The Cross Before the Crown

Recent messages

Overcoming Darkness: Bring it into the Light

Luke 9:37-43, Mark 9:14-29, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Ephesians 6:10-18, & Job 1:6-12

May 3, 2026

Jesus: The New and Greater Exodus

Luke 9:28–36

April 26, 2026

The Saltbox Story

Leviticus 26:1-13 & Matthew 22:37-38 & Revelation 2:4-5

April 19, 2026

What is a Disciple?

Luke 9:18-27 & Matthew 16:13-23

April 12, 2026

It is Finished “Tetelestai”

Matthew 27:45-54, John 19:28-34 & Psalm 22

April 5, 2026

The Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21:1-12, 2 Samuel 6:12–23, 1 Kings 1:32–40, & Zechariah 9:9

March 29, 2026

Green Grass and Broken Bread

Luke 9:1-17, Psalm 23 & Mark 6:6-44

March 22, 2026

Overcomers

Luke 8:40-56, Romans 8:37, 1 Peter 4:12, & 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

March 15, 2026

Jesus' Ministry Kickoff

Matthew 4:12-15

March 8, 2026

Redemption, Restoration and Purpose

Luke 8:26-39, Mark 5:1-20, & Mark 8:1-13

March 1, 2026

Be Careful How You Hear...

Luke 8:16-25 & James 2:14-26

February 22, 2026

The Parable of Soils (Sower)

Luke 8:4-15, Isaiah 6:5-9, & 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

February 15, 2026

Jesus and Women

Luke 8:1–4, Luke 10:38-42, Acts 22:3, & Mark 15:37 to 16:15

February 8, 2026

Purposeful Prayer

Matthew 6:5–8 & 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

February 1, 2026

A Sinful Woman: An Alabaster Jar

Luke 7:36-50

January 25, 2026

The Life of the Prophet is the Message of the Prophet

Luke 7:18–34

January 18, 2026

The Fear of God

Luke 7:11–17, Proverbs 1:29–33 (NLT), & Proverbs 9:10

January 11, 2026

The Centurion: The Authority of Christ

Luke 7:1-17 & 1 Samuel 15:1-29 & Romans 13:1-2

January 4, 2026

The Ultimate Gift: The Christ Child

Matthew 2:1-12

December 24, 2025

The Lavish Love of God

Luke 15:11-32 & Genesis 27:1-35 & Exodus 3:14-15

December 21, 2025

Unspeakable Joy

Luke 2:10-11 & John 16:16-33 & Hebrews 12:2

December 14, 2025

Why Bethlehem?

Matthew 2:1-6, Micah 5:2-5a, 2 Samuel 7:12–16, & Isaiah 9:6-7

December 7, 2025

The Arrival

Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Luke 9:28-36, Exodus 12:21-23, & John 19:28-30

November 30, 2025

What is Your Life Built On?

Luke 6:46-49, Isaiah 28:14-18, Ezekiel 33:29-33, & Matthew 7:24-27

November 23, 2025

Does Loving Your Enemies Mean Being a Doormat?

Luke 6:27-36, Revelation 19:11-16, Micah 6:8 & John 18:19-24

November 16, 2025

Why Does Money Matter?

Luke 6:17-26, Matthew 6:19-21, & Luke 12:34

November 9, 2025

The Upside Down Kingdom

Luke 6:12-16, Mark 14:43-51, & Genesis 3:21-24

November 2, 2025

The Inner Murmur of Inadequacy

Luke 6:1-11, Genesis 2:1-3, 1 Samuel 21:1-6, & Exodus 20:8-10

October 26, 2025

Heart Sick

Luke 5:27-39, Galatians 3:1-6, 3:15-18 & Genesis 12:1-3, 15:6

October 19, 2025

Winning Against Worry

Matthew 6:25-33

October 12, 2025

Functional Idolatry

Luke 5:27-32, Exodus 20:2-3 & Romans 8:5-6

October 5, 2025

Renewal? Revival? Awakening? Or Something Else?!?

Luke 5:17-26

September 28, 2025

Unclean

Luke 5:12-16, Leviticus 13:45-46 & 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

September 21, 2025

An Invitation into the Kingdom

Luke 5:1-11

September 14, 2025

Into the Kingdom: the Source of His Power

Luke 4:31-44; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18 & James 5:14-16

September 7, 2025

Disappointed with Jesus

Luke 4:14-30

August 31, 2025

The Danger of Speaking for God

Psalms 139:7-10, Ephesians 4:6, Matthew 1:23, Exodus 20:7, Matthew. 5:33-37, James 5:12 & Romans 12:3

August 24, 2025

The Purpose of Breath

Genesis 1-2, Ezekiel 37:3, 9-10, John 20:22, Acts 1:4-5, & Acts 2

August 17, 2025

Evil Genius: The Temptation of Jesus

Luke 4:1-13, John 14:30, & 1 Peter 5:8

August 10, 2025

The Baptism of the King

Luke 3:21–38

August 3, 2025

The Dark Night of the Soul

1 Chronicles 12:22-23, 38-40, 13:1-14, 15:14 & 27-29

July 27, 2025

The Power of Prayer

Acts 12:1-24

July 20, 2025

John the Baptist: Baptism of Repentance

Luke 3:1-20

July 13, 2025

Jesus at the Temple: the God Jesus Knew

Luke 2:40-52

July 6, 2025

King Jesus meets Moses, Simeon, and Anna

Luke 2:21-40, Matt 5:17, Col 2:13-15, & Gal 3:23-29

June 29, 2025

Why Shepherds?

Luke 2:8–20, 1 Samuel 17:28-37, Genesis 37:2, Exodus 3:1-4

June 22, 2025

Retelling Christmas

Luke 2:1–7 & Matthew 2:1–12

June 15, 2025

The Biblical Call of a Forerunner

Luke 1:57-80, Matthew 11:7-15, Malachi 4:5-6 , 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2

June 8, 2025

Silence and Solitude: The Way of Jesus

Luke 5:15-16, Matthew 6:6 & 4:1-11

June 1, 2025

Making Decisions with Spiritual Wisdom

Colossians 1:9-11 & 1 Corinthians 2:14-15

May 25, 2025

When God Breaks the Silence

Malachi 4:4-6 & Luke 1:5–25

May 18, 2025

Jesus the Shamebreaker

Luke 1:26–56, 2 Cor 5:21, Hebrews 12:2, 1 Cor 13:4-8 & Galatians 5:22-25

May 11, 2025

I Will Build My Church

https://www.elam.com/

May 4, 2025

Why Christianity?

Luke 1:1-4

April 27, 2025

Recognizing Jesus

Luke 24:1–35

April 20, 2025

The Unexpected Jesus

Luke 19:28–48; Revelation 19:11–21; Zechariah 9:9-10; Jeremiah 7:1-8 and 7:11

April 13, 2025

From Chaos to Kingdom: Jesus' Pattern of Restoration and Reconciliation

Luke 8:22-9:6

April 6, 2025

Invitation to Erēmos: A Call to Prayer, Fasting, and Solitude with Christ

Exodus 34:28, Deut. 9:18, 1 Kings 19:4-8, Galatians 1:15-17, Matt. 4:1-2, Luke 4:1-2, Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12-13, Matthew 4:1-2, Matthew 14:23, Matt. 6:16-18, Matt. 9:15, & Acts 13:2-3

March 30, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory FOREVER

Matthew 6:13b & 1 Chronicles 29

March 23, 2025

It's Our Turn to Share the Gospel

1 John 4:14, John 20:21, Acts 5:28, Acts 5:42, Acts 8:4, Acts 17:6, Acts 1:8, 2 Cor 5:20, 1 Cor 11:1, Acts 1:14, Eph 5:18, Matt 28:18-19

March 16, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Deliver Us From the Evil One

Matthew 6:13 & Luke 4:1-13 & Daniel 3:16-30

March 9, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Debts

Matthew 6:12 & Matthew 18:21-35 & Luke 23:34

March 2, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Our Daily Bread

Matthew 6:11, Exodus 16:4-12, John 4:31-34, John 6:35, Isaiah 25:6-8 & Revelations 19:9-10

February 23, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Your Kingdom Come and Your Will be Done

Matthew 5:21-22, 5:27-28, 6:2-3, 6:24, Luke 12:15, John 15:4, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 5:22, James 1:26-27

February 16, 2025

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:18-23, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, Mark 4: 26-29, & Galatians 6:9

February 9, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Holy is Your Name

Ezekiel 36:21-32, Isaiah 6:1-9, & Mark 15:33-38

February 2, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: Our Father

Matthew 6:9-13, Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6

January 26, 2025

The Lord's Prayer: 4 Keys to Praying Like Jesus

Matthew 6:5-9, Luke 5:16-17 , 6:12-13, 17-19

January 19, 2025

Good News in Difficult Places

Acts 17:16-31

January 12, 2025

Integrity in Discipleship

John 8:31-47

January 5, 2025

Following the Stars

Genesis 1:14-16 & Numbers 24:17 & Matthew 2:1-2 & Romans 1:20

December 24, 2024

The Glory of God

Psalm 23 and 1 Peter 4:1-2 & 5:1-5

December 22, 2024

I Lay Down My Life

Psalm 23 and John 10:1-21,25-28

December 15, 2024

The One

Psalm 23 & Luke 15:1-7

December 8, 2024

You Prepare a Table Before Me

Psalm 23, Romans 12:1-2 & Ephesians 6:12 & Luke 19:1-10 & John 13:21, 26-27 & 1 Corinthians 10:21

December 1, 2024

Valley of the Shadow of Death

Psalm 23

November 24, 2024

He Leads Me in Paths of Righteousness for His Name's Sake

Psalm 23:3 & Galatians 2:15-21 & Romans 3:21-26

November 17, 2024

He Leads Me Beside Still Waters

Psalm 23, Jeremiah 2:13, and John 4:4-26

November 10, 2024

He Restores My Soul ; The Call to Follow Jesus

Psalm 23 & Matthew 11:28-30

November 3, 2024

He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures

Psalm 23 and Mark 6:30-44

October 27, 2024

Chasing Contentment - I Shall Not Want

Psalm 23:1b & Philippians 4:10-13

October 20, 2024

The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34:1-16 & 23 , John 10:11-18

October 13, 2024

Human Suffering: Helene, Ukraine, Israel...

1st Peter 4-5, Matthew 24:3-8, Matthew 14:21-31

October 6, 2024

The God Who Sees

Psalm 139:1-4, Luke 19:1-5, John 1:48-50, Luke 8:43-48, Genesis 16

September 29, 2024

How to Vote the Gospel in 2024

2 Chronicles 34-35, Revelation 16:16 & Joshua 5:13-15

September 22, 2024

Holding the Tension of Pain and Joy

Acts 28:30 & Nehemiah 4:16-18, 8:1-17

September 15, 2024

Vision Sunday

Acts 2:42-74 & Mark 1:35 & Luke 5:16 & Matthew 28:16-20

September 8, 2024

Not By Might Nor By Power

Acts 28:13-30 & Isaiah 6:1-10

September 1, 2024

Shackles, Seasickness, Storms, Shipwrecks, & Snakebites

Acts 28:1-12 , Job 1:6-12

August 25, 2024

Battle at Ai

Joshua 7:1-13, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Joshua 5:13-15, Judges 3:1-2, Ephesians 6:10-17, Matthew 15:19, Matthew 6:24, 1 Timothy 6:10, Romans 8:28-29, 2 Timothy 2:20-21

August 18, 2024