plagues

January 26, 2026

Locusts and Darkness

Exodus 10–11

Two more plagues, with the last one looming on the horizon. And still Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. Even as his kingdom lies in ruins, he still refuses to let the Israelites go.

The LORD will use Pharaoh’s obstinacy, his hardheartedness, his pride to demonstrate His power and to make His name known, so that not only the sons of Israel, but also all the world may know that the LORD, He and He alone, is God. There is none like Him. Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness, relenting of evil, forgiving of iniquity, transgression, and sin, mighty to save, but by no means leaving the guilty unpunished.

For those who have trusted in the LORD, who have responded to His mercy, that’s great news. Forgiveness of sins. Eternal life. The kingdom awaits. But for those who have not trusted in Him, who like Pharaoh have rejected His mercy because of hardheartedness, well, that’s a different story. Judgment. Wrath. Death. Forever separated from God and all that’s good. Not the option you want to take.

And you don’t have to. You don’t have to harden your heart. You can respond to God’s mercy with repentance. 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.

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.

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 10, 2025

And So It Begins

Exodus 7 (English) 7:1–25 (Hebrew)

The LORD has promised to rescue the sons of Israel from their captivity in Egypt, to go down and bring them up, and to deliver them to the land. And now the work begins.

The LORD makes an initial request and gives a sign before He begins His great judgments through the plagues He will unleash on Pharaoh, his people, the land, and the gods of Egypt. We can easily get caught up in the plagues and miss that, in the midst of judgment, there’s this vein of mercy that runs throughout.

The LORD gives Pharaoh the choice. Let the people go, or suffer the consequences. But because Pharaoh doesn’t know the LORD, he refuses. His heart is hardened. The LORD’s instrument for hardening Pharaoh’s heart? His mercy. Every time the LORD relents, Pharaoh hardens his heart. Sad because had he responded differently, he could have spared himself and his kingdom the total devastation that is soon to come. But because he didn’t know the LORD, he continues to run headlong down the broad road to destruction.

The LORD is merciful. He’s gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and faithfulness, relenting of evil, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Mighty to save. But He will judge the wicked.

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, 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.