Central Church Sermons

In our humanity we all want to be great at something, just like the disciples in Mark 9:30-37.  However, Jesus teaches the disciples what true greatness is all about. His definition looks very different than the world's definition of greatness.  Which definition are we embracing in our lives?

"I do believe! Help my unbelief!" We can all identify with the father's cry to Jesus in Mark 9:24. This morning we look at what Jesus has to teach us about faith and prayer in our times of greatest need.

Of all the resurrection appearances of Jesus, His appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-32 is the most puzzling. Why did they not recognize Him? Why did He not immediately reveal Himself to them?

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of what is commonly referred to as "Passion Week," the week of suffering Jesus Christ endured leading to His crucifixion. How did Jesus prepare His disciples for what would happen this week? He did so through the Transfiguration, which is our text today (Mark 9:1-12).

Have you ever wondered what it truly means to follow Jesus? This morning we will examine Mark 8:31-39, wherein Jesus answers this question. Rather than spend their lives in pursuit of their own pleasure or will, Jesus challenges his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross and to follow him. This is what it means to truly follow Jesus.

Mark 8:22-26 is the only recorded healing miracle where healing was not instantaneous and took place in two stages. Why did Jesus heal the blind man in this way, and what is its relevance to us today?

Why did Mark include two almost identical accounts of Jesus miraculously feeding people (6:30-44 and 8:1-9) in his gospel? This morning we'll look at the response to these miracles by the disciples, by the Pharisees, and by us.

Is Jesus rude to the Syrophonecian woman in Mark 7:24-30? What does Jesus' encounter with this woman teach us about how we come to Jesus? What does it teach us about how we view people who "aren't like us"?

Today we look at Mark 7:14-23 and what Jesus has to say about whether we are or can be “pure” and “good.”

What is "tradition," and when is tradition helpful and hurtful to our lives, our relationships, and our church? Why is it so hard to change our traditions? How can our traditions hold us back from following Jesus? This week we'll look at these questions as we study Mark 7:1-13.

How do we find ourselves like the disciples in Mark 6:45-52, rowing furiously against the wind and getting nowhere? Where is Jesus in these times, and what does He want to do in our lives?

This week's passage in Mark 6:30-44 gives us a clear picture of Jesus' compassionate heart towards those who are spiritually lost and hungry. We'll also see how Jesus uses us to minister to others when we're overwhelmed and have nothing to offer.

Last fall, our church family nominated five men who they believed fulfilled the biblical qualifications of eldership (Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-4). Today, we gather together to support them as they are ordained, and in turn they promise to shepherd and care for us. While modern life does not have us encounter shepherds very often, it is still a powerful image of what our elders and...

In Mark 6:1-13, two different groups of people are given a great opportunity to follow Jesus.  One group failed to take advantage of their opportunity, while the other group embraced it.  Today we will take a look at what we can learn from these two groups to make sure we don't miss Jesus in our own lives.

What is 'desperate faith', and why does Jesus respond to it? We'll see this in Jesus' interactions with two very different people in Mark 5:21-43.

This week we look at Jesus' encounter with a man possessed with many demons in Mark 5:1-20. We'll see how we're up against supernatural powers that seek to defeat, deface, deform, and ultimately destroy life. Most significantly, we'll see the ultimate authority and supreme power Jesus has to rescue us from these powers.

This morning we'll see how Jesus teaches us that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear! What is fear? What is faith in the face of fear? We'll look at these questions in our study of Mark 4:35-41.

What is your responsibility in receiving the ‘seed’ of gospel truth? What is God’s responsibility in this? This morning we’ll look at how Jesus addresses this in two more parables involving seeds (Mark 4:26-34).

We in the Student Ministry have the opportunity every day to see in our students the potential and direction of the church. Many of these youth are inflamed with a love for God and a tender heart for their peers, and we frequently find ourselves learning from them as often as they learn from us. Today, our students have the opportunity to display the love of Christ to the larger church body, to yo...

Why is it that some people see the ‘Christ’ in Christmas, while others don’t? In this sermon, Pastor Dan looks at what Jesus says about this in His parables of the lamp and the measures in Mark 4:21-25.

Christmas is a time of the year when many hear the good news of Jesus Christ who don't normally hear it. Why do some respond in faith while others do not? Why do some only seem to respond in faith, but later seem to "fall away"? In this sermon, Dan Werthman will look at what Jesus taught about this in Mark 4:1-20.

Why did Jesus teach in parables? What do we do with His parables? Why doesn’t He just come out and teach plainly? Today we’ll look at these questions in Mark 4:1-12. 

In Mark 3:31-34, we read about Jesus' family. His mother is well known but his brothers to a lesser degree. In our message today we will look into Jesus' family, both biological and spiritual, and delve into what Jesus meant when he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers." 

As we continue our study in Mark, we see in 3:20-30 that Jesus had many critics. Some of his greatest critics were the Jewish religious leaders who accuse him of being possessed by Satan in this passage. In response to them, he gives important words of wisdom and warning that we can apply to our lives today.

This morning in Mark 3:7-19, we will see Jesus withdraw to the Sea of Galilee, followed by a large crowd from every corner of the region.  Then, pulling aside his disciples, he names them apostles, marking a transition in their servanthood, as they move from "learner" to "messenger.