http://crossweave.org Welcome to the audio Podcast from Ritchie Carbajal. He is pastor of Crossweave in North San Diego County, California. Crossweave is all about people who care; many backgrounds, one purpose woven together in compassion and service 24-7 because of the cross. These sermons are uploaded every week or so. crossweave.org 1.877.21CROSS en Welcome to the audio Podcast from Ritchie Carbajal. He is pastor of Crossweave in North San Diego County, California. Crossweave is all about people who care; many backgrounds, one purpose woven together in compassion and service 24-7 because of the ... Crossweave Church no Crossweave Audio Podcast info@crossweave.org ℗ & © 2009 Crossweave Church 720 Jesus is the sower in this parable where he teaches how wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest. The same is true with believers and nonbelievers who must learn to coexist until Judgment Day. The reality is that as believers, we live in two kingdoms on earth—the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of man. Whether in the church or in the world, the way we behave morally is the same, but the way we present that morality must be a bit different. The main difference comes through expectation. The church can be held to a higher authority because we adhere to the teaching of scripture and the way of Jesus, but the world is not like that. As Christians, we need to understand that the world is not always going to see things the same way as us. Right or wrong, we need to see it and be tolerant of it without being accepting of it. http://crossweave.org/sermon/wheat-and-weeds http://crossweave.org/media/wheat-and-weeds.mp3 Sun, 24 May 2009 12:24:35 CDT Bud Newman Seeds parables,wheat,tares,weeds,kingdom 47:29 Jesus compares his kingdom to the amazing growth of a mustard seed into a tree that provides protection and shelter. His choice of a miniscule weed was to illustrate what divine power can do to what might seem hopeless and insignificant, placing the credit on God and not man. Your most basic knowledge about grace and salvation such as ‘God is love or ‘I’m forgiven’, can grow into something beyond your wildest expectations. You, together with others, will find shelter and security in God’s kingdom on earth. http://crossweave.org/sermon/amazing-seed http://crossweave.org/media/amazing-seed.mp3 Sun, 17 May 2009 17:07:24 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Seeds seed,growth,kingdom,shelter 29:00 The Apostle John makes it very clear in 1 John 3 that there are only two possible camps you can belong to. You are either of God or of the Devil; of righteousness or of lawlessness. He also makes a distinction between the sins that you commit each day—and will for the rest of your life on earth—for which there is forgiveness, and the bigger issue of Sin which Christ settled on the cross once and for all. He gives the assurance that the seed in you will keep you from continually or habitually sinning. This seed is no other than Christ himself who dwells in every believer through the Holy Spirit. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-seed-in-you http://crossweave.org/media/the-seed-in-you.mp3 Sun, 10 May 2009 23:28:41 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Seeds seed,righteousness,sin,devil,love 43:02 This sermon is part 3 of the series “Seeds” and deals with yet another use of the word seed in the Bible—the living word of God as in Christ himself. Paul spells this out as he differentiates between singular “seed”, pertaining to Christ, and the plural form pertaining to Abraham’s descendants. In 1 Peter 1:22-25, Peter points out that being born again is of imperishable seed, and not perishable such as the grass that withers and dies. In verse 18, he points out that not even silver or gold are a match for this imperishable seed. This study underscores the fact that Christians, born again of this imperishable seed, are also imperishable. Everlasting life is assured. http://crossweave.org/sermon/imperishable-seed http://crossweave.org/media/imperishable-seed.mp3 Sun, 03 May 2009 19:42:24 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Seeds imperishable,seed,christ,eternal,born_again 32:25 If you are a believer, or if you aren’t but have heard about Christ’s death on the cross, or anything about the Gospel, then the seed of God’s kingdom has been planted in you. Just like Jesus himself illustrates in the story of the sower, seed that is planted is expected to grow and eventually mature and bear fruit. Has the truth about Jesus grown in your life? Is it bearing fruit? This study goes through the four scenarios of circumstances that you may relate to regarding this seed—soil by the wayside, rocky soil, thorny ground, and good soil. The goal is to be in the good soil meaning that you honestly recognize your deplorable situation and accept God’s plan as the only viable plan for you life. Do something about it today and take an action step that will keep you growing and bearing fruit. http://crossweave.org/sermon/from-seed-to-fruit http://crossweave.org/media/from-seed-to-fruit.mp3 Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:15:30 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Seeds seeds,soils,wayside,rocks,rocky,emotion,joy,gospel,good,cling,persevere 42:58 What did the apostle Paul mean when he wrote, “I die daily?” There are actually two things he meant: 1) that he faced the threat of death everyday, and 2) that he died to self each day. In many ways, you also face the threat of death everyday through the many unknown or unseen circumstances such as disease, accidents, etc. The whole reason Paul endured such hardship is because of the hope of the resurrection—a teaching not accepted by many in the city of Corinth. He went on to teach that it was vital for the listener to die to self before they would come to life just as a seed must be buried before it can come alive and grow. You must live a life fully surrendered to God, trusting his death on the cross to save you. http://crossweave.org/sermon/die-daily http://crossweave.org/media/die-daily.mp3 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:30:41 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Seeds die,daily,sin,forgiveneess,cross 36:38 What if you were driving down the highway when suddenly you are pulled over because you unknowingly caused a car wreck 200 miles earlier that resulted in a death? The same is true today: you are cruising down life's highway not realizing that you caused Christ's death on the cross 2000 years ago! The symbols of Easter, though some pagan by origin, point to the Biblical teaching that you participated in Christ's death way before you were even born. The Bible teaches that if you were united in Christ's death, that you will certainly be united in his resurrection. Easter points you all the way back to the cross, and all the way forward to eternal life with God! http://crossweave.org/sermon/easter-plain-and-simple http://crossweave.org/media/easter-plain-and-simple.mp3 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:31:47 CDT Ritchie Carbajal What if you were driving down the highway when suddenly you are pulled over because you unknowingly caused a car wreck 200 miles earlier that resulted in a death? The same is true today: you are cruising down life's highway not realizing that you ... easter,christ,cause,caused,you,cross,ransom,forgiveness 37:18 This sermon is a review and summary of the entire chapter 13 of First Corinthians. Paul zeroes in on just three words in verse 13 that will remain—faith, hope and love—to underscore the idea that everything else that is thought to be of value in the church will come to an end. He couches love against a backdrop of faith and hope with all three words working in concert. Ritchie uses the analogy of waiting in line to get on a rollercoaster ride to drive the message home. As you wait in line, you are sure that you will get on next, encouraged by, and witnessing those who go ahead of you—this is faith. You have joyful confidence that it will be fun—this is hope. The euphoria of the ride in spite of all the bumps and turns—this is love. http://crossweave.org/sermon/faith-hope-and-love http://crossweave.org/media/faith-hope-and-love.mp3 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:12:38 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Love Chapter faith,hope,love,death,sin 37:00 The scriptures encourage us to press on toward Christ and put off anything that ensnares us; the word of God tells us that we must pursue that which is eternal and keep our focus off of the temporary things and on God Himself. The unfailing love of God is the only place to start this, and the self-sacrificial, patient and benevolent perfect love for one another is a great place to end. Love God and keep His commandments; love your neighbor as yourself. Let us be motivated by love to practice the good work of showing that love to others by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and being the church 24/7! http://crossweave.org/sermon/pursuing-eternity http://crossweave.org/media/pursuing-eternity.mp3 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:47:35 CDT Bud Newman The Love Chapter love,never_fails 45:18 This sermon lists the 15 facets of God’s agape love that are outlined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This quick survey of the passage using both Greek definitions of keywords and a variety of Bible versions demonstrates that the demands of this love are impossible to fulfill! In actuality, the description of love by Paul is the same love that Moses witnessed when he met with God on the mountain in Exodus 34. Paul asserts that this level of loving is what is expected of members of the Body of Christ. It is only through the power of God that this can ever become a reality—already fulfilled through Christ who represents the believer, and still in progress by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer. http://crossweave.org/sermon/love-impossible http://crossweave.org/media/love-impossible.mp3 Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:01:57 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Love Chapter love,impossible,agape 33:21 The first of a 4-part series on The Love Chapter, this sermon lays the foundation for a study on what, according to Paul, is the only thing that counts in your life, especially within the context of the Body of Christ. The main theme of 1 Corinthians 13—on church membership—uses a variety of extreme or impossible situations to underscore that the only thing that counts is to have God’s agape love as the driving force in everything you do as a member of Christ’s body. There is a pattern or formula that becomes evident in the first 3 verses of the chapter: some extreme or impossible feat, the phrase “but do not have love”, and a dismal pronouncement such as “nothing”. Without God’s unconditional, sacrificial and everlasting love, whatever you do is worthless. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-only-thing-that-counts http://crossweave.org/media/the-only-thing-that-counts.mp3 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:10:09 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Love Chapter 1_corinthians_13,love,agape,nothing 37:14 The time we live in is not pretty with all the economic issues going on. One way to survive is to take your relationship with Christ more seriously and spend more time with him and the Word. It doesn’t take very long to develop a bad habit but good habits take time—consistent, repeated actions. The difference in the lives of Jesus’ disciples was evident because “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NLT). This study by guest speaker Dan Young teaches that Jesus is your only hope and salvation to get you through each day and secure your eternal future. http://crossweave.org/sermon/hang-time-with-god http://crossweave.org/media/hang-time-with-god.mp3 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:22:49 CDT Dan Young Finding Good News In Bad Times hope,hang_time,jesus,habit,salvation 38:01 God desires that all his creation be transformed back to its original sinless state. He also desires a change in your life back to his image. If you are a believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you and keeps you focused on this goal. With all the issues going on in your life, especially the distractions of the nation’s economy, many times the answers to your prayers may seem like the wrong ones when in reality, those answers are exactly what God wants you to have. The Holy Spirit interprets your prayers according to God’s will of bringing this change about in your life and intercedes on your behalf. You can trust in him for your ultimate joy and happiness, and place all of your hope in his plan for your eternal future. http://crossweave.org/sermon/its-about-change http://crossweave.org/media/its-about-change.mp3 Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:49:51 CST Ritchie Carbajal Finding Good News In Bad Times change,holy_spirit,prayer,answers 37:30 Last week’s sermon laid the foundation for this series “Finding Good News in Bad Times” restating the basic idea of salvation through Christ. This week focuses on the accompanying idea according, to the apostle Paul, that if God sent Jesus to die for you, he will also give you “all things”. However, the problem many believers struggle with is the timing of it all or “when” to expect those blessings. God’s concept of time is vastly different from man’s finite understanding of linear time. God’s promises for your life will come right on time—in his time—just as Christ’s sacrifice came at the right time. You, as a believer, are to live by faith, waiting for God’s promised blessing that will certainly come just as Habakkuk 2:2-4 teaches—it will not fail. http://crossweave.org/sermon/it-will-not-fail http://crossweave.org/media/it-will-not-fail.mp3 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:29:52 CST Ritchie Carbajal Finding Good News In Bad Times faith,wait,blessings,promises,good_news,time 42:30 There are surely times in your life when you feel like David—oppression and various adversaries surround you. It is unrealistic (and actually unbiblical) to believe that once you become a Christian, all life is smooth sailing and trouble-free. Be assured and forewarned that hard times will indeed come although weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning! Know that we have a great High Priest that can sympathize with us in our troubles, and know also that if Jesus conquered the grave to redeem your soul, He can surely defeat your worst fears and bring you through all manner of trial and tribulation. We may take great comfort to know that He took the punishment so we never have to face it ourselves. What wondrous grace! http://crossweave.org/sermon/hope-in-god http://crossweave.org/media/hope-in-god.mp3 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:20:59 CST Bud Newman Finding Good News In Bad Times hope,god,oppression,disaster 41:56 What does it mean when the last verse of Psalm 23 talks about “dwelling in the house of the Lord forever?” David also uses three other words in chapter 27 for “house”—“temple”, “tabernacle”, and “tent”—all direct references to Christ’s own body as found in John 2. Simply put, to dwell in the house is to remain or abide in Christ as your Lord and Savior. The preceding parallel passage, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” spells it out even more, that all the blessings that accompany the saving grace of Christ are yours the rest of your life! Just like Captain “Sully” demonstrated in that heroic crash landing in the Hudson river, you can remain cool and calm in the middle of turmoil and danger. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-23rd-psalm-part-6 http://crossweave.org/media/the-23rd-psalm-part-6.mp3 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:28:55 CST Ritchie Carbajal The 23rd Psalm psalm_23,goodness,mercy,love,follow,house,forever 40:05 The 23rd Psalm if about life—not the popular notion of death and tragedy. It has been referred to as the ‘John 3:16’ of the Old Testament that promises life in abundance. The three objects in verse 5 represent three subheadings that summarize the theme of this study: table – God sustains me oil – He chose me for a purpose cup – I have more than I ever will need This imagery also foreshadows the emblems of communion that point to Christ’s sacrifice when he took on the form of man and became our servant. If our Shepherd sustains us, it is because he has a purpose for us, and will bless us abundantly! http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-23rd-psalm-part-5 http://crossweave.org/media/the-23rd-psalm-part-5.mp3 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:27:33 CST Ritchie Carbajal The 23rd Psalm shepherd,psalm,23,table,enemies,lord,oil,annoint,cup,overflow 27:36 We all experience gloom in our lives, especially with today's economic challenges. This describes the "shadow of death" that King David experienced when he wrote The 23rd Psalm. The drama in his life and the actual threats on his life by his very own flesh and blood drove him to his only refuge—the comfort of The Lord, his shepherd. How do you see yourself 'finishing' amidst the dangers and threats on the path you are on? Be willing to be led, give up control of your life, and God will guide you safely through! http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-23rd-psalm-part-4 http://crossweave.org/media/the-23rd-psalm-part-4.mp3 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:50:16 CST Luke Carr The 23rd Psalm psalm_23,david,shepherd,shadow,death 23:12 Verse three of this Psalm answers the What, How, and Why of the shepherd restoring the soul. The What: the soul is simply you at it's very essence—emotions, thoughts, desires, etc. The restoration is both short and long term: you are restored daily to a state of health and ultimately into the original—God's image. The How: through God's power as you walk down a path of doing what is right. To receive the blessings of a restored life, action and participation are required. The Why: the text simply reads “for his name's sake”. God gets all the glory and the credit—not a bad proposition considering the endless blessings you reap in the process! http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-23rd-psalm-part-3 http://crossweave.org/media/the-23rd-psalm-part-3.mp3 Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:28:43 CST Ritchie Carbajal The 23rd Psalm god's_image,restore,shepherd,david,psalm_23 43:08 Having a shepherd translates into not being in want or lacking anything. Paul specifies that God supplies all our needs and not our wants (desires). We can learn from the sheep who are content and at peace with what they have. The Shepherd defines what there needs are and takes care of them. Their posture of sheep lying down or resting by green pastures is symbolic of the believer completely relying on God’s unlimited resources. The fact that the shepherd leads means that he is present and actively involved. His provision and care are way more reliable than what any earthly leader can provide. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-23rd-psalm-part-2 http://crossweave.org/media/the-23rd-psalm-part-2.mp3 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:33:13 CST Ritchie Carbajal The 23rd Psalm shepherd,asian,semitic,resources,want,lack 40:23 The 23rd Psalm is a great way to start the New Year looking at The Lord—our guide, protector, our Shepherd—instead of on resolutions that begin with self or ‘I’. Composer David’s dysfunctional family background filled with the fear of failed relationships and death itself forms the backdrop of this passage. Learn basic concepts that will help you articulate the gist of Psalm 23 by expanding on the opening words of the text “The Lord”, “is”, “my”, and “Shepherd”. This study introduces the 6-part series and underscores how vital and relevant the analogy of the shepherd is in today's of economic turmoil and uncertainty. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-23rd-psalm-part-1 http://crossweave.org/media/the-23rd-psalm-part-1.mp3 Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:05:32 CST Ritchie Carbajal The 23rd Psalm shepherd,the_lord,guide,protector,death,dysfunction 41:29 There is a much higher level of loving that you are not capable of producing that only comes from God. You, as a believer, are commanded to acquire this love; God is the essence of this love and the only source of it; and this love is based on his sacrifice on the cross for your sins. The Greek word for this love, "agape", which literally means “sacrificial love”, transcends the other forms of love because it is inspired by God’s ultimate gift of love on the cross. http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-love http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-love.mp3 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:56:29 CDT Ritchie Carbajal God Is god,love,oprah,the_shack,cross,jesus,sacrifice 35:00 As human beings, we are notoriously unjust in our dealings with one another, including our leaders and judges. In contrast to this, God is just in all that he does. His decisions, his actions, his dealing with sin—he is fair in all of them. It cost the sacrifice of his Son to pay the penalty for man’s sin. In this sense, grace didn’t come cheap. If you accept this offer, you are free to go! This ‘judgment’ is decided on the basis of accepting or rejecting God’s grace at the present time although the ‘sentencing’ is handed out at the very end when Jesus comes again—eternal damnation to those who do not accept and eternal life to those who do. http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-just http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-just.mp3 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 08:52:45 CDT Ritchie Carbajal God Is god,just,fair,gospel 44:04 How do you explain all the disasters and calamities happening quite increasingly around the globe these days? Are these events ‘acts of God’? Or, do you simply dismiss them as a result of sin—that they are fulfilling prophecy and will only get worse until Jesus comes again? Yes and No. It goes way beyond that. When we hear about disasters, fires, earthquakes, cyclones—any type of calamity—we acknowledge the presence and destruction of Sin, as well as the existence and mercy of an all powerful God. It all comes back to the Righteous One: Jesus! http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-righteous http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-righteous.mp3 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:50:28 CDT Ritchie Carbajal God Is calamities,disasters,act_of_god,fires_earthquakes,cyclones,mercy,grace 34:13 In what sense can we understand that God is one? What does it mean when we say that "God is one"? We know that there is one God, but in essence and nature, he is both three and one. We also know that God is one in His ability (by His holiness and omnipotence), fully sovereign over all things; and that He is one in purpose. The most striking purpose is presented throughout the entire bible—the redemption of fallen man! The one true God (all three persons of the trinity included) works together for and in the believer for the purpose of redemption. http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-one http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-one.mp3 Sun, 25 May 2008 16:36:07 CDT Bud Newman God Is one,god 34:40 Any discussion on God’s holiness places him in a category all by himself. The prophet Isaiah, in recording what he saw in a vision, grasps at words to describe God’s holiness—the train of his robe, the exalted throne, the seraphim, the trembling foundations. However, this holiness which is beyond human comprehension, is climaxed by a woeful life—Isaiah’s—receiving complete forgiveness! In response, he answers the call to proclaim God’s holiness to the rest of the world. http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-holy http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-holy.mp3 Sun, 18 May 2008 16:19:07 CDT Ritchie Carbajal God Is holy,god,seraphim 46:53 Mother’s Day is made even more significant as we celebrate the Giver of life himself—God. Several speakers are featured here, including three individuals at Crossweave whose moving experiences as mothers gave them a deeper understanding of God as the source of life, as well as gave them a richer experience having received the gift of everlasting life. http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-life http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-life.mp3 Sun, 11 May 2008 15:53:02 CDT Ritchie Carbajal God Is god,life,mother,everlasting 45:59 God demands exclusive allegiance from those he loves. He is a ‘jealous’ God in this sense—the word better translated as “zealous”, meaning “passionate intensity to defend what is jeopardized”. This idea supports the commandment against idol worship—an idol being defined as “any idea, activity, or object that you value more than God”. He has every right to demand such exclusive worship from you because he saved you just as he brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. http://crossweave.org/sermon/god-is-jealous http://crossweave.org/media/god-is-jealous.mp3 Sun, 04 May 2008 14:31:17 CDT Ritchie Carbajal God Is jealous,god,zealous,idol,worship 35:16 To live with an attitude of rejoicing, independent of life’s circumstances, is a mandate given to you as a believer. It is not an ‘add-on’ to your Christian experience but your main Christian experience. You rejoice because of who you are and what you have. You are one who has been chosen by God, born again and being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. What you have is an incredible inheritance—eternal life with Jesus—that is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade. It is God’s will that you rejoice amidst trials and tribulations as “proof of your faith”. http://crossweave.org/sermon/living-in-rejoicing http://crossweave.org/media/living-in-rejoicing.mp3 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:27:47 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Living In the Resurrection resurrection,rejoicing,persecution,trials,tribulation,inheritance,chosen 44:12 When you become a Christian, there is some ‘fine print’ that is easy to miss. It goes something like this: “God will teach you how to love each other and trust in him through suffering. This serves as proof of his judgment that he makes you worthy to be in his kingdom.” In 1 Thes. 1:1-5, Paul teaches that you are to persevere in loving one another and learn to trust in God through “persecutions and afflictions”. It is by design that you grow through the difficult experiences of your life. This is how God judges you worthy to be part of is kingdom. http://crossweave.org/sermon/living-in-suffering http://crossweave.org/media/living-in-suffering.mp3 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:37:39 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Living In the Resurrection resurrection,suffering,persecution,love,perseverance,trust,faith,turkey 41:28 http://crossweave.org/sermon/living-in-repentance http://crossweave.org/media/living-in-repentance.mp3 Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:19:34 CDT Bud Newman Living In the Resurrection repentance,resurrection,sin,forgiveness 47:21 Living in the resurrection means that you are living in power—the Father and the Son both abiding in you through the Holy Spirit. In the context of Jesus’ command to “love one another”, this power is given for the purpose of loving each other with the kind of love he demonstrated through his death and resurrection. This power makes you a source of God’s love, like a “river of living waters.” Your task in light of the resurrection is to love in the power of the Holy Spirit until Jesus comes back. http://crossweave.org/sermon/living-in-power http://crossweave.org/media/living-in-power.mp3 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 02:19:32 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Living In the Resurrection love,power,holy_spirit,helper 40:25 Since Jesus did come the first time, he certainly will come a second time as he promised, so that he can resume a permanent personal relationship with you—in-person! Since he also claimed that he and the Father are one, his word is infallible and therefore reliable. The key is not when or how, but that he will return. Live each day looking up since he will return in the clouds just like he ascended to heaven in the clouds. Hold on to life loosely, have a positive attitude, live with confidence and purpose, and rise above the cares of this world. http://crossweave.org/sermon/living-in-hope http://crossweave.org/media/living-in-hope.mp3 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:20:09 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Living In the Resurrection resurrection,hope,advent,coming,certain 38:16 The truth about God is found in the cross. Jesus said, “I am the truth”. His mission on earth was to die on the cross for our sin and rise again to conquer death. To understand the cross is to know God. You may not want to hear the truth about God, especially if things are going well for you. But this does not negate another fact—that you are a sinner and will eventually die. Only God can fix this and desires for you to know the truth about his death and resurrection. When Thomas finally understood, he proclaimed, “My Lord and My God.” http://crossweave.org/sermon/my-lord-and-my-god http://crossweave.org/media/my-lord-and-my-god.mp3 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:06:49 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Road to Calvary easter,death,crucifixion,resurrection,thomas 38:40 Hear the message of the cross of our Lord, announcing the sufficiency of the spotless sacrifice whose atoning blood covers the sins of the elect. In this sermon, we emphasize the end of the "road to the cross", where we see Christ leaving a trial with a guilty sentence, despite his obvious innocence before multiple counsels. We examine the circumstances and purpose of the crucifixion of Jesus, as well as the unintentionally prophetic title above His head: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". An exposition of John 19:16-19. http://crossweave.org/sermon/given-over-taken-out-lifted-up http://crossweave.org/media/given-over-taken-out-lifted-up.mp3 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:27:29 CDT Bud Newman The Road to Calvary calvary,crucifixion,cross,sacrifice,blood 41:48 After Jesus struggled in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was determined to go all the way—to die for your sin on Calvary. In John chapter 18, there are groups and individuals, each one with their own agenda, with the potential to hinder Jesus from accomplishing his mission: the Roman army, a religious delegation, Judas, Peter, and John. But God, in his sovereign power and relentless determination, carried out his plan to offer his son as your sacrifice in spite of the failures of these groups and individuals. Today, he is as determined to keep you as his child in spite of your own failures. http://crossweave.org/sermon/relentless-determination http://crossweave.org/media/relentless-determination.mp3 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:10:45 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Road to Calvary crucifixion,romans,pharisees,judas,peter,john 34:52 What do you ask God for when you pray? When Jesus told his disciples that the Father would grant them “anything” that they asked, he was speaking within the context of praying for wisdom and understanding concerning his coming crucifixion. Resist the temptation of praying for earthly, material things and instead pray for God’s spiritual wisdom. Pray that you grasp the importance of his death on the cross for you and how that event impacts your life today. He promises that this will bring you joy that no one can ever take away! http://crossweave.org/sermon/in-a-little-while http://crossweave.org/media/in-a-little-while.mp3 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:45:38 CST Ritchie Carbajal The Road to Calvary crucifixion,wisdom,salvation,joy,disciples,ask,anything 32:35 Similar to Paul’s analogy of the church being a body with many members and Christ being the head, Peter describes the church as a spiritual house made of living stones with Christ as the foundation-cornerstone. More specifically, he refers to believers as a holy and royal priesthood. Christ’s death on the cross eliminates the distinction between priests and laypersons. This teaching, often referred to as the priesthood of all believers, does away with the dichotomy of clergy and laity. Ministry is shared among many members—not monopolized by a few paid professionals. A believer is a follower or a disciple who is now welcomed into priesthood! http://crossweave.org/sermon/disciples-and-priests http://crossweave.org/media/disciples-and-priests.mp3 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:02:01 CST Ritchie Carbajal Upside-Down Discipleship disciples,priests,priesthood,believers,elders,deacons 35:32 Do you have what it takes to be a disciple? Jesus intentionally picked 12 disciples from all sorts of backgrounds with an entire plethora of traits and quirks. Here’s a quick sampling: Peter was abrasive and impatient, the two rowdy sons of Zebedee we also known as “sons of thunder”, Thomas was a pessimist, and Judas was a traitor. He picked this interesting bunch in order to assure you that you would fit somewhere in this lineup as a disciple. You have the qualifications for discipleship by simply being you based on Christ’s merit. http://crossweave.org/sermon/your-qualifications-for-discipleship http://crossweave.org/media/your-qualifications-for-discipleship.mp3 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:52:27 CST Ritchie Carbajal Upside-Down Discipleship discipleship,qualifications 34:19 http://crossweave.org/sermon/moved-to-move-others-to-move http://crossweave.org/media/moved-to-move-others-to-move.mp3 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:06:40 CST Ritchie Carbajal Upside-Down Discipleship dominoes,follow,move,active,discipleship,disciples 31:23 As we wrap up this short series—Take Up Your Cross—we look more closely into what discipleship is all about. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus models the very basic concept of discipleship as He teaches the crowd on the lakeside and at the same time calls his first disciples to follow Him. There are five simple points or steps from this story that you might adopt into your life and begin walking with Him as a disciple. If a bunch of fishermen did it, so can you. http://crossweave.org/sermon/discipleship-for-dummies http://crossweave.org/media/discipleship-for-dummies.mp3 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:29:12 CST Ritchie Carbajal Take Up Your Cross discipleship,fishermen,boats,nets,jesus,crowd 36:04 Your purpose and meaning in life is in being a follower of Christ. In Luke 14, Jesus makes a distinction between followers that just ‘go along’ and followers that He refers to as “disciples”. Which one are you? Here He offers a test to help you to figure out what kind of follower you are—If you ‘hate’ your family and even yourself, you pass the test! The point He makes is that you be willing to give up the things or people you hold dear to yourself for His sake if you want to be one of His disciples. http://crossweave.org/sermon/what-kind-of-follower-are-you http://crossweave.org/media/what-kind-of-follower-are-you.mp3 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:40:25 CST Ritchie Carbajal Take Up Your Cross disciple,discipleship,follow,follower,cross 32:39 The cross is a symbol of suffering and death. And when Jesus asked His disciples to take up their crosses in Matthew 16:24, thoughts of difficulty, danger, and even death might have entered their minds having witnessed the Roman practice of crucifixion. In the context of this passage, the cross is clearly referring to Jesus’ own proclamation of His impending suffering and death—His main mission that the disciples had not yet realized at the time. Don’t think one moment that Jesus is asking you to die the death that He already ‘died’ for you. Instead, He asks you to deny yourself or give total control of your life over to Him. To take up your own cross is to actually live—in a different way—a life of willing obedience and surrender to His lordship. http://crossweave.org/sermon/take-up-your-cross-and-live http://crossweave.org/media/take-up-your-cross-and-live.mp3 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:11:30 CST Ritchie Carbajal Take Up Your Cross cross,live,obey,surrender,new_life 35:04 Foreign missions is a vital aspect of Crossweave. Even while our church plant was still in the planning stage—before grand opening—we had already sent out our first missionaries to Hong Kong. Crossweave is fortunate to have Luke Carr head our missions to both Africa and Mexico. This podcast gives you a little glimpse of how God gave him and his family a passion to do mission work. Pastor Ritchie concludes this report describing missions and church planting similar to a crash of rhinos that run at 30 mph and can only see 30 feet ahead. He uses Matthew 24:16 to introduce the next series, “Take Up Your Cross”—a call to deny yourself and complete trust in God’s leading. http://crossweave.org/sermon/report-on-missions http://crossweave.org/media/report-on-missions.mp3 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:01:54 CST Luke Carr Foreign missions is a vital aspect of Crossweave. Even while our church plant was still in the planning stage—before grand opening—we had already sent out our first missionaries to Hong Kong. Crossweave is fortunate to have Luke Carr ... luke,missions,mexico,africa,rhinos,crash,faith 35:21 Your feeling of inadequacy and being ordinary is another way God assures you that He is present in your life. God uses the ordinary in order to connect with the human race and accomplish His purposes. He takes you just as you are and turns you into an extraordinary participant in proclaiming the Good News just like He did with the shepherds in Luke 2:8-20. Their initial reaction of fear turned into joy and expediency. God also used an ordinary feeding trough and a little town called Bethlehem as the Divine was introduced among men. The Bible also uses the theme of fish several times to illustrate God’s obsession with the ordinary when relating to people, as in the feeding of the five thousand in Luke 9. Little becomes much when placed in the Master’s hand. http://crossweave.org/sermon/shepherds-and-fish http://crossweave.org/media/shepherds-and-fish.mp3 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:14:13 CST Ritchie Carbajal God With Us shepherds,angel,bethlehem,ordinary,fish 27:01 The Christmas story is much richer when you see it from another Biblical perspective—from the events that happened prior to Jesus’ birth including His geneology. Matthew deliberately includes four women—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba—all with tainted pasts in Jesus’ family tree. This inclusion in the public record testifies to the fact that God’s connection with the human race runs deep, and is intentional and irreversible. His imperfect family tree shows that He accepts you and your imperfect life as well. His presence in your life is real and for eternity. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-untold-story http://crossweave.org/media/the-untold-story.mp3 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:54:00 CST Ritchie Carbajal God With Us jesus,birth,family_tree,geneology,humanness 28:21 Have you ever pondered the extent of God’s involvement in you as person? In Psalm 139:1-18, the songwriter David describes this in great detail in three parts: how much He knows you, how He is always with you, and the fact that He crafted your very being. Your picture would be on His fridge, in His wallet, or on His license plate. David describes how much God thinks about us—“How vast is the sum of them!” An appropriate response for you is to regard God as personally as personally as he regards you. Confess or declare His name publicly, verbally in your everyday life. Reciprocate His awesome love in everything you do and say. http://crossweave.org/sermon/now-its-personal http://crossweave.org/media/now-its-personal.mp3 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:07:01 CST Ritchie Carbajal God With Us king_david,personal,god,reciprocate,confess 32:02 Life can get so loud that you can’t hear God’s voice. He is ever present in your life and yet there are times when you don’t realize it. The prophet Elijah ran for his life and hid in a cave—completely oblivious to God’s presence. It was only after God sent the wind, earthquake and fire that Elijah was ready to listen—to the gentle breeze. Many times God will allow obstacles and difficulties to come your way just to get your attention. The next time disaster strikes and life gets rough, pay attention. God might be speaking to you. http://crossweave.org/sermon/do-you-hear-what-i-hear http://crossweave.org/media/do-you-hear-what-i-hear.mp3 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:51:40 CST Ritchie Carbajal God With Us thunder,lightning,wind,god's_presence,listen 33:30 Another way of verifying God’s presence in your life is to recognize that He is committed to finishing the work he started in you. The apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:6 that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NASB) See yourself as a work in progress with the owner/investor onsite to assure that the job gets done. He bought you, now you belong to Him, and you are becoming his masterpiece. He wants you to bear fruit—to be mature and grow as a loving, caring person. As long as you remain ‘unfinished’, you can be certain that He is present in your life. http://crossweave.org/sermon/a-work-in-progress http://crossweave.org/media/a-work-in-progress.mp3 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:44:23 CST Ritchie Carbajal God With Us sanctification,progress,presence,peace,work,faith._bbb 28:11 This is the beginning of a new series: God With Us—the meaning of His name, Emmanuel. Sometimes it is necessary to look back at a former experience in order to acknowledge that God was with you at the time. Hindsight is always 20/20 vision especially when it comes to recognizing His presence. The Israelites didn’t recognize God’s presence during the crossing of the Red Sea until after they made it across safely. King David wrote songs about this event 10 generations later. And once you have determined God’s continual abiding presence, step down and let Him take over. The next time you are going through difficulty and can’t imagine God being present, look back later on and you will find that He was there all along. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-past-is-the-key http://crossweave.org/media/the-past-is-the-key.mp3 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:07:37 CST Ritchie Carbajal God With Us past,emmanuel,look_back,step_down 29:12 The Bible says you are to give thanks each day in everything you do or say within the context of having the “peace of Christ” ruling in your life and the “word of Christ” dwelling in your heart (Colossians 3:15-16). Earlier in Colossians 3, Paul refers to the basic Gospel story, having “died” and having your life “hidden” in Christ until He appears again—when you, too, shall appear with Him. He explains this further in Romans 6 through the illustration of baptism by immersion that symbolizes your participation in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Take your gratitude to another level and thank God—not just for material blessings—but for His gift of salvation through Christ’s sacrifice for your sins. http://crossweave.org/sermon/gratitude-on-another-level http://crossweave.org/media/gratitude-on-another-level.mp3 Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:52:31 CST Ritchie Carbajal Now What? gratitude,baptism,forgiveness,immersion 26:42 To start off, Ritchie asks the question, 'How can you say you worship God when you are seeing someone else?' Worship is more than what takes place in a service such as singing, preaching or prayer. According to the apostle Paul, worship is submitting every faculty of your being to God because of His grace and mercy that He's given you. He wants to have complete control over your life. The heart of worship is in His sacrifice on the cross for your redemption. http://crossweave.org/sermon/who-calls-the-shots http://crossweave.org/media/who-calls-the-shots.mp3 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:02:17 CST Ritchie Carbajal Now What? worship,sacrifice,heart,submission 41:00 Ron Veale presents God’s message from Revelation 3:14-22 as part of the series, “Now What?” This teaching about the Laodicean church encourages us to either be hot—to bring healing to others, or cold—to bring refreshing to those that need it. Being either hot or cold is a good thing. We are held accountable to God to be a blessing to others through the various gifts He has given his church to use in ministering to each other and the community. http://crossweave.org/sermon/are-you-hot-or-cold http://crossweave.org/media/are-you-hot-or-cold.mp3 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:47:52 CST Ron Veale Now What? laodecia,hot,cold,gifts 33:53 Jesus teaches us not to worry about our basic needs--food, water and clothing--because if God takes care of birds that don't have jobs, or the fields that burn up, how much more would He take care of those He died for? God wants us to keep our priorities straight. We are His priority so we should make Him ours. We are to aim for, and keep striving for His kingdom and righteousness--to be under God's control and do what He wants us to do. http://crossweave.org/sermon/first-things-first http://crossweave.org/media/first-things-first.mp3 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:44:31 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Now What? seek,food,water,clothing_prioity,kingdom,righteousness 24:56 Since God gave up His Son to die for us, he will also give us everything else. If we have found forgiveness, now He now wants us to follow His plan for our lives. We can restart our lives and have God direct our future. Just like patriarch Abraham whom God commanded to step out in faith, God asks us to trust Him completely, step out of the familiar, and enter the vast unknown believing that He will unveil His plan. We can rely on His promises. He will take us through every obstacle in life including the 'detours' that come along. http://crossweave.org/sermon/restart-your-life http://crossweave.org/media/restart-your-life.mp3 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 17:50:45 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Now What? trust,faith,chaldeans,ur,sarai,sarah,abraham,abram 32:03 The truths about God's grace and forgiveness are worthless if not applied in one's life. After you receive this wonderful gift, now what? We need to keep the saving power of the cross in constant view in order to keep us safe. John the Baptist quotes Isaiah as he addresses the crowd coming to be baptized--"Make ready the way of the Lord." He then goes on to preach on repentance and the importance of showing fruits of that 180-degree turn in life. Whatever the issues might be that confront us, God's grace is always sufficient. Where He guides, He always provides. http://crossweave.org/sermon/now-what http://crossweave.org/media/now-what.mp3 Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:16:15 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Now What? sufficient,grace,fruit,repentance,now_what 30:48 God's temple, or the place where we worship Him has moved. Jesus gave us this teaching when he encountered the Samaritan woman at the well. We now worship in Spirit (not a physical place) and in truth (in the context of Jesus--the Messiah--who is the Truth). The physical location such as Jerusalem or Mt. Gerazim is now in a person--the person of Jesus Christ--who lives in every believer through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is in this sense that church is everywhere. http://crossweave.org/sermon/gods-temple--we-moved http://crossweave.org/media/gods-temple-we-moved.mp3 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 17:54:48 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Vision & Values of Crossweave spirit_and_truth,worship,temple,everywhere 24:31 If church is people, and people exist 24-7, then church must be like AMPM. Jesus uses the word "abide" to describe how we are to relate to Him on an on-going basis. Just like the branches are continually connected to the vine for their existence, so are we as the church to abide in Christ. Jesus also says that we continue to abide in Him when we love one another just like He loves us. This He gives as a 'new' commandment or teaching. So, church is everyday, expressed by acts of love to one another in light of Jesus' death on the cross for our redemption. http://crossweave.org/sermon/church-is-like-ampm http://crossweave.org/media/church-is-like-ampm.mp3 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:41:15 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Vision & Values of Crossweave church,everyday,abide,love_one_another 32:09 Going multiethnic stems from the mind of Christ. It is not optional--it is a mandate. In John 17 Jesus prays for the unity of those that were to become believers later on and desired that they be with Him in heaven to see His glory. Rev. 5 gives a glimpse of the makeup of this group--very multiethnic--every tribe and language and people and nation. At the beginning of civilization right after the flood, God intentionally confused language and scattered people all over the earth. The Great commission in Matthew 28 instructs us to make disciples of all nations. God gets more glory from the unity of believers the more diverse and multiethnic they are. He is a God that scatters and a God that gathers. http://crossweave.org/sermon/going-multiethnic-is-gods-idea http://crossweave.org/media/going-multiethnic-is-gods-idea.mp3 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:52:59 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Vision & Values of Crossweave multiethnic,diverse,unity,heaven,disciples,glory,nation,tongue,language,people 27:44 There is no such thing as an inactive Christian. Having accepted and received God's abundant mercy and grace is what compels one to do good works. Instead of just being a spectator or attender, a Christian is an active member of the Body of Christ. A life of service and acts of compassion is a love response to God's passionate love for us. http://crossweave.org/sermon/christians-are-compelled-to-act http://crossweave.org/media/christians-are-compelled-to-act.mp3 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:00:24 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Vision & Values of Crossweave attender,member,body_of_christ,grace,mercy,love,perfet_tense 39:01 The word “nurture“ means “to care for and encourage the growth of.“ It takes a person to provide nurture--not a book. To be nurtured in the Word means to receive care and encouragement from the person of Jesus Himself who is the “Word“ in the first chapter of John. This is part of the sanctification process--a lifelong process of nurture by Jesus through the Holy Spirit that He promised to send. This is part 2 of a 6-part series, “The Vision and Values of Crossweave“ http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-word-is-a-person http://crossweave.org/media/the-word-is-a-person.mp3 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:02:30 CDT Ritchie Carbajal The Vision & Values of Crossweave sanctification,nurture,word,holy_spirit,self-help 38:56 Just like Nicodemus, we all have to deal with the sin problem. Jesus' solution is to be born again--a divine regeneration--a complete transformation that only comes from God. You got to start from scratch and let God do this extreme makeover on your life. http://crossweave.org/sermon/extreme-makeover http://crossweave.org/media/extreme-makeover.mp3 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 22:37:32 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Preview rebirth,born_again,spirit,scratch,nicodemus,wind,power 9:58 The Kingdom of Heaven is here today. It is God's dominion that He wants you to be a part of--a reality that can be yours today by investing the spiritual knowledge and experiences you have. He promises to give you an abundance just like the bags of gold in the story found in Matthew 25. http://crossweave.org/sermon/an-investment-opportunity http://crossweave.org/media/an-investment-opportunity.mp3 Thu, 17 May 2007 22:37:20 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Preview cross,growth,abundance,heaven,kingdom 9:46 There are many things in life that do not make sense. And just like Jesus did to a couple of His followers on the road to Emmaus, He is ready to show up in our journey of life and reveal to us His true mission. He desires to bring meaning and understanding by connecting the dots in our lives. http://crossweave.org/sermon/connect-the-dots http://crossweave.org/media/connectthedots.mp3 Tue, 08 May 2007 22:37:09 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Preview meaning,messiah,answers,life 8:04 We all deserve death because of sin but God sets us free by His sacrifice on the cross. With this gift comes the best life you can ever imagine and eternal life itself. http://crossweave.org/sermon/the-best-life http://crossweave.org/media/the-best-life.mp3 Wed, 02 May 2007 22:36:54 CDT Ritchie Carbajal Preview forgiveness,freedom,eternal_life,set_free 7:56