This is a Lent series for March-April, 2025. In this series at Cross-Way, we’ll explore many different angles to the meaning of “the Cross of Jesus Christ”. John RW Stott says that the Cross of Christ is the center and heart of Christianity, shaping the faith, ethics, and mission of the Church. “The cross is the unique place where God’s love, mercy, holiness, and justice meet.” Therefore, “the cross transforms everything.” It gives us a new, worshipping relationship to God, a new and balanced understanding of ourselves, a new incentive to give ourselves in mission, a new love for our enemies, and a new courage to face the perplexities of suffering.” (11).
According to Stott, “Stott presents the cross as the defining event of Christian faith, emphasizing its necessity, significance, and implications for believers. He engages with biblical, historical, and theological perspectives, addressing key questions about atonement, salvation, and discipleship.” (chat GPT in summary of The Cross of Christ. No, I don't use ChatGPT to prepare my sermons).
These are some of the themes we will explore in this series. Here are some quotations from the book: “The cross enforces three truths: about ourselves, about God, and about Jesus Christ.” “The Christian life is not just a matter of getting into heaven, but of taking up the cross and following Christ.” “Suffering is the badge of true discipleship.”
The need for this series address is that, our world of Nepali Christianity does not resonate with (or understand favorably) suffering, loss, pain and grief as a good and necessary part of our discipleship (following Christ honestly). The hardest challenge to Christianity is that “If God is so good, why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?” Personal sufferings, evil and injustice, especially if it comes upon innocent people like children. Similarly, the wars and its impact on people’s lives and community (like currently in Sudan, and Ukraine). We will address these, but exhaust the answers. The Bible tells us that if we are to follow Christ, suffering is part of our lives calling, and we better learn to view them in the light of the Bible.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.