Christ Presbyterian Church

Hold on Loosely in Expectation

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 7:25–30 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: Advent: Living with Expectation

A paradox is a statement that while seeming self-contradictory, actually describes reality. The Christian life is full of paradoxes. God is one and three. God is absolutely sovereign and our choices actually matter. One paradox is that Christians are called to live in, attend to, and love the present form the world (Jer 29:4–4). Yet Chrsitians are also told not to love the world because the present form of the world is passing away (2 Cor 5:17). So which is it? Are we meant to settle down in the world or to remain detached from the world? This week we consider how to live in this tension in light of Jesus’ coming.

Be Patient in Expectation

Bible Text: James 5:7–11 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: Living with Expectation

We don’t like to wait. For anything. If you have an appetite for something, chances are there’s an app that promises to deliver it to your doorstep within 48 hours. In an age of instant gratification, patience can seem like a relic of the past—almost quaint. Yet this year has forced all of us to wait for the end of the COVID crisis. How can we wait for patience, especially when we’re out of control? This Sunday we celebrate Advent and learn to cultivate the virtue of patience.

Layne Campbell’s Deacon Ordination

Bible Text: John 13:1–5, 12–17 | Preacher: Kyle Wells

This Sunday we begin advent. We also celebrate God’s call to Layne Campbell to serve our church in the office of deacon. We’ll consider what it means to be a deacon, and why God calls people to serve in that capacity.

Let us Encourage

Bible Text: Hebrews 10:19–25 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

What responsibilities do I have towards other believers? What responsibilities do they have towards me? And what, if anything, does church attendance have to do with these questions? For many today going to church must either be viewed as a personal preference or else it becomes a legalistic imposition. But what if we are unable to live the Christian life on our own. This week we conclude our series on Church unity by considering what the book of Hebrews has to say about our vital need for mutual encouragement as we follow Jesus on the path he has called us.

Koinonia

Bible Text: Philippians 4:10–20 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

We like the image of the self-made man. We like the idea of getting ahead in life by our own bootstraps and ingenuity, without any help from anyone. But as they say, it’s lonely at the top. No matter how much we achieve, we still need the companionship and help of others. As much as we hate it, we are needy. But in the upside down kingdom of Jesus, being needy is a wonderful thing.

Everyday Gospel Unity

Bible Text: Colossians 3:12-17 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

We like the idea of unity, but what does it take to actually accomplish it? In today’s divided world we often decry the division but neglect the virtues required to live in community: kindness, humility, gentleness, compassion, patience, and bearing the burdens of others. How can God change us from the inside out so that we can be people of peace instead of hostility? This Sunday we continue our series on the unity of the Christian Church.

The Unity of the Faith

Bible Text: Ephesians 4:11-16 | Preacher: Reed Jolley | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

What does it look like to grow up? Adulting has become a sort of buzz word today. People often use it to describe the responsibilities one faces when becoming an adulthood. But what is it like to adult as a Christian? Most often we view maturity as a form of independence. But what if growing up means not independence, but interdependence? What if responsibility actually looks like existing in, receiving from, and giving to a community? This week we learn about a key distinctive of Christian maturity—unity.

Live as Citizens

Bible Text: Philippians 1:27–2:2 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

Who gets the final word on defining a person? We often go through life looking for someone or some group to tell us who we are. Often, we attempt to define ourselves and others by our success, our hobbies, our politics, or our market value. We look for a tribe to give us meaning and significance. But God says that he is our maker. Since we belong to him, he gets the final word on everything about us. This Sunday we continue our sermon series on the unity of the Christian Church.

The Unity of God’s People

Bible Text: Ephesians 2:11-22 | Preacher: Reed Jolley | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

Social researchers tell us loneliness is on the rise and it has devastating impacts. Our families, neighborhoods, and work places are fractured—and that’s all before we entered a global pandemic that forced us to stay at home. Does the Christian church have a role to play in bringing disparate people together? This Sunday we study the uncommon family that is the Church of Christ.

That They May be One

Bible Text: John 17:20–24 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: One Body: Living Into the Unity the Gospel Provides

It’s no secret that our country is divided in many ways. Civil strife and discord are in the news almost daily. We might expect a nation as vast and diverse as the United States to hold many world views and perspectives in tension. What may be surprising, though, is that many people experience the Christian Church as no different. Critics point to the various divisions as reasons for disbelief. Yet, Jesus is not surprised. In fact, Christian unity is the very thing he prayed for on the night before he went to the cross. This week we begin a series on the Christian practice of the communion of the saints.