CCW Podcast

The characters of Abram and Lot stand diametrically opposed to each other. Abram was a man of faith; Lot was a man of weak faith. A close examination of their lives will help us, as believers, to grow in our faith. This passage will be an eye opener into walking by faith. Do not miss this life-changing message as we look at the difference between unselfish faith vs. selfish faith.

Weak faith always gets us unto trouble. In fact, God tells us that weak faith is the reason we suffer and face so much trouble in the world. Just consider the basic needs of man. Man has many needs, and sometimes the needs become so great it can become terrifying. This is what happened to Abraham in his walk of faith. He faced a terrifying need, and his faith weakened and eventually crumbled. If we have weak faith, ignore God and turn away from God, then we begin to slip further and further away getting ourselves in all kinds of trouble. Weak faith always leads us downhill into more and more trouble. This Sunday don't miss this sobering message as we look at the characteristics of weak faith. You don't want to miss this opportunity to examine your faith. Every time you open the Word of God, it will change your life!

Most Christians understand that they are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). That is, when we believe or place faith in the fact that the finished work of Christ on the cross was accomplished as payment for our sins and embrace Christ as Lord and Savior (by faith), we are saved. Our salvation is not accomplished by works which we do, but by the work which Christ did. When we have faith in that fact-embrace it, cling to it, rely on it, depend on it- we are saved (Romans 5:1).

Bur how many Christians know that they are to live the Christian life in the exact same way they entered the Christian life-by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7)? The Christian life is a faith-walk. This Sunday, we will look at the way we exercise the same dependence upon God's grace to live each day as we exercised faith in order to live for eternity. You don't want to miss it. Every time you open the Word of God, it will change your life!

The writer of Proverbs said,"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we trust God we share our schedule with him, we ask Him to guide us in our daily activities and alter them as needed. We ask Him to help us manage our time better so we can get more done for Him. Psalm 90:12 says,"Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom". We need to ask the Lord to help us distinguish between what's truly important and what isn't. I Corinthians 10:23 says "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful". Every day of our life we have to deal with two things: problems and opportunities. God will give us the right perspective and approach to handle both if we trust Him. We will be amazed how much more effective and efficient you and I will be when we learn to trust God. This Sunday we will wrap up the "Trust Test". Don't miss this life changing truth.

We will look at how we are to manage the resources that God has given to us. Two Sundays ago we asked the question: Can I trust God? Last week we looked at another question: Am I trustworthy? Can God trust me with the resources He has given to me? This Sunday and the following Sunday we will be looking at what I call the "Trust Test". This sermon will take two weeks as we work through this whole issue of trust. We'll learn about the Trust Test and see how we do. It's at that Trust Test line that we either grow spiritually by crossing it and saying, Yes, I'm going to trust God, or we back away from that line and begin to shrivel in our soul. We never reach the potential as a child of God. All because we were unwilling to let God take control of our life. Don't miss this life changing truth this week at CCW.

From last Sunday's sermon, we realized that God's gifts are generous, and God's care is constant. And, yes, He is trustworthy! The question I want to deal with this Sunday morning is, "Can God trust us?" Can God trust me?

Let's think about a parent-teenager relationship. One of the biggest issue parents deal with is the issue of trust. Can I trust my teenager to do what they say they will do? Can I trust you to go where you say you are going? And can I trust you to get back on time? And every time they do it right, they get a little bit more trust; and every time they do it wrong, we have to pull back a little bit.

It's the same way with God. The question that God has for every one of us today is, "Can I trust you?" Don't miss this life changing message as we see what God wants in our life so that He can trust us.

What a great year this is going to be at CCW, as we learn how we can trust God, and how God can trust us! In Proverbs 3:1-10, there are some marvelous words of wisdom for us about our relationship with God. This Sunday and for the next four weeks, we will see what the key to successful Christian living really is. Successful living is about having a relationship of trust with God that goes both directions. You’ll be amazed at what happens when our whole relationship is based upon obedience and trust. Growing up with my grandparents, I heard PaPa sing hymns around the house. One of his favorites was “Trust and Obey.” The closing line says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” The words of that song are just as true today as they were back then.

The Bible is full of examples of wisdom and wise people. Enoch and Noah were wise enough to walk with God in their day while the rest of the world perished because they rebelled against God. David was wise enough to understand that “The Lord is my shepherd.” Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and Israel lived in peace under his reign. Mary, the sister of Martha, was wise enough to choose the most important thing as she sat at Jesus’ feet. Then, there are the wise men, who came to worship the Lord Jesus when He was just a child.

Just as the Bible is full of stories of wise people, there are still wise people in our world today. It’s a common sight at Christmas to see signs displayed that say, “Wise Men Still Seek Him. ” How true this is! Jesus came to seek and save the lost. When we respond and seek Him with our whole hearts, we’ll find Him. The wise men followed the light that led them to Jesus. When they saw Jesus, face-to-face, their lives were changed forever . This can happen to us too. Seeking and finding Jesus will change your life. Come early this Sunday and let me tell you about it!

Have you ever wondered why God chose shepherds to be the first recipients of
the glorious news concerning Jesus' birth? The shepherds were despised by the
orthodox Jews of the day. In the very nature of their job responsibilities, they were unable to keep the details of the ceremonial law. They could not observe all the meticulous hand washing and other rules and regulations because their flocks made too many demands upon them. So the shepherds were looked down upon as dirty and common people.

Let us not forget the words Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, "For Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; that no flesh should glory in his presence." This Sunday we will see Christmas from the viewpoint of the shepherds.