Central Community Church | Sermon Audio

Acts 18:1-11 As the Apostle Paul moved from the highly secular & intellectual culture of Athens to the highly commercial & sexually immoral culture of nearby Corinth, he continued to engage the culture around him by upholding the Word of God and faithfully proclaiming the Good News about Jesus. So must we. This text teaches us how to be relevant in our culture, which is not that different...

Acts 18-1-11 Even the great Apostle Paul hit a wall sometimes. Our text indicates that Paul was afraid and discouraged during his ministry in Corinth. Yet the very same encouragements that Paul received are ours today: The encouragement of Christian community and the encouragement we receive from God’s presence and promises.

Scripture: Acts 17: 16-34Speaker: Pastor Matt Shantz Athens was the intellectual capitol of the world and Paul went to the local synagogue, the marketplace, and the famous Areopagus to tell people about Jesus. How he went about doing that among people who viewed the world differently, worshiped idols, and had no reference for Jesus and the Bible is instructive for us today as missionaries in our s...

Acts 17:16-34 Jesus sent his disciples to the ends of the earth and that means we need to be able to communicate the gospel with people all over the globe.  Paul gives us an excellent example of how to continually do this kind of evangelism, making sure to communicate the gospel clearly while trusting that God is the one doing the work.

Acts 17:16-34 Even as the great Apostle Paul masterfully engaged the highly secular & intellectual culture that he lived in, so we must engage ours … ours being not only secular, but post-Christian. We will learn from this text how to proclaim the good news about Jesus in a meaningful and relevant way within our culture.

Acts 17:16-34 Paul is perhaps the greatest Christian missionary that has ever lived. Paul’s address to the Athenians on the Areopagus is the finest NT example of a Gentile geared evangelistic sermon. Paul knew his context and addressed the people in a way they could relate and understood. In Acts 17:16-34 we learn a few important truths about evangelism from the life of Paul, his address and...

Scripture: Acts 17: 1-15 A pattern is emerging in Paul’s missionary process: Go to a city, teach the Bible, preach the gospel, plant a church, and be violently rejected. That’s exactly what happens in Thessalonica and Berea. We learn a great deal about gospel ministry from this text, including: We should establish connections with people; expound the Bible for people, and expect polari...

Acts 17:1-15 The good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is a true message that many need to hear. Followers of Christ, as well as those exploring the Christian faith can find reassurance in the historical evidence for Jesus. Regardless of the response to our witness, we are called to faithfully proclaim the truly good news of Jesus.

Acts 17:1-15 What are the habits that we have planned into our lives this fall?  As we look back into the book of Acts we see two habits that formed the early church, the habit of evangelism and the habit bible reading.  These two habits have been part of the foundations of the church since the very beginning and we have the privilege and joy of participating in them as well.

Acts 17:1-15 A healthy, missional church exhibits key markers that identify its laser focus on the things that matter most. Acts 17:1-15 shows us what these marks are.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 There are people that when they know Christ their lives are transformed in a very radical and permanent way; their lives are examples of faith, and love, and hope… but there are also those who pray the sinner’s prayer, but they continue living the same life they had before that prayer. We don’t see a real transformation, we don’t see a con...

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 A look at a newly birthed church that takes what they have come to believe within their hearts and mind and radically lives it out amidst persecution and suffering. The Thessalonian church is a convicting witness on how we are to allow what is within us become embodied outside of us.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 You see Mission in action when the Gospel of Jesus comes in, the Holy Spirit moves, and then the Kingdom of God goes out.

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-14 At the end of Elijah’s life he handed over his ministry to his younger protégé Elisha and was carried away into heaven by a Chariot of Fire and a Whirlwind. Elijah’s example of mentoring other young prophets and Elisha’s desire to follow in his mentor’s footsteps remind us of the importance of imitation, succession, transitions in our...

2 Kings 2:1-14 Perseverance is a concept that has been fading from our culture but more importantly from the church; in the world it was said that our attention span was three seconds shorter than a goldfish, that is 7 seconds in average, I’m sure with the new tick-tock, and the short clips in YouTube and social networks, that attention span has decreased significantly. Of course, that is tr...

2 Kings 2:1-14 As Elijah's ministry comes to an end and Elisha assumes his place, the question that is before Elisha is "how will I fill Elijah's shoes?". As we see God empower Elisha by his Spirit, we also see how all God's people can receive the empowerment they need for the life God calls them to.

Scripture: 2 Kings 1:1-18 As Elijah confronts yet another corrupt king we are reminded of a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Through Elijah God reveals his perfect justice and displays a surprising Mercy all contingent on his unwavering word.

2 Kings 1:1-18 Is God the same in the Old Testament and the New Testament?  Sometimes we get the idea that in the Old Testament God is all about judgment and in the New Testament God is all about mercy.  But as we see in our passage, God is always showing us both the seriousness of sin and lavishness of his mercy. 

2 Kings 1:1-18 Most of us occasionally find ourselves in stressful times.  Where do we turn for hope? Our source of hope may indicate who or what is our god.  As followers of Christ the characteristics we display should live up to our title of Christian.  Fortunately when we come up short, the mercy of Jesus Christ restores our relationship with God.

Scripture: 1 Kings 22:1-40 The Bible constantly reminds us that while things seem out of control, they are not out of God’s control.  From the biggest world events, to the smallest details, God is in control and that means we can trust his Word, and the promises we have in Jesus.

Scripture: 1 Kings 22:1-40 Whenever we’re presented with competing voices, it can be tempting to follow the opinions that most line up with our desires instead of listening to the Lord’s leading. 1 Kings 22 describes in vivid fashion what happened when King Ahab disregarded the LORD’s leading and how he faced the consequences of  his disobedience in fulfillment to the word o...

Scripture: 1 Kings 22 1 Kings 22 gives us great insight in to how God is sovereign and is in control, even when there is chaos around us. Whether it’s something on a grand scale, or the smallest detail, we can trust in his Word and know that His purposeful will is perfect. In the midst of the chaos, God draws us to himself through his son Jesus Christ, who is the Good Shepherd, and the bring...

Scripture: 1 Kings 21 We are all on a path and, like any path, it goes in two directions. The people of Israel had been walking away from God collecting the nasty consequences of their choices. King Ahab’s example will show us what that path looks like and in contrast the eternal rewards of walking towards God.

Scripture: 1 Kings 21 Does God really forgive wicked people? It seems like sometimes God should just bring down a hammer of judgment, but instead he shows incredible mercy. In the life of Ahab we see God’s desire to show mercy even to those who have not deserved it.

In a world where relativism is popular, what can we learn from King Ahab and Jezebel, regarding the destructive consequence of coveting? Elijah communicated truth to Ahab and was regarded as the enemy. Do we regard the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives as an enemy?