http://www.wilsoncommunitychurch.org Gary Combs is the senior pastor at Wilson Community Church in Wilson, North Carolina. WCC is a church that pursues growing a family of Christ-followers through celebrating God's Son, connecting to God's people and contributing to God's family. For more information on WCC, visit www.wilsoncommunitychurch.org. en Gary Combs is the senior pastor at Wilson Community Church in Wilson, North Carolina. WCC is a church that pursues growing a family of Christ-followers through celebrating God's Son, connecting to God's people and contributing to God's family. For ... Wilson Community Church no Wilson Community Church Podcast: Gary Combs info@wilsoncommunitychurch.org ℗ & © 2010 Wilson Community Church 720 In the apostle Paul’s letter to Titus he told him to straighten out the crooked culture of Crete by planting a counter-cultural movement called the Church. We can be that kind of counter-cultural Church. In chapter two of Titus, Paul describes the steps towards creating a community that submits to one another and lives as the family of God. http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/with-a-culture-of-true-community http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/with-a-culture-of-true-community.mp3 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:19:07 GMT Gary Combs Crooked - Countering a Crooked Culture culture,world,community 47:25 The dictionary defines culture as: "Culture is the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another" So, culture is a man-made reality. It's how we accent our language and how we spice our food. It's the music we play and the entertainment we enjoy. It's the lens through which we view reality-- it's our worldview. But the Bible warns that the culture of this world is "crooked." The apostle Paul says this is a: " crooked and depraved generation (Phil. 2:15). Does this mean everything in the world’s culture is bad? No. But have you ever noticed how everything in the world is not quite right? Your inner compass can sense it. There's a thorn on the rose, a worm in the apple. The family portrait over the mantle is hanging a little... crooked. Sure there's beauty and good in the world, but it's mixed in with a morass of ugliness and evil. Human culture is crooked. How did it get that way? Sin. That's the human twist that bent the culture crooked. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the world that God had declared "good" was infected too. God's grace and goodness still glistens through, but humanity and this world have been crooked ever since. There are weeds in the garden. How do we respond? Well, that’s what this letter to Titus is all about. http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/with-a-culture-of-true-worship http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/with-a-culture-of-true-worship.mp3 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:09:59 GMT Gary Combs Crooked - Countering a Crooked Culture culture,world,worship,authority 46:40 We’re concluding our series called Financial Fitness. There are similarities in being financially fit and physically fit. Why do we need to be fit? So that we can live! Do you ever feel trapped by your finances or your job? Enslaved and unable to obey God? Jesus often calls us to “go deep.” He pulls us out to deep water and stretches our faith. Jesus wants us to trust Him and turn all of our stuff, our everything over to Him. In the book of Luke, Jesus called Peter to turn everything over to Him and trust Him for the results. We can turn everything over to God. We can let God stretch our stuff! http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/let-god-stretch-your-stuff http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/let-god-stretch-your-stuff.mp3 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:54:45 GMT Gary Combs Financial Fitness money,finances,possessions,job,stewardship 43:00 There are similarities in being financially fit and physically fit. If we don’t exercise a muscle, it atrophies. We must use it or lose it. The Bible teaches us that money is the same way. God blesses us with money so that we can use it, exercise it to be a blessing to others. Today, I want us to look at what the Bible says about exercising, investing money. We're going to look at a parable on the best use of our money. The Bible has a lot to say about money. In the gospels, Jesus spoke more about money than He did about heaven. Jesus spoke more about money than He did about hell. Isn't that interesting? Why? I think it's because God knows the tremendous influence and power money has over our lives. We spend so much of our time earning it, making it, that He needs to tell us how to use it wisely. Jesus said that handling money is a spiritual test: Luke 16:11 "If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" This phrase comes from one of the most misunderstood parables in the Bible. Many people when they read this think Jesus is commending dishonesty. But that's not what He's doing. What He’s doing is using the story of a worldly manager to shock his Pharisee audience into seeing that even worldly people can invest money wisely. The point of the parable is that money should not be wasted or hoarded but thoughtfully invested with future needs in mind. Money should be exercised! http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/exercise-your-money http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/exercise-your-money.mp3 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:06:25 GMT Gary Combs Financial Fitness money,finances,stewardship,investing 47:06 There are similarities in being financially fit and physically fit. In one you have to watch your food diet, in the other you have to watch how much debt you have in your financial diet. Americans are among the most overweight people on the planet. And we’re also among the most in debt. And it’s now wonder… Everyone buys on credit these days. “Buy now, pay later.” “Easy money.” “90 Days no interest” “10% off when you use credit.” Even Barbie is getting in on the action. Now you can teach your little girls how to use credit with “Shopping Barbie.” A plastic doll teaching the value of shopping with plastic. Many of you may be “overweight” in debt. You feel overwhelmed and trapped. Maybe even ashamed. But there is a way out. God’s Word has a lot to say about money and about being in debt. Financial fitness is connected to spiritual fitness. How we handle money says a lot about our spiritual condition. In the book of 2nd Kings the prophet Elisha gave a widow woman whose husband had died and left her in debt, godly wisdom for getting out of debt and living in financial freedom. God still speaks today. He still teaches us through His Word and gives us the help we need to get out of debt when we follow His counsel. http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/cut-debt-out-of-your-diet http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/cut-debt-out-of-your-diet.mp3 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:52:38 GMT Gary Combs Financial Fitness money,stewardship,debt,finances 46:30 Financial fitness is connected to spiritual fitness. How we handle money says a lot about our spiritual condition. Jesus told a parable that illustrates how our spiritual condition and our finances are linked. We know this story as the parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable is often taught to warn us against rebellious living or illustrate the love of the Heavenly Father and both those applications are correct and useful. But this sermon looks at this story from a different angle to see that it gives us both a warning and a proper perspective on how to handle money. Here’s a man who learned lessons on financial fitness the hard way: http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/check-your-financial-vitals http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/check-your-financial-vitals.mp3 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:43:10 GMT Gary Combs Financial Fitness finances,stewardship,budget,money,debt 46:48 New Year's resolutions are soon forgotten every year, so how do we get the passion to change? How do we experience real growth and passion for our dreams? http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/a-new-year-an-old-passion http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/a-new-year-an-old-passion.mp3 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:35:58 GMT Jonathan Combs New Year's resolutions are soon forgotten every year, so how do we get the passion to change? How do we experience real growth and passion for our dreams? passion,new_year,dreams 35:38 In the book of John, Jesus told a prominent Jewish teacher named Nicodemus that God “so loved” everyone that He was offering His greatest gift to all those who would receive it. It is as though God took the approach of wrapping the gift of LIFE and then placed it inside the gift of His Son, the LORD, and then placed it inside the gift of His LOVE. A gift within a gift, within a gift. The greatest gift of all! http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/love-all http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/love-all.mp3 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:24:51 GMT Jonathan Combs The Advent Conspiracy love,jesus,life,gift,god 31:55 In the book of Luke, the birth of Jesus was recorded in its historical context with special attention given to show both the humble circumstances of His birth and the glory of His person as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. In Luke’s gospel the angel of the Lord invites the shepherds to come celebrate the birth of the Messiah. They came and it changed them and all they came into contact with afterwards. The Lord still invites us to come celebrate the Christ. We can say yes to His invitation and invite others to join us by giving and loving like Jesus. http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/give-more http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/give-more.mp3 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:26:34 GMT Gary Combs The Advent Conspiracy christmas,advent_conspiracy,worship,give 44:38 In the book of Isaiah we find many prophecies concerning the Messiah. The prophecy from Isaiah 9:6-7 concerning the Son that is “given” is well known. From Handel’s Messiah to Christmas cards purchased at Walmart, we see Isaiah’s prophecy proclaimed. But Isaiah had more to say about the coming Messiah. Isaiah told the people of Israel that they should stop spending so much on that which doesn’t satisfy and start spending their lives looking for the coming Son of David, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone could satisfy all of their needs. We can start spending less at Christmas on that which doesn’t satisfy, so that we can worship fully, give more and love more. http://www.sermoncloud.com/wilson-community-church/spend-less http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/2455/spend-less.mp3 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:19:39 GMT Gary Combs The Advent Conspiracy christmas,advent_conspiracy,worship,spend_less 39:58