Christ Community Church (formerly ECC)

Hebrews 11:1-2, 20-22. This week’s message explores the life of Jacob – the self-reliant deceiver who eventually becomes the namesake of God’s family of faith. Join us as we explore how God worked blessing into Jacob’s life in the midst of his sin and shaped him into a person who depended on Him amidst the struggles of his life.

Each time a Christian looks at the Scripture, he or she is encountering Jesus. No matter what the passage, the larger narrative of the Bible is always about the Word. Sometimes Christ is hidden deeply within the story, but he is always there. Come encounter the story within the story as we look at the life of Isaac.

Faith doesn't come to us all at once, it is a growth process. Let's look at the stages of faith in the life of Abraham.

What does it mean to walk in the faith-steps of Noah? Noah believed God and acted accordingly. What does this look like today?

“He walked with God and then he was no more because God took him.” This summary of the life of Enoch is the ultimate description of walking with God by faith. Enoch had such a deep relationship with God that the Lord decided to walk him right on to his eternal reward without ever experiencing death. Wow! Let’s think about that.

This begins a new series on Hebrews 11, a passage that describes those who have walked by faith. Some of the characters are not the people we might have picked as the best examples of Christian faith. However, the author of Hebrews picked them for a reason. Why these folks, and what can we learn from them?

When we trust Christ for salvation, we are given a new life today and the promise of an eternal life with God. That is the personal good news, but according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18-25 the good news also includes a promise for all of creation. Let's consider the enormous breadth of the gospel and the ways we might participate in the coming of God’s kingdom.

Pastor John opens our two-week spring missions focus. How are you reaching out with Christ's love? Contact the church office for a booklet on what people in our congregation are already doing and get some ideas!

Like the people who shouted "Hosannah!" at Jesus arrival to Jerusalem and later chanted "crucify him," we, along with generations before us, have also misunderstood our King. At Easter, we stop to remember our need for the grace of God. We remember, too, that he stands ever ready to give us that grace.

"Ready to Rumble." This week's message in our Words to Live By series (1&2 Timothy) explores the Apostle Paul's comparison of the life of faith to a battle. We'll think about the importance of recognizing that faith is something believer's must contend for, consider strategies for fighting the battle well, and reflect on the goal we're chasing after in all of this as we follow after Christ .

Josiah's sermon, "The Gospel Example," starts a 4-message series that will take Connexion to the end of the semester called Words to Live By. This series will look at key insights from Paul's letters to Timothy and consider how they impact the way we live today as followers of Christ.

A look at the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as their one and only true king, foretold in Zechariah 9:9-10. We oftentimes try to reign over our own lives instead of acknowledging the sovereignty of Jesus.

The Bible is honest enough to describe the weakness and failings of the New Testament disciples. However, few of the disciples seem more human than Peter. At one moment he claims that Jesus is the Son of God. At another, he denies that he ever knew Jesus. Between those two stories Jesus rebukes him for being a stumbling block on the way to the cross. Peter is both sinner and saint, a person who is...

When Jesus came to announce the Kingdom of God, he declared his lordship through miracles. Some of those miracles included specific encounters with the forces of darkness – a war with Satan and his demons. Some modern people are skeptical of the very idea of supernatural power. However, the life and teachings of Jesus include numerous direct encounters with spiritual darkness. What does this mean...

Mark 9:2-13 recounts the events on the Mount of Transfiguration and highlights the uniqueness of God's one and only Son. The passage isn't difficult to understand, but how are we supposed to respond to it? Why did the Gospel writers, three of them at least, think these events needed to be included in the story of Jesus and his path to the cross?

According to the parables in Mt. 13:24-35, there are three things we know: 1) The kingdom of God is invincible; 2) the kingdom of God is often invisible; and 3) we are not always capable of identifying how God is establishing his kingdom. Let’s consider the beautiful mystery of the visible and invisible kingdom of God.

Pastor John Mangrum brings his wisdom and Scripture to the question of cohabitation before marriage.

In Mark’s gospel Jesus’ call to discipleship is radical, immediate, and abbreviated. Simply, come and follow. Such a call to discipleship could be terrifying, liberating, or both. How does it seem to you?

Josiah discusses the Christian perspective on being single.

Jesus knows death, both the grief of others and the experience of it himself. The ancient Jews had customs of walking through a period of mourning that involved the community. Jesus' sacrifice provides the ultimate comfort for our grief; his death has brought us eternal life both now and in the life to come.

The Gospel writer John shows us that God's love came first and is not dependent on our ability to earn it.

Christ Community Church (formerly ECC)

"Does God really understand me? We're so different – God is God and I am human." This is a legitimate question with a real life answer: God understands me because in the person of Jesus Christ he walked in my shoes. The reality of God experiencing our humanity is especially evident in Matthew 4:1-11. The temptation of Jesus has much to teach us about the nature of God and humanity.

This week's message focuses on the baptism of Jesus – the moment his earthly ministry began. Jesus’ baptism shows us His submission to the Father, the Father’s love for His Son, and the central role of the Spirit in empowering Him for ministry. Join us as we explore this story and consider its profound implications on how we can walk through life as followers of Christ today!

Josiah considers the story of Sampson and what it teaches us about God's faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness.