CCF Weekly Services Podcast

Many today talk about their identity, but why is it that the further we go in identity theory, we become more narcissistic and depressed as a society? How has the Gospel brought peace and stability to millions by giving us a new identity in Jesus? 

1. Jesus offers us to be united with Him.

2. The world gives us shaky options to become one with it.

3. Our identity with Christ should be seen by our love for God, and our neighbor.

The Apostle Peter and Cornelius are both given an opportunity to see the grace of God on display. Cornelius is drawn by the Spirit to a desire that we wouldn't have apart from His direct intervention in our hearts. Peter likewise is reminded by the Spirit what He has plainly stated throughout history regarding the salvation of those even his culture had written off as a lost cause.

1. Don't let culture supersede the plain teachings of scripture.

2. God changes hearts and minds. We are simply one part of that process.

3. God isn't looking for a perfect evangelism to salvation ratio. Only faithful people.

Ezekiel writes a song grieving the legacy of the kings of Israel. Its last four kings were much like their first. There were good men whose flaws cost them long term. There were corrupt men who ruined their legacy or ended up being inconsequential. And there were even great men who ultimately died like anyone else. The only one you can truly trust to never fail your source of confidence and peace is Jesus Himself.

1. Any system short of a relationship with Jesus will ultimately fail.

2. Doctrine and Duty will only take you so far in the Christian life.

3. Your relationship with Jesus can’t depend on anyone apart from than Him.

The Apostle Peter is given a personal prophecy regarding an issue his cultural biases were not comfortable with. In a patience exercise in having him remember what Jesus said and testing this as actually being from God, we are given the benefit of how to also test personal prophecies.

1. God's Word is the standard by which we test any personal words from God.

2. God is capable of speaking to us personally if we're willing to listen and obey.

3. God isn't offended by people who want to be certain He is speaking.

Ezekiel addresses a cultural proverb that was assumed to be from God and wasn’t. The belief that generational curses apply is simply false and Israel’s history verified that. With the legacies of Hezekiah, Josiah, and Manasseh as examples, we see that our eternal destiny is determined by our decisions before God alone.

1. Generational Curses are unbiblical.

2. You will answer to God personally for the decisions you’ve made.

3. Your eternal destiny is not something you should be comfortable leaving with a question mark.

The ministry and testimony of Hannah to her son Samuel is an example of the impact a Godly mother can make on an entire nation. Your willingness to be faithful with what God's entrusted to you, your example of faithfulness to even a limited audience, and your highest priority being the Lord Himself will always be a blessing to those in your care.

1. Your circumstances or emotions can bring you to Jesus' feet just as easily as they can keep us from Him.

2. Having God as your greatest desire and priority will always pay off.

3. An example of faithfulness and a pattern of life that loves the Lord will always impact your children for the better.

Ezekiel gives a parable illustrating all of the political blunders Israel made leading up to their captivity. In a classic, “how's that working out for you” observation, we are given a prophecy of Jesus as a reminder that God is the only one worth trusting with our future.

1. Doing your homework in personal Bible study is always worth the effort.

2. Men make promises. Jesus keeps them.

3. Only God is the only one worthy of trust concerning our past, present, and future.

Following up from the Apostle Peter's trip to Joppa, Cornelius the Centurion is introduced as a sincere seeker of God. He had everything going for him as far as his lifestyle, family, and desire to know God. The only thing that was missing was a saving relationship with Jesus, which God personally made certain he could access as soon as possible.

1. God's highest priority is the salvation of the lost.

2. Nobility and virtue apart from Christ won't save you.

3. God is more interested in saving us than we are in being saved.

Ezekiel gives an extremely graphic description of just how far Israel’s sin had brought them from God. Yet in spite of all of their evil, He uses it to emphasize His intent to see them restored even when describing them at their worst.

1. God is good to us because that’s simply who He is.

2. God often punishes sin by letting us see just how far it will take us from Him.

3. God is more patient than we could ever imagine.