Message by Jimmy Bumper

When We Slow Down Long Enough to Look at the Cross

We live in a season that celebrates joy, light, and hope—and rightly so. Angels once filled the skies announcing the birth of a Savior, and their song still echoes through the Church today. But the joy of Christ’s coming cannot be separated from the beauty of His cross. Without the cross, there is no Christmas hope, no redemption story, and no restored relationship with God.

In The Beauty of the Cross, Jimmy Bumper calls the Church to look again—slowly, reverently, honestly—at what Jesus endured and what His sacrifice still means for us today.

The Cross Is Not Just a Symbol — It Is a Call

Jesus’ words in Matthew 16 confront every believer with a personal decision:
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

The cross was never meant to be admired from a distance. It is something we are invited to carry daily. Not as a burden of shame, but as a pathway of obedience, surrender, and transformation.

Seeing the Cross Through Heaven’s Eyes

A Centurion’s Confession at the Foot of the Cross

One of the most powerful moments at Calvary didn’t come from a disciple—it came from a Roman centurion. Hardened by violence, seasoned by death, and loyal to Caesar, this man had overseen countless executions. Yet something about Jesus was different.

He saw a Savior who did not curse His enemies but prayed for their forgiveness.
He witnessed darkness fall at the brightest hour of the day.
He heard silence where screams once filled the air.

And in that moment, the centurion declared, “Surely this was the Son of God.”

The cross shattered his worldview. Earthly power collapsed under the weight of divine truth. Every authority bows at the foot of the cross.

Forgiveness That Reaches Where We Cannot

When You Can’t Forgive, Bring It to the Cross

From the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
This prayer still speaks to moments when forgiveness feels impossible.

There are wounds so deep that we struggle to release them. In those moments, Jimmy Bumper reminds us: when you can’t forgive, bring it to God and ask Him to do what you cannot—yet. Grace begins where honesty meets surrender.

The cross holds our fear, anger, grief, and betrayal. Jesus bore every emotion so we wouldn’t have to carry them alone.

Darkness That Leads to Light

The Brightest Hour Became the Darkest

Scripture tells us that darkness covered the land from noon until mid-afternoon—the hottest, brightest part of the day. God chose that moment to reveal a deeper truth: when life feels darkest, redemption is closer than we think.

The cross reminds us that what appears like defeat can become deliverance. The darkest chapter may become the doorway to resurrection.

The Cross Changes How We Live

Doing What Jesus Says, Not Guessing What He’d Do

We often ask, “What would Jesus do?”
But Jimmy Bumper offers a clearer challenge: Do what Jesus said.

Picking up our cross means choosing obedience over convenience, humility over pride, and faithfulness over applause. It means loving when it’s costly, serving when it’s unnoticed, and walking with Christ daily—not just admiring Him occasionally.

The Beauty Is Found in What the Cross Produces

The cross doesn’t glorify suffering—it transforms it.
It doesn’t celebrate pain—it redeems it.
It doesn’t demand perfection—it invites surrender.

At the cross, broken people find healing.
At the cross, secret disciples step into the light.
At the cross, fear loses its grip and hope takes root.

The beauty of the cross is not found in the wood or the nails—but in the Savior who hung there, and the new life He offers to all who follow Him.

A Call to Cherish the Cross Again

The Church does not move forward by forgetting the cross, but by returning to it. As believers across the North Dallas region—from Collin County to Dallas County and throughout the North Cities community—may we once again cherish the old rugged cross.

Not just as a memory.
Not just as a song.
But as a daily commitment to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

Because one day, the cross we carry will be exchanged for a crown.