Most churches want to be known for what they are against.

We want to be known for what we are FOR

In our new building on Andrews Store Road, we want to create a space that will bless Chatham County.

You can donate to the project here, and select 'capital campaign'

Here are some sketches of our plans in progress.  See below for the latest on the construction. We'll keep you updated as we go!

Frontdoor and RoadsideNew Building Floor Plan

Posts by Alex Kirk

Subscribe to the RSS Feed
  • Featured Posts
  • All Posts

The Over (And Under) Active Conscience

"let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurancethat faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience"Hebrews 10:22 (This second week of devotionals from the book of Hebrews was originally published in March 2021 and aligned with the sermon series "Jesus, the Radiance of God's Glory.") From an early age as an earne...

Keep Reading

Grace Every Moment, Even During COVID-Times

"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many timesand in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." Hebrews 1:1-2 (This week's devotionals, originally published in March 2021, aligned with the sermon series "Jesus, the Radiance of God's Glor...

Keep Reading

Jesus v. ________ For Your Heart

I [Jesus] assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time,when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe faminethroughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephathin the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the timeof Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cl...

Keep Reading

​​Wisdom We Won't Listen To

All spoke well of Him [Jesus] and were amazed at the gracious wordsthat came from His lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.23 Jesus said to them,"Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!' And youwill tell me, 'Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"Truly I tell you," He continued, "no prophet is accepted i...

Keep Reading

Jesus's Mission Meets New York, New York

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaimgood news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisonersand recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free,to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."(Luke 4:18-19) [We trust God will speak to you as you read this week's devotionals originally published in...

Keep Reading

Your Joy Meets the World’s Pain

"Jesus stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'the Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lor...

Keep Reading

The Joy and Problem of Community

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath dayhe went into the synagogue, as was his custom."(Luke 4:16) [We trust God will speak to you as you read this week's devotionals originally published in Jan. 2019.) After Jesus's slugfest with Satan in the wilderness, he hops on the speaking circuit and to...

Keep Reading

Let there be light!

We have electricity and who knew that Alex was a light ninja!...

Keep Reading

Back and Bold

Peter and John replied, "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him?... As for us, we cannot help speakingabout what we have seen and heard[The believers] raised their voices together in prayer to GodNow, Lord,consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." (Acts 4:19-20, 29-30) After a month-long break for our fant...

Keep Reading

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life!

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.He appointed twelvethat they might be with him and that he might send them out to preachand to have authority to drive out demons.(Mark 3:13-15) The job interview: everyone dreads it. "What will they ask me?" "What if I say something stupid?" Or (if we're more self-assured): "What if t...

Keep Reading
3

Lifted Up on Good Friday

Click here to listen to this post! "The hourhas come for the Son of Man to be glorified . Now my soul is troubled,and what shall I say? 'Father,save me from this hour'?No, it was for this very reason I came to this hourNow is the time for judgment on this world;now the prince of this world will be driven out.And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peopl...

Keep Reading

The Over (And Under) Active Conscience

Click here to listen to this post! "let us draw near to Godwith a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience" (Hebrews 10:22). From an early age as an earnest, eager to please firstborn kid, I felt the blow any time I failed to live up to expectations or broke a rule. Those easily-trigg...

Keep Reading

Grace Every Moment, Even During COVID-Times

Click here to listen to this post! In the past God spoketo our ancestors through the prophetsat many times and in various ways,but in these last dayshe has spoken to us by his Son,whom he appointed heirof all things,and through whomalso he made the universe (Hebrews 1:1-2). Several months ago I was dying to do something normal. So when a favorite movie director of mine h...

Keep Reading

Capital Campaign Celebration!

Thank you for your faithful generosity! Watch this video for a celebration of a terrific capital campaign, an update on our progress, and hopes for more to come! https://vimeo.com/506365978...

Keep Reading

3D Renderings and a Look at the Numbers in the Capital Campaign

Check out some 3D renderings from our very own Roman Jennings and the latest numbers on the capital campaign. ...

Keep Reading

Finishing up the grading. Way to go Wes!

Catch this video on the latest news at the new building site. ...

Keep Reading

Making a Way for our new building.

Making a Way for our new building. Clearing, capturing run-off, putting down gravel....

Keep Reading

Alex drives an excavator! Groundbreaking news!

The site work has begun! Watch Alex drive the big equipment....

Keep Reading

Alex takes a walk in CCC woods, imagining the church to come.

...

Keep Reading

Pre-Rebuilding Step Five: Pray God's Promises and Dream Big

8"Rememberthe instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatteryou among the nations,9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gatherthem from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.' (Nehemiah 1:8-9) (Note: If you're just joini...

Keep Reading
1

Pre-Rebuilding Step Four: Disown the Problem

8"Rememberthe instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatteryou among the nations,9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gatherthem from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.' (Nehemiah 1:8-9) (Note: If you're just joini...

Keep Reading

Pre-Rebuilding Step Three: Own the Problem

I confessthe sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's family, have committed against you.7We have acted very wickedlytoward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (Nehemiah 1:6-7) (Note: If you're just joining us, for this week's Connect Devotional I'm recapping the daily exercises that I ended the message with this...

Keep Reading
2

Pre-Rebuilding Step Two: A New Response to Bad News

4When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.For some days I mourned and fastedand prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4) (Note: If you're just joining us, for this week's Connect Devotional I'm recapping the daily exercises that I ended the message with this past Sunday. If you missed the message, you can watch and/or listen to it here.) Nehemiah asked the q...

Keep Reading
1

Pre-Rebuilding Step One: Ask

2Hanani,one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnantthat had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:2) This week we're doing something a little different with the Connect Devotional. While the team of writers are away, we're going to play! At the end of yesterday's message I closed out with a s...

Keep Reading
1

We Interrupt the Connect Devotional...

Genesis 4:1-16 Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine it's only about once a century that we experience a global pandemic, and because of the enduring reality of sin there are times in each generation when an event confronts us with layer upon layer of brokenness and sin. And with that confrontation an opportunity to make crooked things straight. Given the magnitude o...

Keep Reading

Prayer Walk Prompts

Prayer walk prompts...

Keep Reading

Re-Opening, How Y'all Crushed It, And More

Highlights and news from CCC on 5.23.20...

Keep Reading
2

Why Memorial Day is So Refreshing

Putting Jesus first frees us from self-absorption. ...

Keep Reading

The Real Best Life Ever

A life of faith, hope, and love...

Keep Reading
2

Exchanging Passing Things for Ultimate Things

Paul exhorts his readers that love is more lasting than spiritual experiences, that's why it's the most excellent way. ...

Keep Reading

The Eternal Question: What Is Love?

Paul gives the definitive answer to this question....

Keep Reading
2

What Matters Most?

Love matters more than the other things that vie for our attention and affections....

Keep Reading
2

What's Your Most Excellent Way?

Lots of people answering the question "what's the good life?" ...

Keep Reading
2

One Step to Excellent Thinking

Paul helps us to win the battle in our heads!...

Keep Reading

Two Things You Can Do with Your Anxiety

You can either prayerfully expand your dominion (training, skills, mentors, get help) or surrender and embrace your limits. ...

Keep Reading

How Not to Be Anxious

thanksgiving fights anxiety...

Keep Reading
2

Showing Up A Gentle Giant

The Spirit is in us, making us gentle and strong...

Keep Reading
4

Your Most Important Battle: The One Inside Your Head

Paul in Philippians 4 invites us to rejoice in the Lord always--one of the ways he's going to instruct us in fighting to win the battle for the voices in our heads. ...

Keep Reading
2

The Cover Tune for Community

Paul cites an ancient hymn to help us to understand who we need to be in relation to one another....

Keep Reading
2

Waging War Against Kudzu that Kills Community

Paul lists things that kill community and exhorts us to get rid of it!...

Keep Reading
2

The Would-Be Weed-Out Class

The unique and distinguishing characteristics of Christian community...

Keep Reading

Cultivating the Deepest Connection

In Philippians 2, Paul encourages the church to lean into their shared experience in Jesus....

Keep Reading

Together Is Better (Even if It's Harder)

We have to learn how to do community and how to do it well. ...

Keep Reading
2

Replacing the Rules with Something Much Better

The law was an attempt at keeping the flesh at bay. The Spirit was a much better option....

Keep Reading
2

Why Communities (Especially Religious) Get Ugly Sometimes

Why biting and devouring and destroying happens, especially in religious communities....

Keep Reading
2

Thinking About How We're Thinking About Things

We need Jesus to help us to really understand what God means by love, freedom, and other key concepts...

Keep Reading
4

Batman's Nemeses, Mick Jagger, and Where to Find True Freedom

We've got to understand what real freedom looks like and means...

Keep Reading

Good News: You and God Both Want Your Freedom

God wants us to be free. We just gotta' get on the same page about what that means...

Keep Reading
2

The Blank Check Prayer Promise

Our character formation in Christ leads us to a place where we can ask whatever we want and God will (one day) grant it!...

Keep Reading
3

What To Do When You Don't Like Jesus

Some suggestions for engaging difficult sayings of Jesus...

Keep Reading

No Formulas, This is Real Life

Fruitfulness comes from abiding...

Keep Reading
2

The Hardest Easiest Thing that Jesus Ever Said

Remain in Jesus--hard but simple!...

Keep Reading
2

Why God's Work Hurts Sometimes

Jesus says God is a good gardner who prunes us....

Keep Reading

Good Friday Reflection

A reflective reading of the Good Friday story...

Keep Reading

Maundy Thursday

A reflective reading of the Maundy Thursday passages...

Keep Reading
2

Jesus, Tiger Woods, and the Big Reveal

Jesus walked the guys on the road to Emmaus through the Old Testament. ...

Keep Reading
2

Exchanging Great Expectations for Greater Ones...The Hard Way

Our disappointments are the other side of our expectations and hopes. Jesus meets us in those and sometimes blows them up for something much better. ...

Keep Reading

Jesus Meets the Voices in Your Head

Jesus asks the men on the road to Emmaus questions to surface their hearts and needs...

Keep Reading
2

One Thing You Can Do Today To Make God Happy with You

Jesus celebrates that the woman does what she can. That frees us to do what we can do and know that Jesus delights in it as well. ...

Keep Reading
2

Worship: What a Waste of Time & Money!

Worship is a waste of time and money unless Jesus is worth it. People will always object, and they're right. Unless Jesus is who he says he is and unless God is as good as Jesus tells us he is....

Keep Reading
2

Sometimes You Gotta' Break Things to Do the Best Thing

Sometimes you've got to break a valuable thing to do the priceless thing....

Keep Reading
2

How to Become a Murderer

The chief priests became the type of people who could kill Jesus day by day and bit by bit. ...

Keep Reading

Time for a Necessary Ending

Jesus has come to Jerusalem to embrace his necessary ending. We have to embrace ours, too. ...

Keep Reading
2

The Best Way to Ignore the People Around You

Ruth and Boaz are both noble people, no matter what. ...

Keep Reading

The Gift of Being an Abrupt Surprise

Sometimes doing the right thing is an abrupt surprise to the people around us. ...

Keep Reading

On Being Bossy and Risk-Taking (Not Necessarily in That Order)

Naomi gives Ruth a crazy set of instructions, Ruth rolls with it. ...

Keep Reading
2

Community, In Spite of Comfort

When the church is working well, we're family for each other. The ancient church had to be family for one another because of their level of persecution....

Keep Reading
2

Avoiding HGTV Delayed Repair

Sometimes we settle. Naomi pushes Ruth to not to. ...

Keep Reading

Got a Bitter Person In Your Life? Try This...

Naomi utters her first positive words in Ruth on the other side of Ruth's interaction with Boaz, as both Ruth and Boaz do courageous things that bless others. ...

Keep Reading

One Step to Make the Economy Roar

Participate in the blessing economy by crossing a typical social boundary or barrier. ...

Keep Reading

One Thing to (Re)Create A Great Culture

God has positioned us to bless others...

Keep Reading
2

As It Turns Out, God's At Work

God's at work, even in our darkest times. ...

Keep Reading

Monday Strong and Courageous

Faced with all sorts of uncertainty, Ruth takes a small courageous step of faith. God's Spirit makes us strong to do the same kind of work....

Keep Reading
2

What If This Was the Cure to What Ails Us?

Kinship that has morphed into friendship is demonstrated by Ruth's commitment to Naomi. ...

Keep Reading
2

When God Seems Out To Get You

God sometimes seems out to get us. Naomi and Ruth's story shows us that's not true...and we have to fight for what is....

Keep Reading
2

Grace, Even in the Darkest Hours

God's grace is available to us, even in difficult times. Sometimes we just have to slow down long enough to receive it....

Keep Reading
2

What Do You Do When You're "Without?"

What we do when our life feels mostly like we're "without" is something we can learn from. ...

Keep Reading
2

Fighting for God's Goodness, Even When Life Stinks

The book of Ruth opens up with all kinds of heartache. God is still at work, even though it doesn't look like it. ...

Keep Reading
2

Your Life, Built Right

In a sober warning to the religious leaders, Jesus warns that they will break apart on him as they continue to refuse to recognize him and receive his words. ...

Keep Reading
3

Three Things to do With Warnings in the Bible

There are lots of warning passages in the Scriptures, how do we receive them as a gift of grace rather than frown upon them as judgmental and angry? ...

Keep Reading
2

The Good News of Your Inheritance (No Violence Necessary)

The Father and the Son are devoted to sharing their inheritance with you....

Keep Reading
2

The Problem of Ignoring God's Voice

Israel ignored God's warnings, killing the prophets. We do the same thing. ...

Keep Reading
2

On Not Being Thomas Jefferson with Jesus

If we stick with Jesus long enough, we'll bump up against something that's hard for us. Stick with it, it's worth it. ...

Keep Reading

How to Justify Your Existence

We all want to be justified on some level. Let God's justification of us carry the day!...

Keep Reading
6

Two Guys Walk into a Temple

If our understanding of God is warped our prayers will be warped. Our prayers can help us to see as a mirror our picture of God--and help us to do some correction if necessary...

Keep Reading

Strong Convictions, Generous Heart

How do we have convictions and yet live generously?...

Keep Reading

About Your Friend Who Can't Stand Religious People

Jesus didn't get along with self-righteous religious people like many of our friends who aren't Christians. That's good news!...

Keep Reading

Set Free From (Mere) Religion

Jesus frees us from empty religion to a real relationship...

Keep Reading

God Wants You to Be Rich (Truly!)

God gives us earthly money to allow us to invest in something eternal....

Keep Reading

A Once in a Lifetime Investment Opportunity

Jesus challenges us to invest in eternal things...

Keep Reading
2

What Do We Do With This???

Sometimes we have to remember reading Scripture is a cross-cultural experience. Be patient, do a little digging and we might learn some things....

Keep Reading

The Geico Gecko Helps With Your Problems

Getting creative with problem solving takes a little step back sometimes...

Keep Reading

Religious People's Problem with Jesus

Jesus includes all kinds of unexpected people in his parables and in his kingdom...

Keep Reading

Good News About How to Deal with Unanswered Prayers

Jesus shows us how to continue to trust in God's goodness even in the midst of our disappointment with his slowness to act on our behalf. ...

Keep Reading
3

A Love Better than a Hallmark Card

Jesus invites us to pray because God is good and God is love. ...

Keep Reading

Fresh Resilience for Your Work Today

The persistent widow persists! How might we persist in our own works that we need to do today? ...

Keep Reading
6

What if I Don't Pray Enough?

Nobody feels like they pray enough. That's why Jesus gives us instructions to stick with it....

Keep Reading

The Wildly Important Take-Home, Right at the Start

Luke tells us that Jesus tells us that we should always pray and never give up!...

Keep Reading
2

The Full House

Jesus describes the heart of God to have a full house marked by the gathering of people who were previously overlooked...

Keep Reading
2

More Important Than the To-Do List

Daily life can cause us to miss out on the kingdom of God...

Keep Reading
2

Might Be Time to Get Going

It's always easier not to go, not to do things. But there's a core of our relationship with Jesus that compels us to get going. ...

Keep Reading

Great Banquet, Great Heart, Great Joy

Jesus invites us into the great banquet of the kingdom of God...

Keep Reading

Jesus: The Awkward Dinner Guest

Jesus challenges the religious and is kind to the people in the margins. How do we do at matching pitch with our audience? ...

Keep Reading
3

Clarity Never Comes from the Crowds

Clarity never comes from the crowds. Jesus shows us where it comes from and how to handle the crowd pressures. ...

Keep Reading
2

Parcheesi, Exorcisms, and the Label Makers

Jesus tells the demons to be quiet even though they're speaking truthfully about who he is. ...

Keep Reading
3

People To be Loved (Not Just Problems to be Fixed)

Jesus heals and touches people to make them well!...

Keep Reading
2

What's On the Other Side of Healing

Healing isn't just for us. It's for us to be a blessing to others. ...

Keep Reading

Wait: Peter's Married?!?

Peter's married--he's normal! That means the ways that Jesus intersect his life has something to teach us about how he might want to intersect ours....

Keep Reading

Worship & Witness: The Natural Next Step

When we experience Jesus's power and authority in our lives, there's a response of worship and witness that are natural. We need to share it....

Keep Reading
2

Joy to the World (Eleven Months Early)

Jesus is the re-humanizing agent in a world full of darkness and corruption and pain ...

Keep Reading

Hope That Overcomes Darkness

The demons are afraid of Jesus--so we have hope for our own battles against darkness. ...

Keep Reading
2

A Little Something About Demons

A quick look at demons in the Gospels...

Keep Reading
2

Overcoming Our Authority Issues

Good news: Jesus is the authority we can trust and we were made for....

Keep Reading
2

Jesus v. ________ For Your Heart

Self-righteousness is one of the biggest competitors for your heart. ...

Keep Reading

Wisdom We Won't Listen To

The prophet is rejected in his hometown--what hometown wisdom we will refuse to listen to? ...

Keep Reading

Jesus's Mission Meets New York, New York

Jesus's mission statement doesn't seem to include us, but that's a good thing....

Keep Reading

Your Joy Meets the World's Pain

Jesus's first sermon, he reads his mission statement from Isaiah...

Keep Reading

The Joy and Problem of Community

Jesus goes home and hangs out at the old synagogue. ...

Keep Reading

Cutting Through the Fog of Temptation

Memorizing Scripture helps to cut through the fog of temptation. ...

Keep Reading
1

WWJT: Why Was Jesus Tempted?

Description of why Jesus was tempted...

Keep Reading

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Lord's prayer, lead us not into temptation...

Keep Reading

Overcoming Temptation Part 2

Temptation definition, overcoming it....

Keep Reading

Overcoming Temptation Part 1

Jesus in the desert...

Keep Reading

Jesus the Trailblazer

Helping to understand why Jesus got baptized when he was without sin....

Keep Reading

Just Do It

The crowds obedience in baptism is a good example for us to follow...

Keep Reading

Starting Blocks

Starting blocks kicks off with a reflection on baptism....

Keep Reading

New Year, New Voice for the Connect Devotional

New year and a new voice for the Connect Devotional ...

Keep Reading