Central Lutheran

When the God of the universe comes down as a baby, GREATNESS gets redefined. Success now serves, favored sons wash feet, lives are laid down. It’s the Christmas you may not have heard about - so join us this weekend as Pastor Aaron delves further into Philippians 2, discovering what happens when the earth encounters God in flesh…

Nothing in all the vast, created universe could prepare us for God coming down as a helpless infant. And, there's nothing in all the imaginations of the world that could make sense of Jesus the son of God intentionally positioning himself as a mere servant identifying with the lowest of lows. It's enough to confound the mind, to contrite the heart. This changes everything. Can you imagine? Join us...

As Advent 2016 unfolds we find ourselves in need of something-someone-to trust. A person who, rather than being far away and detached, could be close-up, approachable, accessible. Join us in worship this weekend as we open the book of Philippians to lay a backdrop of rich understanding of what- or Who- has come to live among us.

What does it look like to live a life of YES in the midst of a nay-saying world? True gratitude goes beyond a list of blessings to a lifestyle of abundance: embracing what we've been given and living wide open inside the grace of an amazing God.

Most people don't enter adulthood prepared for the financial challenges life presents. Reviving those financial profiles is going to require some renewed thinking skills. Amazingly, our God is in the business of renewal - so join us this weekend to discover positive steps towards your own best financial future.

When money becomes our object of affection, our lives and our checkbooks suffer. It's when we lose our "money-love" that we gain the freedom of God's abundance. Join Pastor Aaron for the first in a series of messages discovering the wealth of what matters most.

"At first glance, stress and joy are about as compatible as oil and water; so why would God actually call us to joy in the best of times and worst? Perhaps we need to get a glimpse of what God can do when life gets tough. Join us for a final weekend in this series.”

"Anybody out there need a HUGE dose of HOPE? Rather than downsize your dreams, use this season to elevate your expectations - speaking out and acting on the faith God's given. No turning back now, this weekend Pastor Aaron’s message is JUST what the doctor ordered.

"UNDER PRESSURE MUCH? Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who was well-acquainted with the thrill of success, the taste of defeat and the painful reality of burnout. And there came a time that a distraught Elijah ran away from the very one who could offer him a place of respite and a program for recovery.”

"Isolation can be deadly! In this weekend’s message, Pastor Aaron will explore the pressure points of fear and failure - resulting in restless days and sleepless nights. Community is Jesus’ antidote to the isolation stress brings; however, it’s around God's table that we find rest, wholeness - and the power to overcome."

"Balaam was an Old Testament man of God who misdirected his gifts and lost his way. It took his donkey to talk some sense back into him... and when your donkey listens to God better than you, well, it's time to get clear to hear. Don’t miss this weekend’s opportunity to check your direction, and relieve the stress YOU may inadvertently be causing."

"Under pressure... you know the feeling... not enough hours in the day, money in the bank, food on the table, love under the roof. We claim to trust the God of the universe but often feel twisted and tense. There’s a gap between what we believe and how we behave.”

When we worship, are we missing the point? Perhaps we worry too much HOW we worship that we forget WHO we worship. In this sermon, Pastor Aaron brings us the message that worship is just the finger that points us to Jesus.

This week Bishop Rick Hoyme speaks to the myth that everything will be okay if we just go back to the old ways and do what we used to do.

This week, the Executive Team of Central’s leadership and Council explores the myth, “We all agree at my church.”

Attempting to live as "gospel renegades" soon reveals that this is no solo flight. Sooner or later, you're going to need something you don't have; be something you can't be; do something you cannot do alone. For this very reason, Jesus left us each other--a band of brothers and sisters committed to doing life TOGETHER. So don't settle for life alone. Join in the celebration and worship this weeken...

Bottom line, unless the love we give is derived from the love we’ve received, it just isn’t God’s love. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Don't try this without full connection to me." We maintain that connection through particular disciplines and practices. This week we explore what scripture has to say about several of them.

St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the gospel, and use words when necessary." John Wesley called Christians to "do all the good you can, as often as you can, as long as you can..." Jesus said to "love one another as I have loved you.” REVOLUTIONARY LOVE isn't an add-on or a character trait. It's a lifestyle--only possible as we live deeply with the ONE who calls us.

Most of us struggle with “neighbor” love – simple acts of kindness requiring a modest amount of sacrifice. The call of Jesus is to a much more profound level of love, however, demonstrated by laying down our very lives. Join us in worship this weekend as we begin the final segment of our summer series, a challenge to live out the true claims of the kingdom of God.

The world says, "all or nothing," but the Jesus-life demands "all for everything." Entry into God’s kingdom requires all we have--but paradoxically awards us everything we could possibly need. Too good to be true? Check out this weekend’s message as we gather in rich community…

Jesus was always talking about another world--the "kingdom of God." Not a place, a space or a royal throne, but a rag-tag group of followers committed to a "thy-kingdom-come, thy-will-be-done" kind of lifestyle. Is that the brand of Christianity you signed up for? Consider the call as we go deeper this weekend... RENEGADE GOSPEL: Radical Kingdom Part Two

Is this life merely a waiting room for the next -- or is the good news of God's kingdom right here, right now? Join us as we enter the second segment of our RENEGADE GOSPEL series - because how you're living right now MATTERS. RENEGADE GOSPEL: radical kingdom, part 1

We all want to SEE God - but the Divine shows up in the places we least expect. We are called to take a walk on the sacrificial side - and discover Jesus in the every day of life.. RENEGADE GOSPEL: the rebel Jesus - part 4

"Who do you say I am?" Jesus' question calls us to a significant life decision. Naming who Jesus is determines what we do about it...moving us toward a life beyond what we formerly believed possible. Take on the challenge of the one who promises life to the full. Join us, as we consider the call of the REBEL JESUS. RENEGADE GOSPEL: the most important question you'll ever answer...

Naming Jesus as Lord isn't a casual choice, rather a careful commitment to build our lives around the authority of his teachings and directives. In this second week of the series, we'll reconsider Jesus' "red-letter" words - seeking to align ourselves anew with the Rebel Jesus. RENEGADE GOSPEL: REBEL JESUS -PART 2