Central Christian Church: Recent Episodes
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God has ordained us to reach a place where we are not here for what we can get, but what we can give. (1 Sam. 18:6-9; 2 Sam. 6; & Selected Scriptures)
When we learn to obey in the natural things we will more readily respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading in spiritual things. The Holy Spirit’s message to us from Bethlehem is: bring the kingdom of God to your everyday life! (1 Samuel 16 & 17; 1Cor. 15:44-46; Luke 16:10-12)
Jesus had a journey between Bethlehem and the right hand of the Father. He was not born on the throne, but in a manger—a lowly, common place. There was a process that carried Jesus into all authority, and we are subject to that same process. (Matt. 11:29; 1 Tim. 3:5-7; Prov. 16:32; Gal. 5:16-17)
Today we must consider how we can daily, diligently, and deliberately weaken our greatest enemy—pride, and strengthen our greatest friend—humility, all motivated by grace in the shadow of the cross. (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Ps. 127:2)
Worry is common but deadly. It can kill us. Tomorrow belongs to God. Today is to be lived by faith. The opposite of trusting God is worry. (Matt. 6:24; Prov. 3:5-6)
Jesus’ first miracle tells us a few things about God and about what we can do to witness and receive his miraculous intervention in our lives today. (John 2:1-11)
Running from God equals despair. God’s mission is received, rejected, and restated in Jonah’s life until God’s love finally prevails. The final victory is the Lord’s. (Jonah 1; Psalm 139:7-10; John 3:16; Phil. 2:10-11)
Presentation of the vision, mission, and goals of International Student Inc Ministry and how we can be involved. Missions in your own backyard. (I Thess. 1:4-5)
Let’s talk about being attentive to the unique opportunities that are often neglected. The Spirit-led, Jesus-like response would be, “Someone I’ll meet today needs my touch. They are seeking more than a professional response." (Luke 8:41-48)
A one-winged plane or bird has one flight pattern: A downward spiral. It takes two wings to fly: Responsibility & Faith. (Prov. 3:5-6; Philip. 2:12-18)
We cannot do the Lord’s work in the devil’s ways. Every time that we embrace ways other than the ways of Jesus, try to manipulate people or events in ways that short-circuit personal relationships and intimacies, we are doing the devil’s work. (Matt. 4:1-11; John 14:1-6)
Many Christians have been told that information leads to transformation and that all we need to do is download the right data into our heads and we will become Christlike. The process of transformation is more like a journey than a data download. (Matt. 9:35-38 & Selected Scriptures)
In this story from Luke 10, Jesus is asking you to act on what you already know. What inconsistencies are keeping you from reaching your potential—of being all Christ wants you to be; of becoming who God created you to be? (Luke 10:25-29)
Be it good or painful, the hours and years you spend with her—or don’t spend with her—change who she is. Making the heroic choice at work, in marriage, and throughout your life will shape your daughter, who she is and what she becomes. (Prov. 6:20; James 1:2-4)
Missions work in Honduras past and present. (Luke 9:56; 19:10; Mark 10:45; John 3:17; 12:47)
No matter where you are or who you are if you are seeking God he will find you! (Acts 8:26-39; Isaiah 53)
At whatever financial level your at or stage of life your in—the Wonder Years, the Wage-Earning Years or the Wealthy Years; Paul instructs you to “do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
There is no more influential or powerful role on earth than a mother’s. Stay at it, dear ladies. Never doubt the value of your calling. Without your positive supportive partnership, the family simply could not survive. (Proverbs 24:3-4 & 2 Timothy 1:3-7)
The 10-10-80 Plan is the biblical teaching that says the first 10% goes to God; the second 10% goes to your savings; the remaining 80% is for you to live off. God wants us all to be good stewards of all that he has given us. (Prov. 3:9-10; 21:20; 23:4)
The key is your spending habits and attitude towards money. We are mere managers of God’s resources. We will find the deepest satisfaction and fulfillment from spending our lives and resources for His cause. (Luke 16:1-13)
There’s a way of hearing that can keep me deaf to what I’ve heard. There’s a way of seeing that makes me blind to what I should see. There’s more to “us” than meets the eye. This is not all of “us.” We need to tag our neighbors and say, “You’re us!” (Psalm 117)
By approaching suffering seriously it gives meaning and dignity to the person who suffers, and leaves the healing up to God in Christ on the cross. When you embrace suffering it will lead to good grief that, in the end, enables you to say, “I hope!” (1 Cor. 15:12-19, 51-57 & Other Selected Scriptures)
Fear has a limited capacity to deter our hearts from sin. We must add fascination to it. Resisting is empowered by rejoicing. Reading the law of God is for the purpose of rejoicing in what is read. (Luke 15; Matt. 22:2-12; Ps. 1:1-3; Isaiah 61:10; 64:6)
We should pray for knowledge of truth that will change our lives rather than simply inform our minds. The experience of being able to forgive is preceded by some experience of being forgiven. Simply put: Forgive One Another! (Luke 15; Matt. 18:21-22; Col. 3:12-15)
The point of the Christian life is not to simply be received back into the welcoming arms of love of the Father but to become like the Father. (Luke 15; Isaiah 53:3-7, 10-11; Acts 9)
Because both sons have not yet faced their own sin, they cannot possibly understand what reconciliation means or what it costs. Which son are you? (Luke 15:25-32)
To the extent to which I am in touch with my “lostness” and brokenness is the extent to which I grasp the glory of the Gospel and am able to revel in the Father’s love. (Luke 15:20-32)
In the deepest sense the prodigal is not going home. He is going back to servanthood. At the edge of the village he is still lost. Faith is the radical trust that home has always been there and always will be there. (Luke 15:11-32)
Seeing Luke 15 in its cultural context can lead to a Copernican-like Revolution in our understanding of the gospel Jesus teaches in this parable. The emphasis here is not on the one who is lost as much as it is on the One who is searching. (Luke 15:1-10)
Does this simple revolution have any significance to churches and church leaders? Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable. It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.
Without authentic spiritual and relational vitality in a local gathering of believers, the church does not have the resources that are demanded to engage transformation and to influence the world. (Acts 2:41-47; Matt. 25:35-40; Isa. 6:5-7 & Other Selected Scriptures)
If we agree that imitating Jesus is the key to success as a Christian, why don’t we do what he did? The transformation we should be seeking is the ability to do the right thing regardless of the pressure in our lives to do differently. (John 4:31-34)
The lesson of perseverance has more to do with faith than it does with our existing culture. If you’re always moving on, you’ll rarely move forward. While perseverance doesn’t always pay off, giving up rarely does.
God doesn’t want you to do more for Him. He wants you to be more with Him. If your life bears a lot of fruit, God will invite you to abide more deeply with Him. (John 15:1-11; Ps. 42 & 43)
The gospel is the work of God to restore humans to union with God and communion with others, in the context of a community for the good of others and the world. The sure indicator of the gospel in a local community is how those Christians live.
We’re well educated and equipped to earn a living. The problem is we’ve failed to learn how to live. The Psalmist and Jesus both confront us to live in the present, something many people avoid most of their lives. Today, well-lived, is the answer. (Ps. 118:24; Matt. 6:25-34)
When we struggle to earn our way into God's presence it is usually not the case that we have overestimated our ability to earn. Perhaps it is that we are underestimating the love we are longing to keep. You cannot earn his heart, nor his reward. (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:30-31)
Is there anything so beautiful as watching someone use their gifts in the prime of life? The answer is yes. It's watching someone in their second prime. (Luke 2:25-40)
One of the major reasons for us to cultivate our own life with God is because only God can produce in us the character we need to be the influences our kids need. Cultivating our character and soul makes us more ready to receive the gifts God gives.
God is also the God of restored relationships and fresh starts. Sometimes only when we come to the end of our dreams that God gives us his dream in a way that we can finally see it. (Matthew 1:18-25)
We must begin with the end in mind. Becoming one who truly wills above all to act with the kingdom of God in mind and to cultivate God's kind of goodness will not happen overnight. (Phil. 1:3-8; 1 Cor. 3:10-11; Eph. 5:25b-27)
God wants to transform our lives for His good purposes. If Satan can destroy the wholeness in family community, he can stall spiritual formation in the lives of individuals because we need the whole community to grow. Rom 12:9-21;1 Pet 2:9-10;Gal 5:13-26
Lack of connection is the greates human dilemma of all times. The need for connection and community is THE greatest theological truth we can know and experience. (Genesis 1-3; John 17; Rev. 21)
Your body is a sacred place. Don't squander what God paid such a high price for. Let people see God in and through your body. (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 4:16)
Gail gives a full description of the relationship between the potter and the clay - how, why, and what for questions are explored. (Jeremiah 18:1-6)
What we think shapes what we feel; what we feel shapes what we do; what we think, feel, and do shapes who we become. The only hope is to find something so obviously real and attractive that I can devote all of my energies to saying “Yes!”
God’s vision for us is that we would become like Jesus. If we want to look like Jesus on the outside we must put on the character of Christ on the inside. We need VIM – Vision, Intention, and Means to become like Jesus. (Philippians 3:7, 14, 17)
Today you have been given two choices: The Pathway of Self-Worship which temporarily may feel good but ultimately leads to radical ruin. Or the Pathway of Self-Denial which temporarily may feel difficult but ultimately leads to radical goodness. Luke 9:23
Do you believe that significant change is possible? What you would take care of you must first understand. Do you realize that your heart needs constant renovation? Are you aware of how incapable you are of doing this on your own?
Who do you say Jesus is? What are you going to do with Him? Jesus is a revolutionist. Whatever your situation in life, do you believe that significant change is possible? Jesus wants to change you from the inside out. (Rom. 8:3; 5:6,8,10; Prov. 4:23)
Until a person knows that he has died to the law, he will attempt to relate to Jesus through the law system which can create frustration in our relationship with God. (Rom. 8:1; Gal. 3:21-22; John 8:31-32 & Other Selected Scriptures)
True evangelism must always start by preaching the law. With the Law, the Spirit breaks hardened hearts, and with the gospel the Spirit heals broken hearts. (Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:20; 7:22 & Other Selected Scriptures)
Our neighbors aren't waiting for a new program from our church, they're looking for evidence in our lives that we are following Jesus. God trains us in ways unique to us to fulfill unique purposes, and we know little or nothing about where we are going.
If we understood the Old Testament Hebrew model of blessing and practiced it, problems of childishness, midlife crisis, and marital meltdowns would cease to exist. Loving words that picture a special future help people change and develop in positive ways.
We can trust God because He trusts us! Most of us never go out to our gatherings with the intent to share the gospel of Christ. And yet it's the one thing Jesus commissioned every single one of his followers to do. (Matt. 28:16-20; 1 Peter 3:13-15; 1)
Ability becomes a liability when we trust in the ability instead of trusting in God. (Exodus 2-4; Acts 2:22; Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 12:9-10)
How do we foster practical, spiritual discipleship and change in our own lives? 7 observations gained by observing medical training given to a family undergoing major changes. 1 Cor 12:25-27; James 1:22 & 25; Mark 8:34-35; Heb 12:5-11; Matt 28:19-20
Worship is more than just getting goose bumps. It is about knowing God, discovering His will for your life, and living it out everyday. (Isaiah 6)
You reap what you sow. We may be saved by grace but can still reap the consequences of sin. By applying Godly wisdom Christ can clean up our lives. (Galatians 6:7-9 & Prov. 17:10)
Modeling the life of Christ means living in harmony by being compassionate and forgiving. Eph 4:29-32, Phil 2:4-6 and Col 3:11-16.
Wisdom; according to Solomon it is the most valuable thing a man can possess. Where does it come from? How do we get it? And where does it reside?
These two men can be seen in terms of a comparison, a contrast, leading us to a clear conclusion. The only time you would discover there was a difference between these two men and the lives, homes, or ministries they erected was during the storm. Only the storm reveals the nature of your founda tion. If your foundation is sure, then it will be the application, and not merely the information, of divine truth that will hold you steady. (Matthew 7:24-27)
Informed Christians have nothing to fear from The Da Vinci Code’s many bogus and easily refutable claims. Rather, we should regard its popularity as an opportunity to study our Faith and proclaim it to others. So listen well, love much and be ready to lead them to the true Jesus. Only He can satisfy their longing and unlock the real Code to life’s meaning. (Matthew 16:13-18; Psalm 11:3-4)
Are family bloodlines thicker than baptismal water? Does obedience to Jesus supersede all other relationships? If the church takes seriously Jesus’ ideal of what the family is, one of its tasks is to create and nurture families that make a place for all those who want a relationship with God as Father and with one another. Mark 3:24, 32-35
Hank looks at “the Five Levels of Communication” so we can evaluate the level of our relationships, and the uniqueness of friendship as described by C. S. Lewis, to help us see the wonder of the fact that we can say, “I am a friend of God.” Jesus chose us and calls us “friend.” John 15:12-17; 21:15-17
“If there were a lifeboat adrift at sea, and in the lifeboat were a male lawyer, a female doctor, a crippled child, a stay-at-home mom, and a garbage man, and one person had to be thrown overboard to save the others, which person would you choose?”
Without God we are, by default, in the lifeboat. An understanding of Christianity as an identity in the lifeboat by which we compare ourselves to others is entirely inappropriate. The faith is larger than the lifeboat. You might say the faith is outside of it. Jesus would indicate the greatest thing you and I can do to display we know Him is to love our brothers and sisters unconditionally, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to love our enemies.
Joy is like a muscle, and the more you exercise it, the stronger it grows. Though we face “trials of many kinds,” still they have in common that all may be counted as pure joy. (James 1:2-4)
It was in the toughest acts of faith that these men and women came the closest to God and found life's deepest meaning. It was not the provision of comfort or happiness that led them to a deeper knowledge of God - it was often the lack of it.
God's will is done in the little things of life, daily and locally. God commands us to do his will in ordinary circumstances, which is the setting where most of life is lived anyway. Matt. 13:1-12; 25:14-29
Do you know how to forgive others? Are you as generous in spirit towards others as God has been towards you? Matthew 18:21-25
Show we the register of your checkbook and you’ve shown me what matters most. Show me your appointment book and you’ve shown me who matters most. Relationships grow in proportion to the amount of time you spend on them. Mark 3:7-19
Dealing with failure - There are no blowouts in the Christian life, only slow leaks. In a nutshell: Be unwilling to be stopped by your failures and be willing to learn from them. Mark 14:26-42; John 21; 2 Cor. 7-10
Hearing and discerning God’s voice is difficult, especially if we do it randomly, rarely, and primarily when we’re in a crisis. So, practically speaking, most of the time we have to seek solitude, silence, and stillness to hear it. John 10:1-16