CCW Podcast

It is significant that in Jesus’ parable of the sower, two of the three soils that failed to produce a crop represent people who did not know how to handle suffering. The rocky soil, pictures those who receive the word joyfully at first, but do not sink down roots, so that when affliction or persecution comes, they fall away. The thorny ground reflects those who seem to grow for a while, but then...

Good churches are hard to find! I often hear people. who were in a good church, share how they moved to a another town or community and seemed to have a great deal of trouble finding a healthy church. Sometimes. the church lacks vital worship. It's also possible that the fellowship could not find a pastor who faithfully preaches the Word. Sometimes the church is racked with dissension over pe...

How can we know if a trial is from the Lord, from Satan, or from our own making? How can we rejoice in trials when, honestly, we feel angry toward God? Is the anger natural or sinful? Is trusting God an impractical cliche or the most practical thing you can do in a trial? A person who has gone through a horrible trial angrily asks, “How can you trust a God who allows this to happen?" This Sun...

We are living in an extremely perverted age. Moral purity is fighting for its life. This world is steeped in its wicked debauchery as it seeks to serve and satisfy the desires of depravity. This could be expected from the world, but even many professing Christians have given in, surrendered to the moral contamination of the day. In chapter four of first Peter, we are reminded that if we are going...

1 Peter 3:18-22 shows us that the heart of the gospel is the fact that Jesus Christ who knew no sin, died for sinners. Peter closes this section on the unjust suffering of believers with the example of how Christ suffered unjustly to redeem the lost. Jesus’ atoning death forever eliminated the need for further sacrifices. When He died, the price for sin was fully paid, once and for all, by His she...

How do we honor God’s name? By doing His will on earth. Saint Francis once took a young monk with him to preach in town. But when they arrived they just chatted with vendors and talked to people on the street. Returning home, the novice asked Saint Francis why they hadn’t preached. He replied, “People listened; they observed our attitude and behavior. That was our message.” Paul writes “Take care...

One of the crucial factors involved in the maturing process of the Christian is the issue of the believer’s relationship with others Christians. If we can learn to get along with other Christians, and be patient when other believers are a pain, then he or she will grow and go forward for Christ and live The Good Life, which is the title of the message Sunday morning. If a Christian can’t deal with...

In last week's Easter message, we looked at Luke 24, when the two disciples and Jesus were walking to Emmaus. As the three approached the village at the conclusion of their trip, the couple begged the Lord to stay with them at their home since it was getting late. Jesus said yes and went home with them. As they sat together for the meal, the Lord took the bread, blessed it, and gave it to the...

This Easter Sunday's message is titled, "The Road to Joy!" The lives of many have been changed throughout history because of a road they took in their travels. The life of a man that was beaten by robbers on the Jericho road was saved by someone we know as the Good Samaritan. Saul’s life was drastically changed when he traveled on the road to Damascus, met Jesus, and was saved. Thes...

Speaking to believers, Peter said, ”Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles” (1Peter 2:12). This speaks of our behavior before the world. Honest speaks of more than just a person’s integrity. The word is translated Kalos in Greek which means good and beautiful. Conversation refers to more than the mouth but to the entire manner of life. “That they by your good works glorify God in the d...

Peter was a strong, impulsive fisherman, yet when he met Jesus, he bowed to his Lord. In his later years, when he wrote this letter of encouragement to the believers, he spoke of love, hope, humility, and our precious Jesus. This week's message is The Precious Stone from I Peter 2:4-7. In this passage we are reminded of how precious our Savior is and in turn how precious our lives are because...

The Lord deals with our distractions and spiritual decline in 1 Peter 1:13-17. This Sunday we will look at the Lord's call for us to be dedicated and committed to Christ. The questions that arise at this point are - How do we respond to the call? How do we remain devoted and dedicated to decency, faithful in fervency, concrete in consistency, unwavering in urgency, patient in persistence, int...

Inquiring Minds Want To Know! From 1 Peter 1:10-12, we see that the prophets prayed and diligently sought to understand the age when the Messiah would be sent to save men. They wanted to know the very same thing that the Lord’s disciples wanted to know when they asked about the Lord’s return. When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world? (Matthew 2...

This Sunday we will be looking at the important topic of suffering. Peter acknowledges that this life will bring all kinds of trials and sufferings, but reminds us that they only last for a little while, a little season. It's to be expected that we will have periods of heaviness or sorrow for all kinds of reasons. We are also reminded by the Apostle Peter that we have great joy when we recogn...

I’m not sure why, but preachers always seem to feel the need to come up with gimmicks or stories to use right before the offering, to motivate people to give. I’ve never felt the need to concoct anything like that in our church. The Word of God gives us so many amazing reasons for giving to Him, that we shouldn’t need any gimmicks to motivate people to give. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 we find five motiv...

During the month of January, we're looking at "How to Have a Healthy Church". In the Old Testament, during the time of the Babylonian exile, we find that the people of God and the city of Jerusalem were in terrible condition. The temple was a mess and the wall around the city was falling down. The Jews desperately needed someone who had a vision to restore Jerusalem to her former gl...

January is a time of fresh beginnings. We'll begin 2019 with a mini-series on How to have a Healthy Church. During Sunday morning Bible Study, we'll be studying what the Bible says about handling our finances so that we can become financially healthy. According to Ephesians 4:11-13, God gave the church her spiritual leaders for the purpose of promoting spiritual growth within the body of...

The title of the message this Sunday is “God’s Unspeakable Gift” from II Corinthians 9:15. This verse contains both Thanksgiving and Christmas in its eight short words. It begins with Thanksgiving when Paul says “Thanks be unto God”. It ends with Christmas when Paul speaks of “His unspeakable gift”. This verse is about giving thanks to God for His gifts to us. The word unspeakable means “indescrib...