Central Church Podcast

John writes in this passage that in this world, we can be children of two things: we can either be children of God or children of the devil. Those that are children of the devil continually make a practice out of sin and pursue lawlessness, whereas children of God practice and pursue righteousness.

In this passage of Scripture, John writes specifically to the little children, the young men, and the fathers. As Pastor Jon focuses on these 6 verses, he focuses on two main ideas: we are to know who we are and know what we love

John writes to the readers in today's passage three key elements of the Christian faith. We are to walk in the light, remember Jesus Christ our advocate, and obey the new commandment. As Christians, we are always walking in some direction. How does our love for others and our own self-awareness of sin influence the direction that we walk?

As Mary Magdalene approached the tomb, she found it empty and Jesus was nowhere to be found. He hadn't been taken away; He had risen out of the grave! The resurrection of our Lord not only solidifies that He was truly the Son of God, but that we are victors over death. We once were dead in our sins, but because of this resurrection, we have been brought back to life

We all have a hero. For some, it's a fictional character with movies based on their life. For others, it could be a person that we know that has overcome some adversity or has

The book of Daniel is an incredible journey that is filled with visions, interpretations, and unmatched faithfulness from the Lord to His people. Shifting of kingdoms, harsh punishments, foretelling of rulers to come, Daniel 12 concludes this prophetic book in the end times, and the eternal destination for those who believe in Jesus and those who don't

Our battle isn't against flesh and blood, but against forces that we can't always see. Daniel receives another vision about the end times and the battle that will take place between the kings from the north and the kings from the south. We know that there will be great suffering for those that are living under the reign of the Antichrist, but great hope will await those who are in Christ Jesus

We've seen incredible gifts from Daniel all throughout this book, but there's a shift when we see Daniel's honest, compassionate heart for the Jewish people. In a heartfelt petition, Daniel is approached by the angel Gabriel who reveals to him this vision of the end of times that is coming in 70 weeks

Just like in chapter 7, Daniel continues seeing visions of animals with unique characteristics in chapter 8, but it's a bit confusing what he sees, and even more confusing what it all means. Through this prophetic vision, Daniel sees the rising and falling of kingdoms to come, the leaders that will reign over the empire, and a glimpse at the final ruler who will come and will end all evil and sin...

Daniel receives another vision, but this one leaves him feeling a little different than most that he's had up to this point. It's filled with beasts of all kinds–some with wings, some with multiple heads–and what is this all representing? Daniel would interpret the falling and the rising of four major kingdoms, both in the past and in the future. Daniel was a futuristic man. Observing that, how ca...

When Daniel was around 80 years old, he was confronted with a harsh ultimatum: either stop praying to his God or get thrown into the lion's den. Daniel was a man who was faithful to his God in prayer, so it was no surprise to him when he found himself tossed into the bottom of the lion's den. What can we learn about this moment in Daniel's life? Even when our life is at stake, we should always rem...

Daniel served under King Nebuchadnezzar from the time that he was brought into the Babylonian empire. Now under King Belshazzar, Daniel receives one of his most unique opportunities from the king: to define the mysterious writing on the wall. What do these words mean to the kingdom, and what do these words mean to us today?

There were many great things that King Nebuchadnezzar had going for him. In fact, the dream that he sees in chapter 4 highlights just how powerful his kingdom had become. But a proud heart is not favorable in the sight of the Lord, and He humbles the king in a really unique way. Do we latch on to pride in our own lives by thinking too highly of ourselves, or do we commit that same pride by thinkin...

In Daniel 3, we see the renowned story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their attempted execution through the fiery furnace. But is the story really about the fiery furnace and God's deliverance of the three men, or is it about God's faithfulness that was shown through the fourth man in the fire?

In Daniel 2, we see this profound imagery that King Nebuchadnezzar receives, but has no one to translate his dream, and that comes with pretty high stakes for those that would attempt to see it. Then Daniel enters the picture, and explains the meaning behind this statue made of gold and clay, and what that not only meant to the kingdom at the time, but what that means for us today

It's not about the changing of names. It's not about the changing of diet. It's about the faithfulness of God and how God can use even the smallest of things to put His glory on display

Our Christmas Eve service

He was there in the beginning, before the creation of time. He was the light of the world, and shines in even the darkest of places. And he came to show the love that our Father in heaven has for us. Jesus is lagos, Jesus is light, and Jesus is love

We can find ourselves confronted with hard circumstances that leave us feeling like our back is against the wall. In those hard moments, though, we have the choice to choose obedience. When Mary and Joseph were confronted with the news that they were going to be the earthly parents to Jesus, they didn't run or hide; they chose obedience

It's very intentional how the book of Luke starts out. He doesn't begin with the story of Jesus or the family lineage, but instead begins with this couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth, a righteous couple who were unable to have children of their own. But God had made a promise of a Savior, and he would eventually fulfill that promise through Zechariah and Elizabeth

There are three specific moments that we see the Angel Gabriel appear: to Daniel, to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and to Mary and Joseph. Assigned with delivering the message of the baby Jesus, he appears to Mary and Joseph to share the good news that will cause everyone great joy. Our Savior, our redeemer, was coming soon to them, and he would be the one to save us from our sin

It's a responsibility that we as Christians have to take care of those that are in need, or those that Jesus describes as "the least of these." But who is it exactly that Jesus is talking about, and what does "the least of these" mean?

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the sea and the sky and the birds of the air and the beasts of the land. He also created mankind in His own image, and it was good. In our world today, how has the image been skewed away from the liking of God and transformed into our own liking?

As members of the body of Christ, we all possess many different gifts. Some are good for encouragement while others are good for exhortation. But in sharing these gifts, we are to love well and come alongside those in all seasons of life; to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn