Christ Community Church Podcast

Although it’s convenient and sometimes humorous to say "the devil made me do it," it is an outright lie. The devil does not make us do anything. We are born with sin – you can see this by simply watching a 2-year old. We don’t have to be taught to be mean to steal or to lie.

Pastor Nick Cash discusses the misconception that eternal life begins only when a Christ follower’s time on earth ends.

Pastor Derrick Shields addresses the notion that associating with and loving someone is equivalent to affirming sin in their life.

What does the Bible really say about judgment and when we should or shouldn't engage in it? Pastor Keith looks at a pair of key passages from Jesus and Paul on the topic.

Pastor Keith Cowart walks us through God's redemptive work, beginning at the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, and taking us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Our magnificent Creator is a missionary God. He is ever in pursuit of His mission – to fill all the earth with His glory! This is not some arrogant display; it is actually for us. We see this when we truly understand His glory.

This week our Harvest series turns to strangers, or “neighbors yet to meet,” which may be a more accurate term. Pastor Keith looks at three biblical harvest stories – three “divine appointments – and shares the stage with one of our members, who has his own outreach story to tell.

Pastor Keith cites Paul's teaching from the third chapter of 1 Corinthians to illustrate how God has done a work of sowing, watering and developing at Christ Community over the years, preparing the way for a new Lead Pastor to take over later this year.

Pastor Derrick Shields teaches on how to demonstrate and tell others about our faith in the places where we have the freedom to walk, talk and interact with others - the places where we spend the majority of our time.

Galatians 5:25 says, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit …" Here, in the context of celebrating 20 years of Christ Community Church, Pastor Keith shares how keeping in step with the Spirit sometimes means looking back; at other times, staying in place; and still others, moving forward.

To whom is God calling us to share the His love and gospel? We all have three concentric circles of influence: Family and friends; neighbors and associates; and strangers we encounter. In today's message, Youth Pastor Mike Hofer addresses the family and friends circle - perhaps the most diffi-cult of the three.

The love and compassion Jesus felt for the shepherd-less multitudes was not an end in itself. It moved him to action - to call his disciples to prayer and then to send them out.

When Jesus saw people who were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:35), he had compassion on them. He was stirred by love. This is the fuel for harvest as we obey his call to go and share the good news of eternal life in him.

Our view of the world is critical in the call to Harvest, for how we see the world at large has a huge impact on how we see people.

Pastor Keith presents a look at Isaiah, who was overcome by the glory of God and subsequently responded to His call to "go" with a response of complete obedience: "Here am I. Send me!"

Pastor Keith shares his beginning-of-the-year “State of the Church” message and looks ahead to a renewed call on us, as a church and as individuals, to go into Jesus’ harvest field and tell others about Him.

We are on the cusp of a new year! It’s a fresh start. We are motivated to make changes, to commit to new things, to make a difference in our lives and in the world. Pastor Mike Hofer explores how these ideas, drives and sentiments boil down to one focal word: Hope.

The expectancy we feel at Christmas echoes the longing of our souls for Christ’s return. Pastor Nick Cash’s Christmas Eve message calls us to connect the miracle of the Savior-who-came with His promise to come again in full and final triumph!

In this Advent series, we have considered how we prepare for His arrival, doing so with faith-filled anticipation, and we have pondered the meaning of it all in the story of the shepherds. Today we reflect, through the story of the Magi, on the appropriate response. How shall we respond to this good news, this Savior born to us who is Christ the Lord?

Pastor Mike Hofer leads us through Luke’s account of the Christmas story, which reveals not only the arrival of the Christ child, but also the arrival of the presence and prophecy of God, and the common to the uncommon.

Advent is a season of anticipation. We all are waiting for God to come, for Jesus to be born in our lives. In our story today, Simeon and Anna set great examples for how we can live well in anticipation.

We end this year with a focus on Advent, the season of the Christian year in which we celebrate the earthly arrival of Jesus our Savior King. Week 1 of this five-week message series addresses the extensive preparation God the Father made in sending us His Son.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 makes clear when we should give thanks: In ALL circumstances. When we do so, even in hardship, we experience God's presence, which is what we need above all else.

With a look at all four Gospel accounts of Jesus feeding the five thousand, Nick Cash explores how to be thankful when circumstances suggest otherwise.

Over the next three weeks, we will examine three different contexts for thanksgiving: In the ordinary moments of life, in lacking – those moments when it seems there is not enough – and in the hard moments of pain and struggle. Today we explore the first of these.