Freeing people to enjoy God, hear His truth, grow in diverse community and engage the world with the renewed dignity that comes from Christ.

Christ Central Church seeks to be a culturally competent church community. We strive to be a church that is Biblically authentic and true in its worship of God. We desire to communicate and grow spiritually from the message of the gospel as it is read, preached, shared and taught faithfully, clearly and relevantly. We long to be a community filled with loving and encouraging relationships. We seek to spread the good news in word, thought and deed as a community of individuals and families that are faithful to serve, trust, share, grow and spread the redeeming love of Jesus everywhere, in everything and with all people.

(Westminster Shorter Catechism: Question 20)

Q: Did God leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery?

A. God, solely out of his love and mercy, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, and entered into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the state of sin and misery, and to bring them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer.

Matthew 3:13-4:11

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Reader: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Thanks be to God.”

PRAYER OF CONFESSION:

Gracious Father,
we confess that we do not always come before you honestly.
We hide what we are ashamed to name.
We carry burdens without bringing them to you.
We allow disappointment to harden into unbelief,
hurt to become bitterness,
and fear to govern our lives.

We have been slow to listen,
quick to defend ourselves,
and reluctant to bear the burdens of others.
We have sought to protect ourselves
rather than entrust ourselves to you.

Search us and know us, O God.
Bring into the light what we would rather keep hidden.
Have mercy upon us through Jesus Christ,
and by your Spirit lead us again in the way everlasting.

Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON:

3 Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered.

Psalm 130:3-4