City Central Church Podcast
by City Central, Tacoma WA
City Central Church is a place where followers of Jesus Christ seek God's power and presence by adoring the Savior, becoming more like Him and contending for His kingdom. Based in Tacoma, Washington, City Central seeks to share the good news about Jesus with those who are lost, bring restoration and healing to those who are broken and build up and train the saints of God. This podcast features sermons originally delivered at City Central Church in Tacoma during Sunday morning worship services. A few highlighted midweek teachings are included as well. Lead Pastor, Chris Hippe, preaches the majority of the Sunday morning sermons. Occasional guest messages are delivered by City Central elders, staff members, or friends of the ministry. Sermon series notes, links and processing questions can be found in the Resources section of the City Central Church website. God is moving in the city of Tacoma! Join us as we dive into God's Word and seek to know Him more intimately and experience greater
Episodes
-
When Life Hurts
This week, Pastor Chris Hippe brought us the message titled When Life Hurts. This message follows Joseph's story, seeing how God remains present through seasons of rejection, betrayal, injustice, and hardship. We are reminded that even when others mean evil against us, God is still at work,...
-
Bondage to Breakthrough
In this message, Lead Pastor Chris Hippe continues Sermon Series Free: Living in the Abundance of Jesus with Bondage to Breakthrough. We explore the power of forgiveness and the freedom that comes when we release the hurts and debts we've been holding onto. Forgiveness begins with recognizing the...
-
The Renewal of the Mind
Lead Pastor Chris Hippe shared another message in sermon series Free: Living in the Abundance of Jesus. The Renewal of the Mind explores how meditating on God's Word transforms our thoughts, strengthens our faith, and equips us for spiritual warfare. As we replace lies, fear, condemnation, and...
-
Take Your Mind Back
In this week's message Lead Pastor Chris Hippe delivers, "Take Your Mind Back,". We're reminded that the battle for freedom often begins in our thoughts. The enemy uses lies, fear, and deception to distort how we see ourselves, our circumstances, and God's truth. But we don't have to believe…
more -
The Foundation of Freedom
Pastor Chris Hippe continued Sermon Series Free: Living in Abundance of Jesus . The Foundation of Freedom teaches us that freedom in Christ is more than simply being saved from our past—it is learning to live in the freedom Jesus has already made available to us. This message reminds us that...
-
Abundance of Jesus in Community
This week in our Free: Living in the Abundance of Jesus series, Community Life Director Casey Mock shared how we experience the abundance of Jesus through community. We were reminded that we were never meant to do life alone—we build deep bonds, grow together, encourage one another, and become...
-
Sowing and Reaping
Sowing and reaping, reminds us that everything begins with a seed, and the choices we make today will produce a harvest in the future. What we sow—through our thoughts, actions, relationships, generosity, and obedience—will eventually produce a corresponding harvest, often in a different season…
more -
The Secret of Contentment
We live in a world that constantly tells us that more will make us happier—more money, more success, more possessions, and more recognition. But contentment is not about having everything we want; it is learning to be grateful for what God has already given us and trusting Him with what we don't...
-
The Foundation of Financial Freedom
Financial freedom begins with understanding that everything we have ultimately belongs to God. This message explores seven biblical laws of financial freedom and challenges us to become faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us. As we learn to manage our resources with wisdom, overcome...
-
The Complacent Church
This week Pastor Chris Hippe finished our sermon series The Seven with the church in Laodicea. We were reminded how easily comfort and self-sufficiency can replace genuine dependence on Christ. A lukewarm faith may look fine on the outside while our hearts slowly drift away from God. Jesus calls…
more -
The Power of the Weak Yes
This week Youth Director Elijah Hippe continued on sermon series The Seven with the church of Philadelphia. The most powerful yes we can give God is often the one we make when we feel the weakest. A weak yes may not feel courageous or significant, but when it is surrendered to God, He can use it…
more -
Dead in His Eyes
This week Young Adult Pastor Adina Olson shared a powerful message on the Church in Sardis. In Revelation 3:1–6, Jesus speaks to the church in Sardis with a sobering warning: they had a reputation for being alive, but Jesus saw that they were spiritually dying. Yet His message is also an…
more -
When Grace Has a Limit
August 9, 2026 - Youth Takeover, we were blessed to have guest speaker Austin Foss share a powerful sermon on grace. Grace is freely given, not earned, yet it is often withheld when hurt, pride, or offense take over. Jonah reminds us that we have received mercy first and are called to extend that...
-
Compromise is Subtle but Dangerous
August 2, 2026 - City Central Elder Darrin Miller continued our sermon series through the seven churches in Revelation. In Jesus' letter to the church in Thyatira, we see that compromise rarely happens all at once—it quietly takes root when we begin to tolerate what God calls us to reject.…
more -
To The Compromising Church of Pergamum
July 26, 2026 - guest speaker Pastor Samuel Lee brought a powerful message from Revelation 2:12–17, reminding us that while faithfulness may withstand persecution, we must also guard against the subtle compromises that pull us away from Christ. Through His powerful, life-giving Word, Christ calls...
-
Faithful Till The End
This week, City Central Elder Darrin Miller continued our Revelation series by exploring Jesus' letter to the church in Smyrna—a church marked by poverty, persecution, and suffering, yet one that received no rebuke from Jesus, only His encouragement to remain faithful until the end. Through His...
-
First Things First
This week, Pastor Chris continued our series on the seven churches of Revelation by examining Jesus' letter to the church in Ephesus. Through their example, we are reminded that Jesus deserves the first place in our hearts and that loving Him above all else is the foundation of the Christian…
more -
The Seven Churches of Revelation
This week, Pastor Chris began a new sermon series entitled The Seven, exploring the seven churches of Revelation. The messages to these churches reveal that this book is first and foremost a revelation of Jesus Christ—His glory, His authority, and His heart for His people. As the risen King who…
more -
Living a Life of Honor
This week, Pastor Chris finished our Driven by Eternity series with a powerful message on living a life of honor—a heart attitude that recognizes the value God places on people and brings glory to Him. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul teaches that living a life of honor means honoring spiritual…
more -
Living Prepared
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Driven by Eternity series with a message from 1 Thessalonians 5. The apostle Paul calls believers to live prepared for the return of Christ, recognizing that the Day of the Lord will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and with unavoidable judgment. Rather than...
-
Confident Expectation
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Driven by Eternity series with a message of hope. In a world marked by loss, uncertainty, and grief, believers are called to live with a confident expectation rooted in the promises of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul reminds us that our hope is...
-
Pleasing God
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Driven by Eternity series with a message from 1 Thessalonians 4. Because God has graciously saved and redeemed us through Jesus Christ, He calls us to live lives that please Him in holiness, love, and integrity. Paul reminds believers that pleasing God...
-
Strength for the Journey
This week, Pastor Chris continued on our Driven by Eternity series with a message from 1 Thessalonians 3. In a world marked by hardship, temptation, and uncertainty, God calls His people to strengthen one another through encouragement. This message explores how believers can support the…
more -
Authenticity in a Hostile World
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our sermon series Driven by Eternity with a message on authentic faith. In a world filled with pressure, opposition, and imitation, God calls believers to live with authentic faith that is real, rooted, and enduring. Through Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians…
more -
Ministry That Pleases God
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our sermon series with a message on how ministry that pleases God is not built on popularity or personal gain, but on lives surrendered to Christ with courage, purity, love, sacrifice, and a desire to see others grow spiritually. Drawing from Paul's example in…
more -
Beauty for Ashes
This Mother's Day, we had the privilege of hearing from a dear friend of City Central, Shirlee Lamoureux. Through her powerful testimony, we see how there are moments in life when pain feels overwhelming. Some wounds are deep, formed in childhood, through abuse, rejection, abandonment, or loss.…
more -
Leadership Appreciation Sunday
This week, Jena Hippe brought an encouraging word as we celebrated the joy of giving our lives away in service to the church. Ephesians 2:10 to remind us that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ for a purposeful life of good works prepared in advance. It contrasts two paths: a "small…
more -
Healthy Church Part 2
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Driven by Eternity series with a message from 1 Thessalonians describing the marks of a healthy church, beginning with the foundational truth that we are chosen by God and empowered by the gospel through the Holy Spirit. Such a church reflects Christ by...
-
Healthy Church
This week, Pastor Chris began our new sermon series, Driven by Eternity, with a message on how a healthy church is shaped by the certainty of Christ's return—living with watchful hope rather than speculation and ordering its life around obedience to Him. Marked by grace and peace, a healthy…
more -
None Too Far
This week, City Central Elder Darrin Miller shared a powerful message on how Jesus reveals that God desires mercy over judgment—calling not those who think they are righteous, but sinners who recognize their need for Him. Through the story of Zacchaeus, we see that no one is too far gone—Jesus…
more -
One Touch Changes Everything
It's Easter Sunday! Pastor Chris shared a powerful message about stepping out of the crowd to encounter Jesus personally. Life is often marked by pain, struggle, and seasons where nothing seems to get better, as seen in the woman who suffered for twelve years. But Easter reminds us that through...
-
The God of "Far More Abundantly"
This week, Pastor Chris highlights how God works "far more abundantly" than we can imagine, calling believers to surrender fully and draw strength from His Spirit within. Rooted and grounded in Christ's immeasurable love, we are invited to experience a relationship that transforms us and enables…
more -
Personal Benefits of Walking by Faith
This week, Pastor Chris taught us that walking by faith is an intimate trust in a powerful yet deeply personal God who leads with love, even when the path ahead is unclear. Using the example of Abraham, this sermon highlights how faith strengthens believers to trust God fully, make sacrifices,...
-
Looking Forward
This week, Pastor Chris challenged us to step out of comfort and live by faith, just as Abraham did when he followed God without knowing where the journey would lead. By trusting God's promises, Abraham crossed the lines of the unknown, the impossible, the future, and the pull of the world,...
-
Building Together
This week, Pastor Chris taught from Nehemiah, encouraging us to see that God's work of rebuilding begins when a burden for brokenness moves His people to prayer and action. After hearing about the ruined condition of Jerusalem, Nehemiah carefully assessed the situation, received God's vision for...
-
Generational Generosity
This week, Pastor Chris continued our Greater Things series with a powerful teaching about generosity that leaves a legacy. Generational Generosity is the call to faithfully pass on a legacy of worship, obedience, and wholehearted giving from one generation to the next. Rooted in God's enduring...
-
The Grace of Giving
This week, City Central elder Eric Jones invited the church into "The Grace of Giving," showing that true generosity is not driven by wealth but by worship. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 8 and the example of the Macedonian church, he explains how God's grace (charis) transforms crushing pressure and...
-
Pray Like Jesus
This week, Pastor Chris taught us to pray by first approaching God as "Our Father," cultivating a deep, loving relationship with Him and reflecting that love toward others. We honor His holy name and seek His kingdom and will above our own, depending on Him daily for provision, strength, and...
-
Prayer That Endures
This Sunday, Pastor Chris delivered a powerful message reminding us that enduring prayer is a steadfast, watchful, and thankful pursuit that keeps God's people rooted in dependence on Him through every season of life. Scripture shows us that persistent prayer shapes our faith, resists...
-
Life Group Sunday
Today was Life Group Sunday, and Casey Mock our Community Life Director taught us about moving from right belief to right practice—living out the truth that God is El Roi, the God who sees. Scripture shows us that God not only sees us personally, but places us intentionally in the Body of Christ,...
-
Prayer That Strengthens
This week, Pastor Chris continued teaching us about prayer with a message about prayer being the God-given means by which His limitless power strengthens our inner lives, drawing us into the fullness of Christ's love and presence. Rooted in Ephesians 3, this sermon calls us to a deeper prayer...
-
Never Stand Down
This week, we had the privilege of hearing a powerful message from a dear friend of City Central, Pastor Charlie Sweet as he reminded us to never stand down when God leads us into wilderness seasons. Through Elijah and Hagar, we see that God may allow the brook to dry up or the desert to surround...
-
Abundance Through Prayer
This week, Pastor Chris taught on how prayer opens the door to spiritual abundance by connecting God's heavenly purposes with earthly realities. Drawing from Scripture, it shows that prayer is both an intimate act of trust and fellowship with God and a powerful partnership through which the Holy...
-
The Power of Fasting
This week, Pastor Chris launched the 2026 Greater Things Fast with a compelling teaching on the power of fasting. In John 14, Jesus promises that those who believe in Him will do greater works through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we explored fasting as one of the God-given ways we are…
more -
The Call of Faithfulness
This Sunday, we had our Legacy Youth Takeover service! Youth Pastor Stephanie Kram shared a wonderful and thought-provoking message about the blessings and call we have as Jesus followers to live faithfully in everything we do.
-
The Wonder of a Name
This week, Pastor Chris' message explored the wonder of Jesus' name, foretold in Scripture as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. The most powerful name of all reveals who Jesus is and what He brings to a restless world. From God's great love in sending His…
more -
The Wonder of a Promise
This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Christmas series celebrating the wonder of God's promise revealed through His faithfulness, His presence, and obedient faith. From the first promise in Genesis to its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus, God proves Himself faithful by sending a Savior who...
-
The Wonder of a Manger
This week, our Young Adult Pastor, Adina Olson, delivered a powerful message to launch our Christmas series, The Wonder of Christmas. She invited us to behold the wonder of the manger, where God's long-promised salvation arrived clothed in unexpected humility. In Jesus' birth, we see God's...
-
Irrational Generosity
This week, Pastor Chris taught us that generosity is central to the Christian life because it reveals the true condition of our hearts and reflects the character God designed us to embody. It warns that hurry, worry, and a consuming mindset can choke out generosity, while trust in God frees us to...
-
Contagious Generosity
This week, Pastor Chris taught on biblical generosity reminding us that contagious generosity begins with recognizing that God is the first and ultimate giver, showering us with every good gift and even offering His own Son. When we allow this truth to move from our heads to our hearts and into…
more
About this show
City Central Church is a place where followers of Jesus Christ seek God's power and presence by adoring the Savior, becoming more like Him and contending for His kingdom. Based in Tacoma, Washington, City Central seeks to share the good news about Jesus with those who are lost, bring restoration and healing to those who are broken and build up and train the saints of God. This podcast features sermons originally delivered at City Central Church in Tacoma during Sunday morning worship services. A few highlighted midweek teachings are included as well. Lead Pastor, Chris Hippe, preaches the majority of the Sunday morning sermons. Occasional guest messages are delivered by City Central elders, staff members, or friends of the ministry. Sermon series notes, links and processing questions can be found in the Resources section of the City Central Church website. God is moving in the city of Tacoma! Join us as we dive into God's Word and seek to know Him more intimately and experience greater
Hosted by
City Central, Tacoma WA
Categories