on

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-dsx9v-be0c6a

1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Rev Jennifer A G Layte

NOTE:

This is a “family meeting” sort of sermon, and unfortunately our usual sound recorder was not available this Sunday. This left Pastor Jenn with the quandary of whether to leave this sermon off the podcast altogether, due to its congregation-specific nature, to upload a very echo-y and not always easy to understand recording from an iPhone which was positioned behind the speakers, or to re-record herself simply reading the sermon at a later date.

Although the sound quality is terrible, the option to share the live recording has been chosen, because the sermon itself is important to the life of our church, and something of the message will be lost in an after-the-fact read-through. That said, while as usual anyone is welcome to listen (or try to listen) to this message, if Central Baptist Church is not your home congregation, this one may be less apropos to you, and as it’s kind of a lot of work to understand what’s being said in some spots, you may quite understandably wish to excuse yourself from this “episode”! On the other hand, if Central Baptist is your home church, a listen is probably worth the effort.

on

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-mrryt-bcea7c

Acts 3:1-21

Rev Jennifer A G Layte

“A truly ‘saved soul’ will look different—not only by telling people they’re sinners who need Jesus to escape Hell, but by reflecting a different way of viewing and responding to the world—a restorative, reconciling, life-giving way. The gospel is not summed up by the Four Spiritual Laws, helpful as those may sometimes be, but was summed up by Jesus Himself to the crowds: ‘Repent [turn from your old life and trust in Jesus], for the Kingdom of God is at hand [live like you have a different King]!'”

on

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-bq8hg-bc4614

Acts 2:42; 17:1-15

Rev Jennifer A G Layte

“The non-believing Thessalonian Jews didn’t actually care if the Bible and Paul’s teaching lined up with each other. They just didn’t want their own private gig, whatever that was exactly, to be threatened. And this same kind of thing is still happening today…The people opposing Paul in this passage (and in many other passages in Acts) were not, first and foremost, the surrounding pagan culture, but his own people.”

on

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-gkndj-bb30fa

Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29

Rev Jennifer A G Layte

“This week I’ve been reminded of Jesus’ words to His disciples that everyone would know they were His because of how they love each other. Usually when I think about that verse, I roll my eyes and say to myself, ‘Yeah, right. We’re so great at that.’ I think about this a lot in connection with that verse about everyone knowing who Jesus’ people are because they love each other. But this week that verse was presented to me a little differently—not as a description of what is but of what mustbe, almost like a command. Like, You will love each other, so the world will know the only possible way that could happen is because you’re My disciples.'”

on

The news of the world gets more and more dire, but the Christian message has been called “Good News” ever since Jesus burst out of the tomb that Resurrection Sunday. Sometimes, though, in the media and even at church, even that news sounds anything but good. Maybe, at best, more like, “I guess God doesn’t hate me as much as I should probably expect.”

Guess what? God really does love you. Here at Central Baptist we are united in our vision to contemplate the glory of who God really is–which, by the way, is Love–to motivate our mission to love the world and each other in His name, through compassion and Spirit-fueled good works of blessing to those around us. It’s a process. We’re not perfect yet. But we’re committed to traveling this path together, with Jesus as both our Guide and the Way itself.

Our church podcast, with sermons and occasional other notable services, is linked to this media corner of our website. Sit back and take a listen, for even more good news.