First Christian Church

The Cast of Christmas - The Prophets

As we look at the Christmas story, many times we jump in the the first few chapters of the gospels. But when we do, we miss the tremendous anticipation that the nation had for the coming Christ as well as the angels. Could prophets from hundreds of centuries prior still be a part of this story? And if so, how does that help shape our hearts?

A Grateful Heart - Luke 17

When we cry out, does God hear us? And if he does, what does that mean for us? The story of the ten lepers has significant implications for faith, trust and a heart that is grateful.

A Grateful Heart - Luke 7

What happens when the religious collide with a sinner? What happens when loving Jesus is more important than holding onto our shame? In Luke chapter 7 we see Jesus interacting with two very different people and how His love is enough to transform our hearts.

A Grateful Heart - Luke 19

What happens when a scoundrel meets Jesus? In Luke 7 we will read an encounter with a wee little man who had a very large heart when confronted with love from Jesus.

A Grateful Heart - 1 Samuel 2

The-Distinctive-Life-Week2

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his followers to look at things from an eternal perspective, in other words...“think differently.” That different thinking should lead us to “different actions” too. The Beatitudes explain that a Christian must experience a transformed character. That new character can create a refreshingly new relationship with God, family friends, community and our world. As Christians, we have been called to refresh our world like sunlight or season it as salt...

The-Distinctive-Life-Week1

We have been on this journey to discover this Blessed Life that Jesus has been teaching us through the Beatitudes. But, what is the impact that kind of life has on us as his followers and the way we impact the rest of the world. Listen in as week we talk about Jesus’ call to be salt and light for the world around us.

The-Blessed-Life-Week6

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”  Matthew 5:9 “Peace” and “making peace” sound good. Although many people talk about peace, few find it. The world ostensibly wants it. The United Nations is supposedly all about world peace. They deploy armed troops with the latest weapons and distinctive blue helmets with the purpose of helping countries in conflict create conditions for peace. These soldiers are called “peacekeepers,” and even though they don’t make ...

The-Blessed-Life-Week5

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 “Accept Jesus into your heart” is an expression that is often used by Christians when talking about becoming a Christian. A child might expect a physical entry and wonder, “How does he get in there?” It is difficult to understand, but it does reflect a Biblical truth that the heart is where God wants to take up residence. Pascal, a 17th century Christian, said the heart was the “hidden spring of a person’s life.” He also ...

The-Blessed-Life-Week4

“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This quote comes from Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, and has been used by a lot of motivational speakers. Although you have likely heard it before, it really delivers a punch. We move to the second half of the “Beatitudes” this Sunday. The first four deal with inner principles, how you are in a relationship with God. With the fifth beatitude, we step into a reality check –enabled by a good gri...

The-Blessed-Life-Week3

As Christians we are called to think differently everywhere we go. We are to be different at work, different in the classroom, different at home, different in the neighborhood and different when we play. These beatitudes of Jesus don’t get any easier. Being humble and admitting being spiritually busted unless connected to Christ, (“blessed are the poor in spirit”) is not the end of it though. When we mourn over sin (ours and others’), that godly sorrow leads us progressively to repentance an...

The-Blessed-Life-Week2

There is a time to cry…. We can talk about it this coming Sunday. Last Sunday we began our study on the Sermon on the Mount and focused on the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Poverty of spirit is not something financial, but it is a humble spiritual condition, open to receiving God’s truth. Jesus made it clear that we are spiritually bankrupt as far as having adequate power to change without receiving God’s intervention. Admitting that...

The-Blessed-Life-Week1

Parents often ask -- Did you wash your hands? Have you done your homework? What time did you get home? A bigger question is “What are you going to be when you grow up? God is even more interested in our decisions, but his “grow up” plan takes on more dimensions than just a physical or economical view of life. God cares about “What are you going to be spiritually?” What are your spiritual goals? So, what does the spiritual life look like actually lived out? Jesus answered those questions in ...

01-20-19

People often comment that our government is broken. There is a cry for change, something new, something different. It is not surprising that we search for something better than the disappointment or frustration of present situations. Generally, we’d prefer a quick fix, some material betterment, but few of us really address core issues that need to be resolved in order to accomplish real, long-lasting change. The conversion of the Apostle Paul is an inspiring example for people interested in...

01-06-19

Codie ended the year with a super message from the book of Ecclesiastes about "Endings." Endings are new opportunities to be used by God as part of life on planet earth. Un this weeks message, we will start our new year with a look at new beginnings. According to pollster George Barna, only 24% of Americans make their life choices based on religious teaching or Bible content. What are good life choices for the New Year? We will take a look at the words of a guy in the Bible who learned the di...

12-30-18

The theme of this week's message is endings. As the new year begins we always want to focus on beginning, which is good, but a good look at how we end things can give us great insight into who God is, and what is his character.

Christmas-2018-Week4

What's in a name? Names tell others who we are. Sometimes they tell people about what we do. What about the name Emmanuel? It announces that "God is with us". But being with us is more than about a baby in the manger.  Listen in as our Associate Pastor Jason Gildehaus teaches us about Emmanuel.

Christmas-2018-Week3

Many wonder if He really is the one. It doesn't make sense though. A fragile baby. A dirty stable. In the presence of stinky animals instead of royalty. The son of a teenager and a carpenter, protected by poor shepherds who stand in awe and wonder, "What child is this?" Listen in as we discover Christ the King.

Christmas-2018-Week2

Noel...Christmas...the moment was monumental when God became one of us. The shepherds...the wise men, they were all seeking the newborn king.  Listen in, as Lee Vandiver helps us discover the incredible lesson "The First Noel" has for us this Christmas season.

Christmas-2018-Week1

The hustle and bustle of the season with gifts to buy, places to go and family to see; it can be a magical time of the year or it can be the stuff of nightmares. The stress of the Christmas season can leave us wondering where is the joy we sing about? What if Christmas could be different this year? God has a lot to say about joy and where it comes from. This week we will look at the song "Joy to the World" as we kick off our Christmas season. Listen in, as Associate Pastor Jason Gildehaus tea...

Love-Does-2018-Week4

As Christmas draws near we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ…His humble birth. The message of his coming is called good news. Why is this such good news? If we have heard and received this incredible message, what do we do with it? We'll be talking about why this message is such good news on this weeks podcast.

Love-Does-2018-Week3

"Give thanks to God." It's a phrase repeated over and over through God's word. Thanksgiving is more than just a day. It's the way we live our lives. It's our heartfelt thankful response to a loving Father's grace and redemption of His children, that's you and me! This weekend Lee Vandiver reminds us that "Love is thankful."

Love-Does-2018-Week2

This week we’re taking a look at how Love Serves. It's been said, "People don't care what you have to say until they know you care". As followers of Jesus, we are called to a life of serving others. In fact, it might just be the thing this world is craving, a world full of people who serve with an uncommon type of love.

Love-Does-2018-Week1

It's here, one of our favorite Sundays of the year, Baptism Sunday! Baptism is one of those subjects that requires our attention. So, let’s talk about it. This Sunday we’re talking about the ancient practice of baptism and why and how we celebrate it here at FCC. It matters so much, that the follow-up to this message could be immediate.

10-28-18

FCC has enjoyed a long and incredible relationship with Niños de Mexico. Their mission is to care for abandoned children and spread the good news of Christ in Mexico. Mick O'Hanahan, Development Director of Niños de Mexico, will be sharing the importance of showing Christ to others around the world.

10-21-18

When Jesus attended a party it wasn't a room filled with the religious community, but with outcasts and sinners. A party for imperfect people until the elite religious leaders walked in and crashed the party. The room became silent as their disapproving grumbles filled the air. What would Jesus say? How would He react? Join us Sunday at 9 or 10:45 as guest speaker Lee Vandiver challenges us to pull up a chair, join the party and learn from Jesus how we need to be "mercy full".

10-14-18

Often times we have an expectation of what life will bring us. There are promises of a great life and incredible opportunities. But then life happens and we settle for something less than the incredible life God is offering us. In this message our guest speaker, Alan Hannaford, challenges us to not settle for a mediocre life but instead, trust Jesus to provide something much more.

10-07-18

Life is moving along just great...and then it feels like the bottom falls out from under us. It happens to everyone, it makes us question so many things about life. But what happens if we turn it all back over to God? He might just surprise us and make the foundations of our faith even stronger. Join us as Associate Pastor Jason Gildehaus shares with us how God is still God even when it doesn't seem to make much sense.

9-30-18

Have you ever seen the glow of a city far before you get there?  Millions of individual lights merge together to fill the darkness. This is God's desire and picture for us as a church. Not just individual lights, but a community of believers, together, merging their lights, to reach further into the darkness to shine hope and life. Join us as guest speaker Lee Vandiver helps us to discover how together we can be this city on a hill.

Relationships-Week2

Offense is an event, but offended is a decision. Is there a way to live less offended? In the second week of our Relationships series, lead pastor David Beaty will be guiding us on a course that could help us stay out of the quicksand when it comes to being offended.

Relationships-Week1

Over half of all marriages end in divorce. Families have fractured unbelievably. Most people admit that they don’t have a really close friend they trust to confide in. And, friendships don’t seem to last very long these days. Since this appears to be the reality of our culture, would it surprise you to find out that there is a way to help our relationships succeed? This is not just for married couples. This is for everyone!

School-Of-Rock-2018-Week5

Have you ever dreamed of a fresh start? Maybe a new job, a new relationship or simply a redo of a situation? At one time or another, we all wanted something to be different. Those regrets leave us wondering what is going on in our life or maybe how it could be different. This week is "Something to Believe In" by the band Poison. A fresh start might just be within our reach.

School-Of-Rock-2018-Week4

Working alone on a difficult task can make it seem like it’s never going to get done. But when we work together, it is amazing how much better we feel and how much more quickly we get that task finished. We continue our School of Rock series this Sunday with: Learn To Fly, by the Foo Fighters. Everyone is looking for a challenge or a great group of people to be a part of, we don’t have to do it alone.

School-Of-Rock-2018-Week3

So far in our School of Rock series, we have talked about God doing something in our church and in our homes. This week we make it as personal as we can get: God, do something in me! Our song this week is “Dare You To Move” by Switchfoot. Lead pastor David Beaty guides us through the swamp of our own past failures to pick ourselves up off the floor and move forward.

School-Of-Rock-2018-Week2

This week we take it to another level with the song “The Reason” by Hoobastank. This Sunday lead pastor David Beaty will share with us about what God would like to do in our homes. We want God to make a difference in our church, how about Him making that kind of difference in our homes as well! There is only so much we can do on our own. We need help to bring our families back to healthy.

School-Of-Rock-2018-Week1

For 10 years now we have taken the month of August and used it for our School of Rock message series. Every song tells a story. We take those stories and use them with a healthy dose of God’s Word and the result is a very unique approach to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ! This year our School of Rock is getting an update with newer songs and incredibly timeless truths. This week we will use “Fix You” by the band Cold Play.

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week10

This Sunday we wrap up our summer series from the Psalms. It's been quite an adventure to learn from the Psalm writers and to tie them together with the stories behind the Psalms. This week, lead pastor David Beaty will guide us through Psalm 37 and 2 Samuel 1-2. When we tell you that God has a plan for your life, we have proof from scripture. Come, find out what He has for your life and listen to how God worked in one of our member's life.

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week9

The Internet, Technology, Social Media. We’re living through the biggest communication shift of the last 500+ years and that has propelled the cultural changes in America exponentially faster as well. This week our Worship and Creative Arts Pastor will challenge us to build into the next generation but that will require some significant changes. Will we rise to the occasion?

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week8

This Sunday, we continue to look at some of our favorite Psalms. There are times in life where things don't go like we hope. It can leave us wondering why and seeking justice. God has a lot to say about our need to feel justice. This week our Student Pastor Codie Pointer shares one of his favorite Psalms

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week7

This Sunday, we continue to look at some of our favorite Psalms. Life gets so busy and so complicated it becomes easy to forget the simple things. We get off course and we're driven by the things we believe to be true. When what we really need to do is to get back to the basics. This week we dive into Psalm 24. Jason will introduce us to a simple reminder of the truth. It could be what God wants to use to help us repair some of the relationships in our lives.

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week6

Do you have a favorite Psalm? This Sunday lead pastor David Beaty will be sharing from his favorite: Psalm 121. David will be walking us through the meaning of this Psalm for those in King David’s day and what we can take away from it as well.

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week5

Some of the best sermons ever preached do not include words. Our actions literally can speak louder than anything we try to say. David, the psalm writer, was well aware that his loudest message would come from his life and not what he wrote down or sang. This week, we look at Psalm 19. Some consider this to be the best psalm ever written. Don’t miss out on what the psalm writer has for us when it comes to our silence!

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week4

Years ago Judy Garland sang a song that included the line: Me and my shadow, strolling down the avenue. These days it’s not our shadows that accompany us, but our anxieties. And they don’t just stroll with us, they tend to weigh us down everywhere we go. Believe it or not, David the psalm writer had similar issues. Join us as lead pastor David Beaty takes us to Psalm 139 and shows us how David dealt with this in his life.

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week3

Do you really expect God to speak to you when you come to worship or when you open your Bible to read? Our state of mind, our expectations, have a lot to say about what will actually happen in our lives. We are going through some of the Psalms this summer so that God can build his character in us. Join us this week as lead pastor David Beaty directs us to Psalm 57 as we look at another episode in David’s life.

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week2

Life is full of ups and downs. There are times we feel like everything is going great and times we are sure that it couldn’t get much worse. Times when we seem to be surrounded by great friends and times we couldn’t feel more alone. David’s life was no different. In the midst of it, all David cries out to God for help. You don’t want to miss what he said, it might just be relevant to your life as well. Join us as we continue our series “Gospel and the Blues.”

Psalms-Gospel-And-The-Blues-Week1

Every Psalm is a song. Over half of them were written by King David. For the next several weeks we will be highlighting some of David’s songs of freedom. To make sure we understand these songs we will also be looking to see what was going on in David’s life when he wrote these incredible songs. This Sunday lead pastor David Beaty will start this series with a look at Psalm 59 and what it was that prompted him to write it (1 Samuel 19). If you think these could not possibly apply to us, you ne...

Boundaries-Week7

Who is that person in your life that you find hard to love? If you have one, or more, then this week’s message is for you (that’s all of us). Whether it has to do with boundaries or not, we all could use some help in learning how to deal with the people who frustrate us. This week we will be dealing with the question: How do you handle hard to handle people? This is the last in our Boundaries series.

Boundaries-Week6

We have all experienced disappointment when dealing with other people, especially those who are closest to us. And we have disappointed others more times than we can count. The truth is we’re just broken people trying to love each other. We need a love of another kind. This Sunday lead pastor David Beaty continues our discussion on Boundaries by looking at what to do with our disappointments with others and even in ourselves.

Boundaries-Week5

Have you ever played a game where you didn't know the rules? It's hard to play, it's even harder to be good at it when you don't know what you are supposed to do. Living with healthy boundaries can be equally challenging. Many of us were raised without good boundaries, so we don't know what we are supposed to do. This week we take a look at the laws of boundaries. Knowing the rules just might help us develop healthy boundaries in our life.

Boundaries-Week4

Join us this Sunday as lead pastor David Beaty takes us deeper into the subject of boundaries. Because this is a problem in just about every family and because relationships matter so much to us, we will definitely want to hear what God’s Word has to say. We also have the privilege of hearing what Dr. Henry Cloud has to say on this subject as well.