Christ Community Church - Leawood Campus - SUNDAY MESSAGES

There are fewer things harder in the Christian life than waiting for Jesus. The glory of God is not so much about the glory due to God, but something God will reveal about himself. Something we sometimes have to see to believe. Something that sometimes makes us wait. Jesus waits for reasons inexplicable sometimes to us, and Jesus weeps when he sees us weeping, and Jesus rages when he confronts death and suffering in his good world. The glory of God is this: in Jesus, there is no grave over which Jesus cannot triumph, including his own, and including yours and mine. And when we believe he is the resurrection and the life, the Son of God, he, too will one day call us by name, will speak over every tomb, grave, urn, or ashes we’ve become, and say, “Come out” and no one and nothing can stop him. Jesus wins. Do you believe this?Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4893393022.08.14

No one likes to think about aging. Our natural reaction to aging is usually revulsion, but time is coming for you. And as uncomfortable as that makes us, or as painful as that may be, the better we are able to reckon with that idea, the wiser we will be, no matter how young or old we may be today. It’s never too early to remember your Creator, to remember that we are creatures, with an expiration date. We must take seriously our frailty, our impermanence, and our death, which pretends to, tries to, convince us that life has no meaning at all. But we can do more than remember our Creator. On this side of Jesus, when we see the whole testimony of God’s revelation to us, we can do one more thing here. We can hope in our Redeemer, because every passing day in Christ, we are one day closer to the renewal of all things. Yes, even as we age, renewal only gets closer. Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4889633622.05.29

We all want to be on the front line of protecting freedom, but the fight for real freedom is not outside of us, but within. We must beware who offers us freedom and at what cost. Satan will use the common areas of our lives to deceive us from our sin. Sin permeates, stains, and spreads. It begins in one part of our life and moves into the deepest parts of us where our subconscious takes over and suddenly we are driven by fear, shame, success, and idols we have cultivated where Satan is at work in our identity. The greatest weapon against the Enemy’s lies is truth. Only truth has the power to set one free and truth is not elusive. Jesus also stands in front of us. He sees our hearts and offers us freedom from sin and the enemy’s captivity. The yoke of Christ gives us rest so that we can experience love and faithfulness over manipulation and destruction, turning us towards what is good. Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4892008422.07.17

Our family shapes who we are in ways we are hardly even conscious of most of the time. We come from extended families with their own stories, histories and patterns. But are we in Jesus’ family? In this family obedience is not because we earn something from Jesus. It’s because, as Jesus says, his words, his instructions, his design, IS eternal life. Obedience to Jesus doesn’t just give us access to life. It is life. And you know this because Jesus obeys. Jesus constantly obeys. In fact, if you really look at Jesus’ words about himself, he is constantly reminding us that his real power comes from obedience to and dependence on His Father. Obedience is the life we want to live. Being a part of Jesus’ family means that our obedience and love for his words grow over time. Is your love of Jesus’ words increasing? Do we read his word and want to obey?Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4892302722.07.24

When you first hear Jesus speaking in our passage today, you may be slightly offended. Jesus claims to be our shepherd. Jesus says he is our good shepherd because he knows us by name. He doesn’t just lead us, he knows us. He will not leave us or forsake us. He gave his life for us. The hands that stretched out, on the cross of calvary, pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, are in fact the same hands we’ve been looking for our whole lives, and when they find us, will never let us go. He is the good shepherd who calls the atheist by name, the Muslim, the Hindu, the Buddhist, and you and me, by name. He invites all of us into his fold, if only we would enter by him. And he knows your name. He lays down his life for you. He holds you. And even death itself cannot take you from his hands. Do you know His voice? Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4893026022.08.07

The first-century Gospel writer John brilliantly weaves truth through a multi-layered story of Jesus healing a blind man. In the nearby literary shadows of this remarkable story lurks a provocative question, “Who’s Really Blind? Helen Keller once said, “The only thing worse than being born blind, is having sight, but no vision.” Embracing the Gospel is the only way to gain true sight. Just like the light of the world gives light to the man born blind in our story, so too can Jesus the true light of the world heal you of spiritual blindness and bring light to your life. Do you see him?Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4892647522.07.31

We all want to be on the front line of protecting freedom, but the fight for real freedom is not outside of us, but within. We must beware who offers us freedom and at what cost. Satan will use the common areas of our lives to deceive us from our sin. Sin permeates, stains, and spreads. It begins in one part of our life and moves into the deepest parts of us where our subconscious takes over and suddenly we are driven by fear, shame, success, and idols we have cultivated where Satan is at work in our identity. The greatest weapon against the Enemy’s lies is truth. Only truth has the power to set one free and truth is not elusive. Jesus also stands in front of us. He sees our hearts and offers us freedom from sin and the enemy’s captivity. The yoke of Christ gives us rest so that we can experience love and faithfulness over manipulation and destruction, turning us towards what is good.Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4892008422.07.17

If the sun stopped shining, our earth would be a dark lifeless wasteland and without Jesus the light of the world, we are in spiritual darkness. Like the sun, Jesus is the source and sustenance of life itself. He is not only the redeemer, but also the Creator. Without light, we can not see what is true, good or beautiful. Without Jesus the light of the world, we live in darkness. He proclaims a bold truth, offers us a great invitation and gives us a hopeful promise. What is eclipsing the light in our lives? Are we living in the dark or walking in His light?Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4891615322.07.10

When it comes down to it, many of us are living desert lives, but what if we could have a lush, overflowing life? That is what Jesus offers us. The desert life gets stuck on how impressive Jesus looks from a human perspective. But Jesus knows that his Father’s timing is more important than human strategy. For an overflowing life, our faith has to be bigger than our ability to always know what Jesus is up to. A desert life wants Jesus to meet our every expectation without challenges, changes or disappointments. If we are not careful, we can admire Him without really believing in Him. It is so simple, yet so difficult for so many of us to receive the overflowing life by believing in Him. When we come to Jesus, thirsty and desperate, we become a river of living water that flows out to everyone around us. Bringing life to our world. We have God’s Spirit like a river of life. Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/4891390022.07.03

Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/48909625Following Jesus is hard. Staying with Jesus, obeying him, loving him through thick and thin, listening to him, is really hard. Jesus says things and teaches things that are offensive to every culture, every era and basically every person. So we should not be surprised when Jesus makes us uncomfortable. In fact, if Jesus isn’t offending us, isn’t challenging us, we probably just are not listening very well. Jesus will offend you. That is honestly part of his strategy to help grow your understanding of the kind of kingdom he is bringing. The wonderful paradox of the Christian faith is that as we deny self we become our real selves. It’s important, to be sure, whether or not you can follow Jesus. Don’t just ask “can I afford to follow Jesus?” Ask also, “If not Jesus, then who?”22.06.26