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If you grew up in church in the '90s or 2000s, you might be familiar with the idea of purity culture––a specific way of teaching about sex, dating, and marriage. Though parents and leaders had good intentions, the teachings of purity culture left many with a skewed, shame-based understanding of sexuality and relationships. Tune into this episode of Church Unplugged as the CCC Leadership Team unpacks the idea of purity culture, gives thoughts on where it went wrong, and shares some better ways of teaching about sexuality.

Historically, men and women of all different ethnicities have mobilized the gospel and contributed to Christianity. Yet, history does not always highlight the significant role Black Christians have had in our faith. So if God is writing the story of Christianity using people of all races, why does it seem like only white Christians have shaped our theology? Tune into this episode of Church Unplugged as CCC staff digs into this issue and considers why it is crucial to discuss.

How should Christians respond to difficult things? Loving and trusting God does not mean we are always happy. Rather than expressing an inauthentic faith, God allowed us to lament. Lament says, "I'm sad. I'm struggling. And God is still good." Tune in to this week's Church Unplugged as CCC Leadership digs deeper into the idea of lament and how believers can express their sorrow in a healthy way.

What is Christian nationalism? How can we balance a healthy love for our country while remembering we belong to the Kingdom of God first? It's easy to think there are only two options: blind patriotism or complete apathy toward our country. But for Christians, there has to be another way. Tune in as CCC Leadership tackles this complex topic, pointing us toward the way of Jesus.

If you have spent time in a church, you have probably heard the word “discipleship” a time or two. Tune in as CCC staff discuss why discipleship means more than attending Bible studies.

It's been about nine months since our lives changed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and many have faced immense suffering. Whether it's from losing a loved one or the loneliness of social isolation – all pain is valid. Tune in as our Leadership Team shares their thoughts on the current state of things and offer some encouragement on what is to come.

If we're being honest, sharing our faith does not come easy to most of us. What is it that makes it so difficult? Tune in to this episode of Church Unplugged as our leadership team discusses some of the issues that make evangelism difficult and how to overcome them.

As we gear up to officially launch CCC's new vision, Reimagine, our Leadership Team talks about how the idea came to be. Tune in as they discuss what lead to this change, how others contributed, what they're most excited about and more!

How does CCC approach staffing? With a large team, we know there might be some questions about how we operate. Tune in to this episode of Church Unplugged to learn how we hire, fire, evaluate, and care for our staff.

Spoiler Alert: This podcast was recorded before Election Day. Why? Because we believe that regardless of who wins or loses, we are not hopeless. We know that whoever is elected will bring both good and bad things. Our hope is in God, who is still in charge and is advancing his unshakeable kingdom. Join us as CCC staff shares some thoughts and encouragement for people at all points on the political spectrum.

As followers of Jesus, we're called to forgive as Jesus forgave us. But in all reality, that is easier said than done. Forgiveness will always cost something–either we will hold onto what hurt us, or we will extend to others the same grace we have received. Tune in for an encouraging and honest podcast about forgiveness. CCC staff shares about the why behind forgiveness and how it practically works in relationships.

How do we respond to sin like Jesus? When we look at the life of Jesus, we see him responding to sinners with both love and truth. Tune into this episode of Church Unplugged as CCC pastors discuss the heart behind confrontation and share some practical examples.

Tune in as Pastor Joe continues his conversation with Pastor Calvin Brown and Louis Holmes on how Christians should respond to racism. In this episode, they discuss the relationship between communities and the police force, and the importance of both preaching the gospel and being actively involved in caring for the vulnerable.

Our culture feels divisive lately. What if the problem isn't that everyone disagrees, but that not many people know how to disagree well? If you're tired of disagreements that end in people trying to shout their opinion louder than someone else, this week's episode of Church Unplugged is for you. Tune in as CCC pastors discuss the importance of disagreement, the value of listening, and how you can see people as more than just their opinions.

In July, Pastor Joe Coffey of CCC and Pastor Calvin Brown of Destiny Church in Twinsburg, Ohio co-hosted a forum on racial issues in modern society and how Christians should respond to those issues. It was such a fruitful discussion that we didn't get to all the questions we hoped to cover. We invited Pastor Calvin and Louis Holmes, a CCC member who participated in the forum, to rejoin Pastor Joe on Church Unplugged to continue the discussion. This is part one of a two-part series on Christianity and racial justice in America.

In the book of Genesis, the Bible tells us that sin entered the world soon after humans did, corrupting God's perfect creation. If God is omnipotent, knowing everything, then he knew sin would enter the world, and it did not take him by surprise. And if God is all-powerful, he could have prevented this from happening, but he allowed sin to occur. The question we are left with is, "Why?" In this episode, Pastor Joe and Pastor Zach give us their perspective based on what they know about God and the evidence we have about his plan for creation.

When we are saved by believing in the divinity of Jesus and confessing that he is Lord, we understand that we will spend an eternity in heaven with him. But can we mess up and lose that salvation once we’ve attained it? How much of our salvation is ultimately in God’s hands, and how much do we control? And how do we know if we are saved in the first place? Listen to this week’s episode as Pastor Joe and Pastor Zach unpack what it means to be adopted into God’s family, how wandering in your faith affects that, and what it all means for eternal salvation.

Understanding what it means to have a relationship with God is best understood when we consider what it means to have a relationship with anyone. Spending time and conversation with those we love is a joy. In the same way, spending time with God is less about checking a box and more about genuine connection. In this week's episode of Church Unplugged, the leadership team shares about what is gained when we move from checking a box to making a real connection with God.

Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." If he lived on earth now, perhaps he might have said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the person tweets." Regardless of the platform, what we say is invariably connected to our hearts. In the same way that our spoken words can be used to bring healing or division, love or hate, so can our social media posts. So, how can Christians use social media to bring healing and love? Listen in to today's episode as our leadership team tackles the topic, "Christians, the gospel, and social media."

Our first inclination can be to think that if God were truly loving, he would not send people to hell, let alone have created it in the first place. But, in order to be a God of love, he must also be a God of justice. What if hell is actually a manifestation of God's love for people, reflected in his perfect justice? In this episode of Church Unplugged, our leadership team discusses what hell really is and why Jesus taught about it more than anyone else in the Bible.