CCW Podcast

Christmas is almost here! What a special time of worship and giving we'll share as we focus on the manger and join the wise men in bringing our gifts to Jesus! Make a special effort to be with us this Christmas celebration Sunday! You won't want to miss the message, A Gift Worth Giving. The writer of Hebrews 2 does a better job than any other New Testament writer in helping us to underst...

The shepherds heard first of Jesus’ birth. Have you every wondered why God chose shepherds to be the first recipients of the glorious news concerning Jesus’ birth? They were common people, no doubt put in charge of keeping the temple lambs. Yet heaven recognized their dedication and entrusted to them the news of God’s greater Lamb. Immediately they left everything to find Him. They were the first...

Now, folks, 2000 years ago, God came wrapped in an ordinary box. Yet Simeon saw him. You ask, ”How can you see the Christ child in an ordinary box? The answer is, you’ve got to be looking for Him! The good news of the Christmas season is that if you are looking for God today, you’re going to find Him. I never knew anybody that was looking for Christ who didn’t find Him. Simeon looked through the e...

Jesus said every act of kindness you show toward someone who’s hurting or in need you did it to him (Matthew 25:40). Wow! Maybe next time you’re too busy to show concern, that’ll make you stop and think. The story’s told of an angel visiting a wealthy man who happened to be on his deathbed. After the man listed all the things he’d like to take to heaven with him, the angel informed him, “You can o...

Faith is a key doctrine in the Christian life. The sinner is saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and the believer must walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) and whatever we do apart from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Faith is not some kind of nebulous feeling that we work up; faith is confidence that God’s Word is true and conviction that actin...

Last Sunday, we began our short series, titled Lessons from the School of Faith. This week, we will watch as Abraham wars by faith. Abraham was a remarkable example of courage as well as faith. God made rare promises to Abraham and Abraham believed God, even against all odds. The marks of Abraham’s courageous faith as he faced the circumstances of war are the characteristics we need in our lives t...

This Sunday we start our short series, titled Lessons from the School of Faith. In this School of Faith, Abraham will be the Dean. When we first believed in Jesus , at that initial point of salvation, we were enrolled in the School of Faith. Life itself is the class-room, and the Bible is our textbook. God has lessons for every season of life. In this four weeks together, we will learn from the li...

Difficult situations in life cause immediate and emotional responses, to which we often react impulsively without thinking. If we would but remember who God is and rehearse what he has done for us in the past, we would find ourselves rejoicing in spite of trials. Psalm 16 reminds us that God’s blessings are deeper than our difficulties. This Sunday we will see The Best Is Yet To Come.

Whoever said that ”God plus anyone equals a majority” had their math right. You can be completely alone, totally surrounded by negative circumstances, but still find protection and refuge in God. Retreating into God means victory, not surrender. This Sunday we will see King David’s prescription for triumphing in the midst of trouble. Prepare your heart for this message by reading and meditating on...

Because we never know where any day’s journey will lead, we don’t know where we’ll end up. Often the end of our road is that undesirable abode know as “Wits End” a place of frustration and confusion. Fortunately, we discover God has arrived ahead of us. If we could ever get the perspective in our spiritual life, that God can protect us from giant falls, we would have much more confidence in trusti...

Many people struggle throughout their lives because they cannot master their emotions. Unquestionably, feelings are a powerful things, and all of us struggle with them to one degree or another. Loneliness is one of the most powerful emotions we can experience. Devastating life events like the death of a love one, loss of employment, failure of business, a debilitating or terminal illness, being sl...

Sometimes we can’t make sense out of life. Things happen that we don’t understand, or we don’t plan on, and we respond at times in ways we wish we hadn’t. Yesterday we were on the peak, today we are in the valley, and tomorrow we be on the plain. Some people can’t handle the changes, but David, in Psalm 31, helps us to make sense out of life’s roller coaster. Join us this Sunday as we take a close...

On the map of every person’s life there is a wilderness place or maybe even several such places. Survival is what we think of first when we think of desert places. Not prospering, not rejoicing, just surviving. David took a different approach and blossomed spiritually in his desert places. This Sunday we will look at How to Prosper in Desert Places from Psalm 63.

Often our desire for worshiping the Lord is tied to how we feel about life. If life is good, we worship readily; if life is hard, we don’t. But worship should not be tied to circumstances. Worship should be a constant for the Christian regardless of the direction life takes. This Sunday we will look at Psalm 138 at how we worship the Lord in times of trouble.

Most of us have been in a place like David was at some time in our life. Perhaps there is a long-standing health problem or financial situation that appears to have no solution. Maybe there is a personal relationship that places a constant source of strain on your life, or difficult work-related situation. Or maybe you have a wayward child for whom you have been praying for years. Whatever the cau...

If you have not already discovered it, you will find that the path of your life is rarely straight, smooth, and level. Instead, it tends to be bumpy with tall hills and deep valleys. We live in the twilight zone of up or down, in or out, faith or doubt, fear or courage, strong or weak, bursting or broke, happy or sad, healthy or sick, smart or not so smart, generous or selfish. We flow up and down...

It has been well said, ”Never doubt in darkness what God has revealed in the light.” When Christians go through difficult times in life, they often forget who they are and who God is. The secret to surviving dark days is focusing on the light of God’s truth. This Sunday we will be looking at Psalm 71 about life’s dark times and how to respond to them.

This Sunday we will be looking at how life’s troubles can make us stronger. Most people go through life trying to avoid pain. We use money, medicine, and any other method to protect ourselves. Scripture teaches the opposite. While we aren’t to seek trouble or trials, when they find us, we should look for the hidden lessons and blessings.

If you've lived any amount of time, you have come to know that life is full of tests and in the test of faith our allegiance is shown through ultimate surrender. This Sunday Pastor Rick's message is from Genesis 22 entitled "The Isaac Test."