Central Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Virginia

Every generation passes down something to the next generation. We all want to leave a legacy of significance, but sometimes in the busyness of life what we leave is something less. We aren’t the only ones, the Israelites had a rich history they failed to pass on. Come this Sunday and bring friends. This is a message we all need to hear again and again.

In the church people sometimes refer to each other as brother or sister. When I was younger, I used to think that seemed funny or a little strange. The reason is I never realized the significance behind those terms. I never knew how special those words were to the early church and what they ought to mean to us today. Learn this significant truth that every family needs church family.

Whether you have kids in the house or not, whether you live alone or not, whatever your house is like, your home is meant to be a ministry center. One of our primary mission fields is the home. What would happen if you saw your home as a ministry center? What are the disciple-making possibilities? How would that change the way you structure your life? How could your home be an asset in living the Made for More life? During our next series, beginning with this sermon, we will explore these questions and more as we develop a vision for connecting the church and the home.

We read books and watch movies of fairy tale romances. We dream of the perfect marriage. Then reality hits – we’re sinners and there is no perfect marriage. Paul writes of the importance of making your marriage a mission field. And the picture he provides is a marriage we’d all sign up for. Hear how to have a great marriage in this sermon.

When you think of God what attributes come to mind? We often think that God is love, all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, just, the list goes on. One attribute of God we sometimes forget is God is missional. It’s not just something he does, it’s who he is. Theologians refer to Him as the sent and sending God. He communicates that attribute to His church. In this sermon, we will unpack how the sent and sending God sends us.

Did your kids ever have a bedroom that was lots of fun during the day, but at night, when everything was dark, it became spooky? Maybe monsters lived there? It’s easy to be brave, to stand strong when the lights are on, but when everything is dark, that’s another story. God is sending his church to dark places to turn the light on. And light is always more powerful than the darkness. We just have to go with the light we’ve been given.

It is one thing to know that God made you for more. It is quite another to know how to live that made for more life. In this sermon, the book of Ephesians is about to get real practical. We can’t wait for you to see how to move from the darkness to the light - it’s what the Christian life is all about.

Have you ever done something silly and then had someone ask you, “What were you thinking??” It’s easy, with the hectic pace of life or the simple force of habit, to do things without thinking. But we’ve been made for more than doing things without thinking. If we’re going to move beyond relying on our own control of circumstances to trusting God wherever He places us, then we will have to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. In this sermon, we continue our series in the book of Ephesians and our focus on making an impact as everyday missionaries.

Watch the video of Daniel from Sierra Leone and then click over to listen for Pastor Steve's sermon and stories from his trip to Sierra Leone.

More than likely, just a few weeks ago, a variety of gifts were given and received in your home. Big and small ones, expensive and cheap ones, exciting and boring ones were given and received…and now comes the question…”What do I do with all this stuff?” Some of it will quickly break and end up in the trash, some will be placed in the back of the closet and forgotten, and some will make their way to the “re-gifting” box for next year…but there are some gifts which will be put to good use. In fact, the very BEST gifts are the ones that end up BEING USED…the ones that fulfill the purpose for which they were given. Join us as we dig into Scripture and take a look at some amazing gifts that God has given to us to equip us for our calling as everyday missionaries.

In this sermon, we continue our theme for the year - Made for More. Jesus designed His church to take the fullness of Christ into every corner of culture and every sphere of society. That is a huge calling and God handpicked you to be a part of it. We're praying our theme will shatter your small dreams and God will awaken you to the reality that you were made for more. Join us as we dig back into the book of Ephesians.

*** Regrettably, the first few minutes of the recording are missing, so the audio joins the sermon in progress. ***