It is in our very nature to try and put this new wine into our old wineskins. Why? It is because of our fallen, broken nature that we seek out more without making sacrifices. My wife and I bought my mother's house a few years ago. The only issue was that my mom decided to move and not take her things. The good news is that we love much of her stuff. The bad news is that we had quite a bit of stuff...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENIf you make New Year’s resolutions, share one with the group, along with how the group can encourage you.  If you don’t make them, share what you’re hoping for in 2024.HEADRead Luke 5: 36-39 and Colossians 3:1...  Read More

Please read Colossians 3 today. I won’t do it for you, as it is a bit long. But take some time to read it, as it pertains to what we have discussed this week. Well, I will give you just a peek: Colossians 3:3 : “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”Jesus is a master storyteller. So, it is no surprise that the analogy gives us profound and agitating truths about life. The a...  Read More

The Greek words for “new” and “old” don’t merely denote age but “nature” or “essence.” Old wineskins are already stretched, thin, rigid, cracked, and brittle. New wineskins, by nature, are elastic, full of oils, supple, thick, and can be sewn and shaped. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, spill it, and destroy it. But new wine must be put i...  Read More

So what would new wine be? I mentioned before that when people want to learn what makes Crosswalk unique, they often go to our process and design. We offer people something completely different from what is usually given in the churches they have attended. The difference is New Wine. Let me explain: When I came back into pulpit ministry and led a church, I had to decide my organizing principle. Th...  Read More

So, what is old wine?In a word, Vinegar. . . That’s not great. One of my earliest memories of being at my wife’s family home was when we had gone on a walk one chilly December morning. We walked a long time, as we often do. We were hungry by the time we returned to the house, but most of all, we were thirsty. We first went to the refrigerator to grab some ice-cold water. Sara, my wife, reached int...  Read More