ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 29, 2026 Guest Writer: Ginni Whitten, Ex. Director of the Cypress Creek Christian Community Center The Cypress Creek Christian Church’s Community Center is an outreach ministry, serving as the heartbeat of our community and central gathering place for our community through its programming. Psalm 1:3 provides a powerful picture for a community center that has served residents for more than 50 years. The verse compares
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 28, 2026 Prayer for the Week (handed out in worship): O Source and Center of Life, there are days when I approach you with a weary mind and a burdened heart. I must admit that I often find myself running on empty, constantly chasing the incessant noise of a world that demands my attention, only to realize that it is often nothing more than an
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 27, 2026 In John 15:8, Jesus says, “My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.” God the Father is glorified by the fruit our lives produce. This means, among other things, that God is revealed through us. We know God by what God does, and our belief about what God does has a great
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 26, 2026 I’m old! Barry Manilow came on the 70s station, and I knew every word to the song. Though why is it that I could remember every single word of the song, but when I went to the grocery store the other day to grab just four items, I walked out with six items, but two of the original four items were not among
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 25, 2026 Last night, I was driving home from the church around 8:30 p.m., and in my rearview mirror, I could see a pickup truck coming up quickly. As you approach Kuykendahl Road going east, it goes from two lanes to three. The truck passed me on the left, and then immediately cut in front of me, crossing all the lanes of traffic to pull
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 24, 2026 This Sunday, we will begin a series based on Psalm 1:3 — “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.” The people (“they” in this verse) are described in vs. 1-2, where we learn that the author is referring to those who delight in the law and teaching of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 23, 2026 When I lived in Florida, I asked someone about a specific tree on his property. He said, “It’s a River Birch, and it has wet feet.” I glanced around looking for feet, only to have him explain that certain trees like to be close to water, they thrive in moist soil, and can survive flooding. That’s what it means for a tree or
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 22, 2026 Yesterday, I was mowing in my backyard where I have a couple of trees, but they are both very small. And neither one of them is an oak tree, yet out of nowhere, I got hit on the head with an acorn. Maybe a kid with a slingshot from a block away had launched it and it landed on my head. I only
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 21, 2026 Thought from the Sermon: Forgiveness demands trust, but it’s not necessarily trusting the person who caused the injury. That may never happen. Instead, it involves trusting God and trusting the process. As we grow in this trust, we also learn to trust our own decisions to maintain boundaries we’ve set for our own safety and healing. Prayer: I’ve often misunderstood the concept of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 20, 2026 Today, we will be wrestling with the notion of forgiveness in worship. I have appreciated the dozen or so authors I have been reading in preparation for this sermon, but among them is Brené Brown, who said, “People can look at you, expecting forgiveness like they are standing in front of a vending machine.” Not only did I laugh out loud, but it