Last Sunday, we wrapped up our “Rise Up & Build” series with a bold message from the prophet Haggai. If you missed it, make sure to check it out! We heard about what can happen when the eyes of our hearts are focused on the wrong thing: at best, we will miss what God is doing;at worst, we’ll self-sabotage and find ourselves working against God. We want to avoid that!  After all, God IS still with us, behind us, and empowering us –

Last Sunday, we continued in our “Rise Up & Build” series on discovering a future vision together for Central. Over and over again, it’s been made clear to me that what we need to do – first and foremost, and more than anything else – is pray. Pray for God to make a vision known and clear to us. Pray for God to put a burden on our heart like He did for Nehemiah. Pray that God would give us courage, success,

This past Sunday – New Year’s Day – we kicked off a series that kicks us off in looking forward to God’s future for Central Baptist Church. Where is God leading us? What is God calling us to do? What’s next for Central? Or, as Nehemiah puts it, what is God putting on our heart to do for the world around us? As I said on Sunday, God places this ‘vision’ on our hearts, as he did for Nehemiah, when like Nehemiah, what’s broken

Merry (almost) Christmas! I know that this is a busy time of year for all – including pastors! – so I’ll keep this one short and to the point (actually 2 points). First, last Sunday was such a joy. Wasn’t it? If you missed our Family Christmas Service and Party, then I’m sorry to say, you missed out!  We had such a great turnout, such a great time, and the Kids did such a wonderful job with the pageant. I want

Greetings! I hope your Christmas season, thus far, has been (mostly) filled with joy, peace, and hope. I know that for some, this season is a difficult one - between grief, family drama, conflict, and other challenging circumstances. Please let me know how I can be praying for you. During the Christmas season, where we celebrate God emptying himself to be born in human flesh, I am reminded of the great generosity with which He has treated each of us. Remember Paul’s words

Christmas season is in full swing! I don’t know about you, but I just love this season. I think the thing I love most about it is the music. Year after year, I have the experience - at least once - of being in a Lowe’s or Target or whatever, and hearing a line like “Let Earth receive her King, Let every heart prepare Him room” over the store’s sound system.   You don’t get those kind of lyrics in January

Christmas season has arrived! Advent is here. On Sunday, we lit the first of the Advent candles – the HOPE candle, and were reminded how Advent begins in the dark, with the light of Christ breaking in.Do you know what the word “Advent” actually means? It’s from the Latin adventus, and literally means “coming” or “arrival”. Advent is Jesus’ “arrival” with us and for us, and as the angels announced on that first Christmas: it is good news of great joy

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I hope you’re able to make it to tonight’s Thanksgiving Eve worship service at 7:00. I’m looking forward to sharing some insight into the way that gratitude transforms us. It should be a good one! Speaking of thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, and the coming season of Advent: have you had a chance to write your “Thankful 30” Advent calendar yet? (Check out last week’s Central Thoughts to find out what I’m talking about

As we approach Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, one of the things that happens to us is that we tend to get overwhelmed with shopping lists, meals to make, parties to consider, gifts to wrap, decorations to hang, and all of the rest. or in the words of Professor Hinkle: busy, busy, busy. People have described the holidays to me like a current that pulls you under which, in order to survive, you have to just swim with it…because if you try to

Have you ever wondered what “God’s will” is for you? It can be an impossibly huge question to try to answer.  Or not.  It can also be quite simple. Look at what Paul tells God’s will is for us in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. That’s God will. At least, that’s what God wants us to do. So as we continue in our Central Thoughts