City Central Church Podcast

Pastor Chris continued in our series on the life of David, sharing how David cultivated a soft heart by trusting God through mistreatment and injustice. David knew that he was not the one who called the shots in his own life, and he trusted in God’s intervention. When we are mistreated, we can either dull our hearts against God or trust him to fight on our behalf. Our hearts will never be more on display than the moments when we respond to man’s mistreatment or rejection.

This week Pastor Chris continued our Life of David series with a message entitled, Facing Fear, Finding the Lord. Chris shared with us the story of David on the run from Saul. David’s response like most people was to act in fear. Jesus has a better word and, we know that David knew this by writing Psalm 34 in response to this trying time.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through the life of David with a word about friendship. David had people around him who stood by him through difficulty, pain, ease, and celebration. Those he called friends were often the key to helping him to endure in Christ. Jonathan was a fierce, and faithful warrior of God who desired to walk closely with David. These two were committed to each other in Christ, while King Saul became jealous and fearful of David’s anointing. Pastor Chris encouraged each of us to cultivate friendship, and to pursue forgiveness and healing where friendships have caused pain.

This week, Adina Olson shared a powerful message on the story of David and Goliath. Adina sought to examine the heart of David in this popular Biblical story out of 1 Samuel 17. As the armies of Israel prepared to battle the Philistines, King Saul sought a warrior who could defeat the giant. As God raised David up to defeat Goliath, we learn how the work David did in his heart privately prepared him for the public battle. 

This week, Pastor Chris began a new series looking at the life and the heart of David. Chris provided the historical context leading up to David’s appointment as king. In 1st Samuel, the collective whole of Israel had rejected the Lord in their desire for an earthly king. God raised up Saul, but he soon proved himself unworthy as his leadership was marked by partial obedience, arrogance, and unrepentance. The Lord removed Saul and worked through the prophet Samuel to appoint and raise up David as the King of Israel after God’s own heart. 

This week, Pastor Chris brought our Galatians series to a close. Chris shared about the Father’s heart that always longs and desires to restore and mend unto wholeness. God will put His finger on areas of our life in order to heal us – the question is whether we want Him to heal and restore His way. In Galatians we have learned that we partner with the Lord in our restoration, and that when we yield to the Holy Spirit’s work on our lives, we will be set free to live free.

This week, Pastor Chris continued through the book of Galatians with a powerful word about living by the Spirit. In our text, the apostle Paul provides a solution for the internal battle every believer has of walking by the flesh or by the Spirit. Paul says that the solution is simple, but we each need revelation to hear it. The Father set us free so that we would walk in step with His Spirit in wholehearted humility and dependence.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through the book of Galatians. Chris shared how we were created to live intimately with God as our loving Father. In His desire to be close to us, God sent His son to restore relationship with us as his heirs and children. Chris encouraged us to ask ourselves how we approach the Father: as an heir or as a slave? If we view God as a father rather than a Pharoah, we will live in light of the inheritance He has generously promised us.

Shirlee Lamouriux

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through Galatians with a powerful word about fear of man. In our text, Peter was fearful of the Judaizer’s opinion of him and his fear spread to others. Chris shared how destructive fear of man can be for our relationship with Jesus. God’s word says that the fear of human opinion disables us but trust in God protects us.

This week Pastor Chris continued our sermon series in Galatians with a message entitled, Authentic or Counterfeit Christianity. The Judaizers of the day were invading the church with a false gospel and Paul’s exhortation the Galatian is to serve the one true authentic Jesus. The church today deals with this very same issue of picking a counterfeit Jesus over the authentic Jesus. Which Jesus do you serve?

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through the book of Galatians. In Galatians, the apostle Paul was preaching to a group of Christians believing in a man-made, works-based gospel. Paul continued to preach the simple, transformative truth that salvation only comes through the free gift of grace. There is a difference between a Biblical relationship with Jesus and the man-made religions of the world. We don’t need to strive to prove or save ourselves, we simply need to open our hearts to receive the free gift of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus.

This week, Pastor Chris began a new sermon series through the book of Galatians entitled, “Set Free to Live Free”. The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Galatia in order to counter the false gospel that the Judaizers were preaching to the Christian church. These Jewish Christians regarded the Old Testament laws as still binding to Christians, and in their legalism, they disregarded the invasive grace that Jesus offers. Legalism will leave us defeated as we seek to prove ourselves outwardly to God. The simple gospel is that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and this revelation should change us from the inside out.

This Sunday, our Community Life director Casey Mock shared about the importance of being in community and actively pursuing fellowship together. She shared the Biblical truth that we will have trouble and trial in this life and how we need others to lift our arms up when we’re too weak. We want to follow the examples of the Godhead who dwells in unity and the early church who did not neglect to meet together. Christian perseverance is a community endeavor, and Life Groups are a space where we can find our tribe before our trial.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in Malachi with a word on leaving a Godly legacy. Each of us are currently living a legacy and will leave it behind us when we pass away. The question is whether we will leave one of destruction or Godly blessing. A believer with a blessed legacy will live in such a way that counts for eternity. We are each part of a storyline that God the Father has been writing through His people that will last forever.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in Malachi 2 with a powerful message on the justice of God. The Israelites were continuing in their lukewarm living, and they began to accuse the Lord and question His character. Rather than desiring Him, they questioned what He had done for them lately. In their distorted perspective and pride, they cynically twisted God’s truth and created a God in their own image. We want to be a people who see God rightly and align our will with His.

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series through the book of Malachi. Malachi 2 touches on the difficult topic of divorce, and Pastor Chris shared how God’s purpose is always to redeem what has been broken. God loves marriage because it is designed to reflect His perfect love for His bride. He also hates divorce, but His love and story of redemption always reigns supreme over each of us. Chris shared the important truth that we will have a healthy marriage when we keep Jesus on the throne of our hearts and at the center of our marriage relationship.