The Central Moment: Recent Episodes
Central Assembly
Five-ish minutes every day around God's word and prayer with Dr. Jim Bradford, lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri.
Everything that God does sovereignly and miraculously in our lives should ultimately lead us to deeper intimacy with him. We are to have faith for the supernatural, but not in a way that makes us spiritual consumers with no heart for God beyond self-interest.
The ‘love Jesus, hate church’ movement of the past few decades would have been incomprehensible to the Apostle Paul. The church is the community of those who belong to Jesus -- set apart to him and being made more like him.
Spiritual abuse by church leaders is antithetic to authentic New Testament pastoral leadership. However, the Apostle Paul modeled a different way that provides Christ-centered hope for every victim.
How suffering and joy can go together is one of the paradoxes of the Christians life. And yet Paul would later write to the church in a city where he had been severely beaten and encourage them to “rejoice.”
We can’t put God in a box when it comes to how he leads us. Sometimes in Acts we see God using dreams and visions, or people running for their lives because of persecution. But there is also the closed door method -- for many, not a favorite!
It’s always painful to watch Spirit-filled people experience disagreements so sharp that they eventually need to part ways. But Paul and Barnabas could not agree over ministry values and, indeed, went their own ways -- only to see the Lord use it for his purpose.
Discerning God’s will is often a blending of the spiritual instincts that have been formed within us as we walk with the Lord with a sense of the leading of the Holy Spirit. May we all grow in our sensitivity to the Lord’s leading!
In discerning truth, our experience must always line up with God’s Word. That is what the early church did in resolving a potentially explosive issue. They took what God seemed to be doing and lined it up with the Scriptures before they came to a final conclusion.
Church councils throughout Christian history have helped to clarify foundational Biblical doctrines on issues such as the nature of Christ and the Trinity. But this very first church council in Acts 15 had the important task of clarifying the gospel itself.
Have you ever experienced conflict and disagreement with other believers? Have you been a part of a church that has been deeply divided and in danger of a split? Welcome to Acts 15!
The relationship between Paul and the original twelve apostles was a fascinating and sometimes complicated one. Here, however, Peter honors Paul while making us smile as the early church finds its footing and the New Testament Scriptures are being penned.
There is an experiential dimension to walking with Jesus, and there is an ethical one. Peter was used by God in many experientially supernatural ways to minister to people, but he was also concerned ethically about how people lived their ordinary lives.
Even the best of us can still miss it -- like Peter. But Paul stands up to him, intimidated by nothing. Let’s keep calling each other on to true holiness and not hypocrisy.
It’s amazing how we can pray with faith and yet not expect anything to change. This humorous moment in the life of the early church is a case in point. May God surprise us again!
It’s amazing what God can do through flawed people, for the sake of His glory. Peter’s failures, thankfully, were not the final word on his life. Jesus is the restorer; Jesus is the miracle worker; Jesus is the difference-maker!
If you were trying to explain the gospel to people who were religious but not followers of Jesus, what would you say? This glimpse into early first century preaching gives us the answer.
It was a church of “firsts.” So much of the pattern of the church that you might attend today traces back to this ground-breaking church. It is a church that still sets the bar for what our churches can be spiritually, racially, and missionally.
Have you ever been hungry for God but felt like an outsider to the church? There is hope -- the hope of a relational encounter, a truth encounter and a power encounter that will embrace and include you.
Denial, delusion, defiance -- they represent the barriers to change in our lives. But one of the greatest conversions in church history demonstrates that those barriers melt away when they come face to face with Jesus.
Could Jesus step into our reversals and use them for his glory? Could people who are running for their lives actually extend Christ’s Kingdom? It happened early in the history of the church and it has not stopped!
Around the world today people are laying their lives down for the cause of Christ. The very first martyr in Christian history was Stephen. His story inspires us to pray again today for the persecuted church.
One of the keys to effective leadership is the ability to sort through priorities, discerning what to say ‘yes’ to and what to say ‘no’ to. Around the potentially reactive issue of discrimination, the leadership of the early church chose priorities wisely and strategically.
Come join a great prayer meeting going on in Acts 4! Corporate prayer in Jesus’ name on the part of people who are united in faith is potent and consequential. See for yourself.
Christ’s miraculous intervention in our lives has two purposes -- compassion for us and glory for him. Signs and wonders represent God’s intervention in our lives and reinforce gospel proclamation in the marketplace.
If we were to take away church growth seminars, church buildings, and liturgical traditions, what would we have? The Bible gives us a snapshot of the very first church before any of those trappings -- and it is incredibly compelling!
So many of us are longing for a Jesus-centered spiritual renewal in the nation. With God’s Spirit upon us, let’s not give up or give out until it happens!
Jesus is our Savior, healer and soon coming King, but he is also our Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the active agent of this baptism and the Holy Spirit is the medium into which we are immersed. Lord, baptize us in your Spirit!
There is no age, gender or racial discrimination when it comes to being filled with the Spirit -- young and old, male and female, and people of every ethnicity and language. This is the inclusive gospel!
Speaking in tongues as evidence of the Pentecostal experience reminds us that we are all on a mission. That verbal sign means that God has made us his mouthpiece to proclaim the gospel to our neighbors and the nations!
Why push a car with an empty fuel tank uphill when you could fill it up with gas and drive it? And why try to serve God in our own strength when Jesus can fill us with his power! That is the potential of Pentecost.
Jesus sent his followers out to minister two-by-two. When he made a team out of his closest ministry partners he chose twelve of them. This is the power of “with” -- with God’s power and with each other.
Sometimes we ask the wrong questions. When will Jesus return? What about the latest conspiracy theories? Which of the latest trends should I be following? But Jesus’ agenda is strikingly different.
Along with the assignment that Jesus gave us came the promise of being ‘clothed’ with his power. In other words, “don’t do this alone!” Our obligation follows his enablement, not the other way around.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is more than a proposition -- it is God’s power to both deliver and restore. It is no wonder that the New Testament preaching of the gospel was accompanied by supernatural acts of healing and freedom.
Jesus left us with a job to do. He wanted to link his authority with our obedience. May Christ’s “Great Commission” not become the church’s great omission!
Rumors? Wishful thinking? Hysterics? While their gathering was buzzing about it all, Jesus, Himself, doused the doubting, and ended the confusion: While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Pastor Jim has encouraged us to doubt our doubts. While everyone around him struggled to believe the reports of an empty tomb, Peter, the 3-time denier of Jesus, made a decision to resist the doubting and see for himself. It paid off!
In 1980, country music singer, Johnny Lee, had a # 1 hit song for weeks. Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places was about a fruitless search for true love, finally satisfied, as expressed in his lyrics "...You came knockin' on my heart's door, you're everything I've been looking for..." Lee’s lyrics don’t come close to the poignant question of Heavenly messengers in a Jerusalem cemetery 2,000 years ago!
Sunday morning, a group of faithful, but devastated women, arrived very early in the morning at the burial site of Jesus. Adding insult to injury, after the devastating experience on Golgotha, the tomb was open and empty. Evidently, they missed His earlier message...
Tough weekend for you? Can’t wait ‘til it’s over? A destiny-changing weekend took place some 2,000 years ago, starting on Friday in deep sorrow, and ending with a spectacular Sunday discovery of recovery. Wait for it! It’s amazing, and the foundation of all our hope for eternity!
Between Christ’s death and resurrection was his burial. Is that important? Could it be for us the dividing line between the old and the new, life as we have known it and life as it could be -- and life that protects us now?
Jesus did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. All through Biblical history God has been seeking for a people where he could sanctuary his presence. People kept failing God but when Jesus died the way to God’s presence was finally and forever opened up.
It was our sin that put Jesus on the cross. But Jesus said to not weep for him but to weep for ourselves. We are lost without him. Tears of repentance are a powerful pathway to life.
We may be full of good intentions, but there is a spiritual battle against us. Satan wants to take us apart, but Jesus can restore us and recommission us.
The bottom line in any of our lives is whether we will go God’s way or our way. We can’t have it both ways. Jesus drew the line -- at the cost of great personal pain he gave himself to God’s will, and the world changed.
Are you being made fun of for being a Christian? Have you lost friends, or even a job, because you became a follower of Jesus? Take heart -- you are on the right track. Jesus has overcome!
There is a stress-inducing belief that we can operate under our own power, manage in our own strength and serve out of our own resources. But Jesus’ radically different way of living invites us to his strength and fruitfulness.
We all need advocates in our lives -- people who will be with us, stand up for us and not abandon us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus promised it and we can experience it!
Are there mansions in heaven? Or is Jesus preparing something much greater for those who follow him? He is the way, the truth and the life!
In the words of Dr. Darrell Johnson: “The greatest power in the universe is the weakness of sacrificial love.” That kind of love not only captures the highest of human aspirations but it embodies Jesus' way with us.
We cry out in praise to Jesus because there is no one like him. There is no one who has loved us like he has loved us; there has been no sacrifice made like the one he has made for us; and there has been no kingdom like his that will finally bring peace to our world.
Jesus’ remarkable parable of the prodigal son is, at the same time, both touching and troubling. It is a touching depiction of the restoring beauty of God’s grace and yet a troubling picture of our resistance to it.
There is a religious spirit that can so easily counterfeit a true relationship with Jesus. That false spirit minimizes grace, holds on to prejudices and reduces spiritual life to rules. It would cost Jesus a lot to confront that spirit, but he did!
Jesus has your number. He knows how to capture your heart and engage you in his mission. It may take a boat-sinking, net-breaking miracle -- but he knows how to get your attention and call you to follow him!
What boxes have we put Jesus in? Boxes of familiarity or unbelief or tradition? Let’s let him explode those boxes with his relentless, compelling self -- the promised Messiah and Lord of all.
There is an ethical dimension to walking with Jesus and as well as an experiential one. The experiential dimension is encountering the power and goodness of Jesus. The ethical dimension is an obedient life that loves others and lives out a transformed heart.
Martin Luther claimed that people need two conversions -- the conversion of the heart and the conversion of the pocket book. Money is the one thing in life to which Jesus gave almost god-like status. Yet its power can be broken by the God who cares about what we need.
In contrast to image, performance and social media likes, secret prayer hides us away with God and humbles the dark sides of our egos. It shapes true authenticity with Jesus. Seeking God in the secret place is also the key to public anointing and fruitfulness.
Hearts transformed by Jesus lead to transformed relationships as well. Jesus calls us to be like our Heavenly Father who even loves people who hate him. This is the way of reconciliation, forgiveness and servanthood.
It is the greatest sermon ever preached. From upsetting entrenched religious power structures to exposing our own hearts, the Sermon on the Mount confronts us with a kingdom that is not of this world.
Do you know the name of the only miracle that is included in every one of the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life? It is both stunning and powerful, and it gives us hope!
Resurrection is at the heart of Christian faith. The gospel writer Mark has just shown Jesus’ dominion over creation, demons, and sickness. Now comes his dominion over death itself. He is the resurrection and the life!
Have you ever known what it is to feel powerless? Meet a suffering woman who was at the end of herself, powerless in every way. But in faith she touched Jesus and his power flowed to her!
Amid growing popularity with the occult, the paranormal, and spiritual experimentation -- there is one power above them all. Demonic power may be real, but there is no match for the authority of Jesus.
“Doing good and healing all” -- that is the Jesus that we love and serve. No one is like him. He is our Creator and nothing is impossible for him!
The storyline of the Bible pivots around two events -- Creation and Redemption. In other words, the God who created us did not leave us to self-destruct. He intervened in history by stepping into his Creation to save us!
There are two messengers in the story of Christ’s birth who could not have been more different! And yet this world-changing moment is still being announced by millions of people filled with the Spirit of the one born in Bethlehem.
We may rightfully feel patriotic towards our country and be avid fans for our favorite sports teams, but Jesus came to claim our passions and allegiance for a higher cause -- the Kingdom of God!
Even in the story of Christ’s birth we can find our story -- the story of supernatural birth, the story of deliverance and the story of God’s providential care. And Jesus is still at the center of it all!
Fascination has grown in western culture with ancestries and genealogies. We all need a sense of heritage and identity. Not surprisingly, the New Testament starts with a genealogy because, above all, it is the identity of Jesus that redefines history.
Discouragement depletes us but joy energizes us. Anger exhausts us, but joy replenishes us. The joy of the Lord is our strength!
Can you imagine the enemy of our souls losing confidence? His defeat began at the Cross, and Christ’s victory is being worked out in our lives as we let God finish what he has started in our lives.
Every follower of Christ is in a spiritual war, as distasteful as that metaphor might be to some. But denial and naiveness will never win the day, only a faith-filled determination to stand our ground.
Breakthrough praying is possible. It precedes God’s intervention and advances God’s influence in our circumstances and lives. The Key: P-R-A-Y
There is a book in the Bible that never mentions God. And yet, as often in our lives, it is the story of our God sovereignly and secretly working behind the scenes to position us for his purposes.
Throwing our left-overs at God ultimately has consequences -- both for his glory and our thriving. Let’s not rob him of our best and end up with less than what we started with.
It takes work to keep first things first. Priorities are worth fighting for -- especially God’s priorities. Yet God’s Spirit takes over when Jesus is put first.
Jesus often referred to himself as ‘the son of man’ even though he was the Son of God. The Old Testament prophet Daniel is our reference point for understanding this.
Can dead bones live? Can ruined places be restored? Can our hungry hearts be filled? May God’s Spirit breathe on us again!
What do we do when we realize that God loves people that we may not particularly like? Those are the times when our prejudices must die and God’s love must find root in our hearts again.
Just like a diamond sparkles most brilliantly against a darkened background, God’s brightest promises sometimes come at the most unlikely and undeserving times in our lives. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.
God would want to raise up a generation of prophetic destiny to lead the church into its potential. Like Josiah, a generation that is not crippled by cynicism but hungry for God and courageous for his purposes in the earth.
We all know that it is easier to start well than it is to finish well. But what about God’s capacity to help us end well when we have not started well?
If there was ever a ‘formula for success,’ Hezekiah found it and lived it. Whether in business, family life, ministry or career building, these two keys are indispensable.
Prayer and praise are a potent combination in our lives. God responds, demonic powers flee and the Lord takes our battles into his own hands.
When we come to Christ we walk into a spiritual windfall -- forgiveness, healing, freedom, joy, anointing and purpose. But may we not keep it to ourselves!
We may feel culturally outmuscled and outnumbered by the world’s influences, but there is a greater One in us than whatever might be around us. His name is Jesus -- the commander of the hosts of Heaven!
“He will fill your heart today to overflowing. As the Lord commandeth you, ‘Bring your vessels, not a few;’ He will fill your heart today to overflowing with the Holy Ghost and power.” (Lelia N. Morris, 1862-1929)
A double portion of God’s anointing and power is for those who remain undeterred and hungry for it. May what came upon Elisha come upon us today by the power of the Holy Spirit!
There is a decision that each one of us must make that God cannot make for us. Even though that decision may need reaffirming from time to time, God is always faithful to reveal himself and make clear the way.
God’s purpose has always been to set his presence among us. “Now arise, Lord God, and come to your resting place,” Solomon prayed. Today, in Christ, the presence of the Lord finds its dwelling place in our lives -- both individually and collectively as his church.
The way of wisdom is God’s way for our lives. It is a gift from God to us. And when we seek wisdom like we would buried treasure, we run right into God himself.
In spite of our spiritual victories, no one is exempt from potentially life-destroying temptation. Sexual temptation, in particular, has been a threat to men and women of God throughout history. Is there hope?
God made a promise 3000 years ago that he is still keeping. At the center of it is freedom from the past, strength for the present and hope amid the uncertainties of the future -- all because of Jesus, the Eternal King!
There is no limit to what God can do through us when he is with us. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit because God’s power can accomplish what we cannot. God’s Spirit can bring the ‘more and more’ in our lives.
While being chased and hunted down, David learned to cry out to God. It shaped a spirituality within him that we can benefit from and even imitate ourselves.
We all love underdog stories when the underdog wins. But in our spiritual battles, we are not to look at ourselves as the champions. God sent the real Champion to win the battles we could never win.
We need to stop fighting ourselves. There is no use in wearing Saul’s armor and trying to be like others. God has apportioned to each one of us unique grace and gifting. Walk in it and let God use you!
God is always preparing us for something. There is a strategy to the sovereign seasons that the Lord allows us to walk through. Facing obstacles in the obscure seasons of our lives can make us resilient and strong in the public seasons.
Our mentoring of children, teenagers and younger adults cannot be optional. The Lord is always raising up new, young generations of leaders upon whom he puts his Spirit and through whom he takes his church into the future.
A counterfeit religious spirit wants to placate God with good intentions and external shows of self-denial and sacrifice. But God wants obedience. It’s submission over sacrifice.
No risk, no reward; no pain, no gain; no steps of faith, no breakthroughs. Everything worthwhile in life will require taking risks. And although we may only have a ‘perhaps’ on the front side risk, on the other side is a God who is able!
God validates our callings with confirmations and favor. Although trust is earned, not demanded, the Lord knows how to raise us up and create those trust-earning moments.
Life without God’s Spirit is like a car without gas. We can get out and push, but it is far better to be fueled up and drive. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us our lives change and we live in power not our own.
It’s honestly not easy to live differently than the world around us. Yet we are called out to be holy, to serve a Kingdom not of this world, and to make Jesus our King.
A counterfeit religious spirit wants to placate God with good intentions and external shows of self-denial and sacrifice. But God wants obedience. It’s submission over sacrifice.
No risk, no reward; no pain, no gain; no steps of faith, no breakthroughs. Everything worthwhile in life will require taking risks. And although we may only have a ‘perhaps’ on the front side risk, on the other side is a God who is able!
God validates our callings with confirmations and favor. Although trust is earned, not demanded, the Lord knows how to raise us up and create those trust-earning moments.
Life without God’s Spirit is like a car without gas. We can get out and push, but it is far better to be fueled up and drive. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us our lives change and we live in power not our own.
It’s honestly not easy to live differently than the world around us. Yet we are called out to be holy, to serve a Kingdom not of this world, and to make Jesus our King.
The ultimate purpose of one of the greatest love stories in the Bible is found in the very last words of the story. That purpose spans history and can change our lives forever.
The God who created us has acted to redeem us. The concept of a ‘redeemer’ is embedded deeply in the Bible. It points to humanity’s greatest need and our loving Creator’s greatest act.
With time the things that we do every day begin to add up and have consequences. The same principle that brought Ruth favor works in our lives as well. We will reap a harvest if we don’t give up planting seed.
The story of Ruth is a love story in every way. It gives us hope that there can, indeed, be love that is deeply rooted in life-long loyalty. The contrast to a world of fickle infatuation and emotional shallowness could not be greater.
It’s hard to know why bad things happen to good people. But do loss and disappointment with God need to be the end of the story? Or can the God who allows reversals also be the God who restores lives?
All that we do in living for Christ is ultimately for the glory of God. In the end, people should not be left more impressed with us than with God.
Does ‘laying a fleece’ before the Lord still apply to New Testament believers as a way of discerning God’s will? Or is that seeking God’s guidance on our terms? What do we do with this moment in Gideon’s life?
True availability to God often involves both consecration and renunciation -- being set apart to God as well as being separated from the idols that so easily seduce us. It will take spiritual courage, but obedience can win the day in our lives.
The kind of people that God can use are not restricted to the popular, the self-confident or the outgoing. Like Gideon, God can work with us and prepare us for his purposes if we will cooperate with his calling.
It has been famously said that God has no grandchildren. Every new generation needs its own encounter with Jesus in order to overcome the pull of the gods of the world that surround us.
Just as the walls of Jericho collapsed under Joshua’s leadership, the walls between us and God have collapsed in Christ. At the heart of it is a very personal story of saving power that God is writing in each of our lives.
God makes a way where there is no way! The barriers in front of us are not signs that God does not love us. They are opportunities for the Lord to reveal who he is and call us to revere him.
In a culture obsessed with safety and security, courage has become an underrated virtue. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face fear with faith.
Are you living too safely? No risk, no reward -- it’s true in life and it’s true in achieving our God-given potential. No steps of faith, no God-given breakthroughs.
The proposition is unprecedented -- to have God’s promise but not his presence. Have we settled for that? Or are we hungry for God himself, not just his blessings?
Two mountains, two covenants, two realities--with the dividing line being Jesus himself! His Kingdom cannot be shaken and he invites us to live worshipfully and securely in him.
The Ten Commandments center around loving God and loving others. They embody a timeless moral code that serves to protect our marriages, our property, our dignity, our reputations and our lives.
In a culture that has replaced honoring others with self-preoccupation, God’s principles for thriving and prospering have not changed. And in God’s sight, it all starts with our parents!
Exhaustion, sleep-deprivation and stress are all marks of contemporary life. No wonder the God who created us also paced us -- not only in our lifestyles but also in our whole understanding of how to relate to him.
There is one thing in life that is more important than anything else. That priority is the reference point for all of living and the doorway to living it fully.
Good Friday was only ‘good’ because Jesus did something for us that we could not do for ourselves. He became the sacrifice for our sin and, in doing so, he defeated the very power of sin itself. We can be truly free!
Grace is given to every person who trusts in Christ -- grace not just to forgive us but grace to empower us to serve in partnership with Christ. It all flows out of what happened at Easter!
Every one of us needs prayer. We take responsibility for having prayer partners in our lives who intercede specifically and often for us. But there is another who intercedes for us at the right hand of God -- Jesus himself!
The power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is often characterized as ‘living water.’ There is nothing like the moving of the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives. Because Jesus was struck at the Cross, ‘living water’ flows to us!
What can truly satisfy our empty souls and address our spiritual hunger? Only our Creator who sent his Son, Jesus, to be the ‘bread of life’ -- broken on the Cross and multiplied to us in resurrection power.
On this Good Friday we remember, we repent and we receive. We receive all that God has for us—his loving grace, his freeing power and hope from him for resurrection renewal. We invite you to join us in-person or online at centralassembly.tv for our Good Friday service, this evening at 7:00pm.
Dr. Jim Bradford is joined by world-renowned scholar and professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins, Dr. Wave Nunnally, to give historical and scriptural context to Jesus's final week on earth. Join us for a special edition of The Central Moment each day this week as we lead up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday... and be sure to attend Walk The Last Week With Jesus, an immersive exhibit, this week at Central Assembly. Find times and details at www.centralassembly.org/easter
Dr. Jim Bradford is joined by world-renowned scholar and professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins, Dr. Wave Nunnally, to give historical and scriptural context to Jesus's final week on earth. Join us for a special edition of The Central Moment each day this week as we lead up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday... and be sure to attend Walk The Last Week With Jesus, an immersive exhibit, this week at Central Assembly. Find times and details at www.centralassembly.org/easter
Dr. Jim Bradford is joined by world-renowned scholar and professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins, Dr. Wave Nunnally, to give historical and scriptural context to Jesus's final week on earth. Join us for a special edition of The Central Moment each day this week as we lead up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday... and be sure to attend Walk The Last Week With Jesus, an immersive exhibit, this week at Central Assembly. Find times and details at www.centralassembly.org/easter
Dr. Jim Bradford is joined by world-renowned scholar and professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins, Dr. Wave Nunnally, to give historical and scriptural context to Jesus's final week on earth. Join us for a special edition of The Central Moment each day this week as we lead up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday... and be sure to attend Walk The Last Week With Jesus, an immersive exhibit, this week at Central Assembly. Find times and details at www.centralassembly.org/easter
Spiritual victories are sealed through praise. We praise God in faith before the victories and we give God glory after the victories. In this way, faith grows and victories multiply.
Spiritual warfare is very real. Demonic powers seek to defeat the followers of Christ. But just like Moses stretched out his hand and parted the sea, another stretched out his hands and defeated the Devil.
Sometimes we need people to have our back. We feel vulnerable and unable to defend ourselves. But no one has our back like the Lord! He makes a way where there is no way.
Sometimes all we can do is be still, right our attitudes and trust God to be our victory. In the short term we don’t always understand what God is doing, but he always has the big picture of his glory in view.
Does God harden people’s hearts and then judge them for having hard hearts? It may appear like God did exactly that with Pharaoh, but there is always more to the story.
From plagues to Passover -- when Pharaoh resisted, God took over! Never be discouraged or give up. Jesus is your saving deliverer!
The seven “I Will’s” of God in Exodus 6 are a powerful guide to praying God’s will over our lives. In Christ, each one of God’s “I Will’s” is fulfilled and available to us.
Who are we to tell God that he is not strong enough to compensate for our weaknesses? May our insecurities not get in God’s way. He loves people so much that he is even willing to use us!
A life of faith is a life of obedience and risk-taking. But the Lord promises that wherever faith takes us, he will be to us all that we need. He is “I Am!”
The seasons of our lives have purpose. They strategically shape us so that we can make a difference in our world. And it is God himself who is sovereign over those seasons!
In God’s sovereign way, he can even turn the wrongs done to us into good for the world around us. We are never victims when we are in the hands of Jesus.
Embedded deep in Old Testament history is a shining prophetic picture of Jesus, the Lion of Judah. He is our Savior, our Champion and the One to whom the nations will one day bow.
God has his moments for each one of us -- moments of influence, moments of supernatural opportunity, moments of significant influence. Thrive where you are and the Lord can raise you up.
In a sex-saturated, self-gratifying culture the notion of sexual purity seems outdated and foolish. Yet sexual purity is often God’s testing ground for future fruitfulness.
Humility is an accurate assessment of ourselves without having to be the center of attention. It is therefore best to keep a low profile, stay faithful, and let God raise us up.
When we lose a sense of the sovereignty of God, we put too much pressure on ourselves and try too hard to make things happen in our own strength. It’s one thing to live responsibly, but quite another to live as if God is not there.
Every God-alternative in our lives has the potential of eventually victimizing us. Needless pain, confusion, and grief will flow out of trying to accomplish God’s plan our way.
Sometimes the cover-up is as bad as the wrong deed itself. We see it in politics, in corporate life, in our families and even the church. “What a wicked web we weave, when at first we do deceive!”
Trust God or take things into your own hands? Follow Christ with confidence in his promises or manipulate situations and people to get your way? The pathway you choose will make all the difference.
God does not always play to our expectations or conform to our norms. He is also the God of the unexpected and the unexplainable. So how do we follow him?
Have you ever suffered for following Jesus? Have you lost friends, jobs, or even your safety for staying faithful to him? If so, your faith has been tested and God has been glorified!
Testings often precede blessings. Why? Because God is always looking first for what is in our hearts. God’s testings shake us down in order to build us up.
God revealed himself to Abraham as Jehovah-Jireh, our God who provides. He did not let Abraham make the kind of sacrifice that he reserved for himself to make, but his provision can change our lives.
Faith and obedience cannot be separated. If the Holy Spirit is to work through us with power, then faith-inspired obedience and obedience-centered faith will need to mark our lives.
How might God be testing your faith right now? That testing is always for a purpose, even though it is rarely pleasant. God knows exactly what he is preparing us for next!
The second coming of Christ will be preceded by the same kind of spiritual waywardness that marked the wicked culture of Noah’s time. As a result, God’s judgment overtook them unexpectedly. Suddenly they were swept away -- a sobering warning as we await Christ’s second coming.
God established with Noah the first ‘covenant’ found in the Bible. Ancient covenants were relational agreements, often accompanied by a covenantal sign (like a ring in marriage covenants). All of these covenants, however, point us to the ultimate covenant that God would make with each of us!
‘Love me but don’t judge me.’ That’s what many of us think we would like in a friend -- someone who accepted us without ever questioning us. But as comforting and socially acceptable as all of that may be, is that really what we want? And what about God?
It’s commonly said that “the devil is in the details.” But it is God who can actually be in the details of our lives. What specifically is he asking you to do this year? And are you trusting him to guide you, even in the details?
The heights of God’s judgments can only be understood in proportion to the depths of his love for his creation and his passionate anger against the evil that corrupts it. From the first hint of the need for justice in Genesis, things went from bad to worse. But God’s goodness required that he also be just.
Our world battles for our affections. Yet we cannot “love this world” if we want to be filled with God’s love. Lord, transform our affections with a hunger for your holiness and a passion for purity!
God made shame-covering clothing for Adam and Eve out of animal skins. This would have required the shedding of blood, a powerfully hope-filled picture of what Jesus would one day do for us.
The choices we make matter. Sin has consequences. Unfortunately it is easier to blame than to take responsibility when it comes to our actions and the harm they cause. Yet true repentance points the way back to recovery and restoration.
Satan is the ultimate tempter. He has but one agenda -- to turn us away from God. Jesus called him the father of lies. So in true form, it’s almost impossible for us to sin without first lying to ourselves.
We were created in the image of a holy God. That image is totally incompatible with the experiential ‘knowledge’ of evil that Adam and Eve chose. It’s no wonder there were such deforming and deadly consequences.
Creation reveals two things about God-- his eternal power and his divine nature. This
makes the created world like a book that can be read, calling us to thank and worship
an awesome God. And it is the book of Scripture that reveals his love and rescuing
power that has entered his creation in Jesus.
God is on the side of your marriage! To address Adam's aloneness as a human being on the earth, God created a woman -- from his side to be at his side. There is no inequality inferred here, but rather a mutuality that glorifies God, stabilizes societies and makes for human flourishing.
Human beings were created distinct from the animal kingdom, uniquely bearing God's image and partnering with God in his mission on earth. But this would mean that along with human responsibility there would be moral accountability. Here we find the first reference to evil in the Bible.
We were created by a powerful, intelligent, loving God who imprinted us with his own
image and breathed his own life into us. We therefore have value as human beings that
no prevailing philosophy or politically correct prejudice could ever take away from us.
The two characteristics of God that we first encounter in the Bible are his eternalness
and his creativity. We are not the products of random chance or some cosmic accident.
At the beginning of time our world was created by God -- on purpose and for purpose.
Today we conclude our four weeks of prayer—and production of The Central Moment—by remembering that there are still some 7000 people groups around the world who have no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us pray for missionaries to be sent and Jesus to be proclaimed! /// Beginning Monday, The Central Moment will no longer post on Facebook or YouTube. Instead, we will be replaying a 40 week series through the Bible that ran in 2021. You can listen at centralassembly.org/thecentralmoment, or subscribe to The Central Moment in your preferred podcast app. All previous episodes of The Central Moment will still be available at youtube.com/centralassembly.
Today, towards the end of our fourth week of prayer, we call out to God for the persecuted church around the world. May they have courage to witness faithfully to the testimony of Jesus and stay true to him.
Our nation is in desperate need of a Jesus-centered spiritual awakening. No matter our political convictions, we pray today for the healing of broken families, the breaking of addictions, a turning back of immorality and sin, help for the poor and disadvantaged and, above all, the salvation of people who are lost and without Christ.
We are grateful for the local leaders and public servants in our communities, even though they may not show up in the national news. They faithfully shepherd our counties, our cities, and our city services. Paul reminded the Ephesian church that they should regularly pray for those in civic authority, which we will do today.
God clearly mandates followers of Jesus to pray for those holding positions of civic authority. We influence the direction and welfare of our nation this way. In fact, Paul seems to infer a direct link between praying for kings and the ability to live peaceful and quiet lives.
As we pray this week for our churches, may we not forget that the church does not exist for itself. We are here as God’s people to be a transforming influence in our world and to lead people to a life-transforming relationship with Jesus. May we never forget the priority of evangelism and missions. Like salt and light, we are here to represent Jesus to our world.
Every generation has a responsibility to the generation that follows them. The Apostle Paul told Timothy to not let anyone look down on him because he was young. May the church not do that to the youth and young adults in our church families. May, instead, God put his Spirit on them and raise them up.
What would it be like to be a part of a community of faith where people constantly covered each other in prayer? That is the ideal that Paul put in front of the Ephesian church when he called them to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests….and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18) Let’s do that today in this, our third week of prayer.
Pastors are gifts from God, yet they stand in great need of prayer. Amid the complexities of the role and the spiritual warfare that it attracts, let’s lift our pastors and church staff members up in prayer. Let’s also pray for our group leaders, volunteer class teachers and the faithful people who keep showing up week by week to serve.
In this our third week of prayer we focus on our churches and ministries. It’s easy to claim a relationship with Jesus but be cynical about the organized church. Yet we need the church--with all its flaws--in order to stretch us, mature us, and teach us to love people who are different from us. It was Jesus himself who said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Today marks the 1000th installment of The Central Moment. Thank you to all of you who have daily joined in for a few moments around God’s Word and prayer over the past three and a half years. When our month of prayer is over in two weeks, we will begin reposting the “Through the Bible in a Year” Central Moments from 2021, and will be sharing more details about that in the coming days. /// This, however, is also Day 5 of our second week of prayer. If you have brothers or sisters who are still alive, let’s pray for them with faith today!
Let’s focus today on praying for our siblings. Focus on Scripture and stand on God’s promises for them. If they are hurting, stand with them spiritually. If they are doing well, pray that their hearts do not drift from the Lord as so often happens during the easy seasons of life. And if they are away from the Lord, claim their lives for Jesus and intercede for their salvation.
If you’re blessed enough to have parents who have prayed over your life, why not return the blessing? And if your parents are not believers, they are blessed to have you praying for them specifically and regularly. They all need strength, wisdom, endurance, and protection just as much as we do!
Whether you have children of your own, or nieces and nephews in your extended family, those children, teenagers, and young adults need your prayers. Pray blessings over their lives, protection from the evil one, and hearts to know and love Jesus.
As we begin Week 2 of our 28 day journey in prayer we now focus on our family and friends. Even if you do not have a spouse, today’s reflection underscores the importance of having prayer partners in our lives, no matter who they are. We are stronger when we pray together!
The battle with our minds becomes especially strong when we make the decision to pray. But through Jesus’ triumph on the cross and by the power of His Spirit, we have all the spiritual weapons we need to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Prayer often becomes a full length mirror back on onto ourselves. Are there areas of ongoing secrecy in our lives that we have been hiding from those closest to us, or even the Lord himself? May we open our hearts to Jesus and ask him to reveal any areas of compromise as we continue this journey in prayer.
Mediate today on Isaiah 40:28-31 and rest in both the care and capacity of God on your behalf. Have faith in the limitless power of God as you pray in the name of Jesus to whom all authority has been given. Nothing is impossible with him!
What is God doing in your life right now? Is He shaking your world and trying to get your attention, or is He asking you to listen quietly for Him and respond in full submission? How will you encounter the authority of God today?
As we begin our 28 day journey in prayer, we focus first on God’s supremacy. “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9) We do not start our prayer journey with the greatness of our problems, but with the greatness of our God!
A new year always reminds us of two seeming contradictions -- the speed with which time seems to fly and yet how much can happen in just one year. Time is a precious, God-given currency that, like money, can be invested, managed, or squandered. May the Lord bless our days as we live them in light of his eternal nature!
We know little about Jesus’ first 30 years of life except for an event when he was 12 years old. Here we encounter Jesus as a young man but already marked with a sense of purpose and calling. So may it be for us! In the words of a friend, God is looking for people who know what they are living for, live it 100%, and change their surroundings rather than yielding to them.
As we begin to look ahead into a new year, let’s focus on the end of the Christmas story and make it a Christ-like challenge for our own lives -- to keep growing, to become stronger and wiser, and to walk under the grace-filled favor of God.
This day after Christmas reminds us of that part of the Christmas story that did not actually take place on Christmas day, but probably as much as two years later. We traditionally call them ‘wise men’ and, indeed, wise men still seek him. But more accurately they were magi from the east who saw a star and, in that star, saw the hope of a Savior King.
Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the event that set in motion the greatest story ever told. It is the story of a God who loved us enough to not leave us alone or without hope. The Apostle John caught it exactly: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
The Word became flesh. This is what we celebrate this Christmas weekend and this is why we tremble in worship before him. God has come. Jesus has been born. Life and light have shone -- and we can be saved!
Jesus was born in Bethlehem to die on a cross in Jerusalem in order save us from sin, judgment and hopelessness. He took on a body to become a redeeming sacrifice for us. The God who created us has acted to rescue us. This is redemption!
God’s providence in our lives points to his graciousness, his sovereignty, and his care for us. It was in the providence of God that Jesus was born at just the right time and by the intentional plan of God. May his providence cover our lives during this busy Christmas season!
God’s protection over our lives is one of the great blessings of the Christian life. He gives his angels charge over us, he guides us to places of safety as he did with Mary and Joseph, and he secures our futures with his promises.
One of the greatest promises in Scripture is embodied in the Christmas name given to Jesus -- “I will be with you.” Immanuel means that God has not abandoned us, rejected us, or forgotten us. No, he is “God with us!”
The story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow reminds us that Christmas represents hope. Life isn’t always ideal, no matter how much we long for it to be during this season, but if we are receptive to moments of encouragement, and looking for moments of gratitude, we’ll remember that God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.
True joy doesn’t come from gifts, or even from giving. True joy comes from acknowledging the life-changing power of Jesus Christ in your heart. So don’t misplace the message of Christmas this year. Remember, He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and prince of peace.
Most of us have heard the songs and lyrics of the Christmas season for decades… enough that we can listen or even sing them without much thought to the story being told. But don’t let the story of Jesus’ birth become routine. Believe it in your heart, and shout it from the mountain.
The joy of Christmas isn’t based on gift giving, or even the excitement of earthly traditions. It is found in the birth of Jesus who came to bring abundant life to those who believe in him, and that joy transcends even the busyness and stress of this “joyful” holiday season.
Jesus birth and eventual death paved the way for our death, and re-birth. His willingness to live within the confines of humanity gives us the option to die to ourselves and be born again in his grace and forgiveness. But that’s a gift we all must choose to accept.
For many, Christmas isn’t always “the most wonderful time of the year”. Grief and loss can actually make it one of the most difficult—but you are not alone this Christmas. You don’t have to pretend everything is okay, but you shouldn’t feel hopeless either. God sees you, and he cares.
As John described, Jesus came into the world as the true light. And we know that his light can come into our own lives and illuminate whatever darkness and difficulty we may face. But as people who carry his light, what is our responsibility to those around us?
In addition to describing Jesus as “the word”, John described him as the true light that came into the world, and in that description, we see that his very nature overpowers and overcomes the overwhelming darkness in the world. That includes whatever you may be facing even today.
Matthew, Luke, and John all recount the birth of Jesus, but they do it in different ways. John’s account emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus in more theological terms than some of the other gospel writers. Today, we focus on John’s description of Jesus as the Word that became flesh.
The concept of Advent is an important piece of preparing our hearts for the second coming of our Savior and King. Advent is not a replacement for Christmas. Rather, it’s an anticipation that gives a more full picture, and provides a counterbalance to the secularization of Christmas in Western culture.
We were not made to live in isolation. Every human being needs to both love and be loved. This is from our creator God, who Himself is love. Created in his image he calls us to be secured, transformed, and filled with the deeply profound love that he has for us.
Life is more than functional biological existence. It is more than eating, sleeping and breathing. It is living in connection and communion with our Creator, the author of life. Lasting and sure hope is what Jesus came to give us and what can be found in him.
Joy is the flavor of life. It takes our human experiences from black and white and puts them in living color. Joy energizes life and strengthens our hearts. On the other hand, depression and despondency drain life of its vitality. That is why Jesus offers us his joy!
It’s been astutely observed that where there is no hope for the future there is no power for the present. Hope is the fuel of life, the energizing reason to keep going. But where can hope be found without the risk of being let down and disappointed if it doesn’t work out? Let’s start with the God of hope!
Christians are sometimes mocked for believing in God because they need a ‘crutch’ to get through life, as if they were too weak and insecure to stand on their own feet. If so, those who mock ought to practice what they preach -- as if possessing a human adequacy that can control the uncontrollable, knowing everything, and needing no one.
Sometimes it’s a challenge to remain thankful in times of difficulty. But maybe we’re just coming at this the wrong way. Your circumstances may not be good, but the Lord is good. You may not be grateful for a difficult time, but you can be grateful for the one who will make all things good in his time. That posture of gratitude toward Him can be a source of strength.
It’s Thanksgiving Day… a day when many of us come together with those we love, and in some cases, with those we might not always agree with. It’s a great reminder that there is power in unity, but that unity is not conformity. We may come with differences in the ways we think, and may even disagree on some issues, but we unify under the covering and saving grace of Jesus Christ.
God’s mercy and forgiveness doesn’t just deserve our gratitude, it models an attitude of generosity we should show to others. A generous heart is enriched in every way, but not as a reward, rather as a means to continually give in a way that points others to Jesus.
God broke the power of sin and shame in our lives through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and his generosity is more than any of us deserve. Yet so often, we let shame replace the gratitude we should have for his grace and mercy. Instead live free in his forgiveness, with a thankful heart for what he has done.
Thanksgiving is more than just a cultural tradition. It’s a practice that science has proven healthy physically, and the Bible tells us is healthy, spiritually. But are we practicing that gratitude regularly? Maybe this is a fitting week to start. Here’s Pastor Anthony Matrone with more, on today’s Central Moment.
God is holy. His holiness means that he is set apart from all that is evil and profane. It is out of his holiness that his love and justice flow. And as we follow him, the work of Jesus is to make us holy as well – holy in our behaviors, holy in our relationships, and holy in our affections.
This life is going to pass away, but eternity is ahead of all of us. Hell will embody the full implications of choosing to keep God away. There will be no goodness, no relief, no hope – only judgment. But for those who have been washed clean from their sin by the blood of Jesus, heaven will be their inheritance.
The Lord is our healer – the healer of our souls, the healer of our relationships, and the healer of our bodies. Jesus paid the price for our healing at the Cross – “by his wounds you have been healed,” God’s word declares. Let your faith rise to receive today. The Lord is present to heal.
Are you in need of God’s guidance and direction in your life right now? God’s word is full of promises that he will, indeed, lead us if our hearts are turned towards him. He knows the beginning from the end. He knows the calling that he has placed on our lives. And he knows how to guide you.
The goodness of God pervades all of creation. Every good thing comes from him. And yet those things that are not good can either make us doubt his goodness or blind us to it completely. It is then that we stand on the truth of Scripture and hold to the fact that God is both real and responsive to us in our need.
Through all the clutter of religious and institutional norms we must never lose sight of what is most important. As he concludes his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us clearly that Jesus’ transforming work in our hearts trumps external rituals and religious protocols. Instead, it’s all about a “new creation.”
Ministry leaders can, unfortunately, have self-serving motives. Those motives can lead them to manipulative behaviors to get what they want, or outright spiritual abuse of those they want to control. Let’s trust God today to help us see our own motives for what they are and redirect them in Jesus-centered ways.
One of the most powerful life principles in the Bible is that of generosity. We would naturally think that our inflow should determine our outflow, but Jesus taught that it is our outflow that actually determines our inflow. Look past how this principle may have been abused by others and embrace its potential for yourself.
Comparison and people-pleasing can cripple us both emotionally and spiritually. We tend to either be too impressed with ourselves or our insecurities turn us into our own worst critics. But neither self-obsession nor self-hatred are options for us as followers of Jesus. We need instead to live out a healthy sense of who we are in Christ.
What is our responsibility to one another as followers of Jesus? And how does the awareness of failure in others affect the way we see ourselves? Paul’s counsel to the Galatian churches on this difficult issue gives us some helpful handles to work with.
In the last of five special episodes of The Central Moment, Dr. Wave Nunally recounts the long and very unusual 70-hour journey home from Israel, and the difficulty of leaving dear friends behind. However, we have an assurance that they will never be abandoned by God as clarified in the New Testament book of Romans.
Dr. Wave Nunally continues the story of his recent trip to Israel, and the reason for their eventual departure: the call by Hamas leadership for a worldwide Jihad against Christians and Jews. Instead, all who follow the Lord are to engage in proclaiming liberty to captives, setting prisoners free, and rescuing and delivering the weak and needy.
Dr. Wave Nunally describes his team's volunteer efforts. As evacuees from the south filled their hotel, they helped with housekeeping, kitchen work, and organizing toys and books donated to the children. In the same way they prayed for the evacuees and the kidnapped, Isaiah calls us to mobilize in an important prayer effort.
Dr. Wave Nunally continues our special series on his recent time in Israel, and describes their arrival at the hotel at the beginning of Israel's war with Hamas. He concludes with a discussion of our responsibility to the innocent in harm's way in light of Proverbs 24.
This week on a special series of The Central Moment, Dr. Wave Nunally recounts the story of his recent trip to Israel. It's one of countless trips he's made, but this time he arrived just as the war with Hamas began. His story ultimately reminds us of God's call to all of us to comfort His people.
The fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 are a description of the character of Jesus -- a character that God wants to reproduce in each of us. They are the result of the Spirit of Jesus growing within us. These fruits will affect every relationship that we have. They also mean that we will need to daily “keep in step with the Holy Spirit.”
If you want a commentary on contemporary culture, just read Galatians 5:19-21. If you are a humanist, it will be discouraging. If you are a cynic, it will confirm your worst suspicions. But if you are a follower of Jesus, it is the ‘do not enter’ sign for the pathway of our lives.
There are two reference-point words that the Apostle Paul frequently uses. They delineate the big issues in our lives. One is “flesh” and the other is “Spirit.” They are like locational code words referring to life without Jesus and life with Jesus. By which word are you living?
The vertical and the horizontal are always related in Jesus’ kingdom. Our relationship with God will affect our relationships with each other, and our relationships with each other will affect our relationship with God. God’s Spirit in us always has implications for the people around us, and vice versa.
If you bake frequently, you will understand the power of yeast. A little bit can affect everything in a disproportionate way. It’s also true of our moral lives -- a little compromise here or there can end up affecting the whole of our lives in destructive ways. And it’s the same for our response to truth.
The yoke of religious slavery can be very real. It replaces the freedom of life in Jesus. It puts all the pressure on us and causes in us a striving to measure up that becomes both frustrating and exhausting. But the simple gospel of Christ sets us free to live freely and with hope-filled joy.
Jesus said that no one can come to God except through him. There is a human arrogance that says we can reach God by paths of our own choosing. While it is true that there are many ways of accessing the spiritual world, only by the way of Jesus will we reach God. Jesus is and always will be the way, the truth and the life.
Divine healing powerfully marked the ministry of the Apostle Paul, and yet he himself struggled with illness in a way that ironically opened the Galatians to the gospel. This apparent paradox is not fully explained, but the love of God’s people shone through to Paul. Now, however, things were changing -- leaving Paul perplexed in a different way.
We are called to live out radical holiness in Christ. But, unfortunately, there is also a counterfeit that is rooted in external rituals and religious behaviors that do not set us free from sin’s power. So let’s renounce the religious spirit that too easily replaces true holiness and let’s experience transformed hearts in Christ.
As followers of Jesus, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God himself. Our position is one of privilege, blessing, and hope as we humbly live out what it means to be adopted into God’s family. So now is the time to let go of the mindset of victimhood and slavery and take on the honor of calling God our Father.
Because of Jesus, everything that would sideline or disqualify us in the sight of God becomes irrelevant. We have a new identity, a new nature and a divine destiny because we are ‘in Christ’ -- justified by faith and heirs of God’s promise. May you see yourself today in the same way that God sees you ‘in Christ.’
All of God’s promises center in Jesus -- our Savior and soon coming King. Those promises do not depend on human performance, but they are received by faith. Our performance may be imperfect but the promise of God always prevails -- all the way from Abraham to you!
How can you know that you are justified before God and ready to meet him should he return today? Many Christians suffer from a spiritual insecurity that robs them of the assurance of their salvation. Yet Jesus bore the curse for us so that we can know for sure that we are saved and belong to him.
Reaching the nations has always been the heart of God, even in his dealings with Israel in the Old Testament. Although he made a covenant uniquely with Israel, out of it came a Savior by whom all nations will be blessed. It is a prophetic and yet missional truth that involves every one of us.
Why would the Apostle Paul accuse a New Testament church of being bewitched? The answer points directly to how we try to live the Christian life -- striving in our own flesh or living in the power of the Spirit. Simply being religious is never enough!
Old Testament law and New Testament grace—are they connected, or should they be? And how does the death and resurrection of Jesus affect that question? Fasten your seatbelts as Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wades into this issue as only he can.
The more we add to the gospel the more pressure we add to the lives of people. The simplicity of the gospel that centers on Jesus frees us. How can we truly be justified before God? How can we live free of guilt and with a transformed life? The simple gospel of Christ answers those questions with hope for everyone!
Some people like confrontation too much, but most of us like it too little. It’s one of the hardest responsibilities of leadership and one of the most difficult skills to learn and apply appropriately. It also requires a kind of courage and conviction that is stronger than the desire for people to like us.
God has no favorites but, according to the Apostle Paul, he does want us to remember the poor. In this fascinating passage from his letter to the Galatians we get a peek into the dynamic and sometimes tense relationships between high level early church leaders who still cared for the spiritually and physically poor.
The prevalence of false teachers and aberrant doctrine in the church has been amplified by technology and social media. “If it’s on the internet it must be true” is an adage that will leave you in the ditch. Only the foolish believe it. Yet holding to orthodox Christian faith and sound doctrine is mission critical to the future of the church.
Anonymity can become God’s tool in our lives. Who we associate does make a difference. We tend to become like the people we spend the most time with, but that was not the Apostle Paul’s situation. After meeting Christ he stayed largely on his own until God had him take center stage in the ministry he had called him to.
What do we do with our pasts? Sometimes our pasts haunt us, sometimes we feel crippled by them, and sometimes they can make us wonder whether we have missed the call of God in our lives. But Paul confidently declared that none of those things have the final word because of the gospel’s power.
People-pleasing is a huge trap. Whether it be juvenile peer pressure, or the temptation to compromise our ethics in order to please a boss, or caving into worldliness to make a spouse happy -- if we are not careful we can end up in the same place that Jesus’ critics ended up. They loved the approval of people more than the approval of God.
Let the gospel be the gospel. That was the Apostle Paul’s plea in his letter to the Galatian believers. Don’t sophisticate it, don’t add to it, don’t pervert it -- in short, don’t change it! May we hear that same warning 2000 years later!
Galatians is one of the earliest letters that we have from the Apostle Paul. Located in what is now central Turkey, the Galatian believers were being influenced by teachings and priorities that took the focus off Jesus. It’s the same danger that Christ’s church faces today.
In the western world, we may see relatively little persecution for our faith in Jesus… but Satan has another strategy. One to distract us and water down our faith. So may we look to the example of Pergamum as we remain faithful to Jesus.
We’d all prefer God to lead us through open doors, but sometimes he uses closed doors, instead, to reposition us for his plans. That was the case for Paul, and it brought about the spread of the gospel throughout Europe. So remember, our delays are not his delays, and our detours are not his detours.
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was the central church for the Christian world for nearly 1000 years, and it set the bar high for the magnificent cathedrals to come. But as impressive as these buildings are, God’s heart is to find a people to dwell among, not a structure.
The kingdoms of the world come and go... Byzantium became Constantinople, which became Istanbul. But God's Kingdom will never end, and we have access to it if we'll just commit our lives and our ways to him.
As The Central Moment comes to you from Turkey, we're reminded of the significance of Paul's missionary journeys, and the good news of Jesus' revolutionary message that relentlessly invaded our world.
Jesus’ mission on earth is not first and foremost pursuing social justice or advocating for the oppressed or advancing political ideologies or even bettering people’s living conditions. It is above all a proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ by which people are turned from the power of Satan to God. Everything else flows from that!
In the consumerism that marks much of contemporary Crhristianity, too many people seem satisfied to associate with Jesus but never really serve him in a way that costs them something. That is not normal Christianity! Watch, though, what happens when Jesus appears and the supernatural becomes the missional.
They are the 3 Deadly D’s -- Denial (there is nothing wrong with me), Delusion (I can handle things on my own), Defiance (no one is going to tell me what to do). They are deadly because they represent barriers to change in our lives. But one of the greatest conversions in church history reminds us that those barriers melt away when a person comes face to face with Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what to do about your past? Have you gone too far to ever find forgiveness or hope? Are you too sinful for God to ever save? As someone who hated Christians to the point of even killing them, the Apostle Paul’s answer will be a resounding “No!”
It’s not a shame to suffer for Christ. In fact, the suffering of the first Christian martyr was accompanied by a vision of the glory of God himself. It was also the seed that was planted in the heart of a Jesus-hater who was later converted and changed the world.
What is the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament? Does the Old Testament apply in any way to us now that Jesus has come? In his genius, God has orchestrated an amazing answer!
If you had to come up with a last prophetic pronouncement of the Old Testament before the coming of the Messiah, what would you say? Of course, more importantly, what would God say? Well, Malachi tells us clearly -- remember and anticipate!
In the last few verses of the Old Testament, Jesus is prophetically pictured in a powerful, life-giving way. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared himself to be the fulfillment of both the law and the prophets. As such he has become our Savior and our healer!
Even in times of spiritual decline and deep division, God has always had a people who stay true to his heart. He remembers them, records their names in his scroll, and promises a future and hope for them.
Have you ever wondered whether serving God is worth it? How has serving God benefited you? Are the sacrifices that you have made worthwhile? Or are those even the right questions to be asking?
God’s material blessings come in two forms -- providing what we need and protecting what we already have. There is a spiritual warfare around money that we should not be naive to, and money should never become our God. Instead, we trust the Lord for the provision and protection that we need, for his glory.
What does money have to do with our spiritual condition? On one level, nothing. God’s grace cannot be bought or sold. But on another level, money has everything to do with the state of our hearts. Jesus got it right -- hearts follow treasures.
It’s been said that God created us in his image, but we decided to return the favor and recreate him in our image -- shaped around our preferences and limited perspectives. But what if our Creator wants to shake us up, clean up our lives, and give us something far better than catering to our whims?
Just before Jesus started his public ministry, another voice emerged on the scene. It was a voice calling people to ‘prepare the way’ for the Messiah’s coming. Let us, in our lives, make way for the entrance of Jesus and the spiritual renewal that his Spirit can bring us.
Divorce is a difficult subject in contemporary society. As many marriages end in divorce as stay together. The prophet Malachi deals with the subject head on in the last book of the Old Testament. But how did Jesus and the apostles look at divorce in the New Testament?
What might you be married to at the level of your affections and devotion? In spite of our religious veneers, the Lord looks deeply into our hearts. Thank God for Jesus -- who can change our hearts and consume them with the fire of his Spirit!
Few things discredit the gospel of Jesus of Christ more than spiritual leaders who do not practice what they preach, whose charisma has out-distanced their character. Thankfully, Malachi’s rebuke can become a pathway of prayer for our pastors and leaders.
Why might the Lord want to lock the doors to our places of worship? Could it be that we worship carelessly and out of grudging obligation, selling short the glory of his name? After all, his name will ultimately be great among all the nations. So let’s worship accordingly.
Are you giving your best to God -- not because you are manipulated or guilted into it, but out of honor and respect and love for who he is? And how does the Lord respond when we throw our second best at him? Let’s ask the hard questions today.
It’s quite possible to end up on the wrong side of God’s will. Although he is sovereign, our free wills can choose to resist him and rebel against him. But God will always have the last word in the end. He is not someone to be played with tritely!
Jesus commands us to love one another as he loved us… not a request or a suggestion, but a command. His example shows us that love is much more than a feeling… it’s a choice that guides our actions toward outwardly-focused, unselfish behavior to everyone around us.
One of the foundations of a healthy friendship is a willingness to serve someone else… to put someone’s needs higher than yours. Jesus modeled this by washing the feet of his disciples, proving that there is power in our expressions of love through service to others.
Friendships are great… when they’re working. But we’ve all run into times of disagreement with another. Deep, healthy friendships know the miraculous power of forgiveness. Maybe today is the day you can take a step toward mending a broken relationship.
Are you in faithful friendships with others? Do you have opportunities for honest dialog with others? Do you offer wise—and more importantly, timely—advice to those around you? And lastly, are you careful with the people God has put in your path?
Loneliness is pervasive in our culture today, but God created us for community and relationship with others. Friends can help lift you when you fall, and challenges are often more rewarding when you link arms with others.
Let’s talk about our giving. Are you trusting the Lord with your finances and growing in your generosity toward his work and the needs in our world? Though abused by some, one of the most powerful principles in Scripture is the principle of giving and receiving.
We tend to fear the unknown. That is why fear of the future can be so paralyzing. Will my children turn out OK? What if I get sick? Will my career be successful? Will I have enough to retire on? How will I die? Given all those uncertainties, it’s time to put our futures into God’s hands!
Beyond human friendships we can enjoy friendship with God. His presence can walk with us through our days and, when other friends fail us, he is always there. Like the old hymn reminds us, it’s “friendship with Jesus, fellowship divine!”
In God’s creative genius we were designed as people for relationship and human connection. That is why friendships are such a gift from God. With good and godly friends we are stronger, wiser, and healthier!
In Jesus, we live and act as forgiven people. When we put our faith in what Christ accomplished for us at the Cross we are then clothed with Christ’s righteousness, not our own. Forgiveness can be ours!
The very last Psalm of the Old Testament book of Psalms gives us the where, why, and how of a life of worship. May our lives be lived for his glory and may his praise be the outflow of our hearts. Indeed, let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
The final 5 chapters of the Psalms each start with the word “Hallelujah” or “Praise the Lord.” Those 5 Psalms also end with that same word. And it is in between those pairs of Hallelujah’s that we will see the Lord’s triumph and dominion extend all the way from our lives today to the end of time.
Psalm 145 is the last Psalm that is specifically attributed to King David. It is written as an acrostic with each verse beginning with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. But beyond its poetic beauty, it reminds us of what living and thriving in a God-centered life can be like.
The prayers of God’s people are powerful! They rise like incense before him until he acts to intervene in our lives, and ultimately the world. This is the divine partnership that is preparing us to reign and rule with him forever. So let’s keep filling the throne room of God with the incense of our prayers!
What determines our value as human beings? If we are simply the accidental byproducts of the random forces of the universe, then it is left to prevailing opinion or personal delusion to determine our value. But Psalm 139 roots our value in the creative genius of God who weaves purpose into our beings right from our mothers’ wombs.
None of us can reach our potential alone. We were created for community and connection. As worshiping pilgrims would make their way to the Temple in Jerusalem, they would affirm the beauty and power of unity with one another. Both their survival at dangerous turns and their experience of God’s blessing would depend on it.
Our God can restore life and vitality to the most desolate places in our lives, much like a river in an otherwise dry desert. Hardship really can give place to holiness and wholeness. Or, in the Biblical language of the Psalms, we may sow in tears but we will reap with joy.
Are you happy with where you are in life, or are you yearning for higher and better places? The 15 Psalms of Ascent, beginning with Psalm 120, were psalms sung by Jewish pilgrims on their way to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. Because we too are on pilgrimage through this life, they have much to say to us about our own life journeys.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, clocking in at 176 verses. It can feel like a formidable devotional challenge when you come to it in your daily Bible reading. Yet it speaks poetically and elegantly to the fixed reference point that every one of us needs in life -- God’s Word.
How does God look at the death of one of his faithful followers? Obviously he sees it as gain from heaven’s perspective, but there is a way in which God also looks at it as a loss to his purposes here on earth. This is where Psalm 116 is often misunderstood.
We can never rise higher than the object of our worship. So what if we put aside lesser loves and meaningless pursuits in order to worship our Creator? He cannot be confined by space, time, or circumstance. And he is the one who always lifts us higher.
The prayers of the Old Testament often have a way of finding their way into the New Testament. This, of course, is all under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In turn, these prayers can also become our language of prayer!
The Psalms contain many Messianic ‘clues’ as to the identity of Jesus, God’s Son -- even though the Psalms were written hundreds of years before his birth. These clues fortify our faith and reinforce the authority and ministry of Jesus in our lives.
Sometimes we don’t know what to do with God’s justice. Many resent the idea of God’s wrath, and yet when victimized themselves they wonder where his justice went. Let’s never underestimate God’s passion for true justice and let’s be free from taking revenge into our own hands.
Spiritual amnesia -- we all fight it. In spite of the many times in the past that God has come through for us, we so easily forget and default back to our old patterns. But God’s new covenant with us in Christ is one that he will never forget!
Today let’s speak to our souls and tell them to praise the Lord with everything that is within us. After all, he is our Savior, our healer, our rescuer, and our provider. He loves us unfailingly and he is sovereign over all!
Psalm 100 is a favorite of many. It describes gates of thanksgiving and courts of praise, all of them leading us to the presence of God. And it is there in his presence that we find his ultimately durable and unfailing faithfulness.
Why sing when our world is so broken? Why have joy when so much suffering prevails? We sing and rejoice because, in the end, justice will come to our world. God’s righteousness and faithfulness will finally win out.
It’s time for a praise break! Let’s sing, let’s shout, let’s bow down before him. Why? Because he is the great King. No one is like him and yet he claims us as his own! Join us in doing this today.
The sting of injustice, especially when we are the victims of it, can be crippling and enraging. And where is God when injustice comes? Does he even see? Psalm 94 gives us some life-giving perspective and hope.
During the Covid pandemic, Psalm 91 became an important one to so many of us. It was often quoted, commented on, and preached on. Ironically, it was also distorted by Satan to tempt Jesus. Still, it remains a source of both realism and hope!
Life is short, fortunes are uncertain, and legacies are forgotten. So how do we pray for ourselves while we live? Moses shows us by praying four timeless petitions that can guide our prayers today.
Usually the psalms of lament resolve themselves with some sort of faith and hope in the Lord. Psalm 88 is the only one that does not. And yet, underlying it all is an assumed confidence in God’s lovingkindness and responsiveness that gives perspective to everything else.
Crying out to God out of neediness and powerlessness has been the way that people of God throughout history have prayed. In turn, the Lord responds with mercy, joy, forgiveness, power, and wonders. In spite of our condition right now, may we have undiluted confidence in him!
We were made for the presence of God -- to know him, to delight our souls in him, to draw strength from him, to walk in his sustaining grace, and to live under his favor and blessing. “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!” (Psalm 84:1)
Does the Bible teach that human beings are ‘little gods?’ The passage of Scripture that has been so misinterpreted in order to make that claim is Psalm 82. But, in context, what does this psalm really say about our identity and God’s justice?
“If only!” How many times have we said that in our regret over past mistakes and sins? But God utters those same words over us. “If only” we would choose his way, then he would become that “honey from the rock” to truly satisfy us.
The cry of our hearts is for the Lord to revive his church -- to bring to life again his purposes in us, his wonders among us, and his mission through us. Indeed, we pray, “Awaken your might; come and save us.” (Psalm 80:2)
At a time when people are deconstructing their faith and disillusionment with spiritual leaders seems to be rampant, God is still on the move! He has given us a Savior in his Son Jesus and he is raising up Jesus-loving leaders after his own heart!
The Biblical Psalms of Lament give us permission to express our desperation, grieve our losses and protest our condition in light of God’s lovingkindness. And, surprisingly, they lead us to remember that God is still powerful and good.
The cynicism of Ecclesiastes serves as a sledgehammer to drive home the final conclusion of the book. That conclusion is the one thing that can address the seeming meaninglessness of life while freeing us to live life eagerly and fully.
Death does not erase the meaning of life, in spite of its seeming finality. It is, instead, a doorway that Jesus has already walked through. That means we can follow him from very real death to a very living hope.
Growing old is certainly not for the faint of heart as you have perhaps found out. Nowhere in the Bible is the aging process described more poetically or graphically than in Ecclesiastes 12. It’s certainly a fitting component of the last chapter of a cynical look at life.
Is there something that is mightier than a marching army or even weapons of war? Could this be a key for overcoming life’s biggest obstacles? Let me introduce you to a true superhero--wisdom!
What would it be like to live whole-heartedly now but do so in a way that is accountable to God in the end? It is possible -- in fact, it’s God’s design for us. So if pleasing Jesus stays at the center, we might as well go for living life fully!
Although the principle of sowing and reaping has been co-opted and abused by preachers persuading people to give money to them, there is a Biblical precedent for the real thing. In fact, it may be one of the most powerful principles in the Bible!
Do you suffer from the paralysis of analysis? We will live too passively and accomplish too little if we are always waiting for conditions to be perfect before we do anything. Instead, spread risk out and adopt the 80% rule!
Is it better to work hard or to work smart? Working smart requires skill and often saves time. But laziness is not acceptable either. Instead, God wants to give us wisdom to work smart but stay diligent.
We don’t just go to work, we are sent to work in partnership with a loving God who cares for his creation and the social order that fills it. So we do it with all our hearts, not working for a boss but working for Jesus himself!
What does God have to say about our jobs? Ecclesiastes portrays them in a typically cynical way. No wonder -- they may be fulfilling or they may be frustrating, but either way they don’t define ultimate meaning for us. At the same time, however, they do represent significant partnership with God.
“Why” questions can sometimes paralyze us. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes encourages us to not try to understand everything but walk humbly before the Lord. We can be certain of one thing--the one who started a good work in us can certainly finish it!
If life ‘under the sun’ has no lasting meaning, then how should we live? The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us to not live it alone. Two are better than one. This is more than about marriage. It is about all of life, with Jesus at the center.
Death is the great equalizer. Rich and poor, wise and foolish -- they will all die in the end. And yet the resurrection of Jesus changes everything! Our living in this life can have significance that outlasts this life. We were made for eternity.
It is a gift from God to be able to enjoy his blessings, live fully, and enjoy work. Every good thing comes from him, and we can trust him with what we do not know about the future. The key is to put Jesus first.
Life is a mosaic of seasons. There can be a rhythmic beauty to those seasons, inviting us to not resist them. Yet those changing seasons cannot clue us into the changeless key to the meaning of life. Where can that be found?
To be satisfied, our souls need something other than ourselves at the center. They need the presence of our Creator. When creation itself becomes our idol, we turn toward the dark. But with our Creator at the center, everything else in life becomes vivid and meaningful.
Materialism redefines the meaning of life, locks us into an earthly value system, gives us a false sense of security, keeps us selfish and blinds us to Jesus’ mission. No wonder Jesus warned us so strenuously about it!
The pursuit of happiness ironically leaves us less happy than when we began when it is detached from a higher ideal. The idol of happiness will always leave us disappointed and depressed. But joy rooted in the Lord can be our hope.
Educational pursuits are noble and enlarging, but they cannot be an end in and of themselves. That will become a dead end. We must live for the author of truth Himself--and in doing so find a ‘fulfilled curiosity.’
The longings of the human heart seem to have no limit. Who or what can define meaning and satisfy our souls? In all of its cynicism, Ecclesiastes ultimately points us away from things ‘under the sun’ and up to the Son himself.
The one who called us can keep us -- body, soul and spirit. He is faithful and able to be trusted with our lives. And he is coming again! Meanwhile we walk in “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
From the ‘Prayer Sandwich’ to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Paul reminds us that we live in a dynamic world of the Spirit where God is sovereign and we are participants. By giving place to the Spirit we can live discerningly and meaningfully.
Warn…encourage…help…be patient. Few places in Scripture will you find a more concise description of the breadth of relational interactions that we are to have with the people in our lives. This is how we live in peace with each other and build each other up.
Most of us live by the light of day but sleep by the darkness of night. The same holds true spiritually. We need to live in the light of Jesus and stay awake to both the spiritual dangers and the opportunities around us. But watch out for spiritual darkness -- it will put us to sleep!
The “I didn’t see that coming” moment is not usually a good one. Out of left field something sneaks up on us and takes us by total surprise. But may that not be the case when it comes to the suddenness of Jesus’ second coming.
God has an eternal plan for our bodies. It is neither reincarnation nor eternal annihilation. It is resurrection! For those who are in Christ, a moment will come when even our bodies will be made new -- eternally!
What Paul writes at the end of 1 Thessalonians 4 is more than something good to read at a funeral. It is our hope -- rooted in Christ’s resurrection and reaching all the way into our very real grief.
What does loving others ‘more and more’ mean for you? What is the next step in caring and serving while avoiding unwanted dependence? Surely there is a way forward that pleases the Lord!
Contemporary culture has diverged significantly from the traditional Christian ethic regarding sexuality. But the truth of God’s word has not changed. Neither can it be subservient to what the culture celebrates and normalizes.
If grace is free, what does it mean to please God? Obviously the Apostle Paul considered pleasing God a core discipleship issue, but that is because we do not live pleasingly to earn grace, but because of grace.
How can Christians pray for one another? What about praying for their church? Paul gives us a helpful template when he prays for togetherness, overflowing love and a readiness for Christ’s return.
It is important for leaders to love their people more than their position. People can tell the difference. They somehow know whether leaders love them or they are merely using them for personal advantage. Good leaders sincerely love people, pray for people, and believe in them.
The disapproval of others is a real possibility when it comes to deciding to follow Jesus fully. But it can be spiritually dangerous! When faced with opposition don’t deconstruct your faith in order to mitigate the pain. Grow instead.
One of the highest virtues of the Christian life may also induce significant anxiety in our hearts -- simply because we care. It can cause us to sacrifice real self-interest for the purpose of going out of our way to serve others.
Have you ever changed your mind about something you intended to do? Is that a lack of integrity, or could there be more consequential forces at play? Watch the Apostle Paul wrestle with this.
For those who love God, the depth of hostility against him from others can be hard to understand. But from God’s perspective, their sins are heaping up and judgment will come once this era of mercy is over.
God’s word has a resonance and authority all its own. It is what the Spirit uses to shape us, energize us, speak to us, and guide us. God’s Word and his Spirit always work together.
Hard work, godliness, and love are not old-fashioned traits. Paul used all three of those virtues to describe his own life. They are what give us influence and fruitfulness in life. Christ’s kingdom and glory are what is at stake!
How you use authority tells a lot about you, including your foundational attitude towards others. It is easy to default to top-down authority when Jesus wants our influence to be rooted in the compelling beauty of our lives, openly and humbly lived.
Hardship can be like a furnace or a mirror -- either purifying us or exposing us for what we really are. In an age of manipulative leadership and high-pressure hype, authentic leaders are those who will die to self and seek to please God.
What are you known for? Is it for your talents, accomplishments, connections or wealth? Or are you known for a living faith that exhibits the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Never underestimate the power of your example. The heart of our influence is not found in our dominant personalities or our abilities to power up over other people. Our influence is rooted in the compelling beauty of our lives lovingly surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.
God has predestined us to be increasingly Christ-like and Christ-empowered as we live out what it means to be his “chosen” people. He does not predestine some to go to hell and some to heaven -- but to become like Christ as his people!
Is there a Biblical pattern for praying for your church? We find one in Paul’s first letter to the church that he started in the Greek city of Thessalonica. May faith, hope and love prevail in the spiritual communities that we belong to!
Jesus’ grace and his peace supersede the rejection and fear that can result from being obedient to him. Join us as we start a new daily walk through Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church. Grace and peace will be the foundation of it all.
One of the hardest areas to trust God in is our finances. Lack can make us desperate and fearful. But God’s supply, in alignment with his principles, will lead us on a joyful adventure of trust and provision.
Faith is not a formula. It is a confident trust in the faithfulness of God and the integrity of his character. His faithfulness means that he is trustworthy and will be responsive to us when we call out to him.
God is faithful to actually reward our faithfulness! He moves in our hearts, reveals himself to us and calls us to follow him. And when we do faithfully follow, he promises us the crown of a victor!
The certainty of the promise of eternal life is unique to Christianity. We are not sentenced to reincarnated cycles or left uncertain as to what might happen to us when we die. Eternal life with certainty is in Jesus!
At the root of the words ‘encourage’ and ‘discourage’ is the word ‘courage.’ Discouragement drains our courage and motivation, but encouragement infuses us with courage and energy. Thank God that he is a God of encouragement to us!
Central's staff pastors are walking through the events of Jesus' life in the week leading to Good Friday. Today, Pastor Don Tucker looks at Friday and Christ's various hearings culminating in his crucifixion.
Central's staff pastors are walking through the events of Jesus' life in the week leading to Good Friday. Today, Pastor Josh Seaman looks at Thursday and the garden of Gethsemane.
Central's staff pastors are walking through the events of Jesus' life in the week leading to Good Friday. Today, Pastor Chris Noble looks at Wednesday and the perfumed anointing of Jesus.
Central's staff pastors are walking through the events of Jesus' life in the week leading to Good Friday. Today, Pastor Anthony Matrone looks at Tuesday and the Olivet Discourse.
This week, Central's staff pastors are walking through the events of Jesus' life in the week leading to Good Friday. Today, Pastor Carter looks at Monday and Jesus' cursing of the fig tree on the way to Jerusalem.
The peace of God can carry us through anything. When we are surrounded by trouble, or when we are engaging the mission of Christ, we can take heart. Jesus said, “I have overcome the world.”
We pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. That direct access to our Heavenly Father is based on his enduring love and the gift of his Son who died to make it possible.
Questions, questions, questions -- yet Jesus was patient with those who still seemed to understand so little. Still, those questions ended up opening an important door of revelation.
The Holy Spirit is our Jesus-promised ‘Advocate.’ His presence in our lives reveals Jesus to us and enables us to reach others for him. It’s the Holy Spirit in us and the Holy Spirit through us!
It’s a painful but wonderful thing to have people in our lives who love us enough to be honest with us. It’s also a gift to have people who care enough to give us a heads up when they know something we don’t. That’s what Jesus did.
In a world that is increasingly fascinated by Jesus but disapproving of those who follow him, Jesus gives us the resolving perspective. Some will follow, some will reject, but God’s Spirit is always working!
We can love others because we have first been loved ourselves. It’s true psychologically and is certainly true spiritually. In Jesus we are loved and chosen so that we can get on with loving others and making a difference!
Loving God is more than having an emotional experience or an inspiring moment. Loving God does engage our affections, but it is ultimately active obedience--obedience to God’s command to love each other.
Hunger for God leads to influence with God. He wants to answer our prayers and live through us to touch the world. Discipleship is therefore not a burdensome duty, but an overflow of Jesus' life in us.
Living the Christian life is not all up to us. It is a life centered on abiding in Jesus’ life. It’s not stressing or striving, but surrendering to him and exchanging our strength for his.
This week on The Central Moment, Pastor Jill McDaniel will look at how Jesus handled the complexities of life, and how we can model our own life after His example.
There are times to simply get on with things. God has been faithful and brought you to new places. Build on those places without holding on too tightly to the familiar or the predictable. Above all, keep serving Jesus even when your past spiritual influencers gone.
As a friend of mine once put it, God is looking for people who know what they are living for, live it 100%, and change their surroundings rather than yielding to them. It all starts with the decision as to who you will serve.
Have you stopped recently to reflect on all that the Lord has done for you? As the song calls us to do, “Count your blessings, count them one by one!” Let’s never forget what the Lord has done!
Holiness means to be set apart from sin and set apart to God. Can we be both? Joshua’s answer to that question ought to keep us walking in the fear of God and hungry for the holiness of God.
Are you staying close to fellow believers and are you actively engaged in the mission of Jesus? Are you serving him with all of your heart and soul? In the end, that is what will matter!
God’s promises to us in Christ are enough to carry us through whatever we face. Not only do they mean answered prayer, but God’s promises mean participating in the very resurrection life of Jesus himself.
Where can we find safety? There is crime in our streets, violence in our schools and uncertainties all around us. Yet the Lord makes places of refuge for us as we flee to the safety of Christ’s cross.
What are you putting off? Perhaps this is the day to finally confront your procrastination, put away your excuses, and get on with what the Lord has put in your hand. God’s work needs you!
It’s easy to succumb to a spirit of defeat, even when we have everything going for us. Our self-talk can be vicious and the devil’s lies pervasive. But may faith replace every lying spirit and may we see God’s victory against all odds.
Getting old? Feel like you’re done? No matter what you have accomplished in your life, there is probably more ahead. If the Lord is calling you to step up, may the faith-filled courage of Caleb be yours as well by God’s Spirit.
In light of the teachings of Christ, how do we understand the violence and blood-shed inflicted by Joshua? Jesus brought a new order of God’s Kingdom rule, but the ancient conquests of Joshua remind us that there is still a spiritual battle that we all must wage.
In spite of the trouble we get ourselves into, God can still step in and help us -- simply because we are his people. Does this mean that we presume on God, or play games with him? No, but it does cause us to bow down in awe of his love for us.
God’s second best, when we choose it, will always turn around and victimize us in some way. It will complicate our lives with distracting clutter and unwanted battles. It’s better to listen to the counsel of God’s Word and not compromise with the world.
Have you ever charged ahead without concern for what God might be saying to you? Have you ever been in such a hurry that you have made rash decisions that you regretted later? Joshua was tested at exactly that point, just as we are.
With strident voices everywhere and people’s passions on the edge, discernment and steadiness are more important than ever. As a follower of Jesus, don’t just listen to words or fall for appearances. Look for the fruit.
We cannot put God in a box. How he answered past prayers may not be how he answers future prayers. The way by which he provided for past needs may not be the way in which he will provide for future needs. Let God be God and leave the process in his hands.
What have you devoted to God that you have tried to take back? How has that worked for you? Israel tried it and found out the hard way that it only weakens and endangers us.
Judgment is coming to our world, but not before mercy has already come for those who trust in the shed blood of Jesus. He is our Savior and Deliverer, saving us from judgment and delivering us from darkness. Although most reject it, Christ’s salvation is available to anyone today!
Obedience and praise are powerful companions in the working of God’s Spirit in our lives. Sometimes we try to go with one and not the other. But God’s victories are not servants to our preferences. It’s both our obedience AND God’s glory!
If you were asked the question, “Who are you for?” -- how would you answer? Would you name a football team or identify a political party or perhaps a favorite actor? But how would God answer if he were asked that question?
In Jesus, our sins are rolled away. The life of our fleshly disobedience was cut away at the Cross. So there at Christ’s Cross may you find a ‘Gilgal’ moment today in which your shame is rolled away, your sins are forgiven and you are made new.
Our reputations are often difficult to manage on our own. Let’s put them into the hands of the Lord. He can back us up. He can validate our calling with his confirmations and fruitfulness. The pressure is not on us to prove something about ourselves!
When the Lord has done something great for us, let’s not run off to the next thing too quickly. It’s not a time to be in a thoughtless rush. Let’s first camp out around the place of thanksgiving and erect those memorial stones of praise!
To consecrate ourselves to the Lord is to open the way for the power and intervention of his Spirit. It means renouncing personal idolatry and setting ourselves apart for the Lord’s purposes. It is the way we prepare ourselves for God’s ‘cross over’ moments in our lives!
Following Jesus means that he is the one out front, not us. He does not follow us. No -- we follow the counsel of his Word and the leading of his Spirit. That is why we do not fear the places we have never been before!
Two spies and a prostitute -- it’s not a mystery novel but an Old Testament picture of faith in Jesus! It is because of the blood of Jesus shed for us that forgiveness, rescue, and hope can come to our lives.
It’s nothing short of the power of ‘with’ -- the strength and protection that comes from walking side by side, growing in community, and loving one another. When God’s people are united and aligned, God’s Spirit moves and new ground is taken!
Three days -- three days to cross over, three days to step into restoration. All of this points to that ‘third day’ when Jesus defeated death, robbed hell, and released resurrection life!
Courage, harnessed by the wisdom of God, is what will mark our march into the future. Courage without wisdom is recklessness. Wisdom without courage is paralysis. But courage with wisdom will rise to meet the uncertain days ahead.
The Old Testament book of Joshua begins with a challenge -- let go of the past, take a risk, and step into the future that the Lord is giving you. Don’t let go of your values, but do let go of dependence on the familiar and the predictable.
Out of the exclusive relationship that Jesus had with his Heavenly Father, he calls us to find our fulfillment and rest in him. No frenzied religious activity or guilt-ridden drivenness -- just supernatural rest!
You are needed! The people you love need you. The lost in this world need you. The hurting ones around all of us need you. But Jesus was right -- too often the demands of the need exceed the supply of the laborers.
Every one of us has a purpose. That purpose is what becomes God’s “calling” on our lives. When we are called by him, we don’t need to apologize for that purpose, or stumble over our insecurities, or feel the pressure to constantly prove something about ourselves.
Today can be a ‘from this day on’ moment in your life. Thank God that he can intervene in a way that nothing is the same again. Thank God that change is possible and new seasons can be ours.
Proximity to holiness cannot make us holy! You can’t catch holiness like you would catch a cold. Sin may be infectious, but holiness is not. Only the first hand transformation of God’s Spirit in our hearts can work holiness in us.
God is going to shake everything that can be shaken. His unshakeable Kingdom will be the only thing left standing. So secure yourself to the firm foundation of life in Jesus the King -- the one who will come to judge and to rule!
God is never limited by small things. He out-dimensions the dimensions of whatever we face. So, confident in his power and presence, we press on in obedience with courage and faith.
In our moments of deepest honesty, it’s easy to get discouraged with our often cold and drifting hearts. But thank God that his Spirit can stir our hearts towards zeal for him and passion to serve him.
Misplaced priorities lead to frustrated lives. It’s quite possible to be busy but not productive, and the purpose behind it all can be lost. But what about risking a life that is aligned around God’s priorities?
Are your priorities centered on things of this world that please you but ignore God? Or are your priorities in line with what is most important to God -- your worship and service to him and your loving of the people around you?
Courage can be ours because the Lord promises to be with us when we take steps of faith in obedience to him. God’s Spirit gives us both the boldness to serve him and the faith to not back down when opposition comes.
Are you a spiritually confident person? Not arrogant or presuming, but humbly confident in your standing as a child of God; not hesitating or doubtful, but confident in who you are in Christ.
The final period on human history will be Jesus himself! Our future on earth is not open ended -- Jesus will come again, just has he promised. He came the first time to sacrifice his life for us but he is coming a second time to rule with us at his side!
Many of God’s promises are conditionally linked to how we care for the poor and advocate for those who have no voice. That set of promises motivates us to draw closer to the compassionate heart of God and to work out our faith with tangible actions.
Prayer reminds us that God is including us in his purposes. In this unique partnership, we pray according to what he wills, and he responds. In doing so we are being prepared to rule and reign with him for all eternity!
Many influential and powerful quotations are attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an anti-Nazi theologian and pastor during World War II, and author of the Christian classic, The Cost of Discipleship. One of those quotations: God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself. Yes, every single promise in the Book is mine!
Okay, a pop-up survey: do you traditionally open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve, or Christmas morning?!? Either way, the giving of gifts at Christmas time follows the pattern set by the eastern magi, bringing gifts to the infant Jesus. Exchanging gifts remains a key tradition of Christmas each year. In Jesus, we receive far more than we give!
Blaise Pascal, French physicist and philosopher, wrote: There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ. His advent, coupled with our faith, fills in the empty vacuum with God’s planned fullness of intentions for our lives!
Dr. Randy Woodley, author and teacher, has said: Jesus, properly understood as shalom, coming into the world from the shalom community of the Trinity, is the intention of God’s once for-all mission. That is, the mission of birthing and restoring shalom to the world is in Christ, by Christ, and for the honor of Christ. That first Christmas marked the arrival of the Prince of Peace! Each subsequent one we commemorate and celebrate that arrival.
Brother Lawrence, 17th century Carmelite friar and author of Practicing the Presence of God wrote: The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way. Presence, one of the lasting results of Christmas!
Today, we wrap up our study on the descriptive names of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 by looking at Jesus as the Prince of Peace and how we can participate in and experience His peace in our lives in this Christmas season and beyond.
The name Everlasting Father in Isaiah 9:6 can be translated as “Father of All Eternity.” Today Pastor Carter looks at the significance of this statement through a mathematical lens.
Isaiah 9:6 declares the coming king is the Mighty God. What is significant about the language in that name and how does that impact our understanding of Jesus now?
Isaiah 9:6 says the child born at Christmas would be our Wonderful Counselor. What did this phrase mean to Isaiah’s audience and what does it mean for us today to say that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor.
The Old Testament contains several prophecies that foretell the birth of Jesus the Messiah. This week leading up to Christmas, we will focus on a well-known prophetic passage in Isaiah 9 and take a close look at the original context it was written in as well as at the descriptive names for Jesus found in it.
It is an extremely elusive commodity in contemporary culture, but the Christmas story confronts us with the possibility of ‘great joy’ in spite of stress, depression, anxiety, and fear. This is a miracle purchased by Christ and enacted by the Holy Spirit.
The Christmas story is for “all the people.” That “ALL” is intergenerational, interracial, and intercultural. No matter who you are, however, be sure you are forgiven and saved!
The hymn Come Thou Long Long Expected Jesus points both to the long anticipated waiting season before Christ came to Earth and the hopeful arrival to our eventual eternal home.
Feeling down when other are celebrating? God is with you in your circumstance. He is the God who gives comfort and peace. He can be the reason you celebrate the holidays even during stress and loneliness.
As Christians, we are called to encourage and inspire others in their gifts. The story of Mary and Elizabeth is a powerful example that encouragement is a Spirit-inspired gift we can offer. How can you be an encouragement to someone today?
Jesus is the perfect gift. He does not forget us. He came to this world to give his life as the ultimate gift.
Christmas is all about God’s plan to be with us. One of Jesus’ names is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” It isn’t just for Christmas time. God wants to be with you today and forever.
Christ is the light of the world. He came to free us from the darkness of sin and death. Christmas is a time to celebrate the light, hope, peace and love we have found in Jesus.
God’s Spirit guides us, creates divine appointments for us, and reveals Jesus to us. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus in the Temple, all of that Holy Spirit activity converged on one thing -- a crucified but risen Savior!
The Spirit of God who fills us also wants to speak through us. And when he does, he puts the spotlight on Jesus who is the center of history itself -- past, present and future.
There is no age or gender or racial discrimination when it comes to God giving us his Spirit. The Christmas story foretells it and in Jesus we can experience it!
The Christmas promise to Mary was a Son conceived of the Holy Spirit. That Son, Jesus, would grow up to teach about the possibility of new birth in all of our lives by that same Spirit! Have you been born again?
Amid the anxious and angry debates over abortion in America today, the Christmas story brings us back to a startling reality -- the baby in Elizabeth’s womb was a person who would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth!
Though our story may begin with tears, it can end with joy. Jesus not only gives and forgives, but he also restores. The place of desolation can become the home of abundance in our lives!
No one, believer or atheist, can get away from the goodness of God. Every good thing ultimately comes from him. Thankfulness is therefore one of the ways that we can live in the conscious awareness of Jesus’ love and activity in our lives.
We thank God directly by remembering his goodness and praising him. But we thank God indirectly by serving others and being generous with our time and money. How so? Because it causes others to thank God in return. Our generosity perpetuates thanksgiving!
The national hymn of Israel confessed the unfailing love of God. Declaring that truth in praise and thanksgiving gave place to the coming of God’s glory and his saving work on their behalf.
The gateway to living in the promise and presence of God is thanksgiving. It is like going on a divine treasure hunt. Thanksgiving remembers both what he has done for us and the covenant that he has made with us in Jesus.
Is there hope for restoration when the problems that ruined us are our own fault? Does the Lord’s anger in judgment last forever? Can he truly renew our days? The darkest book in the Bible says “YES!”
We can truly find the Lord in the seeming hopelessness of our pain. It is good to wait on him, it is good to hope in him -- his love won’t give out on us. These are the life-giving perspectives that ironically lie in the middle of the most mournful book of the Bible.
Like a jewel in a pile of soot, the middle of the book of Lamentations yields one of the most beloved hymns ever written. And underlying it is the loving sacrifice of Jesus himself.
The call to grieve over our sin is the pathway for God coming near to us. It’s more than hype, entertainment or celebration. It’s a humbling of ourselves before the God who can lift us up.
There is a time when people of faith need to weep, to wail and to grieve. Loss runs deep and sin runs rampant. Can we remain unmoved and unconcerned?
That day in Capernaum, when Jesus had set free a demoniac and healed a gravely ill woman, when evening came, the Miracle Worker showered the city with His glory.
Any middle eastern woman of the 1st century knew all about hospitality and her responsibilities for it. Peter and his friends were coming. Jesus of Nazareth, of whom she had no doubt heard, was coming with them. Peter’s mother-in-law was seriously sick and unable to respond – to host them … until Jesus arrived!
The synagogue attendees notice that the speaker, Jesus of Nazareth, spoke with unusual authority. The scope of that authority was about to be on full display and an unnamed man miraculously delivered.
Neither royalty nor riches can insulate from life’s trials and tragedies. A young son lay dying, an anxious father travelled the steep, rugged path to Cana of Galilee. There he found Jesus and asked Him to take control!
The idyllic picture of a young couple entering into marriage, traditional feast of celebration, and suddenly the scenario of lasting shame, ridicule, and ostracism confronts them. Then Jesus confronts the problem — and prevails.
Our civic responsibility to pay taxes, to respect authorities and, in a free society, to vote -- they are all embedded in the ethics of a Jesus-transformed life. We do not worship countries or deify government leaders, but we practice good citizenship as an outflow of a Jesus-changed heart.
“Good works” is the theme of Paul’s letter to Titus. Good works do not earn us salvation but they are the follow-through to it. A ‘saved’ life becomes a ‘productive’ life as we engage our world in real ways and influence the people around us.
Is Christian unity even possible given the social rifts and politicized passions that have seeped into the church? What do we need to stop doing and what do we need to start doing? Is there any hope for a divided church?
To be ‘saved’ by God is to encounter all three persons of the Trinity in a life-transforming transaction of spiritual renewal. Nowhere is it described better than here in Titus 3, leaving us with nothing less than eternal hope itself!
Theology and ethics are always tied together in the New Testament. “The grace of God” inevitably leads to people who are “eager to do what is good.” And at the end of it all is our “blessed hope.”
Respect for authority has become a lost value in the western world. We respect accomplishment, talent, beauty and charisma, but are cynical of authority. How is a follower of Jesus to understand this -- both at work and in the public arena?
Whether you are young or old, male or female -- God calls you to self-control, integrity and faith. This is the fruit of the transforming power of Jesus. It is also a witness to a watching world of the truth of the gospel itself.
In a culture of excessive tolerance, “love me but don’t judge me” becomes a convenient escape from facing the toxic issues in our lives. People who will love us enough to tell us the truth are our friends, not our enemies.
Our disillusionment over the lives of some leaders should never make us cynical about the possibilities of a genuinely transformed life in Jesus. Thank God for Spirit-filled people who do live consistent lives!
We no longer belong to ourselves as Christians. We are each called to be servants of Jesus with certain specific ministry callings. All of this is in light of his soon return and the hope of eternal life.
Our God is a provider! He is generous to the core and knows how to take care of us. What do you need from him? Trust him to supply your needs in all of the ways that he sees fit.
To be alone in our suffering--to feel that no one cares--only deepens our pain and heightens our despair. Yet God’s promise to us is that he does care and will be there!
We can trust the Lord to direct us in two ways: the wisdom that he imparts to us and his sovereignty over what we cannot control. His promise is to lead us!
If we are ‘in Christ’, other people do not define us, our successes and failures do not define us, and even what we think about ourselves does not define us. Instead, we are children of our Heavenly Father.
We do not stand on what we feel, or on the opinions that we might have, or even on our past experiences. We stand on the promises of God. That is the foundation to life in Christ and in the power of his Spirit.
Here at the end of our study of Zechariah we encounter the living reality of NEW. The old order will have been swept away, the marginalized and oppressed will have been lifted up and Jesus will be King!
In the end we will all be accountable to our Creator. That is bad news for us because we have all sinned and fallen short of him. But that same Jesus who will judge the world came first to be our refuge from judgment.
In an age of moral relativism, religious pluralism, and aggressive secularism it is easy to lose sight of Jesus’ ultimate triumph. But take courage and have hope -- we haven’t seen the end of the story yet!
Jesus is coming again! Everything changes because of this -- our priorities, our allegiances, our identities and our mission. We live in that hope, and it makes all the difference.
What image of God do you have? Many live with a sense that God has a club to hit them whenever they step out of line. But God struck his own Son instead!
“There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb.” It’s a song that’s been sung by millions over the years, but what does it mean? Zechariah gives us the liberating explanation. Christ’s shed blood became a fountain of life!
The piercing of Jesus at the Cross for our sins was foreseen by the prophet Zechariah 400 years before it happened. His death was not an accident, but a deliberate act of God’s love. And we are the beneficiaries!
The ultimate confrontation is coming! The anti-Christ against the true Christ; darkness against light; idolatry against holiness; injustice against righteousness. And who will win? Zechariah got it right--and we need to listen!
The second half of Zechariah is quoted often by the gospel writers when describing the last week of Jesus’ life. The Cross of Christ is more than an unfortunate religious martyrdom. It has been God’s plan from the beginning to restore us to himself.
There are three characteristics of God’s resorting work in Jesus -- freedom from disqualifying guilt, joy in the Lord, and divine strength by the power of the Spirit. God’s word to Israel pictures all of this!
God’s care will mark his rulership when Christ comes again to our world. But what about right now? Here’s an inspiring short list of hope!
There is a coming day when God’s trumpet will sound and Jesus will return to our world. The old order of things will be put away and we will shine like jewels in his crown! We can hang our self-esteem on these verses!
The prophetic preciseness of the Old Testament is amazing! What is now known as Palm Sunday was described in detail hundreds of years before it took place. It points to who Jesus really is.
God has worked throughout history to find a place to dwell among those created in his image. From a garden to a family to a nation to his living church and ultimately to a heavenly city. In Jesus, that can include you!
While the church in the western world seems to be losing influence, respect, and adherents, God is not finished! Jesus said “I will build my church.” Just like the promise to ancient Jerusalem, may it yet be true that “nations will come…to seek the Lord.”
By God’s design, our relationships with each other are hard-wired into our spirituality. That is why injustice, unforgiveness and abuse are inconsistent with our devotion to Christ.
We can know Jesus as both our Savior and Lord, our sacrificial Priest and the King of our lives. Yet when Jesus returns, his Kingship will extend to the whole earth! It is our worship and our work in missions that anticipate that day.
As in ancient Jerusalem, we all have a ‘north.’ Not a true north, but a vulnerable north. Yet, in Christ, the dominion of sin has been defeated and the power of the Spirit has been given to secure those most vulnerable areas of our lives.
Babylon is synonymous with a world system of excess consumption and immoral behavior that God will ultimately bring to judgment when Jesus returns. How attached to that system are you?
Sin generally falls into two categories -- wrongs in relationship to people and wrongs in relationship to God. As he promised ancient Israel, God will ultimately expose both kinds of sin, starting with his own house!
God is not limited by smallness or weakness. Our limitations do not limit him. So let’s not “despise the day of small things” but go hard after the glory of Jesus -- our Priest and King.
What is unfinished in your life? What mountains still stand in your way? No matter the answer, God’s purposes in your life can still be accomplished -- “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”
Jesus has become our High Priest. He is the reason that we can access God’s presence with freedom and confidence, not hesitation and insecurity.
As the Temple was being rebuilt, God pictured the work of grace that can transform the way we see ourselves and relate to God. And Jesus is at the center of that story!
We are the apple of God’s eye! At times we may wonder if he has forgotten our names and lost our addresses, but the Lord has roused himself on our behalf. He proved it in Christ.
Despair can feel overwhelming, but hope is even greater! The Lord is sovereign over the nations of the world. Jesus will build his church and He will come again to reign in triumphant over the nations!
Are you desperate for restoration? Do you feel that you have failed God beyond hope? Listen to the promise of the Lord!
There is a genius to God’s Word. It is “God-breathed” in its content, and even in its structure. Zechariah illustrates this, reminding us of the beauty of the word of the Lord.
God’s grace can never be divorced from human responsibility. Although Jesus is always extending forgiveness and restoring power, our choosing to put ourselves first will block his life-giving work.
As we begin a Bible Study adventure through the Old Testament book of Zechariah, what is the purpose of prophecy in the first place? Is it merely to predict the future, or can it change our lives today?
You don’t need to be a pastor to be a minister! A crippling myth that has weakened the church is that pastors are paid to do the ministry for us. But Jesus' plan is that leaders of his church equip everyone for the work of the ministry.
The church is more than an organization, an institution or a missional agency. It is no less than Christ’s own bride. And Jesus, the bridegroom, will return to take us to himself as his own.
While people in western culture find it fashionable to write off the church and embarrass those who identify with it, Peter confidently declares, “But you are a chosen people!”
Jesus did not say, “You will build my church.” He said, “I will build my church.” So what is our part? Surely we dare not cross the line and try to build Christ’s church in our strength or ability.
The spirit of our times has been to love Jesus but hate the church. So how would the New Testament writers have understood that? And what would Jesus think about it?
We continue the topic of friendship. God declared it is not good to be alone. The support we receive from true friendships increases the likelihood of both physical and psychological well being. Friendships can serve as a buffer in life’s most challenging stressors. Friendship is reciprocal. Are you the kind of friend you need in your life?
We continue the topic of friendship. We show love for a friend by caring for them. We stick with a friend in good and bad times. Good friends will encourage each other to grow deeper in relationship with the Lord.
We continue the topic of friendship. Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the gospel two by two. Interestingly, he told them to take nothing for the journey except a staff–no bread, bag or money. However, Jesus did send them out with a friend.
We continue the topic of friendship. Faithful friends are important in our lives. Faithful friends will take action to help you. They will propel you, not derail you. Most importantly, faithful friends will point you to Jesus.
This week, Central pastors will be discussing the important spiritual issue of friendship. God’s Word contains many instructions on friendship between people and friendship with God. May we serve one another as true friends. May we be grateful for our friendship with God.
Some people have a supernatural gift of giving. That gift is fueled by selfless motives. So here is God’s word to those who have the gift of giving: “Go for it!”
Our priorities can easily become self-serving and self-absorbed. Yet to live freely is to live God’s priorities, to whom we are ultimately accountable. We can put his Kingdom “above all else.”
Money is the only thing to which Jesus gives almost god-like status. We cannot serve both; we have to choose. But money’s power and control over our lives can be renounced and repented of.
In the words of Pastor Rob Ketterling, “hearts touched by God respond with a tenth.” This takes tithing out of the realm of legalism and imbeds it in our discipleship. Lord, touch our hearts and give us open hands!
The forbidden subject in many churches is money. But giving is not ultimately about churches trying to get your money. It is a discipleship issue that leads back to our own hearts.
We have free will, but God remains sovereign. How can both be true? The pathway to living that tension is humility -- and it is a sovereignly freeing adventure!
Are you in a crisis of faith? Do you seem not to know what to do with God? Then Psalm 73 is your Psalm! Let it take you to life’s bottom line.
Some call this Canada’s Psalm. It is where the nation’s name “Dominion of Canada” came from. More importantly, however, does the King of Kings have dominion in your life?
Growing old is not for the weak of heart! And yet God has a word for the elderly among us--a word of affirmation, commission, and promise.
Powerful things happen when the testimonies of the writers of Scripture become our stories as well. There we find endurance, hope, and the faithfulness of God.
Praise -- Prayer -- Pardon -- Presence -- Power -- Provision -- Prosperity. These words are more than the thematic divisions of an amazing Psalm. They can actually describe the story of our lives.
Being hungry for God, having a soul-thirst for the living water of the Spirit, being desperate to see the glory of God in our day -- these are the longings that birth breakthrough and revival. We will find that his loving-kindness is, indeed, better than life!
When the vast majority of Americans do not think the country is heading in the right direction--and when so many problems seem to elude solutions--where is God? What might he be saying to us? And what should we be saying to him?
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” May that declaration be emblazoned on our hearts -- on the hearts of our children as well as our own hearts. May fear lose and faith win!
Few things hurt more than being betrayed by someone we love. Spouses who are unfaithful, children who turn their backs on us, fellow employees who undermine us to get ahead -- the list is long. So where do we turn?
Spiritual blindness is all around us. It is more than intellectual doubt or religious disillusionment. At its heart is demonic deception fueled by the distorting effects of the sin choices we make.
Repentance may have become an obsolete word in our culture and an avoided word in our churches, but it is still the doorway to spiritual renewal and revival. God will not despise a humble, repentant heart!
It’s time for a praise break! We’re not asking for anything. We’re not desperately crying out for something. Instead, the worship music is on and praise is going up and our God rules supreme!
Our souls seem to always be rushing, hurrying, pushing -- surrounded by noise and driven by anxiety and confusion. But the ancient prescription has not changed: “Be still and know that I am God.”
The tension found in Psalm 44 is what the Apostle Paul uses to put Christian persecution into perspective. What do we do when we do right and still suffer for it?
Are you feeling down or even fighting depression? Psalms 42 and 43 take us on a journey of emotional honesty but, ultimately, lasting hope and restored joy.
Because of Christ’s obedience to his Heavenly Father we, too, can have a new song in our hearts. All of this is embedded in a Psalm written centuries before Christ but quoted by the New Testament writers as prophetically pointing to Christ.
Comparing ourselves with worldly people who are more successful, more prosperous, or more popular is a temptation for most of us. But the Lord gives us a pathway for being uniquely who we are while staying faithful to him.
The fear of the Lord and submission to his will do not play well in western culture any more. Yet, in the face of human arrogance, the Lord’s love remains far reaching and priceless.
The ‘imprecatory’ psalms wish harm and judgment on wrong-doers. They do not, at first glance, seem consistent with Jesus’ teaching to love our enemies. So what do we do with them?
Praise both precedes victories and follows victories. It redirects our focus from our strengths to God’s capacity. May the idolatry of self-dependence be broken in our lives!
Forgiveness has been called our greatest need and God’s greatest triumph. When the guilt and burden of sin is lifted off of us, freedom and life begins to pour into our lives.
Anxiety is generally related to things that we cannot control. Yet the Lord is our refuge, hiding us in himself and taking our times into his own hands.
Are you walking through difficult times that are hard to understand? Are you searching for a solid reference point for hope? May Psalms 30 be one that fills your heart with healing faith.
What enables us to walk without fear through life? It’s two things -- settled theological convictions that govern our thinking and hungry hearts that wait on the Lord.
Perhaps the most famous psalm ever written, the Shepherd’s Psalm brings us to the place of restoration, reassurance, and renewal. It is the picture of a living in a way that takes on life’s threats without fear and with hope.
The 22nd Psalm became Jesus’ psalm as he suffered on the cross. It is a remarkable prophetic picture of what Jesus endured. But, in the end, it declares that God will not forsake us!
Have you ever had blessings pronounced over your life? May the realities of the pronounced blessings of Psalm 20 not only nourish and resource our lives, but may they detach us from reliance on our own resources.
Words have great power, and God’s words are unparalleled in their beauty and power. So what about the words of our mouths?
There is no distance with God. No matter where we are or what we are facing, our voice can reach his ears!
Today we look at a psalm that hopefully has our names written all over it. It is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, but, in him, it becomes our story as well.
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: The year 2022 has not been getting easier -- crime, opiod deaths, mass shootings, inflation, gas prices, human atrocities being inflicted on the people of Ukraine, Covid surges, supply chain and worker shortages, an overwhelming crisis at the southern border. Let’s be honest and lament in prayer -- but let us also never lose sight of God’s loving kindness and goodness!
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: The foundations morally and socially of our nation are being shaken. So do we run for shelter or do we seek to live out the purposes of God in our decaying world?
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: The plight of the victim is never outside of God’s notice and care. May we also hear the cries of innocent victims who need to be protected and defended.
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: Victories feel wonderful -- and may we never take them for granted. But, more importantly, may they always remind us of the God who never forsakes those who seek him!
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: Many make it their habit to begin their days with prayer. We see that same pattern in David’s life as he anticipates God’s joy and favor no matter what each day might bring.
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: The third Psalm is like an altar call. It is based on the mercy of God and his ability to hear our cries. So we are called to know… tremble… search…offer…and trust.
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: There are times when we have to simply turn our critics over to the Lord and put our doubts into his hands. Around us, in us, and above us -- that is how encompassing his protection can be!
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: The second Psalm made it all the way into the New Testament! King Herod and Pontius Pilate fulfilled the first part of this Psalm, and Jesus is living out the rest. Whose side are you on?
SUMMER WITH THE PSALMS: How we live matters. That is where the book of Psalms starts. It’s a call to reform the things we pay attention to, the choices we make, and the affections that shape our hearts.
What would it be like to never act out of selfish ambition or self-interest? What if we did everything in love? That is the adventure that life in Christ invites us to!
It’s easy to not feel strong. There is a lot to intimidate us and make us feel out-muscled. Yet we can walk in strength not our own. It’s a place of humble confidence and unflinching faith.
Courage has become an under-rated commodity in a culture that enshrines conformity and demands political correctness. Instead, may spiritual heroes arise who blend compassion with conviction and wisdom with courage.
Faith can erode, be compromised, and deconstruct. Yet truth does not change and gospel faith is not subject to our day-to-day feelings or experiences. Instead we can stand firm in the faith.
It’s actually possible to lose what we presently have in Christ. So the call of God to each Spirit-filled, Jesus-following believer is to “be on your guard.”
What have you started for the Lord that you perhaps have not finished? Or have you drifted from God’s call on your life to make a difference for him? You may not be alone. Meet Archippus -- as well as a famous church!
Men often feel inferior to women when it comes to prayer. Yet here is an incredibly masculine metaphor for the fight of faith and a life of prayer.
Who are the important people in your life, without whom you could not do what you do? Paul had them in his life, and his honoring of them says much about our life together in the Lord.
Backed up by how we live, there must also be a clear articulation of the gospel. However, that witness to non-Christian family members and friends is not to be harsh, reckless or careless.
It’s not selfish to ask for prayer. Paul did it intentionally and often. Make sure there are people in your life who know specifically how to pray for you.
Submission is a hated and reviled concept in contemporary western culture. Often it is associated only with victimization and abuse. Yet submission marks every Jesus-centered relationship that we have.
Jesus’ life can saturate our everyday living. This week, take on job responsibilities, relationships, chores, and recreational activities because of Jesus, for Jesus, and to the glory of Jesus.
The litmus test of a holy heart is not necessarily found in emotional feelings or inspirational moments. It is found in how we love others in between those moments.
There is an ‘old self’ that needs to be put off and a ‘new self’ that can be put on in Christ. The health of our souls requires that some things die in order for new things to live.
There is a lifestyle in Christ that can prove elusive because of Christian busyness, external pressures to perform, and religiously driven striving. But what about a Jesus-attentive, Spirit-filled life?
There can be a wide gap between external discipline and internal transformation. Rules do not transform us, but Jesus' life in us can!
Let's not chase shadows. That is always a danger when it comes to spiritual pursuits, but nothing can replace Jesus living in us and through us!
Death, burial and resurrection—that was the path of Jesus, and it is the life-transforming journey that we also take when we put our faith in him. No more debt! No more defeat!
What might be replacing Christ in your life? Could it be something that is even cloaked in religious activity? Don’t let those substitutes or counterfeits make you miss Jesus!
Mentors and encouragers are powerful influences in our lives. Surprisingly, some of them can even be people we have never personally met!
Was Jesus’ suffering on the cross enough? If so, why would the Apostle Paul refer to what seems to be lacking in Christ’s sufferings?
Our good works cannot reconcile us to God. That is why we need Jesus. But is our life with Jesus eternally secure, or can we lose it?
There is no one like Jesus, and it is Colossians 1 that gives us one of the most comprehensive descriptions of his identity and mission.
Given that we cannot earn God’s grace, what does it mean to please God? Paul gives us four specific characteristics of a life lived worthy of the Lord.
Faith, hope and love -- the big three in God’s Kingdom. With those the Apostle Paul starts his letter to the Colossians, launching us on a multi-week Bible Study adventure.
Our last stop for The Central Moment in Israel is at the recently excavated synagogue at Magdala, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. In Jesus' ministry here, he would have encountered Mary Magdalene and changed the course of her life. Seeing this unearthed synagogue in person symbolizes the ongoing reality of Jesus... his life, his ministry, his death and resurrection, and his desire to change our lives still today.
The Central Moment comes to you today from the headwaters of the Jordan River at Tel Dan, where we are reminded that in the depths of our despair, there's something even deeper: the Spirit of God that flows up from the ground as a river of life.
Join Dr. Jim Bradford today atop Mt. Carmel in Israel, where Elijah drew a line in the sand by calling fire down from Heaven in the face of the prophets of Baal. You may be battling doubt, but God sometimes calls us to draw a line in the sand and decide to trust Him and see what He can do!
The Central Moment continues at Caesarea by the Sea in Israel. Paul's time in Caesarea before his departure for Rome was marked by his influence of Governor Felix, taking opportunities to talk with him about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Those may not be the most popular subjects, but they are subjects that require Jesus. In the middle of such Pagan surroundings, Paul spoke truth, conviction, and—most importantly—the hope of Jesus Christ.
Let's remember that in the times we feel we've been put on a shelf and can't understand why our circumstances are holding us back... God's timing is not our timing. Our best move is to continue trusting in Him and His promises.
Jesus at the center of it all! He is the center of his church, preached among the nations and coming again! All of life finds its reference point and meaning relative to him.
In a ‘love me but don’t judge me’ culture many resent the idea that God would judge. But the real question is ‘Why would he have mercy on any of us?’ Let’s never lose the wonder of God’s grace to us.
We tend to measure everything -- dimensions, sizes, weights, time, distances. But there are some things that cannot be measured, that ‘immeasurable’ world that Jesus invites us into.
Here is a verse to carry with you--in spite of your circumstances and no matter how you feel! It keeps us thinking theologically about our lives, not emotionally.
Sometimes praise just breaks out! It certainly happened as the Apostle Paul was writing -- especially when God’s big picture unfolded!
The cycle of Peter's life is a story with dramatic events and consequences, and it ultimately leads to the message of the gospel being open to every nation, tribe, and tongue.
Like Peter we've all had our failures and shortcomings, but when someone needed to step forward with God's anointing and lead, Peter did. In that moment, we see the call of God on his life bring him to prominent, dramatic leadership.
After covering his dramatic personality, and his dramatic failures, we finally get to talk about Peter's dramatic restoration. The amazing grace of God that restored Peter is still—and always—available to us.
Peter's dramatic personality was accompanied by dramatic fears. He learned the hard way that when we take our eyes off of Jesus when times seem difficult, our fear will sink us every time!
Of all the dramatic personalities in the Bible, Peter may be at the top of the list. He would probably find a very successful place in the modern television landscape as a conflicted protagonist. This week Pastor Don Tucker considers Peter’s role in scripture, specifically the events of Holy Week, and how we may find some similarities in our own lives.
Many have tried to make Jesus into a social reformer, a social justice advocate, a liberation theologian, and even a political revolutionary. But Jesus shattered all of those limiting categories when he proclaimed, “The Kingdom of God has come near.”
In the words of Bishop Charles Blake, may the Lord give you a net-breaking, boat sinking miracle today! And may it happen in the very places where our own efforts have failed!
“Receive the Holy Spirit.” Those were the words of Jesus to his disciples as he breathed resurrection life into them on the evening that he rose again. It was not yet the day of Pentecost, so what was happening to them?
Have you ever experienced something too good to be true? For Jesus’ disciples on the first evening of his resurrection, that moment would only be the beginning.
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” There is a resonance and a fire to Biblical truth. God’s Spirit and God’s Word always work together!
“Turn the lights off when you are done.” Have you ever been told that? That’s what God did on Good Friday. He turned the lights out as Jesus finished on the Cross all that was needed for our forgiveness and transformation.
The events of Palm Sunday were no coincidence. They were prophesied 500 years earlier by Zechariah. They also set the course to the cross for Christ a few days later. So who will praise him? Who will follow him? Who will be changed by him?
When Jesus pays attention to the most hated man in town, it’s time to sit up and take notice! Zaccheaeus may have been short, but he stands tall when it comes to what will always be the mission of Jesus!
The remarkable feature of Christ’s Kingdom is that no one is disqualified from his healing touch. There are no cultural, racial, gender, or economic barriers that Christ cannot reach past. That is the miracle of grace!
The exclusiveness of the Christian claims are not popularly accepted. After all, aren’t there many ways to God? And yet the greatest moral teacher in history answered “no.” That is because he is more than a teacher. He’s a Savior, addressing the issues of eternal life in a way no other religion does.
There is a religious spirit in the land that counterfeits the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s rules without relationship; laws without love; conviction without compassion; tradition without transformation; judgmentalism without love. But then comes Jesus!
Consumer cultures can easily threaten our spiritual vitality and redefine the meaning of life. We need to again hear the forceful and piercing words of Jesus: “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
It is not wrong to be shamelessly persistent when you pray. It’s not a sign of unbelief to pray more than once for something. Yet that does not mean that God is unwilling to answer. Indeed, more than we could ever imagine, he wants to give us the Holy Spirit’s power.
Sometimes the most basic things are the most profound ones. In spite of the importance of the mission that Jesus calls us to or the spiritual authority that we can walk in, nothing beats the bottom line of being saved and belonging to Jesus!
At the risk of looking like he is both contradicting himself and breaking Old Testament Law, Jesus imposes a radical call to follow him at all costs. Being a Jesus-follower is not a matter of convenience, preference, or privilege. It is an ‘all in’ proposition.
What we think to be ‘righteous indignation’ can too easily be laced with self-serving offenses and self-centered prejudices. There is a place for anger, but hoping that our enemies will be harmed does not reflect the heart of God. Vengeance belongs to him alone.
Where do you live? It’s likely a place near a road, perhaps in a rural community or maybe in the heart of a large city. But where could the Creator of the universe ever live? What house could ever contain him? Well, the answer is surprising but life-giving!
Do you memorize and quote Scripture? Jesus did, although it sometimes got him in trouble--like when he visited his home town. But because of it we understand Jesus’ ministry and our participation in it through the Holy Spirit.
Is God’s arm shorter than it used to be, or his ear more deaf than it was? That’s the penetrating question Isaiah puts in front of us, bringing us face to face with our own hearts. And yet, when all seems lost, God steps in.
Are you fed up with God-substitutes that leave you emptier than when you started? Are you tired of trying to control things that you realistically have no power over? Will you respond to God’s Isaiah 55 altar call?
Hundreds of years before it happened, Isaiah prophesied the death and resurrection of Jesus with stunning accuracy. But even more, he gives us the “Why?” behind the “What?” It’s what can change your life.
God’s “if only’s” are a sign of his broken heart over our stubborn wills. Spiritual drift, compromised hearts, and habitual disobedience--they will ultimately erode our peace and steal our joy. Yet God’s altar call remains steady--remember, repent and return!
Does praying for political and government leaders really make a difference? How can God use people who do not even know or follow him? How does God’s sovereign will interface with the choices of sinful human leaders? Prepare to be amazed!
In exchange for our sinful state, Jesus forgives us and pours his Spirit upon us. What will happen globally some day can right now be a reality in our lives through Christ. That proposition is totally unprecedented in religious thinking!
Sometimes it’s hard to understand God’s silence and apparent inaction. Why doesn’t he always speak? Why do answers to prayer not always come like we think they should? But God is always doing something, whether we see it or not. In the end, he will not forsake us!
Given life’s challenges, it is important that we think theologically about our lives--not emotionally. To make that possible we have the promises of God and many Biblical declarations of faith that we can stand on. Isaiah 41 is rich with confidence builders and faith confessions!
There are few chapters in the Bible that extol the greatness of God like Isaiah 40. When we lose the perspective of his greatness we lose our reference points in life and put far too much pressure on ourselves.
The Bible has 66 books -- 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Many see Isaiah as having the same structure. With chapter 40 comes the prediction of the ministry of John the Baptist and the coming of the Messiah. “Here is your God!” becomes the triumphant declaration embodied in Jesus for everyone of us.
What if, on your deathbed, God promised you 15 more years of life? How would you use those years? Would you end them well? Learn what could happen from an ancient king to whom this happened.
The Father of Lies (the devil) constantly blasphemes the living God and tries to persuade us of our own demise--overwhelming us with hopelessness. But the Lord sees, he speaks into it, and he turns the enemy back on behalf of those who are his own.
God’s restoring promises are at the heart of his work in the world, not just his judgments. A day is coming where there will be, figuratively speaking, streams in the desert and a Highway of Holiness that we will travel with joy.
Waiting on the Lord is not like pacing back and forth at a bus stop, impatiently waiting for the bus to arrive. To wait on God is to hope in him, to pay attention to him and only him, and to participate in the power of his renewing Spirit.
The affections of our hearts do not always match the external expressions of our worship. But the Lord reveals himself to us still. And when we do not understand his ways, he gives us perspective that settles our hearts.
There is a longing in the human soul for something transcendent, something divine that fills the God-created space deep within each of us. Waiting on the Lord, trusting in him and yearning for him become the language of our hearts.
Many struggle with the idea of God’s judgment. They may be passionate about justice in society, but they hesitate when it comes to God being just. Yet his judgments will make way for a new order in which death is gone and life has come.
Are you weary? Are you spiritually thirsty? Do you need refreshing? God’s invitation is to come and drink from his life-giving fountain, to “draw water from the wells of salvation.”
Jesus is coming to reign and rule on the earth! What human leaders have never been able to do, he will do. He will bring global peace and fill the world with the knowledge and worship of him!
More than religious busyness and human hype, having a vision of God in his holiness and glory will melt us down and remake us. The bottom line in our lives will become his way, not our way; his mission, not our distractions or self-made machinations.
Sometimes we need the bad news before we can appreciate the good news. To the Old Testament prophets, we are the bad news -- our wandering hearts, our sinful habits and our erring affections. But then God steps in!
Wealth, technology, mobility, spiritism -- they permeated Old Testament Israel and they permeate today’s America. Yet a day of reckoning is coming, the Day of the Lord. All that is proud will be brought low and the Lord alone will be exalted!
What is it about our worship that might sicken God’s heart? What would make him weary of our singing and our church activities? It’s our claim to love him while not living for him and ignoring those around us. But God's invitation remains open: “Come now, let us settle the matter.”
Crystal Martin closes out this Valentine's week in Song of Songs with a final look at the power of love so beautifully expressed through this poetic book.
Pastor Sarah Marsiglio returns today with three important questions we should be asking ourselves as it relates to our relationship with Christ: Who is Christ to you? Have you accepted that you are His beloved? What are you doing with the intimacy accessible to you?
Today, Pastor Jill McDaniel helps us see how the story of Song of Songs is a picture of love that grows and matures over time. May we find the same security as we pursue a deeper relationship with Christ.
Crystal Martin continues our look through Song of Songs this Valentine's week as we celebrate the beauty, joy, and safety of love between God-created man and woman.
Today we welcome Pastor Sarah Marsiglio to The Central Moment as we kick off a Valentine's week look at Song of Songs, and the implications this book of love poetry has for believers.
Jesus goes with us to work. He redeems our attitudes towards those we work for, as well as those who work for us. And, ultimately, He reminds us who it is who really holds our paycheck!
Few influences are more critical to the healthy development of a child than the nurturing of loving parents. In an age of cynicism and disrespect, children need to hear the word of the Lord to obey their parents, and parents need to hear the word of the Lord to not anger their children, but to instruct and train them in the Lord.
Marriage between a man and a woman is the closest picture on earth of the relationship that Christ seeks to have with his church. It is personal, intimate, lasting, and holy. So let’s give marriage our best -- loving and respecting each other in Jesus’ name.
Love is contagious -- especially the love of God. Having been loved and forgiven unconditionally by Jesus, how can we not extend the same to others? We love each other because he first loved us!
Let’s love people in such a way that Jesus himself feels the love! Jesus so identifies with his living church and his beloved children that he personalizes what is done to them as if it were done to him. May we see every relationship through that lens.
In a world with millions of people who have no access to the gospel, the mission of Jesus must become our priority. Christ’s promise, in turn, is that he will be “with us” as his witnessing, missional church. The task before us to make disciples of all nations is therefore doable!
God’s calling on our lives is a mark of God’s sovereign choice, before we were ever born. But for us to live that calling out we need the reality of God’s greatest promise: “I will be with you.” That promise makes our insecurities irrelevant and our impossibilities meaningless!
Out of his mercy God sent his Son Jesus to reach us, save us and be with us. Christ in us is greater than anything around us. His promise to be with us gives us faith-filled courage and overcoming victory.
The promise of God to be with us calls us to a life of trust. God is searching the earth for trusting, open hearts. If we seek after him, he will allow himself to be found and we can live the miracle of ‘God with us.’
We can either have the Spirit of God upon our lives or the spirit of darkness. The promise of God to be with us still leaves us with a choice -- will it be Jesus’ way or the world’s way? Will it be God’s Spirit upon us or his Spirit departing from us?
There are times in our lives when God strips us down, overwhelms us, leaves us with few human resources and then declares: “I am with you.” That is the prescription for the supernatural!
Some things we need to let go in order to courageously move on. We can’t live in the past but we must keep moving forward. The key to that courage is God’s timeless promise, “I will be with you.”
We never want to settle for God’s promises without his presence. It’s God’s presence that sets us apart and makes life worth it. Like Moses, we hunger for God’s glory more than for anything that he could bless us with.
In our spiritual insecurity we often default to the question, “Who am I that God would call me or bless me?” But the promise of God to be with us changes the equation. It’s not who we are but who He is in all of his sufficiency.
One of the greatest promises that God can give us is that he will be with us. No matter the new seasons we may be entering or the new challenges we may be facing, the assurance that we are not alone is what secures us.
We are established in new life by the gospel’s truth and relevance. The word ‘gospel’ means ‘good news’ -- the good news of Jesus’ grace, of God’s love and of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Loving God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what keeps us under the grace of God and unified in peace with each other. This is how the church of Jesus Christ thrives, prevails, and advances.
Lord, let me be totally set apart to you -- spirit, soul and body. May the certainty of your soon return be the ultimate reference point of my life. And may the sanctifying power of your Spirit be real in me today.
What a prayer -- “Lord, work in me what is pleasing to you!” It’s a prayer that can shape and energize every day of our lives. We encounter it in one of the most theologically comprehensive benedictions of the New Testament.
What if you were to wrap up all that God wants for your life in one sentence? It’s done in an Old Testament benediction and confirmed in a New Testament benediction. It is also one of the most well loved benedictions of all time.
Friendships, opportunities to be together, God-ordained ministry moments -- all of these are worthy of prayer. And the God who hears and answers can keep our hearts filled and even overflowing with love. /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
It’s easier to start well than to finish well. We all know this. But Paul prays with confidence that God is both willing and able to finish what he has started in our lives./// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
What does it mean to please God? At the end of a powerful prayer, the Apostle Paul lists four answers to that question. They serve as a guide for our Christian walk and discipleship./// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
It can be a life-changing experience to know that you are loved. The revelation of God’s love, in fact, is the open door to all of God’s fullness in our lives. He can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine!/// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
How would the Apostle Paul pray for you or your church if he was still alive and knew you? He would probably start the same place that he did praying for the Ephesian church -- for hope, blessings, and power./// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
Because Jesus is preeminent, He is above all things and reigns over everything. Lord Jesus, be first in all we think and do! /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
Because Jesus is divine, we recognize that He is fully God and Lord of all. We invite you, Jesus, to be entirely divine in our own lives today. /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
Because Jesus took on human form, we're able to trust Him. He truly knows, understands, and sympathizes with our humanness. /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
Because Jesus is beautiful, we reflect on how His beauty is seen in creation and in specific ways in our lives. /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
We use the word "awesome" a lot, but Jesus is the one who is truly awesome. With that in mind, let's pray together today that familiarity won't erode our appreciation of who Christ is, but will instead reawaken an astonished awe of his power in our lives. /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
On this last day of 2021, we thank God for past blessings and look ahead to future breakthroughs. Above all, may the One of whom our Heavenly Father said he was ‘well pleased’ live strongly within us! ///
What are you longing for in this new year? Is it success, status, money, recognition? Those things are spiritual junk food. Instead, may we have such a hunger for God that nothing becomes more important than the increase of Jesus’ life in us! /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
It’s amazing what God can do through flawed people, for the sake of His glory. Peter’s failures, thankfully, were not the final word on his life. Jesus is the restorer; Jesus is the miracle worker; Jesus is the difference-maker! /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.
If you were trying to explain the gospel to people who were religious but not followers of Jesus, what would you say? This glimpse into early first century preaching gives us the answer. /// Dr. Jim Bradford is lead pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Central is a church committed to connecting people to God, to each other, and to their purpose in life. We are a whole-family church that values being scripturally thoughtful and spiritually engaging, which leads to intellectual durability in our faith and a very real and participational relationship with God. Find out more at www.centralassembly.org.