Center Grace Church Podcast

After a long hiatus, Matt rejoins Pastor Derek for a wide-ranging conversation about faith in the modern world. In today's episode, Matt brings some questions that many believers wrestle with — starting with the tension between staying and reforming versus leaving a denomination when it seems to drift theologically. From there, they tackle one of the most delicate balancing acts in ministry and everyday witness: how do you keep the gospel clear and accessible to people around you, without letting cultural pressures reshape it into something unrecognizable?Finally, the conversation turns to the very practical challenge of holding onto your faith as you step into secular spaces — work, culture, friendships — where Christian convictions are increasingly under fire.
 
Check us out on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Ctb1dLrmqzE

Text: Luke 22: 14-23
Preacher: Derek Baker

Text: Luke 18: 18-30
Preacher: Derek Baker

Text: Luke 15:1-10
Preacher: Derek Baker

Text: Isaiah 6:1-8Preacher: Shohei Ueki

Text: Luke 8: 26-39
Preacher: Derek Baker

Text: Luke 7:36-50
Preacher: Derek Baker

Text: Luke 7:18-35
Preacher: Derek Baker

Text: Luke 7:11-17
Preacher: Derek Baker

This short episode offers a concise, pastoral overview of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), explaining who they are, where they came from, and why the denomination exists. Pastor Derek traces the PCA’s formal founding in 1973 to concerns among orthodox Presbyterians in the former Presbyterian Church in the United States who believed core doctrines were being compromised—especially the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, the uniqueness of Christ, the reality of the resurrection, and the necessity of evangelism. He explains how theological liberalism and an emphasis on the social gospel, detached from gospel proclamation, led leaders to conclude that reform from within was no longer possible. The episode highlights the PCA’s mission to be faithful to Scripture, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission, and briefly describes the denomination’s growth, global reach, and commitment to church planting and missions through the denomination-wide ministries of Mission to North America and Mission to the World.