Facing the Future Determined to Trust

Jesus exhibited a determined resolve to trust His Heavenly Father and not Himself... from Him we learn to trust!

Deuteronomy 8
Matthew 3:13-4:4,4:11
Genesis 3:1-5
2 Corinthians 9:10
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
Philippians 4:19

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• How is the Devil's approach to Jesus and to Eve similar... how about to us?
• Why did Jesus not make the bread?
• Why did God test Israel in the wilderness?
• What were they supposed to learn?
• How did Jesus show He learned the lesson?
• Why can we trust God?
• Why is trust an act of the will... like hanging on the rope and not the stump?
• Will you trust God for this year?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Our Multifaceted Relationship to Food... and to the Savior

God uses food to teach many truths... the Passover meal, manna from heaven, the Lord's Supper... and ultimately and wonderfully: Jesus as the bread of life!

Exodus 16
John 6:25-70,2:23-25,7:7,1:29

But if he gives no record of the institution, he does give us in this discourse of Jesus something which fills the Lord’s Supper with a deep wealth of meaning for the believer. Our Lord in this discourse is not indeed speaking directly of the Lord’s Supper, but He does expound the truth which the Lord’s Supper conveys. F.F. Bruce The Gospel of John

...the language is sacrificial... 'the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). To give one's flesh can scarcely mean anything other than death, and the wording here points to a death which is both voluntary ('I will give')and substitutional ('for the life of the world'). Leon Morris The Gospel according to John

Eating and drinking thus appear to be a very graphic way of saying that people must take Christ into their innermost being. The words, then, are a cryptic allusion to the atoning death that Christ would die, together with a challenge to enter the closest and most intimate relation with Him. Leon Morris The Gospel according to John

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What are the various ways people relate to Jesus?
• What are examples of God using food to teach us truths?
• Why did Jesus call Himself the Bread of Life?
• How do we eat of this bread?
• Which of the three persons who were addressed in the application are you?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: Making Progress?

Are you making progress in your faith? Does Jesus agree with your assessment? Mark tells us He challenged the disciples in this area and still does today.

Mark 7:31-8:26
1 Corinthians 1:22-23
2 Timothy 3:7-9
Romans 8:22-23
2 Corinthians 5:1-2
Ephesians 6:16

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why did Jesus heal these two men differently than most?
• What was Jesus' concern for the progress of the disciples' faith?
• How is our faith?
• Are we making progress?
• Are we making the connections?
• How can we nurture our faith?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: Mission Impossible

To the exhausted disciples feeding the large, hungry crowd surely seemed like mission impossible, but Mark says to the exhausted Jesus it was still mission compassion, providing a glimpse into the Kingdom of God.

John 6:1-15
Mark 6:30-42
Philippians 4:19
1 Corinthians 3:9,3:6
Isaiah 25:6-9

Finally, let us mark the feelings of our Lord Jesus Christ towards the people who came together to Him. We read that He "was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd." They were destitute of teachers. They had no guides but the blind Scribes and Pharisees. They had no spiritual food but man-made traditions. Thousands of immortal souls stood before our Lord, ignorant, helpless, and on the highroad to ruin. It touched the gracious heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was "moved with compassion toward them. He began to teach them many things."

Let us never forget that our Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. High in heaven, at God's right hand, He still looks with compassion on the children of men. He still pities the ignorant, and them that are out of the way. His is still willing to "teach them many things." Special as His love is towards His own sheep who hear His voice, He still has a mighty general love toward all mankind-a love of real pity, a love of compassion. We must not overlook this. It is a poor theology which teaches that Christ cares for none except believers. There is warrant in Scripture for telling the chief of sinners, that Jesus pities them, and cares for their souls, that Jesus is willing to save them, and invites them to believe and be saved.

Let us ask ourselves, as we leave the passage, whether we know anything of the mind of Christ? Are we, like Him, tenderly concerned about the souls of the unconverted? Do we, like Him, feel deep compassion for all who are yet as sheep without a shepherd? Do we care about the impenitent and ungodly near our own doors? Do we use very means to spread the Gospel in the world? These are serious questions, and demand a serious reply. The man who cares nothing for the souls of other people is not like Jesus Christ. It may well be doubted whether he is converted himself, and knows the value of his own soul. J.C. Ryle

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Crucified for Me

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Matthew 20:25-28
John 15:13
1 John 3:16
Galatians 2:20
1 Timothy 1:15
Romans 5:7-8

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Luke: The Praying God Likes to Hear

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Luke 11:1-10
Isaiah 62:1-7
James 4:2-3
Mark 11:24

Click here to view all previous presentations relating to the Lord's Prayer.

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Luke: The Temptations of Christ -- Go It Alone

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Deuteronomy 8
Genesis 3:1-6
Luke 4:1-4
Hebrews 2:10,17-18,4:14-16

But that he saw in Jesus One who had come into the world to overthrow his kingdom, is clear and plain. He had seen what happened at our Lord's baptism. He had heard the marvelous words from heaven. He felt that the great Friend of man was come, and that his own dominion was in peril. The Redeemer had come. The prison door was about to be thrown open. The lawful captives were about to be set free. All this, we need not doubt, Satan saw, and resolved to fight for his own. The prince on this world would not give way to the Prince of peace without a mighty struggle. He had overcome the first Adam in the garden of Eden; -- why should he not overcome the second Adam in the wilderness? He had spoiled man once of Paradise; -- why should he not spoil him of the kingdom of God. J.C.Ryle

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA