Central Community Church | Sermon Audio

Ezekiel 4:1-17 The prophet Ezekiel was called to live out God’s message to Israel. He compassionately suffered for their sake, while being a persistent presence in their lives as a reminder of what the Lord was going to do in Jerusalem. Our call as Christians today is the same, we are called to live out the Gospel compassionately and persistently because of our care for the Lost. While the method might look differently our motivation and mission are the same.

Ezekiel 4:1-17 The weird & bizarre things that God asked Ezekiel to do demonstrated not only the seriousness of sin and disobedience and its consequences, but also the incredible mercy of the one who would bear the punishment of sin, giving hope for an eternal future in the New Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 4:4-17 Why would God tell a prophet to lie on his side for over a year, ration his food, or bake bread over dung? This morning we will see that Ezekiel's strange actions weren't random, but were powerful images revealing the devastating reality of sin. Through these unforgettable (and weird) signs, we see that sin carries a weight we cannot bear and it ultimately leads to judgment. But Ezekiel's story doesn't end with judgment, it points us to Jesus. Ezekiel could only symbolize humanity's problem, Jesus became the solution. He bore the weight of our sin, becoming the true Bread of Life, that takes on the judgment we deserved so that we could receive His grace.

Acts 17:24-27 Whether it be for significance, fulfillment, fame or love, everybody is searching for something. In Acts 17, Paul presents the God of the Bible as the Creator of all, a God who is both powerful and personal, and who longs for all people to find Him. It is only as we find God through His Son Jesus, that we can be truly satisfied.

Numbers 22:22-35 Some texts in Scripture are confusing, others troubling, and some just seem silly. A talking donkey? That falls in the latter category. But the message is serious: God uses messengers of His choosing – vessels that the world may label as foolish, weak, and despised – to speak His words, and His words only – words of blessing. This blessing, ultimately found in Christ, has been given to His people now – the church – to continue the blessing of Abraham to all nations.

Numbers 22:22-35 In this strange and memorable story, a donkey sees what a famous spiritual seer cannot. Yet the real wonder is not the talking animal, but the sovereign God who rules both the visible and invisible world, restrains human foolishness, and faithfully accomplishes His purposes. While Israel remains completely unaware of the danger around them, God protects His people, keeps His promises, and turns an intended curse into blessing. This passage reminds us that our greatest assurance is not our ability to understand or control everything, but God’s unwavering faithfulness, ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel 28:3-20 The Bible doesn’t pretend magic isn’t real - it takes witchcraft, sorcery, and the supernatural seriously. So why did Saul, the king of God’s people, turn to a forbidden medium? This week, we trace one of Scripture’s strangest nights to a question none of us can dodge: when God feels distant, what are we tempted to turn to instead?

1 Samuel 28.3-20 The Bible doesn’t pretend magic isn’t real - it takes witchcraft, sorcery, and the supernatural seriously. So why did Saul, the king of God’s people, turn to a forbidden medium? This week, we trace one of Scripture’s strangest nights to a question none of us can dodge: when God feels distant, what are we tempted to turn to instead?

1 Samuel 28.3-20The Bible doesn’t pretend magic isn’t real - it takes witchcraft, sorcery, and the supernatural seriously. So why did Saul, the king of God’s people, turn to a forbidden medium? This week, we trace one of Scripture’s strangest nights to a question none of us can dodge: when God feels distant, what are we tempted to turn to instead?

Matthew 10:34-39 The characterization of Jesus as a peace-loving hippy that the general population holds of our Lord does not actually square with the Biblical account of the Gospels. Jesus said some truly shocking and radical things that polarized the people of his day: Jesus came to bring a sword? Does that sound like following Jesus will mean an easy life? With these words Jesus cuts to the heart of what it means to be his followers: division, opposition, even combat with the world. As Jesus is embraced and accepted by some with joy he will also be vehemently rejected by others with contempt. The result is inevitably a sword: even among those we hold dearest. This is the cost of following Jesus; this is what it means to be his disciple. He must have our supreme allegiance. There can be no middle ground. The call to faith is the call to forsake all and follow Jesus. Have you counted the cost?

Matthew 10:34-36 We often picture Jesus as gentle, compassionate, and the “Prince of Peace.” But in Matthew 10, He says, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” These aren’t two different versions of Jesus. The same Saviour who brings peace with God also divides. Drawing a clear line between those who follow Him and those who don’t, even within the closest relationships.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 The accounts of God’s commands to the Israelites to devote the peoples of Canaan to destruction have at times been used to portray God as vindictive or even as a moral monster. Yet when these texts are read carefully in their broader biblical context, a different picture emerges: while God’s judgment on sin is real and at times severe, He consistently reveals Himself as one who delights in mercy. That truth reaches its clearest expression in the sending of His one and only Son, who bore the judgment we deserved so that we might receive the mercy we could never earn.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 The first passage in our “My Weird & Wonderful Bible” summer series seems both bizarre and unsettling – a text where God instructs the Israelites to completely eradicate the Canaanites from the Promised Land ... a text that some have mistaken as a divine mandate for “ethnic cleansing” ... a text that seemingly highlights an extreme disparity between “the God of the Old Testament” and “the God of the New Testament.” This sermon will point out that neither objection is true ... that the character of “the God of the OT” is more patient, loving and gracious than people often assume, and that “the God of the NT” is much more consistent about judgment from OT to NT than people often assume. Ultimately, there is also bloodshed in the NT that it is levelled against Jesus – a game changer in the unfolding history of redemption.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 As we embark on our summer series called My Weird & Wonderful Bible, this sermon addresses a common difficulty people have with the Old Testament: The number of texts where God instructs the Israelites to completely eradicate the Canaanites from the Promised Land. The key questions at hand are, 1. Is this Divinely mandated “Ethnic Cleansing”?; 2. Why does the God of the Old Testament seem so different from the God of the New Testament? This sermon will seek to address these questions and how God-ordained violence in the Bible fits into redemptive history and Good News to all nations.

Luke 6:27–36 Loving our enemies doesn't come naturally, and it may be one of the mostdifficult things Jesus ever asks of us. But in Luke 6:27–36, we discover that this commandisn't rooted in human effort but in God's incredible mercy toward us. In this challenging yetbeautiful passage we see how God's love changes our hearts and empowers us to extendgrace and mercy to those who need it most.

Luke 6:27-36 When Jesus said ‘love your enemies and do good to those who hate you’, could he possibly have known about all the evil in the world? Of course he did. It was because of that evil, our sinfulness, that He came to this earth. Does our Christian walk seek to imitate that kind of love?

Luke 6:27-36 When Jesus said ‘love your enemies and do good to those who hate you’, could he possibly have known about all the evil in the world? Of course he did. It was because of that evil, our sinfulness, that He came to this earth. Does our Christian walk seek to imitate that kind of love?

Luke 6:20-26 Through a series of four blessings and corresponding woes, Jesus calls His followers to embrace kingdom values that turn the world’s value system upside down, where apparent earthly losses can become eternal gains.

Luke 6:20-26 The keys to a full, satisfied, happy, joyful life are not what we often think they are. What Jesus says are the keys to happiness are, in fact, just the opposite of what the world tells us. His’ is an upside-down kingdom that, when pursued, offers the most satisfactory life possible!

Luke 6:20-26 God does not see things the way we do, because He does not look at what the world values. What we often prize, He does not. While the world focuses on outward appearance, God looks at the heart. In Jesus, we see a complete inversion of the world’s perspective, because the values of heaven are fundamentally different from the values of this world.

Luke 6:12-19 Have you ever felt totally inadequate for a task God was calling you to? In Luke 6:12-19, Jesus calls twelve of his disciples to be his apostles. These weren’t the most educated, sophisticated men, and yet God built his church initially through this group. This text encourages us to answer Jesus’ call to live as people sent on mission, depending at every moment on Christ’s great power.

Luke 6:12-19 Apart from His decision to go to the cross, Jesus’ choice of who would be His apostles is perhaps the most consequential decision of His earthly ministry. These twelve men would go on to establish the church as we know it and plant the seeds that would carry Jesus’ mission forward.

Luke 6:12-19 SynopsisThe event surrounding Jesus selecting 12 Apostles reveals an invitation to deeper discipleship. Jesus embraces us where we’re at but calls us to deeper intimacy, faith, and effectiveness.

Luke 5:33 - 6:11 In this sermon, we explore Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees in Luke 5:33–6:11 and reveals how easily religious traditions can become barriers to experiencing the transforming work of God. Through stories about fasting, wineskins, the Sabbath, and the healing of a man with a withered hand, Jesus challenges a system that prioritized outward performance over inward transformation.

Luke 5:33-6:11 When legalism replaces the way of Jesus, a lack of love and concern for others results, and people’s needs for forgiveness, for daily provision, and for healing, are overlooked.

Luke 5:33 – 6:11 Why were the Pharisees so upset that Jesus and His disciples were feasting instead of fasting? In this passage, Jesus reveals that something entirely new has arrived. He is the Bridegroom, the Lord of the Sabbath, and the Savior who came to bring joy, freedom, and life to His people. As the religious leaders cling to their traditions and self-righteousness, Jesus invites us to see what God is doing right in front of us. Today we’ll explore how Christ calls us into a new way of living, frees us from empty religion, and demonstrates His commitment to save us at any cost.

Luke 5:27-32 Jesus lived with a deliberate mission in mind: to seek and save sinners. He saw the outcasts, misfits and social pariahs, went to them and called them to follow him. He was not afraid of being judged by self-righteous religious figures, but rather called all people, regardless of their position or power, to repent of their sin and follow him.

Luke 5:27-32 Jesus lived His life keenly observing people. He saw their need and then, motivated by mercy, called them to leave their way of living and follow Him. He still does this, now through His disciples.

Luke 5:27-32 Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners and it transformed their lives. This sermon seeks to apply the way of Jesus to our interactions with unbelievers so we neither stand at a distance condemning culture, nor assimilate to the culture, but bring the distinctive, compelling beauty of Jesus effectively with us wherever we go.

Romans 8:1-11 In Acts 2, the Spirit fell on all believers present in Jerusalem, the church was birthed, and everything changed. Now, God himself takes up residence inside the lives of each individual believer by the presence and power of his Holy Spirit. On this Pentecost Sunday, we reflect on what the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the daily ongoing life of the Christian. From Romans 8:1-11 the message is clear: the Spirit of life has brought about a new freedom from sin and death. This means that all who have the Spirit of God experience a new position, a new pattern, and a new power. We cannot neglect our need for the Spirit’s work, indeed, our whole lives ought to be characterized by walking in the Spirit for apart from him we are weak and powerless. The good news is that because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, his Spirit has now come to grant us communion with God and victory over sin.

Romans 8:1-11 On Pentecost Sunday, we explore Romans 8:1–11 and the reality of life inthe Holy Spirit. In Christ, the verdict over believers has changed and there is now nocondemnation. Through the Spirit, God not only forgives us but transforms our minds,reshapes our desires, and fills us with resurrection hope. This morning we will unpackhow the Spirit frees us from shame and empowers us to fight sin. Paul reminds us thatthe same power that raised Jesus from the dead now dwells within His people.

Romans 8:1-11 Pentecost reminds us of a breathtaking reality: the Holy Spirit of God now dwells within every believer. In Romans 8, Paul contrasts the life of the flesh (marked by condemnation, slavery, and death) with the life of the Spirit, marked by freedom, peace, sonship, and transformation in Christ. Today we’ll consider what it truly means to set our minds on the Spirit, walk in His power, and live daily in the freedom of “no condemnation” for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:31-37 Jesus' ascension is one of the most underrated Christian doctrines, nevertheless, it has massive life changing implications for the follower of Christ. Because of Jesus’ ascension we can have confidence that God is for us, since nothing can separate us from the love of our enthroned King who is praying for us and is coming back for us.

Romans 8: 31-39 Forty days after Christ’s resurrection, Jesus rose, bodily, to heaven. This ascension completed the mission of Jesus on earth but was the beginning of God’s plan for the Christian church. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross, His victory over death and His ascension to heaven direct us to have confidence that there is nothing that is able to separate us from the love of Jesus.

Romans 8:31-39 Jesus died and rose again. Amazing as that is it’s not the end of the story. On Ascension Sunday we are focusing on the current role that Jesus plays as the reigning King of kings over all creation and active intercessor as our great High Priest in heaven — and why that makes all the difference in your life today.

Luke 5:17-26 Faith that is convinced that Jesus is able to both effect healing, but more amazingly forgive sin, is a faith that will stop at nothing to get people to encounter Jesus.

Luke 5:17-26 The healing of the paralytic not only authenticates the greater healing that only Jesus can perform – the forgiveness of sins, but it also points to human involvement in that healing.

Luke 5:17-26 God uses the faith and determination of Christians to lead people to Jesus, where salvation, forgiveness, and healing are found.The story of the men bringing a paralytic to Jesus reminds us that religious people often make it difficult for outsiders to get to Jesus, we should do whatever it takes, sometimes we need the borrowed faith of fellow believers to carry us, Jesus’ priority is to address our deepest need, Jesus alone has the power to forgive and heal, and a true encounter with Jesus brings awe, praise, and joy.

Luke 5:12-16 A man with an incurable, wasting disease was completely healed with only four words: “I will; be clean.” We too need to hear those same words – and be healed from the wasting disease called sin – a disease that can only be cured by Jesus.

Luke 5:12-16 Jesus encounters a man full of leprosy whose deepest need is not simply healing, but cleansing. This morning we examine how the leper’s condition points us to our own spiritual uncleanness and our inability to make ourselves clean before God. Through this powerful interaction, we see Christ’s willingness and authority to cleanse those who come to Him in humble faith. All who have been made clean, are called to go and show others the life-changing grace of Jesus.

Luke 5:12-16 Sometimes we become so consumed with the urgent and visible problems in our lives that we fail to see the deeper problem beneath them all. In this passage, we’ll learn to recognize our greatest need and the lasting solution Jesus offers to those willing to see their true condition.

Luke 5:1-11 This morning we look at Luke 5:1–11 and the calling of Peter, James, andJohn. In a moment of failure, and after fishing all night with empty nets, Jesus calls them to be His disciples. Not because of their effort, but because of His grace. He callsthem to trust His word, reveals their unworthiness, and then gives them a new purpose.This passage shows us that Jesus meets us in our emptiness and calls us to trust Him, while He transforms our lives for His mission.

Luke 5:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 tells us the dramatic story of Jesus calling his first disciples. From this passage we learn that following Jesus entails recognizing our sinfulness and unworthiness while simultaneously acknowledging the supreme worth of Christ. Following Jesus is not easy; he calls his followers to be willing to lay everything down for his sake. In the end though, he is more than worth it.

Luke 5:1-11 When Jesus calls you to be His disciple, it means doing what He says (even when it doesn’t make sense), God becoming big to you (which terrifies and attracts), joining Him on His mission (by filling your net with things of eternal value), and surrendering everything (and discovering the life you were made for there).

Luke 4:38-41 Do you feel that Jesus tires of hearing of your needs or requests? In this account Jesus demonstrates how his love responds to our requests and it heals our physical and spiritual hurts. His love carries authority and hope for us as evidenced in His sacrifice on the cross and rising from the grave.