Christ Community Church Ct

As followers of Jesus, love is to be one of the defining marks of our lives. And not just any love but a love like God's ... a self-less, sacrificial, life-altering love. God showed that kind of love to us in Christ. Now we are called to display that love to the world. So how's your love?

As believers, we have been sent. We are here to represent Christ and display His Grace+Truth to our world. So how can you do that today? What does that kind of life look like?

Homosexuality is one of the most controversial issues in our culture and political environment today. So how does the church respond in Grace+Truth? What does the Bible say about our sexuality and how do we demonstrate God's kindness in our actions and conversations about it?

We live in a culture consumed with wealth and materialism. Yet $$$ does not define us, and our stuff (cars, houses, etc.) can never satisfy us. So how do we treat $$$? How do we respond to our culture's pursuit of wealth with Grace+Truth?

All major world religions are fundamentally different, so they cannot all lead us to God. Either one of them is right, or none of them are right. But Jesus' life and teaching seem most convincing and at least most unique. He claimed, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me," - John 14.6. Jesus alone preaches a WAY of grace, offers a verifiable historical event (the resurrection) as proven TRUTH, and LIFE that quenches our soulthirst in ways that nothing else can. How can you respond to our pluralistic culture with grace and truth?

How does the story of Job and the truth of Scripture change the way we respond to suffering? The answers are intriguing ...

In the midst of our sorrow and suffering, we don't just find comfort in God's compassion. We also take refuge in His power. It is His sovereignty that make His promises like "All things work together for good" (Romans 8.28) both possible and reliable. Listen in to hear more about how to rest in His greatness and goodness.

If we live a godly life, are we guaranteed to prosper in health and wealth? According to Job, we worship a God who cannot be reduced to such predictability. God is free to give and take away for the development of our character and the increase of His glory. Can you say with him, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him"?

Suffering is a near universal human experience. So how do we survive (and even thrive) in the midst of grief, pain, and loss? Here are a couple of insights from our first discussion through the book of Job: A Journey through Suffering: 1) Worship and suffering are not mutually exclusive. It's not easy, but we can value and declare God's greatness even in the times of hardship and pain. 2) Humility is the path to emotional health. Recognizing that everything we have has come from God (family, health, finances, etc.) allows us to respond better if/when He chooses to take some of it away. 3) Our suffering is not an indictment on God's character. Our grief-filled circumstances don't mean God is not good or kind or loving. His character remains unchanged regardless of my pleasure or pain.

The journey of following Christ is not an easy one. Paul said that there are "conflicts on the outside, fears within" (2 Corinthians 7.5). So where does our courage come from? Where do we find our boldness - especially when it comes to sharing the story of Christ with those that may not agree or believe? In Ephesians 6, Paul asks his friends to pray for him, to pray for words to be given him, to pray for him to be bold and courageous regardless of the cost. How about you? Where is your courage coming from? How can you pray for yourself? How can we pray for each other?

Most of us never think about spiritual warfare. Others are dangerously obsessed with it. According to Ephesians 6, we ought to have the balanced approach of respecting our Enemy but confiding in God's invincibility. Our spiritual weapons are nothing more mystical than the character traits of a Christlike Christian, so this week, stand firm with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, God's word, and prayer!

How we work and who we believe we really work for should be greatly influenced by our journey with Christ. What difference does our relationship with God make? How does it change our perspective on the workplace?

Marriage is a beautiful relationship, a connection created by God to be an image of Christ and His people. But that doesn't mean its easy! Almost 1/2 of all marriages end in divorce and even among followers of Christ it's 38%. So what are we doing wrong? What's causing this relational epidemic?

As a Christ-follower, our "walk" (the consistent patterns of our life) should look different now that we've embraced Christ. If God has made us one of His children and He has placed light and life in us, we shouldn't live the way we used to live! Our choices, passions, and pursuits should be different. They should be a reflection of Him. So how's your "walk"? How's your life? Is it an expression of Christ Himself? That's what God has made possible for us now that His Spirit is living in us.

Every one of us has been created and spiritually gifted in a unique way to make a difference in God's new family: the Church. So what's your role? What's your gift? How has God SHAPED you to serve?

God made us for a purpose. He has created us new in Christ for reason. Ephesians 2 says that He we were spiritually dead in our sins (separated from God) but God has spoken life (a relationship with God) into us through faith in Christ. And He did all of that so that we could live a life doing "good works" that God prepared in advance before we were even born! That's our purpose ... to glorify God and serve others in His name.

As a new people in Christ, we have "A New King." This King is all-powerful over death, sin, His people, and EVERYTHING. How should we live in light of this new King?

Before the universe began, God was passionate about making us a part of His people. Ephesians 1 says He chose us, predestined us, adopted us, redeemed us, and sealed us with His Spirit's presence in our hearts that guarantees us our inheritance in the life to come.

The global story of mission and redemption that God began in the book of Acts with the Apostles and the Early Church continues through us today! Our story is a part of His grand, eternal story. So how does your life fit into the beautiful narrative of God's love for the nations?

Sharing the Jesus story can be difficult in a culture that doesn't understand it, is too busy to care about it, or sometimes just doesn't want to hear it. So how do we share it more effectively? What's going to motivate us? And what kind of responses can we anticipate?