Christ Presbyterian Church

Author and pastor Sharon Hodde Miller talks about a better way to approach control and the power that God gives us through agency, self-control, and work of Jesus Christ.

This week Petey digs into what control actually costs us. Yet in Jesus, we find that our hope isn’t in more control; instead, Christ is in control so we don’t have to be.

Melissa starts our series by looking at Genesis 3 and exploring why we are so driven to seek after control and how our methods of control can live in the secular world, while we find hope as images of God, surrendered to Him.

As we celebrate Christmas, Petey reflects on Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her heart of faith. May we, too, welcome Him as the Hope of the world: our Messiah and Promised One.  

Emily dives into the difficult story of Bathsheba—her silence and woundedness—and how God sees her and ultimately enters into our pain through the person of Jesus . . . who alone can bring healing.

In the person of Ruth, we see the ways her character points to Jesus. Petey also reveals that selflessness always requires risk, and asks us: Will we let go and risk receiving the love of God . . . and showing that love to others? 

This week Petey illuminates how God uses Rahab, an unlikely person like Jesus, to fulfill His promises. This further reminds us that no matter our story, we are not disqualified by God. 

During Advent we are exploring the 5 women found in the lineage of Jesus found in the book of Matthew. This week Petey shares the story of Tamar, a woman who acts unconventionally in her pursuit of justice. And when Jesus breaks into our story, we are not condemned to carry the weight of injustice—we are freed through His sacrifice for us on the cross.

As we conclude Romans 8, Emily inspires us with this overwhelming truth: If nothing can separate us from God’s love, then we are set free from fear, and we can take the risk to dive into the brokenness of the world.

What’s better than Jesus? While we often conclude we are the best option for a good life, Petey challenges us to try out the goodness of God and see that it’s undefeated.

As we look at verses 26-30, Petey encourages us this week with this hope: What God has started in your story, He will finish for His glory.

Melissa dives into verses 18-25, teaching us that we have hope today because of the future God has promised—impacting how we live in the “already and not yet.”

As Petey shares from verses 12-17, we see our unique status and identity as a child of God. As we live into the reality of that relationship, how do we live differently as His beloved?

This week Jonathan explores how our lives change when the Holy Spirit makes His home in us, then challenges us to consider if we have a “guest” relationship with the Spirit or a “move-in” relationship.

Petey kicks off our series on Romans 8 by first asking: Where are you carrying the weight of doing better? He then encourages us to receive the gift of the Spirit and release the burden of sin and condemnation. In Him we are set free!

Does what we say we believe make a difference in our lives? Petey concludes our series by challenging us to be neighbors who tangibly demonstrate God’s great big love.

This week Emily shares how the Gospel is a story that forms us as a community, moving us into a new family where we vulnerably share our lives with one another.

If we are to be a Spirit-led church, we need to better understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Petey unravels some of the mystery by emphasizing that the Spirit reminds us of who we are, rooting our identity in Jesus and the power of our salvation.

Petey reminds us that the Gospel is good news—and when the Gospel matters to us, we move beyond ourselves and to deeper dependency on Jesus.

This week we see that Jonah views his relationship with God as a transaction—not a relationship. Melissa shares that where Jonah chooses self-righteousness and forgets God’s mercy, Jesus chooses to die in order to save the world . . . revealing a life of sacrifice and a God who goes to every length to extend grace to us.

Special Guest Dana Allin (Synod Executive of ECO) inspires us to reshape our mindset of what the mission of the Church is: that we are called to suffer and sacrifice together for the sake of the world.

In Jonah 3 we see Jonah deliver one of the worst sermons possible, yet we see God work to redeem the Ninevites through it. Petey shares how God sees the possibility in us even when we don’t—and how He uses us to be a conduit of His compassion and mercy to others. 

This week we see how God pursues Jonah with a storm. Emily explores how God, in the same way, disrupts our lives with a storm so we are in a place where God’s grace becomes tangible to us.

In our new series on Jonah, we discover a rebellious prophet who runs from God. Jonathan explores why Jonah does so, leading us to ask the question: how are we running from God . . . and what are we running to? 

Petey concludes our series by exploring the difference between spirituality and religion—and how we need practices in community to reinforce our soul’s need for Jesus.