The Central Moment

We continue the topic of friendship. God declared it is not good to be alone. The support we receive from true friendships increases the likelihood of both physical and psychological well being. Friendships can serve as a buffer in life’s most challenging stressors. Friendship is reciprocal. Are you the kind of friend you need in your life?

We continue the topic of friendship. We show love for a friend by caring for them. We stick with a friend in good and bad times. Good friends will encourage each other to grow deeper in relationship with the Lord.

We continue the topic of friendship. Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the gospel two by two. Interestingly, he told them to take nothing for the journey except a staff–no bread, bag or money. However, Jesus did send them out with a friend. 

We continue the topic of friendship. Faithful friends are important in our lives. Faithful friends will take action to help you. They will propel you, not derail you. Most importantly, faithful friends will point you to Jesus. 

This week, Central pastors will be discussing the important spiritual issue of friendship. God’s Word contains many instructions on friendship between people and friendship with God. May we serve one another as true friends. May we be grateful for our friendship with God.

Some people have a supernatural gift of giving. That gift is fueled by selfless motives. So here is God’s word to those who have the gift of giving: “Go for it!”

Our priorities can easily become self-serving and self-absorbed. Yet to live freely is to live God’s priorities, to whom we are ultimately accountable. We can put his Kingdom “above all else.”

Money is the only thing to which Jesus gives almost god-like status. We cannot serve both; we have to choose. But money’s power and control over our lives can be renounced and repented of.

In the words of Pastor Rob Ketterling, “hearts touched by God respond with a tenth.” This takes tithing out of the realm of legalism and imbeds it in our discipleship. Lord, touch our hearts and give us open hands!

The forbidden subject in many churches is money. But giving is not ultimately about churches trying to get your money. It is a discipleship issue that leads back to our own hearts.

We have free will, but God remains sovereign. How can both be true? The pathway to living that tension is humility -- and it is a sovereignly freeing adventure!

Are you in a crisis of faith? Do you seem not to know what to do with God? Then Psalm 73 is your Psalm! Let it take you to life’s bottom line.

Some call this Canada’s Psalm. It is where the nation’s name “Dominion of Canada” came from. More importantly, however, does the King of Kings have dominion in your life?

Growing old is not for the weak of heart! And yet God has a word for the elderly among us--a word of affirmation, commission, and promise.

Powerful things happen when the testimonies of the writers of Scripture become our stories as well. There we find endurance, hope, and the faithfulness of God.

Praise -- Prayer -- Pardon -- Presence -- Power -- Provision -- Prosperity. These words are more than the thematic divisions of an amazing Psalm. They can actually describe the story of our lives.

Being hungry for God, having a soul-thirst for the living water of the Spirit, being desperate to see the glory of God in our day -- these are the longings that birth breakthrough and revival. We will find that his loving-kindness is, indeed, better than life!

When the vast majority of Americans do not think the country is heading in the right direction--and when so many problems seem to elude solutions--where is God? What might he be saying to us? And what should we be saying to him?

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” May that declaration be emblazoned on our hearts -- on the hearts of our children as well as our own hearts. May fear lose and faith win!

Few things hurt more than being betrayed by someone we love. Spouses who are unfaithful, children who turn their backs on us, fellow employees who undermine us to get ahead -- the list is long. So where do we turn?

Spiritual blindness is all around us. It is more than intellectual doubt or religious disillusionment. At its heart is demonic deception fueled by the distorting effects of the sin choices we make.

Repentance may have become an obsolete word in our culture and an avoided word in our churches, but it is still the doorway to spiritual renewal and revival. God will not despise a humble, repentant heart!

 It’s time for a praise break! We’re not asking for anything. We’re not desperately crying out for something. Instead, the worship music is on and praise is going up and our God rules supreme!

Our souls seem to always be rushing, hurrying, pushing -- surrounded by noise and driven by anxiety and confusion. But the ancient prescription has not changed: “Be still and know that I am God.”

The tension found in Psalm 44 is what the Apostle Paul uses to put Christian persecution into perspective. What do we do when we do right and still suffer for it?