Category Archives: 2025

Songs for Sunday, June 29, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited!

Actually, excited is probably an understatement. I’m overjoyed, ecstatic, elated, exhilarated, thrilled, rejoicing, and grateful beyond words to be HOME after 18 days and 19 hours in the hospital and rehab. It has been so sweet to be with Candi and the kiddos and things that feel…normal. Now, I am looking forward to being with my faith family at Christ Community on Sunday.

I find myself a bit overwhelmed as I type this out because there is so much that I want to say. It was the same with praying about and picking the Scripture and music for Sunday; everything seemed right and good and appropriate. Thankfully, there’s just nothing better to sing about than Jesus’s finished work on the cross (Hebrews 10:12), His empty tomb (Luke 24:6-7), and His imminent return (Revelation 22:12, Acts 1:11) — about the living hope we have in Jesus (1 Peter 1:3)!

Concerning that living hope, there is a verse that has been on my heart and mind since I have been sick. It’s the verse I share with people who are going through trials to point them to Jesus, so as I preached to myself, it’s the verse I brought to mind to meditate on and remember. When I got to preach in the rehab unit last Sunday, it’s the verse that I shared with my fellow rehabbers to point them to Jesus. That verse is Nahum 1:7.

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.

Nahum 1:7

Nahum 1:7 is good news.

“The LORD is good….” That’s who He is, not a mere adjective to describe His actions or tendencies. He cares for His people (1 Peter 5:7). He blesses those who trust in Him (Jeremiah 17:7). He has steadfast love toward His people (Psalm 103:11, Lamentations 3:22-23) and does good to them (Romans 8:28).

“The LORD [is] a stronghold in the day of trouble….” He is a fortress (Psalm 18:2). He is the protector of His people (Psalm 91:1-2). A fortress is a walled structure designed to protect. The specific type the original language references here is a like a mountain stronghold — not walls built out of bricks or blocks by men but the natural relentless strength God built into the mountains when He created them.

In the day of trouble, we can turn to the Lord and know that He’s got us and we are safe (Psalm 46:1). But here’s how strong our God is: He’s strong enough and big enough to keep us in the palm of His hand (John 10:28-29). And even though He’s so strong that no one could ever pluck us from the palm of His hands, He’s gentle and caring enough that by those same mighty hands, He will lift us up because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:6-7, Isaiah 40:11).

“The LORD…knows those who take refuge in Him.” Now, this is beautiful. If you were to be somewhere in Europe or somewhere where the remains (and sometimes ruins) of castles and fortresses exist, those fortresses would not know if you ran into them for refuge. They aren’t alive. And, as I said, some of them are ruins, meaning their ability to provide fortitude has an expiration date. The Lord is different. Those who put their faith and trust in Him are known by Him (2 Timothy 2:19, John 10:14). This is more than knowing about us or knowing who we are; this is intimate knowledge (Psalm 139:1-4). This is deep knowledge of who a person is. Our God is so good that He not only provides refuge but that the refuge provided in our times of deepest trouble comes with Him knowing who we are and comforting us by His very presence and salvation (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 34:18, Zephaniah 3:17, Isaiah 12:2).

This verse hit hard when we had church in the rehab last Sunday. Some were afraid that they’d never regain movement in their body because of a stroke. Some that their broken back might not heal fully or that another injury might mean paralysis. Others were there as caretakers and feeling inadequate about their ability to comfort their loved one while also feeling totally out of control and incapable to do anything to help. But it was good to know that there is a God who saves (Isaiah 45:21, Titus 3:4-6). There is a God who loved them enough to send His Son to die on their behalf (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) and raise from the dead to offer them new life in Him (Romans 6:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

It was good news to know that if God can save our souls, healing our bodies is small potatoes (Psalm 103:1-5).

It was good news to know that God is good (Psalm 100:5) and that in our times of darkest trials, He is still light (John 1:5, Psalm 27:1) and still God and still good to us in the midst of sorrow and tribulation (Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Psalm 34:18-19).

It was good news to know that God never leaves us or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) even when we find ourselves more alone than ever before in our lives — that we can take refuge in Him right where we are and know that He knows us, our needs, and how to give us the strength and grace we need (Matthew 6:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Isaiah 40:29-31).

And it’s good news for all of us as well. If you have put your trust in God — confessed Jesus as Lord and believed God raised Him from the dead and are saved (Romans 10:9-10), He knows you and cares for you, too (John 10:14, 1 Peter 5:7).

I know I’ve said it at least a dozen times, but y’all, that’s good news! And it’s that good news — the good news of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ that we’re singing, reading, and preaching about Sunday.

So if you’re weary, hurting, searching, or could just use some good news — come. Not just to attend a church service, but to come to Jesus. He is the refuge we come to and the risen King who is our living hope. We’ll gather to worship Him, read and sing of His cross and resurrection, and have John remind us from God’s Word the good news — the gospel — of Jesus.

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Songs for Sunday, May 25, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and that’s good news!

Let me clarify, specifically, what I’m thinking about Sunday coming being good news. I’m talking about the Lord’s Day, but I’m also talking about the Day of the Lord when He comes and gets His people.

This world is hard and full of tribulations and sorrows. There is good, and that can only be attributed to Jesus, but there is a lot of…well, a lot.

There’s a lot of pain. A lot of questions. A lot of reasons to feel weary, overwhelmed, or even undone. But Sunday is coming — JESUS is coming. And that’s good news.

It’s good news for us because Sunday is the Lord’s Day — the first day of the week when we remember that Jesus rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death. It’s also good news because it reminds us that the Day of the Lord is still ahead — when He will come again, right every wrong, wipe away every tear, and bring His people home.

Until that Day comes, we live in the tension, in a broken world with hopeful hearts. We are people who still struggle. We still suffer. And unfortunately we still sin. Yet by grace we have a great high priest — Jesus Christ — who not only reigns from the throne but invites us to draw near as we see in Hebrews 4:14-16:

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is the throne of the King of kings, the One who is seated high and holy (Revelation 4), yet He still welcomes sinners and sufferers who have been saved by grace through faith in Him to come boldly. We don’t draw near because we’ve got it all together—we draw near because Jesus does.

This Sunday at Christ Community, Lord willing, we will lift our eyes to the throne, beginning with Psalm 24, asking “Who is this King of Glory?” and joyfully answering, “The LORD of hosts, He is the King of Glory!” (Psalm 24:10)

And then, together, we’ll join the worship of heaven found in Revelation 4 and 5 where saints and angels cry out that Jesus alone is worthy of worship and “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”!

You may not feel worthy to approach His throne—I know I don’t. So let’s settle that here: we’re not. But He is. He is worthy of worship, worthy of being sought, worthy of glory, praise, and honor. And He, the Worthy One, has invited us.

He wants us to approach. Because He “has passed through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14) and sympathizes “with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). Because He loves us and cares for us and wants to give us the mercy we need and to help us find the grace we need “to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

He wants us.

And because He does, we can approach His throne with the confidence of a toddler approaching their mommy or daddy’s bed to ask for water at three in the morning. If earthly parents and caretakers can show grace like that, how much more will our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)?

So let’s approach together. Let’s lay our burdens down. Let’s seek Him and make much of Him. We may not always feel like it. Everything in life may seem to be pulling us back. But we get to do this. And we need to—if for no other reason than that He wants us to.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

1The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah.

7Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. 8Who is this King of Glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! 9Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. 10Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of Glory! Selah

8And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Songs for Sunday, May 18, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited! Well, I’m weary and a bit worn, but there’s more to my excitement than what my body feels and how this world grates at my spirit.

Our #dailyPSALMchallenge has been going on since January, and the Psalm for Saturday, May 17 (Psalm 137) has been on my heart for a few weeks now. We looked at it this past Wednesday night with our CCC youth to help us understand Daniel 1. I believe this Psalm gives context to our worship gatherings, too. Bear with me as I flesh this out.

Let’s look at Psalm 137:1-4:

1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?

Psalm 137 begins with weeping. The people of God are in exile in Babylon, far from home, grieving all that they’ve lost. They sit by the rivers of Babylon, remembering home, and they hang up their instruments. Their captors mock them and ask for songs — Sing us some of those Zion songs! Sing to us of this great Yahweh! Sing!

But how can they?

That’s a question many of us find ourselves asking. How can we sing in this broken world? How can we sing when our hearts are heavy with grief, anxiety, pain, etc.? How do we lift our voices when we’re surrounded by sin and sorrow?

We sing because Jesus saves (Matthew 1:21, Luke 19:10, Acts 4:12, Titus 3:5).

We sing because Jesus was “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He understands. He is acquainted with our feelings (Hebrews 4:15, Psalm 34:18).

He was the One on whom the Lord “has laid…the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). He took our sin and shame upon Himself (1 Peter 2:24). He knows the anguish that accompanies all of that, and He bore it all for us (Isaiah 53:4-5). We sing because Jesus humbled Himself and took on the death we deserved on the cross (Philippians 2:8, Romans 5:8, Galatians 3:13).

We sing because God “has highly exalted [Jesus] and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). His name is now our hope (Acts 4:12), our refuge (Proverbs 18:10), and our anthem (Psalm 96:1-3).

We sing because Jesus lives! The grave could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). And “because He lives, we can face tomorrow”.

Here’s some good news for you: if Jesus can sustain our tomorrows, He most assuredly carries us today (Matthew 6:34, Deuteronomy 33:27).

Because Jesus lives, exile is not the end of the story. He has gone to prepare a place for us, and when our sojourning in this old world is over, He will come and bring us home to be with Him forever (John 14:2-3, 6).

Those exiled worship leaders by that river of Babylon were distressed (and just plain old stressed, too). They had hung up their instruments and laid them by, but they had hope that their Rock and Redeemer was not done with them.

I believe the way the Psalms were laid out for us gives us the answer to “How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?” Psalm 137 is followed by one of those songs of Zion in Psalm 138.

Psalm 138 is a response to the exile-weary, world-weary, pain-weary, weary-weary heart. It’s the sound of a soul remembering how to sing. Where Psalm 137 ends with heaviness, Psalm 138 begins with hope. Even in the presence of false gods, grief, or enemies — David sings. He sings because the LORD answers (v. 3), strengthens (v. 3), and preserves (v. 7). He sings because the steadfast love of the LORD “endures forever” (v. 8).

So how do we sing in this foreign land, so far from the shores of heaven?

How do we sing in the midst of pain and sorrow that seems to stretch out like a horizon?

We sing with hope because our God is not far away. He is not geographically limited because He lives within those He saves (John 14:23, Romans 8:11). He is near (Psalm 145:18, Acts 17:27), He is faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3, Lamentations 3:22-23), and he is not finished with us yet (Philippians 1:6).

Won’t you gather with us and lift your voice with ours?

You’re welcome.

Here are our Scriptures and songs for Sunday:

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Songs for Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited!

As I sit and write today, thinking about Sunday morning, I find my mind on Luke 15 where Jesus tells a story many of us know as the parable of the prodigal son. But if you look closely, Jesus begins that story not by focusing on either son but by saying, “There was a man who had two sons” (Luke 15:11). The main character is neither the prodigal nor the faithful son; it’s the father. Jesus is painting a picture of God the Father, whose mercy and love extend freely to the rebellious and the self-righteous alike.

The younger son demands his share of the inheritance — an insult in itself — and leaves home to squander it all in reckless living (Luke 15:13). When famine hits, he finds himself feeding pigs and wishing he could eat their slop (Luke 15:16), utterly broken and alone. But “when he came to himself” (Luke 15:17), he decided to return home, but not to try and reclaim his place as a son. He planned to appeal to his father to be hired on as a servant.

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him, ran to him, and embraced him with compassion (Luke 15:20). He could have shamed him and railed at him, but he didn’t. He rejoiced that his “son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24) instead of scolding. What a powerful picture of grace and mercy!

But Jesus doesn’t stop there.

The older son, who never left home and worked for the father through all of his brother’s foolishness, came in from working and heard a celebration. When he found out it was celebrating his prodigal brother, he became angry and bitter that his brother was receiving what he thinks should have been his (Luke 15:28-30). Yet again, the father seeks out his child: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours”, and “It was fitting to celebrate…for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:31-32).

In both cases, the father goes out to meet his sons. One ran off and returned in shame. The other stayed home but harbored resentment. The father invites both of them to come in — to the same house, no less — to repent, to be restored, and to rejoice in his love.

This is the heart of our God and Father. He is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and He is inviting sinners to come to Him.

We see this invitation echoed throughout Scripture:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

and

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

That’s the same invitation we offer every Sunday at Christ Community. Not a mere invitation to come to a gathering or event but an invitation to come to the father. Whether you are running in from rambunctious revelries in sin or have been standing off on your own in self-righteousness, the Father is waiting and watching, ready to embrace with open arms — not because we’ve earned it or are worthy but because He is full of grace.

The chorus of our invitation song sums this up well:

I run to the Father, I fall into grace
I’m done with the hiding, no reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend
So, I’ll run to the Father again and again and again and again

If you’re weary, run to the Father.

If you’re guilty, come to Him.

If you need forgiveness, healing, or hope — come to the Father through His Son Jesus.

Romans 10:9-13 reminds us that everyone who comes to Him and calls upon Him will be saved. This is the message we preach, the hope we hold, and the reason we sing and live.

And once we’ve tasted His grace, how can we not respond in praise? That’s what we plan to do when we gather Sunday because He is mighty to save, His cross and empty tomb have made a way for us, and all who have confessed Him as Lord, believed that He is risen from the dead, and put their trust in Him have been saved by His grace.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs for Sunday:

  • Scripture | Romans 10:9-13 —

9…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

  • Scripture | Psalm 117 —

1Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! 2For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

  • Invitation | Run to the Father —
    Scripture Inspiration: Galatians 6:2, Matthew 11:28-30, Jeremiah 17:9-10, Matthew 9:12, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 9:15, 1 Samuel 16:7, Psalm 44:21, Psalm 139:1, Proverbs 16:2, Luke 16:15, Isaiah 53, Matthew 20:28, John 1:29, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Romans 5:6-10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Titus 2:14, Proverbs 16:4, John 6:44, Romans 8:28-30, Ephesians 2:8-10, Revelation 13:8, Romans 6:1-11, Galatians 2:19-20, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:16-19, 1 Timothy 1:14

You are invited for Resurrection Sunday at Christ Community Church!

Sunday is the Lord’s Day – Resurrection Sunday, and I am excited!

The original resurrection Sunday, when Jesus walked out of the tomb alive and well, is the day that changed everything.

Why? How? 

At the heart of the Christian faith is one message – the proclamation of the gospel message – that Paul calls “of first importance – a message that holds the power to give life, forgive sin, and secure eternity with Jesus:

“…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….”

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

This is not just an inspirational story or some religious tradition. It is the true, good, victorious news that Jesus died for sinners like us, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and rose again just like the Scriptures said He would.

Yes, Jesus died for our sins – taking our punishment and paying our sin debt.

Yes, He was buried – truly dead, wrapped in grave clothes and laid in the silence of the grave.

But praise God, HE IS RISEN!

When the women arrived at the tomb that first Resurrection Sunday morning, they heard the words that still echo throughout history:

“He is not here, for He has risen as He said.”

Matthew 28:6

Jesus always – ALWAYS – keeps His word. And His resurrection proves it. It proves His power over sin and death. It proves His identity as the Son of God – as God incarnate. It proves that all who trust in Him can have a living hope, an unshakable promise of eternal life. 

This Sunday at Christ Community, we’ll gather not just to remember an empty cross or to commemorate an empty tomb. No, we’ll gather to worship our risen and resurrected King! We’ll sing “King of Kings” and “Holy, Holy, Holy (Jesus Reigns)” because Jesus is alive and reigning even now, interceding on behalf of those He saves at the right hand of the Father. We’ll celebrate our “Living Hope” and declare that “Ain’t No Grave” able to hold Jesus or those He gives eternal life!

John is going to open the Word of God and point us to our resurrected Lord and King, our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

All in all, we’ll embody the truth of the beloved hymn “Because He Lives”. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because He lives and we know that He holds the future in His hands, life is worth living. Jesus has changed everything because He lives!

So, come and worship. Come and believe. Come and rejoice in the Savior who died, who was buried, and who rose again – just as He said.

Most Sundays, we list out the Scriptures and songs we’ll use in our worship gathering to help people prepare their hearts. These posts are typically titled “Songs for Sunday”.

Here are our Scriptures and songs for Sunday, April 20:

1Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Songs for Sunday, April 6, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming — the LORD’s day, and I’m excited!

Every Sunday is a celebration of the goodness and grace of God, reminding us that He not only died for us but that He raised from the dead and LIVES for us! This Sunday at Christ community, we are going to sing about His goodness and grace and remember His mercy and how He saves.

In Titus 3:4-5a, Paul gives us one of the clearest, richest summaries of the gospel:

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy….”

Let’s break that down and take it to heart:

“But….”

This is a very important conjunction. It takes everything before, cancelling it in favor of what comes after. In the context of Titus 3, what came before is what we once were: “once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing out days in envy, hated by others and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). BUT Jesus cancels that out in favor of His salvation.

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared….”

Paul is reminding us that salvation starts with GOD — not with us, not with our efforts or any righteousness of our own. The word “appeared” points us directly to Jesus’s first coming — God in flesh. He didn’t send a proxy or representative. He didn’t send salvation. God showed up Himself.

Jesus is the visible expression of God’s goodness and loving kindness, because He Himself is God being good and loving. He didn’t wait for us to climb up to Him (which we can’t do — remember, not with our efforts); He came down to us. His goodness and light broke into our sin and darkness.

“…He saved us….”

These three words change everything. God didn’t tell us what we could be doing better. He didn’t merely advise or improve us — He SAVED us. That speaks of our reality and need. we were lost, helpless, and dead in our sin, but HE acted. He rescued. He redeemed. These three words are a beautiful reminder that salvation is not self-help but divine deliverance!

“…not because of works done by us in righteousness….”

This part humbles us. There is no room for pride or patting oneself on the back in the gospel. We can’t earn our salvation by cleaning up our act or doing good deeds. There are no scales that we can balance by heaping service and good deeds; in fact, if there is a scale, our sin has it solidly weighted down unless Jesus acts upon the other side. We can’t impress God into loving us. All our best works can’t bridge the gap between our sin and His holy, holy, holiness.

“…BUT according to His own mercy….”

There’s another “but” here. It takes the false hope of our own righteousness and cancels it out with the hope of God’s own mercy. This gets at the heart of the gospel: God saved us because He is merciful. That’s who He is. Mercy means that He does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead, He pours out grace through Jesus — grace that cleanses, restores, and makes us new.

That’s good news!

And that good news — that gospel — no, “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” is who we are going to read, sing, and preach about this Sunday. We’re going to sing of His mercy.

Songs like “Holy Water” and “Washed Clean” will remind us that Jesus’s grace is what refreshes our hearts and keeps us coming back to Him in gratitude and worship. Then, we’ll read Philippians 2:5-11 and lift our eyes to Jesus, declaring His beautiful and powerful name — the name that is above every other. We’ll sing “Your Great Name” and “What a Beautiful Name” as a response to the Savior who stooped low to save us and is now exalted on high at the right hand of the Father.

If you have been saved by Jesus in His mercy, come ready to rejoice!

And if you haven’t yet trusted in Jesus, know this: His goodness and loving kindness have appeared. He is still saving. He is still merciful. Come lay your burdens on Him. Come and receive the mercy that never runs dry. Come to Him.

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Songs for Sunday, March 30, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited!

Every week, our faith family gathers because of all that Jesus has done for us — His life, His death, His resurrection, His work even now, and His imminent return. We don’t gather to impress each other or prove ourselves on the basis of religion or attendance. We come because we need Jesus — and because He has made a way for sinners (like us) to be made right with a holy, holy, holy God.

This Sunday at Christ Community, we will spend time in worship reading 1 John 1:5-2:2. It’s a beautiful and powerful reminder that God is light, and that in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). That’s both comforting and confronting. It comforts us because it means that God is pure, holy, trustworthy, and sinless (everything we aren’t), but it also confronts us because when we step into His light, our sin is exposed. So, we don’t get to walk in darkness and claim to have fellowship with the God who is light (1 John 1:6).

That sounds like bad news if we were to stop there, but praise GOD, the good news is coming in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

The blood of Jesus. That’s our hope. He is our hope. Our sins — real, serious, and shameful though they are — can be cleansed by His blood. Y’all, that’s not just a line from some hymn but the truth of the gospel.

That gospel saturates every part of our worship gatherings. We read it together from the Word. We sing it. John opens the Word and preaches it. And we have the opportunity to hear it from our own voices and the voices of our brothers and sisters, reminding us that Jesus doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up to come to Him — He came to save us while we were still sinners, and He did it because He loves us (Romans 5:8)!

As 1 John 2:1-2 says, when we do sin (and we do), we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous! He is the propitiation for our sins. He bore the wrath of God due for our sin, took our place on the cross we deserve, made peace by the blood of His cross, and gives the LIFE He has and the favor of God He deserves to those who put their trust in Him — for those who confess Him as Lord.

So, if you feel the weight of your sin, come on (Psalm 32:3-5, Matthew 11:28).

If you’ve been trying to hide in the dark, come on (John 3:19-21, Ephesians 5:11-14).

If you need to be reminded that God is still gracious and Jesus still saves, come on (Titus 3:4-7, Hebrews 7:25).

You won’t be out of place because our gathering is full of sinners in need of grace (Luke 5:31-32, 1 Timothy 1:15). The only difference is that many of us sinners have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). You’ll hear us pour our hearts out singing “Thank You, Jesus, for the blood applied…. Thank You, Jesus, You have saved my life!” You’ll hear us sing “O the blood, it is my victory!” You’ll hear us sing because we haven’t moved past our need for grace. We’ve just come to the One who gives it freely (Romans 3:23-25, John 1:16, Revelation 22:17).

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures & songs:

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Songs for Sunday, March 23, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day — Sunday, and I’m excited!

Every week at Christ Community, we gather because the gospel — the good news about Jesus — is true: He really lived, died, and rose again to save sinners and bring us into life eternally with Him. You see, we don’t gather to prove ourselves, check some religious attendance box, or pretend we have it all together. No, we gather because we need Jesus.

There’s more good news: He came to save. This is clearly seen in some of the verses we will read together in worship.

In John 3:16-17, Jesus tells us:

16For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

And how did He do that? The apostle Paul puts it plainly, saying it is the most important message, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4:

…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, …He was buried, …He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….

This is the most important news, the good news we call the gospel. It is what we proclaim with our mouths and our lives. It is at the heart of everything we sing, read, pray, and preach. Jesus gave Himself for us — not when we are all cleaned up and put together but while we were lost, guilty, and broken.

One of the songs we will sing, “God So Loved”, takes the message of John 3:16 and other passages to give an invitation to come to Jesus. Ponder these words:

Bring all your failures
Bring your addictions
Come lay them down
at the foot of the cross
Jesus is waiting there
with open arms
God so loved the world

If you have never trusted in Jesus as Savior — confessed Him as Lord and believed that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9), we pray that you consider these words today. This is the more important invitation, to come to Him more than coming to church.

We would also like to invite you to gather with us where you will hear this gospel again and again. Even if you have trusted in Him, we invite you to gather with us, praying that your heart might be stirred again by the wonder of His gospel — His love, grace, mercy, and salvation — and respond with fresh joy, worship, and devotion to Him.

This gospel will saturate our songs. When John opens the book of Hebrews, this gospel is at the heart of the book and the sermon. We will read the good news together.

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Songs for Sunday, March 16, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited!

Every Sunday, we gather to worship Jesus — the One who has rescued us from darkness and brought us into His glorious Kingdom. We sing to Him and about Him because He alone is worthy!

Colossians 1:13-14 declare this good news:

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This is the heart of our worship. We don’t sing to check a box or go through religious motions. We sing because Jesus has saved us! He is the One who gave His life to redeem us, the One who forgives our sins, and the One who rules over all things (Colossians 1:15-20).

This Sunday at Christ Community, the substance of our songs and the sermon John preaches will proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord, the only hope for the world.

And YOU are INVITED to gather with us!

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

  • Scripture | Colossians 1:13-20 —

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

  • Scripture | Colossians 2:13-15 —

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Songs for Sunday, March 2, 2025 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is the Lord’s day — Sunday, and I’m excited!

A lot of people just think of Sunday as the first day of the week, but for those who Jesus has saved, it reminds us of that Sunday millennia ago when Jesus rose from the dead. That day secured our salvation and gave us an unshakeable hope. As we gather to worship Jesus tomorrow, that unshakeable hope in Jesus alone is what we are going to sing about!

One of the passages we will be reading in worship, Psalm 62:5-8, reminds us of that hope:

5For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

David’s words here from Psalm 62 are a powerful reminder to us that, no matter what uncertainties we face, God is our refuge and firm foundation. In a world that is as changing as shifting sand, Jesus alone us unmovable and unshakeable. Our salvation, security, peace, and hope rest in Him. We can trust Him and pour out our hearts to Him always and at all times.

Tomorrow, as we gather at Christ Community, we will lift our voices in songs that proclaim this beautiful truth. We will sing of the steadfast hope we have in Jesus — hope that is not fragile, not fleeting — but firm and eternal. We will raise our voices and encourage one another to trust in Jesus alone. As always, John will open God’s Word and point us to Jesus.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scripture and songs:

  • Scripture | Psalm 103:8-14 —

8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. 13As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him. 14For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

  • Scripture | Psalm 62:5-8 —

5For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

*Sometimes we see the need to changing the wording of a song for doctrinal reasons (meaning the lyrics contain theological inaccuracies or fail to align with clear biblical teaching).

In the case of “The Truth”, look at the original lyrics for the chorus:

The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies
I belong to You — that’s the truth

Here are the lyrics as we have changed them:

The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I am made in the image of a perfect King
He saved me and changed everything
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies
I belong to You — that’s the truth

While the sentiment of the original lyrics is that we come to God just as we are, it is inaccurate to say that He wouldn’t change anything about us. He takes us just as we are, but if He saves us, He transforms us (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:2) from His enemies to His friends (Romans 5:10, John 15:15), from far off from Him to brought near (Ephesians 2:12-13), from dead in our trespasses and sins to alive in Christ by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1-8). He takes sinners and gives them new life in Him (Colossians 2:13-14), and — as the lyrics just before it say, “I am made in the image of a perfect King”, we recognize that if God has saved us — again, transforming us from lost in sin to saved by and through Him — He takes the image of God married by sin (Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23) and makes us new, creating us “after the likeness of God” (Ephesians 4:24) by conforming us “to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29)!

If we don’t want to “belong to the lies” and know what it is to belong to Christ, we need to realize that we need Him to change us — that the beauty of Him being willing to accept us in our sin is that He loves us enough not to leave us in it. That’s the truth, and that’s good news!