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 estate of sin and misery?

A: God, having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.

John 7:53-8:11

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53 They went each to his own house,

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

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