Community Christian Church

In the calming of the fierce storm, the disciples move from asking “Do you even care?” to “Who is this man?” Fearing the right thing is an essential part of maturing in faith. “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom (Prov. 9:10).”   Jesus is Lord over all creation, he is with us, and he is on his throne. When things are difficult it is important to remind ourselves who Jesus is and where Jes...

Jesus doesn’t want to keep us in the dark, rather He desires to illuminate us. Especially our understanding of the Kingdom.

"But…the rocky soul can in time turn into rich soil. Among souls, the wayside may come no longer to be trampled by all that pass, and may become a fertile field. The thorns may be destroyed and the seed enjoy full growth. For had this not been impossible, this sower would not have sown." - John Chrysostom

There is no such thing as "Jesus and;" it’s always "Jesus or." Jesus requires full and complete allegiance.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? This is a question many of us have when it comes to following Jesus. Do we stay in the interested crowd or do we become an apprentice to the master. Jesus meets us where we are but is not content to leave us there. He wants us to experience life and life to the full, this is why he came.

The Sabbath was meant to be a liberating experience and a day of freedom but it had been turned into something different. By healing a man on the Sabbath Jesus shows that it is a day to be renewed and restored by God.

Jesus calls Levi, a man on the outside, to be his disciple. Levi drops everything to follow Jesus because what Jesus was offering was far better than the things he was chasing. This is the new way of God's Kingdom being brought by Jesus.

Jesus cannot be classified as only a good moral teacher or even simply a Rabbi, He has the power to forgive sin and only God can do that. Since Jesus is God, there is nothing not worth doing to get people to Him. 

The ministry of Jesus is one that calls us away from ourselves and into a Kingdom life in which everything revolves around Him.

"What do you want?" is one of the primary questions of the gospels. The gospel (good news) we believe says a lot about what we think will give us the life we want. The Gospel of Mark is the gospel; it is the good news that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God who has come to bring peace on earth. 

Jesus left us with the command to “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” A gospel that he himself brought in both word and deed. Often there is confusion as to what the gospel is. When properly understood, the gospel drives everything we do and makes possible genuine hospitality. Divine hospitality leads to gospel hospitality. 

When God created humans, he set them in a Garden to “work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2). Built into our humanity is the call of God to make our world more like Eden. What we do with our resources– time, money, gifting and capacity–matters to God (and to others). At its best, work is an expression of love and justice. At its worst, of ambition and greed. Our work often generates money; how we...

In a culture that stresses work as the means to consuming and consuming as the key to happiness, rest does not make sense. Dallas Willard once quipped that work is the new cultural “drug of choice”, therefore rest, including practising sabbath, is a critical discipline in the reformation of our lives. Rest reminds the Christian that they are not defined by their ability to produce or consume, rath...

We are relational beings, created by a relational God for relationship. What relationships form our community before God? Who do we walk the way of Jesus alongside? And what are we doing to create, nurture, and deepen relationships of vulnerability and accountability?

We are not just spirit or mind, but also body. The way to the heart is through the body and so habits and bodily action are vital in forming who we become. What we think and believe must be accompanied by action.

What we give our attention to is the person we become. The stories we believe profoundly shape who we are. What are the stories about life that you believe? How does internalising the gospel story form our hearts and minds into people who desire the Kingdom of God?

Jesus made it a habit of life to abide with the Father. If Jesus thought it was important, shouldn't we? We need to be people who can stop and rest in Christ. We need times of being with Jesus and not actively doing things for Jesus.    

You already have a regular way of life you just may not realise what it is and it probably isn’t intentional. Everything you do is a spiritual discipline because it is forming your spirit. Do you know what your regular life is doing to you? Who are you becoming and is it who you want to be? Developing a regular way of life is a means to an end. The end is to be with Jesus and become like him more...

Exodus 34:6-7 is probably the most quoted Bible passage by the Bible. In these verses, God shares His name with Moses. What God reveals to Moses is much more than a name, God shares His character and identity which define Him to the core. What God wants for us is not just to know about God, but to look and be like Him. We are created in His image and our everyday lives should show the world what H...

"Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished..."  There are many things in the Bible that are difficult to reconcile with our modern Western view of the world. Because of this, it can be tempting to stay away from these passages of Scripture. In this sermon, rather than shy away, we attempt to understand who God is on his own terms and what it means for you and me as we follow Jesus. 

Exodus 34:6-7 is probably the most quoted Bible passage by the Bible. In these verses, God shares His name with Moses. What God reveals to Moses is much more than a name, God shares His character and identity which define Him to the core.   God's desire is for relationship (covenant) with us. Though we fail, He perfectly keeps His side of the covenant. It is who He is.

Exodus 34:6-7 is probably the most quoted Bible passage by the Bible. In these verses, God shares His name with Moses. What God reveals to Moses is much more than a name, God shares His character and identity which define Him to the core. God is SLOW to anger, but he is still slow to ANGER. You can make God angry, but you have to work at it. His baseline character is one of patience. This is seen...

Exodus 34:6-7 is probably the most quoted Bible passage by the Bible. In these verses, God shares His name with Moses. What God reveals to Moses is much more than a name, God shares His character and identity which define Him to the core. When God reveals his character he starts by saying he is a God of compassion and mercy. God, within the context of relationship, acts to forgive the needy.

Exodus 34:6-7 is probably the most quoted Bible passage by the Bible. In these verses, God shares His name with Moses. What God reveals to Moses is much more than a name, God shares His character and identity which define Him to the core. This week we discuss the fact that there are spiritual beings at work in this world. While powerful, they are nothing when compared to Yahweh. Jesus is Yahweh co...