Spirit Lake Campus

We live in an angry world — from social media pile-ons to air rage to screaming parents on the sidelines of youth sports. In this message from our Seven Deadly Sins series, we learn that anger itself isn't always sinful. But most of the time, we handle our anger the wrong way. We have sinful outbursts. We yell, scream, raise our voice, or assume the worst about people instead of the best. The answer isn't suppressing our anger — it's God's grace. Drawing on the parable of the unmerciful servant, we see that because we've been forgiven an incalculable debt by God, we're called to extend that same forgiveness to others. Rather than repaying evil for evil, Christians are called to charity in place of hostility, trusting God as the just judge rather than trying to settle the score ourselves. God promises the more grace we extend to those who hurt us, the more grace he will extend to us.

Pride and humility aren't just personal struggles—they're universal spiritual laws that govern how God's kingdom actually works. In this message, we trace the principle of how those who exalt themselves are humbled and those who humble themselves are exalted. We look at Satan's rebellion, humanity's fall, and Jesus's stunning reversal. The God of the universe didn't grasp for glory. He emptied Himself. He served. He went to a cross. And then? He was exalted to the highest place in existence. That same law works in our lives right now. When we humble ourselves before God, when we serve others sacrificially, when we stop trying to lift ourselves up—that's when God lifts us. Real greatness isn't about being impressive. It's about wearing the apron of a servant.

What is the sin of sloth? How can we rid our lives of it? Join us this Sunday at CrossWinds Church in Spirit Lake as we consider what the Bible has to say about this "deadly sin."

A riot with 25,000 screaming people. A mob chanting the same seven words for two hours straight. What caused all this chaos?... The gospel was winning! So many people in Ephesus left their idols for Jesus that the silversmiths were going out of business. They were so desperate to stop the gospel that they started a riot. But here's what's remarkable: when the dust settled, nobody could find a single thing the Christians had done against others in the city. The Christians were not known for the evils they protested against, but the good news and good works of Jesus that they were for, and that transformed the city. In this message, discover the strategy that turned the occult capital of the ancient world upside down—and why it's still the most powerful way to change a community today.

When a demon has a foothold in a life, do exorcisms work? Seven brothers found out the hard way when they tried to use Jesus' name like a lucky charm in their exorcism — and ended up beaten and stripped naked. Journey to Ephesus, the witchcraft capital of the Roman world, and discover the only power that always sends demons running.

Knowing about Jesus isn't the same as trusting in him. And being a Christian doesn't always mean we've left every old pattern behind. In Acts 18–19, we meet three very different people — Paul, Apollos, and twelve disciples of John the Baptist — all standing at a turning point in their faith. Their stories show us what God's next step looks like, whether you're a seeker getting close to Jesus or a believer ready to grow into more of who he's called you to be.

Have you ever felt like you had nothing left? That is exactly where the apostle Paul found himself when he arrived in Corinth — alone, exhausted, and nearly broken after a brutal stretch of beatings, death threats, and disappointing results. Corinth was the most morally corrupt city in the ancient world. If anyone felt like quitting, it was Paul. In this message, we walk through four ways God encouraged a desperately discouraged Paul — and how God encourages us the same way today. Through unexpected friendships, surprising spiritual fruit, a personal word from God, and even the backfiring plans of his enemies, Paul discovered that God shows up in our darkest moments in ways we never see coming. If you are discouraged, this message is for you.

How can we actively be the church for one another, for our community? Unlike our individualistic society, we are called to do faith together and to be strengthened by other believers. So, what does it really look like to live out your life as the body of Christ? Let's take insight into 1 Corinthians for the answer.

Our neighbors don't know the Bible. They don't know about sin. They don't know who Jesus is or why he matters. So how do you even begin to tell them? Paul faced that exact challenge when he walked into Athens — one of the most sophisticated, religiously saturated, biblically ignorant cities in the ancient world. Alone, outnumbered, and speaking to some of the greatest philosophical minds of his day, Paul delivered one of the most brilliant gospel presentations in history. In this message, we unpack what Paul said, why he said it, and what it means for you and me as we try to reach a post-Christian world.

One of the best yet most neglected spiritual practices is prayer. Let's delve into why it's important to keep praying, no matter the circumstance.

In Acts 17, Paul and Silas show us how to live a life that makes a difference for Jesus. It involves courage to speak about Jesus, even to people who don’t want to hear. It means knowing biblical content, so we can speak the truth. It shows us by making converts and not being surprised when we face conflict. If we want our lives to count for Jesus, this study shows the importance of courage, content, converts, and handling conflict to make a difference for Jesus.

Beaten, bleeding, and locked in a torture device at midnight — yet they were singing. By morning, the jailer and his entire family were Christians, and the magistrates who ordered the beating were apologizing. Find out how God is about the business of growing his church in ways nobody expects.

Two women. Worlds apart. One wealthy, connected, and respected. The other a broken slave, exploited and demon-possessed. Yet both were missing the same thing — and both found it in Jesus. Acts 16 takes us to the beginning of the first church in Europe, where the gospel arrives not with fanfare, but at a small women's prayer meeting by a river. Don't miss this story of how Jesus saves the successful and the broken.

Some people claim the resurrection of Jesus is a fictional story — fake news from the ancient world. But what if the evidence for the resurrection is stronger than you think? There are hundreds of eyewitness testimonies. Abundant evidence in ancient historical records. Prophecies written centuries before it happened. Plus an ancient creed that tells us Jesus rose from the dead that was written within weeks of the empty tomb. This Resurrection Sunday, we're not asking you to believe the resurrection on blind faith. We're asking you to look at the evidence.

Easter is one week away, and that means right now, more people are open to hearing about Jesus than almost any other time of the year — but are we ready to reach them? In Acts 15 and 16, Paul couldn't sit still when he knew people needed to hear the gospel, and his passion drove him across the Roman Empire to tell them. In these verses, we find six principles of effective evangelism from the beginning of Paul's second missionary journey that will help us reach the people around us with the good news of Jesus.

What does it look like to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? Take a look with us in the book of John this morning to find the answer.

In Acts 15, the early church faced one of its most important questions — is salvation through Jesus alone, or does it require something more? The answer changed everything, but it also raised a new challenge: will people use their freedom in Christ to build each other up or tearing each other apart? This message we see what spiritual maturity looks like in real life.

What if the way you take communion could get you killed? That's not a hypothetical — it actually happened in the early church in Corinth, where believers turned the Lord's Supper into a drunken feast while the poor went hungry. God's response was swift and severe. This week we dig into 1 Corinthians 11 to rediscover what the Lord's Supper where it came from, and why Jesus cares so deeply about how we come to His table. You won't look at that little piece of bread and cup the same way again.

Should pastors be paid? If so, how much? What benefits should their family enjoy? What sacrifices should they be expected to make? In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul explains the responsibility of every church pastor. Join me as we learn how we should take care of our pastors.

Each week, we hear about conflicts. There are fights at home. Disagreements at work. Battles in government. While many things we fight over aren’t worth the disagreement, some things are worth standing your ground. As we continue our studies in Acts, we see the message of how Jesus saves us was being distorted, and why it was worth fighting for to get it right.

The 2014 movie, "Unbroken," tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who served as a World War II pilot. His plan crashed in the ocean, where he survived on a raft and was eventually captured by the Japanese. He was tortured in a Japanese prisoner of war camp until the end of the war. The movie tells the story of his perseverance through hardships. In Acts 14, we read another heroic story of perseverance as Paul and Barnabas take the good news of Jesus to the region of Galatia. We learn the importance of not giving up. It is as we persevere through hard times that God accomplishes his work through us.

What does it look like to forgive like Jesus? Reporter Jason Wright tells of a conversation he had with a woman next to him on a flight across the country. She was 69 and had recently lost her husband. Jason asked her about marriage and what the years had taught her about how to have a successful one. Her immediate response was about the importance of forgiveness. She told him about her first marriage. She married when she was 16. After five years and three children, the couple divorced. But they decided not to hate each other but instead to forgive like Jesus. Years later, when her mother died, and she was broke and single, her ex-husband offered to pay every penny of the funeral, no strings attached. Why? He wasn’t married to her, but he forgave her and loved her like Jesus. In Acts 13, Paul talks about the incomprehensible forgiveness Jesus offers us. Join me as we discover how good it is to have a Jesus who forgives sinners like you and me.

Where is history heading? Is life an endless cycle of birth and death without purpose? In Acts 13, we get to hear Paul's first sermon in this book. He presents Jesus as the one toward whom all history is moving, the one who fulfills all the prophecies about God's Messiah, and the only one who can justify us before God. If you are unsure about Jesus, join us in this study, as we examine Paul's razor-sharp logic which proves that Jesus is the only one who can save us.

Many of us live an average life. How could we live a high-impact one? How can we make a lasting change in this world? As we continue in Acts, we learn what it takes to be part of a church that reaches the world.

The Bible is filled with people who resisted God. Adam and Eve resisted God. It didnt' end well. It brought sin into the world. All in the world perished in a flood, except for Noah, because of resisting God. In this chaper we meet Herod, a man of great power who tried to fight God. It ended in his brutal death. Join us as we discover the wisdom of obeying God and the futility of fighting against Him.

Imagine finding the ultimate love note from written about someone who is sweeter than honey, and always true? Imagine that in the the love note were words that are the secret to our happiness, more delightful than chocolate cake. That is Psalm 119. It describes how we should love the Bible, God's love note to us. This is why Paul, in 2 Timothy, charges us to stick with the Bible. Don't let the busyness of life pull you away. Are you ready for the most engaging love letter ever written? Your move starts today.

As we make New Year's Resolutions, we must remember that a relationship with God is much more than a line item on a list. In fact, he comes before any checklist we could create. We should make an effort to ensure that we live a life honoring to God, not putting Him in a box on our one-and-done to-do list. Because it's not community or ourselves who will make change happen, it's God who truly does.

What would it look like for us to increasingly focus on Jesus and the message of the gospel this Christmas? Join us this Sunday at CrossWinds Church in Spencer as we consider the answer from Hebrews 2.

Everything God has done for us in Jesus is greater in every way. One of the greatest things God has done for us in Jesus is the completeness of our forgiveness. We can not be any more forgiven than we already are through Jesus!

In C.S. Lewis' novel, Prince Caspian, there is a famous scene where Lucy rushes to Aslan the lion, falls between his front paws and buries her face in his mane. Aslan the lion represents Jesus. When Lucy is resting in his mane, she says these famous words. "Your bigger!", says Lucy. Aslan says, "That is because you are older, little one… every year you grow, you will find me bigger." C.S. Lewis' point is the more we grow in Christ, the bigger Christ becomes. In the first message of this Christmas series, we study the opening verses of the book of Hebrews to help us see that Jesus is greater and bigger than we can comprehend.

What is it about a Christian's character that will lead to their church either leaping or stumbling into the future? Acts 11 tells the story of two churches and how clinging to the unhealthy parts of our past hinders the progress of the gospel.

What are the essentials to be saved by Jesus? What kind of can be saved by Jesus? These are the important questions we answer in Acts 10. Join us as we discover what we need to know and believe to be saved from our sins by Jesus.

Who are the people you wouldn't have over for dinner? Why wouldn't you have them over? Peter needed to understand that Jesus died for all people. Not just some people. He needed to open his home to everyone so they could hear about Jesus.

When God looks around for an individual He can use strategically for His kingdom, what kind of person does He choose? In this study, we discover the qualities of a life God uses to grow His kingdom, as well as what can hold us back.

Fatalism is the feeling that our marriage will never improve, our children will never repent, and our work will only get worse. As Christians, no matter what we face, we are not fatalists. We do not lose hope because of Jesus. In this study, we learn how, when we least expect it, Jesus can turn impossible situations around.

How far is too far gone? Could Jesus save Adolf Hitler? Should Germans have bothered to pray for the salvation of Adolf Hitler? If we sin repeatedly, will Jesus give up on me? Join us as we discover what God says about his ability to save the worst of sinners.

What does an effective presentation of the good news of Jesus look like? In this message, we explore the saving faith of the Ethiopian Eunuch and what we can learn about how to gospel was effectively presented to him.

Jesus tells the story of the wheat and the tares. His point is that in the church, there will always be those with fake faith as well as genuine faith. How can we tell the difference between faith in Jesus that saves and faith in Jesus that doesn't? As we continue our study in Acts, we encounter a man named Simon, and from him, we learn about faith that doesn't save.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk had an unintended consequence. Instead of diminishing his Turning Point USA organization, it exploded with growth. The same thing happens with the church. Join us as we explore how attempts to destroy the church end up making it grow.

In this world, many aren't tolerant of Christians; they are violently opposed to them. Why are so many opposed to Jesus? Join us as we learn how God helps Christians in times of suffering and death. Even in death, Christians enjoy victory instead of defeat.

History repeats itself. In Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin, he shows how easy it is to repeat the sins of our forefathers instead of avoiding them. Just as the Israelites rejected Joseph and Moses as their God-given leader and savior, the Sanhedrin rejected Jesus as God leader and savior in their day. It is easy for our hearts to do the same thing.

When was the last time God seemed slow in answering our prayers? In Acts 7, Stephen shows us how God's plans for his people are often fulfilled over generations, not minutes. He also shows us how to see Jesus in Old Testament history and how easily we can repeat the sins of those who lived before us.

Everyone one of us has heroes we follow. It could be an influencer on social media or an elder who lived their life well. The question is, are we following the right kind of person? In Acts 6, we are introduced to Stephen, a man whose life is worth following. Join us as we learn what gave him, and can give us, a life worth imitating.

What does a biblical church look like? How do you know if you are part of one? As we look at what the EFCA believes about the church, we learn a little about the history of the church and what the Bible says is essential for being part of a healthy one.

What will Christ's Return be like? Does it matter? Join us this Sunday at CrossWinds Church in Spencer as we consider the answer from the Scriptures.

While we are a society that is more connected than ever, loneliness is out of control. It devastates people emotionally and psychologically, and everyone wants a friend. We will do almost anything for companionship. The good news is Jesus has not left us alone! In this message, we look at how the Holy Spirit is with us and what he comforts us, so no matter what we face, we are never alone.

Why is the Bible unique and what does that mean for us? Join us this morning at CrossWinds Spencer as we reflect on the answer to this question.

The Bible talks about sin. What does sin look like? What are the different ways we commit it? Join us as we get a glimpse of the Bible's panoramic view of sin and see how it leaves us desperate for Jesus.