Central Church Sermons

What does it take to build a strong, stable family?

When marriages struggle, children rebel, or family relationships become strained, it's easy to focus on what everyone else needs to change. But what if the first step toward a healthier family begins with you?

In this message from Colossians 3:18–21, Pastor Matt Shackelford concludes the Moment of Truth Family Conference by examining God's design for stability in the home. Scripture gives husbands, wives, children, and parents distinct responsibilities, and every member of the family has a part to play.

We'll explore four biblical principles for a stable family: wives contributing through godly submission, husbands leading through sacrificial love, children honoring God through obedience, and parents raising their children with support rather than discouragement.

Pastor Matt reminds us that stability doesn't come from demanding that everyone else change. It begins when each of us takes responsibility for our own obedience to Christ, practices daily repentance, and seeks to love our family the way God has called us to.

A stable family requires every member to do their part.

Scripture: Colossians 3:18–21

Have you ever felt God calling you to do something, but you ignored the call?

Maybe you felt prompted to serve, share your faith, join a church community, or take a step of obedience. But fear, busyness, shame, or the mistakes of your past convinced you to let the call go unanswered.

In this message from Acts 9:10–20, Pastor Matt Shackelford continues the Search and Rescue series by examining the lives of Ananias and Saul. Ananias was an ordinary disciple asked to do something extraordinary: minister to the very man who had been persecuting Christians. Saul, meanwhile, was learning that his past did not have the final word over his future.

Through their stories, we'll explore three calls God makes on our lives: the call to ministry, the call to a new identity in Christ, and the call to Christian community. We'll discover why obedience matters even when we're afraid, how the gospel frees us from guilt and shame, and why following Jesus was never meant to be done alone.

When God calls, don't ghost Him. Answer the call and trust Him with the outcome.

Scripture: Acts 9:10–20 Series: Search and Rescue

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

What kind of faith could actually make Jesus marvel?

In Luke 7, a Roman centurion demonstrates extraordinary faith in Jesus. He understands something that many people miss: Jesus possesses absolute authority, and His word is enough. The centurion doesn't need to see a miracle to trust Christ. He simply believes that Jesus can do exactly what He says.

In this message from Luke 7:1–10, we discover the difference between marvelous faith and little faith, why we can trust God's sovereignty even when life seems out of control, and how knowing the character and promises of God changes the way we face suffering, uncertainty, and fear.

Through personal testimony, biblical encouragement, and the example of the centurion, this message challenges us to stop placing our confidence in circumstances we cannot control and start trusting the God who rules over them.

You don't need to be in control because God is. And ultimately, our hope isn't in the greatness of our faith, but in the greatness of the Savior in whom we place it.

Scripture: Luke 7:1–10 Sermon: The Faith That Made Jesus Marvel

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

Is anyone too far gone for God?

Saul wasn't merely uninterested in Christianity—he was actively trying to destroy it. He persecuted Christians, approved of their deaths, and was traveling to Damascus to arrest even more followers of Jesus. If anyone looked unreachable, it was Saul.

But then Jesus came looking for him.

In this message from Acts 9:1–9, Pastor Matt Shackelford begins the Search and Rescue series with one of the most dramatic conversions in Scripture. Saul's story reminds us that God's grace can reach the unreachable, save the person everyone else has given up on, and completely transform a life.

We'll see why religious sincerity can't save us, how God sometimes disrupts our lives to get our attention, why conviction is an act of grace, and what happens when we finally stop resisting God's rescue and surrender to Jesus.

Maybe there's a "Saul" in your life you've stopped believing can change. Maybe you think you're the impossible rescue. Saul's story reminds us that God's arm is long enough to reach anyone. No sin is too great. No sinner is too far.

Scripture: Acts 9:1–9
Series: Search and Rescue

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

Why is it so difficult to open our mouths and talk about Jesus?

We often wait for the perfect opportunity, the right person, or a friendly audience before sharing our faith. But in Acts 8, Philip shows us a different way. When God gives him an opportunity, Philip simply obeys, approaches the Ethiopian eunuch, opens his mouth, and tells him the good news about Jesus.

In this message from Acts 8:26–40, Pastor Greg Sukert continues the Open Season series by showing us that God doesn't just redeem our souls, He redeems our mouths. God calls every follower of Jesus to be a witness, trusting that He is already pursuing people, preparing hearts behind the scenes, and working through our obedience.

We don't have to know how someone will respond. We don't have to wait until we've built the perfect relationship. And we don't have to manufacture opportunities ourselves. We simply need to trust God, be prepared, and open our mouths when He gives us the opportunity.

God opens your eyes so you would open your mouth.

Scripture: Acts 8:26–40
Series: Open Season

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

How can we prevent small problems from becoming major ministry failures?

In Acts 8:9–25, the early church encounters several potential problems as the gospel spreads through Samaria. Simon Magus professes belief but reveals serious problems in his heart, the Samaritans' reception of the Holy Spirit raises important questions, and the apostles must respond quickly and boldly.

In this message from the Open Season series, Pastor Matt Shackelford shows us that ministry failures are often prevented by rejecting ministry passivity. Through Philip, Peter, John, and Simon, we see the importance of preaching carefully, moving quickly to prevent division, boldly confronting sinful hearts, and humbly moving forward when failures still happen.

We can't prevent every failure. People will disappoint us, ministry will get messy, and sometimes we won't get to see how the story ends. But rather than becoming passive or discouraged, God calls us to remain faithful, deal honestly with heart issues, and keep moving forward.

Scripture: Acts 8:9–25
Series: Open Season

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

What if the setback you desperately want to escape is actually setting you up for something God wants to do?

In Acts 8:4–8, Philip finds himself scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution. He ends up in Samaria—a place a Jewish believer normally wouldn't want to go, among people his culture had taught him to avoid. But Philip doesn't waste the setback. He recognizes that God has placed him there for a purpose.

In this message from the Open Season series, Pastor Matt Shackelford shows how God can use the hard places of our lives to open unexpected doors for ministry. Philip embraces where God has placed him, shares Christ with people different from himself, serves in ways that make the gospel visible, and discovers the joy that can come when ordinary Christians live on mission.

Your diagnosis, difficult job, broken relationship, unexpected move, or painful season may put you somewhere you never wanted to be. But God is bigger than your hard thing. With eyes of faith, we can begin asking a different question: How does God want to use this?

Scripture: Acts 8:4–8
Series: Open Season

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

What is God doing in the painful seasons of your life?

When hardship comes, it's easy to panic, become bitter, or assume something has gone wrong. But what if the pain you're experiencing is actually being used by God as part of a much greater plan?

In this message from Acts 8:1–4, Pastor Matt Shackelford begins the Open Season series by looking at what happened immediately after the death of Stephen. The church was grieving and facing intense persecution from Saul, yet God used their suffering to scatter believers throughout Judea and Samaria, taking the gospel places it had never gone before.

We'll see why following Jesus doesn't guarantee a life without pain, how God can use opposition to move us toward His purposes, why we must endure when attacks become personal, and how to stay focused on our calling instead of becoming a victim of our circumstances.

When you're experiencing great pain, look for the greater plan. Your setback may become a stage for God's glory.

Scripture: Acts 8:1–4
Series: Open Season

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

How do you respond when someone hurts you?

Our natural reaction to conflict is often to run away, fight back, hold a grudge, or become bitter. But when Stephen faced rejection, hatred, and ultimately death, his response looked remarkably different. He looked like Jesus.

In this final message from Acts 7, Pastor Matt Shackelford concludes the Dwell series by examining Stephen’s response when the pressure was at its highest. Rather than retaliating against his enemies, Stephen spoke truth, remained at peace, loved those who hated him, and even prayed for their forgiveness.

Through Stephen’s example, we see what can happen when a life is filled with the Holy Spirit and focused on Christ.

You’ll discover how to confront sin without becoming hateful, why the gospel is the only solution for a hardened heart, how preparation produces peace when pressure comes, and how forgiven people can forgive even those who have deeply hurt them.

When the pressure is on, the question isn’t simply what will you do—it’s will you act like Jesus?

Scripture: Acts 7:51–60
Series: Dwell

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.

Is your view of God too small?

We often put God into boxes. We limit His presence to a church building, His will to our plans, His calling to what feels comfortable, and His power to what we think is possible. But God refuses to fit inside the boxes we build for Him.

In this message from Acts 7:44–50, Pastor Matt Shackelford continues the Dwell series by examining Stephen's teaching about the tabernacle, the temple, and the God who cannot be contained by either. Stephen reminds us that God's presence has always been bigger than a building, a method, or our personal preferences.

We'll discover why we must accept God's invitation on His terms, loosen our grip on our preferences, and begin looking for God's work beyond the walls of the church.

God made us in His image, but too often we try to return the favor by remaking Him in ours. It's time to break the box and see God for who He truly is.

Scripture: Acts 7:44–50
Series: Dwell

If this message encouraged you, subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching from Central Church.