Lenexa Central Church Sermons

Luke 1:57-80 Zechariah's mouth is opened when he obediently names his child John, who would grow up to prepare the way for Jesus, the prince of peace. He sings about this peace that is on the way. For those looking for peace in the midst of life's chaos, we are invited to join with Zechariah in a song of peace. 

Luke 2:1-20 The birth of Jesus isn’t a myth. It REALLY happened at a real time and in a real place. Because of the presence of Jesus in our lives, we have real hope for the real problems we face. This message of the Christmas angels is REAL good news! 

Luke 1:39-56 The baby in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy when he heard Mary's voice. More than a new gift under the tree, our joy comes from being close to Jesus. We see God's vision for the world in Mary's song. This is the kind of world Jesus is going to bring about, and this should be the source of our joy. If this doesn't cause us to leap for joy, we need to get closer...

2 Peter 3:8-16 We don't like to wait, but Advent reminds us that our waiting is not without purpose. God is patient, wanting everyone to come to repentance. God’s love waits for as long as it takes and never gives up. For the believer, we do not wait passively but in partnership with God to see others experience this love as we have.

Isaiah 64:1-9 In Advent, we are reminded of the Israelites in captivity, asking God to intervene as he did in the past and rescue them from their oppressors. Similarly, in our brokeness, we cry out for God to break in and fix it all. Advent teaches us that He is present in our wounds, using them as opportunities for His healing light to break through. 

Mark 6:7-13 Becoming like Jesus means we shift from following the crowd to leading like Christ. Just as the disciples were sent to heal the sick and to cast out demons, the call to follow becomes the call to lead in the very circles in which we once followed. Our careers become a calling and we, who were sheep, become shepherds.

Dr. Fili Chambo, General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, challenges us to run the race set before us as we dedicate our new sanctuary to the worship and glory of God. 

Mark 3:1-6 Are we receptive to the unconventional ways God works in our lives, our church, and our world?

Mark 10:17-25 Are we being good stewards of the gifts of God?

Mark 10:35-45 Life together means we strive to love each other as much as we love Jesus. Because the people of God are commanded to love God and others, is there a better place or for that than the church? In this story, James and John learn that personal transformation is only possible through communal transformation. 

Mark 9:2-10 When it comes to decisions, where do we turn? Are you living in a posture of listening?

Mark 10:46-52 When we are healed of our spiritual blindness, we see with eyes of faith. It causes a shift in our values as we see the world in light of God’s Kingdom. The things of the Spirit become the things that are most essential to us.

Rev. Astrid Camacaro, regional coordinator of compassionate ministries for the South American Region, shares how our support of the World Evangelism Fund enables local churches in global contexts to transform their communities through ministries of compassion and justice. 

Mark 10:13-15 The disciples were worried that the children were getting in the way, and Jesus was worried the disciples were not like children. In order to be “minded” like Jesus, we must shift from fearing God as an omnipotent taskmaster to embracing God as a loving Father. 

Mark 8:31-33; Philippians 2:13-14 Becoming like Jesus is to absorb the mind of Jesus into ours until we think and act like him without even trying. This requires several different "soulshifts." A SoulShift is a change in the deepest part of our being that makes us more like Jesus and less like our old selves.

Colossians 4:2-6 Paul calls the believers to pray for him, not that he would be released from prison but that God would use his imprisonment as a platform for the Gospel. Prayer connects us to the heart of God and gives us a divine perspective beyond the limited view of our circumstances. Being fully alive in Christ means our eyes are open to the opportunity before us, our heart is responsive to w...

We spend the majority of our waking hours at work, a responsibility that is often seen as a drudgery or obligation, but in Christ it can be an opportunity for God to advance his mission in the world through us. God enables us to be fully alive in our vocation so that every part of our life is an opportunity to bring glory to God. 

Colossians 3:5-17 Who the believer is on the outside should reflect what God is doing on the inside. In this way, believers live on earth as if they are already enjoying the full benefits of Heaven, bringing Heaven to earth through the beauty of their lives. As we become who God wants us to be, we have a new wardrobe to match! 

Colossians 2:16 - 3:4 External religious regulations are described by Paul as a “shadow” of things to come. Christ is not the shadow but the real thing, whose light brings us out of the murkiness of religious entrapments and into the experience of being fully alive. Because the believer has been raised with Christ, we can find our way out of the shadows and discover who we are, what we are called...

Colossians 2:6-15 The believers in Colossae were "fully alive" in their newly transformed lives in Christ! As adopted sons and daughters of God, the community was thriving and relying upon the Spirit of God to be "life-givers" to all those they encountered. The enemy, however, was attempting to steal, kill, and destroy this life by promoting the following lies: "Jesus is n...

Colossians 1:24-2:4 We become fully alive when the glory of God is restored to us. This glory is a restoration of the image of God in us, and it is accomplished when we are united with Christ, who is the fullness of God. When we understand the magnitude of this treasure in us, it impacts how we see ourselves, live with others, experience suffering, and live out God’s calling in our lives. The reve...

Colossians 1:15-23 The fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is the source of life for all that was, is, and ever will be! In worship we find life and HE is the only one worthy of our worship. Our worship must not be misdirected towards imposters that take life, but constantly refocused on the ONLY one able to give life. 

The early church father, Irenaeus, said, "The glory of God is a person fully alive." God desires for humanity to be fully alive by his grace and to fully experience the joy, hope, and love that is available through Christ. This journey of becoming fully alive begins with the forgiveness of our sins as we move from surviving to thriving! 

John 15:1-17 The vineyard in scripture is a symbol that represents Israel, who failed to give the world the fruit God intended for them to produce. The life of Jesus reveals that fruitfulness is only possible through a relationship with him through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. This is the only way our life produces fruit that will last for eternity. 

John 14:15-27 The Holy Spirit brings comfort in the midst of our chaos; truth in the midst of the world’s lies; and wholeness to broken situations. This gift is something the believer receives by faith, but is then empowered through the Spirit to share it with others. The church is a gathering of wounded healers.