1 Samuel 16:7“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” This is perhaps why God can have such amazing and authentic relationships with us, because he knows even more than what we know about ourselves. We know what our heads kn...  Read More

John 6:4444 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.What is the drawing power of an authentic relationship? In this text, we see that Jesus is reminding people that even their attraction to him is the work of the Father. We call this prevenient grace, or grace before grace. I have spoken and written about this before. What ...  Read More

John 3:16-1716 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.From this text, we see that it seems that authentic relationships are twofold; 1) they are sacrificial, and 2) they are non-judgmental. Let's talk ...  Read More

John 17:2323 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.This is the idea of intimacy. It is really more than intimacy, it is so close to being almost as one. In theological circles we would say that it is a perichoretic relationship. If you have been around Crosswalk for a while, you...  Read More

John 13:3434 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.What does authentic love look like to you? A discipling relationship with God and other people is a relationship where we are honest with one another, we cherish one another, and we speak words of truth over one another and into each other’s lives. Without this kind of hones...  Read More

Mark 10:2121 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.End Statement #2“Crosswalk will be a community where people learn and grow in an authentic relationship with God.”Jesus made disciples. I don’t think h...  Read More