NextStepCC

Hey Family, This Sunday we continue with our series called Hard Sayings of Jesus. Some of the things Jesus tells us are genuinely difficult to understand, and that's why they qualify as "hard sayings." Other times his words are perfectly clear--but we find them difficult to apply to our lives. This week we'll spend time talking about one of the most controversial things that Jesus ever said [and t...

Hey Family, Join us this week as Pastor Gus Rodriguez opens up God's word to help us understand why temptation comes to us. Clearly we are not exempt from facing temptation--Jesus himself was led into the wilderness to be tempted. It happens to us all. What does it reveal? What can we learn from such a situation? From Genesis to Revelation, God has been actively involved in providing for His creat...

Hey Family, Did you ever read something that Jesus said and say to yourself, "Ow, Jesus, that's harsh!" Sometimes he seems to be asking more than we can possibly deliver. Doesn't he want us to follow him? Then why does it seem so difficult sometimes? Answering that question will be the point of the new series called HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS, which starts this Sunday at 10 a.m. We're going to look at...

Hey Family, This week's message will be a powerful one. Have you ever done something that left you feeling absolutely ashamed? Being a Christian doesn't mean we won't have those feelings once in a while--but how do we deal with them in a new way? That's what the speaker this Sunday, Pastor Will McGee of Crossroads Church here in Brooklyn, will be talking about. How can we, as Christians, overcome...

There are moments when we pray for faith, not realizing that it is something we already possess. The real question is not whether we have faith, but what does faith look like? And who is my faith in? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Gus leads us in learning that faith is a journey and not a station. I look forward to seeing you at 10 a.m.

Special guest speaker Zac Martin

Hey Family, All of us have at one time or another experienced rejection. How you respond to rejection affects all that you do. Join us this Sunday as we learn how to have Victory over rejection. I hope to see you at 10 a.m.! --Edwin

Happy Mother’s Day! Every year we set aside one day out of the year to celebrate all that mothers do. It’s the one holiday that’s completely free from controversy, because everybody recognizes the value of mothers in society and in our own lives. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when we not only celebrate mothers but offer instruction on how to continue mothering in a way that glorifies Go...

Hey Family, I hope you've been blessed by our current series, Beginnings. This week we'll be looking at the basics of walking in Christ. Once we've been called away from our old identities to a new life in Christ, how do we respond? The answer lies in that wonderful how-to book, the Bible. Whether you're new to a relationship with Christ or you've been growing in that relationship for a long time,...

Hey Family, It was wonderful to see so many people at last week's Easter service. I hope that this will be a time of new spiritual growth for many of you. This week we continue with our new sermon series, BEGINNINGS. Last week we learned that we all have to start somewhere in our Christian walk. God meets us right where we are and, when we accept him as savior, we begin to walk alongside him. This...

Hey Family, Throughout our lives there many times when we can become completely distracted and fret over an issue rather than call upon our Heavenly Father and ask for his guidance in what we should do. This can cause us a great deal of strain. Worrying can affect our marriages, the way we parent our children, the choices we make in our working lives and in all our relationships. This Sunday is Pa...

Hey Family, We've been in a series called Encounters which looks at the New Testament and how people who encounter Jesus are never the same after that experience. Encounters with Jesus are meant to transform us and change us--and he does that very thing whenever he encounters sin in our lives. So how does it actually work? What does Jesus do to change us from people who are harming ourselves and h...

Hey Family, Every one of us has a moment in life where if we could go back in time, we would change what happened because there's so much pain attached to that mistake, that error in judgment. These moments can have a crippling effect on our lives. This week when we gather together we'll learn how our encounters with Jesus address even the darkest shame of our lives, enabling us to live free and w...

Hey Family, This Sunday at 10 a.m. we will share Communion together as a church family and continue with our series called Encounters, which leads up to Easter. But I'm pleased to announce that we also have a unique opportunity to bring hope to so many people. After service, those who would like to share their testimonies about recovery will be videotaped. Their messages will be used to help peopl...

Hey Family, I am so excited to be speaking this Sunday for the first time this year! I really think that God is going to move powerfully through this new series called Encounters, which will lead us up to our celebration of Easter. Major encounters never leave us the same. They always change us in some way. And this is never more true than when we're talking about Jesus. Whenever Jesus encountered...

Hey Family, Can you imagine what it would be like to hear Jesus himself speak from the pulpit? It happened to the people of Jesus' home town in the scripture that we will hear about on Sunday, when Pastor Pedro Rodriguez will bring the message. Jesus stood before the people of Nazareth and told them about the good news--good news for the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind...

Hey Family, How often do you invite a friend to church? When someone you know is in pain or is straying in dangerous ways, you may not know how to preach the gospel. You may not have the words that will lift the shadows from their heart. But you can always invite them to come with you to a Sunday service or prayer service. That's how we can do our part. The rest is up to God. I hope to see you thi...

Hey Family, A new life in Christ Jesus leads to a new way of living for us. Have you thought recently about what it means to be a born-again Christian? We often hear that term, but we may not know what it means. Jesus spells it out in the book of John, and this Sunday you are invited to hear Pastor Gus speak on the words of Christ regarding this topic. Use this opportunity to invite someone who ha...

Hey Family, I hope you'll make a special effort to join us this Sunday to hear guest speaker Pastor David Louw of Trinity Grace Church. He'll be talking about the new family we all join when we accept Christ as our Savior. Being part of that new family means we experience all kinds of blessings that we never had before. Service starts at 10 a.m.--hope to see you there!

Hey Family, If you attended our 10 p.m. New Year's Eve service, you heard Pastor Raymond Ramos give a passionate talk on Isaiah chapter 40. This Sunday he will continue that message. What happens when we trust in the Lord, even when it seems that he does not see our pain and our troubles? What happens when we come to understand who God truly is, and what he is able to do in our lives? You will be...

Hey Family, When you look around at the world we live in and the problems that so many people suffer from--poverty, homelessness, no way to speak up for themselves--what do you think? Do you have sympathy for those in need or do you turn aside and hope not to see anything too disturbing? God tells us in His word that we are to have a heart for the needy. What breaks God's heart should break ours a...

Hey Family, Every first Sunday of the month we take communion together as a church family. Have you ever wanted to get deeper into your understanding of that sacrament? Communion with Christ is being in union with Christ. During the Last Supper, Jesus established a new covenant in his body and blood. Faith in Christ leads us to commune with him. Come join us this Sunday at 10 a.m. as we learn of t...

Hey Family, The last week of an old year, and the beginning of a new year, are wonderful times for reflection. We get to think deeply about God's grace and mercy in our lives, and about where the Spirit has been leading us. This Sunday we'll talk about what new things look like, and how to start a new year not through following short-lived resolutions, but by being led by the Holy Spirit. I look f...

Hey Family, The last week of an old year, and the beginning of a new year, are wonderful times for reflection. We get to think deeply about God's grace and mercy in our lives, and about where the Spirit has been leading us. This Sunday we'll talk about what new things look like, and how to start a new year not through following short-lived resolutions, but by being led by the Holy Spirit. I look f...

Hey Family, This Sunday we're looking forward to a very special day as we come together with Resurrection Church for a joint service. The Bible speaks about how when Christians are unified, we demonstrate the beauty of Christ. So coming together is a very special thing to do, and this week we get an incredible opportunity to see how two different churches from two different backgrounds can really...