Salvation

December 15, 2025

The Promised Good News (Joy)

Luke 2:1–20

Mary had a little Lamb…what a simple story with life-changing implications! Mary’s little Lamb is none other than the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is not only the promised King for whom the ancients long awaited and who came to save His people from their enemies, but He’s also the LORD who is worthy of all worship and praise and honor…and obedience.

The heavens erupt in praise at His coming, and the shepherds can’t help but rejoice. The people are amazed, and Mary ponders. So what will you do?

Do you know Jesus as Savior and LORD? If not, today I want to invite you to take that first step. Jesus came as Savior, the Hero and only One who can rescue us from sin and death by dying in our place, and who by His resurrection, offers us new life when we believe in Him. Good news of great joy! If you are going to experience the joy of Christmas, it has to start with the joy of knowing Jesus as Savior.

If you do know Jesus as Savior, are you serving Him as LORD? I hope so. If not, then who are you serving? Who or what is “lord” of your life? Who or what do you love more? Father John of Kronstadt (John Sergiev), a Russian Orthodox priest greatly beloved for his charity and wisdom, said this, “The enemy of our salvation especially strives to draw our heart and mind away from God when we are about to serve Him, and endeavours to adulterously attach our heart to something irrelevant.” Sound familiar? Whoever or whatever that irrelevant thing might be for you, you won’t experience the joy of Christmas, the joy of your salvation, until you make it right, until Jesus has your affections.
There is only One King of kings and Lord of lords…only One is worthy of our worship. Only He can bring true joy.

Spend some time this week, like Mary, pondering the good news that the King has come…He’s come to rescue us, He’s come to save us, He’s come to give us true peace and joy, He’s come to give us new life, and He will never leave us or forsake us. Then share that good news of great joy with someone else.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Advent series: The Promise of Christmas. 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 8, 2025

The Promised Prince (Peace)

Isaiah 9:2–7 (Hebrew 9:1–6)

Isaiah pictures a time of good news for a group of people who desperately needed it. They were under the enemy’s oppression. They were defeated. They were without hope. They knew no peace. But the LORD hadn’t forgotten them. Light was coming. God Himself would rend the veil of time and space and step into the world He had created in the Person of Jesus. He would rescue them. He would save them from sin and death by sacrificing Himself in their place. He would die that they might live. He would reconcile them with their heavenly Father. He would establish a kingdom where they could live and reign with Him forever. Where they would know true and lasting peace.

And so Jesus has come…

I like the way Paul talks about it in Romans 5…“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:1–11)

If you have not yet trusted in Jesus, make today the day. It starts with recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised would come. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf. He was raised on the third day, showing that He had conquered both sin and death, so that by believing in Him, you could have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Advent series: The Promise of Christmas. 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.

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 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.

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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.

August 25, 2025

God is Love

1 John 4:7-21

God is love. As children of God, then, love is a defining characteristic of who we now are. And love should permeate and motivate all that we do.

I said this earlier, but it bears repeating. Love, in the Bible, is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling. It’s not just good vibes toward someone who’s important to you. It’s not heart emojis and puppy dog eyes. Love is an action word. It builds up and spurs on. It sacrifices and gives. It doesn’t look out for “me” but for the good of others. It can’t help but help. When it sees a need, it meets the need. Bringing the full weight of the resources that the LORD has blessed us with to serve others. It’s the natural consequence of our experience of God’s love for us.

Jesus said that the world would know that we are His disciples by our love. So, if you are having a hard time loving others, what’s getting in the way? Love doesn’t save us. Only faith in Jesus can do that. But love is an indication that we have been saved, that we are children of God. So, again, what’s getting in the way of your loving others? Are you listening to the wrong voices? Are you following the wrong path? If so, you won’t experience the life that Jesus saved you for. That’s why it’s so important to listen to the testimony of the Apostles. To spend time in God’s Word.

The other end of the spectrum is hate. The one who hates is not a child of God. Love and hate, like life and death, are mutually exclusive. You are a child of God, or you are a child of the devil. There is no middle ground. Faith in Jesus is what separates the two.

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, you can do that today. You, too, can become a child of God. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death, was raised to life on the third day, conquering death so that your sins can be forgiven, that you can have eternal life, and that you can become a child of God. Then you, too, can walk in the light and have fellowship with the Father and the Son.

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This post is based on a sermon from our 1 John series, “Unshakeable.” 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.

August 11, 2025

Believe in Jesus, Love One Another

1 John 3:13-24

As children of God, we will be hated by the world just as Jesus was. And with that hatred will come suffering and persecution. But let us not lose heart. Because of our faith in Jesus, we have passed out of death into life. And just like Jesus, we are called to love.

Love is an action word. Love motivates us to do something. When we see a need, to meet the need. To go beyond words to works. Bringing the full weight of the resources that the LORD has entrusted to us to bear in serving others. Helping them in practical ways.

By believing in Jesus, which shows our love for God, and loving one another, then, we keep the LORD’s commandments. And when we keep His commandments, we remain in Him. Remember, we are children of God. We have a new identity. We are not who we used to be. Our sins have been completely forgiven. We now have fellowship with the Father and the Son. The Spirit dwells within us. So, our believing and loving come out of our new identity. Will we do it perfectly? No. But definitely something we are striving for and growing in.

That assumes, of course, that you’ve trusted in Jesus. That’s the only way to be a child of God. It’s the only way to have your sins forgiven. It’s the only way that you can have fellowship with the Father.

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, you can do that today. You, too, can become a child of God. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life, He died a sacrificial death, and He was raised to life on the third day, conquering death so that your sins can be forgiven, that you can have eternal life, and that you can become a child of God.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our 1 John series, “Unshakeable.” 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.

August 9, 2025

The Truth vs. the Lie

1 John 2:15-29

The Truth vs. the lie. Confessing Jesus as the Christ vs. denying Him. To confess is to believe, and only those who believe in Jesus have the promise of eternal life. Only they are children of God who do righteousness. Only they have the Spirit.

Jesus is coming back. No question about that. The only question is: will you be ready when He comes? Will you be prepared to welcome the King at His return, or will you shrink back in shame?

John makes it pretty clear in this letter…there are only two sides. Confessing vs. denying. Light vs. darkness. Truth vs. lie. Child of God vs. child of the devil. Which side are you on?

The good news is…you can be on the right side today. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life…He Himself walked in the light…He died a sacrificial death to pay the penalty for sin, and He was raised to life on the third day, conquering death so that your sins would be forgiven, that you would have eternal life, and that you would become a child of God. Then you, too, can walk in the light and have fellowship with the Father and the Son.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our 1 John series, “Unshakeable.” 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.