Central Church NYC

God takes what the world sees as broken and transforms it into something beautiful, just as Michelangelo saw David hidden in flawed marble. Through stories of faith, loss, and everyday encounters, we can be reminded that our lives are meant to reflect Christ’s transforming power. God’s redeeming work reshapes us to be witnesses of His glory in a world longing for hope. Listen to this s...

The biblical story of Jehosheba is remarkable yet little-known. Set against a backdrop of palace intrigue and danger, her split-second decision to hide a baby in a supply closet changed the course of history. And just as Jehosheba recognized the true king in her day, we’re called to live boldly for the ultimate King — Jesus — right where we are. Listen to this sermon as Rev. Andr...

The key to living boldly in the world starts with being hidden away. But what does that mean? When we look at the life of Elijah, it reveals the surprising power of a “concealed life” with God. But a hidden faith that never shows up in real life? That’s only half the story. Listen to this sermon from Rev. Andrew Smith as he challenges us to live fully rooted lives that move from...

What if the key to your purpose in the city isn’t chasing success but letting go of status altogether? In a world obsessed with achievement, the freedom to serve might be the most powerful calling of all. Listen to this sermon from Rev. Dr. Jay Harvey as he shows how Jesus’ humility offers a radical new way to live, love, and lead in places like New York. ________ Sign up for Central&r...

Isaiah 6 is often quoted as an example of a willing servant of God expressing eagerness to be on mission for him. What can be overlooked, however, is the fact that God is calling Isaiah to an extremely difficult task, and Isaiah’s willingness to go comes less from a place of excitement and more from a place of experiencing the weightiness, superlativeness, and supremacy of God. Listen to thi...

There are a lot of difficulties in ministry, but if we’re not careful, the presenting challenges can easily distract us from one covert challenge with damaging potential. When ministry goes well, the danger of success creeps in, tempting us to chase a name for ourselves instead of elevating the name of the One to whom we owe credit for all our successes. Listen to this sermon as Rev. Alex Wa...

Short term mission trips are a popular way for Christians to go out and be the hands and feet of God to others in need. But what if the real beneficiary of mission is not who we traditionally think it is? After all, when God sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh, unbeknownst to Jonah, Nineveh was not the primary focus of God’s plan. Watch this sermon as pastoral resident Hansol Kang helps us consi...

We all love a good comeback story. Whether it’s sports, rags-to-riches, or otherwise, there’s something about a new start — a second chance — that resonates with us in the depths of our souls. The book of Jonah tells us one such story and reminds us that God is a God not just of second chances but of third chances, fourth chances, and millionth chances. Listen to this sermo...

Taking up a collection has been a regular feature of Christian worship since the beginning. The Bible exemplifies believers giving to support one another and to support the mission of God. But the Bible doesn’t just instruct us TO give; it tells us how to give so that we’re both responsible and generous in how we honor God with our finances. Listen to this sermon as we consider how to...

The earliest Christians had their lives radically transformed by Jesus, and their response was justice, mercy, and faithfulness, yes, but in addition to the practice of tithing. The radical generosity of Jesus in giving his very life naturally led to the Church radically giving to support the advancement of the gospel and to provide for those in need. Listen to this sermon as we consider the volun...

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he gained access to the throne of the universe. But he didn’t just leave us behind to fend for ourselves. His Spirit is alive in us, and with that Spirit comes power — power that changes our hearts, gives us life, and allows us to be his witnesses to the world. Listen to this sermon as Rev. Walter Henegar considers the manifestation of God’s power...

We live in a troubled time and a troubled world. We’re not strangers to the challenges Paul speaks of in Scripture. But when Jesus came, God reclaimed the earth as his own. Jesus modeled a new way to live — a way of love — that we, as heirs with Christ, can also embody in order to make God’s presence and power known to a perilous world. Listen to this sermon as the Right Re...

Life is chaotic and confusing. Most of the time we can’t tell exactly where we’re headed, and everything feels out of our control — probably because it is! Which is why it’s such great news that we have a God who is in control and is actively involved in every aspect of our lives. When it feels like we have nothing to hold on to, we can find confidence in a God who is worki...

We live in between God’s promised future and our present reality. This place of suspense causes pain — pain for us as the people of God, pain for all of God’s creation, and even pain for God’s Spirit, who hears our groanings and groans along with us, longing for the day when pain will be overshadowed once and for all by God’s glory. Listen to this sermon as we conside...

We often hear mention of the “glory of God,” but what exactly is it? Glory has much to do with fame, honor, and renown, but even more specifically, the glory of God relates to his majesty, his power, and his rule as the true King. So what a marvelous truth it is that God doesn’t just reveal his glory to us; he shares it with us! Listen to this sermon as we consider our future glo...

When we embrace the salvation Jesus offers us, that brings with it a number of new realities, not the least of which is the spirit of adoption from God. We become not just heirs of God’s Kingdom but beloved children, upon whom he delights to bestow every blessing of inheritance. Listen to this sermon as we consider our position as sons and daughters of God, and how that motivates us to put t...

The resurrection is what it’s all about because the resurrection offers salvation. But what is salvation all about? Is it just about rescue for the next life? Is it just about being saved from this world? No, in Romans 8, Paul begins to show us that salvation has just as much to do with freedom and renewal in this life as it does our eternal destiny elsewhere. Watch this sermon as we explore...

If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything. It really is what it’s all about. It gives us forgiveness for the past, hope for the future, and meaning in the present. You can’t get that anywhere else. Listen to this sermon as we consider the historical support for the resurrection and the massive implications its truth has on our lives. ________ Sign up for Central’s newsle...

Jesus felt a lot on the cross. In addition to the most intense physical pain, he felt abandoned. He felt humiliated. He felt rejected. He felt so many negative human emotions and experiences to the greatest degree. But these emotions of Jesus don’t just point to his humanity or provide us with an example of how to endure them. Listen to this sermon as we consider how Jesus’ emotions on...

We’ve observed how, during his life on earth, Jesus experienced the whole spectrum of human emotion, and yet without sin. Perhaps this was never more difficult than on the night before his crucifixion, when he faced the most painful of human emotions: agony. Listen to this sermon as pastoral resident Hansol Kang considers how Jesus’ response when facing intense pain and betrayal exhibi...

The biblical account of the original Palm Sunday reveals a complex messiah capable of experiencing multiple strong emotions simultaneously. While Christ’s seemingly paradoxical emotions teach us a lot about him, they also teach us a lot about ourselves. Listen to this sermon as we consider the multifaceted image of Jesus and what that reveals about our position as being simultaneously a sinn...

When we think about the countenance of Jesus, we tend to think of him as calm, composed, measured, or stoic. We rarely think of him as being outwardly joyful. But Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit with a joy that was very deep and very real. Listen to this sermon as we consider Jesus’ pure joy and how we too can experience that in our own lives. ________ Sign up for Central’s newslette...

We see in Scripture accounts of Jesus walking on the earth, experiencing the full gamut of human emotion, yet navigating those emotions without sin. We find peace in the relatability of the incarnate Jesus in this area. But what about the ascended Jesus and his connection to our emotions? Listen to this sermon as Rev. Dr. Jay Harvey considers how, in addition to being able to identify with our emo...

Anger is a big emotion, but it’s also a more complex emotion than we give it credit for. There’s blowup anger — the type we typically think of, which feels negative and leads us to strive for no anger at all — but there’s also a slow anger that grows in response to the ways the world deviates from God’s original plan. So does anger have a place in the Christian...

Sorrow is a tricky emotion. Too often it feels like our options are to be completely overwhelmed by sorrow, or to shut it out completely. But in Jesus’ life, he showed us that there is a place for healthy sorrow, so long as it has the correct object and doesn’t lose sight of the truth. Listen to this sermon as we consider how fallenness justifies sorrow, but the hope of Christ has the...