Have you ever had the experience of missing something incredible that was staring you right in the face?  You didn’t even know you were in the company of someone incredibly important till after the fact?  In session 02 Rico tells about a fabulous opportunity to meet none other than… THE Prince William… but blew it because he didn’t recognize him.  Sometimes we’re at a double disadvantage of not only having a vague grasp on someone’s identity combined with the presumption that we’d never have the occasion to be in their presence.

Learn more about Christianity Explored Omaha on our Facebook Page

It’s like that with the person of Jesus.  Many today would struggle to name more than a couple of basic facts about Jesus even though he is arguable humanity’s most enduringly famous person.  Combine that with the fact that nearly no one ever really expects him to actually show up in any sense of the word, and you have a person who could remain painfully anonymous and irrelevant to our world.

Do the New Testament documents give us a picture of an anonymous, irrelevant Messiah?  On what basis did people in his day credit him with greatness?  Why was his identity so consequential?  How could he have gotten HIS birthday to become the marker our planet uses to measure the centuries by?

Rico takes us into the Gospel of Mark and looks at 5 key areas over which Jesus demonstrated divine authority.  Bring a friend and come join us this week.  Christianity Explored meets at Christ Community Church on Sunday mornings at 10:45 in room D-126.

This weekend kicks off a great opportunity for people interested in exploring the very basics about Jesus.  Christianity Explored is a venue for spiritual seekers wanting to understand the person and teachings of Jesus Christ.  Christianity claims at its core to be Good News.  That’s what the word Gospel means.  But what’s so good about Christianity in a world where many are so unsure about religion.  Each week we’ll look at another section of Mark’s Gospel – one of the four original “biographies of Jesus” showing us who he was, what he said and what he did.

Christianity Explored meets weekly in Room D-126 at 10:45am (during the second service).

If you’d like more details about Christianity Explored, you can find out more info on the Facebook Page – Christianity Explored Omaha.  This fall’s class will be facilitated by a team of trained leaders.  Each week we’ll have time for conversation around tables and a short video segment followed by lots of time for your questions.  Bring a friend – things are always more interesting with a crowd!

A wise mentor of mine one time totally blew my mind by comparing Christianity to a contagious disease!  “Many claim to have the disease we call Christianity, but seem instead to have been exposed only enough to be safely inoculated from the real thing.”

In the concluding session of Christianity Explored, we’ll consider Jesus’ own definition of being a true follower.  According to Jesus true followers not only embrace the identity of Jesus as the Son of God and God’s only chosen King.  They also follow him as their leader.  Following means two further painful things:  i) denying self and  ii) taking up one’s cross (self denial to the point of dying to self).

The trouble with so many people who claim affiliation with Jesus today is this:  they simply don’t fit Jesus’ own definition of a true follower.  They associate themselves with Jesus through an extremely shallow understanding of Christianity.  Almost like being injected with a dead virus!  The immune system recognizes the attack and quickly summons the anti-bodies necessary to fend it off.  On the outside, maybe the person’s temperature elevates for a while till the threat has been dealt with.  But life as usual resumes now equipped for all future threats of exposure.

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:34-35 NIV)

Many who call themselves Christians today are like an inoculated patient.  Contending with a mild dose of the virus, but not displaying the full symptoms.  Perhaps inducted into the culture of Christian surroundings, but not fully convinced of Jesus identity.  Not fully prepared to follow his leadership.  Come check out the last session of Christianity Explored and wrestle with what getting the real disease involves!

Christianity Explored meets at Christ Community Church, 9:00 and 10:45 in room D-126.

One of the most challenging parables Jesus ever told, was perhaps his simplest one.  A seed that falls on good soil eventually bears a crop far greater than the size of the seed sown.  That’s it.  The DNA of the kingdom of God is bound up in the word of God.  When it’s spoken, it falls on good soil….or not so good soil.  The ironic thing in Jesus’ parable is that here we have a crazy farmer who indiscriminately slings seeds everywhere including unlikely places to sprout.  “What a waste” the farmers in Jesus’ audience would have thought.  Everyone knows you don’t plant seeds in a patch of weeds, or in crummy, shallow dirt, or on a path.

But the hook in the story is this, reader, you are soil if you’re reading this.  Like it or not.  You are good soil.  Or bad soil.  Jesus tells you what good soil does – good soil listens, good soil grows voraciously, good soil produces a crop.  But how to become good soil if you’re not?  Jesus doesn’t say much about that.  And that should unsettle us more than a little!

Path, rocks and weeds have already quit reading this post.  If you’ve made it to this sentence, maybe, just maybe you get what Jesus is talking about.  And if you’re curious, but still not sure you know what the parable of the soils is about, come on out to Christianity Explored.  And keep listening.

Christianity Explored meets at 9:00 and 10:45 in room D-126 at Christ Community on Sunday mornings.

Why does God accept us?  Because he has to?  Because we’re basically good people?  This week in Christianity Explored, we’ll meet a successful “good person” no one thought could fail to connect with God.  Jesus asks him a question that completely pours cold water on his spiritual motivation.

Sundays at Christ Community Church – D 126 at 9:00 or 10:45

In order to reach God, there is a point at which a person must let go his sense of what is fair.  “There are some things we’ll never deserve, we can never earn and should never attempt to pay for.”  When Jesus says in order to enter the kingdom of God we must become like children, no one imagines how hard it is to overcome pride and self-sufficiency of adult proportions!  It’s excruciating.  And only something as incredible as God’s idea of salvation can prove that to us.  We’re too proud to just receive it – it can’t be that good!

Christianity Explored installment number 6 happens this weekend at Christ Community Church.  Come join us at 9:00 or 10:45 in Room D-126.  Bring a friend!

“The disciples believed they would never again see Jesus alive.  Pontius Pilate, the centurion, Joseph of Arimathea and the women…were all absolutely certain Jesus had died.  But what happened 36 hours later?”

The resurrection of Jesus is so profound because of the undeniable fact of Jesus’ very public death.  At this point, Christianity stands or falls entirely on the claim of his resurrection.  What do we make of the Gospel accounts and other New Testament documents noting over 10 post- resurrection appearances?  What do we make of the faith of the original disciples if they were forced to fabricate these events?  What do we make of the faith of those who are transformed by belief in the resurrection of Jesus today?  What personal meaning is there in the resurrection of Jesus for people today in the face of life’s fragile experiences?

Come check out week 5 of Christianity Explored.  D-126 at 9:00 or 10:45 or noon.

Week 4 of Christianity Explored cuts to the heart of the Gospel – the reason for the death of Jesus Christ.  It is here that the justice of God meets the mercy of God through the willing sacrifice of Jesus.  What is your response to that, asks teacher Rico Tice?

Come join us at Christianity Explored – we meet at 9:00 or 10:45 in Room D-126 on Sundays at Christ Community Church.

“Well, this is uncomfortable to admit, but I’m glad we found out now on the practice field instead of during a game!”  Rico recalls his rugby days as a student and the strict training requirements no one could ever live up to at the beginning of the season.  In session three of Christianity Explored the Gospel writer Mark talks pretty boldly about Jesus’ thoughts on sin.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.  Mark 2:17

So the question becomes not “Am I good enough to come to Jesus?, but Do I consider myself bad enough to deserve what Jesus says sin has done to me?”  Christianity Explored is our seeker venue at Christ Community  – a safe place for those just exploring who Jesus is and what Christianity is all about.

Christianity Explored meets in room D-126 and is offered at 9:00, 10:45 and at 12:15 .   If you come at the lunch hour, bring a few dollars to pick up a lunch at the CCC Cafe.

…you’ll relate to him in all the wrong ways.”      Rico Tice.

Ever had the chance to meet someone really famous, but you missed it because you didn’t recognize them in time?  The problem isn’t that you weren’t in their presence.  They stood right there in front of you.  But you didn’t even know who you were looking at till later.  At the time you assumed you didn’t NEED to know who they were!

That’s what its like to look at Jesus, but not recognize his true identity.  In session 02 we’ll continue exploring the Gospel of Mark by asking, “Who Jesus is?”  Seems simple enough, but in a and age when so few (who even attend church) really understand who Jesus is, its more crucial than ever to answer the question of his identity.

Come join in the discussion at Christianity Explored – meets Sundays at 9:00 or at 10:45 or at during the cafe at 12:15.  Look for us in room D-126.  Bring a friend.  If you come during the cafe hour, bring a few bucks for lunch.

For more info about Christianity Explored, contact timp@cccomaha.org

Or text your inquiry to:  402-285-5743

Interested in Christianity but need a safe place to ask your honest questions?  Christianity Explored is a discussion based group investigating the life and teachings of Jesus.  You’ll be in the company of other spiritual seekers.  No prior knowledge of the Bible or Christianity is required.  You’ll not be made to read anything, sing anything or pray out loud.  You can ask any question you want.  The Gospel of Mark from the Christian Bible is our source material.  A trained facilitator will guide each session.  Each meeting is about an hour long and includes a short video presentation with discussion questions.

Christianity Explored at CCC

Christianity Explored groups will meet on Sundays at Christ Community Church Starting April 3^rd through May 22^nd   in Room D-126  Come at 9:00am or at 10:45 or you could grab a lunch at the café and join the 12:15 group (whatever fits your schedule best).  If you have questions about Christianity Explored or want to make sure we know which class you’re interested in feel free to text: 402-285-5743.  Or contact timp@cccomaha.org

Christianity Explored at Do Space

Do Space groups will begin Thursday, April 7^th at 7:00pm in the Large Conference room to the right of the main entrance.  Do Space is located on the corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets.  http://www.dospace.org/

Thought it was fun, but didn’t know what it was about.

I was raised to be a good person but not a Christian. When I was 16 my mom and I moved to the small town of Ainsworth, Nebraska.  God had put Christians all around us. Our neighbor below us was a Christian.  My cousin who also lived nearby was a Christian, as well as several of the kids I went to school with.  I began going to youth group and was given a scholarship to a bible camp that summer.  I thought it was fun but I really didn’t understand what they were talking about.

Just before I started my junior year in high school my mom and I were caught in a bad storm with hail and strong winds. It was there things started to make some sense to me.  In that storm late July 1978 I turn my life over to Christ.

I’ve had peaks and valleys since then but looking back I can see it was always God directing my path. Today I have a job that’s more of a ministry at Open Door Mission. As I follow Him He keeps on blessing me.

-Greg

I thought as long as you believe in Jesus you didn’t have to go to church!

I was raised Catholic but was raised under the impression that as a long as you believed that Jesus Christ was our Savior one didn’t need to attend church.  Yet I did attend on some holidays.  It all started with the birth of my third child who was born very ill.  He continued to get worse, so I asked for a Priest to say a prayer with us over him.  It was like a night & day experience – he was healed and ready to go home the next day out of NICU.  Attending Christ Community continuously for a year now I’ve been  drawn closer than ever with our Savior.  I want to give HIM my all and to the best of my ability share His GREAT news with EVERYONE!

-Dawn

More like a routine than worship.

Growing up in a Catholic home, church felt more like a routine than actual worship.  I drifted far away from God.  I still attended church on major events and holidays but I did not feel God’s presence in my life. After one of my many mistakes my wife suggested I attend Christ Community Church with her. I was reluctant at first but realized I had to start making changes in my life.  God spoke to me and touched my soul that very first service and shortly after I decided to get baptized and become a member of CCC.

-Tom

Too embarrassed to walk down front!

At age 15, I was watching people on TV go down front at a crusade.  I was so embarrassed for them that I left my family living room.  Two years later, I was one of the ones going to the front.  What happened?  During that interval, I felt the loneliness, the emptiness of my life.  I longed to be loved, to be known, to be fully accepted.  Three high school friends over and over showed me friendship and loving-kindness.  It touched my heart, and drew me to Jesus.  Later, as a 24-yr-old, I fully surrendered my life to Christ, bending my knee to His leadership-  wherever it led me, whatever the cost.

-Jill

Stopped worshiping God corporately, but still believed in God.

I went to Sunday school at an early age and grew up in a Christian home.  I was confirmed and attended church regularly through high school.  I stopped worshiping corporately after high school but still believed in God.  Now at this point in my life I have a real thirst to learn the word of God especially since coming to CCC.  I want to be involved in the Church and have given myself over to Jesus completely. Philippians 4:9  “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

-Jeff

My youth leader helped me surrender my life to Jesus.

I was raised in a Christian family but never really got it.  At 17  years of age, in and out of trouble with alcohol and other poor decisions, I found my way to a weekend retreat with our Methodist youth group.  During this trip due to the support, heart and leadership of my youth leader she helped me come to the light, surrendering myself to Jesus at this event.  From that moment I knew and started cleaning up my act.  As a result of my youth leader I have devoted my time to giving back to youth so that one day I can give to a young person what she gave to me…hope, peace and love

-Dustin

We had no choice – we could not run!

Before Christ I lived day to day relying on myself.  It wasn’t until my life had three major events that I realized I belonged to God.  It was when I was cut in a fight at school.  My friend and I were walking out of our high school registrar’s office, into the parking lot, after getting our transcripts for college.  A gang of kids were breaking windows.  They saw us looking at them and screamed at us.  We screamed back at them.  Soon we were surrounded.  One of them took out a long razor and waved it my face.  I was afraid and my fight or flight reaction kicked in.  We had no choice; my friend and I were surrounded, so we could not run.  Without warning I was hit across the arm with one of the razor blades. I was bleeding so much that I slipped in my blood and fell to the ground. But more amazing, it did not hurt and rather than being afraid, a sense of peace came over me.  Later the doctor explained to me that the lack of pain, and the calm occurred because I was simply in shock.  It was explained to me, to be nothing more than my body reacting to trauma.  To this day I believe the Holy Spirit took over my life and gave me a calm to hold me and comfort me.  And that was the beginning of my journey back to God, my Savior and renewing the Holy Spirit within me.

-Michael

Slowly I started to find the person God made me to be.

I have always been a follower of Jesus.  Or so I thought.  It wasn’t until I got married and found myself being drawn further and further away from the One who I always turned to.  I had turned to God to help me deal with and accept my mom’s death when I was only 21.  Once I separated and divorced, I found myself surrounded by very special people who loved me.  They loved me the way that you are supposed to love and support someone.  Slowly I started to find who Nicole was, who Nicole was in God’s eyes.  I made Christ Community my new church home, and from there God and I have hit the ground running!!  One night about a year ago I found myself facing the pain of feeling unloved and alone.  My prayer partner and I prayed and I cried all night.  I woke up the next morning knowing it was time to give my life back to God!!  At baptism on the green in 2015 I did just that.  I love my identity in God and I know that no matter what He loves me!!!!

-Nicole

A foxhole Christian…

I was born, baptized and raised in the Catholic Church.  I considered myself a “foxhole” Christian (ran to God when I needed help).  Then I started attending CCC in 2011 at the prompting of a friend.  My life began to change drastically and all for the good.  I began down the road of developing a relationship with God.  Amazing miracles began to happen and I can look back now and see the well orchestrated plan that had been put into place.  I could see how God had been perusing me for years.  I was re-baptized in 2013, accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

-Karen Sweeney

If you’re joining us in the middle of all these posts let me explain what 100 Word Essay is all about.  About 80 people are taking a class on sharing the Gospel called Intersections.  Each week we challenge participants to step up to something practical they can do to build their skills and confidence.  Last week the challenge was to compose their 100 Word Essay – the rough and ready short version of their spiritual journey of coming to faith in Jesus.  If you’ve tripped onto this blog, you’ll find tons of stories as you scroll down.  You’ll also see the 100 Word Essay tag to the right on this page.  That will direct you to more stories from past participants.  Enjoy!  The guy going down on an airplane is admittedly the only one like it I’ve ever read.  And I’ve read a lot of these!  Thank goodness that’s not everyone’s spiritual journey.  But so glad God worked in Dave’s life!  Makes you wonder how may other people on that flight prayed that same prayer…. and where makes you wonder where they are today!  Keep reading!  If you get inspired send me YOUR 100 Word Essay!  timp@cccomaha.org

Did the ark have a water-pump?

I come to a relationship with Christ through a friend who devoted all his extra time to doing things with me.  Once when he and I were working on his car replacing his water pump he asked from underneath the car,  “Do you think the ark had a water pump?”  I asked him why he would even ask me such a question since I wasn’t very mechanical. This started my journey to ask and search for answers that he could always answer. That was 1985.

In February of that year I was at a believers baptism at the Evangelical Free Church in Fremont.  An 85 yr old lady whose lawn I mowed decided to get baptized.  She said some nice things about how I’d helped her.  When she was submerged, I felt like I rose 2 ft off my chair.  My wife asked me if I felt OK.   I told her what happened and she told my friend who was sitting there.  He stepped out with me and as we prayed I asked Jesus into my heart. Crazy huh?

-Ken

Raised Catholic, never read my Bible.

I was raised a Catholic,never read my bible, trying to earn my way to heaven,always thinking I was never going to make it.  A friend invited me to Faith Evangelical free  Church.  I learned a lot & invited Jesus Christ into my life in 1983.  I hungered to learn the Bible.   God used people, bible studies, & books to help me. I  had miracles, a lot of answered prayers, dreams from God that came true & the Holy Spirit has helped me, used me to witness, & help others.  I have a personal relationship with our Amazing God.  I have learned God has more love than humans & will never leave me.

-Betty

I needed a Savior – 302 Words!

My life was one of joy but laced with unbalanced pain experienced from the past. My shattered heart ached and was hardened. I felt rejected, unloved and devalued. I promoted myself to king and ruled over my kingdom with anger, an unforgiving spirit, pride, shame, and guilt . I followed religion, embraced materialism, and gambled my eternity on good works.  Only by God’s grace and His love led myself and my free will to CCC.  Once there, my eyes were opened to a wounded heart that needed rescued, redeemed, and restored. I needed a Savior.

My first encounter with Jesus at CCC were the many nameless faces that directed traffic, poured the coffee, passed the collection plate, whispered prayers, led bible studies, sang songs, and preached the good news. I observed and listened intently. I saw and heard the voice of love and acceptance in the church. Jesus was in this place.. After much prayer, journey groups, and devotion to scripture, I met Jesus in the Word- loving, leading, reaping, teaching, rebelling, praying, pleasing, serving, sacrificing, dying, and resurrecting for me- a sinner. My savior is love..

After hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, I opened my heart and repented, accepted, believed, trusted in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Baptized shortly after, I died to my self and became a new creation in Christ. I am healed, forgiven by His blood, and granted eternal life through His death and resurrection.. I have removed myself from the self imposed throne of pride and I kneel at His feet. My Savior reigns.

Everybody is born into this world under the reign of a King who is past, present, and future. Everybody leaves this world whether or not he chooses to be under the King’s reign or not. I follow Jesus. My Savior is Eternal.

-Barb

I thought I would someday become a Catholic Priest.

I feel I have always been with the Lord.  I was raised as a Catholic in a mostly Catholic neighborhood of South Omaha.  During grade school and high school, I thought I would become a Catholic priest.  During my senior year in high school, my religion teacher started me thinking deeply about the Catholic faith. For the first time that I remember, I started questioning.

Trice, my wife and I met and wanted to be married.  Trice didn’t want to marry in the Catholic Church so Trice and I started searching for another church.  We found that the Lutheran Church was close to what the Catholics believed so we were married there.  After awhile we started searching because we didn’t feel comfortable.

We walked into Community Covenant Church close to our home and were very warmly welcomed.  This made us feel uncomfortable because this was an atmosphere we weren’t use to.  After awhile we knew we were at the right place for us.  Over the years, Community Cov has helped me to come closer to Christ in many ways. I think it was and is mostly the people in the Covenant that taught me about what the bible might really be saying.

I was taught and read myself about what Jesus said about “believing in Him”. We (I) can’t be good enough to please a perfect being. We (I) need to stop trying and accept the gift He gave us (me). This I have done.

-Ken

As the plane was diving, I laid my sins in God’s hands!

During the Viet Nam war we were leaving Japan for Thailand on an Air Force plane with 52 people on board. Three  minutes after take off we were still climbing  when one of the engines exploded trailing flames for many feet.  The plane started a serious dive for the ocean at a very high rate of speed and a steep dive angle, which would have ended in certain death. With God’s help the Pilot was able to extinguish the flames and regained control of the airplane within 100 feet of the ocean. During the dive  I laid my sins and prayers in God’s hands.  The effect of prayer was immediate and very calming. The return to Japan was uneventful but the moment was unforgettable.

-David

I liked the teaching, but didn’t want to pay the price.

I was raised in a Christian home.  I liked the teaching but didn’t want to pay the price.  I struggled to believe.  I tried to hide from God, expecting punishment for doing that.  In love, grace, mercy, and blessings, He pursued me.  One day, without thinking much about my Spiritual status, my mouth confessed; my heart believed, and I knew that it is finished.  My life got out of control soon after.  In brokenness and surrendered.  I found my freedom and God gave me new mercy everyday to get back up where I was failing.  He saves me from who I am and He shapes me to whom He wants me to be.

-Tini

Surrendered!

It was in the 1980s – my wife and  I were raising a family of 4 boys.  Money was very tight, our marriage was struggling and I began drinking more frequent.  We attended Trinity Baptist church off and on and Pastor Weightman took attention to me and my family.  Sometimes he would stop over to see us and talk to me about life.  He told me how Jesus loves us all and how he died for our sins.  Some weeks later during service the song “COME AS YOU ARE” played and Pastor called for people to step into the light of Jesus.  I finally broke down and came forward to surrender my life to Jesus.

-Thomas

I sincerely believed I was a Christian.

After graduating from Bible School I took a job in my home church as the Christian EducationDirector. While there I felt an increasing great emptiness and void in my life.  I had  been somewhat aware of this during the years in Bible School and even before.

I sincerely believed that I was a Christian. I knew I was a sinner and that Jesus died for my sins so I assumed I was was “saved”.  I knew He was the creator of everything. However, the God I experienced was a far off God – way up there someplace looking down from heaven.  Kind of like a rancher admiring his huge herd of cattle.  I was just one of the herd.  He never paid much attention to me.

God brought the scripture to my mind, “Ask and you shall receive,…”  So that’s what I did.  I asked that the emptiness and void I felt be filled.  Through the years He has bountifully answered!  I began to notice some changes.  The Bible was beginning to come alive!  I began to realize that GOD LOVED ME!! Little ‘ole me!  If I’d been the only sinner there ever was Jesus would have given his life for just me!  I realized that I had never ever KNOWN HIM personally before.  I knew ABOUT Him, but now I KNOW Him.  He is my friend and He is always with me.

-Lela

Parents divorced, car accident, lost my daughter.  God’s still at work!

I grew up in a family that didn’t go to church or read the Bible.  My  parents ended up divorcing and that was the start of a  change in my life.  We started  moving around a lot.  When I was in high school I was  invited to a Campus Life group. That was my first encounter of  learning  about God.  The seed was planted there.  Than we  moved again and all that got left behind.

Later in life I was in a car accident with my brother driving.  He ended up in jail believing I was dead.  I was taken to the hospital where one of the first things I remembered was the doctor saying I was lucky to be alive.  I started  going to different churches to learn more about  God – a change in the pathway of my life.

I look  back and know I am only here because of  God at work in my life.  It took till later in life (after my daughter passed away) that I was finally baptized.  I’ve left a lot of details out, otherwise this would be a book!  One thought always keeps coming to my mind:  “God do not  tell me  you  are there  if you are not.”  You’ve got to think hard about the meaning of that!

-Pat

No Defining Moment

I’m part of theat 80% of believers who doesn’t have a defining moment of becoming a believer.  There is no date, there is no substance abuse, there is no broken relationship, there is no “hitting bottom”.  Rather my coming to faith has been a life-long journey.  I grew up in a Christian home, attended Sunday School and church services every week.  I have a stack of perfect attendance certificates from years of Sunday School.  I grew up learning Bible stories, memorizing Bible verses, attending three years of catechism, being confirmed, and having my first communion.

As I’ve matured, I realize this was all a good base to start, but I also realize my journey is continually growing, stretching, expanding, challenging, and will never end.  My love for Jesus will never be complete because I’m constantly learning more.  My life verse:  Romans 12:1-2 – Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

– Douglas

Missing something but didn’t know what it was.

I was not raised in the church. In my late 20’s and early 30’s I felt like I was missing something but didn’t know what it was.  I tried “church” for a few years but judged myself and everyone else by the ability to follow Gods laws.  Don’t break the rules. Unhappy and disappointed, I walked away.  For the next several years I even doubted God was real.  Even after my marriage was on the brink of divorce I doubted.  My husband, Jeff and I decided to try to make things work.  He began attending CCC.  I still doubted.  I started watching online about 6 months later and eventually started attending most weekends with Jeff, although still questioning.  I began to see real changes in Jeff and begged for God to speak to me so I could understand Him more.  We went to Hawaii for our 20th wedding anniversary as part of a Christian retreat and while we were worshiping one afternoon near the beach with a few members from the group Mercy Me.  They sang a new song that had not been released yet, Wishful Thinking.  During that song it was if God was singing it to me himself.  I turned to Jeff and said “I get it now”.

-Angie

Finally realized how magnificent God is!

Two men at the place where I worked started a Bible study class during our lunch hour, so I joined.  We studied the book Corinthians.  I’d never read the Bible before as I was raised Catholic, but I saw my mother’s amazing faith everyday.   Then a friend asked if I wanted to visit some folks with her.  That night in their kitchen I asked Christ into my heart, I cried like a baby.  Since then I did a lot of backsliding.  Years ago I had a dream that my dad told me he disowned me and he never wanted to see me again.  I’ve never cried so hard, these were gut cries right to my soul thinking that my dad would turn away from me.  Never had I felt so alone.  I had to call him just to hear him tell me he did love me, but that dream never left me.

It wasn’t until I started going to Christ Community women’s Bible studies and services that I really deep down in my heart realized how magnificent God really was.  Here’s the thing, whenever I read about Jesus dying on the cross and His Father turning away from Him holding my sins, THAT had to be the most excruciating pain Jesus must have gone through…for me….for you…for all.

-Sue

At Intersections tonight we’re going to be talking about the importance of telling your story.  In the next week, our goal is to mob this CCC Blog with as many 100 word essays as we can – workshop participants will be writing up their stories and submitting them as a part of their homework.

Sharing our story of coming to faith in Christ is the big, red Easy-Button of evangelism.  It should just flow out of us.  Like a glass of water filled to the very tippy top.  Just bump us…and out it should come.  Here’s what Jesus means to me…  Here’s the story of how I went from not knowing or following Jesus, to Jesus being the very center of my identity!  Within a few days you’re gonna see tons of examples, but here are a couple from the dozens and dozens of stories I have archived.  As you read, think to yourself – I wonder what my 100 word story would read like?  If you feel adventuresome, send me yours via E-mail:  timp@cccomaha.org

According to my own bylaws!

Before I decided to trust in God, I lived my life according to my own bylaws.   I made mistake after mistake, until it led me to a 3 night stay in jail. Going through all that humiliation made me decide to turn back to school and take it seriously.  School led me to the woman of my dreams and she in return led me back to God. When I became a Christian again, everything just seemed to begin to fall into place. All of this has led me to this moment in my life where I want to get baptized.

-Jeff

I accepted Jesus when I was in high school.

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was in high school. I have walked with God for over four decades.  Recently I began a journey of becoming closer to God; listening to Him and discerning His voice. I have a desire for God to dwell in me. Like David did in Psalm 17:8, I asked God to draw me so close that I would be the apple of His eye. God has spoken to my heart and told me to be baptized. I cannot help but to obey.  So today I come joyfully to be baptized as an act of obedience, to demonstrate my love for God, to publicly declare my faith in God and to affirm my identity with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.    Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psa 17:8 NIV)

-Barb

Wanna read more stories?  Just look over to the right and hit on the 100 Word Essay tag, and bunches of them will pop up!

We’re nearing the end of our series Simply Unconvinced.  In the closing weeks we’ll be centering on the events of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.  This week we’re looking at Pilate.  As the Roman governor in charge of the Fifth Praefectus of Judaea, it  was Pilate’s responsibility to enforce the Roman military occupation over the Jews in his territory.  The list of things Pilate was uncertain and Unconvinced about was dangerously long.

Pilate was unconvinced of…

1- the validity of the capital offense Jesus was charged with by the Jews.

2- that Jesus’ was a legitimate king (Pilate recognized only Herod)

3- what a Messiah was supposed to be.  He took the word of the Sanhedrin that Jesus was claiming to be God.

4- how dangerous Jesus actually was to himself.  Jesus was powerless as an insurrectionist.

5- his own moral guilt in having Jesus executed (he deferred responsibility as much as possible).

6- the fact that Jesus was harmless.  Jesus’ claim to a non-earthly kingdom did somehow unsettle him.

7- the need to protect Jesus.  In the end he deemed it a lesser risk to execute Jesus than let him live.

Without understanding what the death of Jesus really meant, he cracked under the pressure of needing to do something to regain control of the Jews.  Pilate would give the word to end Jesus’ life, but that was just the beginning of his troubles.

Come find out more about how Jesus’ death plays out.  What became of Pilate?  How will history remember him?  What did the resurrection of Jesus mean for the Roman power system that put him to death?

Unconvinced meets Sundays at 10:45 in room D-126.

Come on out and bring a friend.

Week 11 – Text

Week 11 Handout

This week in Unconvinced we’ll trace some of Jesus’ final steps from the upper room to the Mount of Olives…and right back to the house of Caiaphas the High Priest.  The events of the Passion of Christ are laced with irony atop of irony.  One of the most difficult things to keep track of in the closing events of Jesus’ earthly ministry is that Jesus had to die.  It was the Father’s plan.  Though from God’s perspective not accidental, the trail and execution of Jesus was fraught with bumbling miscarriages of justice.  A sloppy trial with rigged testimony.  A pay off to an inside traitor by the highest panel of religious authorities.  The very people Jesus is King over, are shouting for his crucifixion – with their religious leaders yelling the loudest.

Unconvinced meets at 10:45 in room D-126.  Come join us, bring a friend and your questions.

The beauty of the willing death of Jesus is this.  Although completely innocent of his charges, although initially acquitted by the Romans for lack of evidence, although the very thing hateful religious leaders demanded…and although the pinnacle of Satanic lust… the execution of Jesus was the day death itself was put to death in the cosmic justice of Yahweh!  No one sincerely following Jesus thought Good Friday was the final act of a victorious Messiah.

The compelling heart of the Gospel is that in spite of what humanly speaking looked like a tragic mistake, Jesus willingly gave his life in the most humiliating way thinkable.  Humanity’s choice forever after is to embrace the embarrassing mess that carried forward the love of God to pay for our sin…or to reject it all as non-sense.    To be convinced of the Cross of Christ is to own the will of the Father to have his Son suffer for us and in spite of our ugly and hateful insistence that he die.

Week 10 Handout

Week 10 – Text

Well… you can decide that for yourself based on what Jesus told his disciples just hours before he was executed.  The weird thing about Jesus dying on the cross is that you’d figure his sacrifice would clear the way for humanity to be more accepting of his followers.  At least make people more sympathetic to our cause.  Nope.  Just the opposite says Jesus.

17 This is my command: Love each other.  18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:17-19 NIV)

Come jump in with us this week at Unconvinced – Christ Community’s seeker venue.  Meets at 10:45 in D-126.

Far from magically wiping away the world’s hostility, the sufferings of Jesus flow over to his followers in the grand scheme of God’s redemption plan.  Jesus doesn’t say come follow me and I’ll make you popular.  His invitation to follow in a funny way is the only way to really understand the world’s hatred.  Come follow me, says Jesus to his followers, and you’ll learn the heartache of loving a world infected with its own hatred.  Living in victory over that hatred is the same for Jesus’ followers as it was for Jesus himself.  It only comes through self-giving, self-sacrificing love.

Week 09 Handout

Week 09 – Text

One week from today we kick off a four-week training experience called Intersections.  Intersections is a way to grow in every aspect of being a more effective spokesperson for the Christian faith.  We’ll look at how to use our story in sharing the Gospel with others.  We’ll check out a new tool called Big Story that summarizes the message of Christianity in a convenient app that you can download to your device. We’ll practice simple skills like asking good questions.  We’ll also unbox a seeker discussion group tool called Christianity Explored.  With all this packed in to the workshop, we have to charge a mere $10 for the materials participants will receive and use.  The link to register on-line is below.  If you don’t yet have a MyCCC Account with Christ Community, it’s worth the couple extra minutes to sign up so you can pay on-line and be ready to go for the workshop.  If you have any questions about Intersections, feel free to give me a shout.  Tim Perry – timp@cccomaha.org

To register for Intersections:  http://cccomaha.org/newsfeed.php?id=1790

“For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
(John 9:39-41 NIV)

This week in Unconvinced we’ll see why Jesus gets in such trouble for healing a blind man.  Ironically it’s only those who willingly bring their blindness to Jesus who will see the light.   Pride is the only untreatable eye problem to Jesus.  Unconvinced meets Sundays in room D-126 at 10:45.  Come join us and bring a friend.   Brent will  be our facilitator this week.

Not sure you can believe everything you read on the internet (including posts from church pastors like me) but according to my painstaking research over the past 12 minutes on Google, the worlds most expensive grapes are the Ruby Romans.  Ever heard of Ruby Roman grapes?  Me neither till 12 minutes ago.  According to an article in the Japan Times a couple paid over $5,000 for a single cluster of 30 golf-ball sized Ruby Romans for their wedding reception.

This week in Unconvinced we’re finishing up the 8 “I Am” statements of Jesus.  I am the true vine (#8) claims Jesus.  He who remains in me will bear MUCH fruit.  But in the same breath Jesus says that apart from him, you can do nothing.  Branches that bear no fruit (much less $180 per grape Ruby Romans) are cut off, picked up an burned!

Each week we’re discovering that Jesus’ identity claims are far more than mere pithy word-pictures tossed out by a flashy public speaker.  In all 8 “I Ams” Jesus is making serious identity claims with huge implications for his listeners.

Week 6 resource sheet

Week 6 – Text

Come on out and join us this week.  Unconvinced meets at 10:45 in Room D-126.  Bring your questions.  Bring your doubts.  And bring a friend and join in the discussion.  The above links are the resource sheets for last week’s session.

This week in Unconvinced we’re doing part one of Jesus’ famous I AM statements.  When you read the Gospel of John you’ll notice he records Jesus making a series of theological identity statements.  There are 8 of them that are commonly talked about by bible scholars.  “I am the Good Shepherd.”  “I am the Bread of Life.”  Each of the next two week we’ll take a look at four “I AMs…  Each revealing something core to Jesus’ identity.  Each of them somewhat controversial based on the reaction Jesus got from them.

How controversial could Bread really be?

One thing I keep seeing again and again in John’s Gospel is TENSION.  The verbal barbs Jesus trades with the Pharisees are smokin!  Not even Donald Trump can get himself in as much hot water as Jesus.  How controversial could “I am the Bread of Life” really be?  When I’m reading it in my Bible, I think… “Nice Jesus.  Great comparison there to manna.  You’re speaking to their Old Testament story-line with that imagery.”  Then the next thing know Jesus just pushes it over the cliff!

“My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them.”  John 6:55-56

Little wonder that you see in that same passage:  “Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves – How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Among the 8 I AMs…this is one of the more tame examples.  Jesus draws even more heat for some of his other identity claims.  The reason we’re going after the 8 I AMs is to wrestle with the person of Jesus for ourselves.  Can we really come to grips with who he claimed to be?  If we were in his audience that day, would Jesus push our buttons?  Most people think Jesus was about as controversial as a blond-haired, blue-eyed sweater model who carried lambs around on his shoulders.  Jesus was no wimp.  Just about everywhere he went he nearly got himself killed.  Come jump in with us and find out why.

Unconvinced meets Sundays in Room D-126 at 10:45am.

In case you missed last week, here’s the notes from our discussion – thanks Cheryl Perry for doing an awesome job as our facilitator:

Week 04 Resource Sheet

Week 5 Resource Sheet

Week 5 – Manuscript

Hope to see you Sunday.  Bring a friend with you!

As I’ve been studying through the Gospel of John these days, I keep watching for the characters in the story I relate to best.  I keep asking things like:  Can I see myself as one of the 12 disciples?  Would I be a tradesman like Simon, James or John?  Could I have ever been a rogue prophet like John the Baptist?  An ethnic outcast like a Samaritan, estranged from the Jewish majority culture?  How about you?  Who would you see yourself as?

Well I found myself in a character in Chapter 3!  Not sure I liked myself by the way!   Given my socioeconomic station, my education level and my connection with organized religion…so far in the Gospel of John I would  be most like Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Ruling Council.  The ironic thing about being an educated religious leader was that it actually makes one LESS likely to connect with Jesus!

Click here for session notes:  Week 3 Resource Sheet

How do we know that?  We’ll take a look at it this week in Unconvinced.  If Nicodemus was a likely fan of Jesus, why was he so secretive about his approach?  If Jesus saw the religious establishment as essential to his success, why did he invest so little time engaging them?  Why weren’t they drawn to him?  Why so much conflict and rejection?  Come on out and we’ll explore the text together.

Unconvinced meets Sundays at 10;45 in Room D-126.  Bring a questioning friend with you and bring your honest doubts!

Every once in a while I get an email notifying me that someone has endorsed me on Linkdin.  Ever happened to you?  I looked at my profile just now and I’m amazed at what people see in me.  I wonder to myself,  “Is there another Tim Perry out there far more gifted than me?”  Before my swelling ego gets any fatter,  I’m reminded of scripture’s absolutely most stunning endorsement.  Here it is:

“I tell you the truth, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.”    – Jesus

John the Baptist was the greatest human being ever in the surmise of Jesus the God-Man.  That’s saying something!  Yet even John the Baptist reached a point of desperation about Jesus and his mission.  Simply Unconvinced explores the tension of faith and doubt in an effort to understand the significance of the person and teachings of Jesus.  Come on out this week and join in the conversation.  Bring a friend.  Bring your toughest  questions.

Unconvinced meets Sunday’s at 10:45 in Room D-126

Here’s a link to the  Week 2 Resource Sheet

Each week we’ll also post the teaching notes from our sessions in this blog.  Scroll down if you’re curious about past sessions.

We’re  so excited about another new year coming at us!   A new year means a new message series called Simply Jesus.  A new series always means a fresh look at the scriptures, Jesus and the Gospel good news!  Wanted to make sure that you knew what we’ve got planned for Unconvinced – our seeker and skeptics venue at CCC on Sunday mornings.

Unconvinced meets Sundays during the 10:45 service in Room D-126

Each week we’ll take a look at the Gospel of John through the eyes of someone not yet convinced of Jesus.  As it turns out there’s plenty of skepticism and doubt about Jesus staring at us from the pages of the New Testament.  Healthy doubt plays a role faith formation.  When you think about it, you’d expect people to struggle with the kind of things Jesus said and did.  We should be suspicious of a bible packed with stories of unwavering faith where the hero always rides off into a victorious sunset!

Simply Unconvinced – Week One:  Jesus the Stumbling Stone

It always surprises you to see who Jesus offends.  Both testaments of the Bible in multiple places bear witness to the offensive nature of God’s chosen Messiah:

He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.
Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.” (Isa 8:14-15 NIV)

Jesus is the stumbling stone that has become the capstone in the economy of God’s salvation plan.  Come on out.  Bring your doubts and your questions.  Bring your not yet convinced friend.  We usually spend a few minutes looking at the bible passages themselves, then have lots of time for question and answer.

Click here for the resource sheet and teaching notes:  Week 1 Resource Sheet

PS- can you tell where the capstone in this archway is?  Look at the stone just below the diamond.

Well, how did we go from  “Christianity versus Atheism” to Christianity meets First Nations folk religion?  That’s where our current series on World Views is taking us!  People in our class are curious about how the Gospel compares with other world views and other religions.  One of our class participants is a Lakota Indian  – as a natural part of our curiosity about world views it just seems to make sense to explore this typically uncharted territory for a church like CCC.

Come on out and enjoy the conversation.  This week will be a fascinating look at a world view with some incredible theistic undercurrents.  We’ll be overwhelmed with the breadth of things to consider.  Of course we’ll handle a subject like this with utmost circumspection knowing full well the historical context we find ourselves in as Americans.  Pray for me as I research and prepare for Sunday’s session.  It’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve tried to tackle in a long while.

UNCONVINCED meets each Sunday at Christ Community Church.

10:45 – in room D-126

See you there.  Bring a friend!

Last week in Unconvinced we learned how to think in World-View terms.  Everyone has a world view – a basic set of assumptions about the way the world works.  This week, two contrasting positions are going to square off each with an able representative.  We’ll be viewing what I would consider one of the best Christopher Hitchens’ debates I can recall (I’ve watched many of the late Chris Hitchens’ debates with Christians).

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/collision-christopher-hitchens-vs-douglas-wilson/

The thing I like about this particular piece is that the producer gives us a rare glimpse into the relationship between the two interlocutors.  And I must say that in most Hitchens debates I’ve ever seen with a few important exceptions, I’ve felt sorry for Hitchens’ opponent.  Here you’ll see a pretty fair contest between two very bright minds neither of whom overwhelms the other.

Come on out and join in the conversation.  We’ll be viewing about 55 minutes of this hour and a half piece.  We’ll liven things up with our own conversation about Christian Theism and Materialistic Naturalism.  Bring a friend … and some pop-corn.  This one is quite a good fight!

This weekend in UNCONVINCED we begin a new series on the topic of World View.  Dr. James Sire has written the classic primer on the subject of World Views called The Universe Next Door.  In the first week of our series we’ll define what a World View is and talk about why EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION has one.  Sire claims that every world view regardless of its expression, answers 7 basic questions.  Questions like:  What is prime reality?  or What is the nature of the material universe?  or What is the human person?

Every world view imaginable whether we’re talking Theism, Naturalism or Pluralism answers each question in a distinct way.  Understanding how world views differ gives us important insight into the uniqueness of the Gospel and how Jesus himself relates to the various options.

Come join in the exploration.  Unconvinced meets in Room D-126 at 10:45 each Sunday.  Unconvinced is a skeptics venue at Christ Community Church designed to meet the needs of those questioning belief in God and the meaning of Gospel.  Bring a questioning friend with you.  Each time we put a fresh topic on the wall and explore it with the help of a facilitator.  Question and answer are generously welcome.  Come prepared to share your perspective as you listen and learn together with others.

Tim Perry – Pastor of Spiritual Discovery

timp@cccomaha.org

This week we’ll wrap up our 10 week adventure through the Gospel of Mark with teacher Rico Tice.  Christianity Explored has been a seeker’s guide to the life of Jesus and the meaning of the Gospel.  Come join us for the finale.  We’ll finish things up with a two part extended play version of our Unconvinced class.

Unconvinced meets at Christ Community Church at 10:45 in room D-126.

After our usual class time, we’ll have lunch together in D-126, then transition over to the Student Center at 1:00pm.  Not only will we finish up Christianity Explored, but we’ll also check out a cool app called The Big Story.  We’ll sum up the message of Christianity.   Not only will we review what we’ve learned, we’ll also ask some courageous questions of personal response.  Come join in, even if you haven’t been to Unconvinced in a while.  We’d love to see you.

If you plan on joining us for lunch, please email me and let me know you’re for sure coming, and I’ll reserve a lunch for you!  So far we have 14 people coming.  There’s still definitely room for more!

See you this weekend hopefully!

timp@cccomaha.org

Tim Perry

So what is the yeast of Herod?  As we head toward the last three sessions of Christianity Explored, Rico Tice will take us into the last week of Jesus earthly ministry.  As we consider what WE will do with Jesus, we’ll consider the tragic decision of Herod to have John the Baptist executed!  Mark the gospel writer lets us feel the weight of being a true disciple and the call of Jesus to follow in spite of persecution.

Unconvinced meets in D-126 Sundays during the second service at Christ Community (10:45).

The current series will conclude on Sunday, Oct 18th.  We’ll have an extended play version of Christianity Explored.  We’ll have our normal class at 10:45 – then we’ll have lunch together and finish up the series with a few special sessions including some live stories as well as a final video session from Rico.

Come join us for a free lunch  and the final sessions.  Bring a friend.  If you plan on coming on the 18th, just send me an email so we can reserve a lunch for you.  Email me at:

timp@cccomaha.org

Tim Perry