Central Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Virginia

There is something so special about gathering around the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and opening presents. Everyone is excited to give and to receive, hoping the present they give is just the right gift. The truth is what makes that morning so special isn’t necessarily the gifts or the tree – it’s the time together. In a lot of ways that’s what we really want from God too isn’t it? To know and to be reminded of the fact that He is here now. In fact, that’s just the promise the prophet Isaiah would give to the king of Judah. And that promise is for us as well.

Sometimes the pain of life cuts so deep that words fail. That was the case for an Israelite woman named Hannah. Hear the gut wrenching account of woman who desperately wanted a child. Her prayer and God’s answer give us a glimpse into humanity’s cry and God’s response. Hannah’s son, Samuel, a child of remembrance set the stage for God’s son, Jesus, the child of hope.

This Christmas season prepare to go on an illuminating journey that reaches back nearly to the dawn of time. Pastor Steve will guide you through the surprising background of how a child of laughter and a child of remembrance foreshadowed a child of hope. This profoundly moving and intellectually provocative series unpacks messages of hope, redemption, and salvation revealed in Jesus’ birth.

We often hear that the two subjects to avoid discussing over the holidays are politics and religion. Why? Because people’s opinions on these issues tend to be very strong and cause a lot of division. That’s nothing new to our generation. In fact, in Jesus’ time, religion and politics were hot button topics as well, and everyone knew it. In fact, Jesus’ enemies tried to get Him into some hot water over these issues. This week we will take a look at how Jesus dealt with being asked a question that dealt with BOTH religion and politics at the same time.

Perhaps the most important question we’ll ever ask is, “What is the meaning of life?”. People from every generation and every culture have wrestled with this question. Some in America have tied the meaning of life to the American Dream. While there is a lot of good from the American Dream it misses the mark on the true definition of life. Thankfully Jesus addressed this question head on when a young man defined life incorrectly.

Check out the third sermon in our series, Where is Our Hope?

Concern from American citizens is running high these days. With the election of our president still hanging in the balance, the pandemic, and economic issues there’s a lot of issues that can grab our attention. So, as a dual-citizen of America and the kingdom of heaven what should be our ultimate concern? We’ll examine the life of Jesus to provide some clarity on that issue.

We’re beginning a new series titled, Where is Our Hope? This provocative series will cause us to think about those places where the “American Dream” might compete with having a kingdom vision. Be prepared to wrestle through questions like which kingdom are you investing in? Where does your affection go? What occupies your thinking? Which kingdom best defines you? America will shine brightest not when our candidate wins, but when the church stops hiding her light under a bowl. Government at its best can make policies that set up a country to prosper here and now. The church at her best brings life transformation through Jesus that lasts for all eternity. Where is Our Hope?

It’s been said that how you deal with hardship reveals a lot about a person. This week we will see how fresh off a spirit born revival hardship will come crashing in on Moses. We’re all either in the middle of a storm, coming out of a storm, or about to go into a new storm. This message will help prepare you for the storm of life.

This time of year we see “scary stuff” everywhere. Whether at the store or in our neighbors’ yards, everything is looking spooky. Of course we know that when it comes to plastic skeletons, stuffed spiders, and foam monsters there is really nothing to be scared of at all. So what happens when we do face something that causes us to experience true fear? Something too big for us to handle? Something that we can’t control? How can we muster up the courage to face our fears and overcome them? Is it even possible for us to overcome fear? The answer might surprise you.