Posts on General

The Nashville Statement, a recent document addressing human sexuality and gender, has been published by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and is endorsed by several prominent and respected Evangelical Leaders, and for many of these servants of Christ and their work I give thanks to God. It is also true that the Articles of the Statement offer much that is good and it affirms and agrees with what is widely regarded to be an orthodox, Biblical position on the matters it seeks to address. I don’t think there’s anything in this Statement which is actually ‘new’ in regard... Read this post

The Holy Spirit & You John 14:16-18, 26; Acts 1:8 August 20, 2017 Review: * Spirit as Person and therefore someone with whom we enjoy relationship and by whom we are united in relationship to the Father and the Son * Spirit as Promise fulfilling the hope of the prophets and amplifying the Spirit-soaked ministry of Jesus, recorded in the Gospels I. The Counselor’s Identity The One who continues the Ministry of Jesus. The Spirit takes the once and for all of Jesus ministry and makes it the daily grace of all who trust Christ. The presence of Jesus in... Read this post

Amy Duncan, Chair of our Deaconesses, yesterday led our church in prayer as we brought before the throne of Grace matters heavy on our hearts and the sources of deep anxiety for people here and around the globe. I was deeply moved by her intercession and publish her prayer here so that, if you desire, you might offer it as well, praying with us for God’s mercy to flood into the painful and broken places of our world.   Please join me in prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, We come to you unified in prayer, help us to be unified as... Read this post

The Promise of the Spirit Joel 2:28; John 7:37-39; Acts 2:32-33, 38-39 August 13, 2017 “Empty hands on empty heads.” Doesn’t have to be that way! Could be God’s saturating rivers of grace soaking our dry souls and slaking our parched hearts. John 7 – Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles… Water in the Wilderness, flowing from the Rock when Moses’ struck it. Read Ezek 47; they poured the water on the altar, seven golden pitchers, seven trips around the altar; wilderness provision… “Come to Me!” Nicene Creed: Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary…Spirit…who with the Father... Read this post

Christian Faith was started among brown people – who were all Jews – by a brown man for the sake of all people; it was then promulgated by more brown people along with some African people. This happened back then to bring freedom now to white people who need to repent of hating brown people while claiming to follow the brown man who started the Christian Faith, the same brown man who said hating people in your heart was the same as murdering them (which turned out to be true). Many of these white people appreciate the African theologians Athanasius... Read this post

In the light of the weekend’s terrible events in Charlottesville, we should be mindful of some things to be clear and upfront about, and all informed by Scripture. “Salvation is from the Jews”  – Jesus, John 4 They were amazed and astonished, saying, Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds... Read this post

‘The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live here.’ – Isaiah 49:20 Starting this Sunday, Christ Community Church is returning to a two-service format for worship. The services are identical in content, and our Sunday classes will meet between these two gatherings. The first service will be at 8:30 and the second service at 11:00. Why are we doing this? It’s simple really: we have to grow smaller as we grow larger. God is adding to our community of believers, seekers, and skeptics who gather every Sunday to discover more about the wonder... Read this post

Power and Presence: Living Life in the Holy Spirit Part One: The Lord and Giver of Life John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7,13-14; 20:19-22 Message Notes for August 6, 2017 “For where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church, and every kind of grace.” – St Irenaeus We begin a new series today looking at the person and work of the Holy Spirit. That might be as unsettling for some people as it is intriguing to others. There may even be some who are like the people in Acts... Read this post

Waiting on the Whisper “Never miss a good chance to shut up” is one of my favorite Will Rogers quips. It’s positively right on the mark, as silence, whether in worship on a Sunday or over extended hours and days, is not only essential to our personal humility and sanity but also serves the wellbeing of our friends who could use a little less of us from time to time. Your mother probably scolded you, as did mine, saying ‘Hush!’, noting that “God’s given us two ears and only one mouth for a good reason!” Listening, rather than speaking, is a... Read this post