I Dare You - Get In The Game - Audio
Everyone is called to do something! Generally we start with a dream and excitement. However, it is often how we move through conflict that determines if we reach the goals God called us to.
Jan 08, 2017•56 min
Celebration Center
Celebration Center
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Episodes
Let It Be - Christmas - Audio
Lights, Stars, Angels, Shepherds, a miraculous birth. Something unusual in all of human history was happening. The God of all creation introduced us to His plan for rescuing the human race. For unto us a child is born… Christ the Lord. An event so world changing that some 2000 years later people from all over the world will celebrate his birth. Let it be. Christmas.
Dec 24, 2016•35 min
Let It Be - Wonderful - Audio
We often refer to Christmas as the “most wonderful” time of the year. It is a time to rest, reconnect with loved ones, and remember just what God has done in the earth. Yet amidst all of the celebration, we often run into complications. We run into problems that seem unsolvable, people that we cannot control, and expectations that we are unable to meet. The first Christmas was wrought with tension. An unexpected baby, a census, wise men bringing gifts and declaring a new king, angel visitations,...
Dec 18, 2016•51 min
Let It Be - Yesterday - Audio
Wait - to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens. Christmas is not wonderful because of what is happening right now…it is wonderful because of what happened! Christmas reminds us that God always promises his presence...however... what do we do when we feel like God has been slow to keep his promise? What does this first Christmas teach us about waiting on God?
Dec 11, 2016•56 min
Peace Is Jesus - Audio
Christmas can be a time when we know there should be peace but our own circumstances make peace a difficult personal reality. Join us this week as we explore how to get away from the "normalcy" of life to make room for peace.
Dec 05, 2016•39 min
Let It Be - Nothing's Gonna Change My World - Audio
Imagine being Mary, a normal young woman, engaged to be married to an upstanding carpenter. Then one day she received a message that changes her world. An angel visits her and tells her that she, a virgin, was going to give birth to the Son of God. How could this happen? Who would believe her? In a moment, her whole world is changed. And the coming of this child can also change your world.
Nov 28, 2016•1 hr 1 min
Anything But Average - Do What You Know - Audio
No one aims to live an average life. When we were younger, we all aspired to live extraordinary lives. But somewhere along the way, we settle into an average job, average debt, average marriage, average family, and average dreams. If we were to really follow Jesus, we would not be average. Jesus calls us to give more than expected. He calls us to live for tomorrow. He calls us to action because only by acting can we become anything but average.
Nov 20, 2016•49 min
Anything But Average - Now and Later - Audio
One of the things that can keep us from living beyond average is the tension between now and later. We're tempted to live for the moment, to satisfy our desires instantly. But when we pursue instant gratification, there are problems in our lives. Our finances blow up because we buy things before we can afford them. Our relationships are damaged because we don't put in the time to build solid foundations of trust and respect. Our careers suffer because we climb faster than our competence can sust...
Nov 13, 2016•46 min
Anything But Average - Audio
No one wants to be average. You don't want to be an average spouse or parent. You don't want to be an average boss or employee. You may not want to be extraordinary, but you probably want to stand apart from the crowd. You probably want to avoid the pitfalls you see in the lives of some of the people around you. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about three behaviors that have the power to make you anything but average.
Nov 06, 2016•54 min
It's All About Relationships Part 3 - Audio
In this series we have been looking at the incredible importance of great relationships. Today we focus on having great friendships. The Bible says 'Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!' Great friends can pick us up when we are down, carry us when we are stuck, encourage us when we want to give up. David had a great friend in Jonathan. How did that work?...
Oct 31, 2016•1 hr
It's All About Relationships Part 2 - Audio
When the Lord sought a man after His own heart, he chose David. David had a relationship with God that was unique in history. Psalm 23 explores the nature of this relationship. Join us as we finish exploring how an intimate relationship with God can direct us through the difficult seasons of life.
Oct 23, 2016•57 min
It's All About Relationships - Audio
When the Lord sought a man after His own heart, he chose David. Something about David and his relationship with God was unique in history. While David excelled at many things, perhaps the most profound of those is his relational intimacy with God. Many of us have a large volume of "social" relationships, but how do we move beyond a "social" relationship with God?
Oct 17, 2016•49 min
Life Apps - Encourage - PDF
Our words are powerful! James warns us that we have the tendency to use our lips to praise God and then curse one another. That should not be the case! However, the reality is that our conversations average 6 criticisms to every one encouragement. Is reversing this ratio the key to improving our relationships at home, at work, and in our everyday lives?
Oct 10, 2016
Life Apps - Encourage - Audio
Our words are powerful! James warns us that we have the tendency to use our lips to praise God and then curse one another. That should not be the case! However, the reality is that our conversations average 6 criticisms to every one encouragement. Is reversing this ratio the key to improving our relationships at home, at work, and in our everyday lives?
Oct 10, 2016•40 min
Life Apps - Trust - Audio
Proverbs 27:4-6: When someone lets you down, can you choose to believe the best, or are you forced to believe the worst? Trust is a key component in every healthy relationship. So does the Bible expect us to lead our relationships with trust? In this message, we’re reminded that we have the power to choose our reactions—and the response we choose may make all the difference in our relationships.
Oct 02, 2016•51 min
Life Apps - Rest - Audio
Can rest and vacations actually be spiritual disciplines? Communicating the importance of rest was one of the first things God did in the Bible. So why have we neglected - or worse, denied - the importance of this principle? In this message, we examine the pattern God gives us for the pace of our lives. God designed us to need rest, to have margin, and to enjoy his creation. He actually modeled this for us! Feel like your life is too hurried? There's an app for that.
Sep 25, 2016•33 min
Life Apps - Confession - Audio
James 5:13-20: At some point in time, confession became a private practice used to relieve your conscience. But that's not the way confession is presented in the Bible. What is biblical confession? How do we do it? When should we do it? In this message, we look at the biblical view of confession and why we should confess to one another, along with God, as a critical life application.
Sep 19, 2016•49 min
Life Apps - Forgiveness - Audio
Forgiveness can be difficult. Does forgiving someone mean that the person we forgive gets away with it? Besides, sometimes it feels really good to hold a grudge. During this message, we discover how the Bible teaches us to release the grip of our grudges. Forgiveness...there's an app for that.
Sep 11, 2016•53 min
Life Apps - Application - Audio
Application is Everything- James 1:22 'Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says!' For more than 2000 years, people have been confused about this simple truth. James, the brother of Jesus, heard the truth his whole life, and wants us to know that hearing the truth doesn't change our lives, living it does. Followers of Jesus have to move beyond being listeners of the word and actually apply it. Application is Everything.
Sep 04, 2016•55 min
Will It Float - God Wants Me To Be Happy - Audio
Does God want us to be happy? We hear this phrase all the time, but is it really true? Is our happiness God's highest priority? Join us we drop this in and see if it really does float.
Aug 29, 2016•49 min
Will It Float - The Church Is Full Of Hypocrites - Audio
How often do we hear that the biggest problem with the church is the people? Gandhi famously stated: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Is that a true criticism? Does the Bible offer us any answers?
Aug 22, 2016•52 min
Will It Float - God Won't Give Us More Than We Can Bear - Audio
We hear this expression all the time. Often it is applied to people going through the most difficult of life's circumstances. However, life often seems full of things that are more than we can handle. So how do we know if this is true--will God give us more than we can bear, or not? Furthermore, if I can't handle what I experience, am I flawed or is God being too harsh? Where did we get this expression and what does the Bible actually have to say about it?
Aug 15, 2016•44 min
Will It Float - All Things Work Together For Good - Audio
Christians say the strangest things sometimes. For instance: "All things work together for good." Does everything really work together for good? When we face tragedy and hardship, where is the good in that? Does God give us things that are seemingly terrible for good? Does the Bible really want us to believe that? Just because it sounds nice, does that mean it is true? Do the Scriptures declare it or have we just heard it so many times we think it must be in the Bible somewhere?
Aug 08, 2016•56 min
Gideon - Dependence - Audio
What do you do when God asks you to do something crazy - when the odds are stacked against you, and you don't feel like you have the resume or the resources to do what needs to be done? Gideon faced this situation and he discovered that victory was not determined by the size of his army, the strength of his ability, or even the certainty of his faith - it was found when his weakness was turned to dependence on God. Then this hero discovered that with God, he was enough!
Aug 01, 2016•46 min
Ruth - Devotion - Audio
Devotion: In the midst of tragedy, Ruth had every excuse to throw in the towel. She could have changed the course of her life, returned home, and just given up. But she was devoted. She had made a decision to live differently, and even insurmountable odds were not going to dissuade her. Her love and self-sacrificing nature won her what she had no right to. All great qualities of a hero.
Jul 24, 2016•49 min
Noah - Obedience - Audio
Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing! It's fascinating to think about how long Noah worked on the ark. Bible scholars estimate around 98 years! Nearly a century of people telling him he is crazy for obeying God. Working day after day to build something that no one else thought was necessary. Not seeing the fruit of his labors. We often want to quit on God if things don't go our way immediately. Noah wants us to see that we can obey God when everyone else thinks it's crazy! That's heroic!...
Jul 17, 2016•56 min
Rahab - Redemption - Audio
Heroes come from all different walks of life. Rahab is a testimony that God can take any person, from any place, with any history, and do something truly heroic with them. Rahab's story reminds us of the redemptive power of God. When we have an excuse why God can't use us, He sees an opportunity to show us how heroic we can truly be.
Jul 10, 2016•38 min
Joseph - The Vantage Point - Audio
How do you define a hero? The dictionary defines hero as: "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities." However, it also defines hero as a sandwich! Joseph experienced incredible high moments, and incredible low moments. Yet, through it all, he never lost sight of who God called him to be. This perspective helped him to be the right man, at the right place, to accomplish everything God called him to do. Sounds heroic.
Jul 03, 2016•53 min
Plant the Gospel - Audio
Have you ever felt like you were in a place you didn't want to be? Have you ever been in a situation that didn't feel very God-ordained. God has you here on purpose, and every believer can be a planter of the Good News.
Jun 26, 2016•41 min
Fearless - Audio
As Paul closes his letter to the Ephesians he addresses how we relate to one another and where our greatest source of conflict as believers in Jesus will come from. He recognizes that we are in a spiritual battle and encourages us to be prepared. His love for the church and role as a spiritual father to so many is evident. This Father's Day, let's thank God for Dads that are truly fearless.
Jun 19, 2016•38 min
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