Back Creek Church | Charlotte, NC

The story of Ruth is about how God is at work in the circumstances and lives of ordinary people to restore what is broken - to bring rest to the weary, fullness to the empty, hope to the hurting. He is making all things new. But the beginning of this story is one of weariness, tragedy, and loss. We see in chapter 1 that our weariness comes from circumstances beyond our power and decisions within o...

Death is our enemy, but a defeated enemy because of the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He has the keys. He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

In this series, we want to learn from Jesus and his apostles about how to engage our disciple-making mission with one very simple but powerful strategy: the invite. In this passage, Jesus provides a model for how to invite others into your life through intentionality ("the next day again..."), curiosity ("what are you seeking?), and hospitality ("come and you will see").    35 The next day again J...

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."  Living without The Lord looks like seizing control of my life - my work, my world, through my worry - and with it vanity and anxiety. Living with The Lord looks like surrendering control of my life - and receiving meaning and purpose, rest and peace.

Because The Lord has done great things for us, we have the experience of his past faithfulness, the encouragement of his present faithfulness, and the expectation of his future faithfulness. 

Those who trust in the Lord are secure in the Lord, surrounded by the Lord, and saved by the Lord. We express our trust through prayer for provision, protection, and peace. 

Pilgrim Songs #5: If It Had Not Been The Lord (Psalm 124)

Pilgrim Songs #4: Have Mercy Upon Us, O Lord! (Psalm 123)

Pilgrim Songs #3: Let Us Go to the House of The Lord (Psalm 122)

Pilgrim Songs #2: My Help Comes from The Lord (Psalm 121)

Pilgrim Songs #1: I Called to The Lord (Psalm 120)

Starting Point #5: The Church (Romans 12:1-21)

Starting Point #4: The Standards (Acts 15:1-35)

Starting Point: The Christian Life (Galatians 5:13-26)

Starting Point #2: The Bible (2 Timothy 3:14-17)  

Starting Point #1: The Gospel Starting Point is our class for those exploring membership with Back Creek Church. In this series, we take a deeper dive into that content as a helpful refresh for our members and to help our guests know better who we are and why we exist. It all starts with the Gospel. 

On the morning of the resurrection of Jesus, the women at the tomb (and through them, we) receive three invitations: Come and see! Come and worship! Go and tell!

For Jesus to have been persecuted unto death must have looked and felt to everyone involved - both his followers and his enemies - that he had lost and his enemies had won. But persecution means the opposite of how it looks and feels! The darkest hour in human history - this trial of weakness, mocking, humiliation, crucifixion, condemnation, and death - meant the decisive victory of God over sin,...

Those who persecuted Christ and those who persecute His Church do so because they are deceived by the evil one - we see this in the crowds who shouted "crucify him!" Because they were deceived, the crowds rejected Jesus. Because they were deceived, the crowds released Barabbas. Because they were deceived the crowds received judgment. Recognizing the reality of deception should help us in the way w...

Jesus not only prepares us to endure persecution for His sake, He endured persecution for our sake. In Matthew 26:47-27:31, we see Jesus face persecution from cowards who had the opportunity to honor Him, but chose instead to participate through: Betrayal (Judas) Abandonment (Disciples) Denial (Peter) Abstaining (Pilate) Mocking (Soldiers) Yet, ultimately we must realize that we are as responsible...

Jesus taught that those who were persecuted for his sake would be blessed. And Jesus himself endured persecution from the most revered and respected men in his community - the council of the Sanhedrin, with all their civil, social, and religious power, would seek to kill him from false motives, by false witness, with false judgment. A disciple is not above his master, so we can expect to face this...

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake - Jesus expects us to face persecution as we seek to live as citizens of His kingdom in the hostile kingdom of this world. And how does he teach us to respond to persecution arising from irreconcilable value systems? Not with retaliation for, retreat from, or reveling in our persecution - but rejoicing! Why? Because the reward is the rea...

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Our God is a peace-making God and He makes us agents and ambassadors of peace in the world. We pursue peacemaking through faith, fellowship, forgiveness, focus, and following Jesus's example and command.