Community Church HK Podcast

Better Together: Everyone Matters

Following Jesus isn’t easy. There are days when it feels like the opposition, the pressure, or just the tiredness is too much. But we’re reminded to “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” — Hebrews 12:3. This reminds us that we don’t run this race alone. Jesus has gone before us and he places us in community so that when one of us is weary, others can help carry the load. At Community Church, we’re learning that it’s better together not because it’s easy, but because God meets us in the struggle and strengthens us through one another.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Nehemiah 5:6-13 (NIV) //When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Better Together: It's Not Going to Be Easy

Following Jesus isn’t easy. There are days when it feels like the opposition, the pressure, or just the tiredness is too much. But we’re reminded to “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” — Hebrews 12:3. This reminds us that we don’t run this race alone. Jesus has gone before us and he places us in community so that when one of us is weary, others can help carry the load. At Community Church, we’re learning that it’s better together not because it’s easy, but because God meets us in the struggle and strengthens us through one another.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Nehemiah 5:6-13 (NIV) //When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Better Together: All Hands on Deck

As Christians, we believe no one is on the sidelines in God’s family. Every story, every skill, every act of kindness matters. When each of us brings our God-given gifts to the table, the church becomes a living picture of Jesus’ love in our city. We’re better together—every heart, every hand, every voice. In God’s family, it’s all hands on deck!
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Nehemiah 2:11-19 (NIV) //I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

Better Together: Courageous Wisdom

Courage doesn’t always roar—it often looks like quiet faith, shared hope, and steadfast prayer. In every challenge, God reminds us we’re not meant to walk alone. This week, we’re exploring what it means to live Better Together: Courageous Wisdom—to lean on one another, stay joyful in hope, patient in the waiting, and faithful in prayer.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Nehemiah 1:11-2:10 (NIV) //"LORD, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbearer to the king.
Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to JerusalemIn the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
The king said to me, “What is it you want?”Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Better Together: We’ve Got a Crisis

The Promise of the new economy is that in God’s Kingdom, nothing surrendered is ever wasted. In Jesus, even our dying-to-self becomes the seed of a bigger, more beautiful life for many. “Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” — John 12:24. In the economy of Jesus, loss is not the last word. Letting go of control, status, or security for love’s sake feels like a kind of dying, but God is quietly turning that hidden surrender into a harvest of justice, mercy, and new community. What if the “new economy” God is inviting us into is one where: generosity replaces competition, shared tables replace isolated success, and faith, not fear, sets the budget of our lives? As we step into this new year, may we dare to plant our small seeds—our time, our gifts, our resources, our stories—trusting that Jesus is already preparing a harvest far beyond what we can see.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Nehemiah 1:1-11a (NIV) //The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

The Promise of Christmas: The New Economy

The Promise of Christmas: Love

In Luke 1:45, it is written: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!” Mary’s joy came from her trust in God’s promise. This Christmas, may we find our joy in knowing that God’s love is faithful and His promises never fail. Even in waiting, even in uncertainty—joy is born when faith takes root. As we move through Advent, may our hearts, like Mary’s, be open to saying “yes” to the promises of God.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Luke 1:39-45 (NIV) //At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

The Promise of Christmas: Joy

In Luke 1:45, it is written: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!” Mary’s joy came from her trust in God’s promise. This Christmas, may we find our joy in knowing that God’s love is faithful and His promises never fail. Even in waiting, even in uncertainty—joy is born when faith takes root. As we move through Advent, may our hearts, like Mary’s, be open to saying “yes” to the promises of God.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Luke 1:39-45 (NIV) //At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

The Promise of Christmas: Hope

Hope is at the heart of Christmas! Because God is our source of hope, may you be filled with joy, peace, and confident hope this Advent. Romans 15:13 reminds us: when we trust in Him, His Spirit overflows in us. Let’s celebrate the promise of Christmas—hope alive in our hearts!
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Hebrews 6:16-20 (NLT) //Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Rhythms: Celebration Unifying

Celebrate together—God invites us to pause, rejoice, and unite as a community! “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me,” says Exodus 23:14 (NIV). When we embrace these sacred rhythms, our celebrations become more than traditions—they forge meaningful connections and gratitude for God’s goodness.
If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect
You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links
You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/
================This Week's Scripture:// Philippians 4:4-9 //Final exhortationsRejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.