This message addresses the things that provoked Paul.  Being provoked does not mean only to be offended, but also to be affected, motivated, and driven.  Paul was provoked by: idolatry, false religion, and rejection of the gospel as all this compelled him to preach the good news of salvation in Christ the promise of God as it encouraged him to persist in teaching and evangelism his own vow to God as motivation to fulfill his commitment to the Lord. The message challenges us to examine what provokes us and reflect on whether those things matter to God and provoke Him.  If not, then we must change our hearts to care deeply about the things that provoke and matter to God.

CCIC-SJ Sermons

The Things That Provoked Paul - October 1, 2021

Guest speaker, Pastor Fred Mok delivers an inspiring reminder from the book of Hebrews.  As followers of Christ, we are not citizens of any earthly country but we have a Heavenly citizenship. God made us strangers, exiles and foreigners to be associated with Him as His people. We are designed to bear reproach, humiliation and suffering while extending hospitality to strangers, just as Jesus did for us.

A Foreign People - October 3, 2021

Christians are guilty of discriminating and erecting barriers for people of other culture or ethnic groups to be accepted as equals in the family of Christ.  As Asian American Christians, we should learn from the mistakes of early church leaders including Peter and Paul. Our special guest speaker is Rev. Dr. Tim Tseng, who is the Pacific Area Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries (GFM). He shares personal testimonies and preaches from Galatians 5:1-6; 13-18.

The Asian American Temptation - September 26, 2021

We all have wishes and dreams. How do we align our thoughts, desires, and actions with what God wants? In this episode, guest speaker, Steve Kim, shares his experiences and challenges each of us to serve the Great Commission. He speaks from 1 Timothy 2.

The Dream Of God - September 19, 2021

Christians turned their world upside down in the 1st century. Their faith in Jesus Christ and their way of life disrupted everything around them. In this text, we see that the Gospel turned the world upside down by reaching the unlikely and unexpected people, breaking down false idols, and forming diverse people into God's family through Christ. As followers of Christ, by our faith, words, and life-in-Spirit, we continue to participate in the great redemptive movement of turning an "upside down" world “right side up".

The Gospel That Turns The World Upside Down - September 12, 2021

Three area that we wrestle with throughout our lives are relationships, effectiveness, and direction.   In Acts 15:36-16:10, Paul faced all three in rapid succession.  Let’s learn how he Holy Spirit enabled Paul to discern what to do in each situation.  The same Holy Spirit and those principles can still guide us today.  

Discernment and Decisions - September 5, 2021

As the church grows and encounters new situations, it sometimes has to figure out how to address them and live faithfully in accordance with the Bible. This has happened over the past 1.5 years as churches have considered whether and how to gather in-person in relation to pandemic circumstances, local regulations, congregational preferences, logistical issues, and biblical teaching. Churches have discussed the theological and practical issues of “online communion” and why in-person gathering is important for churches. In Acts 15, the issue that the church is facing is the increase of Gentiles (non-Jews) becoming Christians. This has already been going on for some time, but in Acts 15, a theological controversy that has major cultural and missiological implications breaks out but is resolved by a special council in Jerusalem.

One Gospel for the Whole World - August 29, 2021

Why do we experience suffering and hardship?  Where is God in the midst of our deepest despair and trials? Guest speaker, Jonas Chang, preaches from James 11:17-37 to remind us that God loves us and will never forsake us. The more pain we experience the more we need to seek "Jesus in Our Hardships."

Jesus In Our Hardships - August 22, 2021

As we look into Paul and Barnabas’ missionary journey to bring the light of the Gospel to the Gentiles, we notice the tremendous challenges that they faced. How did they respond “when the going got tough?” For many of us during these past 18 months, we wondered the same thing. “When the going gets tough…,” how should we respond? Instead of taking the options that the world offers, followers of Christ can respond to a tough road ahead differently. Listen in and find out how.

When The Going Gets Rough - August 15, 2021

Why does God allow thorns to come into the lives of faithful Christians? Why does he not always remove them? How should we respond? Instead of asking "why," the question we should be asking is "what." Preaching from 2 Corinthians 12, Pastor Hans Wilhelm shares four reasons for the Ministry of Thorns.

Ministry Of Thorns - August 8, 2021

Our church family has entered a season of leadership change.  This naturally leads us to the question:  what does God have in store for us in the future?   Where will the new leaders come from?   In this message on Acts 12:25-13:52, we will discover three ways that God shapes leaders.  

God At Work - August 1, 2021

The early church in Acts faced many trials and also experienced many triumphs. But through it all, they maintained their trust in God. In this message on Acts 12:1-19, we learn from the example of the early church to see how we can build our trust in God's character through the ups and downs of life.

Trusting God Through The Ups And Downs - July 25, 2021

In the midst of the adversity, persecuted followers of Christ continued to share the gospel in Antioch. Subsequently, the church grew dramatically spiritually and numerically to become the center in which the gospel was taught locally and from which it was spread globally.  What are the lessons from the empowerment of the church of Antioch and how can we apply these in our church today? Elder Patric Chang shares a message from Acts 11:19-30.

Becoming An Empowered Church - July 18, 2021

God's intent all along was for the gospel of salvation to go to the Gentiles.  He commands and arranges for Peter to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his household.  God overcomes the prejudices, tribalism, and elitist mentality of Jewish believers and uses the most unlikely messengers to preach the gospel to the most unthinkable hearers.  For example, Cornelius was a Roman Centurion, and the Romans were despised as the oppressors and occupiers of Israel.  From this passage, we learn that The Great Commission is for all of us who believe in Christ.  There are no excuses that we are not adequate because we receive power from the Holy Spirit to be Christ's witnesses.  The gospel is for us to share with all, even those who are outside of our usual comfortable zone.  

The Gospel Goes To The Gentiles - July 11, 2021

In the days of the early church, God's power was shown through some great miracles.  Can God still do such things today?  If He can, why don't we see them, or are we not looking in the right places?  In this message on Acts 9:32-43, let's see what God's Word says about this.

How Great Is Out God - July 4, 2021

CCIC is a non-denominational church with several locations throughout Silicon Valley, California. While we are formally known as Chinese Church in Christ (CCIC), our congregation is multi-ethnic with members from around the globe. Come listen to our pastors, ministers and missionaries as they teach God's Word, and share personal testimonies of God's grace around the world.

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CCIC-SJ Sermons

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