Central Lutheran Church - Elk River Podcast Por Central Lutheran Church arte de portada

Central Lutheran Church - Elk River

Central Lutheran Church - Elk River

De: Central Lutheran Church
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Weekly sermons from our Central Lutheran Church preaching team plus quick reflections from Pastor Ryan Braley.


Real talk, ancient wisdom, and honest questions — all designed to help you learn, grow, and find encouragement when you need it most.


At Central, our mission is simple: FOLLOW Jesus together, be a community where you BELONG, and LOVE our neighbors across the street and around the world.


Think deeper. Live freer. Share an episode with a friend and visit us in person anytime — you’re always welcome here in Elk River, MN.

© 2025 Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
Cristianismo Espiritualidad Ministerio y Evangelismo
Episodios
  • #115 - SNAP Benefits, A Christian Response
    Dec 10 2025

    Hunger isn’t an abstract statistic when it lands on your block. With SNAP benefits tightening for millions of Americans, we ask a pointed question: what does a faithful, practical response look like for local churches right now? Rather than wading into policy battles, we reach back to the early church’s playbook—Acts 2 generosity—and pair it with modern, relational solutions that meet real needs week by week.

    We walk through the core conviction that shaped the first believers: no one among us goes without. That vision springs from Jesus’ central message of the kingdom of God, a reality pictured as a feast where everyone has enough. Translating that into our neighborhoods means more than handing out groceries; it means building networks of care that blend immediate relief with long-term support. We highlight the CARE (Community Aid Elk River) model—launched and supported by local churches—that not only provides food but also connects people to skills, resources, and pathways toward stability.

    Along the way, we reflect on the church’s historic role in creating hospitals, schools, and aid organizations, and we explore how those instincts can be revived in practical ways today: human needs funds inside congregations, partnerships with food shelves, volunteer teams that deliver to homebound neighbors, and small groups that adopt families for sustained, relational support. The goal is simple and demanding—map your community’s abundance to your neighbors’ lack—so that fewer households face hunger next month than this month.

    If this resonates, help us spread the word, then take one concrete step with your church: connect with a local food shelf, contribute to a benevolence fund, or start a monthly community meal. Subscribe for more reflective, action-oriented conversations, share this with a friend who cares about their city, and leave a review to tell us how your community is making sure no one goes hungry.

    Join us! Facebook | Instagram | www.clcelkriver.org


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    8 m
  • The Chronicles of Advent: Simeon with Pastor Ryan Braley
    Dec 8 2025

    The hardest part of waiting isn’t the clock—it’s the uncertainty that pulls at your nerves and the loss of control that makes every minute feel heavier. We open the door to that tension and walk through it together, blending neuroscience, a fresh look at the Stanford marshmallow test, and an ancient story that refuses to blink in the face of delay.

    You’ll hear why patience isn’t just willpower and why trust turns the dial on how long we can hold out. We trace Israel’s long ache for consolation and meet Simeon, an ordinary elder who sees a hidden king in the arms of a poor couple with two doves. Nothing in his world changes—Rome still rules, the temple still disappoints—yet he finds deep peace because his hope rests in a person, not a forecast. That distinction—optimism tied to circumstances versus hope grounded in trustworthy character—runs through everything from hospital results to prodigal kids, from addiction recovery to the quiet griefs we carry through the holidays.

    We get practical, too. Name the gap between what is and what you long for. Reclaim small agency while releasing outcomes you can’t control. Remember past rescues to rebuild trust. Lean on communities that tell the truth and hold the wait with you. And craft simple rituals that make time feel held instead of hostile. If uncertainty has you clenched, this conversation offers a different way to stand in the in‑between—steadier, kinder, and more resilient.

    If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in a waiting room of their own, and leave a quick review to help others find us. What are you waiting for—and what helps you hold on?

    Join us! Facebook | Instagram | www.clcelkriver.org


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    27 m
  • #114 - You Don’t Have to Know Who’s Right {Reflections}
    Dec 3 2025

    Ever notice how some arguments leave you colder, even when one side seems technically correct? We dive into why being “right” can still ring hollow when it’s cut off from love, humility, and a life that actually bears good fruit. Starting with Jesus’ words in John 5, we look at how religious experts could memorize scripture yet miss the Living Word standing before them—and how that same pattern shows up whenever we weaponize truth or confuse mastery for maturity.

    I share a personal story from seminary about a brilliant professor whose ideas dazzled but whose life fractured. It’s a stark reminder that charisma and cleverness aren’t the same as wisdom. From there, we explore the difference between winning debates and winning people, highlighting John Lennox as a model of gracious, rigorous engagement. His blend of clarity and kindness reframes what real victory looks like: not humiliating an opponent, but witnessing to truth in a way that invites trust.

    Ultimately, we ask a deeper question: what if truth is not just a statement but a way? When Jesus calls himself the way, the truth, and the life, he ties accuracy to action, belief to behavior, doctrine to character. That’s where discernment sharpens. You don’t have to know who’s right to know who’s right—just watch what their lives produce over time. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control are better proof than the loudest mic or the sharpest tweet.

    If this resonates, share the episode with a friend who’s weary of culture-war shouting and hungry for a faith that looks like love. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: whose life has changed your mind about what truth really is?

    Join us! Facebook | Instagram | www.clcelkriver.org


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    7 m
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