paul’s defense of this most important truth that gives us not only assurance of what happened in the past, but hope for what is going to happen in the future.

Please bear with us through the audio difficulties during the first half of this week's podcast, as this is a message that you don't want to miss. The Gospel, it’s a phrase that can be used a lot at church, and it should be. The death, burial, and resurrection is the most important message that can be shared, in church or outside the church. But, what if someone doesn’t believe one of the key components of the Gospel? The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave; it’s as vital a part of the Good News as anything. But, as we started into 1 Corinthians 15 last week, we saw how some of the people in Corinth were being persuaded to not believe in a bodily resurrection. As we jump back into the text today, Pastor Clay is going to walk us through the Apostle Paul’s defense of the reality of the resurrection, and why it’s so important for all of us.  

Have you ever talked with someone who didn’t believe in the resurrection? How did you respond to them? Were you able to give an answer? This week we’re moving into the next to the last chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. It’s taken some time to make our way through this letter in our series entitled: Crossroads - Where Your Faith Intersects Your Culture, and we’ve seen several places along the way where the culture had influenced the church’s beliefs and practices. Today, we start into another one and it has to do with the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As Pastor Clay is going to explain in just a moment, the culture in the ancient Greek world saw little benefit to coming back to life in a physical body and that influence had persuaded some in the church to reject the resurrection of Christ. Over the next few weeks we’ll see how the Apostle Paul built a strong case for both the reality of the resurrection and the necessity of the resurrection.    

Have you ever been in a situation, maybe at work or even at home, where someone was doing something that was causing disruption for everyone? Most of us would see a situation like that and understand that something had to be done to try to stop the disruption, right? Well, the same thing is true for the church. When someone or something is causing disruption, something has to be done. Pastor Clay has been slowly walking us through 1 Corinthians 14 and the Apostle Paul’s focus on two specific spiritual gifts; prophesy and tongues. Last week we saw clearly that prophesy, proclaiming the truth of God, should be the priority for the church. Today Pastor Clay is going to show us how the Corinthian’s understanding of the spiritual gift of tongues was causing disruption in the church. And, something had to be done.  

We’ve been talking about “Spiritual Gifts” for several weeks now and in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, we find three chapters dealing with the subject. Why? It’s because Spiritual Gifts are that important, and because there was a lot of confusion in Corinth about spiritual gifts. Not surprisingly, there can be just as much confusion in the church today. In our series, “Crossroads - Where Your Faith Intersects Your Culture,” Pastor Clay has been walking us through the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians. Like us, the Corinthian church faced all kinds of challenges to their faith from their culture. Even spiritual gifts, intended to strengthen the church, were being misunderstood and misused. This week on Crosswalk, Pastor Clay is going to dive deeper into 1 Corinthians 14, where the Apostle Paul focuses on two gifts in particular; the gift of prophesy and the gift of tongues. Understanding these two gifts is just as important for the church today as it was back then.    

If you drive, then you know that one of the most dangerous places on the road are intersections. Drivers running a stop light, drivers not paying attention, drivers hitting their brakes too late; if we’re not careful, an intersection can be a place where we find ourselves in a wreck. Well, for several months now we’ve been in a series entitled, “Crossroads - Where Your Faith Meets Your Culture.” If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you probably know that your faith is going to intersect in life with the culture around you. When it does, if we’re not paying attention, there is certainly potential for a spiritual wreck. Knowing how to respond in our culture, as a follower of Christ, is what this series is all about. The city of Corinth was located at a geographical crossroads of travel and trade. As a result, they embraced a wide variety of beliefs, traditions, and practices. Some of the influences of that culture had made its way into the church in Corinth. The Apostle Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth were intended to help them, and us, understand how to navigate the complexities of living in a world where absolute truth was scarce. As we dive into chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians this week, we find the most important spiritual gift for keeping us safe in the intersection of our faith and our culture.

Pastor Clay is away on vacation this week. Guest speaker Pastor Ralph Thompson delivers this week's message and study.   

In the history of the world, no subject has been talked about more than “love.” And in all of that has been said, written or sung, nothing has surpassed what the Apostle Paul wrote 2000 years ago in 1 Corinthians 13. Many have referred to 1 Corinthians 13 as “the love chapter” and this week Pastor Clay is going to take us there in our series, “Crossroads - Where Faith Intersects Culture.” We’re going to start in the last part of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 because as we’ll see, combining the end of chapter 12 with chapter 13 will help us more clearly see the connection between the two chapters, and the subjects of “spiritual gifts” and a “more excellent way.”  

Facebook envy; it’s a feeling that some people experience when they see someone else’s posting about something they got to do, a trip they went on, or maybe a gift they received. We want to be happy for that person, but maybe, down inside, we're a little jealous? Is it possible for that we can feel envious of someone else’s spiritual gifts as well? This week, in our “Crossroads” series, we’re back in chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians and the Apostle Paul’s discussion on spiritual gifts. The Corinthians were struggling with feelings of inferiority, jealousy, and pride, based on the distribution of spiritual gifts in the church, leading Paul to use of the human body as an analogy, beautifully showing us that regardless of which spiritual gifts we have, or don’t have, all of us are just as important to the body of Christ.

Spiritual gifts; if you’re a follower of Jesus, that’s a phrase you’ve probably heard before. Maybe you’ve even taken some sort of spiritual gift survey before. But exactly what are spiritual gifts and, who and what are they for? In our series, “Crossroads - Where Faith and Culture Meet,” we’re studying the Apostle Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth. This week, we’re in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, where Paul writes about spiritual gifts. The church in Corinth had apparently become obsessed with one particular spiritual gift. As you’ll hear Pastor Clay say today, understanding the connection between chapters 12, 13, and 14 is the key to rightly understanding God’s purposes for spiritual gifts.

Most of us probably think we know what The Lord’s Supper is all about. The church has been observing the Lord’s Supper for 2,000 years, but because of our familiarity, there can be the potential to approach it without the reverence that it deserves. In a culture that is becoming increasingly casual, we need to be reminded that there is nothing casual about the Lord’s Supper. This week in our “Crossroads” series, Pastor Clay is walking us through the last half of 1 Corinthians chapter 11, where the Apostle Paul has a stern word and sober warning for the church in Corinth in regards to its practice of the Lord’s Supper. His warning to them is a timely word for the church today. While some people see the Lord’s Supper as just some tradition or ritual to be practiced, God sees something very different.  

Have you ever looked at photos or movies or TV shows from the sixties, seventies, and eighties? Invariably, one of the things that often jumps out are the changes in styles, including hair styles. The Bee Hive, the Dorothy Hammill, and the Rat Tail were not only trendy, but had names as strange as some of the styles themselves. So, what does that have to do with the church in Corinth or the church today? As we’ve seen throughout this study in 1 Corinthians, the believers in Corinth had many disagreements and chapter 11, they disagreeing about the cultural custom of head covering. This week, Pastor Clay finishes up our discussion on verses 1 through 16; helping us understand what was going on in Corinth what it means then for the church in our culture today.

Men and women, are we equal? The Bible would say, “Yes." But, does that mean we are the same? The Bible would answer resoundingly, “No.” We’re living in a time where distinctions between male and female are being challenged like never before, and what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians 11 certainly isn’t popular among many in our culture today. But, God’s never been interested in winning a popularity contest. What He is interested in is helping us understand how men and women are uniquely created for His purposes. Join us this week as we see how God’s creation order helps us fulfill our roles in God’s plan.  

If you’ve ever traveled much, you know that customs can vary from country to country, even region to region within our own country. Sometimes, conflict can arise when customs collide. Throughout our “Crossroads” series, we’ve seen the city of Corinth as a crossroads for trade and travel. People from all over the known world traveled through Corinth, bringing with them their cultural customs and practices. In the church in Corinth, Jewish believers brought their customs of head covering concerning men and women, and the Greek believers brought their customs concerning the same thing. For us, in our culture today, that might not seem like a big deal, but in that culture, head covering had significance. As a result, there was trouble in the church over who should and who shouldn’t have their heads covered. As we’ll see over the next couple of weeks, what the Apostle Paul had to say on the subject has something to say even to us in our culture today.  

Freedom in Christ; a beautiful phrase. Because of Christ, we are set free from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin over our lives. We’re also set free from trying to earn our salvation, as God provides it to all through faith in Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross. But, are there some things that we are not free from? Today we’re jumping back into 1 Corinthians chapter 10 in our “Crossroads” series. In the first part of chapter 10, we learned that freedom in Christ doesn’t mean freedom from temptation, as the Apostle Paul took us on a trip back in time to learn from Israel’s mistakes. This week, Pastor Clay is going to give us four practical applications from the first half of 1 Corinthians 10, and then walk us through the second half of the chapter to show us something else that freedom in Christ doesn’t mean.

While Pastor Clay is away this week, Student Pastor Cale Little brings this week's message from Cross Culture Church.

“They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.” Those words, spoken by Mel Gibson’s character, William Wallace, in the film, Braveheart, is one of the most iconic lines in movie lore. The film is Hollywood’s version of the life of William Wallace, a 13th century commoner who led the fight for Scotland’s independence from England. Freedom is certainly something to be valued. No one should know that better than the people of God. Our freedom was purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross. He laid down His life to set us free from sin. But, exactly what all does that freedom mean for our lives today? Today in our series “Crossroads - Where Our Faith Intersects Our Culture,” we’re starting into 1 Corinthians chapter 10, where the Apostle Paul is trying to help the believers in Corinth to understand what freedom means from God’s perspective. Pastor Clay is going to walk us through verses 1-15 today, where we find the Apostle Paul giving us a bit of a history lesson; lessons we learn must apply to our lives, if we’re going to experience freedom the way God intends.  

We’re living in an age when women’s rights are at the forefront of our culture. The “Me Too Movement” and other secular women’s organizations are calling women to stand up for their right to be whoever they want to be; demanding equality between the sexes. As Pastor Clay is going to explain in today’s message, there’s something to be said for that. But, for followers of Jesus Christ, male or female, shouldn’t our first concern be to seek out who God desires us to be? And, instead of demanding our rights, aren’t we called to lay down our rights? Today is Mother’s Day and we’re taking a break from our “Crossroads” series to take a look at one of the most famous passages in the Bible that specifically addresses women; Proverbs 31. The world has a way of defining “success” for all of us, both men and women. This week, Pastor Clay is going to walk us through the second half of Proverbs 31 where we’ll learn what makes a woman successful from God’s perspective.  

Have you ever had to defend yourself against some untruth? Have you ever had to defend your right to something? In chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians, we find a deeply personal part of the Apostle Paul’s letter as he defends the rights he has as a minister in the church. It seems like there was always someone trying to hinder the Apostle Paul’s work. It’s no wonder since the enemy is never happy when the Kingdom of God is expanding, which was certainly the case with the Apostle Paul and his ministry to the first century church. As we will learn this week, Paul not only defended his rights, but he then chose to set them aside for the sake of the Gospel. What are we willing to give up for the Gospel? And, what are we willing to do for the Gospel? Paul’s example is a great teaching moment for all of us who follow Christ.  

Free in Christ; that’s a great statement and a great truth for those who know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we understand that we are free from the penalty and power of sin over our lives. But, is our freedom unrestricted? This week, in our series “Crossroads,” we’re in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 where the Apostle Paul is going to discuss Christian liberty. Earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul addressed various false teachings and ideas that had infiltrated the church. As we’ll see in chapter 8, Paul wants us to understand that while there is liberty in Christ, that doesn’t mean we are unrestricted.

Easter Sunday has been a day of commemoration and celebration for followers of Jesus down through the years. For 2,000 years, followers of Jesus have claimed that Jesus came back to life and walked out of the tomb early on the third day after His crucifixion. His empty tomb is a subject of discussion and investigation even today, 2,000 years removed from the events we know as Easter Sunday. And, it’s no wonder that it is still debated today, because, needless to say, there’s a lot riding on the validity of the empty tomb. This week, Pastor Clay is taking us to John chapter 20 where we will see that the empty tomb is both real, and real important.

Focus...pretty much everyone understands that it’s the key to being successful at whatever you do. Professional ball players know the importance of focusing on the ball. Successful students focus on their studies. Those who work in dangerous situations know that staying focused can mean the difference between life and death. Well, what about followers of Jesus? Do we need focus? The truth is focus is just as important for followers of Jesus as anybody. Even more so, because our focus impacts our spiritual health. In our series “Crossroads,” we’ve spent the last several weeks looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 7, and this week, Pastor Clay is going to finish the chapter by showing us, through everything that Paul has been talking about in this chapter, it comes down to focus. Staying focused is the key to the successful Christian walk.

Contentment is an elusive feeling in our world. Even in a country as prosperous as ours, contentment is still hard to come by. In fact, it seems like the more people have, the less content they are. Could it be that contentment has nothing to do with what we have or don’t have? This week in our Crossroads series, we’re in the middle of 1 Corinthians chapter 7 where the Apostle Paul turns his attention to the overall idea of contentment. Earlier in this chapter, he talked about contentment as it relates to marriage and singleness. Now, he shows us how contentment can be ours, regardless of our circumstances. Listen to this week’s message and discover why contentment doesn’t have to be elusive for followers of Jesus.

If you are an adult, and you're single, you’ve probably had to answer this question at one time or another: "So, when are you getting married?" Obviously, marriage can and should be a wonderful thing. But, what about being single? Can that be a wonderful thing as well? Our "Crossroads" series is an in-depth study of the New Testament books of 1 & 2 Corinthians. This week, we’re continuing to look at 1 Corinthians chapter 7, a chapter that has lots to tell us about living as a follower of Jesus and what that means for things like marriage, divorce, and living single. God's perspective and expectation is much different from how our culture approaches those subjects and that means deciding what your source of truth is going to be for your life; the culture, your feelings or God’s word.

Our culture is obsessed with sex. Whether it is an advertisement, a song, a television show or movie, sex has been distorted and perverted into something that far from what God intended for us. But, does that mean that sex itself is bad? As we made our way through 1 Corinthians chapters 5 and 6, we saw how some in the church in Corinth had adopted the culture’s view on sex, and had become involved in sexual practices beyond what God intended and the Apostle Paul explained why we should not join the world in its perverted abuses of the gift of sexuality. But, as we come to chapter 7, we find another problem in the church connected to sexual practices, or more precisely, the lack of sexual intimacy in marriage. Some of the Corinthians were being taught that sex was bad and should not be practiced by followers of Jesus. As we’re going to see today, the Apostle Paul steps in to correct their theologically incorrect ideas about sex. This week, look to God’s word for the correct understanding of sexual expression in marriage.

Because I am free in Christ, does that mean that I am free to pursue my sexual desires wherever they may take me? Our culture today, much like the culture in Corinth, was obsessed with sex. As followers of Jesus in Corinth, these believers were trying to figure out how their faith affects their flesh, or if it is even supposed to at all? Last week we discovered that after living their lives in bondage to religions that were all about their works, these new believers in Corinth were overjoyed at the reality that they were set free in Christ. But, some were using their freedom in Christ to engage in sexual practices that were beyond what God intended for us. As Pastor Clay is going to explain today, finding Christ doesn’t mean we lose our sexual desire. So, what are we supposed to do? And, perhaps more importantly, who are we going to believe, God or our culture?  

This week, we’re in the latter part of 1 Corinthians chapter 6, looking at a subject that the church is often slow to speak about, sexual sin within the church. The culture in ancient Corinth, like our culture today, was obsessed with sex. As Pastor Clay is going to explain today, sex is not bad. In fact, sex is good. But, it is also powerful. That’s why God gave us parameters for our sexuality. Today’s culture says those parameters are restrictive, and we should be free to indulge our sexuality any way we choose. The church in Corinth seemed to see no problem with professing faith in Jesus, and at the same time indulging in sexual practices outside of those between a husband and wife. Paul has a serious warning for all followers of Jesus; when it comes to our sexual practices, or anything else, we can believe and follow Jesus, or we can believe and follow the ways of the world, but we can’t do both.

Have you ever had to go to court because of a legal problem with another person? Today, we live in a very litigious culture. It seems like everybody is suing somebody over something. But, what if it is a person in the church? What if some type of legal issues arises between brothers and sisters in Christ? Should it be different? This week, as we continue in our series through the books of first and second Corinthians, we come to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 where the first part of the chapter deals with a subject that is very common in our day and age, lawsuits. It seems that members of the body of Christ in Corinth were taking each other to court over various issues. Not surprisingly, the Apostle Paul has some very straightforward words for the church in Corinth, and for us in the church today.