Posts with the category “church-blog”

The Tour De France is one of my family's favorite sporting events of the year. Hundreds of cyclists take on thousands of miles of the Pyrenees and the Alps mountains over 21 stage races over 3 weeks with no other propulsion system than the muscles in their legs. One of the most fascinating stages that takes place during the Tour is the individual time trial. Your standard race stage is simple; the...  Read More

What an awesome week of Summerama so far! Thank you so much to Pastor Eli and the whole Summerama Team for the way you selflessly have served the kids of our community! King Jesus is being lifted high and many great memories are being made!In the late 1980's early 90's  an anthem was everywhere. It was on poster's with smiley faces, t-shirts, and bumper stickers and it was sung by Bobby McFerrin c...  Read More

In 2001 Destiny’s child wrote a hit song called “Survivor” and as a kid I remember hearing it everywhere! The car radio, MTV, kids singing it, and even my older brother's CD player! It was an anthem to everyone who had ever been through something in life! I believe King David would have had it on his apple music playlist considering all that happened in his life! This week our scripture we will di...  Read More

Happy 4th of July!!!There are particular activities throughout the pages of scripture that suggest an impression was made on the Lord.  If you thought there was a secret way to get the attention of the Lord for help wouldn't you want to know exactly what that was?   Psalms 34, is a Psalm of Deliverance in which the Psalmist portrays key ideas that lead us to the working hand of God.  At CCW, we si...  Read More

Bill Withers penned an anthem that has soothed the hearts of generations for over half a century. He committed his feelings to paper based on the backdrop of a rural upbringing in a tight-knit family town and traversing to a new place, longing for a friend to call on. That 1972 #1 hit is entitled "Lean on Me."Psalms 23 is the most famous Psalm and could be disputed as one of the most known passage...  Read More

It is SUMMERTIME, and at CCW that means we are going in full effect!  We have had our Go Tell Teen and Hargis Kids Camp, we are in the midst of our kids day camps, and right around the corner from VBS. We love opportunities for ministry and the sharing of God's greatness!This Sunday we are kicking off a summer series entitled, "The Greatest Hits." Do you remember when you bought a CD, tape, or alb...  Read More

We are so excited to be celebrating our Dad's this Sunday! Join us a few min early for Donuts with Dad at our cafe.  Steve Chapman said, "Becoming a Dad is one thing, being a Dad is many things." For those men lucky enough to be called by the title Dad, it is a high honor and a great responsibility. The only thing of this world that carries on when you leave is what you've given of yourself to oth...  Read More

Belt of truth? Check.  Breastplate of righteousness? Yep.  Feet shod with preparation of the gospel of peace? Laced up tight.  Shield of faith? Uh huh.  Helmet of salvation? You bet.  Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God?   In hand.  And then?   Uh….. We have spent the last two months discussing taking up, girding and putting on the armor of God.  But what about after you’re all armored up...  Read More

Our battle with the forces of evil is relentless; therefore, the Lord commands us to take up the sword of the Spirit.  Out of all of the armor, this specifically was wielded and made Satan head for the hills. That piece of weaponry - the sword - is the Word of God!The undeniable strength of the Word of God may seem like the most common church idea, yet it is possibly the most grossly undervalued a...  Read More

The helmet was a weapon of identity. Have you ever been watching a movie with a dramatic war scene and thought, "How can they distinguish who is on what side?" One way they could do that is by the particular type of helmet. As a believer our identity is hinged on salvation, no matter where a person comes from - their nationality, age, social status - if they are saved that means we are on the same...  Read More

This Sunday as we continue in our sermon series on the armor of God, we will be looking at the “Shield of Faith”! We will be looking at Joseph with the coat of many colors who had mighty faith! He was given a Word from God and even though his life flipped upside down he trusted God the whole time. His faith was a shield against all the temptations, frustrations, and accusations. Just like Joseph w...  Read More

What a celebratory day this Sunday will be, as we are so thankful to celebrate our CCW moms as well as share in a child dedication service. We will join with several of our CCW families in covenant with the Lord to band together in the raising of these precious children.One of the most rewarding and difficult assignments on the planet has to be that of "Mom." There are countless hours spent tendin...  Read More

In 2021, the global brand Jordan raked in 4.8 billion dollars in revenue. Do you remember the biggest commercial campaign featuring MJ and Spike Lee with the great tagline "It's gotta be the shoes"?  The next piece of spiritual armor is found in Ephesians 6:15: "having feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Roman soldiers wore a boot called a Caligea, usually leather with a cleate...  Read More

In 2021, the global brand Jordan raked in 4.8 billion dollars in revenue. Do you remember the biggest commercial campaign featuring MJ and Spike Lee with the great tagline "It's gotta be the shoes"?  The next piece of spiritual armor is found in Ephesians 6:15: "having feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Roman soldiers wore a boot called a Caligea, usually leather with a cleate...  Read More

The second piece of armor for spiritual battle is the Breastplate of Righteousness. In today's world police and military often wear a bulletproof vest and, because of the vest, vital organs are protected and many lives are saved! In the spiritual realm, the breastplate of righteousness works two-fold: it guides our  paths toward right actions and  keeps Satan from gaining access to our hearts, lur...  Read More

It appears in the day we live in that there is much confusion as to what is the truth. Turn on your TV to the nightly news and it won't take long to see that there's one thing constant and that is disagreement about truth. Spurgeon once said, "a lie can make it halfway around the world while the truth is still getting its shoes on."  There is a battle raging and on one side you have Jesus, who is ...  Read More

When you think of eternity what kind of thoughts engulf your mind? As we continue our study on Armored, it is essential that we understand that the battle of spiritual warfare is rooted beyond this life and into eternity. Pew Research recently did a study and found that 72% of Americans believe in Heaven while only 58% believe in hell. Jesus actually taught more on the subject of hell than Heaven....  Read More

Have you ever felt like the world was throwing everything it can at you? Doubts, worries, temptations--all like fiery darts aimed to pierce your faith and peace. The Bible tells us we are not alone in this battle, and we're definitely not defenseless-Ephesians 6:10-20 shows us how we can steel ourselves with a time-tested, proven and worthy arsenal against the schemes of the enemy.We are going to ...  Read More

Easter weekend is here!! This weekend is worthy of all the festivity and merriment as we celebrate the hinge from which human history clings. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the GOOD NEWS that JESUS SAVES! As Jesus is being crucified, he talks from the cross and the statements He made are pivotal, critical, and applicable to our faith 2000+ years later.  Join us for worship ...  Read More

If you imagine Jesus' life on earth as a movie, his ministry in Jerusalem would be the climax of the film. In fact, whole movies have been dedicated to the subject! The Holy Week begins with a king's treatment on Palm Sunday, ends with a resurrection and empty tomb on Easter Sunday, with a gruesome crucifixion on Good Friday nestled in between. What can we learn from this holy and haunting week? I...  Read More

Did you have any problems yesterday? Have you had any problems yet today?"Pastor, problems find me!"Do you ever feel like that? Everyone always has problems.  In 2 Kings 5, we are introduced to Naaman who is a Who's Who, a mighty, honorable, courageous, strong, very important man, who is secretly living with terrible problems. We are also introduced to a few people whose names are not even mention...  Read More

This week the “Stand on the Mountain” series takes us to the home of a widow who is definitely not having a mountain top experience.  She is at the end of her rope.  Hanging on by a thread.  Down to her last dollar.  There seems to be no way out.  But God had a plan for her at her most desperate moment.  And He might just have one for you too.   Join us this Sunday as we explore “The Widow’s Oil.”...  Read More

In 2 Kings 2, Elijah is ready to graduate to his Heavenly home and senses it is near, but there is one holdup.. his protege Elisha.  3 times Elijah tries to get Elisha to stay behind, but undeterred he went on resolved in his heart to stay with his mentor through it all until Elijah passed his mantle of blessing.Have you ever been Spiritually mentored? Have you ever Spiritually mentored someone?  ...  Read More

A new King, Ahaziah. A time for a new direction, a fresh start, a clean slate, right? Wrong. This newly crowned royal comes with the same old baggage. Another generation from Solomon's compromise to Omri, Ahab, and now Ahaziah. What happens when the new King is injured? Will he reflect on the God of Israel or will he continue in the string of idolatry?  Are you able to see how idolatry is prevalen...  Read More

What hill are you willing to die on? Are there principles that you will fight for against any odds? In 1 Kings 21 we find wicked Ahab with a presumptuous offer of trade or money for Naboth's Vineyard. The problem that ensues is that this was not a mere possession, but for Naboth's family it was inheritance and it was his legacy.  Proverbs 22:1 tells us “a good name is to be chosen rather than grea...  Read More

"That was the last straw."  "I've had as much as I can handle.""I'm at the end of the rope."Have you ever felt what these phrases convey? In 1 Kings 19, Elijah, the mighty prophet of God gets to that point. He is on the run - running from Jezebel, running from God, and running on empty. I love this passage because if Elijah can get to that point it encourages all of us when circumstances are drain...  Read More

Have you ever gone through a dry time physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Elijah, Ahab, and all of Israel had been 42 months without a droplet of rain, but why?  Deuteronomy 11:16-17 explains it clearly, "If you turn away to other gods, The Lord's anger will be kindled and he will shut up the Heavens so that it will not rain." Talk about dry.   I've grown up in church and can't remember a tim...  Read More

Have you ever been stuck between two choices, vacillating between what is right and wrong? In one of the greatest lop-sided battles, humanly speaking, Elijah takes on the prophets of Baal and Ashtaroth in a 1 versus 850, whose God is the real God, fire on the altar showdown.  Elijah strikes before the challenge commences with a cutting interrogation and provocation in I Kings 18:21, "How long will...  Read More

In every age, the ministry and miracles of the prominent prophet Elijah have benefited the Church. Elijah shows up out of obscurity and God uses him in dramatic fashion to intervene in a generation, and then sweeps him away in a chariot of fire.  In 2024, at CCW we are making a declaration to STAND on the MOUNTAIN in that place we want to meet with the glory, voice, and touch of Almighty God! In I...  Read More

In every age, the ministry and miracles of the prominent prophet Elijah have benefited the Church. Elijah shows up out of obscurity and God uses him in dramatic fashion to intervene in a generation, and then sweeps him away in a chariot of fire.  In 2024, at CCW we are making a declaration to STAND on the MOUNTAIN in that place we want to meet with the glory, voice, and touch of Almighty God! In I...  Read More

Happy New Year CCW Family!  2024 is here and this Sunday is VISION SUNDAY!!In a moment of great, purposeful clarity in 3 of the 4 gospels Jesus journeys with Peter, James, and John, to go and STAND on the MOUNTAIN.In this fascinating passage the disciples behold the brilliance of the glory of God as Jesus reveals His deity, and then out of nowhere, Elijah and Moses appear and speak to Jesus. In Mo...  Read More

This week we celebrate the last Sunday of 2023!  New Year’s Eve!  Next week starts a brand new year is Vision Sunday.   Pastor Rick is going to communicate the vision he has for CCW for 2024.  Before we do that, we are going to take a few minutes on New Year’s Eve to talk about focus.  If you’re out of focus, the vision won’t mean that much to you.  Join us this week was we prepare for the upcomin...  Read More

Merry Christmas CCW Family!It’s almost Christmas and it always seems to be a time of magic in the air. Most of us awake early with anticipation of a great day. We are stirred for the presents that we will give and receive. We are exhilarated as we are ready for the people we will see and the traditions and moments we will exchange!It is joyous and wonderful to be ready for Christmas!It is vital to...  Read More

This week we will be looking at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. You have probably heard the song “Mary Did You Know?” but no one ever asked Joseph. He had a hard choice: marry an already pregnant woman or leave her and the baby to fend for themselves. Joseph wanted to walk away but God had other plans, and so, in a Holy nap, God sent an angel to speak the truth to him. Joseph, being a just ma...  Read More

We are nigh unto two weeks until the celebration of the greatest birth account in history.  In all certainty at CCW, Jesus is first, Jesus is last, Jesus is everything. Church, Jesus is the reason for every season!We will be celebrating the next three Sundays by looking at the three foremost characters in the greatest birth account in history: Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.  In Luke 1:26-56, we see this...  Read More

Can you believe December is here? We are so looking forward to celebrating Christmas at CCW with you. The church has been decorated and carols have been selected and it is wonderful to gear our minds toward the birth of Jesus.  Sunday is a very exciting day! We, as a church, will be prayerfully participating in the ordination of our Family Pastor, Eli Alexander.  What a blessing to be a church to ...  Read More

Happy Thanksgiving CCW Family!!I hope that you have a glorious day reflecting on the incomparable depths of the goodness of God. There is a great song recently put out called, “Gratitude” and in it are these words:All my words fall shortI've got nothing newHow could I expressAll my gratitudeSo I throw up my hands And Praise You again and againCause all that I have is a hallelujah.Our Words may see...  Read More

The writing on the wall is a very notable, popularized phrase in culture.  The writing on the wall is the title of movies, songs, albums, and books, so what is  all the clamor over this phrase?  The Cambridge dictionary states that it means "there are clear signs or indications that failure is forthcoming."  The actual writing on the wall comes from Daniel 5, it says "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin" and...  Read More

What is the greatest need of the church? What would happen if everyone in our church would commit to prayer? What has God done in the past for a people who pray?Spurgeon said “Prayer is the engine room of the church.” What power will we experience if we would just pray? Join us Sunday 10AM to hear the message, “Supplication of the Surrendered” - Exodus 33:1-23. If you haven't visited CCW, we'd lov...  Read More

CCW Weekly UpdateWhat a tremendous Harvest Jam weekend we had! There were over 2,100 people on campus Saturday and Sunday between Harvest Jam, Friend Day, and Upward Soccer.  I am so thankful for God's open doors to reach our community and for a church family who serves so graciously.  You guys are AWESOME!In Daniel 4, we may finally receive resolution to the spiritual roller coaster, that is King...  Read More