As part of our ongoing “Relationships in God’s Design” sermon series, we’re taking time to reflect on what it means to build Christ-centered community in the church—especially across different seasons of life. In these three conversations, Pastor Chris Peters and Women’s Ministry Director, Laura Dougherty discuss how singles and married people can better connect, how to navigate discontentment in singleness, and how we can all pursue a more biblical view of sexual intimacy in a culture that often teaches otherwise.
Singleness and marriage both come with strengths and struggles—and sometimes, a lack of conversation between those two groups can make meaningful connection difficult. This video encourages believers to bridge that gap by asking intentional, heartfelt questions and creating space to share life across seasons and experiences. The goal isn’t to “fix” one another but to encourage mutual growth in Christ. This kind of relational depth helps all members of the church feel known, valued, and invited into meaningful fellowship, regardless of marital status.
When singleness feels unwanted or lonely, it’s easy to get stuck in a place of longing. This video speaks directly to that experience, offering both compassion and wisdom. There’s an invitation to trust God’s timing, pursue meaningful connection in the present, and remain open to what the Lord might provide. Drawing from Proverbs 3, the conversation encourages singles not to overlook the beauty and purpose of their current season. It also highlights the ways singles within the church are already contributing richly to the life of the body—through friendship, service, and shared community.
Cultural messages about sexuality are constant and powerful—but often far from the biblical vision of intimacy. This conversation emphasizes the importance of awareness and intentionality, recognizing that we are always being shaped by the influences around us. Rather than defaulting to silence or defensiveness, believers are encouraged to engage in gospel-centered conversations within trusted relationships. Resources like Sex in a Broken World by Paul David Tripp, The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, and the ministry Harvest USA are recommended for further reflection. Whether single or married, it’s within close friendships, small groups, and especially within marriage itself that space can be created for honest, wise dialogue and encouragement.
Category: Pastor’s Corner
What Does It Mean to Love One Another in the Church?
As part of our ongoing “Relationships in God’s Design” sermon series, we’re taking time to reflect on what it means to build Christ-centered community in the church—especially when it’s challenging. In these two conversations, Pastor Chris Peters and Women’s Ministry Director, Laura Dougherty discuss how favoritism can subtly impact the way we relate to one another, and what it looks like to love deeply even when it’s difficult.
This conversation explores the sin of partiality as described in James 2, with reflections prompted by a sermon from Jason Tucker. Favoritism is examined not only in obvious ways but also in more subtle forms—such as how we respond to political views, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or gender. There’s a challenge to consider: What causes me to immediately favor or disfavor someone, even without knowing them? The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing each person as an image bearer of God and making space to truly understand those with different experiences. Referencing a framework by Tim Keller, it’s noted that even when Christians differ in their cultural or political approaches, they are still called to seek the good of the world as salt and light.
Loving others isn’t always easy—especially when relationships are strained. Drawing from John 13:35 and 1 Corinthians 13, this video reflects on how love is the defining mark of a disciple and yet can feel difficult in practice. It’s often easier to say we’re “frustrated” than to admit we’re not loving someone well, but honest self-reflection can be the starting point for growth. The conversation also highlights that while Scripture calls believers to love everyone, it doesn’t require the same level of emotional connection with every person. The encouragement is to take the next faithful step—whether that’s asking a sincere question, offering grace in hard moments, or staying engaged even when love involves correction or persistence.
Marriage Roles: Living Out Ephesians 5
This post is part three of a three-part blog series expanding on themes from our current sermon series on relationships. Each post includes a video interview conducted by our Women’s Ministry Director, Laura Dougherty with our Pastor, Chris Peters.
These two videos zoom in on Ephesians 5 and the roles of husbands and wives. Pastor Chris speaks with humility and care as he addresses questions around submission, respect, and sacrificial love in marriage.
What if submission feels confusing, frustrating, or even painful? Pastor Chris acknowledges the difficulty and clarifies what this call does—and doesn’t—mean. He also offers encouragement for women navigating this with wisdom and grace.
How do men grow in spiritual leadership without falling into pride or passivity? Pastor Chris offers practical encouragement and emphasizes the importance of community and intentionality for husbands.
Living in Community: Mutual Submission and Humility
This post is part two of a three-part blog series expanding on themes from our current sermon series on relationships. Each post includes a video interview conducted by our Women’s Ministry Director, Laura Dougherty with our Pastor, Chris Peters.
Relationships are hard because people are broken. So why does God call us to submit to one another? This post explores what mutual submission really means—and what it doesn’t.
Submission isn’t about control or passivity. Pastor Chris explains how humility and love are essential in healthy Christian community, and why this command is about your posture before God more than the worthiness of the other person.
Our Foundation: God’s Design for Relationships
This post is part one of a three-part blog series expanding on themes from our current sermon series on relationships. Each post includes a video interview conducted by our Women’s Ministry Director, Laura Dougherty with our Pastor, Chris Peters.
Before we talk about the “how” of relationships, we begin with the “why.”
These three short videos explore why our relationships matter so deeply, how they reflect God’s nature, and why placing God first changes everything.
Pastor Chris shares his hopes and prayers for this series, highlighting the beauty and challenge of relationships and God’s desire to be glorified through them. Many in our church are walking through painful or complex relational situations. This series is meant to be a help, a comfort, and a challenge for all of us.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in perfect relationship with one another. Pastor Chris invites us to see that divine community as the starting point for understanding how we’re meant to relate to others with humility, love, and unity.
For most of us, our human relationships come first. But Pastor Chris explores why and how our relationship with God needs to be primary—the foundation for how we love, forgive, and grow with others.
Relationships in God’s Design
Relationships. Relationships. As we move into this fall season at Cross Creek Church, so looking forward to diving into a sermon series where we’re going to focus specifically on both the beauty of our relationships and the challenge of them.
Certainly, whether it’s in a marriage relationship, friendships, co-workers, neighbors, parenting, an extended family, or any other number of connections we have with people. Relationships are one of those areas where we know the glory of God can shine and we experience the image of God that we see in one another. And at the same time, it’s one of those places that we know from even the early chapters of the Bible that the fall has affected and where we need Jesus, his redeeming love, his rescuing grace.
And so as we go through the next couple months in the life of our church, we’re going to be looking at topically through the scriptures, different verses that speak to relationships and some of the dynamics at play there. I hope it’ll be transformative to us.
We know that the Lord Jesus told us that we’re to love him with all that we have and then we’re to love our neighbor as ourself. So we know this is an important thing for us in life to grow in and also something that can really bless us if we embrace his plan and his purposes.
So I hope to see you each Sunday over the next couple of months as we dive into this special series.
Armor of God – Ephesians 6:10-20
Our pastor will conclude the Fall series on the spiritual Armor of God this Sunday, including exploring what “praying in the Spirit” means. Here are key points from the first part of that teaching in case some would like to have the quotes and bible references “in print.”
Armor of God – Ephesians 6:10-20
Alert in Prayer – v 18
MAIN IDEA – Since Christ has called us to the spiritual army of God, we should remain alert, praying in the Spirit.
Why do we need to hear this? Although there are numerous other paradigms the Bible presents for the Christian life, one we most easily forget is that of spiritual warfare. We don’t actively remember that we are in a “spiritual combat zone” and this renders us less effective in prayer.
Prayer as Warfare
“The armor God provides for us must never be thought of mechanically, still less magically. The danger, the temptation, is to feel that as long as we put on this armor, there is no more to be done. All is well…the armor will in and of itself protect us, so having put it on, we can relax, and put watching aside…But that is the exact opposite of the true position….Every single piece, excellent though it is in itself, will not suffice us, and will not avail us, unless always and at all times we are in a living relationship to God and receiving strength and power from Him.” Lloyd-Jones
“Our blessed Lord, when He was here in the flesh, was engaged in the same conflict. He was ‘tempted in all points like as we are’. The devil assailed him, and all these powers were used against Him. And the very fact that we are Christians means that we are inevitably involved in this fight and conflict. Nothing is more fatal than to start in the Christian life with the notion that now we are Christians we have finished with all our difficulties and problems. That is far from being the truth. Indeed, it is almost the antithesis of the truth. The New Testament rather gives the impression that because we are Christians, we must expect attacks upon us in a way that we have never known or realized before. But, thank God, we are not only told that we have to wrestle and fight in this way, we are also told how we can be enabled to do so successfully.” Lloyd-Jones
Aware in Prayer
- Mark 14:34-38
- 1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, Stand firm in your faith.”
- Acts 20:31 – “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; And from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”
- 1 Cor 16:13, – “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
- Rev 3:2-3 – “You have the reputation of being alive, but are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”
- Col 4:2 – “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
Armor of God: Helmet of Salvation – Ephesians 6:17
Here are some key ideas our pastor shared in his sermon on Sunday. We know some wanted to see the longer quotes for personal consideration in more detail.
Since Christ has called us to the spiritual army of God, we should take up the Helmet of Salvation.
Why do we need to hear this? –
- Self-salvation – when we can only receive it as a gift
- Cheap Salvation – failing to live in full pursuit of holy obedience to our God
- Insecure Salvation – not secure in the saving love of God so fearful
“We may say that nothing is more important than for us to learn what we may call the tenses of salvation – past, present, and future. The Christian is a man who has been saved. He is justified by faith….He will never come into condemnation…He is delivered also from the dominion of Satan. He is already free…But then the Christian is a man who is being saved. He is not perfect, there is a work going on in him. But then also salvation has a future tense. The Christian has yet to experience final salvation. There is a day coming when he will be absolutely perfect…So you can describe the tenses thus: the past is justification, the present is sanctification, the future is glorification.” Lloyd Jones
SALVATION – PAST – ISAIAH 59
WE can look back on our salvation accomplished by the only perfectly armored one, Jesus Christ
SALVATION – PRESENT – Psalm 73
Referencing the Christians in the book of Hebrews – “they were weary, they were tired, they were persecuted, they were tempted; everything seemed to be against them, and they had got into a condition in which they were tempted by the devil to quit, to give it all up, to back out of the whole campaign, and to return to their former position.” Lloyd Jones
2 Peter 3 – Critics “said in effect: you Christians have said that the Lord is coming back, and that he will conquer his enemies and set up his kingdom, but where is the promise of his coming? Everything remains as it has been since the foundation of the world…You have made a mistake, you have believed a lie, your doctrine is not true. You might as well give it up because it has proved to be false.” Lloyd Jones.
To us today, the enemy says “that evangelist to whom you listened, and who urged you to become a Christian, told you that all your troubles would end, that you would walk down the road with a light step, that you would be in a new world, and that all would go well with you. But has it turned out to be like that? Are you not encompassed by trials and troubles and problems? Are you not finding yourself in a very weary, tiring campaign? Indeed, do things seem to be worse than they were before you became a Christian; is not the fight hotter and are not you being attacked as you have never been attacked before? So much for this Christianity of yours; it offered you so much, what is it really giving you in practice?” Lloyd Jones.
SALVATION – FUTURE – 2 Cor 4:6
Mat 24. Mark 13. Luke 21 – Referring to the end times Jesus speaks…
“But then he tells them about the end, and of how, when they think that everything is hopeless, and they are about to give way to despair, suddenly they shall see the Son of man coming, riding upon the clouds of heaven, King of Kings, Lord of Lord. That is what is meant here by the helmet of salvation. When the enemy tells you to give up and to give in, that you are hopeless, that you are losing, your answer is – the hope! The hope of glory! The hope of his coming!” Lloyd Jones
1 Peter 5:10
Heidelberg Catechism
Q1 – What is your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own, but belong both body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, he has set me free from all the power of the devil. He preserves me in such a way, that without the will of my heavenly father, not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Q2 – What do you need to know in order to live and die in the joy of this comfort? First, how great my sins and misery are; second, how I am delivered from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance
Q6 – Did God then, create man, so wicked and perverse? No, on the contrary, God created man good and in his image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that he might rightly know God, his creator, heartily love him, and live with him in eternal blessedness to praise and glorify him.
Q7 – From where, then, did man’s depraved nature come? From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, for there our nature, became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.
Q8 – But are we so corrupted that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined to all evil? Yes, unless we are regenerated by the spirit of God.
Q10 – Will God allows such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished? Certainly not. He is terribly displeased with our original sin as well as our actual sins. Therefore, he will punish them by just judgment, both now and eternally, as he has declared: cursed be everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law, and do them.
Q12 – Since, according to God’s righteous judgment, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, how can we escape this punishment and be again received into favor? God demands that His justice be satisfied. Therefore, full payment must be made either by ourselves or by another.
Q13 – Can we ourselves make this payment? Certainly not. On the contrary, we daily increase our debt.
Q15 – What kind of mediator and deliver must we seek? One who is a true and righteous man, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God.
Q16 – Why must he be a true and righteous man? He must be a true man because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should pay for sin. He must be a righteous man because one who himself is a sinner cannot pay for others.
Q17 – Why must he at the same time be true God? He must be true God, so that by the power of his divine nature, he might bear in his human nature, the burden of God’s wrath, and might obtain for us and restore to us righteousness, and life.
Q18 – Who is that mediator who at the same time is true God, and a true and righteous man? Our Lord Jesus Christ, whom God made our wisdom our righteousness and justification and redemption.
Q20 – Are all men, then, saved by Christ just as they perish through Adam? No. Only those are saved to buy a true faith or grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits.
Pastoral Renewal
Dear Cross Creek Church,
I hope you all and your family are all doing well this summer. Our family has continued to lift up our beloved church body in our prayers regularly while we have been engaged in this wonderful season of Pastoral Renewal. We trust the Lord has been growing our church body in rich ways during our absence.
I look forward to thanking you all in person for the gift of this sabbatical, as we return to worship July 28, and I resume preaching August 4. Many times Patience and I have looked at each other and said “the timing could not have been better” for this blessing. On August 4 we look forward to a church-wide Sunday school gathering, where we can share more specifically and also hear from you all, ways you have grown, while we have been out of pocket. But here is a quick summary, by way of update.
End of May and beginning of June, our graduation trip with all four boys was filled with adventure, memories and rest. In mid-June, my twins assisted me in a pavilion construction project, as a time of connection and collaboration, before they depart the home for college. This was also a way for me to “rest” from my normal work by pursuing a creative project with a different set of skills than I normally use!
At the end of June, Patience and I escorted Chalmers to his “induction” at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The five days of “orientation,” parent activities, and drop-off was emotional all-the-way-around, but such a blessing for us both to have time to cherish that sendoff.
Early in July, just Patience and I enjoyed several days with some good friends from out of town who we have known since before we were married and are also in church ministry out-of-state. Then we headed to St. Louis for a visit with some long-time mentor couples we know, and a visit to some of our ole stomping ground from the first seven years of our marriage.
We also embraced the different role of attending, rather than leading, in various churches in Colorado, St. Louis, and locally, both PCA and other denominations. What a joy to see Lord’s kingdom going forth in just this small sampling of churches, faithfully worshipping, evangelizing, praying, studying, growing and serving!
Thanks so much, church family, for giving me and the family the space you did. While I have missed the fellowship of regular texts and calls with you, and will look forward to resuming that connection, I thank you all for giving us that “communication” space. Hope to see you Sunday!
Colorado
Air Force Dropoff
St. Louis
August 6 Church Vision Meeting
Join us for a Church Vision Meeting on August 6 at 9:30-10:15 am (during Adult Sunday School time)
Video Transcript:
Well, hey, Cross Creek Church family. So glad to be able to catch up with you in this little video announcement. A great end of summer that I’m sure we’re all enjoying and much to give thanks to the Lord for over the last few months in the life of our church. We’ve had a number of new visitors that have been coming to our church over the quiet weeks of the summer. We had a great Summer Nights season with wonderful help and service from our life groups, pouring into the young ones in our church and many friends and family that came to visit and to hear about the Lord and relationship with him. We had the biggest group ever that went to our RYM, reformed Youth Ministry conference at the beach for our middle schoolers earlier in June.
And a recent high school retreat, as well, with a good number of kids having a chance to grow in community and grow with each other and the Lord during that time. So, it’s been a great summer season. I hope your household is enjoying the favor of the Lord, and it’s a time in the next few weeks to reengage with a new season of ministry for our church.
I want to mention, in particular, August 6th. I know some will be getting back in town, but many will also already be back and in the groove. We’re going to do a special Sunday school gathering for our adults and look at the church vision that the Lord has given to us. We have an opportunity there to look back at the last couple of years, see how God has blessed us with new ministries like Awana and Mother’s Morning Out, with new staff that the Lord has brought, and also through the Twelve – Called by Him, Called for Him campaign to purchase the facility that we have and to see the renovations here. So we want to just remind everybody of where we’ve been the last few years and also look ahead to the next couple of years as we plan and pray and envision where the Lord would take us. His work through us and his work in us. So we hope you’ll join us for that day. It’ll be a Q&A time as well for those that have questions. We’d love to hear more about where we believe the Lord’s taking us in the years that are upcoming. August 6th, again, combined Sunday school time and Room 4, 9:30 is our regular Sunday school time.
If you’re new to our church family, we’d love to have you start in with coming to Sunday school. And the week after that, August 13th will be our main kickoff for our new season of ministry, with the kids moving up to their new class level, and a special new adult Sunday school series.
We’ll be running new classes beginning for all the other age groups in Sunday school, and of course Life Groups resuming soon after. And men’s and women’s small groups as well. Beginning a new series preaching in the book of Deuteronomy on August 13th. So join us August 6th for that special adult Sunday school vision, strategic discussion time, and we hope to see everybody as well on August 13th.
