The CCUPC Cutting Room Floor

What does discernment look like when we want something closer to a scientific study? How do we learn to trust God and read the signposts along the way? Pastor James and Pastor Dena discuss Abraham and Sarah and how we can learn from their very modern way of dealing with unfulfilled promises.

How long should we wait for the promises of God before figuring some things out on our own? Pastor James looks at the example of Abraham and Sarah and the promise of Isaac. Genesis 18:1-15

How does scarcity mindsets affect our lives and the life of the church? What does this have to do with the trees of life and the knowledge of good and evil? Pastor James and Pastor Dena discuss this and more. Living Missionally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB5IWIDudkU Forgiving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB5IWIDudkU Hope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNabGxlNdLY

What was life like before sin was a part of the world? What were our relationships with God and others like? Pastor James explores this through Genesis 2:4-25.

What does it look like to live into the mission of God? What will we look like? Pastor James and Pastor Dena discuss this and more in the series (and season) wrap-up.

How do we bring all of the parts of our mission statement together? What will we look like if we live into this statement? Pastor James explores this through Ephesians 3:14-21

What does it mean for the church to be the example of God's wisdom to the world? What happens when we don't look like the wisdom of God? What is the connection between being the wisdom of God and nearness to God? Pastor James and Pastor Dena explore this and more.

What does it mean that we as the people of God are to be an example to the universe? What does that mean for our worship and how should that affect our approach? Pastor James explores this from Ephesians 3:7-13

What does our engagement or lack of engagement in worship tell us about our relationship with God or about our discipleship? How does David show us how to worship? How does Michal show us when something might be lurking in our life that separates us from God?

Pastor James talks about how worship is to engage our entire being. From 2 Samuel 6:14-20.

Edify isn't a word that we use commonly. More commonly we talk about teaching, but that understanding can lead to a knowledge-only understanding. How is edification related to worship, and how is it more than knowledge?

Pastor Dena explores the second purpose of worship in today's sermon from Ephesians 5:15-20 and Deuteronomy 11.

What characterizes worship? Is it the space? Is it the time? Pastor James and Pastor Dena discuss how difficult it is to describe our chief end.

What is the main job of humanity? Pastor James discusses this with respect to the new mission tag: Expanding Christ's Community through Worship, Discipleship, and Relationship

Pastor James and Pastor Dena discuss discipleship that isn't awkward. How can we disciple non-Christians without sounding like we're selling something?

This week we discuss the fourth characteristic of disciples: Reproducing. We look to 2 Timothy 2:1-7 to do this.

What does it mean to be teachable? How can we learn from others and maintain our faith? Pastor James and Pastor Dena talk about this and more! Book: Three Mile an Hour God: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Mile-Hour-Kosuke-Koyama/dp/0334061474

What is the difference between being available and being teachable? What does it look like to be teachable? Pastor James discusses this in Acts 8:26-38 and in Matthew 16:21-23.

How do we increase margin in our lives? What is the root of our frenzied work and school lives? Pastors James and Dena discuss these issues and more. Flannery O'Conner's Journal: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/16/my-dear-god Rube Goldberg Machine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine

What is availability, and how does it affect a life of discipleship following Jesus? What problems exist in being available to Jesus?

Pastor Dena discusses John 1:35-51 as Jesus is beginning his ministry and inviting disciples to follow him. Faithful discipleship means following Jesus and inviting others to follow, too.

Pastor Dena is joined by Dave and Linda Watkins as they talk about what it means to be a FATR disciple - faithfully following Jesus and inviting others to follow.

Some practical steps toward unity in the body of Christ - patience and connections.

Pastor James takes a look at John 17 in thinking about how Christians should approach non-Christians. Our first question should be "what should we do" but rather "how should we be."

Pastors Dena and James discuss the difficulty of secondary issues and forms within church life and how Christians might move forward in the future.