Christ Church Fox Chapel Podcast

Rev. Alex leads a combined sermon and background study to the passage in place of the regular podcast as we look at one of the most famous restarts in the Old Testament. Readings from this week's service: 1 Kings 18: 17-40 Psalm 56: 3, 11-13 Matthew 7: 21-23 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

The third tenet of membership is Contribute. In this sermon, Rev. Ben explores the biblical and spiritual principles behind this call, and why God graciously invites you to contribute to the family of faith. Readings from this service: Acts 4: 32-37 Psalm 24: 1-6 Matthew 6: 19-24 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

Rev. Alex & Rev. Ben H. muddle through without Rev. Ben W. this week as they contemplate what contributing (is it con -tri-bute or con- tri -bute???) means in the context of membership. God has called us here for a purpose. Contributing is not limited to this hill or this building, but everywhere as we are part of a larger body. Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Vis...

What does it mean to be connected? Church members are connected to God—and to one another—through the blood-bought mercy of Christ. The Gospel joins even the most diverse group of people into a unified body. Readings from this service: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27 Psalm 133 John 17: 20-26 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

Rev. Alex and his wife Kat lead this week's podcast.  They talk about what it means to be a connected member of the church, and the many parts it takes to make up the full body of members. Everyone's gifting is essential! Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

We are a broad church, at different stages in our faith and with many subtle differences in our views. But there are some key non-negotiable commitments, without which membership here makes no sense.    (1)    To be a Christian is to commit to Christ. The shortest creed is “Jesus is Lord”. He is Lord of all, or not Lord at all.  (2)    He reveals himself and his will for us in scripture and he cal...

Rev's Alex, Ben & Ben talk about the first of the three core components that define church membership: committing.  Committing to Jesus and scripture, not a building or an idea. Sometimes this means accepting correction. Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

Our new series Restart: Commit, Connect, Contribute , begins this week. Believers have always assembled together for worship. And the early church was especially characterized by its devotion to one another.   A passive, consumerist, materialist, or individualist understanding of church as a place to go to get something for yourself fundamentally misunderstands what church really is.  Readings fro...

Rev. Alex is joined by his wife, Kat, and our Assistant Children's Minister, Tami Fire, to introduce our new series Restart: Commit, Connect, Contribute. What does church mean? Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

In the final week of our Thessalonians series, Rev. Alex talks about how the Holy Spirit calls and equips all of us for a ministry of the gospel.  Readings from this service: 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-28 Psalm 51: 9-12 Luke 6: 32-36 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

As the clergy explore our last reading in the Thessalonians series (1 Thessalonians 5: 12-28) they explore what it means to treat each other with grace, both interpersonally and as a congregation. Sometimes this can be awkward, but we are trying to help ourselves and others live life as Jesus would. Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

As we near the end of our Thessalonians series, Niki returns to break down 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 with Rev. Alex & Rev. Ben W. This week's topic: judgement. Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

We can be encouraged about judgment because justice will be served on those who reject the gospel. The double encouragement is that those who receive the gospel are ready and even spared from such destruction by grace through faith.   If we really know the truth that Christ is judged for us, our encouragement should go viral.  Readings from this service: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 Psalm 149 Matthew 2...

Many of us take our eschatology from Disney: both overstating and understating the significance of death at the same time. We pretend it is “nothing at all” and make up ideas that gloss over our grief, but deep down we know that death is real and so we often feel despair, even if we hide it. But resurrection is real. So those who receive the gospel, can grieve with hope. Readings from this service...

The full complement of the clergy return for this week's episode discussing 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.  How do we deal with death and what does the resurrection mean to us? Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

 The Thessalonian church seems to have been as confused about love as our world is today with too much selfish love (excessive physical pleasure for ourselves, and insufficient practical care for ourselves and others).  Readings from this service: 1 Peter 2: 9-12 1 Thessalonians 4: 1-12 Psalm 133 John 15: 12-14 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Downloa...

Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

The one-and-only Niki De Luca (our Finance Manager) returns to the podcast this week. The group discusses 1 Thessalonians 3: 6-13.  What is holiness? Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

We especially need encouragement when we are afflicted or under distress and pressure. As believers grow in the power of the gospel, they learn to love more and increase in holiness. Readings from this service: 1 Thessalonians 3: 6-13 Psalm 30: 5-8, 1-13 John 15: 9-12 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

In this week's episode, Rev. Alex identifies two themes that are starting to emerge from Paul's letter to the Thessalonians:  the affection that Paul has for his fellow believers and the affliction that they are all experiencing. These conflicting themes don't normally go together, but it's possible that the affliction is encouraging the affection, amplifying what is already th...

We can be encouraged by the power of the gospel in the lives of others in our church and be encouraged by any participation we’ve had in that work, knowing there is an eternal pay off for it.  A jolly good thing, because often gospel life is hard and our work will come under attack.  Readings from this service: 1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:5 Psalm 16: 9-12 Matthew 24: 4-13 Thanks for listening! CONNECT...

Rev. Alex & Rev. Ben W. discuss this week's passage, 1 Thessalonians 2: 8-16. They delve into the parental images of mother from last week's passage and father in this passage.  Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

Often gospel ministry is embedded in the lives of others (not just a lecture from the front, but care in their homes). It can be hard work, but the power of the gospel goes to work harder than we do. Readings from this service: 1 Thessalonians 2: 8-16 Psalm 34: 4-8 Matthew 5: 10-12 Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook Visit our website Download our app!

Paul contends for the authenticity of their ministry (perhaps it was questioned or he knew they would be criticized soon).  Part of the power of the gospel in them is their willingness to work hard, and love gently, even when their motives are questioned. Like Jesus. Readings from this service: Isaiah 40: 10-11 1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8 Psalm 12: 1-3, 8-9 John 5: 41-44 Thanks for listening! CONNECT w...

Rev. Ben and the brilliant Stephanie Wulpi deliver this week's episode from their (oddly quiet) dining room in Sharpsburg. In this week's scripture, 1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8, Paul finds himself defending his ministry to the Thessalonians by reminding them of what they already know and that they are all ministers of the Gospel.  Thanks for listening! CONNECT with CCFC: Visit us on Facebook...