Cinco Ranch Church of Christ

Scripture: Jonah 3:6-10

Jonah kicks off with a very weird beginning to his story when he gets swallowed by a fish. However, the only thing that might be weirder than being swallowed by a fish is to be grateful to be swallowed by a fish and that's exactly how Jonah felt while he spent three days in the belly of the fish. This is about more than just being grateful though. This is about noticing God moving and redeeming our story like He redeemed Jonah.

Scripture: Jonah 1:17-2:10

Scripture: Jonah 1:11-17

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20

On this Palm Sunday, we recognize the triumphant entry of Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem. It is also on this day that we are invited to not only recognize who Jesus is, but to also accept His function in our own lives. We live as though we dictate our own fate or destiny, in shouting Hosanna though, we not only praise Christ, but we ask Him to save us the way that only He can.

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Jesus has always carried a reputation for loving and looking after the "least of these" and it's something that we find very compelling about the story of Christ. However, we also love the idea of justice or vengeance against those who wrong others, especially the "least of these." So what happens when Jesus chooses to reach out specifically to someone who was notorious for taking advantage of weaker people? What does this mean for us? Essentially, we are invited to experience a microcosm of Luke's gospel and Jesus's purpose for coming into the world.

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

We live in a society that deeply believes in and values merit-based entitlement. We have a tendency to believe that when we have accomplished certain tasks, then we should receive our due reward. Jesus turns this teaching upside down in a parable about an entitled group of workers. With that said, he also talks about the last being first and the first being last. This morning, we will explore what the real meaning might be behind this famous saying.

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Oftentimes we have an idea of the kind of person that is getting into heaven. It is someone who has done the right things, lived the right kind of life, and inspired others to do the same. While I don’t think that is wrong it would still be impossible for our very “best” person to make it on their own. Ancient Israel, and in our passage, the disciples struggled with this too. If someone like the rich young ruler couldn’t get into heaven, what chance does anyone have? Yet we serve a God who makes the impossible possible. Isn’t that good news for the very “best” and “worst” of us?

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-30

Jesus' ministry took place during a time when children were not highly valued. Outside of being a "future asset," children weren't really valued much at all. They were fairly low on the pecking order. Jesus turned his culture upside down with his teaching the disciples that children were actually the greatest in the Kingdom. Kids are now seen through a different lens in our culture and society today. This gives us new and fresh opportunities to love kids in ways that can truly change the world and introduce others to the way of Christ.

Scripture: Mark 9:33-37

This week we are kicking off a new series that will take us all the way to Easter! We begin at the furthest point north that we believe Jesus went during His ministry. It is in this place that something truly incredible happens as Jesus is transfigured. A lot of questions can come from this though. Why did only a few get to see this? What was the significance of who got to be there and why did this happen in the first place? While there are a myriad of potential answers to some of these questions, the beauty is in the simplicity of the overall story.

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Prayer is a core theme and discipline to the Christian faith. It's a core discipline to other faiths as well. While this is an integral aspect of our relationship with God, it is something that we have limited ourselves on for quite some time. When we examine our lives and ask ourselves why there isn't something deeper going on, perhaps it is our opportunity to wonder about it with God, as opposed to expecting God to perform for us.

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

When parents find out they are expecting, they being to prepare. We start thinking about names, dreaming of what they will become and the titles they will hold. Should we name them after a parent or a historical figure? Should we encourage them to be a basketball player, a dancer, or a doctor? Most importantly is the question of how do we teach our children to be a Child of God. We need to teach them what it means, how to get it, and how to live our lives with it. It is the most important title that they will ever have and it is our job to guide them to taking it on.

What separates Christ-followers from everyone else? Less or no sinning? That tends to be the answer from many whom you might talk to. However, God invites us into a different way of living, an alternative lifestyle. This life isn't about doing all of the right things or even not doing the wrong things. This life is about living differently from everyone around you because this new life is more liberating than any other life that you could imagine.

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

As we prepare to ring in a new year, we being preparing by making plans and setting goals. What if we chose not just to be more like God, but to even look more like God? how might one go about doing that? What would be the results and how would they change us? At our very core, the focus would need to be the same that it has always been: Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20

The Advent season culminates in the arrival of baby Jesus. While we celebrate bringing in a new year, this season is celebrating everything changing as well. Out of darkness comes light. Out of depravity comes fulfillment. It was lowly shepherds who heard this news first and they couldn't help but drop everything to join in the celebration. This morning, we remember this invitation to join in the celebration.

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Life comes at us in seasons. Some seasons are easier to work through than others. Some seasons are busier than others. Regardless of the season, a choice is always laid out before us. While happiness is a state of being which we are always told to strive for, it is only a temporary feeling. Joy is what we can choose even in busy or desolate seasons and joy is what God invites us to experience at the birth of His Son.

Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

Christmas has not received the nickname of "the most wonderful time of the year" for nothing. There is a difference in the air. Decorations look different, homes and trees look different. In a time when leaves have fallen and died and cold should have kicked in, there is an excitement about our environment. A major reason for all of this isn't circumstance, it's preparation. As peace comes to earth, God invites us to prepare ourselves for the gift of His Son and His birth.

As we prepare for the Christmas season and the celebration of the arrival of Jesus, we sometimes  find ourselves in a place that we hate in our current day and age: waiting. We wait for school or work to let us off, we wait to travel to see friends and family, we wait for Christmas. In a time where so much of our lives are built around NOT waiting, this is a discipline that God has set before His people in all phases of life. We wait for Jesus and God waits with us.

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9

Scripture: Ruth 4:14-17

We have so many different ways of messing things up. Sometimes it's just accidents that happen and other times we just seem to get in our own way. The latter is one of the stories we enter into this Sunday morning. Whether our plans or actions are well intentioned or not, God always find a way to work in and through our mess to make something beautiful out of our lives.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were treated extra special and you knew you didn't deserve it? Sometimes we believe that we don't deserve special treatment because of our social status with other people and other times it's because of mistakes we've made in the past. This is what makes the story of Jesus so special and we can see this in the story of Ruth as well. When we are treated this way and when we treat others in this way, a life-altering transformation begins to occur.

Scripture: Ruth 1:16-18

Scripture: Mark 15:5-15

Scripture: Genesis 50:14-20

Checklists help us keep track of things that are important to accomplish and they help us stay on task. They help keep us accountable and focused. We often use checklists – even if not written – to help us as we attempt to live up to our calling in Christ, as we attempt to be righteous. But what happens when we can’t check all the boxes on our list? What happens when our checklist includes the wrong boxes (i.e., when important things are left off the checklist and incorrect things are added to the checklist)? Thankfully, God answers these questions by telling us our righteousness always comes from him – not our checklist and not our works.

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Many of us have heard stories from others or from the media about people who say they have witnessed Heaven. We read about a few of these experiences in scripture as well. This is something that we all wish to encounter on some level, but a fair warning: if you truly do experience it in this lifetime, there will be a cost that comes with that experience. The question we must ask ourselves then is "Is it worth it?"

With Mark Williams

Sometimes God calls us to do some crazy things. What happens if you're called to go somewhere though? How do we discern God's calling and when we do, what if it's something that we weren't ready for? The only two things that can ultimately get us through this involve God: His presence and His promise.

We live in a world of constant strife and competition. We must do our best and be our best. Sometimes we even need to be better than our best. This is why we tend to only get recognized, appointed, and promoted when we have accomplished enough and are considered to be the best choice. This is a primary way that God turns our lives upside down. God constantly chooses people who have no business being chosen. The unqualified are His top picks. This is a wonderful thing though because we are all unqualified and therefore, God chooses each of us.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:3-7

This morning, we will officially begin the process of appointing new shepherds (also known as elders) for our congregation. What makes a good shepherd? What qualifies or disqualifies one from being a shepherd? More importantly, what do good shepherds do and how do they reflect Jesus? This morning, we will explore mentors and shepherds in scripture and in our lives as we begin this sacred journey together.

When you hear the phrase "spiritual warfare," what is your response? Some people are afraid of it. Some people refuse to acknowledge it. Paul, however, wants Christians to prepare and be ready for it. He also goes into detail about what it will take to withstand the assaults from Satan. Not only is this battle for real, it's been going on for an incredibly long time. This is a winnable though for one simple reason: we have the ultimate weapon on our side. His name is Jesus.

From each of our ministers

A lot of how we determine what a healthy Christian home looks like can be drawn straight from Ephesians 5 and 6. While this is a good source, it's even more fascinating to look at the culture of the time of this writing because of how this turns the world upside down. Much like today, relationships were about power. It was about knowing the right people and climbing the social ladder. Paul changes all of this in sharing the news of Jesus and showing the church how this example becomes a guide to sharing the gospel in our everyday relationships: through submission.

Throughout Ephesians Paul paints a picture of what faithful living looks like. In this section, he contrasts a followers former way of living and his new life with darkness and light. Paul urges us to live a life of light in a way that honors and pleases the Lord.

Something that many of us will hear from people about Christianity at times is how exhausting it can be trying to be a Christian. They feel like there's a big checklist of things that you have to do and not do in order to be a "good Christian." What is important when looking at passages that look like checklists is to understand the WHY of the checklist. If we don't understand the why of the list, then the list will feel less and less important. The core essence of the checklist in the passage this morning is holiness.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

After Jesus, what do you think is the most important thing about church? Paul is writing to the Ephesians about a number of important things that a church should practice but he begins with the top two things that every church MUST have: unity and discernment of spiritual gifts. This morning we will dive into what these mean to us in this day and age.

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians 3:1-13

Ephesians 2:11-22

With Allen Calvert. Based on Ephesians 2:1-6

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

We live in a world where we're told on a regular basis that what we are doing isn't enough, that we need more, and we need to do more. We eventually start to believe that we are not enough. However, God sends a message to us that not only says otherwise, but turns this message on its head. This message is that because of Christ, we already are enough right now! Those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ are exactly whom God has called us to be and we know this by the seal that comes with this promise: the Holy Spirit.

Over the last few weeks, we've talked a decent bit about how messy family can be and that finding family amongst our church can be a real blessing in place of the holes that family can sometimes leave in us, but sometimes church family can be just as much of a mess and sometimes even more so! What's beautiful about it though is Jesus's love for His church and how, despite us getting in the way, God's tendency to do some of His best work through us.

For a long time, our culture almost expected families to look the same way. So much has changed now and so many things are now out in the open. Blended families are practically the norm for so many nowadays. While this can be a good thing, it's also a mess. There are territories to navigate and feelings to be attentive to. Usually, there's some form of hurt to work through as well. What we can find throughout scripture though is a variety of people who experienced the blended family life, especially Jesus. These people's stories don't reveal how to perfectly navigate this life so much as it does reveal who the actual family in your life truly is and what really matters most in that family you have is.

What does it look like when we choose to be part of a messy church family? How does it help us as individuals, families and the Kingdom of God?

This is a special morning in that it is Senior Sunday! Loving our graduating high schoolers is something that our family does so well because our students are so easy to love. Loving our children is a command that goes back to Old Testament law and it came shortly after the greatest command of loving God with everything in ourselves. But with a culture that continues to change so rapidly, this can be tricky to love younger people in the ways that they need it. What's crazy is that the answer that most experts are offering on how to do this is actually one that's been around since the original command itself was instituted.

There are so many things that come into play with adoption. If there’s one thing I can promise, it’s that every adoption story is different. There are times in everyone’s adoption story when the clarity you felt in the calling gets messy. It’s in the middle of that mess that God’s plan is truly taking shape.

Anyone who has been married for any length of time will tell you the same thing about marriage:it is both difficult and a blessing. While every marriage is different, there are always challenges to be overcome on a variety of levels. However, this is also a beautiful picture of Christ and the church. Paul illustrates God's love for the church through the image of a bride and groom. In this way, marriage can be something that puts God's love for us on display to the world.