NCS New Canaan

Founding Chapter

Forgiveness (Richard Warren – 11/13/20 – NCS New Canaan)

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Richard Warren (the “other Rick Warren”) shares with incredible transparency and vulnerability the journey that led him from being a successful businessman who largely ignored God and was unfaithful to his wife to becoming a devout follower of Jesus and re-marrying his wife after they had been divorced for four years.

Not only is Rick’s story one of amazing forgiveness by his wife, but it is also a story of extraordinary obedience on his part. In response to God’s nudges, he very reluctantly returned to his ex-wife to ask her forgiveness (and to ask her to re-marry him) and very reluctantly sought out an old business acquaintance to offer forgiveness. His acts of obedience and those offers of forgiveness opened the doors to miracles.

Through obedience and forgiveness (with a good dose of humility), Rick’s story of brokenness became a story of miraculous hope and healing.

The “other” Rick Warren has written a number of devotionals on the topic of forgiveness. Here are a few links for those interested in exploring this topic further.

Five Things Forgiveness Is Not

Requirements of Restored Relationship

You Don’t Have To Forget

At the 2017 NCS National Retreat, Bruce Wilkinson gave a powerful talk on the topic of forgiveness. Here it is.

“Dad” Cares (Even in a Pandemic) (Rev. Richard Berry – 5/29/20 – NCS New Canaan)

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Rev. Richard Berry may call himself “just a dumb hick from Skowhegan, Maine”, but he is a country pastor filled with much wisdom, a huge heart for humanity, enormous (yet simple) faith and an endless supply of stories about how “Dad” (what Richard calls God) has shown up in a homeless shelter in central Maine.

We first heard from Richard in 2016 before his first book was released. Since then, he has published three and a fourth is on the way. He comes back to share more stories of hope, human dignity, miracles, joy and self-reflection from the Covid pandemic.  Why should you listen?  For the same reasons you might want to read his books:  If you want to smile, if you need to laugh, if you are willing to cry, if you are lacking hope, if joy seems to be hiding, or especially if you are questioning your belief in God, Jesus or the role of his Church in our world today.

Those interested in learning more (or helping) about Richard’s homeless shelter can visit https://sheltersbyjesus.com or read Richard’s first book “Sheltered by Jesus”, available at this link https://amzn.to/3cdYIL4

Expressing Your Faith in a Secular World (Dr. Mark Gordon Fee – 9/13/19 – NCS New Canaan)

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Kicking off our 2019-2020 NCS New Canaan season, Mark Fee powerfully and emotionally walks through a new way to think about sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus. Instead of being “obnoxious for Jesus” or merely sharing our personal faith testimony, he urges us to begin loving people and to become so much like Jesus in the way we love people that they want to learn more.

Fee emphasizes that people–not worship bands or elaborate programs–are meant to be the attraction of Christianity. He explains the self-absorbed failings of “performance” Christianity and contrasts it with a Christianity that is all about loving people as Jesus first loved us. Fee also helps reframe “sin” in terms of its harm to others (being unloving) rather than as “rule-breaking”. He gives examples of how the little things–seeing people, noticing them, asking their name and caring–can have a huge impact on lives.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go! (Terry Wilcox – 6/7/19 – NCS New Canaan)

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Although he generally hates talking about himself or his past, Terry Wilcox humbly and transparently shares the amazing journey of his life with Jesus. Terry explains the decisions that set the course for his life–accepting Jesus, surrendering his life to the Holy Spirit and telling God he would embrace any opportunity God provided to talk about Him–and he reveals the incredible adventures that were in God’s plan for a “farm boy from Western Pennsylvania who barely got through college”. Terry also shares the conclusions of a life lived fully with Jesus–God is faithful and His grace is sufficient.

Getting Serious About the Kingdom of God (Kalim Andraos – 5/10/19 – NCS New Canaan)

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Kalim Andraos challenges his audience with the question “Where is the Kingdom of God in your life?”

After sharing his own incredible story of growing up in war-torn Lebanon and coming to the United States as a refugee of the civil war in Beirut, Kalim tells about his introduction to the love of Jesus through a retired missionary in Winston-Salem, NC. Andraos recounts how this missionary visited gas stations talking about Jesus to the employees. Kalim also explains not only the struggle he went through surrendering his life to Jesus (because he feared how much he might lose) but also the amazing vision in a dream that finally brought him to submission. He also describes how he has continually experienced God as kind and loving despite his sinful behavior.

Finally, Kalim shares how he and his wife now try to spread the love of Jesus through extending radical hospitality in their home and by leading mission trips throughout the world to help refugees and encourage those who support refugees. He also recounts some extraordinary experiences and people from his travels.

Kalim leaves his audience with the questions: Do you really trust God when He says to seek His Kingdom and all else will follow? Are you “all-in” for Jesus? Will you hear “well done”? How does the Kingdom of God rank in your life’s priorities?

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