Shows / Better News Podcast
Better News Podcast
The gospel is always better news than you think. The gospel is God’s power to save, restore, encourage, and shape us. This weekday podcast features messages from Ricky Alcantar at Cross of Grace Church in El Paso, TX.
Episodes
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Praying For What We Really Need, Part 2
Some issues don't have a simple answer. We may respond by rebuking those who have a different opinion, throwing scripture at them, and expecting them to simply…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Praying For What We Really Need, Part 1
Prayer may be one of the most neglected or misused gifts that God has given to the church. We frequently tell others that we’ll pray for them, and we intend…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Gospel Affection, Part 2
It's easy to rush to judgment and even allow resentment to build up as we witness the choices and lifestyles of our fellow believers. It may be the smallest of…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Gospel Affection, Part 1
Even the most affectionate relationships have moments where the love just doesn't come naturally. Whether it's a romantic connection, a family bond, or a…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Gospel Partnership, Part 2
For many, the church may have become just another part of the routine or a means of maintaining a social life. It can become very casual and we lose sight of…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Gospel Partnership, Part 1
The church means many different things to different people. If we're honest, many of us go primarily for what it does for us. The feeling we get, or the…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Grace & Peace, Part 2
What an amazing and life-changing declaration, “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost”. This concept is at the very core…
- Better News Podcast
The Happiest Book in the Bible - Grace & Peace, Part 1
There are many in our world that have been deceived into thinking that they are inherently good. As we start to dig into the book of Philippians with Pastor…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - The Power and Person of Jesus, Part 2
Pastor Ricky will be giving a warning today that it's not enough to just understand the power of Jesus but that you need to be committed to Jesus. You can't…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - The Power and Person of Jesus, Part 1
In order to know the person of Jesus, you must truly be committed to Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. In order to have the power of Jesus, you need…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - God-Grounded Confidence & God-Glorifying Effort, Part 2
Pastor Ricky will be continuing his teaching on the sovereignty of God and man’s free will. Some Christians believe that because God is the one who controls…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - God-Grounded Confidence & God-Glorifying Effort, Part 1
How can a believer have free will and choose Christ and God be sovereign and choose those who would receive Him? Pastor Ricky will be tackling this…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Missionary Work in Our Own City, Part 2
Paul had such a good way of preaching the gospel. Pastor Ricky relates Paul’s methods to us today. Paul educated himself on the people group he was going to…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Missionary Work in Our Own City, Part 1
Anything we choose that takes the Lord off of the throne of our lives is considered an idol. Many believe that they don't have an idol because they don't have…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - A Right & Wrong Response to the Word, Part 2
We have a responsibility before God to examine everything in light of scripture. You will stand before God and will be judged. We will be held responsible for…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - A Right & Wrong Response to the Word, Part 1
Today Pastor Ricky encourages us to take everything to the Word of God. The tendency of our human heart seems is to want to make choices based on our own…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Advancing and Enduring Through Tribulation, Part 2
After Paul is stoned in Lystra, he regains consciousness and goes back into the city. Pastor Ricky shows how this is a picture of Christ. When both Paul and…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Advancing and Enduring Through Tribulation, Part 1
Paul and Barnabas were thought to be Zeus and Hermes. Paul could have allowed these people to continue and make sacrifices to him. Instead, he stuck his neck…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - The Difference One Church Can Make, Part 2
Pastor Ricky teaches about the church in Antioch, their faithfulness to follow God's leading. They faithfully pursued God's word which made them have hearts…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - The Difference One Church Can Make, Part 1
The church in Antioch gave us such a great example, they loved and cared for others so much. They didn't stop at the members of their own church. They…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Breaking Down Dividing Walls, Part 3
Peter showed such a great example of not allowing dividing walls stop him from sharing the gospel. Today Pastor Ricky shares the huge divide between Peter and…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Breaking Down Dividing Walls, Part 2
You may be out there listening today and think that it is an impossibility for you to be saved. You may think if you walk into a church lightning will strike…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Breaking Down Dividing Walls, Part 1
Today Pastor Ricky teaches that Jesus, as He taught, did two things over and over again. One, He abolished the additions to His law, like the cultural divide…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Does Jesus Still Walk, Part 2
There are people who live as if God was part of creation but isn't around now. Like as if He started things off and now we're on our own, things will just work…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Does Jesus Still Walk, Part 1
Luke tells us in his gospel about Jesus taking on different forces and winning. In Acts these stories are similar. Jesus healing people shows that He has power…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Impossible Circumstances, Impossible People, Part 2
All people need to be restored to God. We're going to come up against people who seem impossible to save. Pastor Ricky points out that the passage about The…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Impossible Circumstances, Impossible People, Part 1
When we’re living in the world we can take on bad habits from the world. Separating ourselves into groups and subcultures, there are stigmas that go with any…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Leaders, Ethnic Dividers and the Gospel, Part 2
Have you ever been looked at disparagingly because of your race? Maybe walked into a place that you thought you didn't belong? Or maybe you have tattoos, or…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Leaders, Ethnic Dividers and the Gospel, Part 1
During the early church, they had the same issues arise as we do. They had people with needs. They had widows, orphans, and handicapped people who couldn’t…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Gospel Advanced, Part 2
Pastor Ricky likens our sharing Jesus to a balance scale. The scale has the other person, issue, or obstacle on one side, it's totally way down. But when we…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Gospel Advanced, Part 1
We get our power from Jesus. His name is where our power to share the gospel comes from. Pastor Ricky speaks about Peter being uneducated but having the power…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - The Spirit Poured Out, Part 2
Pastor Ricky reminds us of Day 1 stuff of Christianity. Repent, that’s it. Troubled Christians don't need a bunch of counseling sessions, they need to repent…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - The Spirit Poured Out, Part 1
Have you been looking forward to The Last Days? The Israelites were looking forward to The Last Days too, for when the Messiah came and saved them. We can look…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Prologue, Mission and Power, Part 2
The book of Acts recounts amazing occurrences of the Lord through the apostles. Pastor Ricky wants us to realize that we too are filled with that same amazing…
- Better News Podcast
The Book of Acts - Prologue, Mission and Power, Part 1
Jesus came and paid for our sins. He is our King, our risen Lord, and our Savior. When you're commanded by authority to do something, you do it. When you're…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Christian Life is Together Life, Part 2
Emmanuel, God who is with us. As you listen to today's message from Pastor Ricky, he explains to you that God is a God who draws near to you. He's not someone…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Christian Life is Together Life, Part 1
Emmanuel, God who is with us. As you listen to today's message from Pastor Ricky, he explains to you that God is a God who draws near to you. He's not someone…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Weapon of All Prayer, Part 3
As believers, it's easy to forget what God's gift of grace should mean to us. We know that He covers us and that He's saved us by the sacrifice of His Son, but…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Weapon of All Prayer, Part 2
When was the last time you felt empowered by Christ? In your faith journey it's easy to feel like a sideshow or disconnected from what God's doing. In today's…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Weapon of All Prayer, Part 1
Do you have an emphasis on prayer? Do you make a point to remain in communion with God, or do you treat prayer as a casual way to communicate? Today Pastor…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Call to Stand and FIght, Part 2
When you gave your life to Christ did you give it all to Him? We love to be close to God and we know that He'll always have our back but do we truly sacrifice…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Call to Stand and FIght, Part 1
In your walk with Jesus, have you ever felt tested in your faith? Have you ever felt unsure of who you are in Christ? Today Pastor Ricky explains that you need…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - My Boss is a Jewish Construction Worker, Part 2
As Pastor Ricky continues his teaching series through the Book of Ephesians, he'll be exhorting us to work as though we're doing it unto the Lord. The Bible…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - My Boss is a Jewish Construction Worker, Part 1
God desires that you owe nothing to anyone and that you pay off your debts so you can have financial freedom. Today Pastor Ricky reminds us that everything we…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Building a Christian Home, Part 2
God is a God of order and He's created the family structure to function specifically to how He's created each individual. Husbands are to lead the family and…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Building a Christian Home, Part 1
One of the most frustrating things when you're putting something complicated together is having no instruction manual, or a very poorly written instruction…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Grace For All Life, Part 2
Have you ever been in a place where you think that you know more than God does? Are there ever times when you know exactly what God is calling you to but you…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Grace For All Life, Part 1
In your walk with Jesus, do you ever take Him for granted? Do you ever forget about the important changes that He's implemented in your life? In today's…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Madness, Magic and Mystery of Gender, Part 3
We all need constant reminders that we can be fully fulfilled in Jesus Christ. If we're not careful, we can start to feel unfulfilled and start looking in…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Madness, Magic and Mystery of Gender, Part 2
God is in the business of restoration and redemption. Every story we read in the Bible has that undertone of redemption and salvation. When we look at our…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - The Madness, Magic and Mystery of Gender, Part 1
You don't have to look far in this world to see that people are looking for the truth. One of the things that most people ask is, do I even matter? The world…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - He Still Does Wonders 3, Part 2
Whenever God is at work in our lives, which is all the time, there's usually an invitation to come alongside Him in what He's doing. There's a role that we get…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - He Still Does Wonders 3, Part 1
Paul was constantly reminding the churches that he was writing to, to rely on the Holy Spirit for everything. When we read about all that Paul had gone…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - He Still Does Wonders 2, Part 2
There's always a purpose when God does something. He didn't just give us the power of the Holy Spirit for the sake of power. Any demonstration of power through…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - He Still Does Wonders 2, Part 1
The disciples walked with Jesus for three years. They had seen Jesus perform countless miracles. Jesus even empowered some of them to do the same so when Jesus…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - He Still Does Wonders 1, Part 2
Do you feel like the things in life are just too difficult to carry? Or maybe you're just grinding your gears in life and you wish there was more purpose? Well…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - He Still Does Wonders 1, Part 1
Have you ever felt like you were just going through the motions but not really living? Or like maybe in a Technicolor world, somehow your life is in black and…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Look Both Ways, Part 3
Have you been searching for answers trying to find your way in life but nothing seems to work? In today's message, Pastor Ricky shares how the Lord has a plan…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Look Both Ways, Part 2
Do you ever get the feeling like you're stumbling around in life, not really sure of what you're supposed to be doing? It's like something's missing but you're…
- Better News Podcast
Grace For All - Look Both Ways, Part 1
Do you ever feel lost, scared, or alone? Have you made mistakes in the past that make you feel like you've fallen too far from grace to be redeemed? In today's…