First Champaign-urbana

One of the most common tidbits of advice thrown around in our world today is, “Do what makes you happy.” But what if you’ve tried those things only to need *more* happiness down the road. In week 1 of our new teaching series, Upside-Down, we see how Jesus lays the foundation for lasting happiness.

United We Stand. We hear and see this everywhere in our country. Yet, most would agree that true unity evades us consistently. As the church, what brings us together is not how we vote, but something different entirely. In week 4, we wrap up the series Separation of Church and Hate and discover the strength of unity in the Kingdom of God.

They say there’s one thing that looks good on everyone—no, not a fedora—humility! Ironically, it’s also the one thing you can’t talk about having without losing it. In week 3 of this series, we see why humility, especially in tense conversations, looks good on everyone - even you.

Do you want to think the best of others? Chances are, you do! But without dignity for all, it’s not as easy as we think. In week 2 of Separation of Church and Hate, we look at how the Gospel compels us to confront all injustices.

Everyone’s got an opinion on everything, right? But let me ask you this: when was the last time someone actually changed your mind? As we start our new series, Separation of Church and Hate, let’s see how civility with one another is about something other than agreement.

While Jesus meets us where we are, the journey doesn’t stop there. As individuals and as a church body, our discipleship journey is more than one’s personal faith. There is a call for everyone to ask the question, “who’s next?” As we close out our FIRST Things First series, we look at our final value of Active Multiplication.

Every one of us has resources at our disposal. From our time to our talents to our treasures, all of it is a gift from God. As a church, we believe part of being a disciple means using our gifts to breathe life into others. This week, we look at our Life-Giving Generosity value as we continue in our FIRST Things First teaching series.

Healthy things grow, and growing things change. The saying goes for plants and disciples! It is the heart of Jesus for us to continually mature and be transformed into His image. Join us for week 4 of our FIRST Things First series as we look at our value of Growing Faith.

Throughout history, the church has stood out for many reasons. One thing about churches on mission that sticks out from the world is their love for others. Whether that was the development of hospitals, schools, food pantries, or other forms of good—the church makes a difference. This week we look at our value of Outward Compassion.

The great sitcom Cheers has an iconic line of being a place “where everyone knows your name.” We believe that churches are to be places filled with people who not just know each other by name but go beyond to show genuine love for each other. This week, we look at our first value of being A Loving Community.

How do you know if you've arrived if you don't know where you're going? This goes for a road trip, the trajectory of your life… and for the Church. While the mission and message of the Church haven't changed for centuries—the methods may. In week one of FIRST Things First, we roll out FIRST's new mission statement!

Psalms | Week 5 by First Christian Church Champaign

Most often, we think of Psalms as songs of praise. While our worship is more than music and singing, it is definitely a huge part! As we continue our Psalms series, we take a look at Psalms of praise.

Where does wisdom come from? Sometimes age, sometimes experience, and sometimes learning from our past. No matter what, wisdom should be shared for others to learn. In week 3 of our Psalms series, we see how Psalms of wisdom help us discern how to live a life with God better.

Have you ever had your heart broken? Sometimes it’s because we’ve been hurt or experience a mistake—and other times, it’s because we yearn for things to be whole again. Either way, we call this lament. In week two of Psalms we see how to express lament for ourselves and the world around us faithfully.

We all have had those moments where we tried to express something, but it just came out wrong. Do you ever wish there was a way to peer into how to express our faith towards God? In week one of our quick series in the Psalms we see how these songs and prayers guide us to express our faith.

It takes two to tango... You can’t waltz alone... Grab your partner do-si-do… Whether it’s line, swing, or ballroom dancing, one thing is sure—we don’t dance alone. We believe the same thing applies in the Christian life. As we wrap up our Rhythm series, we see why living out our faith is not something we do by ourselves, but always with others.

Your favorite song has quite a few different parts—instruments, lyrics, melody, bridge, etc. Yet, it comes together as one piece. In many ways, the Bible is like a good song because many different parts come together to tell a single story. In week 3 of Rhythm we learn how to read God’s Word in our dance with the Spirit.

Think about the first time you made a mixtape. Chances are it had your favorite songs of different styles and genres collected together in one place. Now, think about your prayer life. Would you say it’s a mixtape or more of a hit single? In week 2 of Rhythm, we look at the mixtape of prayer.

Have you ever taken a dance lesson before? Some of the first things they teach you are to feel the rhythm and let one person lead. Why? Because two fighting to lead doesn’t blend well. As we kick-off our Rhythm series, we see why we need to let the Spirit lead our daily dance with God.