More than Conquerors Week #2

Mark 1:21-34

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11

Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. 23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil[h] spirit cried out, 24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. Mark 1:21-26

Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee. 29 After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. 31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them. Mark 1:27-31

That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch. 34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. Mark 1:32-34

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

 

If YOU are ready to start serving, visit http://yourcentralchurch.com/serving

More than Conquerors Week #1

Acts 12:1-17

Sometimes bad things happen to good people

But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 1 Peter 3:14

About that time King Herod Agrippa[a] began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. Acts 12:1-4

The enemy always wants us to feel overwhelmed and hopeless

But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Acts 12:5-7

God’s Word is stronger than the chains the enemy tries to use to hold us back

Prayer and participation go hand in hand

Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. 9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. 11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders[c] had planned to do to me!” 12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” 16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place. Acts 12:8-17

I Love This Church Week #7

Luke 4:14-30

Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. Luke 4:14-16

The Spirit of God and The Word of God work together

The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day. Exodus 32:28

Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. Acts 2:41

The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4:17-19

If we would lean into The Word of God and The Spirit of God, we will never have to live an unguided day in our life

and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, Luke 4:19-29

We will never love a view more than we love you

If we are not open to what Jesus wants to do in us, we will become bitter, callous and miss out on His best for our lives

but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:30

I Love This Church! - 6/29/25

Ephesians 2:1-7 (NASB 1995)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, -Ephesians 2:4-6

7 so that the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. -Ephesians 2:7

I Love This Church - Week #5

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ Matthew 7:21-22

But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Matthew 7:23

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3

“Jesus Christ”

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness”

As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. Romans 3:10

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23

“And I need you as my Savior”

“I believe you died on the cross”

“And rose from the grave”

And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 1 Corinthians 15:14

“To pay for my sins”

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

“Right now, I confess you as Lord”

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

“Come into my life and take over. Be my Lord, my God, my King and my Savior. All of me for all of you. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name I pray”

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

 

I Love This Church - Week #4

Genesis 2:15-17

Communion is an opportunity to:

I love This Church - Week #3

Matthew 16:13-19

There is nothing that has the potential to bring change to the world like the local church

The strength of our nation is not necessarily who is in Washington, but more specifically who is in our churches

Jesus always makes it personal

Messiah = Savior

When Jesus died on the cross, He gave us power over sin

Sin is too big to take on by ourselves

We need the help of God and the help of others

I love This Church - Week #2

Acts 19:8-10; 23-27

Our Vision: To create an environment where people, all people, can experience the presence of Jesus every single week

It is impossible to experience the presence of Jesus and stay the same

Jesus did not die on the cross so the church could establish a behavior modification program

Before we change externally, Jesus changes us internally

I Love This Church! Week 1 - May 25, 2025

Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:1-5

Compassion = taking action

We can never be so focused on one thing that we lose sight of the focus of Jesus, which is, people far from God

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5

Jesus will often give us what we need before He gives us what we want

The most critical people in the Bible were the religious people

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” Mark 2:6-12

May 18, 2025

2 Timothy 1:6