Christ City Church: Recent Episodes
Christ City Church
In the writing of Psalm 8 we learn three different ways that God thinks about us as his children.
When the family of Jesus brings him in to the temple to be dedicated, a righteous and holy man named Simeon prophesied that Jesus is the Consolation of Israel.
We see three responses to the Good News of the birth of Christ during the journey of the Magi.
Gratitude and bitterness are not choices you make. They are the postures of your heart.
For the entirety of our series, Vintage, we've looked at positive attributes of Vintage. Vintage God. Vintage Faith. Vintage Mission. Today, we're going to flip it on it's head. The reason we need all these positive attributes - the reason we need a vintage God, in other words - is because we have a vintage problem. From the beginning, man has been "prone to wonder" - prone to rebel against that vintage God.
In Mark 8, the disciples were elated to receive the revelation that Jesus was the Christ. At least, until Jesus began to teach that He would suffer many things, be rejected and killed and after three days rise again. Not only was Jesus preparing them for His pending public death on a cross, but for the potential price His followers would pay for their public association with Him.
In 1 Corinthians we see Paul addressing issues, questions, and concerns from the church at Corinth. He has taken a few chapters to honor them by helping guide them through these tough decisions, questions and difficult practices. So when we get to 1 Corinthians 11 Paul is pretty frustrated with the what the church is representing Christ especially through communion with each other and through the Lord's Supper.
For five weeks, we have been in a series called "vintage." Today, we stop to refresh ourselves on what that word means and how it applies to us as Christ-followers. In order for the label "vintage" to be rightfully applied, we must not only properly define it, but also seek Scripture to see how to live it out. This brings us to Paul's declaration in Ephesians 2:10, where he reminds us that as the receivers of God's redemptive grace, we become masterpieces, not made to be "antiques" kept in a case, or "retro" simply called to stick out, but so much more...we are called to be vintage.
We serve a missionary God, with a vintage mission that began in Genesis and will end in Revelation. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the mission of God and the purpose for His church's mission. Our mission is a result of the Gospel's mission towards sinners through King Jesus. The mission of Christ City church is to reflect God's mission for His church in Birmingham.
As many were going up to prayer, Peter and John heard a beggar, in that moment they knew they had something to offer the beggar. Do we allow our schedules to be interrupted by those in need?
The story of Peter and his relationship with Jesus is a powerful example of the vintage love of Jesus - a love that doesn't change even as circumstances do. In Peter's story, we see Jesus' love for Peter is the one unshakeable thread weaving throughout their often rocky relationship.
We believe the vision of Christ City Church is bigger than any one person. Instead, we believe it is God who ultimately is interested in seeing a redeemed Birmingham. It is HIS vision - a vision He chooses to reveal in different ways through different people. Many people. One vision.
At Christ City Church, we value long lingering dinners...especially those where God has brought together a group who at first glance seem like an unlikely party. why? Because Jesus did. We believe that relationships are forged, mended, and strengthened when people are brought together to prepare, present, and participate in a great meal. In Luke 5, we see the practice of hospitality as a means to build a community. This type of meal nourishes both the belly and the soul. In reflection of that, we need to see every meal as an opportunity for worship...a eucharist that invites Jesus as the honored host.
The Word of God is more than a set of guidlines or recommendations. It gives us the foundation for how we live, move, and shape every aspect of our lives. This week, we will use a metaphor for firmly holding on to God's promises and principles by learning The Navigatior's "hand analogy."
In Ecclesiates 1:1-11, the writer paints what seems to be a grim picture of life. But in truth, the writer is painting a very realistic yet joyous picture - that a Christian can trust in God's eternal truth even in spite of difficult circumstances because what happens "under the sun" does not change the truth about who God is "above the sun."
The miraculous story of Jesus walking on the water is found in different gospel accounts. Only in Matthew's account, however, do we read that Jesus wasn't the only water walker that stormy night. In Matthew's account, we see how the Hoy Spirit empowered Peter with the faith to obey Christ's call to step out of the boat in a great act of obedience that resulted in worship.
In his final warning and benediction, Paul passionately addresses the ill-intent of works-based religion versus the pure intent of the gospel. He then sums up the overall plea of his letter in one short, yet powerful command, "Boast only in the cross of Christ."
In these verses, Paul begins to conclude his letter by applying the divine principle of the harvest. Paul wants to clear any misunderstanding that might still be lingering in the minds of these young, immature, deceived believers. Paul wants them to understand that although it is true that in eternal redemption, we reap only what Christ has sown, it is also true that in this world's earthly reward system, we still rep what we sow.
How is a Holy Spirit-filled life lived out in the context of relationships? In these short yet powerfully practical verses, we see how dependency in and accountability to God affords us the right kind of dependency and accountability with people. This is the essence of God-centered community.
Although the term, "fruit of the Spirit," is one of the Scripture's most recited terms, it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many see the fruit of the Spirit as an external prescription for godly living, when in fact it is a description of what Christ-centeredness produces from the inside out.
In this section, Paul expounds on the scandalous freedom of salvation. Webster's dictionary defines freedom as a liberated and delivered state of condition. But the Bible takes this definition to another level by defining a believer as a liberated and delivered individual who maintains his eternally-free position no matter his temporary condition.
Easter is a celebration of the single greatest event in all history- the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By complete reliance in Christ's atoning death, burial, and resurrection, the penalty of our sins are paid for, and we are justified with God.
As we study the account of Jesus' coronation, we will look at the characters that were present that day in the crowd. Could it be that we have more in common with them than we think?
The ascent of Paul's argument in the book of Galatians reaches it's apex in this chapter. Here, Paul continues his impassioned declaration of Christian freedom. But up until this point, he has only written about what we've been set free from. In this section though, he shifts to what we are free for.
In this segment of Paul's letter to the Galatians, passionate conviction evolves into a vulnerable, affectionate plea. These verses are not as mind-bending as they are gut-wrenching.
In the opening section of Galatians 4, Paul declares that the gospel not only provides justification with God, but son-ship. Paul also expounds on the role of the Holy Spirit in helping us realize the work of the Gospel in and through our lives.
In this section of Galatians, we learn that false teachers had accused Paul of discounting the Old Testament Laws of Moses. Paul responds by showing that the Judaizers, in fact, were the ones who were in error.Paul corrects their false teaching by showing the purpose of the Law & the promise of the Gospel.
Jesus's astounding grace is to be admired and revered, not added to. We are all dying under the curse of the law, and we can only live under the cure of the cross.
In these verses, Paul takes his tirade against legalism to a personal level by tapping in to every man's deep rooted desire to be validated. The churches in Galatia had lost sight of how one can attain and maintain validation by God.
The Law is insufficient to bring about righteousness, it only shows us how unrighteous we are. Then Jesus simply makes things more difficult by adding faith in Him to the mix. But Jesus does more than that, He offers both freedom from the consequence of the Law and a prescription for holy living.
So much of our life is spent seeking the approval of others. It’s this pursuit that leads not only to irrational behavior, but ultimately slavery to public opinion. Paul reminds us that ultimately it’s not man’s approval that matters but God’s.
"Jesus +" theology is a false theology. Paul argued this to the Galatians, showing them that Jesus + anything is actually nothing.
As Pastor Jared wraps up our Resolution sermon series, he gives us a picture of the process and planning of God and how we should make that a template for our lives.
In today's society we are all constantly going, in this week's sermon Pastor David shows us the perfect example of pace.
As we begin the New Year, resolution bashing seems to be the new thing, because resolutions are normally quickly broken. But if we realize how God has wired us, we are able to funnel effective resolutions through that lens.
We have all grown up hearing this story and learning principles of faith, but what if there is a different angle on the story that we have never heard.
Through the angel God delivered a disturbing, but hopeful message to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The story of Hannah points to the struggle in our lives and the hope that is provided through the Savior to come.
A day will come when everything will be gathered into the dragnet and separated. On that day, will you be considered a child of the King?
The King of the Kingdom joyfully treasures us, so in response we joyfully treasure the King.
Leaven permeates bread to make it grow, just like the Gospel permeates the hearts of unbelievers causing them to grow.
We learn in this parable that you can never underestimate the tiny seed of the Gospel. Though it may seem tiny, it has the power to grow.
The local church is to focus on its local mission, but when God plants a church He always has the nations in mind.
There is no getting away from the fact that in the end, God will separate the weeds from His wheat. Our calling is not judgement, but our calling is to convert the weeds into wheat.
The parable of the Sower and the Seed has been talked about through the ages as the soil representing a person, but in all reality the soil represents a persons heart. A heart that can be changed into good soil by the work of the Holy Spirit.
What does Jesus mean when He says the Kingdom is coming? What are the implications of the coming Kingdom in our lives?
Before salvation we are all enemies of God, no matter how "good" we are. This drives us to pray, petition, and be praise for those who are not in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God, therefore that makes Him the King of the Kingdom. Jesus is the King that we have been waiting for, the King that will bring peace.
We begin a new sermon series this week called, Kingdom. We are going to learn about everything that is associated with the Kingdom of God.
This week we complete our values, learning that we value reproduction in community groups, engaging culture, and holistic justice and mercy ministry.
We are continuing to see the affect of Jeremiah 29 on the values of our church. Pastor David shares three more values this week that teach us the roles of the members of our church.
As the summer comes to a close, we want to practically live out what we have learned in Jeremiah 29, so over the next few weeks we will go through the 9 Values of our Church that come from principles learned in Jeremiah 29.
Special guest, Delvin Ishman, shows us how throughout the Scriptures God has called His people to live among and infect the people that He has placed around them.
What is God using in your life to draw you back to Himself? Do you even recognize that a hardship may be bringing you closer to God?
One of the most famous passages in the Bible, Pastor David breaks down what God was saying in this verse within the context of the book of Jeremiah.
In this passage, we see how God gives His promise to the Jewish leaders to return them to their land. Pastor David shares how the hardships and trials that we go through can be intend to impact others around us as well.
Dr. Barker shows us three examples of people in the Bible whose faith in Jesus causes the power of God to work in their lives.
In this passage of Scripture we see how we are supposed to live among the world, but not be of the world. Pastor David shares how when we live in the world, we become a witness for the Gospel of Christ.
Pastor David shares with us from Jeremiah how God calls us to be among people that do not know Him, so that they might come to know Him through our lives on mission.
Through a Biblical view of community, Pastor Josh Rutledge wraps up our Community series by describing the why and how we are going to carry out this principle within our congregation.
We learn that through community we are not just for other believers, but that we should be on mission in a local context with our community of believers.
Is community for us or for other people? When we live in true community we protect one another and bear one another burdens.
Our aim in this series is to understand the what, the why and the how of a Biblical community. By the time this series is over, you will know what a true Biblical community is, where it came from, why it exists, why its vital, and how its going to function here at Christ City Church.
Up to this point, the conversation couldn’t have gone any better for Peter and the disciples. they have passed their final exam with flying colors and have just been told that their Jesus, their man is going to build an unbeatable kingdom, a kingdom that not even death could find victory over. But all of a sudden, Jesus presents a prophecy...which is met with pushback...revealing a principle that we can all learn from today.
As the body of Christ, we know that our foundation, builder, and owner is Jesus. Because of that reality the church is invincible, it has authority, and it must be patient.
What does Jesus say about His church? As we continue our series through Matthew 16 we see the five different marks that Jesus uses to define a true church.
As we begin our new series Lose. We look at the Confession of Peter that Jesus is Lord. 2,000 years ago there were many opinions about Jesus, just as there are today. Who do you say that Jesus is?
As Pastor David wraps up our series in Ephesians 2, we learn the affects of resurrection power. The good works that we are called to do are because of the resurrection power of Christ.
In Greek there are two words that are used to describe the grace of God. Dorea and Charisma, the grace of God is a free gift and there is alot of that grace.
Who is the supplier and keeper of faith? While it seems that faith is our power, we have to be connected to the source.
Everything is for the glory of God. The heaviness of who He is and what He has done, brings us to fall in worship and adoration before Him.
As we continue our Clarity series, Hoover High football coach Josh Niblett shares with us that without Christ we cannot have clarity.
Three distinct principles that we can learn from the truth of being made alive together with Christ.
What is the difference between mercy and grace? What are the effects of mercy and how do they challenge us in our daily lives?
What are the three things that cause sin to live itself out in our lives? How does this apply to our lives? What does it look like to fight these three things in Biblical community.
From these verses we learn that we are all the same, that we all come from the same playing ground. No one is better than the other because we are all sinners.
As we begin our new series Clarity we will be walking through Ephesians 2:1-10 and gaining perspective on what it is God has done for us. This week we start with verse one and see that dead means dead. Before grace came in and rescued you, you were 100% dead. We were not drowning in an ocean of sin, we were dead in the water.
"The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." As we finish up our series in Psalm 1 we are challenged to walk in the way of the righteous.
What is the meaning of blessed? Sin is a slippery slope that leads us to sit in the seat of scoffers.
As we finish our mini-series on Thanksgiving, we see the different principles that God has called us to live by in our finances.
As we are wrapping up our ActNow series we have been challenged to give and to look beyond our needs to the needs of others. Learning this causes us to be thankful and to be wise.
As we continue our ActNow series we pause to see how we champion the cause of the orphan as a church and how we can ActNow in our city and around our world to defend the fatherless.
What is in a name? What does our name and logo mean and how does that affect our call and mission.
As we continue our ActNow series, we look at a passage of Scripture where we see Jesus call a boy to be a part of the miracle. Pastor David shows us how God has called us to be a part of a miracle in Birmingham.
We take a short break in our Acts series to recast the vision that God has for our city, through the ActNow series. What does it look like to be truly broken for our city? We take a look at Ezra and see how he responds to the sin in the life of the people around him.
When Jesus prays for His disciples what does that look like and what are the things He prayed for?
Living in real Biblical community is difficult, but being in community brings accountability and accountability brings purity in our walk with Christ.
In the context of Jewish times what did it mean to take up one's cross? Speaker Acton Bowen sheds some light on what that phrase meant to Jewish people and how we can relate that to our walk with Christ today.
What does boldness in the life of a believer look like and where does that boldness come from?
Continuing our series with Acts 4, Pastor Nasser explores what persecution looks like in our modern day and how we should face it as believers.
What are the affects of God's healing in our lives? What can we learn from a man who was a lame beggar, but eventually is seen leaping and praising God in the temple?
Lead Pastor David Nasser and special guest, Rick Burgess, discuss how God shouts through tragedies like the recent Penn State scandal and the Aurora shooting.