In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris kicks off a new series on the book of James, emphasizing its relevance to modern challenges. He encourages us to see trials as growth opportunities and discusses the importance of being “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
The episode also contrasts genuine faith with transactional religion and highlights the call to care for the vulnerable. Join us as we reflect on embodying active compassion in our lives.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to the Book of James
15:12 - Embracing Trials for Growth
30:00 - Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger
39:12 - The Call to Transformative Faith
For more information, visit us at centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this week's episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Hannah discusses Matthew 5:13-16, focusing on our identity as the "salt of the earth" and "light of the world." She shares a touching story about her daughter, Thea, to illustrate our call to shine Jesus’ love.
Chapters:
00:00 - Our Identity in Christ
05:30 - The Importance of Light
15:45 - Jesus’ Command to Love
22:10 - The Life of St. Therese
30:00 - Love as a Disciple's Mark
45:00 - Conclusion and Prayer Invitation
For more info, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc. See you next Sunday!
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, we explore Matthew 5, where Jesus refers to us as the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." Pastor Chris highlights the significance of every profession and encourages us to express our faith through our work.
Chapters:
00:07 - Introduction and Scripture Reading
23:45 - The Importance of Every Profession
29:52 - Work as Worship
35:28 - Reflection and Prayer
Chris shares personal insights, inviting listeners to consider how they can bring light to their workplaces.
For more, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc. Join us next week as we continue our journey of faith in everyday life.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Tony discusses "Salt and Light" from Matthew 5:13-16, highlighting believers' role in reflecting God's love and grace in their communities. He emphasizes the importance of being salt and light in everyday life and concludes with a call to communion.
Chapters
00:07 - Introduction to Salt and Light
15:32 - Misconceptions About God
29:12 - The Metaphor of Salt
41:18 - Embracing Our Purpose
55:55 - The Metaphor of Light
1:05:50 - Culmination with Communion
For more, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc. Join us next time!
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Hannah explores the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, emphasizing the call to be peacemakers.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
05:45 - Meaning of "Makarios"
10:22 - Biblical Peace
18:15 - Peacemaking Call
25:30 - Practical Steps
33:50 - Oscar Romero
42:10 - Christ-Centered Peacemaking
50:55 - Communion
Learn more at centralchurch.cc or connect at hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris reflects on Matthew 5:1-12, focusing on “Blessed are the pure in heart.” He emphasizes the need for a heart devoted to God amidst competing desires and distractions, and encouraging self-examination of our true longings for God and ends with a prayer for renewal.Chapters00:00 - Introduction05:15 - Personal Reflections10:40 - Understanding Purity22:50 - Competing Desires34:15 - Approaching God50:30 - Closing PrayerFor more, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris reflects on Matthew 5:7—“Blessed are the merciful.” He shares a personal story about mercy, explains the Greek word "Elios," and highlights the importance of experiencing God's love to extend mercy to others.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction & Personal Story
12:34 - Understanding "Elios"
26:10 - Experiencing Mercy
38:45 - Barriers to Mercy
50:32 - Giving and Receiving Mercy
1:02:10 - Prayer and Reflection
In this week’s episode of the Central Church Podcast, “Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness,” Pastor Tony unpacks the fourth beatitude (Matthew 5:6), showing how Jesus redefines righteousness—not as religious duty, but as genuine relationships and justice for the marginalized.
Chapters
00:07 - Introduction to the beatitudes
15:23 - Righteousness vs. God’s justice
25:12 - Insights from Isaiah 58
36:54 - Righteousness in our lives
Tony encourages listeners to seek true satisfaction through spiritual hunger and by engaging in community care.
For more, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Hannah discusses the beatitude "Blessed are the meek" (Matthew 5:5). In it, she compares the values of the Kingdom that Jesus is introducing to the values we tend to live by in our everyday lives.
Chapters
00:07 - Introduction to the Beatitudes
10:15 - Competition vs. Cooperation
28:30 - Defining Meekness
35:00 - Meekness in Jesus’ Life
45:20 - Inheriting the Earth
52:15 - Communion and Closing Thoughts
For more about Central Church, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris reflects on the Beatitude "Blessed are those who mourn." He encourages us that if we are experiencing grief, we can find comfort in God's presence through our pain, because he's right there suffering in some way along with us.Chapters00:07 - Introduction to the Beatitudes10:22 - The Meaning of Mourning20:45 - Cultural Responses to Grief35:12 - Future Hope and Present Promise50:22 - Personal Story: Drew’s Journey1:02:15 - Call to Action: Embracing CompassionFor more info, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode, we begin "How to Be Blessed," focusing on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Pastor Chris discusses what Jesus means when He says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," highlighting spiritual poverty and dependence on God, and teaching us to understand just how much we need Him.Chapters00:00 - Introduction05:00 - Reading Matthew 5:1-1210:45 - Meaning of "Poor in Spirit"19:12 - Personal Story40:16 - The Upside-Down Kingdom47:50 - Present Promise56:20 - Ending ChallengeFor more, visit centralchurch.cc or contact us at hello@centralchurch.cc. See you at church next week!
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, we conclude the "Parables" series with Luke chapter 12. Pastor Chris explores a parable addressing greed and true value in life, urging us to prioritize our relationship with God over material possessions.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
05:00 - Reading from Luke 12:13-21
15:30 - The Nature of Greed
25:40 - Recognizing God's Provisions
35:10 - Eternal Investments
For more about our church, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this week's episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Tony shares insights from the parables in Matthew, specifically focusing on the vineyard workers. He reflects on God's goodness amidst life's challenges and how the parable confronts our views on fairness and reward.
Chapters
00:10 - Introduction and personal story
15:22 - The parable of the vineyard workers
28:45 - Fairness vs. generosity in God’s kingdom
35:10 - Eternal life and grace
Tony emphasizes that eternal life is a gracious gift, encouraging listeners to rethink their notions of merit and embrace the abundance that Jesus offers.
For more resources and to connect, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Hannah teaches on the theme of being lost and found, illustrated through the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke chapter 15.
Chapters
0:07 - Introduction to This Week's Sermon
0:50 - A Mother's Love and Sacrifice
12:01 - The Parables of the Lost
14:24 - The Prodigal Son's Journey
21:54 - The Older Brother's Dilemma
30:09 - The Father's Heart Revealed
35:08 - Embracing the Invitation
38:30 - Returning to God's Love
For more info, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris discusses the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25, highlighting our responsibilities in cultivating the Kingdom of God through our time, talents, and relationships, with a surprising twist on what these parables mean.Chapters00:00 - Introduction07:24 - Understanding the Kingdom of God14:10 - The Parable of the Talents23:45 - Each servant’s responsibility40:05 - Shifting to grace-based living55:05 - Closing prayerFor more info, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc. Join us next week for more on Jesus' parables!
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, we continue "Stories of the Kingdom" with a focus on Luke 14. Pastor Chris explores the Great Banquet parable, urging us to reflect on inclusivity and who we invite to our tables.He emphasizes God’s call to embrace the marginalized and concludes with an invitation to communion, reminding us of our place at Jesus's table.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
12:45 - The Great Banquet
22:10 - Embracing the Marginalized
30:22 - Reflection on Our Tables
40:00 - Invitation to Communion
For more information, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc. Join us next week as we Practice the Way of Jesus, Together!
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, focusing on the Holy Spirit’s role in establishing God’s kingdom. Pastor Tony highlights Jesus’ parables, particularly the growing seed in Mark 4, and reflects on Pentecost as the birth of the church, where the Holy Spirit empowers the disciples, leading to 3,000 new believers.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Pentecost Sunday
05:15 - Understanding the Kingdom of God
12:45 - Parable of the Growing Seed
20:30 - The Disciples' Expectation and Waiting
28:40 - The Power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
35:15 - The Transformative Impact of the Early Church
Thank you for joining us! For more info, visit centralchurch.cc. We hope to see you next Sunday!
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris begins the "Parables" series with the 'Parable of the Sower' from Matthew 13. He discusses how different soil types represent heart conditions toward God’s truth and encourages us all to allow God to cultivate receptive hearts in us through community + worship.
Chapters:
00:07 - Introduction
10:15 - Reading the Parable
15:30 - Jesus's Teaching
22:45 - The Path: Hard Hearts
31:10 - The Rocky Soil
43:00 - The Thorny Soil
56:40 - The Good Soil
1:08:15 - Conclusion
For more, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.
In this week’s episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Tony discusses how our perceptions of Jesus shape our faith. He emphasizes Jesus as the embodiment of God’s love, sharing Gospel stories to highlight His compassion and patience, culminating in reflections on His final moments on the cross.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Opening Prayer
05:43 - The Heart of God Revealed to Moses
15:21 - Jesus and the Leper
25:02 - Jesus on the Cross
36:15 - No Greater Love Than This
45:32 - Ephesians 3 Reading and Closing Reflections
For more info, visit us at centralchurch.cc.
In this episode of the Central Church Podcast, Pastor Chris explores the idea of understanding God through the person of Jesus. He challenges us to examine our perceptions of God, and emphasizes Jesus as "What God Has To Say".
Chris encourages us to embrace a childlike wonder in our relationship with God, concluding with a call to deepen our faith through Jesus’ teachings.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
10:45 – The Power of Icons
22:34 – Jesus as the Word
35:15 – Confronting Our Perceptions
45:00 – Childlike Wonder
For more info, visit centralchurch.cc or email hello@centralchurch.cc.