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The unbending faith of the Christians during the first centuries of the church stood out as a shining example to the pagan world. How could anyone stand unflinching in the face of death and claim the crucified Jesus to be God, if the story was a myth? Such absolute trust in an unseen God was…
Few books in the Bible have produced more speculation, more failed predictions, and more strange interpretations than Revelation. Walk into almost any bookstore and you\'ll find shelves of titles claiming to have finally cracked its code — decoding world events, setting dates, or turning John\'s vision into a screenplay for the nightly news. That\'s exactly…
Introduction One of the distinct memories I have as a 12-year-old child was standing in our living room at a large front window at 7707 Cecilia Dr. in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Seeing no cars drive by. Waiting for Mom and Dad to come home. And wondering if the rapture had occurred. Thinking that I had been…
There has been a lot of excitement over the last few weeks at CVC about the fact that in just a few weeks we will begin a sermon series through the entire book of Revelation. We\'re glad — this is one of the most vivid, dramatic, and hope-filled books in Scripture. It\'s also one of…
When Pastor Joe first asked us to offer up a statement of encouragement for CVC, our first instinct was to marvel at the timing. Had we given this statement a year ago, we might have been able to offer better encouragement, from a stronger place both in joy and in faith. Not that our lives…
In wrapping up our message series through the book of Titus, Pastor Joe Valenti said that churches come in many forms throughout the world, but we can broadly categorize them into two general types: Kingdom Consumer churches and Kingdom Catalyst churches. Joe said, \"Some churches exist to hold on to what they’ve built.” That’s the Kingdom Consumer church. He…
The following self-assessment is based on the questions Pastor Dean Siley asked in his message on Titus 3:8–11. Dean\'s questions invite us to look honestly at our spiritual lives, not to shame ourselves, but to recognize where God\'s grace is already at work and where He may be inviting us to grow. The goal isn\'t to achieve…
Alistair Begg, who faithfully ministered for many years at Parkside Church just down the road from us in Northeast Ohio, has often reminded his congregation of an old principle of Bible interpretation: \"The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things.\" It\'s a simple statement, but it\'s one the…
Are good works necessary? That question has sparked debate for centuries. The biblical answer is that we are not saved by good works, but those who have truly been saved will produce good works. The book of Revelation gives us a breathtaking picture of Christ\'s return and the marriage supper of the Lamb. \"Let us…
by Tate Stevens, Director of Youth Ministry Like Pastor Joe said on Sunday, we all need reminders. This past Sunday he preached from Titus 3:1-2, where Paul tells believers \"to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.\" Because Jesus is King, Christians don\'t have to panic, grasp for control, or…
Leading when you are young is a strange, intense paradox that I\'m learning about in real time. It is an unsettling and humbling experience to be given the responsibility to lead people who are older and more experienced in life and their Christian walk. It is into this difficult situation that Paul speaks to Titus…
Introduction The upcoming 40th anniversary of CVC, combined with a recent need to pass a local fire safety examination, brought about some fascinating discoveries in our building. In many of our third-floor offices, we have deep cubby holes that serve as long-term storage. To prepare for the fire inspection, we had to clear them all…
