Ccf Sunday Messages

As we finish up chapter two of the short letter to Titus from Paul, Paul continues to give instruction for how young men, bondservants, and Titus himself should live in the present dark world. Pastor Steve noted the issue of grace--we tend to worry that grace will cause a free-for-all towards sin, but Paul tells Titus that grace will teach us to say no to ungodliness and instead live righteously! Jesus gave all so that we could have his purifying power, being set apart as a special people to live for Him in this present age!

As we continue looking at "Getting our Ducks in a Row" through Paul's letter to Titus, in chapter two Paul turns his attention to discipleship. The need for inter-generational communication is clear: the older men and women have a distinct role to play in modeling and teaching the younger generations how to live out their faith. Given it is Mother's Day 2013, Pastor Steve focused on the role of the older women and their behaviors and impact on the younger women & moms.

Part of Titus' difficult task in Crete is to deal with a significant number of deceptive and lying teachers who would come against the church. The job of the elders that Titus would appoint would be to rebuke and correct those who would come deceiving with fables and manmade rules and commands. A challenge for us is to consider whether our mouths say one things but our works--the fruit of our lives--says another, similar to how Paul characterizes these defiled and disobedient teachers in Crete.

As we start Titus, the final letter from Paul in the pastoral epistles series, the main theme of Paul's message is bringing order to the church in Crete--a series we have entitled "Getting our Ducks in a Row". One of the first "ducks" to get in order is healthy church leadership--the role of elder/bishop. But, applicable to more than just the church elder, the recommendations from Paul are a good reminder to all men who want to be a godly leader, whether at home, work, or wherever they have influence.

Listen to a powerful testimony by Ron Mancuso, the first in our "Lost & Found" stories of salvation series. Ron's story is just one story of many--but it reveals God's amazing grace to bring someone from darkness to light through a series of events, all by the power of the Holy Spirit!

"The Finish Line" - As Paul closes out his heartfelt letter to Timothy, he starts with a declaration of his having fought well and run his race, and is now ready to depart. As he considers these things he makes several requests of Timothy (desiring him to visit) and also greets and notes others who have both been partners in ministry as well as those who have been against him.

Paul is drawing his emotional letter to his dear "son in the faith", Timothy to a close. He now charges him to "preach the Word", realizing that as time marches on in these last days, people will become less open to hearing the challenging truth of God's Word, but will instead "heap up for themselves teachers" who will tell them what they want to hear. Christians stand in that difficult place of needing to share God's truth--sometimes hard to hear--with love to a world that is less interested than ever to hear it. May be we persistent and loving in pressing on to "fulfill our ministry"

Easter Sunday 2013: Skeptical? On Easter, we look at the story of Thomas, an honest skeptic, who, when presented with the truth, worshipped God and believed. As Jesus said to Thomas, though, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Do you have faith? Are you willing to look at the facts and evidence for Jesus? We pray you will be one of those who is blessed through believing even what you have *not* seen!

As Paul continues his personal message to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3, he warns him that more difficult times are coming, and those times will see the state of mankind (and the bad character that goes with it) grow worse and worse. Instead of allowing that to cause us to fear, instead Paul's directive is to "continue in the things which you have learned" so that we can be ready, equipped, and able to do God's work in the dark days ahead.

Do you want to be used by God? Isn't our greatest purpose to be useful to Him for the work of the Kingdom? Those who are desiring to be "vessels of honor" will choose to be cleansed from all evil and purified and sanctified to do His work!

Continuing in 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul reminds Timothy to teach his people to not get into useless arguments and "babblings"--rather he should be diligent to rightly teach God's Word, which is The Truth. Those who are taught the Word faithfully will be founded on God's solid foundation, and they will depart from sin.

Paul reminds Timothy that he endures everything he has endured for the sake of others--so that others might know the gospel and receive God's grace that had so powerfully transformed his own life! "If we endure, we will also reign with Him" (v 12). Keep going and endure hardship for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

"Hold fast", "Be strong", "Endure hardship" .. Paul continues to shore up Timothy's faith in the difficult place and with the difficult opposition he faces as a young pastor. Just as Timothy was to consider these things, we too can "consider what [Paul] says, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things." (2:7)

Paul admonishes Timothy to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ--for it is that very gospel which saves us and calls us, just like it saved Paul and called him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. We also need not be ashamed of the power of God and His gospel, but instead be lights in a dark world, representing the truth and being vessels through which God can bring life!

As we continue in the pastoral epistles of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, today Pastor Steve started the second letter from Paul to Timothy. This letter is personal, emotional, and a heartfelt message from the imprisoned Paul to his dear son in the faith, Timothy. It has as much encouragement, challenge, and truth for us today as it did for the young pastor, Timothy.

Warren McIvor, one of our elders, challenges us to dig deep into the Word of God, to find the treasures of truth and wisdom that are there for those who will invest the time and effort!

One of our elders, Todd Giszack, shares a message about our role as ambassadors of Christ in this world, given the task and mission of reconciling others to God.

Today's message brings our study of 1 Timothy to a close as Pastor Steve finishes up chapter 6. Listen in as Steve rewinds and summarizes all the instruction Timothy has received from the Apostle Paul, finishing up with the encouragement to pursue all the good and godly traits and to resist and reject false teaching, argument, and the love of riches and wealth. Instead we are to do good and commit ourselves to the calling Christ Jesus has made on each of us.

Continuing chapter 6 from last week in 1 Timothy, Paul warns Timothy about those who will come in to argue about words, who have greedy intentions, and whose doctrine and life will not line up with Jesus Christ and the Word of God. In addition to staying away from errant doctrine and those who teach it, we also have to watch our lives for the love of money, the greed of this world, as it will take us down to ruin as well. Instead we are to pursue the gifts of the Spirit and fight the good fight of faith!

Returning to our study of the pastoral epistles in the new year, we are picking up where we left off in chapter five of 1 Timothy--as Paul takes care of some "housekeeping items" related to compensation, handling accusations and sin in the leadership, and representing God in every relationship, no matter to believers or unbelievers.