Strength for today through the Cross | Ken Castor

Devotional

Day 1: The Cross Confronts Our Entanglements

Our world is filled with things that hold us back and weigh us down. These entanglements can be distractions, habits, or even sins that prevent us from running the race of faith with freedom and purpose. The cross of Jesus stands as a loving confrontation to these burdens, challenging us to lay them down. It calls us to a life of disciplined focus, not to restrict us, but to liberate us for what truly matters. In a world that feels stuck, the cross offers a path to run free. [20:08]

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Reflection: What is one specific entanglement—a distraction, a worry, or a sinful pattern—that you feel is currently slowing you down in your spiritual journey? What would it look like to bring this directly to the cross and ask Jesus to help you lay it down?

Day 2: The Cross Comforts Our Anxieties

Anxiety and worry are pervasive in our time, often leaving us feeling weak and paralyzed. The comfort found in the cross of Christ is not merely a feeling of ease, but a profound infusion of strength. Biblical comfort means to be “with strength,” and this is exactly what Jesus offers. When we lift our burdens to Him, we find a peace that guards our hearts and minds, rooted in His power, not our own circumstances. The cross is the place where our fears are met with His fortitude. [24:53]

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Reflection: Where have you recently felt most overwhelmed or anxious? How might intentionally fixing your gaze on Jesus, who carries your burdens on the cross, change your perspective and provide you with His strength in that situation?

Day 3: The Cross Confers Courage for the Race

The challenges of life can leave us feeling weak-kneed and unable to move forward. The cross of Jesus does not leave us in this state; it confers courage, putting courage into us for the path ahead. This divine encouragement strengthens our weak hands and steady our shaky knees, enabling us to run the race set before us. It is a courage born not of our own ability, but of His finished work and His presence with us, remaking us into a new creation. [29:27]

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Hebrews 12:12-13 (NIV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need courage most right now—perhaps a relationship, a work situation, or a step of obedience? How can focusing on the victory Jesus secured on the cross empower you to take one faithful step forward?

Day 4: Fixing Our Eyes on the Champion

The Christian life is described as a race to be run with endurance. This is only possible when we know where to look. Our focus must remain fixed on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. He is both our starting point and our finish line. By keeping our gaze on Him, the distractions and troubles of this world grow strangely dim, and we are empowered to run with perseverance and hope. Our strength is found in looking full in His wonderful face. [13:51]

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1b-2 (NIV)

Reflection: When you consider the pace and pressures of your daily life, what practical step could you take this week to intentionally fix your eyes on Jesus and create more space to recognize His presence and leadership?

Day 5: A Legacy of Relevancy for Every Generation

The faithfulness of God is not confined to the past; it is a present and eternal reality. The same Jesus who was relevant to a great cloud of witnesses throughout history is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His unfailing love continues faithfully to each new generation. The cross remains the most relevant message for a hurting world because it eternally addresses our deepest needs for freedom, peace, and courage. Its power is undiminished by time. [14:57]

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Reflection: Who in your life—a friend, a family member, or a younger person—seems to be searching for something truly relevant and lasting? How can you, in both word and action, gently point them toward the enduring hope found in the cross of Christ?

Sermon Summary

A guest preacher returns with warm personal recollections of ministry, family photos, and ties to the congregation before moving to a hard question: Is the cross of Jesus relevant for current and future generations? Drawing on Hebrews, Psalms, John, and Paul, the preacher argues that the cross remains central because it addresses the real crises people face today—entanglement, anxiety, and cowardice. The preacher grounds the claim in biblical witness: the cloud of faithful witnesses in Hebrews who lived by visible trust; Jesus who “considered the shame of the cross” yet endured for the joy set before him; and the scriptural promises that God’s steadfast love spans every generation.

The core of the teaching is practical and pastoral. First, the cross confronts entanglements—those habits, distractions, and cultural pulls that trip people up and prevent them from running the race set before them. The cross stands face-to-face with whatever binds a life and calls for disciplined surrender so one can be freed to run well. Second, the cross comforts anxieties by offering with-strength, not sentimental ease: the biblical word for comfort combines calm and fortitude, promising tangible resilience for those overwhelmed by fear and worry. Third, the cross confers encouragement—real, grit-filled courage—remaking people into new creations who can stand, serve, and run when the world feels hostile.

Illustrations from personal ministry and family life make the theology concrete: the preacher remembers parents who modeled faith under pressure, youth ministry moments, and encounters with anxious young people who repeatedly voice feeling stuck or afraid. The appeal is pastoral and urgent—fix the gaze on Jesus, strip off what entangles, cast burdens on the strong shoulders of Christ, and receive courage to run the race. The preacher closes by insisting that the cross is not pietistic nostalgia but the active, present power that frees, steadies, and empowers believers in a Genesis-three world. The cross, framed as confrontation, comfort, and conferment, is proclaimed as the most relevant good news for today’s fractured, anxious, and entangled lives.

Key Takeaways

1. Cross confronts life’s entanglements The cross doesn’t merely scold; it exposes the particular weights and habits that slow a runner’s stride and calls for their removal. Facing the cross is an invitation to disciplined surrender—letting God unbind patterns of distraction, addiction, and avoidance so devotion can be practiced without hindrance. This process is often painful but produces freedom to run the race God sets before each person. [20:08]
2. Cross comforts anxious, burdened hearts Biblical comfort is not cheap consolation but “with-strength”: God’s presence that steadies the shaken soul and reinforces the weary will. Bringing anxieties to the cross invites a counterintuitive strength that guards mind and heart and changes how fear shapes decisions and relationships. This is practical pastoral care: a reorientation toward Christ that replaces paralysis with peace shaped by God’s fortitude. [24:10]
3. Cross confers courage for living The cross supplies a courage that is formed, not fabricated—new-creation power that enables perseverance in hostile or discouraging contexts. As people submit to Christ’s transforming work, their feet grow strong; weakness is met by sanctifying courage to act justly and love boldly. This courage equips believers to run persistently, serving a wounded world with resilient hope. [27:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:33] - Greetings and church memories
[05:22] - Family photos and staff connections
[07:25] - Serving the next generations
[08:16] - Is the cross relevant today?
[11:07] - Three reasons: outline
[13:51] - Hebrews: run with endurance
[20:08] - Confronting entanglements
[24:10] - Comforting anxious hearts
[27:48] - Conferring courage to run
[30:14] - Personal testimony and family example
[33:34] - Final call: cross is relevant

Bible Study Guide

Based on the sermon summary and transcript provided, here is a Bible study discussion guide.

Bible Reading
Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Observation questions

According to Hebrews 12:1, what are the two specific things we are instructed to "lay aside"?
What does the passage say was the motivating factor that enabled Jesus to endure the cross?
The sermon described biblical comfort as "with-strength." What two-part meaning does the word "comfort" contain? [24:53]
What are the three ways the sermon proposed that the cross remains relevant for us today? [11:23]

Interpretation questions

The "cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1 refers to the people of faith listed in chapter 11. How does their example provide more than just inspiration? How does it actively contribute to our ability to run the race set before us?
The passage tells us to run by "looking to Jesus." What does it mean, practically, to fix the gaze of your soul on Jesus throughout an ordinary day? [16:02]
The sermon stated that the cross confronts our entanglements. Why is this confrontation, though painful, actually an act of love from a God who wants the best for us? [22:04]
If biblical courage is something that is *conferred* or given to us rather than something we must manufacture ourselves, how does that change our approach to situations that make us feel afraid or weak? [28:05]

Application questions

The race requires laying aside "every weight." What is one specific weight or entanglement—a distraction, a habit, a cultural pull—that is currently slowing down your stride and hindering your run? What would it look like to begin the disciplined process of stripping that off? [20:08]
Many feel stuck and paralyzed by anxiety. When you feel overwhelmed with worry, what is a practical step you can take to actively "cast your burdens on his shoulders" and receive his "with-strength" comfort instead of just seeking temporary relief? [26:07]
The courage of the cross remakes us into new creations. In what specific area of your life—a relationship, your work, a hostile environment—do you most need God to confer a fresh dose of grit-filled courage to stand, serve, and love boldly this week? [29:39]
Who in your life functions like the "cloud of witnesses," someone whose faithful example encourages you to keep running your race with endurance? How could you encourage them or thank them for their witness?
The world often sees the cross as offensive or irrelevant. How does understanding the cross as a source of practical freedom, strength, and courage change the way you might talk about its relevance with a friend who feels stuck, anxious, or afraid? [32:32]

Sermon Clips

And here's the question, is the cross of Jesus relevant for the generations today? It's an important question. I feel like it's one we need to know the answer to. I know that prior generations have found a relationship with God to be the most important aspect of their lives. We can see this in the bible certainly. We see generations who follow after God from Genesis to Revelation and they have given their lives to God and found a relevancy of daily faith. [00:08:08] (35 seconds) #CrossRelevantToday

And I just wanna tell you that there are people who know Jesus, who understand that the cross is relevant there. And the church is standing with a renewed strength and a grip of hope and coming to the aid of their neighbors whom they love. The world is in need of the cross of Jesus and we get to be fellow bearers of that cross. [00:10:26] (34 seconds) #ChurchBearingHope

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Strength for today through the Cross | Ken Castor | February 8th 2026