On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 took off from Kennedy Space Center, the mission was a lunar landing, but if you've seen the film by the same name, you know that mission was aborted because of the failed oxygen tank. But before that malfunction, [...]

"Take this kiss upon the brow. And in parting from you now, thus much let me avow. You are not wrong, who deem that my days have been a dream Yet if hope has flown away in a night, or in a day, in a vision, or in none, is it therefore less [...]

On the occasion of his 51st birthday, Jackson Brown decided to take inventory of his life by jotting down some life lessons. That exercise, a healthy exercise, by the way, turned into a little book called "Live and Learn and Pass It On". [...]

In the summer of 1799, Napoleon's grand army marched into Egypt. They were building fortifications in the city of Rosetta when soldiers unearthed a rock that we know as the Rosetta Stone. Inscribed on that stone were three languages, [...]

On the occasion of our 15th anniversary, Lora and I celebrated with a trip to Rome. We toured the Coliseum, climbed the Spanish steps, tossed a coin over our shoulder into the Trevi fountain. Lot of amazing moments, but I think the highlight may [...]

In the fall of 1516, a 32 year-old theology professor named Martin Luther was teaching through the Book of Romans at the University of Wittenberg. He got to Romans 1:17, the just shall live by faith, and he had a revelation that turned into [...]

Good morning. I flew in from Colorado yesterday. So I'm acclimatizing to sea level, couple of seconds late on the pulpit, we'll get back in shape. It's so good to see you today. In fact, I just bless you in Jesus' name. So glad [...]

...At 11:14am, in what would've been the middle of my message. Our lives have revolved around her ever since, for which we are grateful. But fortunately, that weekend we had someone on deck, Dick Foth, who pitch hit for Pastor Mark. The tables [...]

If you're in the house this weekend, it feels like you're sitting still, and you are, but you aren't. All of us, including those online, are on a planet that is spinning around its axis at a thousand miles per hour. But, we're [...]

When I was in high school, I drove a car affectionately referred to as the Batmobile. Batterson, Batmobile. But don't let the name fool you. It was a 1984 Dodge Colt, black and white, but I got into fender bender. Only part we could find for [...]

Warm welcome to National Community Church. You are not here by accident. Even if it's your first time, in person, online, "Welcome Home". I hope you feel seen, heard, loved, big hug today, amen? Psalm 92:13, "The righteous will [...]

On June 16th, 1991, the Chicago Bulls were playing the New York Knicks. I grew up in the Chicago area, I think I watched every game that Jordan played, because it would be a sin of omission not to. But I didn't just watch those games, after [...]

On Wednesday of this week, the Dow Jones Industrial dropped 1,164 points. On that same day, a survey of CEOs found that 60% expect a recession sooner than later. The consumer confidence index is the lowest it's been in five years. Only 18% of [...]

Around the turn of the 20th century, a psychologist named Alfred Adler coined something called the theory of compensation. Adler believed that what we perceive to be disadvantages often proved to be incognito advantages, because they forced us to [...]

In 2002, Daniel Kahneman was awarded a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work in the field of behavioral economics. When he received the award, Kahneman wrote a letter to the Nobel Committee detailing a defining moment in his life. In 1942, his [...]

On a Sunday morning in 1851, during a church service a little bit like this, a 40-year-old mother of seven, Harriet Beecher Stowe, had a vision of a slave being beaten to death. That vision left her so shaken, that she would hardly keep from [...]

I'm so spent. I'm so tired. It feels like I'm running on empty, just not bouncing back. My head is foggy. My heart is irritated. Lord, help me. Those were the words that I wrote in my journal November 11 of last year. I was in [...]

Good morning. Can I let you in on a little secret? Revival starts tomorrow. I got such a clear word coming into these days of revival. And the Lord said what I do in 2022 is about 2023. So Pastor Chris, when you get a word and it says that God is [...]

On August 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and he did more than deliver a speech, he delivered a dream. In the middle of that speech, there was a moment when the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson said, [...]

I am gonna miss that trailer. In the fall of 1516, a 32 year old theology professor named Martin Luther was teaching through the book of Romans at the university of Wittenberg. Luther got to Romans 1:17, "The just shall live by faith". And [...]

On September 7th, 1892, a boxer named "Gentleman" Jim Corbett got into the ring with arguably the greatest boxer of all time, John L. Sullivan, was the last heavyweight champion of bare knuckle boxing, and the first heavyweight champion of [...]

That was some easy listening, right? I was starting to get my groove on, almost ready to churn the butter. In 1983, an engineer named Lauren Whitehead published an article in the American Journal of Physics, titled Domino Chain Reaction, knock over [...]

In 1854 the city of Chicago experience an epidemic that would kill 6% of its population. The problem was polluted drinking water. The city of Chicago sits at sea level, which means sewage would flow down the Chicago River into Lake Michigan, which [...]

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, four commercial airplanes were hijacked in a coordinated attack by the militant Islamic terrorist group, Al-Qaeda. The first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, flew into the North Tower of the World Trade [...]

In 1931, America was in the depths of the Great Depression. A businessman by the name of Conrad Hilton was staring foreclosure in the face because people weren't traveling and his hotels were struggling. Hilton was actually borrowing money from [...]

Well, hello. In the second century AD, a theologian named Tertullian said the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Tertullian was looking back at the first century of church history, and it was a blood bath. It was blood sport. Christians [...]

Well that was fun, wasn't it? Hey welcome to National Community Church, all seven campuses. The countdown to Christmas is on, T minus 10 days, but who's counting? So excited about our Christmas eve services, at our Capital Hill campus, [...]

On Tuesday of this week, we marked the anniversary of one of the most remarkable achievements in human history. On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong took one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. It was a monumental moment in our exploration [...]

A few years ago, I was in my office having coffee with Jon Erwin, Jon and his brother Andrew, the Erwin brothers, had just released a film called "I Can Only Imagine," it would gross 86 million dollars at the Box Office, not bad on a 7 [...]

On good Friday, 1963, Doctor Martin Luther king was arrested for protesting without a permit. When he was criticized by white clergy for his timing, for his tactics, Doctor King responded with an open letter that was written on pieces of toilet [...]

Come on, how great was that? That just makes me happy! It makes me wanna hopscotch. In 1996, National Community Church was just getting off the ground. We averaged about 25 people on a good Sunday. Our total income as a church was $2,000 a month and [...]

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God was hovering". Welcome to National Community Church. This [...]

On November 13, 1946, a single propeller airplane took off from Schenectady County Airport with a rather unique payload, six pounds of dry ice and a rather unique mission. The pilot was a chemist named Vincent Schaefer who had been conducting [...]

Many years ago, Dr. Tony Campolo was teaching a class at the University of Pennsylvania when he turned an ordinary lecture into an unforgettable lesson. He asked the students sitting on the front row, "Young man, how long have you lived"? [...]

In 1853, America hosted its first world's fair in New York city, the organizers built an exhibition hall called the Crystal Palace to showcase the latest and greatest inventions. This is where a man named Elisha Otis stole the show by pulling [...]

On November 9, 1847, a civil engineer named Charles Ellet Jr, was commissioned to build a bridge over the Niagara Gorge. The question of course was, when and where and how do you get the first cable across an 825 foot chasm with 225 foot cliff on [...]

Bob Speca was a sophomore at Marple Newton High School. When he was first introduced to the math induction theory, His teacher, Mr. Dobransky like in that theory to the domino effect. After school, Bob Speca went and bought two boxes of dominoes. He [...]

There is a legend in Judaism about a man named Nahshon. He only gets one begat in the Bible. Of course, that's one more than you and me. He is the great, great, great grandfather of King David. He disappears almost as soon as he makes his [...]

On February 12, 1974 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was arrested by the KJB and charged with treason. He had won the Nobel prize in 1970, but this was no ivory tower intellectual. He had spent eight years in a Russian Gulag. Why? 'Cause he's one [...]

Welcome to National Community Church, all seven campuses. A few minutes ago, we sang a song at all of our campuses, The Hope of Glory. It's a song written by NCC worship, we'll record that song as a part of our live album on Ash Wednesday, [...]

Well welcome to National Community Church and welcome to 2020. Ready or not here we come a new year, a new decade. Greater things are still to come greater things are yet to be done. Believe that for this church. Believe that for your life. A few [...]

Jocelyn Broman : I've heard it said that peace for the Christian isn't necessarily absence of conflict, but the presence of wholeness. And so it's not just managing the differences. It's about finding ways to bring [...]

Well, welcome to National Community Church, all seven campuses, a shout out to our extended family online. This weekend, our daughter, Summer, is getting married, unbelievable, and I'm walking her down the aisle and so comin' to ya via [...]

When I was a kid, one of my early memories is playing a game called Hide the Thimble. My grandparents lived in an old house with lots of nooks and crannies. And my grandma would hide one of her sewing thimbles. Now, pretty small, about the size of [...]

Well, welcome to all seven of our campuses, a shout out to our extended family online. This weekend, we kick off a new series based on a book. Looks a little something like this, and excited. Book releases next Tuesday, but we got our hands on some [...]

On March 31st 1776, Abigail Adams penned a letter to her husband, John. They were America's first power couple. And the future First Lady said, "I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of [...]

Beamonesque. I had never heard the word until a few weeks ago. Had no idea what it meant. But it is one of my new favorites. Here is the etimology. The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City had their fair share of memorable moments, after winning silver [...]

Well welcome to all seven of our campuses. Well, thank you. And can I just say, happy anniversary to the DC Dream Center? It was two years ago that the mayor came out and cut the ribbon, and listen, we are all about advancing the kingdom of God, so [...]

Well welcome to all seven of our campuses as well as our extended family listening via podcast this weekend. Kickoff a new series titled Get Wisdom, not to be confused with Get Smart. Love the TV series, whole different deal, okay? Over the next six [...]

Well, welcome all seven campuses including our newest campus. Can we give it up at all of our campuses for our Capitol Hill campus opens this weekend. Can we give it up for that? I want you to know that we got our C of O on Friday. And it was [...]