Christ Chapel Audio Podcasts

Preparing your home for life and crisis.

The story of Zacchaeus is one of the first examples in the New Testament of God finding one of his own. Perched in a tree of curiosity, and tied there by his own sinfulness; Zacchaeus is content to only catch a glimpse of God. But God has other plans...eternity together.

Most of us feel like we should pray more, and often that our prayers go unanswered. There are no magic formulas for prayer but there are patterns in the scripture which guide us into the way that we should let our petitions be made known unto God.

What do you do when you have lost what is necessary for you to continue the Lord's work in your life? When you have lost your edge, your passion, your purity, your peace, or your power. Just like Elisha instructed, you take your master to the place you lost it and depend upon him to raise it. Once he has, it is your responsibility to reach out and take hold of it.

This is the story of David's fleeing his son Absalom, who is taking over the kingdom and seeking his life. This lament is both a realization, a declaration, a cry, and an expectancy that in the end God would have the last say in his life. He navigated the worst of times just like he did the bets; with his eyes fixed upon God.

In Matthew's account of the Resurrection, he uses the phrase "fear and joy". This describes not only the difference between those who do not believe and we who do, but our experiencing of both of these dynamics in our life with Christ.

The bible explains to us that our lives are comprised of times and seasons. There is a time, a specific time to do and enjoy all things. The question in our lives is are we doing them in the right time and the right way, and are we enjoying them in the way in which they come. The tragedy is not to have died young, but to live a long life and never really live.

For many the word transition has a negative connotation. It stirs up feelings of displacement, frustration, confusion, and unmet expectations. But for the christian it should be a time of great expectation; because transition proclaims the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another one. And we know as God's children the destination of each transition is for our betterment and his glory.

The story of Lazarus deals with the issues of why Jesus is seemingly slow to show up, and how much power is released when he does. Often times we have buried things before their time because our circumstances seemed to dictate as much. But God reminds us today that if we will simply believe, we too can see the glory of God.

Of all the places for Jesus to first display the glory of his power, he chose the simple festive occasion of a wedding. On the surface we see the savior meeting a need, but it was much, much more than that. The last statement will be our subject... "and this was the beginning of miracles that Jesus did, and his disciples believed on Him."

Of all the places for Jesus to first display the glory of his power, he chose the simple festive occasion of a wedding. On the surface we see the savior meeting a need, but it was much, much more than that. The last statement will be our subject... "and this was the beginning of miracles that Jesus did, and his disciples believed on Him."

As christians we need to be careful that we do not let others exchange, dilute, add to or take away from the simplicity of Christ in our lives. It is an exchange, Him for us. This message deals with the subject of how the world and our adversary tries to see if we will be open to "another jesus", "another spirit" and "another gospel."

The important thing is not so much to monitor it in others, but to know what it looks like in you. May God grant us eyes to see it, a heart to hate it, the courage to deal with it, and the character to make no excuses concerning it.

What is God teaching you when he is silent?

1/20/13

For many the issue of sharing the gospel is simply not talked about. We may at times share our faith, but rarely the gospel itself. Usually that is because people rarely reject our testimony, but can easily reject the gospel. This sermon shows us the essentials of what we need to say when we share the message.

As this new year comes upon us, there are still many blessings yet to receive and many prayers that will find their answer in the days to come. But this will also be a year of great testing for many, and there are several things you need to make sure you carry as you go forward. No fear, just prepared.