Central Church Sermons

Being a Gospel servant means following a threefold compass that guides our Christian life: upward devotion to God, inward love for the church, and outward mission to the world. Upward devotion involves giving thanks to God, rejoicing in His work, and praying continually with submission to His will. Inward love means building warm relationships with fellow believers, using spiritual gifts to strengthen others, and seeking mutual encouragement. Outward mission requires recognizing the Gospel as a sacred trust for all people and eagerly sharing Christ across all boundaries. This sermon by Pastor Tim Gibson from Romans 1:8-15 provides clear direction for finding purpose in Christ.

Psalm 98 reveals three compelling reasons why God's people should praise Him. First, we praise God for His marvelous works - His power that brings salvation, His revelation of that salvation to the world, and His faithful love toward His people. Second, our entire lives should be a joyful song of praise, involving every aspect of our being and joining with all creation in worship. Finally, we praise God for His promised return, when He will judge the world with perfect righteousness and equity, making all wrongs right. The soundtrack of a saved life is characterized by intentional gratitude, complete surrender, and readiness for Christ's return.

Worship is not just singing on Sundays but a lifestyle that aligns our hearts with God's rule and reign. Psalm 96 teaches that true worship is a response to the hope we have in Christ, expressed with confidence in God's greatness. It involves offering repentance, turning from worthless idols to faith in Jesus, and declaring our allegiance to God as King. When we truly worship, we join all creation in expectantly awaiting Christ's return, knowing His judgment brings rejoicing for believers because of His faithfulness to His finished work on the cross.

In a world of influencers promising happiness, Jesus offers genuine satisfaction through three essential elements. In this sermon from Luke 20 & 21, Pastor Matt Shackelford shares where true satisfaction comes from. First, we must recognize Jesus as the incarnational Son—fully God and fully man—which gives purpose to our worship and meaning to our service. Second, we need to follow Him as our transformational Savior, allowing Him to change us from the inside out rather than focusing on appearances like the scribes did. Finally, we must finance His sacrificial story by investing our resources in God's kingdom, going 'all in' like the widow who gave everything she had. True satisfaction comes only when we fill the hole in our heart with Jesus alone.

True lasting peace can only be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the King of Peace. His humble entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey symbolized His approachability and desire for personal connection. Finding peace requires recognizing life isn't about us, understanding our greater purpose, and fully submitting to Jesus as King. In this sermon on Luke 19, Pastor Matt teaches how you can have peace with God.

Guest speaker Dr. Bruce A. Ware teaches on Isaiah 6.