How to Brighten Up the World

Cumberland Community Church

How to Brighten Up the World

January 21, 2024 • Courtney Harkness • Matthew 10:16

There is something very powerful about truth in context. Throughout the biblical narrative, we see God’s word showing up in the practicality of everyday life - the divine invading the ordinary.

This means that obedience to His will demands much more than just some empty religious theory; it actually requires contextualization.

The challenge of the church is to translate the love of God into the lives of people. So a proper witness to the world demands that believers do more than just believe privately - we must also be willing to demonstrate what we believe publicly. Only then can we make progress in our gospel effort to brighten up the world.

Gospel Renewal

February 4, 2024 • Courtney Harkness • 1 Corinthians 15:1–2

The gospel is present tense, though sometimes we treat it like it’s past tense. But it wasn't just good news a long time ago... the gospel IS good news for us today!

Embracing Change, for a Change

January 28, 2024 • Courtney Harkness • 2 Chronicles 36:22–23

In a rapidly-changing world, the priority of the Church isn't to just "hold things steady." If we trust God, we can begin to see changes in culture as open doors for gospel advancement.

On Which Hill?

January 14, 2024 • Courtney Harkness • 1 Kings 3:1–3

Jesus encourages His followers to be a city on a hill, which describes the unique position the church is meant to hold within the culture. But what happens if the church is elevated on the wrong hill? Because worship is actually a default for humanity, our tendency is to always worship something. What plagues our world is not an absence of worship, but rather a perversion of it. But God has planted His people in the world to shine brightly, countering all that is wrong with an expression of what is undeniably right.