Lord

December 6, 2025

Frogs, Gnats, and Flies

Exodus 8 (Hebrew 7:26–8:28)

Three more plagues. The LORD continues His work to bring Israel out of Egypt.

A pattern we will see repeated throughout the plagues: The LORD makes the request and warns of the consequences of refusal. Pharaoh refuses anyway. The LORD brings judgment through a plague. Pharaoh and his people suffer the consequences. He asks Moses to plead to the LORD for him. The LORD relents. And Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. (Request. Warning. Refusal. Judgment. Plea for mercy. Relief. Hardened heart.) Pharaoh’s continued response to the LORD’s mercy is hardheartedness. A continual turning away.

Again, I’m struck by the LORD’s mercy. Pharaoh certainly doesn’t deserve it. Neither do the Israelites. And frankly, neither do we. And yet, the LORD is merciful. The question is, how will we respond to His mercy? “The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.” Pharaoh hardened his heart. The people believed and were saved. Pharaoh didn’t and was not.

How will you respond to His mercy? The good news is—anyone can be saved. Not everyone will be, but anyone can be. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and 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.

November 3, 2025

The Promise of Rescue

Exodus 6

Pharaoh’s resistance has set in motion his downfall. Not only will he let the sons of Israel go, but he will also drive them out of his land.

The LORD has not forgotten His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not only will He rescue the sons of Israel and bring them into the land, but He will also be their God, and they will be His people. And unlike Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He has made Himself known to the people by His covenant name, the LORD.

But the people can only see their circumstances. They “lack spirit.” It’s hard to imagine that anything will ever get better. And yet, the LORD is on the move. He will rescue them. He will do what He said. He will keep His promise.

Ever feel like that? So caught up in the circumstance that you can’t see any way out? Maybe you need to be reminded that the LORD has not forgotten you. In fact, not only do we know Him as LORD, but we also know Him as Father. Not only are we His people, we are His children. That is, if you know the LORD.

Do you know the LORD? If not, you can today. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and 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, the Bible says we, like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, 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 27, 2025

From Bad to Worse

Exodus 5

Moses meets Pharaoh with a request from the LORD, “Let My people go…” Pharaoh gives a hard pass. This first request is not only refused but also results in a worse situation for the Israelites as their labor is increased.

The LORD is gracious. He gives Pharaoh the opportunity to let the people go willingly. The easy way. No plagues. No death of the firstborn. No utter destruction of his army in the midst of the Red Sea. No wrath of God…at least for a time. But Pharaoh chooses door number 2. The hard way, complete with plagues, death of the firstborn, destruction of his army…the wrath of God poured out on him and his kingdom.

But notice, the LORD gives Pharaoh the choice, and Pharaoh is completely responsible for the choice he makes. And while it seems his choice brings a short-term benefit, it will ultimately result in his ruin. On the flip side, while the people will suffer in the short-term because of Pharaoh’s choice, the LORD will rescue them. Though they may have forgotten His concern for them, He has not forgotten them. And He’s not forgotten us.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you… (John 15:18–22).” The seed of the serpent will always persecute the seed of the woman. The wicked will always show enmity toward the righteous. It’s been that way since the garden, and it will be that way until the King returns. So we shouldn’t be surprised when we see it in our day. No need to despair. Although it may feel like we are losing in the short term, the war has already been won.

Do you know the LORD? If not, you can today. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and 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, the Bible says we, like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, 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 20, 2025

A Reluctant Hero

Exodus 4:1-31

Eighty years old, and Moses is back in the game. Forty years in Egypt and another forty in Midian. His life of promise seemingly stymied. From riches to rags, from prince to shepherd, no wonder Moses was a bit reluctant. “LORD, send whomever You will…just not me!”

But the LORD isn’t going to let Moses off that easily. Every objection that Moses throws up, the LORD shoots down. You see, Moses may not think that he’s the right man for the job, but the LORD knows he is. He set him apart for just this purpose. Moses has his part to play, but remember, it is God who will rescue His people.

We can feel a bit reluctant, too, right? Now we don’t have the job that Moses had, but the LORD calls us to be His ministers in all the places that we find ourselves—school, work, neighborhood, with friends, family, co-workers, classmates, teammates, neighbors—all opportunities to be the aroma of Christ. We, too, can feel scared, skeptical, or ill-equipped for the task at hand. But if the LORD has us there, don’t you think He will provide the resources we need? And if you don’t feel equipped, what are you doing to get there? Our job is not to question the LORD, but to trust and obey. Our job is “yes.” “Here I am, send me!”

But do you know the LORD? That’s the first step. If not, you can today. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and 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, the Bible says we, like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, 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 13, 2025

The Burning Bush

Exodus 3

For forty years, Moses has been living in the land of Midian, presumably enjoying a quiet life. His life in Egypt is a fading memory. Living in relative seclusion. Ah, the golden years.

But God isn’t finished yet. Not with Moses and not with His people.

An encounter with the LORD in a burning bush, and Moses is called back into action. He’s given a mission. A message for the people: “I have surely seen, I have heard, I know, I will go down, and I will bring you up.” And a message for Pharaoh: “Let My people go!” Although Moses will have a part to play, make no mistake about it—it is God who will rescue His people.

God still sees the affliction of His people, He hears our outcry, and He knows our suffering. He’s already at work. On the flip side, He has a job for us to do. He does the rescuing, but we have a part to play. Our’s is to say yes. If we are still here, then we’re not done. He has work for us to do. To reach the lost, to storm the gates of hell, to advance His kingdom…

Do you know this God? If not, you can today. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and believing that Jesus is the Savior whom God promised. The Hero that God’s people had been anxiously awaiting for thousands of years. 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, the Bible says we, like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, 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 6, 2025

The Birth of Moses and His Escape from Egypt

Exodus 2

The scene is being set for the Exodus. Moses, the man that God has chosen to deliver his people, is himself delivered from the wicked schemes of Pharaoh by Pharaoh’s own daughter. He’s raised as a prince of Egypt, but fails to deliver his fellow Hebrews through his own efforts, and so is on the run, fearing for his life. He lands in Midian, marries a local gal, and has a son. He’s all but faded from the picture.

But God isn’t finished yet.

The king of Egypt dies, and God hears the groaning of His people. He hears, and He remembers the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He sees, and He knows. And soon He will act. His faithfulness endures forever.

That’s good news. God still hears the groaning of His people. He remembers His promises. He will never leave us or forsake us. No matter how great the storm, no matter how dark the night, no matter how fierce the battle, even when things seem hopeless and we feel helpless, He’s there and He’s at work and He will bring us safely through! He sees, and He knows. And even when we don’t see it, He’s always acting on behalf of His people. It was true then. It’s true today.

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.

September 29, 2025

Israel Multiplies and a New King Arises

Exodus 1

Exodus begins with lots of promise. The sons of Israel are becoming a great and mighty nation. God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that they would be fruitful and multiply is happening. Good news for the Hebrews, but not so much for the Egyptians.

A new king arises over Egypt who sees Israel as a threat and seeks first to enslave and then to systematically destroy them as a nation. The enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman is on full display, the wicked persecuting the righteous. It shouldn’t surprise us. It goes back to the garden and will continue until the Hero/King returns to set all things right. But until that time, there will be enmity between good and bad, right and wrong, the righteous and the wicked.

We see God at work in the book of Exodus. Working to redeem His people. Fulfilling the promises that He has made to them. Even when they can’t see Him…He’s there. That’s good news for the Israelites, and it’s good news for us as well. He will never leave us or forsake us. No matter how great the storm, no matter how dark the night,  no matter how fierce the battle, even when things seem hopeless and we feel helpless, He’s there and He’s at work and He will bring us safely through!

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.

September 22, 2025

A Genesis Overview

The God of Genesis is a God who loves deeply, who creates and restores, who rescues and guides, who redeems evil. He is the Bringer of hope. He is the God who blesses—blessing is mentioned more in Genesis than anywhere else in the Bible. He is gracious and merciful. But He is also just, and He will punish those who reject Him.

Genesis begins with a man in a garden enjoying perfect fellowship with God—it ends with a man in a coffin awaiting his return to the land—a haunting picture of the terrible consequences of sin introduced when we revolted against our Maker. Death has invaded our world and made captives of us all. Yet hope remains alive because of the faith of the man in the coffin. God would one day send a Hero to rescue us and provide a way back to the garden and perfect fellowship with Him. 

The good news—the Hero that God promised has come.

Jesus, God’s only Son, came and lived a perfect life — a life totally in tune and dependent on His Father. He died a sacrificial death. He was raised on the third day, proving that He had conquered both sin and death, so that by believing in Him, the Bible says we, like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, can be saved—not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Jesus did. He is the Genesis 3:15 Head-crushing Seed of the woman—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.

November 11, 2019

Joshua and the Walls of Jericho

Joshua 6

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho…well not quite. The LORD fought the battle of Jericho. And the walls came tumbling down.

This is a story of God’s promise and its fulfillment, of faith and obedience. From start to finish, the battle is the LORD’s. He had given Jericho into Joshua’s hand well before the battle commenced. It reminds me of Paul’s journey to Rome. No matter what the obstacle…be it the plots of the unbelieving Jews or the ferocity of the storm or the fear of the sailors or the fangs of the viper…God said that Paul would appear before Caesar in Rome and Paul did. What God says, God does. He can be trusted.

But Joshua had a part to play. His was to respond in faith to what God had said. Jesus said, “Those who hear My words and act on them may be compared to…” Hearing alone won’t do. There must be a response in faith.  For us as believers, it’s important to remember that faith is demonstrated by action. To hear and not to do is not to hear. To believe and not to act is really not to believe. What is it that you need to obey God in? What response do you need to make?

What if Joshua had decided not to listen to God and instead went with conventional wisdom? He’s a military guy. What if he devised his own plans? Joshua already knew the answer to that…he knew the consequences of not doing things God’s way, of not trusting Him but instead choosing to go his own way. When the Israelites failed to trust God and enter the land after coming out of Egypt, God said you’ve got forty years to think about it. None of those who were supposed to enter would be able to. Then they decided to make a run at it and were soundly defeated. The battle is the LORD’s. Forty years of wilderness wandering. Moses unable to enter the promised land. Had Joshua decided to forego God’s instructions and rush the city using whatever military acumen he may have possessed, the results would have been disastrous. The same is true for us when we choose to ignore God’s instructions and do things our own way. And we wonder why things aren’t working out…we’ve forgotten that the battle is the LORD’s.

But what if God’s instructions don’t make sense? Last first, love your enemies, etc. Probably didn’t make sense to Joshua either, but the battle is the LORD’s. Ours is to trust and obey. Proverbs 3.5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path.”

Presumably all of the folks in Jericho believed the Israelites were a threat. That’s why they shut themselves in their fortress. They believed that God was on Israel’s side. They had a choice to make in the moment…they could have responded in faith like Rahab. They could have acknowledged and turned to God and welcomed the Israelites in. And like Rahab, they could have become a part of the community of believers. Instead they chose to turn away from Him. And they experienced God’s wrath. Sin is serious, and God takes sin seriously. So should we. Jesus is either your King, or He will be your Judge.

Let me leave you with this. There is room for all in the kingdom. Rahab may have seemed like one of the least likely folks to make it in. She hasn’t made the greatest of life choices. And yet, when she has an encounter with the LORD, everything changes. Her life takes a different trajectory. Her past isn’t erased…it is a part of the story of God’s grace in her life. And she has the high honor of being listed in the genealogy of the King (Matthew 1.5)!

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from Joshua 6. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster

August 9, 2016

Suffering Before Glory

Luke 9.28-45

When we began the Luke series last fall, one of the things we talked about…what Luke wanted us to do as we read through his Gospel…is to examine the evidence so that we might be able to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”

We’ve come a long ways since then, and no doubt we still have a ways to go. Now we’ve reached a pivotal point in Luke’s story. Last week Peter rightly answered our question for us…“Who is Jesus?” He is the Christ of God. But what does that mean? The disciples thought that they knew what it meant…a Conquering King bringing in a glorious kingdom. The overthrow of Rome and Israel once again in a place of prominence on the world stage. And while Isaiah talked about a Suffering Servant and there were hints of adversity to come (Genesis 3.15), still Jewish folks living in the 1st century were expecting a fierce Warrior-Messiah like David.

While there were plenty of OT prophesies to justify their expectations, there were also personal reasons why folks would want a Conquering King…we all want to be on the winning side. Their expectations weren’t wrong, just mistimed. Jesus will come back as Conquering King. Everyone who is on His side will win with Him. But first He would be the Suffering Servant. Suffering before glory.

I think sometimes we have a similar timing problem. We like the glory part. We like the kingdom part. But we don’t like the suffering part. And if we are honest with ourselves, many times we do anything we can to avoid it. We want to follow Jesus without cost or consequence. And yet the constant testimony of Jesus and the rest of the NT is that suffering is a fundamental part of the Christian life. But the good news is…we are never alone in suffering for Jesus. Somehow Paul says that we can experience the perfect peace of God in the midst of chaos, joy in the midst of pain, hope in the deepest darkness. We don’t have to give up or give in because Jesus wins. And we have a heavenly Father who delights in us and desires our good, who loves us so completely that we will spend an eternity trying to comprehend it.

Sometimes ours isn’t a timing problem, but a “Who is Jesus?” problem. We are looking for a Jesus who meets our expectations. We want Jesus to rescue us from our sins, but we don’t want Him to change us too much. We want Him to heal us or fix our marriage or solve our financial problems…we want Him to be Savior in lots of ways, but we don’t really want to listen to Him. We don’t want His words sinking into our ears. We don’t want Him to be Lord of our lives. We want Him to make much of us…we don’t want to make much of Him.

But Jesus is both Savior and Lord. He is Suffering Servant and Conquering King. He is both Lamb and Lion.

Maybe today is the day that you need to let Jesus’ words sink into your ears. Maybe today is the day that you need to see Him in all His glory as both Suffering Servant and Conquering King. Maybe today is the day that you need to recommit to following Jesus, no matter what the cost. Maybe today is the day that you need to be reminded that suffering comes before glory.

Until next time…stay salty.

“May we be willing to follow Jesus in both the good and the hard times this week.”

This post is based on a sermon from our Luke series, Live & Love Like Jesus. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster