Crosswalk Church

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/31/broken-kingdoms-intro#comments 0 This Is True: WK 6 - GROUP GUIDE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/23/this-is-true-wk-6-group-guide Sat, 23 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/23/this-is-true-wk-6-group-guide

You Will Know the Truth: How Jesus Rewrites Our Way of Knowing

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN: Icebreaker: Share about a time when you genuinely thought you understood something — a situation, a person, a belief — only to discover later that you were completely wrong.
How did that realization feel? What changed afterward?

Follow-up: If you’re comfortable, share one way your understanding of God or faith has changed in the last 5–10 years. What prompted the shift?

SCRIPTURE READING
Read aloud:

Acts 9:1–19 (Paul’s encounter on the Damascus Road)
John 8:31–36 (“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”)
Colossians 1:15–20 (Christ as the true image)
1 Corinthians 13:12 (“We see through a glass dimly…”)

Listen for themes of blindness → sight, encounter, Jesus-centered truth, and transformation.

CONTEXT & SETUP (Read Aloud)
We end this series where every Christian journey begins — not with certainty, but with encounter. Paul was utterly convinced he saw truth clearly. He was sincere. He was zealous. He was committed. And he was totally wrong. His certainty needed to collapse before he could truly see.

Jesus does not give him new information; He gives him new sight.

This is the core of Christian epistemology: we do not come to truth by mastering arguments, but by abiding in Jesus. Truth is not something we achieve; it is someone we encounter. And encountering Jesus rewrites everything — how we see God, how we see others, how we see ourselves, how we interpret Scripture, how we participate in the world.

This week we reflect on what it means for Christ to be not just the bearer of truth but the center of all knowing — and how that truth leads us into freedom.

HEAD: Explore the Text

In Acts 9, what part of Paul’s encounter surprises you most? His certainty? His blindness? His vulnerability? His surrender?

Jesus confronts Paul not with arguments but with presence. What does this teach us about the nature of Christian truth?
How does John 8 redefine the relationship between abiding, knowing, and freedom? What stands out to you in Jesus’ sequence?

In Colossians 1, Paul describes Christ as the “image of the invisible God.” How does this shape the way Christians discern truth?

Why is humility essential for “knowing the truth”? What kinds of truth become distorted when humility is absent?

HEART: Personal Reflection

Where in your life has Jesus rewritten your way of seeing or knowing? What brought about that transformation?

Are there areas where you feel spiritually “blind,” confused, or uncertain? How might Jesus be inviting you to surrender those areas?
Where have you held on too tightly to a belief, assumption, or interpretation that Jesus may be trying to soften or reshape?

What does “freedom” mean for you right now? Where do you long for liberation — in your thinking, emotions, identity, or relationships?

Has your pursuit of truth ever been shaped more by fear than by Jesus? How does His presence speak differently into those places?

HANDS: Practice This Week
Practice: A Three-Question Prayer of Surrender

Each morning this week, pray:

“Jesus, where am I still blind?”
“What truth are you trying to free me with?”
“What must die in me so a new way of seeing can be born?”

Then spend two minutes in silence, allowing the Spirit to respond — not through analysis, but through presence.

Invite one trusted person into your discernment:
Share one thing Jesus reveals this week and ask them to pray with you.

Encourage group members to share next week how this practice shaped them.

FINISH WELL: Bring It Home

What part of your old way of knowing is Jesus inviting you to let go of? (old narratives, old fears, old certainties, old self-protection)
What new truth — about God, others, or yourself — is Jesus inviting you to embrace?
What would freedom look like for you in this next season of faith? What kind of person is Jesus forming you into?

CLOSING PRAYER (Leader or Participant Reads)
Jesus, our Truth and our Freedom,
Open our eyes the way You opened Paul’s.
Remove the shadows of our old ways of knowing.
Give us new sight, new humility, new wisdom.
Set us free from every false story, false certainty,
and false identity that keeps us from You.
Rewrite our vision and remake our hearts
so we may see the world through Your eyes.
Amen.

Pastor Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/23/this-is-true-wk-6-group-guide#comments 0 This Is True: WK6 - FRI https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/22/this-is-true-wk6-fri Fri, 22 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/22/this-is-true-wk6-fri

The Freedom of a New Way of Knowing
John 8:36

Freedom is not a feeling. It is not a personality trait. It is not even the absence of constraints. Freedom, in the language of Jesus, is the experience of being fully aligned with truth — truth that is embodied in Him.

“Whom the Son sets free,” Jesus says, “is free indeed.”

Freedom is living in the truth of who God is, who you are, and who others are. It is living from a story that is no longer shaped by lies. It is stepping into a way of knowing that releases fear, loosens shame, heals distortions, and restores dignity. Freedom is not abstract; it is relational. It is the lived experience of abiding in the love of God.

Paul walked into Damascus blind but walked out seeing the world in a way he never had before. Not because he gained more information, but because he encountered the One who is Truth. His freedom didn’t begin when his sight returned—it began the moment he surrendered his old way of knowing.

This is where freedom begins for us too.
Not when we understand everything.
Not when we have all the answers.
Not when we’ve sorted out every theological detail.
But when we finally say:

“Jesus, rewrite my vision.
Show me what is true.”

When you know Him, you know truth.
And when you know truth, you walk free.

What is one place in your life where Jesus is inviting you into freedom?
What would it look like to surrender your “old way of knowing” in that area?
Who might notice the difference when you begin to walk in that freedom?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/22/this-is-true-wk6-fri#comments 0 This Is True: WK6 - THU https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/21/this-is-true-wk6-thu Thu, 21 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/21/this-is-true-wk6-thu

Seeing the World Through Christ
Colossians 1:15–17

Paul eventually writes one of the most breathtaking statements in all of Scripture: “Christ is the image of the invisible God… and in Him all things hold together.” This is not abstract theology; it is the testimony of a man whose entire way of seeing has been remade.

Christ becomes Paul’s interpretive lens. Everything that once made sense apart from Christ now becomes unintelligible without Him. The law makes sense through Christ. Scripture makes sense through Christ. The world makes sense through Christ. Even Paul’s own story makes sense through Christ.

This is what happens when Jesus rewrites your vision:
You begin to see God not as distant but revealed.
You begin to see others not as obstacles but as image-bearers.
You begin to see suffering not as abandonment but as a place where Christ is present.
You begin to see your past not as wasted but as redeemed.
You begin to see yourself not as condemned but as beloved.

When Christ becomes the center, everything finds coherence. Fragmented pieces align. Disparate experiences find meaning. Confusion gives way to clarity. The truth that once frightened you now frees you.

Seeing the world through Christ does not remove mystery, but it removes despair. It replaces fear with faith, shame with mercy, chaos with hope.

How has Jesus reshaped your understanding of God?
What part of your story begins to make new sense when viewed through Christ?
Where do you need His lens most today?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/21/this-is-true-wk6-thu#comments 0 This Is True: WK6 - WED https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/20/this-is-true-wk6-wed Wed, 20 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/20/this-is-true-wk6-wed

New Sight, New Knowing
John 8:31–32

Jesus does not separate knowing from abiding. He does not say, “If you study enough, you will know the truth,” or “If you get the doctrine right, you will know the truth.” He says, “If you abide in My word… you will know the truth.” Truth is not the reward for mastering Christian information. It is the fruit of living in the presence of Christ.

This is a radically different way of knowing. It is relational, not performative. It is experiential, not merely cognitive. It is slow, like fruit growing on a vine. It is tender, like trust unfolding over years. It is vulnerable, like being deeply known by someone who loves you.

Abiding is a posture of staying close — not solving, not striving, not proving, but remaining. It is the long obedience of returning again and again to the One who reveals what is real. When you abide in Jesus, you begin to see life through His eyes: your wounds, your relationships, your story, your identity, your calling. The truth He reveals is not coercive. It is freeing. It does not tighten your chest; it expands your breath. It does not bind you; it liberates you.

Freedom is not the absence of limits. Freedom is the presence of Christ at the center of your knowing.

What practices help you “abide” in Jesus rather than rush through life?
What parts of your life begin to change when you remain close to Christ?
How does the idea of truth as “freedom” challenge or comfort you?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/20/this-is-true-wk6-wed#comments 0 This Is True: WK6 - TUE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/19/this-is-true-wk6-tue Tue, 19 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/19/this-is-true-wk6-tue

The Gift of Not Seeing Clearly
Acts 9:8–9

When Paul opens his eyes after encountering Jesus, he can’t see. Literal blindness becomes a symbol for the collapse of his internal way of knowing. It’s as though Jesus presses “reset” on Paul’s vision — a holy pause between the world he once knew and the world he is about to see.

Most of us resist seasons where clarity disappears. We feel anxious when answers dissolve, when familiar categories fail, when long-held assumptions crumble. Yet the Scriptures are full of people whom God leads through a temporary darkness before ushering them into light. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Mary, the disciples, and Paul—all walked through disorientation on the way to revelation.

Blindness is not punishment.
Blindness is preparation.
It creates space for new sight.

Sometimes Jesus must unsettle us before He can free us. Old frameworks must be surrendered before new vision can be received. The “not knowing” becomes sacred ground because it loosens our grip on the certainty that once held us captive. When Paul is blind, he is finally ready to be led. He is finally ready to listen. He is finally ready to receive truth as a gift rather than defend it as a possession.

What if the places where you feel least certain are the very places Jesus is preparing your heart to see more clearly?

Where in your life do you feel “blind” or unable to see clearly right now?
How might that space be an invitation rather than a threat?
How could uncertainty become a spiritual practice rather than a spiritual crisis?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/19/this-is-true-wk6-tue#comments 0 This Is True: WK6 - MON https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/18/this-is-true-wk6-mon Mon, 18 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/18/this-is-true-wk6-mon

When Truth Finds You First
Acts 9:3–5

Truth often arrives not when we go looking for it, but when it comes looking for us. Paul wasn’t seeking Jesus on the Damascus Road. He was seeking to silence those who followed Jesus. He believed he already had truth — and believed it with fierce certainty. But then Jesus interrupts him with a question that cuts through all his confidence: “Why are you persecuting Me?”

This moment reveals something profound: Christian truth is not primarily discovered through study or logic. It is revealed through encounter. Jesus does not argue with Paul. He does not dismantle Paul’s theology point by point. Instead, He reveals Himself — and in that revelation, everything Paul “knew” dissolves in the light of who Jesus truly is.

There are times in our lives when truth must break in from the outside. Not because we are stubborn or foolish, but because we are limited. Our perspectives are shaped by our histories, our fears, our desires, our interpretations. We cannot unblind ourselves. Only an encounter with Jesus — sometimes dramatic, sometimes gentle — breaks through the fog and leads us into clarity we could never achieve alone.

Truth finds us first.
And when it does, it doesn’t condemn. It calls us by name.

Has Jesus ever interrupted your certainty the way He interrupted Paul’s?
What might Jesus be asking you today that reframes what you believe you know?
How can you remain open to truth that arrives from beyond your expectations?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/18/this-is-true-wk6-mon#comments 0 This Is True: WK 5 - GROUP GUIDE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/16/this-is-true-wk-5-group-guide Sat, 16 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/16/this-is-true-wk-5-group-guide

Truth in Community: Why We Need Each Other to Discern Well in a Divided World

OPEN: Share about a time when you made a decision completely on your own — without input from others — and later realized you missed something important. What happened? How did you see differently once others spoke into it?

Follow-up: Share a time when community helped you discern something you could not have seen alone.

SCRIPTURE READING
Read together:

Acts 15:1–35 (the Jerusalem Council)
Proverbs 11:14 (“In the multitude of counselors there is safety”)
Philippians 2:1–4 (humility and others-centeredness)
1 Corinthians 12:12–27 (the Body of Christ)

Invite the group to listen for themes of listening, humility, difference, discernment, and the Spirit’s leading through community.

CONTEXT & SETUP (Read Aloud)
Truth in Scripture is rarely discovered alone. From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals truth in community — among people who think differently, come from different backgrounds, and bring unique perspectives. The early church understood this deeply. In Acts 15, when disagreement and confusion arose, they gathered, listened, prayed, told stories, opened Scripture, and discerned slowly and humbly. And then they said something astonishing:

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…”

This model challenges our modern, individualistic ways of knowing. We often make decisions in isolation, assume our interpretation is correct, or seek only voices that validate us. But Christian truth is discerned together, in humility, with the Spirit guiding us through one another.

This week’s message invited us to rediscover why we need each other — why no one sees the whole picture, why every believer brings something essential, and why truth becomes clearer when we seek it within the Body of Christ.

HEAD: Explore the Text

What part of the Acts 15 story surprised you or challenged the way you think about “church disagreements”?

Why do you think the early church chose to gather, listen, and discern together rather than issue a decree from a single leader?

What role did testimony (Paul & Barnabas’ stories) play in their discernment? Why is story important in discovering truth?

How did Peter’s humility (“Why put a burden on them we couldn’t carry?”) change the direction of the discussion? What does humility make possible in conversations about truth?**

How did James use Scripture to interpret what was happening? What does this tell us about the relationship between Scripture, experience, and community?**

What do you think it meant for them to say, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”? How does that phrase challenge or encourage you?

HEART: Personal Reflection

Where in your life do you tend to make decisions alone? Why is that? (pride, fear, privacy, self-reliance, mistrust, habit?)

What blind spots might you have that community can help reveal? Are there areas where you struggle to hear other perspectives?

Think about a recent disagreement (big or small). What would have changed if the goal had been communal discernment instead of winning or proving your point?**

Who has been a source of wisdom, perspective, or correction in your spiritual life? How have they helped you see something you could not have seen alone?

Is there a situation right now where you need to invite community into your discernment? What holds you back from doing so?

HANDS: Practice This Week
This week, choose a decision, tension, or question you are experiencing. Before acting, reach out to: one trusted believer, or a small circle of wise, grounded people and ask:

“What do you see here that I might not?”
“How does this look from where you stand?”
“Do you sense the Spirit nudging in any particular direction?”

Then — and this is key — listen without defensiveness.
Let their perspective become part of the way God guides you.

Encourage group members to share next week how this practice shaped their discernment.

FINISH WELL: Bring It Home

What might Jesus be trying to teach you about humility, listening, or belonging through this week’s message?

What practical step can you take to make discernment more communal in your life?

Who in your life could benefit from your presence in their discernment right now? How could you offer gentle, humble wisdom?

CLOSING PRAYER (Leader or Participant Reads)
Holy Spirit,
We trust that You speak through Your people.
Teach us to slow down, listen deeply, and learn from one another.
Protect us from pride, isolation, and narrow vision.
Make us a community that discerns with humility and hope.
Help us to say, with the early church,
“It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us.”
Amen.

Pastor Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/16/this-is-true-wk-5-group-guide#comments 0 This Is True: WK5 - FRI https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/15/this-is-true-wk5-fri Fri, 15 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/15/this-is-true-wk5-fri

Becoming a Community That Discerns Well
Philippians 1:9–10

Paul prays that the Philippians would “abound in love… so that you may discern what is best.” This is a remarkable prayer because it links love and discernment inseparably. Paul suggests that the ability to recognize truth — to see what is right, wise, and good — emerges from a heart shaped by love. Not from intelligence. Not from certainty. Not from experience. From love.

Discernment is not merely a cognitive skill. It is a relational virtue. When a community is filled with love — patient, curious, forgiving, listening love — clarity grows. When a community becomes defensive, rigid, fearful, or proud, clarity disappears. The community in Acts 15 did not discern well because they were impressive theologians. They discerned well because they surrendered their pride, trusted one another, honored each person’s voice, and listened together for the Spirit.

We become that kind of community by practicing humility, opening our lives to others, and telling the truth gently — both about God and about ourselves. And when we do, the Spirit shapes our collective mind into something wiser, softer, and more like Christ.

Your discernment is not something you carry alone. God has placed you in a body so that your mind, your decisions, your hopes, and your questions are held by others. We discern well only when we discern together.

What would it look like for your community or small group to “abound in love” so that it can discern better?
What role might you play in making your community safer, humbler, or more attentive to the Spirit?
Whose voice do you need to invite into your discernment this week?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/15/this-is-true-wk5-fri#comments 0 This Is True: WK5 - THU https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/14/this-is-true-wk5-thu Thu, 14 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/14/this-is-true-wk5-thu

“It Seemed Good to the Holy Spirit and to Us”
Acts 15:28

This sentence is one of the most astonishing in the New Testament. It suggests profound humility — not only in relation to the Spirit, but also in relation to each other. The early church does not say, “The Spirit told us clearly,” nor do they say, “We figured it out.” Instead, they choose a posture of shared discernment:

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.”

This phrase acknowledges mystery. It acknowledges human limitation. It acknowledges that even in Spirit-filled community, discernment is sometimes subtle, gradual, and discovered in the “seeming.” They hold the decision lightly, yet faithfully. They are confident in the Spirit but humble about their experience of the Spirit.

Christian discernment is rarely about absolute certainty. It is often about the quiet confidence that emerges when God’s people listen deeply, speak honestly, surrender ego, honor each other’s voices, and pay attention to the Spirit together.

This is not a weak or slippery truth — it is deeply stable because it is relational. Truth becomes something lived together, carried together, and trusted together. The Spirit does not bypass community; the Spirit inhabits it.

How does the phrase “It seemed good…” affect the way you think about discernment?
Why might the Spirit choose to speak through the “we” instead of the “I”?
Where do you sense the Spirit inviting you to trust Him through community?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/14/this-is-true-wk5-thu#comments 0 This Is True: WK5 - WED https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/13/this-is-true-wk5-wed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/13/this-is-true-wk5-wed

Scripture in Conversation, Not Isolation
Acts 15:15–17

After the testimonies and after Peter’s humility, James stands and brings Scripture into the conversation. He quotes Amos 9, weaving together what God has done in the past with what God is now doing in the present. This is communal hermeneutics — Scripture interpreted in the midst of listening, story, prayer, and shared wrestling.

James does not use Scripture as a proof-text to silence disagreement. He uses it as a compass to orient the entire community toward God’s larger story. Scripture alone is authoritative, but Scripture is never meant to be read alone. It must be read with others, in the context of humility and discernment, where different perspectives help uncover meaning we would have missed by ourselves.

Without community, we impose our biases on Scripture.
With community, Scripture imposes its truth upon us.

When we read together, we see the story more fully, understand nuance more deeply, and discover the Spirit’s movement more clearly. The Bible becomes not a weapon but a shared well — a source of living water each person draws from for the sake of the whole.

Truth becomes clearer when Scripture is allowed to speak in conversation with real lives and real questions.

Who do you read Scripture with, formally or informally?
How has community helped you interpret a passage more accurately or deeply?
What might change if you approached Scripture expecting to learn from others, not just by yourself?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/13/this-is-true-wk5-wed#comments 0 This Is True: WK5 - TUE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/12/this-is-true-wk5-tue Tue, 12 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/12/this-is-true-wk5-tue

The Stories That Open Our Eyes
Acts 15:12

After Peter speaks, the room falls quiet, and Paul and Barnabas begin to share stories — stories of Gentiles encountering God, unexpected conversions, miracles among unlikely people. What is striking here is that the early church treats testimony as serious theological evidence. Experience is not dismissed. Lived encounters with God are part of the discernment process.

Discernment falters when we rely only on ideas and ignore experience. It falters when voices with different stories are not welcomed. It falters when we assume our own story is universal, and another’s is irrelevant. But when stories are told in honesty and received with humility, something remarkable happens: we begin to see differently.

Sometimes what you need is not a new argument but a new story. Sometimes God expands your understanding of truth through the life of someone who does not look like you or come from the same background. Sometimes clarity comes from the quiet realization that God has been moving outside the boundaries you assumed.

The apostles could not have reached the right conclusion without hearing these stories. Truth did not emerge from a single mind but from many lives being brought to the table.

Your story matters — and so does the story of the person sitting next to you.

Whose story has expanded your understanding of God?
How might someone else’s experience help clarify something you are wrestling with?
What story from your life might be a gift to someone else’s discernment?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/12/this-is-true-wk5-tue#comments 0 This Is True: WK5 - MON https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/11/this-is-true-wk5-mon Mon, 11 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/11/this-is-true-wk5-mon

When Hearing Alone Is Not Enough
Acts 15:6

The early church gathered because the issue before them was too important — and too complex — for individual discernment. The text simply says, “So the apostles and elders met to consider this question.” It is a remarkably humble line. These were apostles. Men who walked with Jesus. Leaders filled with the Spirit. And yet they did not trust themselves alone. They trusted one another.

We often imagine spiritual maturity as independence — the ability to know, decide, and discern without needing anyone to speak into our lives. But Scripture paints a very different picture. Spiritual maturity is marked not by autonomy, but by belonging. Not by certainty, but by humility. Not by isolation, but by conversation.

Listening alone can only take us so far, because we hear through our experiences, our wounds, our desires, and our assumptions. And while God speaks personally to each of us, He rarely speaks only to us. He places us in a community so that our listening can be corrected, expanded, sharpened, and matured.

Acts 15 begins with this holy admission:
“We don’t see the whole picture. Let’s listen together.”

This is not weakness. It is wisdom. God does some of His clearest speaking when His people gather, slow down, open their hearts, and make space for one another.

When have you realized that hearing God alone was not enough — that you needed others to help interpret what you sensed?
Why do you think the apostles trusted community over their own individual authority?
Where in your life might God be inviting you into deeper shared discernment?

By Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

Daily Study Podcast

CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

The Abide Daily Podcast

Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

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]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/11/this-is-true-wk5-mon#comments 0 This Is True: WK 4 - GROUP GUIDE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/09/this-is-true-wk-4-group-guide Sat, 09 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/09/this-is-true-wk-4-group-guide

When Truth Becomes a Weapon: Recovering Humility in a Culture of Certainty

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN: Share a moment when you were absolutely convinced you were right about something… and later discovered you were wrong.
What did it feel like to confront your own certainty?

Follow-up: Think of a time when you witnessed “truth” being used in a harsh or harmful way. What impact did it have?

SCRIPTURE READING (Read Aloud)

John 8:1–11 — Jesus and the woman caught in adultery
1 Corinthians 8:1–3 — “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”
1 Corinthians 13:9–12 — “We know in part…”
James 1:19–20 — “Slow to speak, slow to anger…”

Listen for themes of humility, self-awareness, love, and the way Jesus holds truth.

CONTEXT & SETUP (Read Aloud)
We live in a culture obsessed with certainty, quick to judge, and eager to defend its own correctness. Truth has become something people use to win arguments, prove superiority, or protect their identity.

But Christian truth is not a weapon. It is a way of being — humble, gentle, compassionate, Christlike. Jesus never separated truth from love, and He never used truth to crush, shame, or dominate. Instead, He told the truth in ways that healed, restored, and liberated.

The danger for Christians is to claim correct beliefs while embodying the wrong spirit. Scripture teaches that we “know in part,” and that only humility makes us trustworthy witnesses of the truth.

This week’s teaching invited us to recover humility as a core Christian posture — not as weakness, but as wisdom.

HEAD: Explore the Text

In John 8, what stands out to you most about the difference between how the Pharisees hold truth and how Jesus holds truth?

Jesus does not deny the law — yet He refuses to use it as a weapon. What does this tell us about Christian truth?

Paul says “knowledge puffs up.” How can knowledge (even correct knowledge) become prideful or harmful?

Why do you think humility is so essential to Christian discernment?

How does “seeing in part” (1 Cor. 13:12) shape the way we hold truth?**

How does James 1:19 challenge the way many Christians engage online or in heated conversations?

HEART: Personal Reflection

Where in your life are you most tempted to equate “being right” with “being faithful”?

Can you think of a time when your certainty caused harm — to yourself or to someone else? What might humility have changed in that moment?**

How does it feel to admit “I might be wrong” or “I don’t know everything”? Does it feel like weakness? Freedom? Fear? Relief?**

What fears tend to make you defensive or rigid in your beliefs? Fear of being misunderstood? Fear of losing control? Fear of losing respect?**

Where in your life is Jesus inviting you to hold truth with gentleness instead of certainty?

HANDS: Practice This Week
Practice: “The Humility Pause”

This week, choose one conversation or moment of potential tension and practice a simple pause before responding. In that pause, ask yourself:

“Am I trying to win, or am I trying to love?”
“Am I speaking from fear, or from faithfulness?”
“Am I listening to understand, or listening to react?”

Then respond — or choose silence — out of humility instead of instinct.

Encourage group members to share their experience next week.

FINISH WELL: Bring It Home

What is one belief, conversation, or relationship where you need to hold truth more humbly this week?

Who has modeled Christlike humility for you?

How might their example guide you now?**

What would change if you truly believed that humility is not the opposite of truth, but the way truth becomes beautiful?

CLOSING PRAYER
Jesus, the gentle and humble Truth,
teach us to hold what we know with grace.
Where we are rigid, soften us.
Where we are fearful, calm us.
Where we are prideful, humble us.
Where we are wounded, heal us.

Make us people whose truth looks like Your truth —
gentle, wise, patient, and full of love.
Amen.

Pastor Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/09/this-is-true-wk-4-group-guide#comments 0 This Is True: WK4 - FRI https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/08/this-is-true-wk4-fri Fri, 08 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/08/this-is-true-wk4-fri

Open Hands in a Closed-Fist World
John 8:10–11

The story in John 8 ends quietly. The stones fall. The accusers walk away. The woman stands alone before Christ — vulnerable, exposed, waiting for judgment that doesn’t come. Jesus looks at her with the gentlest question: “Where are they?” And then, with breathtaking mercy: “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Truth and grace meet in the same breath. Jesus does not deny her sin, nor does He allow sin to define her. He tells the truth with such tenderness that it frees rather than wounds. His hands are empty — no stones, no accusations, no desire to punish. His truth is always delivered with open hands.

In a world of clenched fists — fists full of certainties, opinions, outrage, and self-protection — Jesus invites us to open ours. To loosen our grip on harmful forms of truth-telling. To release the pride that keeps us from listening. To unclench the fear that pushes us toward rigidity. To drop whatever stones we still hold.

This is what it means to embody truth in the way of Christ. Not as conquerors, but as healers. Not as the self-assured, but as the self-giving. Not as those who need to be right, but as those who long to be like Jesus.

Truth held with open hands becomes a gift. Truth held with humility becomes beautiful. Truth held with love becomes transformative.

What “stone” is Jesus asking you to release so you can hold truth with open hands?
How might someone experience Jesus through your gentleness this week?
What would it look like to let Christ’s mercy shape your truth-telling?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/08/this-is-true-wk4-fri#comments 0 This Is True: WK4 - THU https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/07/this-is-true-wk4-thu Thu, 07 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/07/this-is-true-wk4-thu

The Gentle Mind of Christ
Philippians 2:5

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s invitation is not a call to adopt new ideas but to inhabit a new posture. The mind of Christ is not marked by arrogance or certainty, but by self-giving humility. Christ releases status. Christ relinquishes privilege. Christ refuses to operate from superiority. Christ moves toward others — even those who misunderstand, resist, or reject Him.

To have the mind of Christ is to begin every conversation with curiosity, every disagreement with gentleness, and every truth claim with love. Jesus never used truth to win; He used truth to heal. His authority was not rooted in intellectual dominance but in His unwavering alignment with the Father’s heart.

Humility is not insecurity. It is strength under submission. It is courage wrapped in compassion. It is conviction married to kindness. The mind of Christ is bold enough to speak truth and tender enough to hold the person hearing it.

Imagine if our churches embraced this mind. Imagine if our online presence reflected Christ’s gentleness. Imagine if our families approached disagreements not as battles to win but as opportunities to practice love. The world would encounter a truth that feels less like a weapon and more like an embrace.

What part of the “mind of Christ” do you find most challenging to embody?
How might humility actually deepen — rather than weaken — your convictions?
Where is Jesus calling you to imitate His way of holding truth this week?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/07/this-is-true-wk4-thu#comments 0 This Is True: WK4 - WED https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/06/this-is-true-wk4-wed Wed, 06 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/06/this-is-true-wk4-wed

Seeing Through a Dim Mirror
1 Corinthians 13:12

Paul’s words about seeing “through a glass dimly” are both humbling and liberating. They remind us that no matter how much we study, pray, or engage with Scripture, our understanding is always partial. This is not a flaw in the Christian life but an essential part of it. God is infinite; we are not. Our knowing is always dependent, contingent, and incomplete.

This realization can either frustrate us or free us. It frustrates us when we approach truth as something to possess, control, or master. But it frees us when we remember that faith is not built on our ability to grasp everything — it’s built on our willingness to trust the One who holds everything. There is great peace in admitting, “I don’t see the whole picture, but God is faithful.” That posture is not intellectual laziness; it is spiritual maturity.

Seeing dimly teaches us gentleness with others and with ourselves. It softens our instincts to judge quickly or cling rigidly to our perspectives. It invites us into curiosity instead of condemnation. It reminds us that God is patient with our slow learning, our unfolding understanding, and our stumbling attempts to follow Him. Paul’s metaphor encourages us to be patient with ourselves too — trusting that clarity will come, not from our striving, but from God’s steady guidance.

Where in your life do you feel the tension of “seeing dimly”?
How can this truth lead you toward gentleness rather than frustration?
What might God be teaching you through the parts you cannot yet see clearly?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/06/this-is-true-wk4-wed#comments 0 This Is True: WK4 - TUE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/05/this-is-true-wk4-tue Tue, 05 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/05/this-is-true-wk4-tue

The Stones We Hold
John 8:7

There is a quiet but sobering truth in the story of the woman caught in adultery: everyone in that moment is holding something. The Pharisees hold stones — symbols of certainty, judgment, and justified anger. The woman holds shame. The crowd holds curiosity, maybe even fear. But Jesus holds none of these. He bends down into the dust, the posture of someone utterly unthreatened by either sin or self-righteousness.

The stones in the hands of the accusers reveal how truth can become destructive when it is severed from humility. By all accounts, they are correct about the law. They are confident, prepared, and eager to enforce what they believe is righteous. But Jesus exposes something deeper: their application of truth is devoid of self-awareness. “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone,” He says — a sentence so simple and so devastating that it dissolves the entire project of weaponized truth in a single breath.

We all hold stones at times — harsh interpretations, rigid expectations, unspoken judgments, quiet condemnations. Sometimes our stones are theological, sometimes relational, sometimes internal. The invitation of Jesus is not to deny truth, but to approach it with such humility that our hands slowly open and the stones fall. Truth is never meant to be held as a weapon; it is meant to be lived as a reflection of the One who is gentle and humble in heart.

What “stones” — judgments, assumptions, rigid views — are you holding today?
How does Jesus invite you to hold truth more gently?
Who might be blessed by your decision to release a stone?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/05/this-is-true-wk4-tue#comments 0 This Is True: WK4 - MON https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/04/this-is-true-wk4-mon Mon, 04 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/04/this-is-true-wk4-mon

The Burden of Being Right
1 Corinthians 8:1–3

There is a particular weight that comes with believing you must always be right. Most of us learn this weight early in life — perhaps from our families, faith communities, or cultural expectations. The need to be right can feel like a kind of righteousness, a moral high ground we must occupy at all costs. But Paul warns us that knowledge, even when it’s accurate, can inflate us to the point we become unrecognizable. The burden of rightness often hides a deeper fear — that if our certainty cracks, everything else might crumble with it.

Paul’s simple phrase, “knowledge puffs up,” is not a condemnation of truth-seeking but an invitation to notice what happens when truth stops being a gift and becomes a weapon. When certainty is used to shield us from vulnerability, we use truth to position ourselves over others instead of beside them. We stop listening. We stop seeing. We stop loving. In the end, we stop growing.

The irony is that the more tightly we grip certainty, the more fragile we become. Humility, on the other hand, does not fear being wrong because it is anchored not in perfection but in love — a love strong enough to hold our questions, mistakes, and incomplete understanding. When Paul says that “whoever loves God is known by God,” he shifts the focus from what we know to Who knows us. Truth becomes relational, not positional. Being known by God is the beginning of humility, and humility is the beginning of wisdom.

When in your life have you felt the burden of needing to be right?
How has certainty sometimes protected you from vulnerability?
What would it feel like to rest in being known by God rather than being right?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/04/this-is-true-wk4-mon#comments 0 This Is True: WK 3 - GROUP GUIDE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/02/this-is-true-wk-3-group-guide Sat, 02 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/02/this-is-true-wk-3-group-guide

The Truth We Tell: How Story Shapes Seeing

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN: Think of a story from your childhood, family, or past that has shaped you in some way — it could be funny, serious, or meaningful. Why does that story still live in your memory? What about it formed you?

Follow-up: Share a time when someone’s story impacted your faith or worldview more than an argument ever could.

SCRIPTURE READING

John 20:11–18 (Mary Magdalene’s testimony)
Luke 24:13–35 (The Emmaus story)
Acts 4:18–20 (“We cannot help speaking…”)
Revelation 12:11 (“They overcame by the… word of their testimony.”)

Listen for themes of story, seeing, and witness.

CONTEXT & SETUP (Read Aloud)
We live in a culture that is skeptical of institutions, distrustful of authority, and suspicious of truth claims. Yet people still crave something real, something lived, something authentic. That is why story — testimony — continues to be one of the most powerful ways truth is revealed.

This week, we explored how Christian truth is not just something we argue or explain, but something we bear witness to. God forms us into a storytelling people: people whose lives tell the truth about Jesus.

Testimony is not “my truth.”
It is my witness to the Truth — Christ at work in my life.

In a world full of curated identities and algorithmic narratives, Christians embody a different reality:
truth that has become flesh in us.

HEAD: Explore the Text

What stands out to you in Mary Magdalene’s simple testimony, “I have seen the Lord”? Why is that more powerful than an argument?
In Luke 24, why do you think the disciples failed to recognize Jesus until after He re-told the story? How does story shape what we are able to see?
Acts 4:20 shows Peter and John refusing to be silent. What gave their testimony such authority?
Revelation 12:11 describes testimony as part of overcoming evil. How can a story be spiritually powerful?
Discuss this statement from the sermon: “We don’t see with our eyes; we see with our stories.” What does this mean in practical terms?

HEART: Personal Reflection

What story have you believed about yourself that God is beginning to rewrite?
Do you ever feel nervous or unqualified to share your testimony? What holds you back?
Consider a moment when God revealed Himself to you — even in a small way. How did that moment change your sense of truth?
How have other people’s stories strengthened your faith? What did you receive from their honesty?
Where in your life do you sense Jesus inviting you to “see differently” by trusting a new story?

HANDS: Practice This Week
Testimony Practice: “The 3-Minute Story”

Invite group members to do this at home and share next week:

Write a simple 3-minute testimony following this pattern:

Before: What was your situation, mindset, or struggle?
Encounter: Where did Jesus meet you?
After: How did your story shift — even a little?

Share it with:

a friend,
a family member,
or someone who needs encouragement this week.

This is NOT about sharing a “big” or dramatic story.
This is about truth-telling, humility, and authenticity.

FINISH WELL: Bring It Home

What story do you sense Jesus asking you to share right now — and with whom?
What part of your life needs to be re-narrated by the gospel — your identity, your fears, your relationships, or your sense of purpose?
How can you become a more attentive listener to the stories of others?

CLOSING PRAYER (Leader or Participant Reads)
Jesus, our True Story,
You meet us on the road,
You open our eyes,
You rewrite our lives in Your love.

Make us a people who tell the truth with our lives.
Give us the courage to speak honestly,
the humility to listen well,
and the imagination to see the world through Your resurrection.

Shape our stories into testimonies of grace.
Amen.

Pastor Timothy Gillespie

Download PDF Versions of our Series Guides

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CRSWLK Kids Daily Devotional

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/02/this-is-true-wk-3-group-guide#comments 0 This Is True: WK3 - FRI https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/01/this-is-true-wk3-fri Fri, 01 May 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/01/this-is-true-wk3-fri

The Story God Is Still Writing
Philippians 1:6

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

One of the quiet fears many Christians carry is that their story is not “good enough” to tell. It feels incomplete, unresolved, or too ordinary. But Scripture teaches us that testimony is not the celebration of finished lives — it is the celebration of a faithful God in the midst of unfinished people.

Paul reassures the Philippians that God is the One writing the story. Their transformation is not their burden to manage; it is God’s work to complete. Testimony, then, is not a victory speech at the end of a journey. It is the willingness to say:

“Here is what God has begun.
Here is where grace is moving.
Here is what I am learning to trust.”

Your story, even now, is mid-sentence. And this is good news. It means God is not done. It means hope is still unfolding. It means your next chapter may reveal something about Christ you cannot yet imagine.

The world needs testimonies of unfinished people following a faithful God. This is how others find courage — not through perfect stories, but through stories that are still being redeemed.

You are not waiting for a story to tell.
You are living one right now.

What part of your “unfinished story” do you sense God shaping right now?
How does believing God is still writing your story give you hope or courage?
Who could you bless by sharing a small piece of your ongoing journey?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/05/01/this-is-true-wk3-fri#comments 0 This Is True: WK3 - THU https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/30/this-is-true-wk3-thu Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/30/this-is-true-wk3-thu

The Courage to Tell the Truth About Yourself
Scripture: Psalm 51:6

“Surely You desire truth in the inward being.”

Testimony is not only about telling the truth about God; it is also about telling the truth about ourselves. One reason stories are powerful is because they are honest. Another reason they are difficult is because they are honest.

We often fear our weaknesses becoming visible. We fear being misunderstood, judged, exposed, or dismissed. But the power of testimony lies not in presenting a perfected narrative but in revealing the places where God is working, healing, forgiving, and transforming.

David’s prayer in Psalm 51 is a testimony of profound honesty. He tells the truth about his failure — not to condemn himself, but to encounter the mercy that only rises to meet what is revealed. God desires truth in the inward being because inward truth is the soil where grace takes root.

Your testimony carries weight not because you are impressive, but because God is present. When you speak honestly about where Christ met you — in fear, in loss, in anger, in pride, in shame — others see that God meets people where they actually are, not where they pretend to be.

People are not transformed by our false strengths.
They are transformed by God’s real presence within our real stories.

Honesty becomes the doorway to freedom — for you, and for those who hear you.

What difficult part of your story might God be inviting you to speak truthfully about?
How does honesty—rather than perfection—make your testimony more powerful?
Where do you need to invite God’s mercy into your story today?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/30/this-is-true-wk3-thu#comments 0 This Is True: WK3 - WED https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/29/this-is-true-wk3-wed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/29/this-is-true-wk3-wed

Your Life Is a Testimony Being Written
Acts 4:19–20

Peter and John stand before authorities who hold religious power, legal power, and social power. Everything in the moment suggests silence. Yet their response is simple and courageous:

“We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

They do not offer a theological treatise. They do not propose a philosophical defense. They testify. They speak out of lived experience — not speculation, not theory, but encounter. Their story carries authority because the risen Christ shaped it.

Your testimony does not need to be dramatic. It does not need to be complete. It does not need to be eloquent. It needs only to be true — true to your encounter with Jesus, true to the ways He has met you, true to the transformation unfolding within you. A testimony is not a performance; it is an act of gratitude. A witness doesn’t have to explain everything — only to be honest about what they have seen.

Even now, the Spirit is writing your story in real time. Some parts are clear. Others remain unresolved. Some contain joy, others sorrow, others confusion. But every chapter that includes God will become a testimony of faithfulness. Every place where grace interrupts your life becomes a place where truth is revealed.

You are not just telling a story.
You are becoming one.

What part of your story are you most grateful Jesus stepped into?
What part of your story feels “unfinished” and needs trust rather than control?
Who in your life needs to hear even a small piece of what God has done for you?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open

Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk

]]> https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/29/this-is-true-wk3-wed#comments 0 This Is True: WK3 - TUE https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/28/this-is-true-wk3-tue Tue, 28 Apr 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://crosswalkvillage.com/blog/2026/04/28/this-is-true-wk3-tue

The Stories We Trust Shape the World We See
Luke 24:30–31

The Emmaus disciples walked beside Jesus, talked with Jesus, listened to Jesus — and yet they could not see Him. Their grief, disappointment, and shattered expectations formed a story that made recognition impossible. We often assume truth is blocked by ignorance, but Scripture shows it is often blocked by the stories we trust.

Before Jesus opens their eyes, He opens the Scriptures. He re-narrates their understanding of God, Israel, the Messiah, and suffering. Only then do they see. Their story had to change before their vision could.

This is deeply human. We interpret reality through the narratives we carry. If your story is “Nothing can change,” hope will seem naïve. If your story is “I am alone,” God’s presence will seem unlikely. If your story is “I must protect myself,” love will seem dangerous.

Jesus does not dismiss our stories; He transforms them. He invites us into the larger narrative of redemption, where pain is not final, expectations are not ultimate, and death does not get the last word. Testimony always begins here — in the moment when God gently unravels the old story that blinded us and replaces it with one in which He is Lord.

Once the disciples’ story changed, the world made sense again. Their eyes opened. Their hearts burned. They ran back to Jerusalem with a message that carried resurrection in every breath.

Truth becomes visible when we trust the story Jesus tells.

What story shapes how you currently see God or yourself?
How might Jesus be rewriting that story even now?
What would it take for you to trust His story more than your own?

By Timothy Gillespie

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Joshua 1:6-9 | The Lord Your God Is With You Wherever You Go

Isaiah 55:1-3 | Come To Me With Your Ears Wide Open