Christ 2r Culture Podcast

If you have a relative that served in a war, chances are they came home with something from the front lines. While most war trophies are a privilege to possess, some people wish they never brought them home. Danny Nightingale was jailed for 18 months after he plead guilty to possessing an unregistered 9mm pistol that he was given to him after his 2007 tour in Iraq. This week, as we return to the book of 1 Samuel, we will look at the ultimate trophy of war — the ark of the covenant — and we will learn why the Philistines regretted bringing it home.

In the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford was in search of the long-lost ark of the covenant. It was a race between Indian Jones and the Nazis. They believed the army that found the ark first would become invincible. Was that true? Join us this weekend in 1 Samuel 4 as we search for the ark and learn the danger of trying to make God serve us.

The leadership challenges of our time are enormous. Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. ISIS is reconstituting in the Middle East. China is destabilizing the world. What is the answer to the leadership challenges of our nation? As we continue our study in 1 Samuel, we see God’s answer to the leadership challenges in Israel and what they teach us about facing the leadership challenges of today.

Statistics tell us that social media is putting teenagers under more cultural pressure. This results in over half of teenagers drinking alcohol and over forty percent of teenagers trying drugs. How should parents handle rebellion in the lives of their teenage and adult children? Join us this weekend as we continue our study in 1 Samuel and meet Eli’s rebellious sons. We will learn lessons on how to parent children who refuse to listen and the responsibility children have for making wise choices.

On February 7, 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Superbowl with a score of 31-9. A Superbowl victory deserves a celebration. How would the city of Tampa celebrate in a COVID world? To encourage people to keep their distance, the city celebrated with a boat parade down the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. In our study of 1 Samuel, we have seen God rescue Hannah from her barrenness by the birth of Samuel. How will she celebrate God's win in her life? Join us this weekend as we learn how she celebrated God’s victory and the promise she saw of a win for God’s people in the future.

First-time mom Hayley Sexton painted the nursery pink. She had a girl’s name picked out. All of the baby shower gifts were for a girl. In two different ultrasounds, the doctor assured her she was having a girl. To her surprise, she gave birth to a boy! Children don’t always turn out the way we planned. As we continue our study in 1 Samuel, we learn from Hannah about preparing our children for the future and dedicating them to God.

Did you have packages that did not arrive in time for Christmas because of supply chain issues? Can anyone untangle that mess? Who can solve the problem of soaring inflation? Can anyone get control of the coronavirus? Everywhere we look there is a leadership crisis. Everyone is looking for a decisive leader they can trust. Until we find that leader, everyone will do what is right in their own eyes. This weekend, we begin the book of 1 Samuel. It is a book on leadership. It will teach us what good leadership looks like and introduce us to the leader everyone of us desperately needs. Join us as we start the book of 1 Samuel, the search for a true king.

In the sweltering heat of August in 1885, six and one-half inches of rain fell in Chicago in only 24 hours. Sewage from the city’s 750,000 residents and runoff from the stockyards washed into the Chicago River. The polluted water flowed into Lake Michigan. According to an exaggerated story in the Chicago Tribune, this toxic brew was sucked into the city’s drinking water. Soon people claimed that cholera, dysentery, and typhoid were ravaging parts of the city. In later years it was said that one in eight Chicagoans died from the toxic water. For years this was known as the 1885 Chicago epidemic. The problem was that when an investigative writer began researching the story in 2000, she found the entire story to be a hoax. In reality, fewer people died in Chicago in 1885 than in other years. The entire 1885 epidemic was gossip and urban legend that took on a life of their own and was assumed to be true. There was no evidence to back it up. Many people feel the same way about the Bible. Is the Bible is nothing mo

Blaise Pascal said, “All men seek happiness.” Thomas Aquinas, the most influential theologian of the Middle Ages, said, “No one can live without delight, and that is why a man deprived of spiritual joy goes over to carnal pleasures.” God created us with a longing to be happy. To satisfy that desire, people stuff almost into their life in search of pleasure. What does the Bible say about our craving for happiness and how can we find lasting happiness that doesn’t expire? Join us to learn what the Bible teaches us about happiness and where to find it.

Christmas is a hard time of year. Many find themselves alone and without family. Sometimes families don’t gather because of friction between relatives. Christmas is not for cowards. It takes courage. Join us as we learn the story of Joseph—the foster father of Jesus, and see what he teaches us about finding courage at Christmas.

As we remember Veteran’s Day, we are especially grateful for soldiers who take big risks to save lives. Currently, there are marines risking their lives in Afghanistan rescuing civilians caught behind enemy lines. One of those marines has rescued more than 30 people. Our hearts are inspired by soldiers like that who go big to save lives. In a similar way, we want to be a church filled with people that go big to share the gospel. We want to take big risks when it comes to saving lives eternally for God.

On December 17, 1941, North Platte residents gathered at the Union Pacific Depot because they heard that a troop train carrying the Nebraska National Guard would be coming through town. When the train stopped, it was actually the Kansas National Guard. After a few moments of awkward silence, the people of the town surged forward and shared their Christmas gifts with the young men on board. After all, they were someone’s children and it was Christmas time. That night, young Rae Wilson penned a letter to the editor asking North Platte to open a Canteen at the depot that would feed other troops passing through town. Little did she know that she was starting an endeavor that would last 54 months, involving 12,000 volunteers and feeding more than 6 million servicemen and women. The North Platte Canteen remains the largest volunteer movement in United States history. This extraordinary act of kindness made North Platte one of the most loved towns for troops returning from the war. Just as the good works of a small

With the prices at the gas pump hitting record highs, lawnmowers being outlawed in California, and empty store shelves while hundreds of container ships float off the California coast, the last thing we want is more change. The church feels like it is the one place that should be safe from change. As we turn to 1 Corinthians 9, we find the Bible telling us we must change. Join us as we learn how we must change for the sake of the gospel.

This week the remains of Brian Laundrie were found in Florida. The feverish hunt for Brian revived the search for many others who have gone missing. Unfortunately, most are never found. On the rare occasion when people are saved, it is one of the greatest joys a family can experience. This weekend we begin a series on CrossWind’s 5-Year Vision. We will learn how much joy God experiences when someone far from God is saved and comes home.

If you need a box of diapers, you will have a hard time finding them. Due to inflation and supply chain issues at least 1 in 3 Americans are facing a diaper shortage. Diapers are not the only item that is hard to find. Just about everything is scarce and pricey. As a result, people grumble against those in power. In the final message of Jude, we find there is no reason to grumble about what our God has done for us. Instead, there is every reason to sing his praises now and forever. Join us in the final message of Jude as we discover why the greatness of our God demands the worship of his people.

A recent report claims the cost of living for an average family has risen $175 a month. For millions of Americans, their income is not keeping pace with expenses. How are people to survive? Just as it can be difficult to survive financially, today it is also difficult to survive spiritually. False teachers infiltrate churches and fill the Internet. Join us this weekend as we study Jude 17-23 and learn how to survive in spiritually tough times and not be led astray.

Brian Laundrie has a nation looking for him. After the murder of Gabby Petito, Brian managed to evade the police. The longer he refuses to turn himself in, the more guilty he appears. A nation is wondering, will Brian get away with murder? Will justice be served? As we continue our study of Jude, we look at God’s promise of final justice. Nobody gets away with anything. We will also see the good news of a God who loves us so much that he offers to take the punishment we deserve.

This year the movie “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” came to theaters. It is the behind-the-scenes story of Tammy Faye Baker, a woman driven by greed, sexual sin, all things gold, and ten pounds of makeup. The movie reveals the life that Jim and Tammy kept hidden for years and how money, sex, and power controlled their life and brought about their demise. This weekend, as we continue in our study of Jude, we learn more about the way apostates work and how—like the Bakkers—they lead Christians astray.

In 2015, Shamima Begum left Britain to join the Islamic State in Syria. At the age of 15, she married a man who was later convicted of terrorism offenses. Since then she has repeatedly tried to return to Britain but the British government has refused to allow her to come home. As terrorism experts warn, she is not a student stuck overseas. She is a proven terrorist that can not be trusted. While some think she is being treated harshly, governments around the world take no chances when it comes to terrorism. Terrorists are hard to spot and they do great damage once inside a country. Joins us as we learn how to spot spiritual terrorists, Satan’s ISIS operatives. If we can identify them, we can protect ourselves from them before they blow themselves up and nothing remains but the smoldering ashes of the church they left behind.

Franklin Graham had a full house at the Hertz arena where he made a stop on his Decision America tour. Surprisingly thousands have signed petitions to stop Franklin Graham from speaking in arenas around the country. The Reverend Nathan Empsall explains why, “Graham engages in repeated hatred against the LGBTQ community despite the fact that each and every person is made in God’s image.” What has Franklin Graham said that the LGBTQ community finds so hateful and offensive? Graham claims the Bible calls homosexuality a sin of which people need to repent, not an alternative lifestyle God wants us to enjoy. With so many churches and denominations endorsing homosexuality and celebrating the LGBTQ lifestyle, is Franklin Graham wrong? Join us this weekend as we find out what the Bible says about homosexuality and hell.