Central City Church--Cookeville: Recent Episodes
Central City Church--Cookeville
Central City Church is located in Cookeville, TN, inside the renovated Cookeville Mall. We exist to connect people to the hope of the Gospel, through the power of community.
Special guest speaker and missionary, Rob Post, spoke on our response to life with our faith.
Rob and his wife, Julia, are missionaries based out of London, England. Their reach goes beyond the United Kingdom, as it takes them as far as Africa and the Middle East. They play a significant role in church launches, mission trips, and teach sessions at bible schools in the area.
If you’d like to learn more about Planted International, please go to plantedinternational.com
Jesus became what we are… so we could become who He is. The Gospel in Romans 1 spells out how Jesus became what we are, and the power of that gospel transforms us into who He is. Our right standing with God comes through our faith, not our perfection. God sees us as a child of God, one with whom He will walk through this life until He receives us into eternity.
In the book of Acts, the early church exploded onto the scene - both Jews and Gentiles believing in Jesus. How did the church bring all people from different backgrounds together? Love.
Love was the greatest motivator of the early church and still is today. If we love others - no matter their background - we live a life that reflects the love of Christ.
God has Power, Purpose, and a Plan for our lives. In Acts 1:8, Jesus talks of the Holy Spirit giving us Power. Our Purpose is to then be Jesus' witnesses - telling people about Him everywhere. What's the PLAN? Let the Holy Spirit use us as witnesses - simply telling others what Jesus has meant to us, so that the Holy Spirit may draw them to a relationship with Jesus.
Community Group Launch Sunday At Central City, community is a part of our DNA. We strive to Belong (first). Believe. Become... TOGETHER One way we achieve community at Central City is through Community Groups. Every Community Group includes: Casual Fellowship Activity/Discussion Prayer Spiritual Component It is our hope that every person is involved in a Community Group, so we can do life together.
When we know who He is, then we know what we have in Him.
In the book of John, Jesus makes seven “I AM” statements:
I AM the bread of life.
I AM the light of the world.
I AM the door for the sheep - protector.
I AM the good shepherd.
I AM the resurrection and life.
I AM the way, the truth, and the life.
I AM the true vine.
In the book of John, we see that being born again gives a believer many benefits. Some of these benefits include: Eternal life New life with Jesus Child of God Being led by His Spirit
At Central City Church, our motto is Belong. Believe. Become.
How do we share the Gospel?
First, let others belong in a community of believers who show them grace, mercy, and truth.
Once they belong in a community, the Holy Spirit helps them believe in Jesus.
And when one believes, they become more like Jesus.
We look at Matthew, the first book of the Gospel, and see believers as the Salt and Light of the world. With that knowledge, we can narrow it down to these three things: 1. Believers are called 2. People need Jesus 3. People want Jesus.
In Malachi, God gives believers a couple of reminders of who they are and their duty to remain faithful. So, who are we, and how do we remain faithful, not only to God but even to our spouses?
On Sunday, Greg focused on four major ideas from Jonah’s story:
We can’t outrun or ever get to a place too far that God can’t or won’t reach us.
God’s grace and mercy is more than we can imagine. God is not an angry father waiting to smite us, but rather a loving Father who sent His best for restoration with humanity.
Our own tendency is to justify ourselves while wanting to see others condemned. We must extend the same grace and mercy we have received.
Take life in stride. God is present when we are running… when we obey… when we are frustrated and angry. Rom. 8:38 “And I a convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…”
Joel prophesies about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to come, and nearly 800 years later, in Acts 2 - the Day of Pentecost, Peter references Joel’s prophecy.
The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to draw people to Jesus, empower us to love God and others, and be our Advocate.
We are called to live a Spirit-filled life, but are we aware of Him and submitting to His voice?
Three takeaways from Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den:
Your faithfulness will impact more people than you think or realize. Daniel’s faith resulted in a king mandating Daniel’s God was first, above all.
Your prayer for others matters. Daniel’s faith and reputation led the king to fast and pray for Daniel. People in our lives matter, and our prayers for them matter, as well.
When things get difficult, get alone and pray. No matter when times are good, bad, easy, or busy - it’s important for us to get alone, spend time with Him, and listen.
One of the things we as believers seem to care the most about is fitting in. We fail to remember that the very faith we subscribe to calls us out.
We are a people that are called to be different, because we serve someone different.
We serve a God who gave up everything because of love. If we are living out of that love, we will love differently. Fitting into the kingdom of God, not the world we see.
Lamenting is not irreverent. But human and God created humans.
Lamenting can lead us to the place where we find hope. Hope in God.
Take time today to be powerfully honest with your thoughts, feelings, emotions, concerns, and fear with our Father.
We dive into Jeremiah and see a nation that has found itself far from God. But that is the whole reason Jeremiah was sent to bring a nation back to the Father.
Jeremiah would prophesy and warn the people for twenty-plus years, but their hearts were so hard and full-on other things that the warnings would not be headed.
Can we look at this nation of Israel and see ourselves in it? Are we a church that is too hard and full to hear and heed the things of God?
If so, where do we go from here?
If we could look at our hearts, the center of who we really are, what would we see? Would we find a sensitive, compassionate, empathetic heart? Or would it be hardened, calloused, cynical?
The god of this world wants to infect our hearts with the issues of life, and if we don’t guard our hearts, these issues can impact the core of who we are in a negative way.
But Jesus gave us his Holy Spirit so that He may “create in us a clean heart.” We pray that your heart is renewed and purified as you walk with Him on a daily basis.
Who me? Yes, you!
We all have a story, testimony, or witness about God's goodness. Come and hear what Isaiah says about being a witness. It begins with community.
Deep within each of us there is a desire to be loved and valued. Traces of the need is run so deep that even our closest human relationships will eventually fall short. In what the ancients saw as the Holiest of Holy sections of Scripture, we uncover the passionate love we have been looking for. Listen in as Sam teaches on the passionate love of God that will transform us if we receive it!
On this special Family Day service, D.K. brings a message from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 to remind us of the importance of doing life in community. We can't go it alone, we need each other! Listen in!
Life is full of transitions from one season to the next. With it comes the reminder that there will always be hills and valleys as we journey through life. The message we find in Ecclesiastes reminds us that through it all, what remains constant is our relationship with God. Listen in as D.K. talks about how to keep this relationship at the forefront of our minds no matter the season.
On this Mother's Day, Greg uses the book of Proverbs to reveal how God's relationship to us is like that of a good mother, who cares for, nurtures, and guides his children through daily life.
What is wisdom? Sometimes it's defined as knowing you don't know. Wisdom and humility run hand in hand and ultimately it is something received from God. Listen in as Greg teaches through Proverbs chapter 3 to give us a good look at the priceless gift of Wisdom.
Worship is word thrown around often in churches, but what does it really mean? When we look at the Psalms, the writers teach us to praise God in every moment, with every breath. Listen in as DK reveals the heart behind worship that will change the way we live life.
Before you ever believed or behaved, Jesus invited you to belong to his family. That's what makes the Easter message such a powerful one. In what other ways does Jesus' death and resurrection reveal God's deep love for us? Listen in as DK brings the message!
Have you ever suffered greatly and wondered why God never showed up? You're not alone. God's people often wondered this same thing and even recorded corporate songs they would sing when they were frustrated with God. What can we learn about suffering, ourselves, and who God is when we suffer through these powerful Psalms of Lament? Listen in as Sam brings the message!
What are the marks of a true "Christian"? Or in other words, what is the most important thing when it comes to following Jesus? Listen in as Greg opens up the book of Psalms, where we learn that being rooted and grounded in our relationship is the best thing we could ever do with our lives.
What's the "why?" behind the the most important actions you take (or don't take) in life? As we open up the book of Job, we see a very interesting interaction between Satan and God that spark this question. Listen in as DK poses the challenge for us to consider our motivations and allow our love for God to be the driving force in our lives.
Nobody really likes taking risks when it is not necessary, but sometimes doing what is right demands it. In the story of Esther, we find a woman whom God prepared to take an incredible risk to save her people. Listen in as Greg unpacks her story and reminds us of our calling to trust God in doing what is right, even when it seems risky on the surface.
This week we look at challenges that Nehemiah faced in following the calling that God placed on His life. Even in the midst of struggle, Nehemiah could recognize God would provide exactly what he needed to fulfill the mission. Listen in as Greg brings this important reminder that can apply to everyone's life.
What is the recipe for a life characterized by success rather than failure? The secret is that we can't find it on our own, but we can remove the distractions that prevent us from receiving it. Listen in as D.K. looks at the life one of Judah's only "successful" kings and teaches us how to live likewise, trusting God over ourselves.
An idol can be anything that we run to to satisfy our deepest desires or avoid our greatest fears. As we'll see in 1 Kings, trusting in idols will always lead to destruction. How do we avoid that danger? Listen in as Sam delivers the teaching.
When life becomes difficult and full of challenges, we often wish for God to move in BIG and noticeable ways. This can lead to frustration when the things we want to see happen, never do. Yet, as we will see in today's message, God is constantly moving. All it takes is for us to turn our attention away from our agendas and distractions, tuning our hearts to listen for His voice whispering in the storm. Listen in as Greg delivers this message.
Not many people like to dwell on their mistakes from the past, but as we will see in this story of David, admitting to God we were wrong and need help is the first step to healing. Listen in as D.K. reminds us, "All our actions have consequences, but God is always remains faithful"
Just as an organization follows the direction of a CEO, each of us follow the direction of some kind of authority figure in our lives. The question is, who is it? This week, D.K. looks at David's struggle trusting the leadership of the Lord in his life. What does it look like for us to trust God in the every day decisions of life? Listen in!
This week Greg covers the rise and fall of King Saul's kingship. In this story, we discover some major pitfalls that threaten to distract us off the path God has called us to walk. Yet even when we fail (and we will) God never gives up on us, and his grace will always restore us.
This (last) week, Greg shared the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel, emphasizing her posture of dependency on God and trust in God to be the catalyst for change. Listen in and take the challenge to Go to God. Receive from God. And Distribute for God.
Have you ever wondered what qualities God looks for in those He chooses to do important things? For most, we look for qualities of strength, intelligence, and winsomeness. In the story of Ruth, God surprises us by using someone whom everyone in society had looked over to play a key role in his plan of rescue for the whole world. Listen in as Greg delivers this important teaching.
Each of us has wanted and wished for a better situation that the one we've been handed. In today's teaching, DK takes us through a story about a time when God's people allowed their impatience win out against their trust in God and His timing. What we'll learn is that even though the wait is difficult, it's always worth it in the end, when we are waiting on God.
Has life ever felt like a journey in the wilderness? Navigating unmarked paths of daily life filled with all kinds of obstacles can make our experience extremely difficult. In today's message, Greg takes us through the book of Numbers where God's people struggled in a literal wilderness facing hunger and danger. What we learn is that in the wilderness, faith is daily choice to trust God in every circumstance.