Ccc Sermons

When Jesus started to call God “My Father,” the Jewish leaders of His day could hardly believe it. How could this man make claims like that?! Their anger and outrage were so deep that they began to try to figure out ways they could put Him to death. Yet, when we look at John 5:19-29 this Sunday, we’ll see that Jesus did not back down or “walk back” His statements when He was threatened. Instead, He elaborated on them and made even more specific and more sweeping claims about His relationship with God the Father, implying their relationship was so close, that to know one was to know the other, and to reject one was to reject the other. Join Pastor Marc Goodwin as we look at this fascinating passage and get a peek behind the mysterious (but glorious!) curtain of the Trinity!

Some of us have had extra doses of vacation from work and school in recent weeks. If you’re like me, you may have had the unusual experience within that span of time of waking up and not being sure what day of the week it is. When we get out of our usual routines and habits, we can lose our bearings and forget if it’s Tuesday or Wednesday or what… This week we’ll be looking at a passage from the book of John whose importance hinges on which day of the week it took place (the Sabbath day). We’ll see how Jesus chose to do some supernatural work on that day of rest, why it made the Jewish leaders of His day furious, and how He justified doing so. It’s a fascinating story that has more to do with our lives in twenty-first century than you may initially suspect.

Join us as our very own Jake Osborn leads us through Colossians 2-3 and challenges us to set our minds on Christ this new year!

Join us as we wrap up our short Advent series by taking a look at the beginning of Isaiah 11, where the prophet used very vivid pictures to describe the scope of what Christ would enter our world to do.

Gloom, distress, anguish, contempt, darkness. Those were the words used by the prophet Isaiah to describe the minds and hearts of the people of Judah as they believed their lives and culture were about to crumble around them. But, as the people stumbled along in their gloom, God called them to look ahead. There, on the horizon, was a light shining–a light of hope–the light of the coming Deliverer. But, what would this God-promised Deliverer look like? Would He look like a mighty angel? Like some great warrior? Like one of the super-heroes of the movies so popular in our own culture? The answer may surprise you, even as it surely surprised those despairing people who first heard this reassuring promise from God. It caused gloom to lift and fear to flee, and, interestingly, came in the form of a birth announcement! But this was no ordinary birth announcement. Join us as we gaze at this glorious Deliverer promised in Isaiah 9:1-7.

Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” As we begin a short Advent preaching series from some select passages in Isaiah, our first text (7:1-17) will shed light on how we are to face fear as the people of God. We’ll see that the appropriate response to fear is not to downplay the seriousness of the threats and pains that we are facing, but rather to remember the promises of God and His power to come through on them. Join us as we prepare our hearts to celebrate birth of our Savior!

Join us as Pastor Nate McLaurin leads us through John 4, the moving story of the Woman at the Well.

A Christian leader tweeted: “Your life is defined by one or the other: look at me, OR look at Jesus.” That is this week’s sermon in miniature! Join us as we look at the last portion of John 3, how John the Baptist responded when Jesus’ fame started to detract from–and overshadow–his own. John’s response to his own decline in popularity and influence is one that should speak volumes to us as we consider the ways in which we must experience loss so that Christ may experience gain. Hope you can join us!

John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known verses in the Bible, known even by many people who make no claims to know God at all. We see it on bumper stickers at stop lights and on poster boards at football games. Join us as we take a look at this famous passage, focusing on a very common concept: the love of God. Hopefully, we can move past our familiarity with this text and be reminded anew of just how amazing God’s love is – and be motivated to love others in a similar way!

Witnessing the birth of a child is a nearly indescribable experience. Attempting to fully explain the awe, emotion, and weight of what takes place at birth proves close to impossible. But as amazing and fascinating as the birth of a child is, a far more mysterious, supernatural, and awe-inspiring experience is the “second” birth of an individual – the experience of being “born again” spiritually. We’ll look together at John 3:1-15, where Jesus taught about this very thing in a conversation with Nicodemus.

It’s not everyday that we can celebrate a 500th birthday, but that’s what we get to do this week! It was 500 years ago that Martin Luther inadvertently began what became known as the Protestant Reformation when he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. What was at the heart of the Reformation? A helpful summary can be found in the 5 Sola (“Alone”) proclamations of the Reformers: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, and The Glory of God Alone. Why are these so significant, and what difference do these 5 solas make in our lives and our church today? Join us to find out!

Many people, when they imagine Jesus, envision a mild-mannered, tranquil, wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly type of man. But, as we’ll see in this week’s passage from the gospel of John (2:13-25), there was something that led Jesus to make a whip, flip over tables, and dump money out in the courts of the temple in Jerusalem! What could have elicited such a response from Jesus? Join Pastor Marc Goodwin to find out! And while there will be no table flipping or whip wielding, we’ll see how this text has implications for our lives today!

Generally, kids aren’t big fan of weddings. They seem boring and require dressing up and being quiet. But often as our friends start getting married or we consider marriage ourselves, our opinions change! This week we will look at John 2:1-12, where Jesus attends a wedding. Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose this setting to perform his first miracle? Join us to find out.

What’s your normal reaction when a friend or family member says excitedly, “Hey, you’ve gotta see this!” Don’t we naturally lean in to see what’s bringing such excitement? In John 1:43-51, we read the story of Philip meeting Jesus. Jesus said simply, “Follow me,” and Philip did. But, do you know what else Philip did? He found his friend Nathanael and excitedly invited, “Come and see!” “Come and see.” Pretty simple. Pretty clear. Pretty inviting, isn’t it? For those of us who are already Christ-followers, are we saying to our friends and family members, “Come and see!”? Join us as Pastor Larry McCall leads us in exploring the rich encounters that both Philip and Nathanael had with Jesus.

As we continue in the book of John, for the first time in the narrative we are going to hear words from the mouth of Jesus Himself. If you have a “red-letter” Bible, you’ll finally come across some red ink this week! Jesus asks a question intended to cut to the hearts of those He was talking to, and to our hearts as well: “What are you seeking?” Join us as we pause together to ask that question of ourselves – to evaluate what we are seeking in life, why we ought to be seeking for Christ Himself, and how that seeking ought to change us.

Newly-weds are often asked, “When did you know that they were the one?” People are curious about what it was that finally persuaded them that this was the one that they wanted to marry. Although it’s in a very different context, the passage we’ll look at in John 1 gives us a glimpse of what exactly it was that convinced John the Baptist that Jesus was “the one” – the One that God’s people had been waiting for.

As we continue in the book of John this week (1:19-28), we’ll be introduced to a man who was a cousin of Jesus – a man named John the Baptist. He called people to repent and be baptized, because he knew Jesus was coming! He was glad to defer to Jesus and show Him honor. Join us as we learn more about this fascinating cousin of Jesus who had an important message to share.

We’re excited to introduce our new church mission statement this week! As a church, we believe God calls us to “glorify Him by growing together in Christ as a caring community of disciple makers.” That may sound like a straightforward statement, but it’s packed with great truths and challenges for us. So come learn more as Pastor Nate leads us through Ephesians.

If you read John 1:1-3, those verses describe the “Word” (Jesus) as being the divine, eternal creator of the universe. Those verses alone take our breath away. But read down a bit in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jolting, isn’t it? Why would he do that? Why would the eternal, divine creator become “flesh” and live among us? That’s what we’re going to explore together this week in the Gospel of John.

We’ve probably all faced the reality at some point that something in our life needs a massive overhaul. We may sense something is not the way it ought to be and realize something has to change. As anyone who’s tried it can testify, change is not easy. It requires conviction. It requires intentionality. It requires effort. Sometimes, it even requires sacrifice. This Sunday, we begin a new series in the Gospel of John. As we journey through this book together, we will come into direct contact with a God who sees things in His world that need to change. So, He makes an intentional effort to overhaul His creation. As we will see, it requires an incredible sacrifice. Interestingly, He’s not the One who needs to change…we do! But, in His great love, He comes into the world to give us what we need to change. Join us as we begin this journey together to see our great God who gives!