Christ City Church Memphis

Each of us is much more than what someone has defined us as, and so is Memphis. Perspectives that reduce us to rich and poor, black and white, immigrant and native, safe and dangerous, gay or straight, flatten 3-dimensional lives, but like individuals, Memphis rejects oversimplified definitions. When a person can spend time looking and listening for more, a gradient and abundant picture of Memphis emerges. As we conclude our series Miracle Everywhere, we do so by opening our hearts to seeing the miracle of our beloved and beleaguered city.

'Haunted house,' 'holy ground,' 'in love'–the places around us and inside of us can transform in awful and miraculous ways depending on what happens in them and what we believe about them. What does it mean for us to learn to experience miracles in the worlds we inhabit? Join us as we learn more about it in the fifth week of the sermon series, 'Miracles Everywhere.'

When we believe we don’t have enough, we are always right. When we believe we live in a world of abundance, miracles can happen. How do we live with generosity in a world that cries scarcity? Join us in exploring the power of generosity in the series 'Miracles Everywhere.'

When we learn to show up and listen with care and compassion, something begins to shift. In fact, hidden in mundane conversations could be the chance for something miraculous.  This week in Miracles Everywhere, we’ll explore how conversation can become a place of transformation—in our bodies, our minds, and our hearts.

We all have a body, and whether we realize it or not, it shapes how we feel, how we trust, and what we believe. That’s part of what makes the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection so powerful, not just as an idea, but as something embodied, something with weight. This week in Miracles Everywhere, we’ll explore how God meets us, through flesh and blood, not in spite of it—and how that changes the way we see, believe, and live.

One of the greatest moments of human history was hidden in the ordinary. The good news of the resurrection had already happened, but no one could see it yet. Sometimes seeing the miracle takes time, takes heart, and often, loss. Join us this Easter Sunday as we open our hearts to the possibility that new life is already breaking through as we wonder together, “Could we learn to see miracles?”.

When we celebrate the life-giving, uplifting, and liberating authority of King Jesus, it agitates the powers that be. This type of celebration isn’t passive; it is an act of defiance marked by joy and courage. Will we enter into it?

What do you do when hope feels gone? In Ezekiel’s vision, God asks a haunting question: “Can these dry bones live?” Originally spoken to people whose world had fallen apart, this vision reminds us that God’s life-giving Spirit can bring hope even in the most hopeless places. This Sunday, we explore how resurrection is not just a future promise, but something God is breathing into our lives right now.

The shadow of death touches many places in our lives, yet our faith tradition has much to teach us about how to live courageously and fully by accepting, not denying, its presence. If we desire transformative change, some perspectives, attachments, misplaced hopes, and fantasies need to die. When we allow, and even help, some of these things to perish, their decomposition can create the soil for new life and faith to emerge. Join us as we walk through the wisdom of Psalm 23 together, allowing the Good Shepherd to lead us into new life.

This week we worship with Rev. Kevin L. McNeil, the Regional Minister and the President of the Christian Church in Tennessee (Disciples of Christ). He shares a message from Luke 13:1-9.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You don’t have a ‘yes’ unless you have a ‘no’”? A true yes requires agency—the freedom to choose. When it comes to life in the church, that freedom matters deeply. When we serve, worship, and create because we have freely and purposefully chosen to, we tap into the inexhaustible resource of God’s love—a love that leads, cares, and supports, but doesn’t coerce. As we conclude our sermon series, Joining a Greater Movement for Wholeness, we open ourselves to the possibility of a renewed yes, or a new yes, to our place in the mission of witness and service to all people.

What would change if you knew—deep in your bones—that you are infinitely and eternally loved, and that no force in heaven or on earth can change that? What would that knowing bring to your life, your groundedness, your spirituality, and the way you hear scripture?As we continue naming what it means for Christ City to join the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we turn our attention to Scripture—not as a tool for fear or control, but as a place where love can speak to us, form us, and connect us. This week, we explore what happens when love becomes the lens through which we read, wrestle with, and live with the Bible together.

Long-time Christ City partner and former elder Stacie Martin sits down with Pastor Jamin Carter for a reflective and sacred dialogue. They explore the ways Christ City is naming more clearly who we have been for a long time—and how we are learning to notice where the Spirit of God is already at work in our “yes” to join a greater movement for wholeness. This conversation is part three of our Disciples of Christ identity series and invites us to listen together for the covenant of love that is forming and holding us.

In a world of contractual relationships and transactional faith we are learning to embrace the ancient concept of covenant-an ancient way of faith built on living, changing, and dynamic relationships. This week, we’ll explore how covenant invites both us and Christ City into an agile, relational faith-one that finds its home not in isolation, but in shared life within the wider body of Christ.

What does it mean to discover your place in a bigger story—only to realize that you’ve had kinfolk right in front of you all along and didn’t know it?That’s what it has felt like for Christ City to join the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): not adopting something new, but waking up to a larger movement already at work—one grounded in God’s desire for wholeness in a fragmented world. This Sunday, we’ll begin exploring what it means to belong, to draw strength and wisdom from the past, and to find ourselves at home in a story bigger than we imagined.

What authorities can we trust? When is it right to question them? Join us as we explore how acts of resistance—like those in Scripture—can become grounding acts of faith or become distractions that lead to the disintegration of our spiritual communities.

What do you mean when you say, “I understand”? As we enter the season of Epiphany, we take time to explore those moments when understanding moves from the head to the heart—and is felt even in the bones.

Matthew’s Christmas story teaches us something essential about decision-making. When one person chooses to trust God in uncertain and challenging circumstances, they are likely to discover they are not alone—and that God is quietly at work in many hearts at the same time, bringing about awe-inspiring and unexpected good.

As you settle into your seat in the theater, the house lights dim, the stage is empty, and the orchestra begins to play. Before you meet the characters or hear their voices, the musicians use the overture to introduce the melodies, harmonies, and themes that you will hear throughout the show.  What if the gospel stories of the nativity aren’t just interesting or sweet, but actually serve as introductions to the themes each author will highlight about Jesus’ life and teachings? What if Mary’s famous Magnificat isn’t just a prayer of thanks for God’s grace, but also highlights Jesus’ most fundamental teachings? Join us as guest teacher, Dr. Chris Hanson, brings this message.

Hear our guest speaker and regional minister, Rev. Kevin McNeil, preach on peace.

When we wait with hope, it transforms how we use our resources, how we plan, and how we spend our time. The disposition of a follower of Christ is one that turns toward hope even in the midst of despair, and it can be seen in the way they live their lives. Hope leaves seeds sown in its wake because it believes in tomorrow. It trusts in divinely inspired dreams of peace that are planted, nurtured, and cultivated. Hope is anchored in the history, mystery, and majesty of the coming Christ. Join us for the first week of Advent as we learn what it means to stay ready for hope.

This Sunday, churches throughout the world will be celebrating Christ the King Sunday. The purpose is to recenter our lives on the true King of the world. Join us this Sunday morning at Christ City Church as we seek to do the same. Robert Grisham will be our guest preacher.

We often cling to a sense of security that quietly costs us the very things that can make us whole. When we hedge our bets and compromise what we know is good, we end up losing pieces of ourselves in the process. This week we’ll explore what it means to stop being afraid of losing the wrong things, and how choosing an abiding trust—even when it feels risky—can help us become the truest version of who we’re meant to be.

When people of faith trust in a collective hope of a future beyond their lives, resurrection bursts into the here and now. Join us as we develop an imagination great enough to envision a God-soaked future shaped by the resurrection of Christ.

It is important to take a step back and see how we have grown—both individually and as a spiritual community. As we reflect, we may find ourselves filled with an energizing gratitude. From that place of thankfulness, we can take hold of the encouragement we need to nurture every desire for goodness and every deed prompted by faith. Let us receive all that we need from what God has done among us, so that we may be strengthened for what lies ahead.

Do you feel stuck—like the energy for life, progress, and action is just out of reach? The practice of asking for forgiveness may be the key that unlocks the flow again. Join us as we explore how humility, honesty, and grace can transform even the most stagnant places in our souls.

How do we pursue justice when the times seem unfavorable? Paul challenges Timothy and us as readers to continue the work of an evangelist, learning from the Scriptures while challenging and correcting each other to grow closer to God's vision of heaven on earth.

What if God’s work isn’t about breaking into the world from above, but flowing through it from within—and through us? Instead of hovering outside of nature, waiting to intervene, could God move in the waters, the soil, and the shared actions of human cooperation? In a world often searching for spectacle, we’re reminded that grace is found not in the sky, but in our participation with God in the living, enchanted world around us.Join us as guest preacher, Dr. Chris Hanson, shares this message. 

Hate may feel powerful, but it cannot deliver what it promises. It silences our deeper emotions, cuts us off from real community, and leaves us vulnerable to destructive patterns of thought and action. It cannot build the world we long to see, not in our neighborhoods and not in our own hearts. Together we’ll confront the dead end of hate and turn toward a path that can lead us out of it.

Building a future on the foundation of hope requires more than what each of us has to give, but never less. When we trust that our faithfulness will be met by the faithfulness of others and the blessing of God, we can create the future we collectively want. Listen in for part two of Building a Future.

Building a future on the foundation of hope is often the faithful response of the people of God in times of fear and uncertainty. This Sunday, we celebrate 15 years of life for Christ City Church. Together, we will hold space to rejoice, dream, remember, and grieve as we build a future on an unshakeable foundation.

Have you ever found yourself serving, but did it begrudgingly or out of drudgery? We can live most of our lives this way. But there’s another way— when we recover our hearts, we find a deep reservoir to serve from. It is one of the great inexhaustible resources of humanity. To serve with heart is a key part of our mission at Christ City Church.Join us as we reconnect with our hearts and find our power to serve with this renewable energy source.

All of us have been shown different paths to follow—some even called the path of Jesus. But any path that promises constant wins, continuous growth, or a reliance on willpower that enables us to achieve all that we ever wanted will not lead us to the life we were made for. The path Jesus offers in the Gospels is one of great sacrifice and loss as the doorway into fullness and abundance. If we have the courage to walk it, we may discover a way shaped by heart, wonder, and purpose.

Have you ever felt like you can't contain the wonder, pain, and complexity of this life? -that at times, the container of your heart feels fractured or inadequate to receive the gifts and losses life offers. Or when you see the evil, violence, cowardice, and greed of the leaders in our world, do you wonder if we have truly matured in our humanity? Why is there such a gap between our vision of what we could become and where we find ourselves individually and collectively? Listen as we discuss the wonder of a life greater than us.

You have a never-to-be-repeated life with unique experiences, skills, and perspectives. What type of life are you creating? Our church is a never-to-be-repeated expression of the gospel in our city. What will we create? What are we already creating? -intentionally or not? What does it mean to live a life of purpose? Listen in to join the conversation.

When division and spiritual ignorance seem to be the order of the day, it can be difficult not to feel overwhelmed and helpless. Let us regroup together as we reflect and recharge around our common vision. Join us as we talk about our continued pursuit of becoming a place to belong and a place to know God.

Do you ever find yourself arguing with the scriptures? Asking questions like, “How, God?” “Why, God?” “How does this make sense?” The prophets did it all the time. Following in the footsteps of Isaiah, let us reason together with God. Listen in for the next installment in our series: Searching for the Word.

Have you ever suddenly remembered something a parent, auntie, mentor, or teacher, who loved and cared for you, said? In Hosea’s word to the people of Israel, he likens God to a loving parent, reminding them of the life and goodness they have strayed from. Sometimes searching for the word is a search in our memories, in our hearts. Listen in for part three in the series Searching for the Word.

Faithfulness is an important part of human relationships. It builds trust, confidence, security, and well-being. When it’s broken, it is often much easier to point out others' lack of fidelity than grapple with our own. But that is exactly what we need to do if we want access to the hope and connection that we can find on the other side of “the word we didn’t keep.” Join us for our second week in the series Searching For The Word.

In a world of unending noise how can we really listen? In a world saturated in scripture, why do we lack so much compassion and care? Maybe we aren’t starving for more media, distractions, and screens; what if we are looking for something that can ground us, anchor us, even as our world spins into increasing chaos and injustice. Join us this Sunday as we talk about what to do when the word goes missing. The first in a new series called Searching for the Word.

Humans are story-telling creatures; we can heal and hurt each other with the stories we tell.  How do we make sure that the stories which ground us are the boundary-breaking stories of God, and not the toxic stories of the empire? Join us for the final week of our summer guest preaching series as we welcome Rev. Elizabeth Grasham from Oklahoma!

In a culture that values self-sufficiency and personal success, Galatians 6 encourages us to adopt a different way of living, one rooted in humility and cooperation. Freedom and salvation are found not in isolation but in the Spirit-led effort to work together for the good of all.

This Sunday, Robert Grisham will continue our series on the Kingdom of God. Last week we looked at what the kingdom is like. This Sunday, we’ll be looking at a community in Scripture that was shaped by this kingdom. We’re going to see how God used that community, and we’re going to see how perhaps we can use that story to impact the way we’re thinking about the kingdom and about how we live creatively in our culture today.

This Sunday morning, Robert Grisham will begin a two-week series on the Kingdom of God. In this first part, we’ll look at what exactly Jesus meant when he talked about the Kingdom of God, as well as what separates this kingdom from other worldly kingdoms.

Join us this Sunday for a special word on community from Rev. Angéle Johnson! 

The Spirit of God is not a tool for the powerful to wield—it is the presence of God, accessible to all. This means we are capable of more than we imagine and responsible for the change we long to see, because God is with us—all of us. Join us this Pentecost Sunday as we explore the empowerment available to us through the presence of the Spirit. 

Sometimes, it seems that more and more is wrong in the world and that a solution is farther and farther away. Some people become discouraged and want to quit trying. Others look to the future and hold hope that someday things will get better. And a few look around, see something that has to be done, and do it.Do we sit back and wait for God to make all things new, or is there something we should be doing now? Join us on Sunday as Dr. Chris Hanson guest preaches!

Part of trust in God is reaching for spiritual connection when you feel alone. This ache for the presence of a Someone is a part of being human. It points to the relational and spiritual longings within us. What will we do with that feeling of absence? What helpful ways could we think about it? Join us as we work through the importance of belief and absence in the series Belief+Doubt+Trust=Life.

Are you reaping the benefits of someone else’s work or sowing “seeds” that others will harvest? -probably both! Recognizing that we are all reaping the benefits of others' work and that we are creating futures that someone else will enjoy (or struggle through) can have a profound impact on how we live. Join us this special Sunday morning as we thank Central Christian Church for gifting Christ City Church the church building we have been worshipping in since 2018. We will look back with gratitude and look forward with hope and vision!

At times in life we hold onto God through belief, and, there is also the possibility of letting go and allowing God to hold us, and believing in that. The difference in those two stances can make a significant difference in the decisions we make, the risks we take and how we engage our relationships. Join us as we continue the conversation of Belief+Doubt+Trust=Life.