Central Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Central Church
A collection of sermons from Central Church that reflect our great need for Christ and Christ's great love for us
In this series, we're looking at different encounters individual people had with Jesus and how their lives were changed from that conversation. In this sermon, Pastor Jon looks at the conversation that Jesus has with the Pharisee Nicodemus, where he talks about being born again by the Spirit and then shares the gospel with him: that God loved the world by sending His Son, so that if you believe in Him, you would not perish, but you would have everlasting life.
What are we looking forward to? We can have things in life on the horizon that we are anticipating, but are we looking forward to a day that will change the world forever? In 2 Peter 3, Peter writes about the coming of the Lord and the day that He brings the earth into judgment. Griffen Molenburg, our Central Youth director, gives three main points that we can look at this passage through:
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expect scoffers
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anticipate the "day of the Lord"
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how we are to live
Peter gives a strong warning against teachers and prophets who give a false gospel and warns against the damage that can be done from those who believe it. Jac Munson breaks down 2 Peter 2 into 3 main points to help provide clarity and instruction:
-Characteristics of false teachers
-God's judgment
-The gospel of Jesus Christ
In this new series on the book of Ruth, we see the story open up with Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi encouraged Ruth to go back to her family after Ruth's husband passed away, but Ruth chose to stay. Because of that, Naomi's life would not become bitter as she thought it would. We see the importance of relationship taking place between these two, and the significance of relationships is just as strong for us today.
In this letter to the church in Philippi, Paul encourages the readers to find someone of the faith to imitate. Who is someone in your life who has a faith that you admire? Griffen Molenburg, our Central Youth director, speaks today on this passage, breaking it down into 3 main points:
-How to move forward
-Discipleship
-Passion for the lost
Paul gives Christians three crucial responsibilities for dealing with those who have a weak faith. We are to bear with their failings, please our neighbor, and welcome one another. Jac Munson breaks this passage down, looking at verses 1-7 as a guide on how the 'strong' are to interact with the 'weak'.
Paul gives a strong urging that we, as a body of Christ, are to uphold unity. How can that be done? By not passing judgment on one another, not living for ourselves, and not doing things that cause others to stumble. Pastor Jon uses the Latin word "adiaphora," meaning that we are not to create a divide with others on matters that are not divisive, but holding fast to building unity.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Pastor Jon challenges us with the same question that Jesus asks Martha at the death of Lazarus, reading the resurrection account from John 20.
Romans 12 gives clear instruction on how we are to live as Christians in verses 9-21: to love what is genuine, to honor others, to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to mourn with those who mourn. Ultimately, however, how are we to live? How Paul instructs in verse 1: to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Jac Munson breaks this passage into 3 main points: it challenges our lifestyles, our minds, and our lives.
Paul addresses a big topic here, dealing with the Israelites and their belonging to the body of Christ. Because they were disobedient, have they lost their favor with God? Even bigger than that, who is salvation really offered to? Pastor Jon breaks down Romans 11, talking about the Gentiles being grafted in and Israel's salvation.
In Romans 10, Paul strongly conveys to the audience that he's writing to his desire for them to be saved, to know the gospel, and to have eternal life. Do we have the same desire for the people we know? To summarize the passage, Pastor Jon gives us one simple question: do we long for others to know about the eternal life that is obtained through Jesus Christ?
Romans 9 is one of the most challenging, difficult-to-understand passages in the entire book. Paul talks about God's sovereign choice, drawing comparisons from Abraham's descendants, the Israelites, and even Pharaoh. Pastor Jon looks at this passage through the lens of three main points: Paul's anguish, God's sovereignty, and living by faith.
In Romans 8, Paul details a life in the Spirit and how the Spirit sets us free. He also details the great depth of God's love, giving us the assurance that nothing can separate us from it. In this message, Jac Munson breaks the passage down into 5 main points: the possibility of the Law, the power of the mind, the importance of suffering, the purposes of God, and the power of His love.
Sin is a powerful thing that lives inside of us, and it creates a divide within ourselves. Paul details the struggle of sin within our lives, where it causes us to do the things that we don't want to do and prevents us from doing the things that we want to do. Despite that broken condition, Jesus enters in and fills us with His Spirit, so that we do the things that we need to do and avoid the things that we should.
What is one thing that you would like to change about yourself? Pastor Jon asks this question as we look at Paul's words in Romans 6. Are we slaves to sin and disobedience, or are we placing our trust in Jesus and becoming slaves of righteousness? The penalty of sin that is to be paid is death. But Jesus offers us a free gift in response to that by giving us eternal life. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (6:23)
What are you going through? All of us can mutually identify with one another in that question. Sometimes we're experiencing great joy in life; other times we're enduring through trial and difficulty. Continuing on in our series in Romans, Paul encourages those of us who are going through hard moments and how we are to approach them. He says, "we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."
The Jewish people believed that Abraham, their forefather of the faith, was the perfect adherent to the Law, and he was righteous because of it. Paul, however, reminds them that it was not through obedience or even circumcision that Abraham was righteous, but that it was through his faith in God that he was made righteous. The promises made to him were no longer exclusively for his family descendants, but they are now available to everyone who believes in the name of Jesus Christ.
All throughout Romans, righteousness is the main theme. How can we obtain it? Are we righteous ourselves, or are we unrighteous? What does righteousness even mean? Paul, in Romans 3, points to the words of David in the Psalms to remind us that none of us are righteous, but that Christ is the one who is righteous alone. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, however, we can be made righteous in the sight of God. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 3:23-24)
Judgment plays an active role within our lives, whether it's trying to discern a situation or it's through harsh words and actions. Romans 2 details God's righteous judgment, and Paul excuses us as believers from casting judgment onto one another for 2 main reasons: we practice the same things in which we condemn in others, and God is the ultimate One who can cast judgment. Pastor Jon breaks down this passage through questions, the words of Paul, and the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) and the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18).
We begin our series in the book of Romans, talking about the righteous life that Paul details throughout this whole book. Just as Paul's life was changed and transformed because of the gospel, so our lives are changed, and Paul uses these words in verse 16 to encourage us to have the same attitude: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
We are given 86,400 seconds every single day. How do we spend that time that God gives us? Terry Harris delivers a message to close out 2023 on the significance of the gift of time that we are given.
God promised that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. He promised David that his kingdom would never end. In these 42 generations that Matthew lists, we finally see the fulfillment of these promises through the birth of this baby, the long-awaited Jesus Christ.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulder, and his name shall be called, "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
In his book, 10 Qualities That Move You From A Believer To A Disciple, Pastor Dennis Rouse outlines 10 qualities that are imperative for all believers in making that shift to being a disciple of Jesus. Over these 10 weeks, we're covering these qualities and how they can deepen our faith in Jesus and transform us into becoming more passionate, committed followers of him. Being passionately committed to Jesus means letting go of our control on our lives and realizing that we don't belong to ourselves anymore; we belong to Him
In the book of Esther, God's name is never directly mentioned; but that doesn't mean that God is absent. We see through a series of events in these 10 chapters that there is no coincidence happening, but that it's all a complete orchestration of God's sovereignty of raising Esther into power and saving the Jewish people from destruction
The Fantastic Four series is highlighting different Old Testament heroes of the faith, and this week is about King David. Not only was David a powerful man after God's own heart, but he was also greatly flawed. Through his life, we can see that God can redeem and use anybody, no matter how sinful they are.
In this series, we're highlighting four Old Testament characters and the role that they've played in demonstrating a strong, incredible faith in the Lord. In this message, Pastor Jon takes a brief look at Moses' life through the encounter with the burning bush and the receiving of powerful signs
There are three attributes of God that we will never possess: His omniscience, His omnipotence, and His omnipresence. Psalm 139 details those attributes of God and it highlights His incredible care and love for each of us
David writes about the Lord being our good shepherd, and it's so much more than just imagery that he is using here. The role of the shepherd to the sheep is one of complete love and care, protecting the sheep at all costs from danger, which is how our heavenly Father loves us. Even if we face the darkest of circumstances in this life, we are comforted that we are not alone in that journey and that we will soon be delivered and that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
We can be confronted with many situations in life that we may feel we have to overcome. Whether financial burdens, and family challenges, we can easily feel like we're set back. John writes and reminds us that we are overcomers because of Jesus Christ, because greater is the one living inside of us than he who is living in the world.
John writes to the readers in today's passage three key elements of the Christian faith. We are to walk in the light, remember Jesus Christ our advocate, and obey the new commandment. As Christians, we are always walking in some direction. How does our love for others and our own self-awareness of sin influence the direction that we walk?
As Mary Magdalene approached the tomb, she found it empty and Jesus was nowhere to be found. He hadn't been taken away; He had risen out of the grave! The resurrection of our Lord not only solidifies that He was truly the Son of God, but that we are victors over death. We once were dead in our sins, but because of this resurrection, we have been brought back to life
We all have a hero. For some, it's a fictional character with movies based on their life. For others, it could be a person that we know that has overcome some adversity or has
The book of Daniel is an incredible journey that is filled with visions, interpretations, and unmatched faithfulness from the Lord to His people. Shifting of kingdoms, harsh punishments, foretelling of rulers to come, Daniel 12 concludes this prophetic book in the end times, and the eternal destination for those who believe in Jesus and those who don't
Our battle isn't against flesh and blood, but against forces that we can't always see. Daniel receives another vision about the end times and the battle that will take place between the kings from the north and the kings from the south. We know that there will be great suffering for those that are living under the reign of the Antichrist, but great hope will await those who are in Christ Jesus
When Daniel was around 80 years old, he was confronted with a harsh ultimatum: either stop praying to his God or get thrown into the lion's den. Daniel was a man who was faithful to his God in prayer, so it was no surprise to him when he found himself tossed into the bottom of the lion's den. What can we learn about this moment in Daniel's life? Even when our life is at stake, we should always remain faithful to God.
Daniel served under King Nebuchadnezzar from the time that he was brought into the Babylonian empire. Now under King Belshazzar, Daniel receives one of his most unique opportunities from the king: to define the mysterious writing on the wall. What do these words mean to the kingdom, and what do these words mean to us today?
In Daniel 2, we see this profound imagery that King Nebuchadnezzar receives, but has no one to translate his dream, and that comes with pretty high stakes for those that would attempt to see it. Then Daniel enters the picture, and explains the meaning behind this statue made of gold and clay, and what that not only meant to the kingdom at the time, but what that means for us today
It's not about the changing of names. It's not about the changing of diet. It's about the faithfulness of God and how God can use even the smallest of things to put His glory on display
He was there in the beginning, before the creation of time. He was the light of the world, and shines in even the darkest of places. And he came to show the love that our Father in heaven has for us. Jesus is lagos, Jesus is light, and Jesus is love
We can find ourselves confronted with hard circumstances that leave us feeling like our back is against the wall. In those hard moments, though, we have the choice to choose obedience. When Mary and Joseph were confronted with the news that they were going to be the earthly parents to Jesus, they didn't run or hide; they chose obedience
It's very intentional how the book of Luke starts out. He doesn't begin with the story of Jesus or the family lineage, but instead begins with this couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth, a righteous couple who were unable to have children of their own. But God had made a promise of a Savior, and he would eventually fulfill that promise through Zechariah and Elizabeth
There are three specific moments that we see the Angel Gabriel appear: to Daniel, to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and to Mary and Joseph. Assigned with delivering the message of the baby Jesus, he appears to Mary and Joseph to share the good news that will cause everyone great joy. Our Savior, our redeemer, was coming soon to them, and he would be the one to save us from our sin
It's a responsibility that we as Christians have to take care of those that are in need, or those that Jesus describes as "the least of these." But who is it exactly that Jesus is talking about, and what does "the least of these" mean?
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the sea and the sky and the birds of the air and the beasts of the land. He also created mankind in His own image, and it was good. In our world today, how has the image been skewed away from the liking of God and transformed into our own liking?
As members of the body of Christ, we all possess many different gifts. Some are good for encouragement while others are good for exhortation. But in sharing these gifts, we are to love well and come alongside those in all seasons of life; to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn
We believe that we're all one as a body of believers, but are we all equipped to do the same thing? Do we all possess the same gifts, or are we to use our different gifts for one common goal? In this sermon, Pastor Jon talks about the writings of Paul to the believers in Corinth and how they are to use their gifts; not as individuals, but as one body in Christ
Heaven is our ultimate destination. But how do we get there? Is our way into heaven based on our performance, or is it truly by the grace of God that we can one day enter into eternal glory?
How do we approach the sacrament of baptism? As a believer, what does baptism symbolize in our walk of faith? Is it something that is open to everyone? Terry Harris confronts these questions and seeks to answer them through the Word, the Heidelberg Catechism, and belief statements through the Sending Network
During Jesus' fast for 40 days in the wilderness, he was met by Satan, who tempted him to disregard the things of the Father and embrace the things of the world. In the 3 noted temptations, we see this trend in how we as Christians are tempted today:
1. To care for ourselves
2. To idolize ourselves
3. To think we are alone
In Paul's shortest letter, he writes about his passionate, solid relationship with Onesimus and how useful he has been to himself and Philemon. Paul takes the bold stance that if there was any wrong that Onesimus committed, it would be charged to Paul, and that he would take care of any debt that he owed. In the same way, Christ has embraced the debt that we owe and has charged it to himself
It's the shortest book in the Old Testament, but there's a lot to be learned in these short 21 verses
James concludes his book with a strong instruction that, in the face of suffering, we are to be patient. We serve a God who sees our suffering and knows our hurt and knows that strong, authentic faith in Him can come from patience and perseverance (James 1:2-3). He writes that the most appropriate response to anything is prayer. Suffering, cheerful, sick, we are to pray. Not just once, but faithfully throughout this life
Be whoever it is you want to be. It's a common message that circulates all throughout our culture, but is it really the message that should govern our lives? James writes to the church that we are to submit ourselves to God and to draw near to Him. And when we draw near to Him, we find Him drawing near to us
Bits control horses. Rudders control ships. Tongues control us, and we can easily be led in any direction depending on how we use our words. It can cause great encouragement or harsh devastation. We can use it to praise our Father, yet condemn our neighbor. Do we use our words to speak life into others, or to speak death?
When we face trials, how do we face them and what is our perspective? Do we let them defeat us for the time that we're in the midst of them, or do we look for hope? In James 1, the writer tells us to consider each trial as "pure joy," because the testing of our faith produces perseverance. How can we face each trial that comes our way and consider it pure joy?
Prayer is important, which is why we dedicated this service to pray for gratitude, children, local and international missions, and our fathers on Father's Day
Everything is meaningless. It's all just a chasing after the wind. But what if there's a point to this chasing? What if life isn't as meaningless as the author of Ecclesiastes is making it seem to be? "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." (12:13) How are we to fear God, though? Do we tremble and fear for our every next step, thinking that His power is waiting to strike us down? Do we flippantly walk through this life doing whatever we want because His forgiveness is always there?
Death. It's inevitable for us all. So we focus on today. Not the future. Not the past. Just today
Our lives are a vapor; a mist that is here today and is gone tomorrow. We can do many things in this life but we may never find full enjoyment in the midst of them. Marvin Knoot breaks down Ecclesiastes 6 by looking at three main ideas: 1. Riches without enjoyment are pointless 2. Labor without satisfaction is pointless 3. There will be questions without answers
Money = happiness. Right? If we just had this amount of wealth, we'd be set! Until we get it and it suddenly isn't enough anymore, and we find ourselves in an insatiable climb to have as much as we possibly can and to gain as much as we possibly could. Solomon had everything. He had the greatest empire with the greatest wealth, yet he described it all as meaningless. So, maybe money ≠ happiness
We're having a good time, right? In this portion of Solomon's writing, he details how there's a specific time for everything in life–to be born, to mourn, to dance–and that there is a season for every activity under the heavens. With the season that you're in, in the time that you've been given, are you having a good time?
We can find satisfaction in so many things, especially those that look good and feel good. We can build our empire, perfect our craft, and delight in whatever it is that we want, but where will it get us? Solomon had more than anyone else that was around him, yet he felt as though he really had nothing at all
Life is full of so many meaningful moments that can bring so much joy to our hearts. But what if not meaningful, but it's actually just meaningless? In Ecclesiastes 1, Solomon emphasizes that there's nothing new under the sun and that this life is not best lived when it's in constant pursuit of "more."
The time had come for the Son of God to be crucified and laid in the tomb. But when they went to check on the body, it was nowhere to be found. Who was this man who took on the sins of all mankind? Who was this man who said he was going to resurrect and then actually did? He's Jesus.
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus didn't teach for information; he taught for application. Whether it was being the salt and light, worrying, or judging others, he gave us all a glimpse into a life that is greater than the one we know, which is a life that is found in Him. He concludes the sermon by comparing those that hear these words to wise builders who built their houses on the rock, being able to withstand the storm because they put these words into practice
Sometimes, the most important step you can take is the first one. In Jesus' teaching here, we see some instruction on the desires that our hearts can have. Do you want something? You might have to ask, seek, or knock. But if you do, it will be given, you will find, and the door will be opened. And in all things, we reflect on the golden rule that we see in Matthew 7:12: do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
Judgment. It's something we deal with on a daily basis, both in small and large ways. How quickly do we form judgments against others? Do we become so fixated on the sins of others that we become so oblivious to our own? Before we point out the speck in someone else's eye, we must first remove the plank in ours
There are many things in this life that cause us to worry. Small things, big things, we can easily find something to be concerned about, and Jesus knows that. In this portion of the sermon on the mount, he doesn't just tell us to not worry, but he reminds us that our heavenly Father provides our every need and will continue to provide for us because of His great love
Our hearts are true reflections of the places and things that we choose to invest in. Sports, shopping, charity, binging, what we spend a lot of our time doing can communicate where we put our "treasure." Is your true treasure found here in the things of this earth? Or is it in heaven?
Ever wonder why we celebrate Easter when we do? Curious about the biblical view of fasting and what it really means and if it's something that we're supposed to practice? Marvin Knoot breaks down lent, fasting from a pharisaical standpoint, and the vernal equinox
Don't be like the hypocrites. Don't pray for show. Don't do it to appear more holy to the eyes that might be watching you. Don't say many words. Instead, go into a private place and pray the prayer that Jesus instructs us to in this passage
Do good to others. It's a pretty simple command. Jesus, however, takes it one step further in Matthew 6:1-4. He commands us to do good, but he challenges us to not boast about our acts of service; rather, that our left hand would not know what our right hand is doing.
Play to get even, right? If someone hurts us, we have the green flag to get even; or so we think. In Jesus' teaching in this portion of the sermon on the mount, he didn't just instruct us to turn the other cheek, but to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us
Relationships can be hard, especially when the responsibilities and stresses in life play a major role. To cope, we can often turn to many things to help fill the void, and letting our mind wander outside of the covenant relationship we've made with our spouse/significant other can lead to some really poor decisions, which Jesus narrows down to not just an action, but even a thought. How can we stay on guard and remain faithful to our relationships when it would be much easier to turn away?
It doesn't take much for some people to push us close to the edge, and we can easily get angry at them for the things they do, which can lead to attitudes of judgment and habits of unforgiveness. Jesus instructs us to always be forgiving of other people, no matter what they've done, because if you don't forgive others, your heavenly Father won't forgive you
Laws are meant to be followed, right? We see many laws instituted throughout the Old Testament, and they were highly regarded as the best way to live a life that honored God. So when Jesus tells us that he didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law, what does that mean? How does that change our hearts? Is our life really just a pursuit of never doing anything wrong, or is our life a pursuit of being obedient to Him out of a genuine, authentic love for all He is?
You might have heard it said before, "you are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world." But what does that mean? Why, when Jesus is giving his sermon on the mount, is he instructing Christians to be like salt and light? His desire here is that His followers would be passionate about illuminating the goodness of God, or "salty do-gooders"
Sometimes we hear things that can have a strong impact on the way we approach our daily lives. With Jesus' famous sermon on the mount, his words weren't just meant to challenge us; they were meant to shape the way we live in body, heart, mind, and soul.
Jesus wasn't just a baby that was meant to be adored. He was a Savior that was meant to be revered. In 2022, how can we reflect on our reverence for God and show Him that we're not just partially committed, but that we're all in?
The people of Jerusalem were anxiously waiting for the coming of this Messiah, who would bring them their redemption! He had finally come, but was it exactly what they were expecting?
God could've shouted His love for us from heaven, but He showed it to us on earth. We rejoice over the birth of baby Jesus and the joy that he has brought into the world!
Mary and Joseph weren't the only ones who found out that they were going to be parents of a baby who would grow up and play an important in the Kingdom of God. Jesus was the true Son of God, but how was everyone to know? Only if someone told them.
Mary knew that she was going to have a baby. Mary knew that he was the Son of God. But did she know the beginning of what he would do for all of mankind? Did she know just how desperately we needed him, and how he was going to save us all?
Joseph was faced with a challenging situation: his wife-to-be was about to become a mother of a child who wasn't his. But Joseph chose faithfulness and stayed with her as they prepared to become the earthly parents for Emmanuel: God with us.
In a world that was longing for a sliver of hope, it was finally on its way. A baby would soon be born, and he would make all things new. He would become our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace
A day is coming where there will be no pain and sorrow, and everything will be made new. Although this life is plagued with hardship, struggle, and suffering, we will one day embrace a new life that is made complete in the presence of the Lord. The Apostle Paul said it best: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will soon be revealed to us."
Everything has its beginning, and everything has its end. When we reach the end of our earthly life, are we going to be cast away, or will we be welcomed at the wedding feast, celebrating the goodness of God for eternity?
Heaven. We all long for it. We even try to describe in our own words what it will be like. But do we truly understand what heaven is going to be like?
Words of affirmation. Words of correction. Words of motivation. The church affirms the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, the ways in which we can better live for Him, and motivates us to serve Him wholeheartedly!
All alone on the island of Patmos, the apostle John received these wild, yet vivid, visions of the return of God, who was and is and is to come. In preparation for His return, John urges the readers to be ready for that glorious day. Are you ready?
How does that phrase go? "We're all in the same boat?" What if we're all in the same storm, but in different boats? Marvin Knoot details this topic with Psalm 51, and David's plea to the Lord to cleanse him, restore him, and use him
The lost sheep. The lost coin. The prodigal son. Whenever one comes back to the Father, He doesn't punish. He celebrates! Our Father has demonstrated to us how deep His love goes, which compels us to, not only love Him back, but to love others with grace and compassion!
Community is important. It provides comfort, encouragement, healing, and is a way that God can display His goodness to us all! The writer of the Hebrews passage encourages us to "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing." Are you actively seeking out community?
Go. Baptize. Teach. The Great Commission records Jesus teaching us to do these three things. Are we actively pursuing others so they might hear about the goodness and power of Jesus Christ?
What are you afraid of? The prophet Daniel was thrown into the presence of hungry lions, but he had complete trust that God would deliver him from it all. In the presence of the things that make us most afraid, do we trust that God will pull through?
There is no question that God is the creator of all things, but is He the only God we serve? We take a look at the lives of Ahab and Jezebel and their devotion to Baal. What other gods might we be serving?
Grief can often be a great cause of the messy parts of life. Hannah, when going through a grief-filled season, pleaded with God. Not only that, but she vowed to glorify Him in light of deliverance! How can we go through our seasons of grief while still being faithful and obedient to God?
All the way from Beatrice, Nebraska, Teen Challenge shares with us about their ministry and how they have seen the power of the Holy Spirit empower and transform lives! Whether it's addiction or abuse, they have seen firsthand the freedom that only God can provide!
Life can be a real mess sometimes. For David, a man after God's own heart, was no exception to how messy it can be. We kick off this new worship series looking at the life of David, his affair with Bathsheba, and the forgiveness that he found in God
As we wrap up this worship series, Pastor Jon takes a look at the roots that run deep in prayer. As Christians, do we find ourselves praying in all circumstances, or only when we need something from God?
Just because it's easy to judge others, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. How can we overcome that bad habit? Pastor Jon breaks down Galatians 6, studying how we can be good to all!
It's easy to love and serve somebody... conditionally. How can we love and serve others unconditionallly? Do everything for the glory of Jesus Christ!
We may be in Christ, but are we bearing fruit? With the fruit that we are bearing, is the Father pruning us, or are we going to be cut off?
Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, encourages him to not pursue selfish motives and ambitions, but to be rooted in service and the word of God, which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness
We're always going in some direction. Are we running towards God, or are we running away from Him?
With the tools and resources that we have in the 21st century, how can we use those to help those all around the world hear the gospel?
Fear is constantly trying to take control of our lives in whatever way it can. How can we take it head on and live fearlessly?
We can find ourselves being devoted to many things, but are we devoted to heavenly things?
The dividing line of racism has increased heavily over the last year. How can we be more compassionate to our brothers and sisters in Christ?
It's easy to be consumed by the busyness of life. Work, kids, activities, there are so many things that demand our attention in this life. But how distracted are we by the things that surround us that continually pull our focus away from God?
We've all been given resources, whether it be treasure, talent, or time. With the gifts that God has given us, how can we use those in being generous with others? Pastor Jon leads us during this second week of our Broken Normal worship series, reading from 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Over this past year, we've experienced a broken normal. Our routines and habits were interrupted, which gave way to increasing levels of anxiety within ourselves. What does Scripture say about confronting anxiety, and how can we apply that to our "new normal?"