CCW Podcast

In Luke 19, we meet Zacchaeus—a man with both prominence and problems. Despite his wealth, he felt the emptiness that status couldn’t fill, driving him to seek something more. Jesus, walking intentionally through Jericho, sought him out, becoming a friend when others kept their distance. In that moment, Zacchaeus experienced true connection and life-changing grace. His heart, once preoccupied with...

This Mother’s Day, we look to Deborah—a woman of strength, wisdom, and unwavering faith. She didn’t wait for perfect conditions; she stepped into chaos with courage and clarity. As a prophetess and judge, Deborah represented her people with dignity and resolved to follow God’s call, no matter the cost. She was respected by leaders, reliable in crisis, and rejoiced when victory came—not for herself...

The Gospel mission is clear: go with God’s power, preach His truth, and make disciples everywhere—from our own hearts to the ends of the earth. As we go, the Gospel grows, transforming lives through intentional outreach and spiritual maturity.

Jesus promised that history is heading somewhere—and He’s coming back. After devastation and darkness, after tribulation and trials, the Gospel doesn’t fade—it returns. Mark 13 paints a sobering picture: lights will fail, hearts will tremble, and the world will reel. But then comes the crescendo. Jesus returns, not in weakness, but in power and glory. His strength will calm every storm. His splend...

On the hill of Calvary stood three crosses—each representing a response to Jesus. One man reviled Him, dying in denial with a hard heart. Another, broken and remorseful, saw Jesus for who He truly was—and in that moment, paradise was promised. But the center cross held the sinless Son of God, our perfect substitute. Jesus bore our sin, died our death, and rose in victory. The Gospel on the ground...

This week we celebrate the arrival of our saving King. When the Jewish people shouted "Hosanna!" they meant "save us," envisioning a ruler with the might to free them from Roman oppression. Yet, Jesus is so much more than a temporary political or military figure. Even if this wasn't the kind of saving they anticipated, it was the saving that every person, in every generati...

People make all types of rational explanations for not serving. I don't have the time. I don't know what I would do. They don't really need me. There is already someone else. The reality is you have been saved to serve. God wants to work in you and through you! Isn't that amazing? The God of all creation wants to use you and me! Serving allows us to use our spiritual gifts, giv...

Have you ever thought about what impact Jesus had on children during his earthly ministry? Jesus received children, prayed for children, and blessed children. Jesus loved the little children, all the children of the world. The Barna Group released the following statistic; over 46% of all people become a Christian by age 18! Nearly half of all Christians are reached as an adolescent. It is so cruci...

If you were tasked with rating your belief on a scale from one to ten, where would you land? Believing can be so hard. Especially about the things I can see. Sometimes it seems easier to trust God with my eternity than the rest of my day. This week, we will explore belief and unbelief as we look at an interaction between Jesus and His disciples with a distressed father, begging for help for his to...

If someone asked you what is the story of the Bible? What is the very centerpiece, the thesis, the theme statement? What is the heart of the greatest story ever told? Arguably, if it had to be narrowed to one verse, it would be John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life." When God...

Have you ever received a meal, a card in the mail, a surprising gift, a blessing out of the blue? Do you remember how you felt when someone who didn't have to, did something that made you feel their care? God blessed my wife with the gift of hospitality and she loves to share it by cooking and serving meals. Because of that gift, I have been afforded the opportunity to share with many the glo...

Everyone on the face of the earth is represented as soil by this farming story found in Mark 4:3-20. Isn't it interesting that Genesis 2:7 says, "God created man from the dust of the ground." Jesus scatters His good WORD all over earth and it is received either by hard, rocky, thorny, or good soil. Jesus is the sower and we, by extension, have been given a mandate of sharing the gos...

What is desperation? Can you think of a time when you felt you were without any answer and just desperate? One definition stated it is the feeling that you have when your situation is so bad that you would do anything to change it. In Mark 5, we meet with two completely different people who have situations of desperation. Jarius is losing his little girl at the brink of death and there is an unnam...

Have you ever used phrases like "you are asking for trouble," "playing with fire," "rocking the boat?" I wonder if the disciples ever felt like that as they followed Jesus into difficulty. At the end of Mark 4, Jesus whisks the disciples away from the multitude and takes them directly into the mess. In chapter 5 they go from that mess, to a maniac (demoniac) named leg...

Families are knit to God’s heart. In fact, they were His design from the start. When God created man, He said, "It is not good for man to be alone," so He created woman (Genesis 2:18). Then, He blessed them and told them, "Be fruitful, and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). In Mark 3:20-35 the scene opens with much familial disruption. Even close relatives and religious insiders were no...

Legalism, legalistic, judgemental, and self-righteous are all words that make me feel nauseous. How about you? I grew up in a time in which in many circles that was the feeling about churches. Men began to take their eyes off the Bible and preach man-made ideas as if it was truth. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. In Mark 2 and 3 we see a verbal...

Did you know the term "discipleship" is not found in the Bible? Yet, if you ask most churches what area they hope to grow in during 2025 many will say resoundingly discipleship. In the Bible, we never see Jesus teach a seminar, conference, or hold a convention teaching churches how to disciple, yet everything He did in His earthly ministry was in fact discipling disciples. Jesus began hi...

What's your gospel story? How did you find out about Jesus? Did you grow up hearing of Jesus? Did you have a friend or family member who influenced your life by sharing Jesus or inviting you to church? In Mark 2 we discover the gripping story of four phenomenal friends who get word that Jesus was a man who could help their friend. These friends gathered up their hurt friend and literally carr...

We launched into the new year with the vision theme for 2025: "The Gospel on the Ground." Have you ever been thrust into a story that had an unusual commencement? Mark is peculiar from the other gospels with its no-nonsense, immediate path forward. Mark 1:1 says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ" and then moves continuously with rapid action. Mark opens not with the...

This Sunday is going to be an amazing day as we gather together for a faith acceleration! Habakuk 2:2 says 'Write the vision and make it plain." God has given CCW some very memorable vision themes the past few years: "Go Mile 2", "Burn the Boats"and this past year's "Stand on the Mountain." This Sunday is Vision Sunday and we are going to gather for our...

This past Sunday with Christmas at CCW was incredible! We trust that you had lots of fun and fellowship with your family during this Christmas season. This Sunday is the last Sunday of 2024 and we cant wait to celebrate it with YOU. Invite a family to join you at 10a!

We can't wait to celebrate our candelight Christmas service with all of our CCW family, highlighting the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! This Sunday is one of the most memorable services we have all year long as we join with the Christmas and Kids Choirs in singing the great carols of our faith. Beautiful insights will be shared from the Christmas story, as we look at Luke chapt...

The Christmas story. What a wonderful story it is! Luke 2. Mary and Joseph. Shepherds and angels. Wise men and King Herod. The trip to Bethlehem. Inns with no room, swaddling clothes and the baby laying in a manger. But not just any baby – Baby Jesus. Immanuel. The Messiah. God with us. But that’s not all. Though we don’t talk about it quite as much, the Bible also gives us the backstory of Christ...

It is Christmas Season, trees are decorated, lights are twinkling, songs are being sung! It is such a wonderful time of year! Do you remember growing up when you Mom had to buy that box containing 300 Christmas cards? She worked feverishly to make sure everyone in God's creation received the Christmas card. In Isaiah 9, the Israelites go from the impression that the walls of life are closing...

Happy Thanksgiving Week! I hope that you have had a wonderful time of gathering and being grateful for the many, many blessings of God! Philadelphia, what a church, a blessed church with a commendation from God! What a thing to attain unto, that we would benefit from the stamped approval of our King! What made Philadelphia stand out? It was not its massive participation or monumental power, but it...