Christ City Church Memphis

Religion and trite sentimentality are often used to explain away the deep complexities of the human experience; especially the things we would rather not dwell on. These quick answers can dampen our ability to reflect on our past and therefore hinders our potential for the future. What can Matthew’s gospel teach us about reflecting on another year that has passed? Tune in to find out.

The familiar Christmas hymn says, "Come and behold him born the King of angels!" On this first Sunday after Christmas, we behold the Christ-child. Who is this child? What's so special about him? Whether these are familiar realities or new ideas, may these thoughts stir your hearts towards worshiping Jesus this Christmas season.

The extraordinary wrapped in the ordinary.

Signs. We all find ourselves looking for them; from God, the universe, the guy we like. What does it mean to see and understand a sign of Divine origin? How can advent teach us to wait for the wisdom needed to interpret what we see and experience?

Are you sometimes ready to tap out? Do you grow tired of living in the tension? Are you exhausted by the struggle? On this Third Sunday in Advent, we encounter pastoral and meaningful words in the Epistle of St. James. James encourages us to wait, to wait with purpose, and to love one another all along the way. These ancient words speak remarkably to our own context as a church, so listen in on th...

Advent is about waiting. Waiting can be rife with anxiety, distraction and avoidance. Waiting can also be an imaginative space of mystery propelling you into your real life. What if you could choose?

Today begins the season of Advent, a time when followers of Jesus eagerly anticipate the arrival of our Lord. Waiting can be hard, but it's something that we all experience throughout life. During this Advent season, what exactly are we waiting for? And what does our waiting look like? Listen in to discover ways you can faithfully wait so that you can more fully feast when Christmas arrives.

Sometimes we assume that because something is familiar to us that we understand it. We talk about it using words and phrases that have been repeated over and over and we feel confident we are describing it accurately. That is until someone shows up looking carefully, possibly seeing it for the first time, and says “Did you ever notice this ?” And we realize, although we were familiar, we did not u...

This week’s reading comes from the book of Malachi. It’s an ancient text that upon first glance seems very disconnected from our lives today. But as we take a closer look, we find a timeless story of a community who comes to remember that God is a good and loving parent who is closer to us than we think.

"Hope is a dangerous thing." Red in The Shawshank Redemption was right! Said differently – hope is a powerful thing. This morning we explore the unique hope that followers of Jesus have, and how it affects powerful change right here and now.

Have you ever found yourself willing to compromise what you believed was right in order to get ahead? Most of us would answer yes even if it was in ways we would consider insignificant. How do we move forward in a life of compromise? A life where we, and the world around us, have made decisions to secure a more comfortable life at the expense of others? Jesus points us toward a way forward.

This week's reading strikes at the core of what it means to be human and exposes a fundamental need that we all share: to be seen. Unfortunately, however, we often go about chasing after the fulfillment of that right need in all the wrong ways. This parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector has much to teach us about what it means to be healthy and whole humans, and it offers a surprising invi...

What does prayer look like? Depending on who you ask you can get a very different picture. Listen in as we explore images of prayer that can inspire, challenge and comfort us as we seek connection with the Divine.

Jesus talks about the kingdom of God more than anything else. And as we uncover two essential elements of this kingdom, we discover that it's something all of us are really longing for, deep down. So how do we respond? What does this fascinating story about Naaman in this ancient book have to teach us today? Listen in as we discover a rich invitation!

Have you ever had to wait for God to show up? Maybe for an answered prayer, or a broken relationship, or a healing in your life? The answer is probably “yes.” If we can’t control when God will answer, how do we live in the space between a request and a desired result? Listen in as we unpack this longing we all have, and seek to discover how we live in the space between.

We are all looking for help in times of trouble. We are all looking for comfort in times of despair. Listen in as we talk through a Psalm that speaks to these needs and how we can know that God is with us, even when we doubt it the most.

Psalm 113 If you live your faith out long enough, you might find yourself coming to a place of complacency and being disgruntled, mumbling internally, "what does it matter?" What does it matter to pray? What does it matter to reach out to God in my distress? What does it matter.... Yet, there's always more -- more life, more healing, more love to receive from God and give to others. There's a "yes...

John 11:1-6, 32-44 We all long for refreshment. Some people respond to life in such a way that their very presence brings refreshment to those around them. What qualities does this type of person possess? Listen in as we immerse ourselves in a gospel story where the shape and color of a refreshing life becomes clear. To learn more about our Vision & Mission please visit christcity.org/vision-m...

Mark 4:30-32 & Ephesians 4:11-16 Purpose. It's something every person in every generation searches for. Does what I'm doing really matter? Do I really matter? At Christ City, reimagining your purpose is central to who we are. But it's a weird concept: "reimagine your purpose." Listen in as we unpack this strange but rich invitation to a more robust purpose and ultimately a deeper and more sati...

Mark 10:46-52 This week we look at the first part of our mission at Christ City Church: recover your life. We believe, just like the blind man Bartimaeus, Jesus wants the deep and true things we desire for ourselves — to recover our sight, to recover our lives. But it takes neediness, and that’s something few of us truly ever get to. Listen in as we unpack the neediness of this blind man, and how...

Colossians 1:15-29 There is a yearning in us to know where we come from. We want to know if there is a caring being responsible for us and our world. We wonder, “If God exists, is it possible to know One who seems so mysterious and unreachable?”. Even if we accept that Jesus is the incarnation of God, is reading about someone in a book the same as knowing them? Join us as we find encouragement and...

Galatians 5:1-6 Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “where is all this headed?” Maybe about your life, or career, or a relationship? It’s important for us to be honest about where we are and where we want to be, and that’s the conversation we want to start with this series on the vision and mission of Christ City Church. To learn more about our Vision & Mission and to watch “The Pendulum...

Acts 27:1-26, 37 As we come to our final sermon of an year long journey through the book of Acts, we come to Paul sailing to Rome. Met with violent storms and on a boat with people who’ve seemingly been his enemies, we find Paul and company learning to trust in one another and God. Listen in as we unpack what it means to do life together not only with those who we find commonality and comfort with...

Acts 26:1-32 Have you ever found yourself in a season of life where you just felt stuck? Maybe you were trying to make good, godly life decisions but found it only lead to more misery.  If so, you can relate to Paul. Listen in as we unpack what it was like for Paul to be in prison, and how God used him for great things in the midst of hard times.

Acts 22:22-29 Paul does something very interesting in this week's text: he acknowledges and even uses to his advantage his privilege as a Roman citizen. This story presents an opportunity for us to take a larger cultural conversation about privilege a step further. Listen in as we unpack privilege and look to Paul and Jesus as guides to help us reflect on this important question: what do you do wi...