January 27, 2026

Nolan Hopkins
"From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us."
Acts 16:11-15

One of my favorite things about Cypress Creek Church is how well we love people. Rarely does anyone come to a Cypress gathering without being welcomed and connected with. Truly, this community reflects God well, as He sees and knows every person. But more so than our shared love for others, I love that the people at Cypress have a shared love for Jesus above all else. That is what makes us greater than just a gathering of people or a social club: the fact that we are all imperfect people on a mission to follow the perfect Savior, Jesus Christ.

Before being a part of the welcoming community of Cypress Creek Church, I was a part of another very welcoming community: the Texas State School of Music. Throughout my years as a music education major at Texas State, I had a very strong connection and sense of belonging with my classmates and professors. They were all very friendly, supportive, and accepting of each other. Over time, though, I began to feel that something was missing from our community.

Eventually, during my junior year of college, I was connected to Cypress Creek through Crosstalk. I quickly became close with a handful of the people there. In fact, I became very close, very quickly, with the people there. Within a few months, I knew and was known deeply by a handful of guys I had just met. These expedited friendships made me realize that, despite my many years of friendship with the people at the school of music, I never really knew them, and they didn’t really know me. How could that be? How could I have become closer with people I had just met compared to people I had known for years? The answer, as you might have guessed, is that one community was unified by their love of Christ, and the other was not.

Looking back, now having attended Cypress Creek Church for almost two years, I am reminded of John chapter 13 when I think about the people who took a genuine interest in me the moment I walked through the church’s doors. In the Gospel of John, after washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” ‭‭(Verses 34-35) Because the people I met at Cypress knew how much Jesus loved them, they were obedient to His commandment and loved me the same way He had loved them: sacrificially, with grace and truth. Now, as a result of their obedience and God’s faithfulness, my life has been forever changed.