City Central Church Podcast

In our first service, guest prophetic preacher Charlie Sweet preached a powerful message about revival. Charlie shared how the church appears to be in a desperate state, yet God has restored and revived His people in the past and He will do it again in the present. Charlie exhorted us to cry out for revival, to fight off lukewarm living, and to prepare for battle this side of heaven.

This week, Darrin Miller continued in our series through 1 Corinthians, sharing the reality that a healthy church will operate in the power of God. Darrin defined this power as God manifesting his attributes (knowledge, wisdom, truthfulness, mercy grace, love, holiness, justice) and presence to and through his people into the world. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul shared the simple gospel of Christ crucified, which does not require eloquent or persuasive speech. Darrin encouraged us to ask ourselves if the power of God is at work in our lives today.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our new sermon series through 1 Corinthians. In our text, Paul is writing to the Corinthian church after having visited them two years prior. He sought to call the church higher, into greater unity and maturity in Christ. Chris shared how supernatural unity is a place of agreement. Christ’s church will be unified when we choose to be of the same mind, restored to God’s original plan and vision for us.

This week, Pastor Chris began a new sermon series through the book of 1 Corinthians. In this series, Chris will share a picture of a healthy church according to the apostle Paul. Throughout his missionary journeys, Paul encountered the city of Corinth—a diverse melting pot with a reputation for fierce independence, sexual immorality, and idolatry. Paul sought to spiritually diagnose the Corinthian church and encourage them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

This week, our Community Life Director Casey Mock shared about the importance of meeting with the saints outside of Sunday mornings. She shared a statistic from a study that sought to answer what brings health and fulfillment to individuals. That study determined “belonging” as the number one answer. We were blessed to hear some of our life group leaders express how their group has become a safe space to be transparent and find healing in Jesus.

This week at City Central, we cebrated the completion of the fast along with numerous testimonies from what we saw God do during the fast. As well, Brent and Heather Madsen, founders and leaders of the YWAM Mazatlán base joined us to share amazing things that God is doing in their midst! 

This week, guest preacher Steve Williams preached a powerful word on cultivating a prophetic culture. Steve Williams is part of the apostolic team with Minister’s Fellowship International, and he has a deeply prophetic spirit and anointing. Steve shared the vital importance of the prophetic in our world today. He implored us to throw off spiritual apathy and ask God for more of the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives. 

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our abundance sermon series with a powerful word on prayer. Chris shared the reality that prayer is the essential communication link between the visible and the invisible world. Prayer can release what God intends to do, and it has the power to change people. Chris explained what it means to pray in the spirit and shared the 4 different types of biblical tongues. He encouraged us to pray the Word of God, and to pray as often as we possibly can.

This week, Pastor Chris launched us into the new year with a new sermon series about abundant life in Christ. God’s Word says that Christ came to give us abundance, yet we often feel as though we’re lacking. The enemy will always seek to steal, kill, and destroy our hope. Pastor Chris called us into a new day to shake off the old, to ground ourselves in prayer, and to receive our inheritance of abundance in Jesus. 

This week, our youth pastor Stephanie Kram jumpstarted the new year with a powerful word on discipleship. Stephanie defined discipleship and gave the Biblical premise for disciple relationships current day. She shared her personal story of being discipled and shared how the most important part of walking alongside somebody is our heart posture. As we invite others into our lives, we fulfill the great commission and go low in order to raise others up.

This week, Pastor Chris preached a powerful Christmas message about the magi in the Christmas story. The wise men were astrologers who traveled over thousands of miles to worship the Christ child. The star they followed is believed by some to be the shekinah glory of God leading worshippers to Immanuel. We can each learn from the example of the magi who pursued Christ and immediately fell down and worshiped Him at first sight.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our sermon series on the promises of Christmas. God’s Word exhorts us to be like little children, full of faith and wonder. The holiday season can distract us from fixing our gaze on Christ and the miracle of His birth. If you have lost your wonder, let the truth of Christ’s character as redeemer, bondage breaker, and refuge restore your awe this Christmas season.

This week Pastor Chris continued in our Christmas series, focusing on the promise of joy. The world encourages us to find joy in superficial things, but we as God’s children have an inheritance of resolute and eternal joy. Mary was a young, diminished, and misunderstood teenager when God called her to carry the Christ child. As she magnified the Lord through her difficult circumstances, Mary experienced a joy that only comes through surrender to God.

This week Pastor Chris began our Christmas series, focusing each week on a different promise fulfilled in Christ, who is the ultimate promise of Christmas. Jesus promises peace and wholeness to all who call him Lord and Savior. Without Christ, we will seek to find peace through favorable circumstances or the absence of conflict. The question to ask ourselves this Christmas season is whether we are living in the peace that only Christ provides.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our mini-series on generosity. Pastor Chris encouraged us to consider the source and purpose of our finances. God’s priorities are very different than the world’s priorities, and the holiday season can tempt us to be consumers rather than stewards of what has been entrusted to us. By choosing to generously give away, we become more aligned with God’s generous heart.

This week, Pastor Chris began a two-week mini-series on generosity. He shared how we are created to live generously because our Father has been abundantly generous to us. Culture tells us to store up our treasure on Earth, and the enemy tempts us to harden our hearts against joyfully giving our lives away. As we enter into the Thanksgiving season, we have an opportunity to stop and remind ourselves of how good God has been to us, allowing thanksgiving and generosity to change our hearts.

This week, one of City Central's elders, Darrin Miller, finshes out the series on The Life of David.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through the life of David with a powerful word on the trouble of temptation. In the story of David’s temptation with Bathsheba, we see David progressively hardening his heart against the ways of God. David abandoned his ultimate purpose as God’s chosen king to pursue his earthly desires, and his sin snowballed into adultery, treachery, and murder. Victory over temptation will come when we actively guard our minds and learn to flee away from sin and to Christ.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through the life of David. As his circumstances shifted from adverse to favorable, David was confronted with a choice. He could either choose to press further into Jesus or shift into neutral and coast in his faith. We can learn a lot about our character by how we respond to blessing and success in our lives. Rather than settling, we can choose to respond like David, and double down on our affection for Jesus.

This week (October 23, 2022) Pastor Chris continued through the life of David, looking at how David responded when his adverse circumstances changed. As we move into 2 Samuel, David’s season of difficulty had shifted as he was elevated and promoted. David made a bold decision to build his life around the presence of God, and He wanted God to be at the center of the nation. Through David, we learn what it looks like to build our lives around God rather than adding the Lord to a foundation we’ve already laid.