Join us weekly as we explore God's message through His word.
How bad do you want it? I Peter 2:1-3 By: Ysrael De la Cruz Today is officially the beginning of a new year. At the beginning of every year people tend to make resolutions; pledges or plans they would like to achieve. These are things they have been thinking about but have never been able…
Knowing Jesus through the gospels Mark 2:1-12 By Ysrael De la Cruz We have been journeying through the gospel of Mark; today is our 3rd Sunday in our journey. It is imperative that we, the followers of Jesus get to know him well, so that we can make him known to others. The gospel writers,…
Knowing Jesus through the gospels-part 2 Mark 1:21-34 By Ysrael De la Cruz We began to journey through the gospel of Mark last week so we can get to know Jesus better. The four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) tell the story of Jesus and if you want to truly know Jesus, then it…
Knowing Jesus through the gospels. Mark 1:1, 14-20 By Ysrael De la Cruz A while back when I preached about the gospel of Jesus Christ, I mentioned the need for us Christians to truly know the content of the gospel since we live in a time in which there are so many false gospels and…
Serving Jesus Colossians 3:22-24 By Ysrael De la Cruz When it comes to service, one of the things Jesus said was he did not come to be served but to serve. The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:7 that Jesus took the form or nature of a servant; he served people out of love. His…
The gospel of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 By Ysrael De la Cruz Often in the Scriptures we are warned to watch out for false teaching; watch out for false gospels. It is essential even today for followers of Jesus to be acquainted with the teachings of the Bible so that we do not be…
The power of the Gospel. Rom.1:1-6, 14-17 By Ysrael De la Cruz As followers of Jesus, we need to be acquainted with the gospel; we need to know what it is and what it isn't. In a shifting culture, it's imperative that Jesus followers know the content of gospel; a word that appears over 75…
Overcoming distractions! Matt.16:21-23 By Ysrael De la Cruz One of my favorite scenes in the movie Rush hour is when Inspector Lee meet detective Johnson. Johnson was practicing defusing a bomb as the clock was ticking and she needed to make a decision and had only 15 seconds. She then gets distracted by Carter and…
A Compassionate Father. Luke 15:11-32 By: Ysrael De la Cruz A young woman at a Bible study had the toughest time viewing God as a heavenly father because her father was abusive and was never in her life. She didn't understand a father's love because she didn't receive love from her own dad. I explained…
New identity (Part 1) 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 By Ysrael De la Cruz One of the reasons we must remain connected to a church community is because we tend to forget who we are as followers of Jesus. In a Christ-centered community we are constantly reminded who we are, what we are supposed to do and…
Identity crisis! Ex.3:1-22 By: Ysrael De la Cruz People's identity may be tied to their career, accomplishments in life, spouse, parents, looks, etc. A person whose identity is tied up to their job or career may suffer an identity crisis when they lose their job. If your identity is based on your looks, then you…
The church-The body of Christ! 1 Cor.12:12-27 By Ysrael De la Cruz Last week talked about the reasons why the church matters. It was God's idea; it belongs to Christ, he bought it with his own blood. We learned that the church is made of those people who profess faith in Christ, they recognize Jesus…
Why the church? Matthew 16:13-18 By: Ysrael De la Cruz Maybe you have heard people say that they love Jesus, but do not like the church. There are people who think they can have a relationship with Jesus apart from his church. They would just love Jesus and believe in Jesus but do not want…
Kingdom women 2 Tim.1:5 //3:14-15 By Ysrael De la Cruz It's been 102 years since women in our nation were granted the right to vote. (August 26, 1920) Soon after this, some religious groups began to predict that the American family would collapse if women began voting and becoming involved in politics. Some believed that…
Overcoming doubts Matt.11:1-6 By Ysrael De la Cruz It doesn't matter how long you've been a Christian; there are times in your life when you experience doubts. We all experience it from time to time in our journey as followers of Jesus. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. When things do…
“Stop being incredulous” John 20:24-31 By: Ysrael De la Cruz Last week I talked about how the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is the reason Christianity exists today. The disciples were not transformed because the tomb was empty; they were transformed because they saw Jesus alive.…
The Resurrection changed everything! Luke 24:1-12 By Ysrael De la Cruz The cross represented the endgame for the disciples of Jesus that Friday afternoon. It killed their hopes, dreams, and expectation they had about Jesus. They believed Jesus would be the Messiah who would restore the kingdom to Israel. But now their expected Messiah was…
The coming King Zachariah 9:9-10 By Ysrael De la Cruz Last week I preached about the crucial question, who is Jesus? Jesus' identity has puzzled people for thousands of years. When he appeared on the scene the Jewish nation had been waiting for a Messiah, (a political ruler or king) who would bring peace and…
Same foundation, new generation Judges 2:6-15 By Ysrael De la Cruz A foundation is the footing, base, or understructure of a building. It is the base upon a house or building is established. The taller the building, the deeper the foundation. A worldview is the platform upon which you stand to make sense of the…
Knowing the heart of God Luke 15:1-7 By Ysrael De la Cruz In 2007 I attended a conference in Lincoln Christian University; the theme was “Leading your church to be a missionary community.” The idea behind is that the church live as a missionary in the community where it is located. They had invited David…
Unshakable peace John 16:33 By: Ysrael De la Cruz There is so much uncertainty and fear in the hearts of many due to what is going on in the world right now. Many are praying for peace in the world because of the chaos and trying times we have been living in the last three…
Trusting God even when it doesn't make sense! Matthew 14:22-32 By Ysrael De la Cruz We are encouraged to trust God every time we read the Bible. The Bible is filled with stories encouraging us to trust God. We may profess to trust God, but our actions don't reflect it. Why is trusting God so…
Help me overcome unbelief! Mark 9:14-29 By: Ysrael De la Cruz Anyone can claim to have faith when things go well; but it is difficult to display faith when things get out of control, when we experience trials and suffering. Your faith is evident during hard times, in the stormy moments of life, that is…
Tear down your idols 2 Kings 18:1-6 By: Ysrael De la Cruz Everyone worships something; if I take the definition of worship as to revere, respect or stand in awe of someone or something. To bow down in adoration to something. Then everyone worships. You and I revere either God or something else. The God…
What is your Response? Matt.2:1-12 By: Ysrael De la Cruz I hope and pray you had a great Christmas celebration. Just like people respond differently to Christmas, they also respond different to the good news of Jesus. When the angel announced to Mary that she would have a baby, she responded with trust and obedience…
Good news for all Luke 2:8-20 By Ysrael De la Cruz If you were to ask people what comes to mind when they think about Christmas, you would hear things like “A time together with family and friends; lights and decorations; generosity and good will toward others; lots of food and goodies. “Christmas is the…
Favored by God! Luke 1:26-38 By Ysrael De la Cruz Some information tends to carry huge implications to our lives. Some news could change our lives drastically. The visit to the Dr, as you wait for the test results to find out you have a terminal disease. Sudden death of a loved one in a…
God came near! Gen.3:8-10// John 1:14 By Ysrael De la Cruz There are so many means of communications; people use all kinds of devices to communicate with others, radio, phone, letters, text, facetime, etc. face to face communication. Nothing replaces face to face communication. Communication is a very important thing; a relationship would not thrive…
The GOD who speaks! Hebrews 1:1-4 By Ysrael De la Cruz To communicate is the act or process of using words (verbal), sounds, signs or behavior (non-verbal) to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc. to someone else. Sometimes, there is miscommunication (failure to communicate clearly); at times there is…
God's faithfulness Joshua 24:14-15 By Ysrael De la Cruz Every church has a history; a history that reveals the successes and failures. The joys and sorrows. This church this year celebrates its 51st anniversary of its existence. A lot can happen in 51 years. People come and go, splits, change in leadership and so forth.…
Freedom of choice Genesis 2:15-17 By Ysrael De la Cruz You and I made tons of choices in each day. You are always making decisions, choosing what to do and not to do or what to leave for later. You go to a restaurant to eat, then you look at a menu from which you…
Motives for generosity 2 Cor.8:1-10 By: Ysrael De la Cruz During the holiday season, people tend to be much nicer to others. (Except perhaps on black Friday). People tend to be more generous, more giving during holiday season. Have you ever wondered what motivates people to be generous? What motivates you to give of your…
God's kingdom agenda Acts 1:6-8 By: Ysrael De la Cruz If you had the chance to ask Jesus one question, what would it be? During his earthly ministry he was asked so many different questions by secular people and by his own disciples. Can you name one of the questions Jesus was asked during his…
Jesus, Savior and Punisher John 3:16-19 By Ysrael De la Cruz If Jesus lived in our society today, they would have cancelled him already. For his teaching and views would offend the masses; his teachings would go against the culture and norms of society. He would be accused of demanding people to change in a…
A test of faithfulness. Judges 2 By Ysrael De la Cruz Regardless of what we go through in life one thing is constant. God's faithfulness to us. Last week I preached about his faithfulness in keeping his promises to his people. This reminds me the passage in 2 Timothy 2:12-13 12if we endure, we will…
A promise-keeping God Joshua 21:43-45 By Ysrael De la Cruz There was a time in the past when a man or woman's word was as good as a contract. Business transactions were sealed with a handshake and not on paper. The contract was based on their word. “I give you my word” This was sufficient.…
Overcoming despair 1 Kings 19:1-18 By Ysrael De la Cruz We all have experienced the ups and downs of life. Mountain top experiences and the valley. We get discouraged and hopeless when things don't go as we expected. It is during those times that we may feel like giving up; you may be ready to…
Facing the inevitable! 2 Chronicles 20:1-23 By Ysrael De la Cruz We face a great many challenges in life; we go through life trying our best to avoid the bad and enjoy the good. However, we know the reality of living in this world is that we will experience difficulties, storms in this life. These…
Challenges in serving God. Acts 6:1-7 By: Ysrael De la Cruz The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back again. Serving God is not without challenges and difficulties. Jesus said we will have trouble (tribulations) in this world. But he also…
A foundational question! Matt.16:13-20 By Ysrael De la Cruz Throughout centuries people have wrestled with the identity of Jesus. The question “who is Jesus?” has puzzled many great minds for millennia. Some people have viewed Jesus as a prophet, a great teacher. He was a great teacher; Scripture tells us that people were amazed at…
From fan to follower John 3:1-5 By Ysrael De la Cruz Last week I talked about the difference between a fan of Jesus and a follower of Jesus. Jesus had lots of fans during his earthly ministry; those who were attracted to his deeds, miracles; Those who followed Jesus for the benefits, for what he…
Fan or follower? John 6:25-31 By Ysrael De la Cruz We are very familiar with what it means to be a fan of something. We cheer for our favorite team, movie stars, tv shows and so forth. People get fans to like their posts on fb. Most fans cheer for the player or the team…
When Jesus becomes offensive! John 6:60-70 By: Ysrael De la Cruz When you examine the life of Jesus; especially his ministry during those three years, you will discover that he offended lots of people with his words and actions. When you read any of the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) you soon realize…
Judging others concerning opinions Romans14 – 15:7 By: Ysrael De la Cruz When the Restoration Movement began in our nation in the early 19th century their slogan was: In essentials unity, in matters of opinion liberty, in all things love. This is the movement from which independent Christian churches, Disciples of Christ and Churches of…
The power of the Gospel. (Rom.1:1-6, 14-17) By:Ysrael De la Cruz As followers of Jesus we need to be acquainted with the gospel; we need to know what it is and what it isn't. In a shifting culture, it's imperative that Jesus followers know the content of gospel; a word that appears over 75 times…
Examine your foundation Matt.7:24-29 By Ysrael De la Cruz The foundation is the footing, base, or understructure of a building. It is the base upon a house or building is established. The taller the building, the deeper the foundation. A worldview is the platform upon which you stand to make sense of the world. Your…
Friends of God! John 15:9-16 “The Lone Ranger and Tonto; Laurel and Hardy. Batman and Robin. It was Snoopy and Charlie. Friends through thick and thin. Friends to the very end. I think you would agree. That’s how it is for You and me.” Geoff Moore and the distance. We could add to this list,…
When you Lack faith Matt.13:53-58 By Ysrael De la Cruz Last week I preached about how people could have the wrong idea or picture about Jesus based on what they've seen or heard about him. People have opinions about you based on the testimony of others, what they have said about you. People's opinions about…
The wrong picture of Jesus? Mark 3:31-35 By:Ysrael De la Cruz You have seen people do weird things that caused you to say, what are they thinking? They are out of their minds! I saw a man jumped into an alligator pool and he would move the alligators to be able to walk through it.…
Living in the last days 2 Timothy 3:1-17 By Ysrael De la Cruz Ever since last year, you probably heard a lot of talk about the end times. Lots of modern-day prophets began their predictions because we got hit with an epidemic; this year with the Palestinian war with Israel gives ammunition to the end…
God’s answer to our rebellion Numbers 21:4-9 By Ysrael De la Cruz You will encounter hardship or difficulties in every journey or adventure you take in this life. Things may not always go as you planned or expected. You are traveling somewhere, but there is construction, d-tours, accidents, the weather; there are a great many…
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