CCW Podcast

The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the most important doctrines of the New Testament yet, it is also the least understood and the least talked about. Because the Holy Spirit is a person that we can't see, feel, touch, taste, or smell, we wonder if He is really real. Our culture makes us think of him as a ghost, much like an imaginary character; but nothing could be farther from the tru...

This week we will be looking at the Biblical Principles for Financial Blessings out of Malachi 3:7-12. The young man had never dreamed of earning so much money. What would his father say now? What would his friends think? How proud his mother would be of him. Back in Ontario, however, the parents of Robert Nicholas were very concerned about their son. Six dollars for a sixty-hour week was too much...

We’re taking time to learn what it means to be a Grace Giver. Last week we learned that our giving to the Lord is about our grateful response to the grace of God and and exercise of the continued grace of God in our lives rather than the grudging duty to try to win God’s favor. In light of all the motivation we have to give generously, out of grace, the question I must then ask is “Why is it that...

When we fail to see all of life as a sacred trust from God, over which we have been made stewards (mangers or administrators), we run the risk of thinking and acting worldly with what God has given us. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "But you shall remember the Lord your God: it is He that gives you power to get wealth." We're going to begin the new year looking at what it means to be a Grac...

To understand the significance of the city of Bethlehem, you have to reach deep into the history of the Old Testament. The word Bethlehem occurs forty-one times in the Old Testament in eleven different books over a period of some 1300 years. It was a small town, but very significant in the life of Israel as a nation. This Sunday we will trace some of the events that took place in this small town a...

Usually at this time of year, we focus on the virgin Mary, the shepherds, the wise men, and of course, the baby Jesus who was born to die, the Son given to reign as King and Lord of our hearts. When was the last time you heard a sermon preached about Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus? Granted, we are told little about him in Scripture, and he is missing from the adult life of Jesus, but there is...

December is here and so we begin our celebration of the birth of Jesus! We'll begin looking at the Christ of Christmas by answering the question, "Why the Virgin Birth?". An 11th century English philosopher and theologian by the name of Anselm wrote a book entitled "Why Did God Become Man?". Anselm listed four methods God has used in His making of a human being. First, the...

Jonah has been running on empty and has lost the will to live. If he can't get his own way, he would rather die. Jonah has spoken what is on his mind and now God has a few things to say to him. By word and deed, God will try to bring Jonah to his senses. It seems that Jonah has a bad case of Stinkin' Thinkin'. He has a rotten attitude that renders him useless in God's service....

We all like happy endings to our stories and books. Chapter three of Jonah ends with repentance, mercy, and spiritual victory in Nineveh. God wins. But the book doesn't end there, chapter four deals with anger and jealousy, despair, discouragement, and depression. Though the book does not end the way we would like, we can be thankful it doesn't end with the third chapter. We would miss t...

The writer of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 3 that when we hear God's voice, we should respond "Today" and not put it off until tomorrow. Promptness is one of the great attitudes of obedience. Immediate obedience is an important key to growing spiritually and keeps us from being detoured in our walk with God. God is primarily interested in our response to His Word, not with how many...

The God of Second Chances. This week in our study about Jonah, we are reminded that God is a merciful God. Jonah's detour of disobedience is about to end. God is preparing Jonah to return to the course of blessing, usefulness, effectiveness, and service, if Jonah is willing. Can you relate to Jonah? You may have messed up, and think God can't use you again. But that is Satan's great...

The book of Jonah has been used of the Lord to work on all of us! This week as the saga continues, the conduct of Jonah begins to improve. From open rebellion to the call of God as we saw him belligerently and unashamedly running away from obedience to God, to being the only soul on board the storm-tossed ship not praying during a time of life and death crisis, we eventually see his conduct change...

The title of the message this week is "The Greatest Fish Story Ever Told". The greatest fish story of all times is the story of Jonah and the big fish! Unlike many fish stories, this one is absolutely true! Because this story is so extraordinary, it makes the book of Jonah a prime target for those who refuse to believe the Word of God. The book of Jonah, more than any other portion of sc...

No one lives unto himself. The guilt of one man can endanger the lives of many. The misconduct of a President can scar a nation. The impurity of a Pastor can devastate a church. The sin of a Christian can affect the entire church family. The crime of one person can burden a city with millions of dollars of expenses from law suits. The greed of Achan cost the lives of many in Israel's army. Jo...

The book of Jonah has much to say about our responsibility and duty as a Christian. Throughout the book, God calls Jonah to do a job for him. He even calls a big fish to do a specific job. How we respond to the call of God is the subject of the book. We are warned about the consequences of disobedience and encouraged to be obedient to God. People today are not necessarily interested in the subject...

The book of Jonah is one of the most incredible books in the Bible. It is filled with mystery and intrigue. And yet it is a book that has taken a great deal of abuse. Perhaps no other book in the Bible has suffered at the hands of critics like Jonah has. Why has this happened? Simply because the events recorded in it are unfamiliar to us. There have been no recent news reports of a man being swall...