thinking out loud

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth reflects on the story of Rebekah and Isaac in Genesis 24, framing God as the true "matchmaker" who guides Abraham's servant to Rebekah in the midst of a deeply patriarchal and broken system. She highlights Rebekah's extraordinary generosity, courage, and faith, drawing parallels to Abraham's own risky obedience while clearly naming the injustice and dange...

In the fourth message of our "Blessed and Broken: God's Promise Through Imperfect People" series, Terry Timm explores the story of God testing Abraham in Genesis 22. He unpacks how this difficult and weighty text reveals God's provision, Abraham's radical trust, and the foreshadowing of Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial Son. Terry invites us to consider our own "Isaacs" and what it means to trust...

In this message, Richie Reeder preaches from Genesis 21 on the story of Hagar and Ishmael, showing how God sees, hears, and provides for those who have been pushed to the margins. He explores themes of broken families, rejection, and being an outcast, connecting the biblical narrative to the painful but familiar experiences many carry today. Richie concludes by emphasizing that even when others ca...

In this second message of our "Blessed and Broken" series, Terry Timm explores the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18, where God brings an impossible promise close to an aging, imperfect couple. He shows how their initial laughter of disbelief is transformed into joy as God proves that nothing is too wonderful or too broken for Him to redeem. Terry invites us to recognize God's presence in t...

This first message in the "Blessed & Broken" series explores the call of Abram and Sarai in Genesis 12, showing how God's promise moves through imperfect, unfinished people. It contrasts the human impulse to "make a name" for ourselves with Abram's shift to calling on the name of the Lord, highlighting faith as a step-by-step journey into the unknown. Terry's message  invites listeners to see them...

In this message, Richie Reeder unpacks the Great Commission in Matthew 28, emphasizing that the mission of the church is to make disciples through everyday relationships rather than expert-level knowledge or formal programs. He highlights how discipleship invites us beyond our comfort zones, participates in God's transforming work, and is sustained by Christ's ongoing presence as we simply share w...

In this Pentecost message, Terry Timm reflects on why the Holy Spirit's first gift to the church was language, exploring Acts 2 as God's radical move toward all peoples, cultures, and dialects with the "wonders of God." He contrasts Pentecost with the Tower of Babel and with modern tendencies to merge Christian faith with national or tribal identity, warning against any monochrome version of Chris...

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth explores the holiness of the human body, challenging dualistic theology that elevates the soul while sidelining or shaming our physical selves. Moving through creation, incarnation, resurrection, and ascension, she shows how Scripture affirms that God meets us in and through our bodies, and that Jesus' ongoing embodied life is good news for our own flesh....

This message by Terry Timm reflects on our deep human longing not to be abandoned, using the Still Face Experiment and the image of spiritual "orphanhood" to name our fears of being alone. Teaching from John 14, Terry shows how Jesus answers that fear by sending the Holy Spirit—the Paraclete, or "true friend"—who comes alongside us, lives in us, and unites us with God in love. Listeners are invite...

In this message, Terry Timm reflects on Jesus' words in John 14 to people with "troubled hearts," inviting listeners to move from mere belief to deep trust in Christ amid stress, grief, and uncertainty. He unpacks Jesus' promise of the Father's house and the many rooms as a picture of God's welcoming presence, made possible through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. 

In this message, Richie Reeder teaches from John 10 about Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the gate for the sheep, emphasizing that our primary role as disciples is to listen for and follow His voice. He contrasts Jesus' heavy responsibility as Shepherd with our simple but challenging call to cultivate stillness, silence, and attentiveness amid a noisy, hurried culture. Through Scripture, personal s...

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth explores "lunar spirituality," where faith waxes and wanes like the moon, yet the risen Christ remains constant and present. Walking through John 20, she highlights Jesus' gentle response to the disciples' fear and Thomas' doubt, showing how he meets people in locked rooms of shame, uncertainty, and unbelief. She invites listeners to live Easter by being...

In this message, Terry Timm teaches that Easter "begins in the dark," in real spaces of grief and confusion, just as Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb expecting death and misreads what she sees. When Jesus simply speaks her name, Mary discovers that resurrection is first a personal, transforming encounter rather than full understanding. Sent as the first witness of the risen Christ, she models how...

On this final Sunday in Lent, Richie Reeder reflects on both Palm Sunday and the church's "Lessons of the Desert" series, inviting listeners to consider how practices from the wilderness—prayer, testing, silence and solitude, self-denial, wisdom, and humility—might shape their lives beyond the season. Teaching from Matthew 21 and contrasting the crowds' "Hosanna" on Sunday with "Crucify him" on Fr...

In this message, Terry Timm invites us into the wisdom of the desert by reflecting on the life of Moses the Strong, a man transformed from violent outlaw to humble saint. Drawing on Pete Greig's video "Hero of the Desert: Moses," the message explores how Moses' story challenges our culture of influence and platform-building. Rooted in Philippians 2 and the picture of Jesus who "made himself nothin...

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth reflects on how silence, solitude, and "desert" practices create space to hear God's wisdom amid the noise of our information-saturated age. Drawing on Proverbs, James, the stories of St. Hilda and St. Patrick, she contrasts mere knowledge with true, peace-bearing wisdom that comes from God. The message invites listeners to cultivate inner wilderness—thro...

In this message, Terry Timm reflects on "freedom through renunciation," drawing from the stories of the rich young ruler, the desert mothers and fathers (especially Syncleticia of Alexandria), and Jesus' teachings on treasure and the soul. He explores how possessions, comfort, and security can quietly possess our hearts, and how practices of simplicity, generosity, and intentional "micro deserts"...

In this message, Terry Timm teaches that solitude is not an escape from the world but a sacred space with God where we are reshaped in love so we can return to the world with kindness. Drawing from the life of Jesus, the desert mothers and fathers, and biblical figures like Moses, Elijah, and Hagar, he shows how silence and solitude become places to see and be seen by God. Terry then offers practi...

In this message, Richie Reeder invites the church into a sober but hopeful look at sin—not just as bad behavior to stop, but as an opportunity for Spirit-empowered transformation into Christlikeness. Drawing from Genesis 4, the image of sin "crouching at your door," and the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers (especially John Cassian's eight vices), he challenges listeners to identify where t...

In this message, Terry Timm reflects on Jesus' temptations in the wilderness as a paradigm for our own Lenten journey, highlighting the temptations to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful. Drawing on Henri Nouwen and the desert mothers and fathers, he invites listeners to practices of contemplative prayer, confession, restraint in speech, and deep rooting in God's redemptive story as ways to res...

In this message, Terry Timm explores how the early church in Acts 15 navigated deep conflict without fragmentation, modeling a non-reactive, Spirit-led way forward. Drawing on both Scripture and neurobiology, he shows how the "mind of Christ" can regulate the body of Christ, creating space for silence, listening, and healthy differentiation. Terry invites Christ Community Church to become a humble...

In this message, Katherine Sikma Wadsworth reflects on the Emmaus road story in Luke 24 through the lens of neurobiology, exploring how our brains respond when our life story falls apart. She explains concepts like bilateral stimulation, co-regulation, and the reshaping of neural pathways to show how Jesus' calm presence helps the disciples process their confusion, grief, and hope. Katherine invit...

In this message, Terry Timm explores the concept of "E Pluribus Unum," highlighting the persistent tension in both society and the church between unity and diversity. Drawing from Ephesians 4 and integrating insights from neuroscience, he emphasizes how unity in diversity reflects the triune nature of God and is essential for Christian maturity. 

In this message, Richie Reeder explores how the concept of mirror neurons deepens our understanding of empathy and connection within the body of Christ. Reflecting on Romans 12:3-8, he encourages each member to recognize and activate their unique spiritual gifts for the flourishing of the church community. Richie emphasizes moving from independence to interdependence, fostering unity through humil...

In this message, Terry Timm explores the intersection of faith and neurobiology, emphasizing how God has hardwired us for resilience in the face of life's storms. Using Rembrandt's painting and four biblical texts, he illustrates how peace, provided through Jesus and mediated by the Holy Spirit, allows believers to remain centered and non-reactive amidst chaos. Through the Holy Spirit, we can disc...