CCF Sunday Messages

For communion Sunday, Pastor Steve is teaching a series about relationships in the context of our faith. Matthew chapter 7 gives us a humorous picture of the "speck" and the "log" to compare and contrast our quickness to judge others versus the way we see ourselves and our sins and mistakes. Pastor Steve exhorts us to use the same measuring stick for others as we measure ourselves with.

Moving from the last few verses of Acts chapter 11 into chapter 12, we encounter what is the first experience of government-led persecution of the church, as Herod Agrippa starts to take action against the leadership of the church. After killing James, he has Peter put in prison awaiting execution after the Passover. The response of the church is "fervent prayer" on behalf of Peter, the beloved apostle and leader of the early church, and miraculously God answers their prayers and frees Peter from prison the night before his execution. Pastor Steve challenges each of us in our commitment to prayer and especially corporate prayer as we desire to be a church that is seeing God work and inviting Him to work through us as a church body!

Moving from the last few verses of Acts chapter 11 into chapter 12, we encounter what is the first experience of government-led persecution of the church, as Herod Agrippa starts to take action against the leadership of the church. After killing James, he has Peter put in prison awaiting execution after the Passover. The response of the church is "fervent prayer" on behalf of Peter, the beloved apostle and leader of the early church, and miraculously God answers their prayers and frees Peter from prison the night before his execution. Pastor Steve challenges each of us in our commitment to prayer and especially corporate prayer as we desire to be a church that is seeing God work and inviting Him to work through us as a church body!

As we start Acts chapter 11, Peter comes back to the Jewish-centric church in Jerusalem and has to explain (and overcome some criticism about) what has happened at Cornelius's house and why it is now clear that God has accepted the Gentiles into the church by pouring out his Spirit on them as they received the Word of God.

Listen in as Pastor Steve shares the truths we find in this chapter and applies this story to our own potential judgements and biases in the church today.

As we start Acts chapter 11, Peter comes back to the Jewish-centric church in Jerusalem and has to explain (and overcome some criticism about) what has happened at Cornelius's house and why it is now clear that God has accepted the Gentiles into the church by pouring out his Spirit on them as they received the Word of God.

Listen in as Pastor Steve shares the truths we find in this chapter and applies this story to our own potential judgements and biases in the church today.

Last week in the first part of Acts 10, we saw the Holy Spirit working in both Cornelius and the apostle Peter to prepare them for this coming together of Jew and Gentile to hear the truth about Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized as full believers! In this section of chapter 10, Peter comes to Cornelius's house, aware now that God has made it possible for him to do that, and as he preaches the word, he is interrupted as they are ready to believe and are filled with the Holy Spirit! Every pastor's dream! Now a new era of the church will begin as Peter and his companions realize that God's good news through Jesus is available to all, not just the Jews.

Last week in the first part of Acts 10, we saw the Holy Spirit working in both Cornelius and the apostle Peter to prepare them for this coming together of Jew and Gentile to hear the truth about Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized as full believers! In this section of chapter 10, Peter comes to Cornelius's house, aware now that God has made it possible for him to do that, and as he preaches the word, he is interrupted as they are ready to believe and are filled with the Holy Spirit! Every pastor's dream! Now a new era of the church will begin as Peter and his companions realize that God's good news through Jesus is available to all, not just the Jews.

Pastor Steve continues our study through the book of Acts, where our attention turns to a Gentile, Cornelius, a "God-fearer" who is visited by an angel, starting the wheels in motion for the Gentiles to understand faith in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile God has to provide a vision to the apostle Peter to help him understand that God is accepting the Gentiles as full participants in the church and receivers of the Spirit's power! Listen in as Pastor Steve unfolds this story in the first section of Acts 10.

Pastor Steve continues our study through the book of Acts, where our attention turns to a Gentile, Cornelius, a "God-fearer" who is visited by an angel, starting the wheels in motion for the Gentiles to understand faith in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile God has to provide a vision to the apostle Peter to help him understand that God is accepting the Gentiles as full participants in the church and receivers of the Spirit's power! Listen in as Pastor Steve unfolds this story in the first section of Acts 10.

Listen in to this powerful testimony from Sarah Liu, a Chinese evangelist saved at age 18, arrested multiple times, and spent 6 years in prison in China for her faith. Sarah was tortured and interrogated, and shares how she found that God gives strength to withstand these trials when we need it. Her joyful hope in Christ even through these trials challenges us here in our comfort and relative ease; listen in to this powerful story!