Christian Center Church Podcast

God’s love is a powerful force. It can take you from darkness into light, and from the shadows of despair to the glory of hope. If you allow it, God’s love can change your entire life, to the point that you yourself are empowered to change the lives of others. As many churches settle for going through the motions, Christian Center is dedicated to taking our life with Christ further. If you are wil...

Sometimes, life stinks. Sometimes it feels like we’ve been handed the rawest deal of all time, and we’re left broken and feeling lost and unloved. When these times come, what do we do? What hope is there for a heart that has been broken so deeply that it feels nothing can repair it? As we continue our study of God’s love in the lead-up to Easter, we’re reminded that sometimes, our hearts break bec...

As believers, we are in the midst of a battle. This battle has been raging for thousands of years, and it will continue to rage until the return of our Lord. The difficult thing about this battle is that it is invisible to us. It is a supernatural struggle happening behind the scenes of the world. But the fact that it is a spiritual battle does not make it any less real. If we remain unaware of th...

We are only 6 weeks out from Easter Sunday! Easter is a time of celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but it is also the greatest and most direct display of the love of God that we have ever been given. Love is the center of Christ’s life, and it is the foundation of everything we believe. This year, as we prepare for Easter, we want to take a look at the most powerful force in the universe: the lov...

Love is central to the Christian faith, so much so that Jesus Himself summed up the entire Law and Prophets into two commands based on love: Love the Lord, and love your neighbor. But for something so central to our belief, love is rather hard to actually put into practice. Love is not an emotion; love is an action, and one that we must consciously take daily. As we wrap up our theme sermon series...

In life, growth tends to be natural. No child gets up and wills themself to grow taller. Their body is naturally attended to grow and get stronger. So much so that a lack of growth can be a sign of serious illness! But when it comes to spiritual growth, unfortunately, progress is not automatic. And yet, we’re generally content to sit back and wait for growth to happen rather than put in the work i...

We all have gifts. Each and every one of us were created to fill a role within the church. The church cannot function properly without its people serving in the way they were created to serve! That is why it is imperative for us to not only understand our gifts but lean in and live in them every single day. Gifts are a commonly misunderstood part of the calling of the church. But if we’re able to...

Purpose. We all know it, and odds are we’d all like to live in it. We are all created to fill a need in this world, and our purpose directly relates to the way we can fill that need. Sadly, many of us aren’t even sure how to go about seeking our purpose. In fact, we may even be going about it backwards! It’s imperative for you to understand your purpose if you’re going to live the life God has cre...

Worship is a central part of a Christian’s life. In fact, we are commanded to worship. And yet, are we truly intentional about our worship? Do we understand its importance? And most crucially, are we worshipping in community? Worship is not an option, but more than that, worship can entirely change the way you see the world. Making it a priority can transform your world. As we enter into 2022, we...

A few weeks ago, we announced that Pastor Scott Phenis would be leaving us as he and his wife Dee travel to Franklin, IN to pursue a church God has placed on their hearts. This week, we were thrilled to welcome Pastor Scott to speak one last time as a farewell to Christian Center. In a similar vein, as the Apostle Paul penned his farewell to the Corinthian believers in the final chapter of 2 Corin...

Life is full of tests. We don’t like them, and in fact, many of us would like to avoid them altogether. But however you slice it, you are going to face some trials in your life, even if you try your hardest to dodge them. But what if tests are not the negative influence we have made them out to be? In fact, what if tests are actually brought to us by the Holy Spirit? That is not an easy thing to h...

We all have gifts. We have all been entrusted with blessings from God to be used in the service of His Kingdom. But the thing about gifts is that they are meant to be opened! If you do nothing but sit back and wait for your gifts to be used, then they are never going to get used. You have to lean into them, learn what they are, and begin operating in them if you’re going to be an effective servant...

Do you know who you are? That question may sound odd, but most people don’t have any idea who they really are. For the most part, we all go about our lives without ever giving our identity much thought. But if you do not know who you really are, when life comes at you to question your identity, how will you respond? Life is going to come at you, and you need to be able to withstand its storms. A s...

Last week, we began a series entitled Secrets of the Supernatural. As we begin the year 2022, it’s essential for us to be aware of the reality of the supernatural around us. It is a real world with real consequences for our daily lives. Thankfully, as followers of Christ, we do not merely have to be tossed to and fro by the realm of the supernatural. Rather, through the Holy Spirit, we have access...

Last week, we began a discussion on discernment. As we enter the new year, it’s important to develop a discernment for the things around, above, and within you. That way, you will be able to hear from God about the path He wants you to walk this year. But along with discernment, we need clarity to make the important decisions of life. So this week, join Dr. Mark Lantz as he looks at the importance...

As we make our way through life, it’s important for us to know what’s going on around us. It’s hard enough to pay attention to the things we can see, but what about the things we can’t? How can we be aware of the things happening supernaturally around us? Well, as believers, we have access to the realm of the supernatural, and we need to know what’s going on if we’re going to be able to follow God...

Welcome to 2022! As we enter a new year, we look forward to plans, dreams, and goals for the future. But as we look forward, we must also cultivate a vital skill in ourselves: discernment. Discernment is key for realizing what is happening within, around, and most importantly, above you. How do you gain discernment? That is exactly how we are kicking off 2022 with this sermon from Dr. Mark Lantz e...

Christmas is a celebration of the greatest word ever spoken by God…a Word manifested in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The great thing about this word is that it was delivered first to the most unlikely of recipients…lowly shepherds on a hillside. God is still doing the same today as He did back then…delivering words of hope and comfort to people from all walks of life. He has a word for you...

Every person comes to that moment in life where they know transformation is needed.  Something has to change in order for them to fully live out the life they were created to live.  The wise men came to that moment as the star illuminated them to realize this was not just another baby…this was the Son of God.  Part 2 of “Christmas Stories” will lead you through the journey of the magi so you can d...

What story does Mary tell? Her story is a story of what happens when God begins to write a new chapter in the story of your life.  When God begins to open up a new chapter of your life there are many doubts and uncertainties that lie ahead of you as you look at this new chapter.  Just as Mary had no clue as to what was getting ready to happen in her life … we sometimes lack the understanding of wh...

We were honored to welcome evangelist Nick Zehner and his wife Emily to our church to minister this past Sunday! Join Pastor Zehner as he gives a word regarding our purpose as believers and how we can seek God’s face for strength and courage to live into the ministry of reconciliation. We are all called to draw the world to Christ, and we are all called to do it in the place in which God has place...

When we face attacks from the enemy, we can get exhausted. In fact, at times, we approach absolute discouragement. And we are not alone. In the book of 1 Samuel, we see King David facing a situation that has driven him to the point of despair. His people had turned on him, and his life looked as if it was about to crumble around him. What do you do when you are knocked down and facing defeat? How...

In a world that is broken, divided, and searching desperately for truth, how can we be a people that shows the real Jesus and the real power He has to change lives? How do we move beyond a token, easy faith to a dramatic demonstration of the Kingdom of God? The answer to that question is this: we must become catalysts for real change. We need to inspire others to find Jesus and His transforming po...

As we continue our discussion on culture, it’s imperative to discuss the importance of growth, both as a church and as individuals. Growth never stops, but it does become more and more important for us to be intentional about our growth as time goes on. If we’re not, we can stagnate and end up stuck right where we are. If you want to know how to initiate growth in your life, then you have come to...

Last week, we began a new series entitled Culture. As we enter a new year, we want to take an intentional look at how we can cultivate a culture that leads us to be the church God wants us to be. Last week, we started that discussion by looking at how we can love and welcome anyone, regardless of background, into our church body. But that’s just one value we want to cultivate. This week, we take a...