CCC Gainesville | Blog
As guest-speaker Chipper Flaniken mentioned Sunday, Christ Community is providing two opportunities for you to learn more about the local church plant that we are supporting:
- Dessert on Thursday, April 4 at 7:00pm at the home of Chipper (lead church planter) and Kristen Flaniken.
- Lunch on Sunday, April 7 at 12:45pm at the Flaniken’s home.
Please RSVP: If you plan on coming, please email Kristen at k10flaniken@gmail.com or call her at 321-217-5400. Childcare will be provided at both meetings, but please tell them in advance if you are bringing children.
Address: 3008 NW 1st Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32607.
The Flanikens are extending this invitation to the entire church, and they encourage you to attend these meetings regardless of what your interest may be in the plant. The meetings will involve a brief presentation followed by a time for Q&A.
Q: What does God require in the ninth and tenth commandments?
A: Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive, but speak the truth in love. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone or resenting what God has given them or us.
At the end of James chapter 1, the author warns that anyone who claims to be religious but does not bridle his tongue deceives his heart and his religious devotion is worthless. James later dedicates an entire passage to how much harm the tongue can do. The ninth commandment requires that we bridle the tongue with truth. If we aren’t careful, we can water down the truth and make it seem less important than it is, or think that a lie is merely impolite. We eclipse the truth of God by not recognizing that even a white lie is sin. The commandment is meant to convict us to not only tell what is true, but to do so in a loving and God-honoring way. The tenth commandment, like everything else, deals with our hearts. If our hearts are always grasping for what is not ours, it hurts us, it hurts the owner and it tells God his provision is not enough. When we are not content with our blessings, we question God’s care of his creation. In order to honor the tenth commandment we must restrain desire and rest in the things God has bestowed upon us. Both of these commandments require that we search our hearts. Let us glorify the Lord through our tongues and be grateful for what we have been given!
This is week 12 of 52 catechism readings from New City Catechism. Christ Community is reciting an entry from the catechism each Sunday in 2013.
Those of you who were in the services when we started at 9 and 10:30 will remember that I explained the call to worship.
Those of you who arrived late, we’re praying for you. And fighting our self-righteousness. Anyway, I just came across a helpful little note on The Call to Worship. I’ve put an excerpt below and the whole thing is worth reading.
Why the Call to Worship is so important. First, we live in a society that teaches us to think highly of our own ability. Americans are a fiercely independent, self-motivated people. The Call to Worship puts us in our place. We come to worship because God has a summons on our lives. We come to worship because God initiates with us, not the other way around. So the call to worship reminds us of God’s sovereign reign over us.
Second, the earliest word used to describe the Church in the Bible was ekklesia. (It’s where we get our words “ecclesiastical” and “ecclesiology.”) Its root is the Greek word kaleo, which means, “to call.” The people of God, as the ekklesia, are “the called-out ones.” When we hear the Call to Worship, we are being reminded of our identity as those called out and set apart by God for His holy purposes. We are reminded that we are not our own. We are reminded that we are “resident aliens” in this world. We are reminded that we are treasured and loved by God. So the call to worship reminds us of our identity in Christ.
Why We Need The Call to Worship
In the Sermon on the Mount, the standards of the law are made much higher than we first assumed. In the video this week, Stephen Um states that the commandments are raised to the highest level. He refers to Luther’s quote,
“You cannot break any of the other commandments without breaking the first.”
The law not only gives a negative command (do not), but it leaves us with a positive implication. In Matthew 5, Jesus offers a deeper understanding of the law. Not only should we not murder, but we should radically love both friend and foe. When the Lord says not to commit adultery, it means not only that we shouldn’t cheat, but that we should remain faithful and recognize the covenantal commitment in our hearts.
But because we live in a fallen world, we cannot obey these perfectly. Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the obligations of the law perfectly. This made it possible for his obedience and righteousness to trickle down into our lives and gave us the ability to carry out the commands with confidence. Even when we stumble, we are assured that Jesus has already perfectly satisfied the law. We can strive for perfect obedience without fear, because we have already been saved through grace. God gave us freedom through the law and the sacrifice of the lamb. That we would live this week in light of that freedom!
This is week 11 of 52 catechism readings from New City Catechism. Christ Community is reciting an entry from the catechism each Sunday in 2013.
All Middle School students are invited to the Lock-in this Friday! We will meet in the main building at Christ Community Church and will stay there from 8pm Friday night- 7am Saturday morning. We will have fun games, tournaments, great food, late night movie on the big screen, and a giant inflatable! It is going to be an awesome night!
Parents please check in your student, or students you are bringing, to the Sign-In table upon arrival.
Cost is $15 per student.
Contact Drew Donovan for more information or for any questions: ddonovan@christcommunitychurch.com
