Christ City Church, Washington DC
By Christ City Church
Christ City Church, Washington DCApr 29, 2024
Strengthening the Core: Mission Part 2
Worship, Community, and Mission have often been referred to as the three pillars that mark the spiritual lives of the church. In week four of our current series, three panelists talked about mission. [Acts 2:42-47]
Strengthening the Core: Mission
Worship, Community, and Mission have often been referred to as the three pillars that mark the spiritual lives of the church. In week five of our series, guest preacher, Rich Rivera, speaks about a mission-minded life according to Acts 2:42-47
Born and raised in New York City, Rich has dedicated over 22 years to urban ministry and church planting. He honed his skills through Redeemer City to City's Urban Incubator program before planting Restoration Community Church in the Bronx. Family is a huge part of his life; he is married to Frances, a Montessori educator who runs Heketi Montessori. He is a father to three incredible children. Currently, he is prayerfully planning to plant a new church in NoMa.
Strengthening the Core: Community Part 2
Worship, Community, and Mission have often been referred to as the three pillars that mark the spiritual lives of the church. In week four of our current series, three panelists talked about community. [Acts 2:42-47]
Strengthening the Core: Community Part 1
Worship, Community, and Mission have often been referred to as the three pillars that mark the spiritual lives of the church. In week three of this series, guest preacher, Ken Wytsma, talks about community and individualism. [Matthew 28:1-20]
Strengthening the Core: Worship Part 2
Worship, Community, and Mission have often been referred to as the three pillars that mark the spiritual lives of the church. In week two of our current series, Pastor Matthew Watson interviews three panelists from Christ City Church in a discussion about worship. [Romans 11:36-12:1]
Strengthening the Core: Worship
Kicking off a new series around Christ City Church's core practices (Worship, Community, and Mission), Pastor Matthew Watson points us to the early church's example and what worship looks like for us today. [Acts 2:42-47]
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Resources:
- Sacred Pathways Survey: https://go.christcitydc.org/sacredpathways
- Typing Test: https://ratatype.com
Learning to Live: New Life
On Easter Sunday, Pastor Justin Fung concludes our journey through Learning to Live, inviting us to remember the promise of new life. [Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20]
Learning to Live: For the Sake of the World
This week in our Learning to Live series, Pastor Matthew Watson reminds us that we are a sent people whose mission is to embody the presence of God. [John 20:19-23]
Learning to Live: Church
This week in our Learning to Live series, Pastor Justin Fung looks at what it means to be the Church. [1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-12]
Learning to Live: The Bible
This week in our Learning to Live series, Kiry Murray preaches on the Bible as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path according to Psalm 119:105. They recognize that Scripture has been used to harm and point us toward the hope that Scripture can also be used to heal.
Kiry Murray (They/Them) is an intern at Christ City and a Seminary student at Wesley Theological Seminary.
Learning to Live: Overcoming & Enduring
This week in our Learning to Live series, Pastor Justin Fung talks about overcoming and enduring through life's journey in community and with God. [Psalm 23]
Learning to Live: Prayer
This week in our Learning to Live series, Pastor Lisa Rodriguez Watson explores one of our core practices for spiritual growth: prayer—what it is and how it can help us become more like Jesus. [Luke 11:1-13]
-- Follow along with Learning to Live at learningtolive.app.
Learning to Live: How to Live a Full Life
Pastor Matthew Watson continues in week 6 of Learning to Live, a church-wide curriculum written for Christ City that we'll be journeying through over the next several weeks, exploring together what it means to follow Jesus and seek the kingdom of God. [1 Timothy 4:7-16] -- Follow along with Learning to Live at learningtolive.app.
The Fast that Transforms
Pastor Justin Fung gives an Ash Wednesday Homily on transformative fasting according to Isaiah 58.
Learning to Live: Who You're Becoming
Pastor Andrea Ackermann continues in week 5 of Learning to Live, a church-wide curriculum written for Christ City that we'll be journeying through over the next several weeks, exploring together what it means to follow Jesus and seek the kingdom of God. [2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Ephesians 2:8; Galatians 5:22-23] -- Follow along with Learning to Live at learningtolive.app.
Learning to Live: God's Story
Pastor Justin Fung continues in week 4 of Learning to Live, a church-wide curriculum written for Christ City that we'll be journeying through over the next several weeks, exploring together what it means to follow Jesus and seek the kingdom of God. [John 3:16-17] -- Follow along with Learning to Live at learningtolive.app. Find a Christ City small group at christcitydc.org/small-groups
Resources mentioned in the sermon:
"Do You Know" questions | Study by Dr. Robyn Fivush & Dr. Marshall Duke
"The Four-Chapter Gospel" - The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics
Resources for Wise Peacemakers - London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (the diagrams were taken from here, adapted by the artist Deb Mostert from James Choung's categories)
Learning to Live: Your Story
Pastor Matthew Watson, along with Dr. Daniel Harris, continues in week 3 of Learning to Live, a church-wide curriculum written for Christ City that we'll be journeying through over the next 12 weeks, exploring together what it means to follow Jesus and seek the kingdom of God. [Psalm 139]
Follow along with Learning to Live at: learningtolive.app .
Find a Christ City small group at christcitydc.org/small-groups
Learning to Live: An Invitation
Pastor Andrea Ackermann continues in week 2 of Learning to Live, a church-wide curriculum written for Christ City that we'll be journeying through over the next 12 weeks, exploring together what it means to follow Jesus and seek the kingdom of God. [Matthew 4:19] -- Follow along with Learning to Live at learningtolive.app. Find a Christ City small group at christcitydc.org/small-groups
Learning to Live: What Do You Want?
Pastor Justin introduces Learning to Live, a church-wide curriculum written for Christ City that we'll be journeying through over the next 12 weeks, exploring together what it means to follow Jesus and seek the kingdom of God. [Matthew 6:25-35]
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Follow along with Learning to Live at learningtolive.app.
Find a Christ City small group at christcitydc.org/small-groups
Epiphany & Endurance
Pastor Matthew Watson kicks off the first service of 2024, encouraging us to learn from the story of the Magi as we look to a new year. [Matthew 2:1-12]
Christmas Day: God With Us
Pastor Justin Fung offers a Christmas Day message to those looking for hope and light in the midst of all of the mess and chaos. [Luke 2:1-14]
Christmas Eve: Hannah's Love
In the fourth week of our Advent series, “Waiting for God”, Pastor Matthew Watson draws on the examples of Hannah and Mary to understand the love of God. [1 Samuel 1:19-2:10; Matthew 1:18-25]
Waiting for Joy
In this third week of our Advent series, "Waiting on God", Pastor Justin Fung reflects on two women who found joy in God, even in their waiting. Judges 13:2-5; Luke 1:46-55
Remembering God's Promises
In week two of Advent, Pastor Andrea Ackermann reflects on the peace of God from the stories of Elizabeth and Sarah, two women who waited on God to fulfill Their promises. Gen. 18:1-15, 21:1-7; Luke 1:1-25
Hagar's Advent Hope
Pastor Matthew Watson starts off our Advent season with the story of Hagar and the hope she names in God in Genesis chapter 16.
The Path of Peacemaking
Pastor Justin Fung wraps up our sermon series "Blessed are the Peacemakers" by looking at Isaiah 65:17-25 and the path to peacemaking.
Practical Peacemaking
This week in our sermon series "Blessed are the Peacemakers", Pastor Matthew Watson is joined by a panel of peacemakers who share their experiences and perspectives in local and global contexts. John 14:25-27
Things That Make for Peace
In the second week of our sermon series, "Blessed are the Peacemakers", Pastor Lisa Watson explores Ephesians 2:14-18 and three elements of peacemaking: forgiveness, rest, and love.
A Vision for Peace
Pastor Matthew Watson starts off our new sermon series, "Blessed are the Peacemakers" by looking at Matthew 5:9.
In this sermon series, we will explore Jesus’ invitation to be peacemakers as articulated in the Sermon on the Mount and consider its implications for our lives in a world plagued by violence. What does it mean to be peacemakers in our families, neighborhoods, and world? What implications does peacemaking have on our economics, livelihoods, parenting, and prayers?
The Meaning(lessness) of Life
This week, Pastor Justin Fung brought our series, “The Meaning of Life: Life Lessons from Ecclesiastes”, to a close. Pastor Justin Fung preached on the words of Ecclesiastes 12 that call us to remember who God is.
Live Your One, Good Life!
Pastor Matthew Watson continues our series "The Meaning of Life: Life Lessons from Ecclesiastes" in Ecclesiastes 9:7-11, looking at what it means to live the life you have while it lasts.
Talking Sense
Continuing our series, "The Meaning of Life: Life Lessons from Ecclesiastes", Rev. Dr. Starlette Thomas talks about Ecclesiastes 8:14-15 and our striving to make sense of suffering.
Rev. Dr. Starlette Thomas is an author, activist, visual artist, race abolitionist and archivist. She is a womanist in ministry and a wilderness wanderer proclaiming a raceless “kin-dom” that is coming. Starlette regularly writes on the sociopolitical construct of race and its longstanding membership in the North American church as the interim managing editor of news and opinion and the director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative at Good Faith Media. Her podcast, The Raceless Gospel, takes her listeners to church and to a virtual church service where she and her guests tackle that taboo trinity— race, religion and politics. An unrepentant academician and bibliophile, Starlette graduated in May with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Her thesis is titled "Take me to the water": A raceless gospel as baptismal pedagogy for a desegregated church. From thesis to book title, it will be published in November by Nurturing Faith Books.
The Roots of Injustice
Guest preacher, Rev. Dr. Leroy Barber taught on Ecclesiastes 5-6 and the roots of injustice.
Rev. Dr. Leroy Barber is an innovator, entrepreneur, and lover of the arts. He has dedicated 30 years to living and working towards what Dr. King called “the beloved community," ministering in multiple communities and capacities. Leroy is currently Executive Director of Neighborhood Economics. Leroy is the Co-Founder of the Voices Project and Adjunct professor at Multnomah University. Rev. Barber has served on the boards of The Simple Way, Missio Alliance, The Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), and the Former Board Chair of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).
The Paradox of Wisdom
In our sermon series, "The Meaning of Life", Pastor Matthew Watson encourages us to look for meaning and humanity even in sorrow and death according to Ecclesiastes 7.
Better Together
In our series, "The Meaning of Life", Pastor Justin Fung preaches on Ecclesiastes 4 and our need to offer help and receive help in a world where oppression exists.
What Time Is It?
In our series, "The Meaning of Life", Pastor Justin Fung looks at Ecclesiastes 3 and the seasons/times of life.
Everything is Absurd
Finding Rest Amidst The Days of Labor
Pastor Matthew Watson reminds us of the rhythms of life that require times of rest in the One who renews, as described in Matthew 11:25-30.
How Do I Know: Spirit, Scripture, and Community
Wrapping up our series, "How Do I Know", Pastor Andrea Ackermann talks about how we can discern where the Spirit is working by looking for the fruit of the Spirit's work as described in Galatians 5:22-25.
How Do I Know: What to Do
In our series "How Do I Know", Pastor Justin Fung looks at God's specific and general will in light of Matthew 5:13-16.
How Do I Know: God's Voice or My Voice
In week two of our series "How Do I Know", Pastor Lisa Rodriguez-Watson looks at 1 Samuel 3:1-10 and Philippians 2:12-13 and what these passages can teach us about the problems, promises and posture of discernment.
How Do I Know: Discerning God’s Leading in Times of Change
Starting off our new sermon series, "How Do I Know", Matthew Watson looks at Proverbs 3:1-8 in light of the question, "does God have anything to say about the decisions we have to make?"
My Most Important Question 2023
The premise of this series is that too often churches ask us to check our doubts at the door, to leave our most important questions behind. But the reality is that we all have deep questions we have wrestled with throughout life.
At Christ City Church we believe that when we wrestle with our biggest questions, it actually deepens our faith. One of the most beautiful lines in the Bible is in Mark 9, when the man says to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” That captures the paradox of faith -- there are things we know and cling to, and there are things we don’t yet know -- and may never know.
During this series, people in our own community at Christ City Church will be sharing how they have wrestled through their most important question.
The Basics: Community
Continuing our sermon series, "The Basics", Pastor Andrea Ackermann talks about community and the practice of giving testimony in light of our Scripture passages Psalm 40 and Hebrews 12.
The Basics: Mission
In week two of our sermon series, "The Basics", Pastor Matthew Watson about what it means to live as "sent ones" following Paul's example in Acts 17:22-34.
The Basics: Worship
Pastor Justin Fung starts off our new series, "The Basics", talking about prayer and Scripture. He looks at how Philippians 3:13-16 and Luke 4:1-13 can help us understand the basics of worship.
Who I am
In part four of our sermon series, "Conflict is Key", Pastor Lisa Rodriguez Watson walks us through three principles for healthy conflict based on James 1:19.
Conflict and you
Boundaries, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation
In week 2 of our sermon series, Conflict is Key, Pastor Matthew Watson talks about Boundaries, Forgiveness and Reconciliation according to Acts 15:36-41 and 2 Timothy 4:9-11.
Conflict is Key to Intimacy
Conflict in relationships is inevitable. Healthy conflict is not. How do we work through conflict in emotionally and spiritually mature ways to be more whole people and a more whole community? Pastor Matthew opens our June series on conflict and how it can hold the possibility for deepening relationships.