The book of Daniel shows the importance of resolve, obedience, humility, and faithfulness in the lives of God’s followers. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were threatened with death if they chose to remain obedient to God instead of submitting to the king. Choosing God over the world may not get us thrown in a fiery furnace or lions’ den but it may still result in earthly consequences. Our...  Read More

Over 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah described a man who wasdespised and rejected by men. The Man was wounded for our transgressions; bruised for ouriniquities and by His stripes we are healed. The Man was led as a lamb to slaughter and did notopen His mouth. He was cut off from the land of the living and stricken for transgressions ofpeople. His grave was made with the wicked ...  Read More

What's your gospel story? How did you find out about Jesus? Did you grow up hearing of Jesus? Did you have a friend or family member who influenced your life by sharing Jesus or inviting you to church?  In Mark 2 we discover the gripping story of four phenomenal friends who get word that Jesus was a man who could help their friend.These friends gathered up their hurt friend and literally carried h...  Read More

There are churches today that have adopted the “if it makes you feel good it must be right” attitude, but does it pass the approval of God? In Jeremiah the Israelites fell into this trap more than once. They idolized other gods again and again, and sometimes we fall into idolatry without realizing it. Our idolatry becomes money, sports, jobs, and just stuff that gets in the way of our relationship...  Read More

Why do you think that God allowed us to know about Job and his God story?Here is something to think about - Job never knew that the devil was putting him through this horrible test of his faith, wealth, and health and trying to destroy his faith. You know the story, Satan failed and Job stayed faithful to God. Saving faith will always be tested, just see Meshack, Shadrack, and Abendego.Their faith...  Read More

While I was reading the book of Ruth, I wondered what if Ruth had embraced a philosophy of caution and went back to Moab? The negative repercussions would have been devastating and widespread. Naomi would become one of the world's displaced and impoverished widows. Boaz would continue basking in glories of the past. But Ruth did not embrace caution, she was God centered. She threw caution to the w...  Read More

One common expression regarding the Bible is that the good news of Jesus saving sinners is like a single crimson thread spanning from Genesis to Revelation. A gospel thread can seem difficult to find in a book like Judges. The reason for such difficulty is because Judges can be a bleak and distressing portion of scripture. The final verse best captures the wretched nature during the day of the Jud...  Read More

Hustle and GrindGod gives us opportunities to see His faithfulness and miracles, but sometimes we have to do our part (hustle and grind in faith) in order to see it.Joshua is a good example of God giving an opportunity to show His faithfulness through a miracle, and Joshua had the courage to get up and go after the miracle (or hustle and grind). Joshua chased after the miracle God promised. He did...  Read More

What does Leviticus, a book of laws about animal sacrifice and all the things that made the Israelites unclean, have to do with the gospel?Everything.The law reveals sin, but it is also a “shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1). Leviticus 16:1-34 explains the requirements for the Day of Atonement.“Atonement” means “to make amends for wrongdoing” or “compensation for sin.” I had a profes...  Read More

When I read the book of Exodus and see how the Israelites went from watching plagues sent by God to set them free to worrying, complaining, disobeying, and criticizing Moses and God for rescuing them from Egypt, I think to myself, "How can they act like that after seeing how God saved them and remembering the life God brought them out of?" But, after I reflect on my own life and think about how I ...  Read More

Hey CCW Family,We launched into the new year with the vision theme for 2025: "The Gospel on the Ground."  Have you ever been thrust into a story that had an unusual commencement? Mark is peculiar from the other gospels with its no-nonsense, immediate path forward. Mark 1:1 says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ" and then moves continuously with rapid action. Mark opens not with the bir...  Read More

As we embark on prayer and fasting for 2025, there’s no better foundation than the book of Genesis, which captures the very beginning of time and God’s grand design. Genesis presents several key themes:The miracle of CreationThe consequences of humanity’s fallThe establishment of the covenant with His peopleThe stories of the patriarchs who shaped the faithThe importance of family and relationship...  Read More