The Pursuit with James Griffin

In this episode of The Pursuit, James Griffin and Carlos Fernandez pick up where the weekend gathering left off in Acts 11, where Peter gets criticized by church people for sitting down to eat at a Gentile's house. James opens up about why he crossed out his sermon title mid-week, the critic who told a guest his family was going to hell, and the years he spent believing the accusations in his own head.

What is Satan actually saying about you to God? Why does the enemy go looking for critics to do his work? What's the difference between criticism and correction? What do you do when the person criticizing you is you? How do you know if what you're feeling is the Holy Spirit convicting you or the devil condemning you? Why was Peter's meal the real problem? Should you stop going where people far from God hang out? And where's the line between being at the table and approving of what's on it?

If you've ever heard a voice telling you God can't use someone like you, this conversation will help you know which voice to believe.

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Episode Guide
These guides are packed with key insights and scripture to help you know and follow Jesus – https://mycpcc.com/guide

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Crosspoint City Church exists to relentlessly pursue those far from God to help them know and follow Jesus.

To help support this mission and work, visit https://www.mycpcc.com/give

To learn more about all of our locations or what is coming up at Crosspoint City, check out https://www.crosspointcity.com/ or follow us on your favorite social platform @CrosspointCity

0:00 Cold open and intro
1:58 Why James rewrote the sermon title
4:54 Criticism is the enemy's strategy
7:11 What Satan accuses you of
9:13 The anatomy of shame
10:29 The accuser and the advocate
13:51 Criticism vs. correction
18:21 When correction doesn't go well
20:28 When the critic is you: the four voices
24:50 Conviction or condemnation?
31:15 Why the meal was the problem
34:13 The modern version of the table
37:59 Should you stop going where they are?
44:15 Proximity doesn't equal permission
47:36 How to reach them anyway
51:38 One thing to do this week

In this episode of The Pursuit, James Griffin and Carlos Fernandez pick up where the weekend gathering left off in Acts 10 and dig into one of the most debated gifts in the Bible: speaking in tongues. James opens up about growing up in a church that taught him God doesn't do that anymore, and how he ended up praying in tongues privately every day.
What are the different kinds of tongues in the Bible? Is speaking in tongues real speech or just emotional babbling? Do you have to speak in tongues to prove you have the Holy Spirit? Why did Paul speak in tongues more than anyone but hold back when the church gathered? Are the gifts of the Spirit still for today, or did they end with the apostles? What should we make of Deion Sanders praying in tongues before a post-game interview? And why do entire families follow when a man goes first?
No matter what you were taught about tongues growing up, this conversation will help you see what the Bible actually says about every good gift God gives.
Subscribe for more messages that will help you know and follow Jesus.
Episode Guide
 These guides are packed with key insights and scripture to help you know and follow Jesus – https://mycpcc.com/guide
To submit a question, send us a DM on Instagram or Facebook.
Crosspoint City Church exists to relentlessly pursue those far from God to help them know and follow Jesus.
To help support this mission and work, visit https://www.mycpcc.com/give
To learn more about all of our locations or what is coming up at Crosspoint City, check out https://www.crosspointcity.com/ or follow us on your favorite social platform @CrosspointCity

In this episode of The Pursuit, Jacob Whitehead, Carlos Fernandez, and James Griffin open Acts 10. God sends an angel to Cornelius and then points him to a fisherman 30 miles away, because anytime God wants to save a person, He sends a person. Why wouldn't God just let the angel share the gospel? Does someone's eternity ride on whether you open your mouth? Why would God trust His message to nervous, inconsistent people? How can you tell He's already working on your coworker? What happens to people who have never heard the name of Jesus? How do you test a vision or impression, and what do you do with the people you've quietly decided aren't yours to reach?
If you've been waiting for God to send someone to the people around you, this one is for you.
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Crosspoint City Church exists to relentlessly pursue those far from God and help them know and follow Jesus.
Give: mycpcc.com/give
crosspointcity.com | @CrosspointCity

In this episode of The Pursuit, Jacob Whitehead, Carlos Fernandez, and James Griffin walk through Acts 9, where Jesus heals a man who spent eight years on a mat, and take on the question that story raises for anyone who has prayed for healing and watched it not come. They start with the first-century assumption that suffering meant God was punishing you, and show how many Christians still quietly believe it today.
Does God heal everyone who asks? What are the three ways Jesus heals, and why does the third one matter most? Is it true that you'd be healed if you just had more faith? What was Paul's thorn, and what does his no from God mean for yours? How do you keep praying when you're exhausted and nothing has changed? What does it mean to pray proactively and reactively? And how does the way you suffer make the gospel more believable to the people watching you?
If you're still waiting on a prayer God hasn't answered the way you wanted, this episode is for you.
Subscribe for more messages that will help you know and follow Jesus.
Episode Guide
 These guides are packed with key insights and scripture to help you know and follow Jesus: https://mycpcc.com/guide
To submit a question, send us a DM on Instagram or Facebook.
Crosspoint City Church exists to relentlessly pursue those far from God to help them know and follow Jesus.
To help support this mission and work, visit https://www.mycpcc.com/give
To learn more about all of our locations or what is coming up at Crosspoint City, check out https://www.crosspointcity.com/ or follow us on your favorite social platform @CrosspointCity

In this episode of The Pursuit, Jacob Whitehead, Carlos Fernandez, and James Griffin wrap up the Storm the Gate series by unpacking why Paul calls the church the pillar and buttress of the truth, then take on the lies culture won't let you challenge: abortion is healthcare, love is love, and progressive Christianity. They cover who actually gets to define love, why progressive Christianity isn't Christianity at all, how to spot false teaching before it pulls you in, and how to walk with someone carrying a decision they can't undo.
If you've ever stayed quiet at the dinner table because the truth felt too costly, this one is for you.
Subscribe for more messages and conversations that will help you know and follow Jesus.
Episode Guide
These guides are packed with key insights and scripture to help you know and follow Jesus: https://mycpcc.com/guide
To submit a question, send us a DM on Instagram or Facebook.
Crosspoint City Church exists to relentlessly pursue those far from God to help them know and follow Jesus.
To help support this mission and work, visit https://www.mycpcc.com/give
To learn more about all of our locations or what is coming up at Crosspoint City, check out https://www.crosspointcity.com/ or follow us on your favorite social platform @CrosspointCity