Pastor Ken Courville teaches through Exodus 19. 

Pastor Bill teaches on Exodus 18. 

This week we will be exploring Exodus 17:1-16 together, Winning Our Battles.
There's a quote that I like that goes something like this: "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." It is attributed to all kinds of different people (which means no one really knows who said it) but regardless of who said it, it conveys a lot of truth.
We are all fighting some kind of battle. In this sin-impacted world...and in our sin-impacted bodies...this is practically a given. 
These battles hit us on two fronts...from the inside and from the outside. 
On the inside, we face battles from our own minds, from our own family, and from our own friends and community.
On the outside, we face battles from the world, from the evil one, and from the sins and temptations all around us.
In Exodus 17, Israel faces these two battles.
On the inside, they begin to complain and attack Moses, even threating to stone him! They are without water and their thirst almost brings the entire community into a war against Moses, against one another, and against God.
On the outside, they are suddenly attacked by the Amalekites who target the weakest in their community and seek to plunder and destroy them. Without warning, Israel is suddenly thrown into a battle that they did not expect nor were they adequately prepared for. 
The wilderness is hard enough without having to face these additional challenges.
So how does Israel win the battle? And how do we win the same kinds of battles today?
We will look at God's answers in Exodus 17. 
May God strengthen our hands, unify our body, and give us the victory in the battles that we face today!
This Sunday we will also celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace!

This week we will be exploring Exodus 16:1-36 together, Receiving Our Daily Bread.
Manna.
What is it?
Actually, that is not just a question but an answer.
In Exodus 16, Israel is still in the wilderness, still facing difficulties, still complaining to Moses and Aaron.
The cycle has begun and it will continue for the next 40 years.
Discomfort. Discontent. Grumbling. Grace. Growth. 
Well, that last part of the cycle (Growth) is the goal but it is not always the reality. God wanted them to grow in dependency and trust in Him but they often chose to remain in their stubborn complaining mode. 
They are not too much unlike us. 
That is why Exodus 16 is more than just a historical narrative. It is our spiritual narrative as well. These things were written for our admonition and instruction. These things were written to open our eyes to our own hearts as God's redeemed people stuck in the discomforts of the wilderness.
But even in our grumbling, God gives grace. Daily grace. Sufficient grace. Amazing grace.
In Exodus 16, God provides the miracle of manna...and teaches us a lot about living day by day on our daily bread of God's Word and His grace. 
May God expose our hearts so that He can heal our hearts and give us His joy and strength!

Grumbling in The Wilderness | Exodus 15 

This Sunday, May 17 (9am, 10:45am), we will pause our sermon series through the book of Exodus for our 516 Vision Sunday.
Each year, around May 16, we take time to focus on our vision as a church to be a community of Christ in order to reach our community for Christ.
It is a chance to remember what the Lord calls us to as a local church.
We are to be a Christ-centered, truth-proclaiming, loving-one-another body of believers!
During our worship services, we will sing praises to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, give thanks for His blessings in our lives, review our 3:16 and 5:16 key verses, and share an update on what the Lord is doing here and around the world through the ministry of CBC. 
May the Lord continue to deepen our roots in His truth and widen our love for one another as we seek to be a church of prayer, integrity, initiative, impact, and praise! 

This week we will be exploring Exodus 15 together, Singing Praises to the Lord!
Israel just walked through the Red Sea...on dry ground! Can you imagine walking through the Sea with a wall of water on both sides of you? It would be like going through an aquarium where all the fish are not behind glass but swimming in the water right next to your face!
On top of that, Israel watched as Pharaoh's army, the best in the world at that time, was completely destroyed as God made a flick of His hand and the walls of water crashed down on them. 
It was the most incredible miracle that the world had ever seen. And Israel had a front row seat to it all. 
What would you do in that moment? 
My guess is that you would do exactly what the Israelites did. Sing at the top of your lungs to the Lord and dance with all your might! 
You were free! Totally free. And the Lord had displayed His mighty hand on your behalf. 
How could you ever doubt His power and love again? (well, we will get to that next week)
But for this week, we are going to celebrate with the Israelites. 
Exodus 15:1-21 is the first song of praise in Scripture. Some would even say (including myself) that it is the oldest song that we have record of in human history. 
That in itself is pretty amazing. 
But as the first praise song in Scripture, Exodus 15 teaches us a lot about praising the Lord. What does it mean to praise Him? How should we praise Him? When should we praise Him? Why should we praise Him?
If you have lost the joy of your salvation...if it has been awhile since you have really sung with all your might to the Lord...if you haven't felt like dancing in a long time...then may the Lord remind you of His majestic holiness, His awesome power, His steadfast love, and His ever-present attention and care for you.
You are loved with a love that you cannot fathom...and the Lord fights for you.
May the Lord put a little "pep in your step" today and stir your heart to sing praise to Him! 

This week we will be exploring Exodus 14 together, "Experiencing God's Miracle."
Do you need a miracle?
Often we find ourselves in impossible situations. Life becomes overwhelming. Circumstances seem to be closing in and the way forward seems hopeless. Fearful and stressed, we tend to cry out to God and lash out at others all at the same time. After all, we have to find someone to blame and to get mad at. It gives us a momentary satisfaction even if it does nothing to change our situation. 
This is what Israel experienced in Exodus 14. 
They were trapped. There was no apparent escape. Behind them was Pharaoh's army, charging at them with chariots and weapons. In front of them was an impassable sea with depths capable of drowning them all in an instant. 
And strangely enough, God (and Moses) led them to this very place!
I think you and I would be pretty pertubed too!
But God had a plan even in the midst of their most dire situation. He was going to gain glory, Israel's enemies were going to be fully defeated, and Israel was finally and truly going to be free. 
They just had to be still, stand firm, and trust Him.
Easier said than done.
The Red Sea miracle is perhaps the best known miracle in the Bible. It makes great special effects in a movie and is a compelling story in its own right. Who can forget Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea in the Ten Commandments? 
But beyond being a great movie scene, the parting of the Red Sea speaks practically and powerfully to us today. Nothing is impossible with God! Sometimes we spend more time looking at our problems than beholding Him. Sometimes we feel more hopeless than hopeful, even though God has already told us the end of the story! Sometimes we just need to stop panicking, running around in fear, and complaining to everyone left and right, and start resting in the goodness and sovereignty of God. 
Confidence and joy in the face of fear. That in itself is a miracle!
May God open our eyes to His goodness and glory and may He open a path through whatever sea is in front of us!

This week we will be exploring Exodus 13 together, Following God. 
Following God. That's what it all boils down to, doesn't it? He is the Shepherd. We are the sheep. He loves us. We love Him. And in loving Him, we trust Him and follow Him.
He knows the way forward, we do not. 
Exodus 13 sits right in the middle between the redemption in Exodus 12 and the start of the journey into the wilderness in Exodus 14. Before Israel starts their journey, God gives some final instructions to His people. 
God will guide their journey. They must learn to follow. 
Even when the path takes them in a direction that they are not expecting.
There was a quicker way to Canaan but God will take them through the wilderness. And He often does the same in our lives. 
Will we follow?
Or will we be tempted to turn back and go our own way?
It is the choice that faces us almost every day.
May God so overwhelm us with His goodness and grace that we trust Him even when our path takes us through the wilderness!

This Sunday, April 19 (9am, 10:45am), we are excited to have Dr. David Klingler as our guest speaker. Dr. Klingler will be speaking from the book of Proverbs, Don't Be a Fool!
David Klingler is the professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the host of the Teach Me the Bible podcast. In his college days, David played quarterback for the Houston Cougars (1988-91) and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was drafted in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengals and played six seasons in the NFL. He certainly brings a unique perspective on what really matters and what really satisfies in this world!
May God use His Word in our lives to give us wisdom in this present age!