consequences

January 19, 2026

Livestock, Boils, and Hail

Exodus 9:1–35

Three more plagues. Each one is more severe than the one before. And though Pharaoh seeks relief from the consequences of his refusal to let Israel go, he does not repent of his actions.

Being sorry for the consequences of our bad behavior/choices is not the same as being sorry for our bad behavior/choices. Everyone’s sorry when punishment/judgment comes. That’s just no fun. But being sorry for the bad behavior/choices… that’s the kind of sorrow that leads to repentance. Regretting not that I got caught, but that my actions negatively impacted others. Regretting that my actions caused others to stumble or reflect my own disobedience toward the LORD. That’s what we call repentance. Super important for both believers and unbelievers.

For believers, repentance allows us to restore our fellowship with the LORD when we’ve blown it. And with each other. Not a heaven/hell thing, but a relationship thing.

For unbelievers, repentance leads to salvation. It’s the recognition that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. And then from there, it’s believing that Jesus is the Savior whom God promised. He lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death. He was raised to life on the third day, proving that He had conquered both sin and death, so that by believing in Him we can be saved, not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Jesus did. The Innocent who died for the guilty so that the guilty could be declared innocent.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Exodus series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

October 3, 2022

The Rise of the False Teachers

2 Peter 2.1-3

Peter introduces the false teachers, who, like the false prophets of old, will arise in the church. Folks who are not believers, who sin with abandon, who are greedy, deceitful and exploiting, and who prey upon the spiritually weak. In other words, not the good guys.

And so believers have the option…listen to Peter or listen to the false teachers. To stay on Torah Road…the way of truth or be led away from it. A useful and fruitful life in which they never stumble leading to an abundant entrance into the kingdom, or a useless and unfruitful life, being blind or short sighted and forgetting their purification from their former sins. Option A or option B.

The choice seems obvious, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t we choose life…shouldn’t we choose the blessing? Shouldn’t we choose Option A? Don’t we all want to hear, “Well done…”? So why don’t we do it? What keeps us from choosing Option A? Simple…“me”. If I pursue Option A, I have to give up stuff. I have to say, “no” to things I really don’t want to say no to, even though they bring nothing but heartache. Because I like to call the shots. I like being the main character in my story.

But one day we will have to give an account. Everyone one of us. Every knee will bow…whether willingly or unwillingly. Jesus will either be your King or your Judge, your Lord or your Master. What you do today matters.

Do you want to experience more grace and peace in your life…a more abundant life? You’ve been given everything necessary to live the kind of life that God calls you to live…the Spirit and the Word. Being informed by the Word and empowered by the Spirit you can be transformed to live and love more and more like Jesus. But you have to be intentional. It won’t just happen. You have to choose.

So choose life today.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our 2 Peter series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.