Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin: Recent Episodes
Redeemer Presbyterian Church
Welcome to the weekly podcast of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Austin, Texas. To learn more visit our website at https://redeemerpres.org.
Each year, on the Sunday following Pentecost, we set aside a week to remind ourselves that the God we worship is Triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rather than being “extra credit” for really serious Christians, understanding the Trinity is essential to our faith. Our Confession of Faith this Sunday will be the Athanasian Creed, which says we can’t be saved without believing the doctrine of the Trinity “firmly and faithfully”! To help us grow in our understanding of the Trinity, we’ll turn on Sunday to 1 Peter 1:2, one of the many verses in the Bible that talks about the Trinity. More than just a theological lesson about the Trinity, I hope our time together impresses on us the deep commitment God has for us and for our good. Each person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—are at work to rescue us from our exile and secure a place for us in the new creation.
The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most fascinating accounts we can read in the Old Testament. Although it may seem mythical to some, its reality continues to bear bitter fruit in the interpersonal problems of our own day. We read this section of Scripture at Pentecost to remind us that by the Holy Spirit, God is at work reuniting what has previously been divided. The gift of the Spirit is a downpayment on the new reality when heaven and earth will be one—not because we have ascended to heaven by our own ingenuity and strength of will but because the New Jerusalem will come down and God will forever dwell with his people. Join us on Pentecost Sunday for all this and more!
In “The Merchant of Venice," William Shakespeare wrote, "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” Mercy is the quintessential character trait of a Christian because it is born out of our own reception of mercy from God. Having received mercy, Jesus says we are blessed because we are merciful and we will in turn continue to receive mercy as we give it—a perpetual motion machine of mercy. It is a deeply Christian ability to forgive great atrocity and extend love to one’s enemies. When it happens the world takes notice. How can we lean more and more into this blessing that belongs to us by faith in Jesus Christ? Join us this week, as we continue our study of the Beatitudes.
One of the great advantages of coming to the end of yourself is that there is nowhere else to go but to God, to find from him the satisfaction that is otherwise unavailable in life. Sadly, most of us have to relearn this lesson again and again. We enjoy sweet times of communion with the Lord only to be distracted by the siren song of our age. Hours, days, months, or even years later, we wake up like the prodigal son in the pig stye and wonder if our Heavenly Father would welcome us back home. This week, we turn to one of the most hopeful promises of Jesus: we will be satisfied! The deepest desires of our hearts, the longings of life, the hopes and dreams that we dare not even say out loud—in and through Christ we will be satisfied.
Jesus’ Beatitudes are generally comforting. We may not like admit we are poor in spirit, but when we do we can be comforted by the promise that ours is the kingdom. Everyone must mourn, so it is a great encouragement to know that we shall be comforted in the end. But I am probably safe in assuming that no one wants to be thought of as “meek” and the promise that the meek will inherit the earth just seems to be completely contrary to common sense. Especially in our current cultural climate, the prospect of anyone being meek is laughable, maybe even dangerous. This week, we turn to perhaps the most offensive of Jesus’ blessings to find ourselves where none of us probably want to be. But on the other side is a blessing as big as the world itself.
The beatitudes are Jesus’ paradoxical blessings for those awaiting the Kingdom of God, contrasted to the lesser ‘blessings' the kingdom of this world offers. In them, we see the way to blessing is not through, but within, poverty of spirit, mourning, persecution, meekness, etc. As we look this week at mourning, we see the way to experience our poverty of spirit. Within the mourning of our sin, the suffering of others, and the curse of death, we see how the comfort of the full reality of God’s Kingdom pieces into the present realities of our shame, sorrows, and sufferings. In the second beatitude, we’ll look at the what, how, and hope of mourning and see the gospel promise of comfort for those awaiting the future hope of the world begun now in Jesus Christ.
This week, we begin a new series in the Beatitudes, which we’re calling “The King’s Speech.” The Beatitudes are pronouncements of blessing on Jesus’ disciples; but the reason we are blessed might seem counter-intuitive in a culture that celebrates strength, expertise, and accomplishment. For instance, when Jesus blesses those who are poor in spirit, he identifies their great need as a reason for their great happiness. That’s not the way we normally think about our need! Join us this week for the beginning of a new and important sermon series that grounds in the new creation realities Jesus inaugurated by his resurrection from the dead.
On Sunday, Christians around the world will celebrate Easter, the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Over the years, the Resurrection has been a treasured belief, the subject of many songs and sermons, and the hope for Christians who mourn the death of friends and family. But it wasn’t always this way: at the very beginning, on the very first Easter, the Resurrection was too good to be true. The disciples themselves didn’t believe the initial reports. Why? Especially since Jesus told them many times that he would rise again? Why didn’t they believe and what are the challenges to our own beliefs in this good news? This Sunday, we’ll find our footing once again in the event that changed history—an event that changes you and me, too.
When Jesus rides into Jerusalem, the crowd of disciples and pilgrims respond to him as the king, the son of David returning to claim his father’s throne. Jesus refuses to quiet the crowd, telling the Pharisees that the rocks would cry out if no one else would acknowledge him. King Jesus and the kingdom he brings still summon you and me today. Join us on Palm Sunday to find out how.
It's hard to see our deficiencies and short-comings. Sometimes we never see them until we open our mouths and encounter others. Yet how we treat one another when our sins are exposed can make the difference between redemption and alienation. Despite James and John's request, Jesus hears them, instructs them, and providentially provides an example through Bartimeaus' healing of what true spiritual sight looks like which also pleases him. Join us this Sunday as we look inward at ourselves upward to Christ and forward to his will and future world of spiritual sight.
This Sunday, we turn to the well-known story in Mark 10 of the rich young man (he is called a “ruler” in Luke) who asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. There is much about this young man that is admirable: he is moral (having kept the commandments since his youth), he is wealthy (people often believed—then and now—that wealth was a sign of God’s favor), and he is interested in spiritual things. But by the end of his encounter with Jesus, the man is disheartened and sorrowful. He walks away from Jesus instead of following him as a disciple. Why? What kept this impressive spiritual seeker from becoming a follower of Christ? Join us this Sunday to find out about the explosive nature of Christianity and the unrelenting demands God makes of his people.
In Mark 10, Mark’s gospel turns toward Jesus’ teaching on the relational life of a disciple. This week, we will look at our most important human relationship: the union of man and woman inthe covenant of marriage. We will also look at Jesus’s teachings on what happens when this relationship needs an overhaul. Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders of the day and their poor interpretation of Israel’s laws on Divorce gives modern readers insight into how God designed marriage from the beginning and that even in a sinful world, grace alone restores and repairs. As we turn to this difficult teaching and painful circumstances for nearly 50% of the population today, we will see how grace binds up what sin breaks apart and points us toward our ultimate union and marriage.
Who are the great men and women in history? What makes them great? Victory in war? Leadership in government? Fame? Service to humanity? At the end of Mark 9, Jesus identifies three different traits of Christian greatness. But be forewarned! There is also a shadow side to these traits exemplified in the person of Judas Iscariot, the one who will betray Jesus. In what direction is your heart pointed? We’ll explore all this and more together on Sunday.
Listen as Pastor Jon Herr continues our series through the Gospel of Mark. This week's sermon will highlight the story of Jesus casting a demon from a young, mute boy. Pastor Herr will walk us through the text and help us to discern the schemes of the Devil by way of prayer and scripture.
The Transfiguration is one of the accounts of the life of Christ that is found in each of the Gospels. The universal church has dedicated a Sunday each year to acknowledge it. And yet, its importance is probably missed by most of us who are dazzled by the unveiling of Jesus so that we see his divine glory. Is it just a cool trick? Are we simply supposed to be impressed? What’s the point of it all? This Sunday, we’ll travel with Jesus, Peter, James, and John up the Mount of Transfiguration to be confronted by the glory in our midst, a glory that enables us to persevere through suffering and hardship until we become partakers in it ourselves.
The Apostle Peter is a favorite Bible character for many of us, especially those of us likely to put our foot in our mouth or otherwise have a spectacular failure. This week, we read about Peter’s rise, his fall, and the lesson we all should take from the way Jesus engages him. None of us are totally triumphant in this world; we’re all stumbling toward Jesus. And that should endear Peter to us all the more.
How many times does something have to be explained to you before you understand? How many times do you need to see something with your own eyes before you believe it to be true? In Mark 8, we have another miraculous feeding, and Jesus uses the occasion to teach the disciples about the danger of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. The disciples don’t understand; they think Jesus is complaining about the lack of bread! But it’s not about the bread. Join us this Sunday to find out what it is and why the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod is still a danger to us today.
In Mark 7, Jesus and his disciples are confronted with an investigative team of Pharisees and scribes who have come up from Jerusalem. They ask Jesus why he and his disciples don’t keep the tradition of the elders. In reply, Jesus condemns them for following commandments of men even at the expense of keeping the law of God. This week, we “punch right” and put our own practices and cherished traditions under review: have we substituted our own good ideas for Scripture? Are we satisfied with keeping man-made laws that make us look good, even if it allows us to disobey explicit commands of God? Although it’s more comfortable to point out the sins of others; Jesus forces us to confront the dangerous deception of our own religious sins.
Three surprising things happen in succession over the course of 24 hours at the end of Mark 6. First, Jesus takes his disciples into the wilderness and performs a great miracle feeding 5,000. Then, he walks on water. Finally, he heals the sick in a region known for its prosperity and abundance. What ties these three stories together? This week, we look at the surprising places God shows up in our lives and the ways he uses both lack and abundance to help us see the need for his grace.
In the wake of tragedy, it is easy to ask: How did this happen? The cause of John’s death is clearly Herod, and Mark attributes 3 shortcomings to his character: He has misinterpreted the person and work of Jesus Christ. He has neglected his own repentance, and failed to steward the relationships and resources around him according to God’s will. In light of his sinful folly, John the Baptist is dead and his household have added “murder” to their list of sins before God. Yet even in the horror of his own sin, God’s glory emerges through Herod’s action in John’s simple refrain: “Jesus must increase, I must decrease (John 3:30).” With John’s death, his life purpose is now complete and the ministry of Jesus can take its place in human history according to the will of God.
We return this week to the Gospel of Mark. Our series title in Mark is “seeing Jesus.” And this week’s text helps us see Jesus through the eyes of people who probably thought they knew him better than almost anyone: his friends and family from his hometown of Nazareth. But, the Jesus they think they see, the Jesus they think they know, isn’t a Jesus they respect or worship. Instead they call him a derogatory name, they make fun of him, and even try to kill him. What is it about Jesus that evokes this response from those who should have been among the first to worship him?
The visit of the Magi to Jesus is one of the indelible marks of the Christmas season. Bearing their gifts, these “three kings from Orient are.” But who exactly were they and why did they travel for about a month from Babylon to Jerusalem? What did they come looking for and why is their appearance on the scene important for you and me? This Sunday, we celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus: his revelation to the gentiles and the spread of the good news down through history, enlarging God’s family to include even you and me.
Pastor Danny closes out our Christmas series with his sermon "Firstborn from the Dead."
Eschatology is a theological term that refers to beliefs about the last days, final judgment, and the new creation. What does any of that have to do with Christmas? This Sunday, we’ll turn again to John the Baptist—no longer preaching repentance in the wilderness, but now sitting in prison and wondering if Jesus is the one he was expecting. John's eschatology led to confusion about the work of Jesus. Our eschatology may also lead us to be confused about God’s work on earth. So, what does Jesus tell John (and us) that will help us glorify God as we wait for the consummation of all things?
The second Sunday of Advent traditionally brings the ministry of John the Baptist into focus. The strange figure of John—dressed in camel’s hair, eating locusts and honey, preaching repentance in the wilderness—seems out of place in our preparation for Christmas, but he is an “Advent” character: someone who helps the people prepare themselves for the Messiah’s coming. This greatest of the prophets (as Jesus calls him) still points the way for us today. Do you see what John sees? Join us this Sunday as we continue our special Advent series through the Gospel of Luke.
Having defeated the giant Goliath, David is now a celebrity in Israel and even though only David, Samuel, and his brothers know that he has been anointed the new king, already people are reacting to him as if he is royalty. This Sunday, we’ll consider three different reactions to David’s emerging royal identity and consider how each reaction reflects the way we engage King Jesus in our own lives.
"David and ___." Just say the phrase and almost anyone can finish it. Even folks who have never read the story itself think they know the basic meaning: the little guy vs. the giant, the underdog gets the victory, unexpected weapons can take down a much bigger enemy. Is that the real meaning of this famous story? Do we read 1 Samuel 17 so we can figure out how to defeat the Goliaths in our life with “five smooth stones”? Join us this Sunday as we take a fresh look at a well-known story and see our Savior where too often we’re told to look for ourselves.
As we return to our study in 1 Samuel after a two week break, you might be surprised by what we find. The last time we saw David at the beginning of chapter 16, he had been sought out and anointed as the new king of Israel by the prophet Samuel. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him (some translations say, “gripped him”) from that day forward. We expect great things from this new king! But as we keep reading chapter 16, we find out that he is still with his father's sheep! And Saul is still on the throne! And when David is finally brought into the royal court, he doesn’t come as its king but as the king’s servant! David is on hold. Why does God call and empower people only to make them wait? Maybe you are waiting on God this week, wondering if and when his promises will come to pass. Join us, as we pick up the story of David and prepare ourselves for the kind of fruitful waiting that being faithful to God requires.
The anointing of David in 1 Samuel 16 is soaked in literary irony; Israel’s King was supposed to “hear” the word of the LORD and obey. Not only does Israel not hear the warning of their prophet, Samuel, against their desire for a king, making them like the other nations, but their first king suffers from selective hearing.In chapter 15, the use of “hearing” and Saul’s failure to heed the LORD’s word and the warning of His prophet contrasts with a truer king soon to be anointed in David. Samuel is also the “seer” of Israel but fails to “see” Saul rightly, choosing him as king for his appearance. All this sets up for a beautiful catastrophe cast in the opening line of chapter 16. Here, God inaugurates His own divine plan for Israel; “How long will you grieve over Saul? Fill your horn with oil, and go.” In other words, it is now the LORD’s turn to choose a king for His people. Samuel repeats his foolish choice in Eliab, who mirrors the appearance and charisma of Saul, but the LORD saves Israel from its savior (Dale Ralph Davis) and shows the reader what true sight is: “The LORD looks on the heart.” Beauty arises not externally but internally, and the Lord's “sight” discerns true beauty and true kingliness. His vision passes over all of Jesse's sons except one. David, the beloved son, the runt, the ugly duckling, the one not even invited to the sacrificial service or called by his father to be considered for kingship left to his domestic chores, is ironically the one “seen” by God as Israel’s king.Here is a continuation of the great surprise of God’s sight and the great reversal of our cultural expectations. Robert Alter compares David to the story of Cinderella. But the key is the source of David’s inner beauty. He is a shepherd of the sheep. A man of sacrifice. A man capable of tender and gentle love. A man of great courage. A man attuned to the voice of the True Shepherd. God has seen His king in David, and in this ancient fairytale, our deepest longing rises to the surface, “Does anyone see me?”
Even before the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Americans had become used to the “holy war” Islamic radicals were waging against the West. It comes as a surprise to some then when they read passages like 1 Samuel 15 where God commands his people to wage a holy war against Gentile nations, like the Amalekites. But our discomfort with the term or even the prospect that God commands it should be shaped by the purpose and place of holy war in the work of God to redeem the world. This week, we turn to the next sad chapter of Saul’s life when, because of his partial faithfulness, God rejects him fully and finally as king. That sad episode is set within a context of God’s hatred of sin and absolute determination to make a a holy people for himself. Get ready for some heavy lifting this Sunday at Redeemer.
We could make an argument that gratitude is the fundamental quality of the Christian life. In gratitude, we live in response to God. In gratitude, we love God. In gratitude, we give our ourselves to God as he has given himself for us. When it comes to our giving habits in the church, we can miss the role of gratitude in our giving, and thus wrongly communicate our affection to God. On Sunday morning, we will explore two keys regarding giving from Paul’s charge to the church in Ephesus through Timothy. Firstly, we are called to contentment, and secondly, we are to imitate God in our habits of giving, who has given us everything to enjoy. While we can face challenges in each, in practicing them, we take hold of that which is life, and avoid the trappings of a love for wealth, which can lead to ruin.
Does your religious practice look more like Saul’s or more like Jonathan’s? Do you think by making good choices and adding extra rules, you can somehow ensure God’s favor? Or, are you freely confident in God’s power, control, and love? This week, we turn to another sad chapter in the story of Saul. But the counterpoint to Saul’s superstitious religion is Jonathan’s biblical faithfulness: an example for us, for our families, and for our church.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism and the brother of the famous hymn writer Charles Wesley, once said, “there is no little sin, because there is no little God to sin against.” This week, we turn to 1 Samuel 13 and a puzzling incident in the life of King Saul. It seems, at first glance, that Saul’s sin is little and that Samuel makes too much of it. But Samuel says Saul’s sin has provoked the Lord to look for a new king. How should we understand God’s expectations and God’s judgment, especially when we honestly consider our own faithlessness in big and little ways? The answer stretches from Genesis to Revelation, from King Adam to King Jesus. Join us this Sunday to discover why!
For nearly all of Samuel’s life, he has fulfilled two roles for the nation of Israel: he has been God’s prophet to the people and he has been a judge, the political and military leader that gave order to Israel’s civil society. But now that Saul has been anointed and proclaimed and made king, it is time for Samuel’s responsibilities to change. The time of the judges (stretching back Othniel in Judges 3:7) has come to an end. Now it is the time for the kings to reign. At this momentous turning point in Israel’s history, Samuel preaches to them and his sermon is frightening and accusatory. It appears that Samuel is finally getting to say all the things he wants to say to a nation he believes has treated him unfairly. But the surprise isn’t in the tone of the sermon. The surprise is found in the good news Samuel preaches to those who can’t seem to do anything but evil. Join us this Sunday as we hear the gospel from Samuel.
Last week, we returned to 1 Samuel and saw God’s hidden hand of providence bringing Saul to Samuel who told him that he would be the new king that Israel had demanded of God. This week, we go looking for the king. Where is he? Why hasn't this momentous occasion in the life of Israel made any difference? Where is the hero the people longed for, the prince who would save God’s people? Every earthly kingdom—even the one God himself ordained in Israel—is a pale reflection of the eternal King and Kingdom to which you and I belong in Christ. This week, we see how Saul (in his failure and his success) whets our appetite for a King who will finally and forever be victorious over all our enemies.
As we return to the book of First Samuel, we are introduced to one of the most intriguing characters of Scripture: King Saul. But when we meet Saul, he is not yet king. Instead, he is on a journey to find his father’s lost donkeys. Along the way, he meets the prophet Samuel whom God had told the day before that he would meet the man God had chosen to be Israel’s king. The story of Saul is more than just history, it is an example of God’s hidden hand in all of our lives: moving, directing, and even overruling events to achieve his purposes for us and for the world.
As we conclude our summer series through the books of 1st and 2nd Peter, we reach Peter’s final plea. In the last verses of his second letter, Peter asks what kind of people should we be, knowing that the Lord is coming again to remake the heavens and the earth in righteousness? The motivation for Christian living isn’t found in pragmatism (“try Jesus and your marriage will be better!); it is found in the cosmic lordship of Jesus Christ. Join us this Sunday as we conclude this sermon series with Peter pointing us to our only hope as exilic people: the Jesus who directs and guides history itself to its final, glorious, and eternal end.
Our minds are a collection of thoughts, feelings, and impulses that correspond in varying ways to the truth of the gospel. Peter identifies his purpose in this passage as "stirring up the sincere mind" of the believers he is addressing (3:1). This Sunday we will explore four ideas from our passage that stir our sincere minds in Christ. Those ideas include: remembering we are beloved people; responding to the prophets and commands of Christ; understanding the place of scoffers in the world and our relationship to them; and finally heeding the character of God as it relates to his relationship to time.
Peter’s main point in this second letter is to warn the church about false teachers. The remaining verses of chapter two contain one of the most frightening descriptions we may ever read of a person. As Peter paints the picture of the false teacher, however, we also come to see our own complicity in their destructive ministry. What hope is there if we are naturally drawn to our own damnation? Join us this week as we see not just a portrait of our sin but also, ironically, of the Savior who will rescue us.
Once, while traveling at a high speed down one of California’s freeways, my check engine light came on. I’m not what you would call a “car guy” but I knew that such lights were not good news. Within minutes, I had a massive oil leak and my engine seized. I was stranded on the side of the road. What kind of warnings does God give to a church in trouble? In our passage this Sunday, Peter turns his focus to the false teachers who are sure to arise in the church: how will we notice them, what they teach, how should we resist. Even if we’re not “theology experts” we are called to be aware of the dangers to the church. Join us this Sunday as we begin our work.
During the 20th century, objections to Christianity largely centered on the historical reliability of the New Testament and claims of unscientific evidence supportive of the acts of Jesus. Today’s objections are much more powerful, however. 21st century people are less bothered by the supernatural occurrences in the Bible and are more concerned with how the stories of ancient Israel are relevant to their lives today. Modern audiences struggle to see the significance of the Bible and its need.We can see from modern archeology how the Bible is the most historically reliable ancient document on earth, yet that often does not convince people of its truth. So, what does? How does head knowledge become heart knowledge? How does a crucified messiah get into our lives today?This week, we will look not only at the “how” of trusting the Bible but also the “why”, and “what happens”, when we do. In this section of Peter’s letter, we find the key to seeing the Bible for all it's worth, historically and experientially, is to see the One it is all about.
We’ve all heard the funny story about the struggling student who sleeps with the textbook under his head, hoping to “learn by osmosis.” Unfortunately, we sometimes approach our Christian faith with the same kind of laxity. Instead of striving to grow in Christ, fight sin, and become more deeply aware of the work and word of God, we coast in and out of church hoping that something will stick. If you’re struggling in your relationship with God, if you’re not growing as a Christian, if you feel like this Christianity thing hasn’t been working for you recently, you will be encouraged by Peter’s call to an intentional faith this Sunday as we begin a new study in Second Peter.
Imagine that you were writing to Christians under persecution in another country. What would you say to encourage them? How would you strengthen their faith under trial? What last words would you want to leave them with? For the Apostle Peter, the final words to his exiled congregation are about the power of humility. Peter’s counsel was absolutely counter cultural in his own day (no Roman had time for humility) and it’s absolutely counter cultural in our own day when even Christians seem eager to outdo their unbelieving counterparts in acquiring and exercising power. So, why does Peter counsel humility—in the church, in our own personal lives, and as a tool to combat the forces of evil?
As we near the end of Peter’s letter to the church in exile, we read Peter’s instructions for how the church should operate. His first set of instructions are to the elders in the churches. At Redeemer, we have both “teaching elders” (our pastors) and “ruling elders” our elders. Together, they comprise the leadership of the church. No one of them is more important than the other; together they exercise the spiritual authority God has given them. What do they do? How should they do it? What dangers lie in wait for those called to this sacred office?
Modern Americans have become highly adept at avoiding suffering. We can find medicines to relieve us of our pain, entertainment to relieve us of our boredom, and a solution to nearly any problem that confronts us. But optimizing our ability to avoid suffering has created a new kind of suffering: a dependence on government, family dysfunction, skyrocketing prescription drug use, and higher suicide rates (especially for men) than we’ve ever seen.Having been surprised by suffering, we’re ill-equipped to meet it the way Peter describes in his letter. The kind of suffering Peter refers to is related first and foremost to our being Christians. But the answer to suffering—of any kind—is found in the words of wisdom that he shares with his ancient congregation.Join us this Sunday as we turn to 1 Peter 4:12-19 and learn about the answer to our suffering.
Christians in Western societies today are often dismayed by the immorality and corruption that surrounds them. In this way, we are much closer to the experience of the early church than generations of Christians before us who lived in nominal Christian societies marked by outward morality. In chapter four of his letter to the early church scattered among Asia Minor, Peter tells these Christians how they should live in a pagan society. His words should be especially relevant to us as we navigate Pride month, crooked politicians, the normalization of sex outside of marriage, overwhelming greed, and the deep wounds that sin leaves behind even in our own lives. “How should we then live?”
Many of us have known many remarkable people: men and women who have loved us, who loved God, and in their love for God they have uniquely cared and comforted others through the ministry of Christ's compassion and grace. Christ, in the wonder of our salvation, is working to transform us into such people. He is forming us to be men and women defined by a new character, who have persevered and been refined through suffering and who cherish our baptism with such fervor and depth, that through the work of Christ's spirit in us, we serve the church and the world in Christ-like purity and grace. This Sunday as we worship, we will wonder at Christ's work in us, and challenge ourselves to take the next step in our spiritual growth, so that we might be more quickly conformed to Christ and bless his church through his glorious work in his people.
Pastor Danny Morgan continues our series "Letters to Exiles" with his sermon "The Power of Promise."
We return to First Peter this Sunday and jump right into a passage that is challenging for many Christians: their relationship to the broader culture, especially non-Christians in positions of authority and leadership. What should our posture be toward the authority structures God has ordained for us? Although we may be tempted to find ways around Peter’s bracing instruction, the better answer is to sit at the apostle’s feet and see through his words the example of Christ and the hope he gives believers everywhere who suffer unjustly.
On this Holy Trinity Sunday, Pastor Eric Landry preached from Acts 2:22-36-- "What Is God For?"
We break from our sermon series today to consider this passage from Ezekiel on this Day of Pentecost.
Many authors through the years have emphasized the themes of warfare in the Christian life. They’ve helped us remember the armor in Ephesians 6 doesn’t cover our backs and that the gates of hell in Matthew 16 are being attacked. They’ve quipped that the church isn’t a cruise ship but a battle ship. In this next section of Peter’s letter, we turn to the purpose and work of the gathered community of faith: what is the church and what are we called to do? In this sermon, we’ll explore that question using three key words: fortress, fight, and future.
What does Christianity look like? How do we define our faith? What shape does it take personally and corporately? As we continue our series in 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter encourages the church to "love one another from a pure heart.” He sounds a lot like Jesus who told his disciples that the world would know they belonged to him because they loved one another. But “love” is a squishy word in our culture. So, what does it mean for our faith to take the form of love? Join us this Sunday at Redeemer to find out!
The Apostle Peter is writing to Christians who are on the outside of their communities because of their faith. Their well-being and safety are at risk. They have already begun experiencing trials. Soon persecution will come their way. What counsel does Pastor Peter give to these Christians who belong to God and to one another but may feel all alone in the struggle? Peter points them to Jesus who is the ground and object of their hope. In what do you hope? Where do you turn when life gets difficult? What comforts you in times of trial? This week, we continue in our new study of First Peter by fixing our eyes on Jesus, our living hope.
The analogy that Peter gives these early Christians is that of exile: just as the ancient Jews had to live as the people of God while in exile in Babylon, so also these elect exiles must live as the people of God scattered among the towns and cities of the Roman Empire. Does this same term apply to us? If it does, how should we then live because we are not just exiles, we are pilgrims on the way to a future already ordained for us by God? And though we may be exiles now, the world through which we are passing is also, as with Abraham, our inheritance! Join us this Sunday as we begin working our way through 1st and 2nd Peter, letters to exiles.
Jesus uses a common oil-burning lamp as a “visual aid” or as a “parable” to illustrate the value of “light.” No doubt, you can think of examples in real life that demonstrate the value of light—a candle in the midst of a blackout, the light on your phone when you are trying to open the lock on your front door, or a handy flashlight to change a flat tire late at night. The Bible includes several references to “light” in both the Old and the New Testaments (see: Gen. 1:1-5; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 6:23; Lk. 2:32; Jn. 3:19-21, 8:12). These short passages show us that light is a very important concept in the Bible. It is not an accident that Jesus uses a lamp that gives off light to express something quite valuable—but what does it mean? If we conclude that the “light” in the Parable of the Lamp refers to the gospel message, then how should Christians today seek to show forth the “light” of the gospel? Both Jesus and Paul speak of Christians as the “sons of light” (Jn. 12:36; 1 Thes. 5:5). Therefore, we can be confident that whatever we might do in our life—whether it is in art, business, economics, education, family, law, politics, sports, or work—we bring the light of the gospel into it. Jesus did not intend for us to keep the light hidden, but to make it clearly known for all to see!
There were no happy expectations among the disciples on the first Easter day. Instead of lively preparations for worship, lunch, and time with family and friends, those first disciples were prepared only to deal with death and the decay of their rabbi’s broken body. But in the very place they expected to find death, they were surprised by life. Their despair turned to joy. Their lament turned to witness. Those early witnesses of the Resurrection passed down their testimony through the ages to you and me. Our faith is based in large part on whether or not they told the truth. Can we trust them? And when will our faith be turned to sight? When will we also see the resurrected Lord? Join us this Easter Sunday as we hear the first articulation of the gospel message and the difference it makes—now as we worship in faith and in the future when our faith shall be made sight.
As the tide turned during World War Two, the Allies freed Rome, Paris, Manila, and other major capitals of the world. As they marched into these newly freed cities, they were greeted with tremendous victory parades: people lined the street, they were accosted with food and gifts—even a kiss or two from a pretty girl grateful to the soldiers who now filled her street. Something similar is happening when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This week, we turn to John’s account of the Triumphal Entry to get a glimpse of the freedom Jesus wins for us—not with tanks and airplanes, but at the cost of his own blood.
Mark’s gospel raises two primary questions: What is the Kingdom of God like, and who is Jesus? In Mark 5:21-43, these two questions are answered by two unique and yet interdependent miracles: the healing of the hemorrhaging woman and the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter. In this sandwiched account of two slow-paced miracles, we see the nature of the Kingdom of God pushed to the forefront as a new contour of the identity of Jesus as the divine Messiah of Israel is revealed in a new light. As Jesus’ identity slowly unfolds through the demonstration of his power in his earthly ministry and miracles, those who encounter him are called to put their trust in him despite life's disruptive and unpredictable circumstances. Rather than providing explanations to questions about suffering, meaning, and death, Jesus is revealed as a person to put our trust in. Here, we see the disruptive nature of divine grace amid our desperation and grace that inhabits our pain and suffering, takes us by the hand, and says to us as a loving father says to their children, “Love, I know it’s hard right now, but everything is going to be OK.” The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of grace that does not conform to our own understanding but conforms us into the image of its King, the Son of God, as we are called to more deeply trust in the ultimate and final reality of this King’s victory, power, and grace.
We are nearing the end of our spring study in the Gospel of Mark, with Andrew Waller's sermon: "What Have You to Do with Me?" on Mark 5:1-20.
Have you ever yelled at God? Have you rebuked him for falling asleep on the job when the storms of life raged around you? This week, we turn to the very well-known story of Jesus and the disciples in the midst of a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Facing death, the disciples rebuke Jesus. But instead of rebuking them for their impertinence, Jesus rescues them from their danger and ensures they get safely across the lake. What lessons can we draw from this story? What hope can we find kindled in our own hearts as we remember that the Lord of Creation who "gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses” (Psalm 33:7), is also the God who sees us in our need and redeems our lives from death?
As we continue in our series through the Gospel of Mark, we are brought again and again to Jesus’s favorite subject: the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God? How do we experience it? How does Jesus talk about it in ways that were both familiar to his audience and strangely uncomfortable? Join us this week, as we take a deeper look at the Kingdom of God.
We skip ahead to Mark 7 this week, with Pastor Jon Herr's sermon on the healing of a deaf man by Christ. We learn about how Jesus' gospel applies in our challenges and hardships, bringing light and hope.
Pastor Jon Herr preached from Matthew 6 in this Lenten sermon: "Turning from Hypocrisy."
As we turn this week to Mark 4, we come to what is probably the most famous parable of the Gospels. The Parable of the Sower is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke—each Gospel writer tells essentially the same story. Each also reiterates what Mark says in 4:13, that in order to understand any of Jesus’ parables we must understand this parable. Because the parable is so well known, you may already assume that you know it and you may already assume it is about the “soils,” which represent the kinds of people who respond to the gospel message. But what if it’s about more than that? What if instead of focusing on the soil, Jesus actually wants us to focus on the promise of the spectacular harvest? Join us this week as we take a new look at an old parable so we can understand the mystery of the Kingdom of God.
Did you know there is a world-wide war going on right now that affects every person on the globe? Cyberwarfare threatens to disrupt governments, overthrow economies, and send our power grids back to the dark ages. But we seldom think about the battle going on around us and in that way cyberwarfare is a lot like spiritual warfare. But at the heart of Jesus’ mission was the defeat of Satan. This week, we conclude our study of Mark 3 with a study of the spiritual warfare going on around us, the state of the battle, and our responsibility to join in the fight.
This week we welcomed to our pulpit Rev. Adam Radcliff, who is leading a church plant from All Saints PCA, Resurrection Presbyterian Church. His sermon on Matthew 13:44-46 was titled "Encountering and Embracing Christ."
Growing up, I wasn’t much into video games. But I can remember one early game that could keep me fascinated for hours. It was an early version of “Sim City,” a game where you got to build a new community from the ground up: putting in roads, housing, industrial space, government offices, and parkland. It was up to you—the creator of this new world—to determine how money would be raised, how the quality of life for the citizens could be improved, and how land was to be used. As Jesus begins to build his kingdom in Mark 3, he chooses its first citizens: twelve disciples who will eventually become his ambassadors to Israel and his witnesses around the world. What does it mean to be a citizen of this new kingdom, a citizen of the new creation that is already dawning in our midst?
We resume our sermon series Seeing Jesus: Gospel of Mark, with Pastor Danny Morgan's sermon, Lord of the Sabbath 2.0.
The story of the Magi is like an old western. Strangers come to town asking honest questions, uncovering local corruption, and strive to find peace for the citizens of the town. Along the way, the Magi demonstrate remarkable wisdom. They seek Christ above all else in reliance upon the scriptures. They overcome Herod's attempts to manipulate and exploit them. They prove themselves better students of scripture than the chief priests by seeking the Messiah. They see God working around them and follow his guidance to Christ despite their discouragement. In so doing, they complete their journey by beholding the True King of the Jews, by rightly honoring him, and by protecting him in returning home, and not to Herod. Come worship with us on Sunday and discover the hidden wisdom of God revealed in the lives of the Magi as we discern the calling of Christ's wisdom upon us this year.
Judgment and joy seem like a paradox, particularly for modern readers. When was the last time you saw a toddler clap for joy when they were being disciplined? Or someone breaking out in song after they’ve been pulled over for speeding? Probably never. The Bible, however, shows us joy and judgment are inseparable. We cannot become all we are meant to be without the wisdom of judgment, and we cannot hold hope for a world cleansed of evil without singing for joy. In other words, we cannot have one without the other. This Sunday, we’ll see in Psalm 98 how the Bible both presents and solves this seeming paradox as the whole of creation sings for joy at the coming of the Lord and praises him for his judgment upon the earth, ushering in the golden age where the whole earth becomes all that it is meant to be.
Go nearly anywhere this Christmas season and you’ll hear the world singing praises to God. Christmas carols are everywhere! But among the verses about babes and mangers, angels and wise men, are also verses about God’s rule and reign, his justice and judgment. How can the news of the Lord’s return to judge the Earth be a reason to sing and rejoice? This week, before we turn our attention fully to the birth of Jesus Christ, we’ll look at Psalm 96, and the exhortation to the entire created order to sing because God is coming again in judgment.
Advent is a time of preparation to receive the gift of God in Christ Jesus. It also is a time for us to prepare to exchange gifts as his people. We fill our time looking for the right gifts for our beloved friends and family members. But what happens when the gifts we give are rejected by those whom we love? This Sunday we will examine David’s gift of a Temple to God, which the Lord rejected but used to bless David with promises for his family and for all generations through the eternal establishment of his throne. Ultimately, we also receive the blessing of David’s line as Christ, heir to David’s throne, has incorporated us into his kingdom and house, securing the promises of God forever!
This Sunday, we are pleased to install Jon Herr and Danny Morgan as our new associate pastors. Being a pastor is a high calling that can often bring with it many crippling doubts and apprehensions. In 2 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul assures us that the calling and confidence of ministers isn’t self-generated but comes as a gift from God. What is that calling? What is that confidence? How are we beneficiaries of the work of our pastors? Join us this Sunday to find out!
While the rest of the world rushes headlong into the “Christmas season,” we pause and slowly make our way through Advent—a period of waiting and expectation. Like the ancient Israelites who waited and longed for the Messiah, we wait and long for Christ’s second coming. From Psalm 80, we borrow the repeated prayer of Israel that God would return to us and turn us in repentance and faith back to him. What do these two actions of turning and returning have to do with each other and why should you make these requests your own during Advent? Join us this Sunday to find out.
As we break for the week between our Fall and Advent sermon series, we open the Psalms, Israel’s prayer and hymnbook. Psalm 95 identifies us with Israel’s journey through the Sinai wilderness. The trial and burden of this life leave us wayfaring strangers hardened to the creator and sustainer of the universe. But there is also a promise. Today, if we listen to his voice and hear him, we can still lay hold of the covenant-keeping God because he has laid hold of us. When he is put on trial, God stands in the dock in the place of the guilty. The innocent exchange fates with the guilty by absorbing the judgment rendered by hard-hearted people. This is the Christian gospel: God standing in the dock to absorb humanity's verdict. It is what Luther called the great exchange: his death for our life, our condemnation for his acquittal, our shame for his honor. Psalm 95 is meant to lead us to sing together, “Come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”
This week, we reach the end of our fall series in the book of First Samuel and we conclude with Samuel’s solemn warning to the people of Israel. They have demanded a king “like all the nations,” but by doing so they have rejected God as their king. Samuel tells the people the hard truth about earthly kings. As we listen to his warning, we should also be aware of our own tendency to trust individuals, institutions, and ideals the way that God alone can be trusted.
We return to the story of Samuel this Sunday and are confronted right away with a "déjà vu" moment. The religious leader of Israel is old. He has appointed his sons to follow after him, but they are corrupt. Haven’t we heard this story before? Why does Israel (and you and me) find ourselves in this cyclical pattern of sin and unfaithfulness? Can we ever break free of the natural tendency of things to fall apart? When will we see the promise of Psalm 145:4, "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts”? That’s this Sunday as we turn to 1 Samuel 8.
This Sunday is “All Saints Sunday,” a day each year we collectively remember those among us who have died and are now "with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). But if all we do is remember our loved ones who have died, we will miss the opportunity to stir up in ourselves a purifying hope for heaven. Join us as we turn the "eyes of our hearts" (Eph. 1:18) to the Christian’s eternal hope.
This Sunday, we commemorate the 506th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, by exploring one of the most important texts of the Protestant reformers, Romans 3:19-28. What does it mean for sinners to be justified by faith alone? Justification isn’t just a medieval problem. You, your friends, and neighbors are all looking for justification—a right standing before God and others. How do we get it and why does God graciously give it to us? Listen to find out.
One of my favorite hymns is “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The modern Christian hymn writer, Fernando Ortega, has a beautiful rendition of it that I enjoy listening to and I always appreciate when we sing it at Redeemer. But there’s a line in the hymn that causes some folks to stumble: “Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.” For English-speakers, especially, the mention of “Ebenezer” makes us think of Charles Dickens’s classic character in “A Christmas Carol.” The term, however, isn’t about a person. It’s about a thing—a monument that helps Israel to remember God’s faithfulness to them. This week we turn to the passage of Scripture that speaks of the Ebenezer memorial stone and we’ll consider why it’s always a good time to remember God’s faithfulness to us.
Sometimes the enemies of God are easy to identify. Sometimes we’re surprised to discover, in the immortal words of the 1970 cartoon character Pogo, “we have met the enemy and he is us!” What happens when God’s inevitable victory means our inevitable defeat? How does God turn his victory toward our good? This Sunday, we’ll cover a lot of ground in 1 Samuel 5-6, so bring your Bibles and get ready to laugh at a very funny part of Scripture, but also be ready to be humbled as we consider God’s holiness and our sin.
Is God on our side? Can we claim his presence and power to support our personal, familial, and national aims? One of the perennial struggles of God’s people is to haul God out to suit our needs rather than submitting ourselves to him and his plan. This week, we return to the story of 1 Samuel and we see what happens when God’s people attempt to use God. The results are both tragic and redemptive, for in the darkest moments of God’s own exile into a foreign land he is at work ensuring that a king will be established in Israel from whose house will come the Lord Jesus Christ.
This week is the first Sunday of our new fiscal year. We pause for a moment on these Sundays to talk about stewardship: how we use our time, our talents, and our money for service in the Kingdom of God. It’s appropriate then for us to turn to Jesus’ parable of the talents as we consider how to steward the gifts he has given to us. Join us as we look at the difference between a life of faith and a life of fear. One leads to abundance and blessing while the other leads to stagnation and condemnation.
Christianity is a religion of renewal. The Christian life is spent learning to move away from what is displeasing to God and toward the restoration of our love and affection for him and our neighbor. In other words, Christianity is about repentance. It’s a religion of restoration and redemption: revival and regeneration. Christianity, without this basis, that our hearts are bent away from what is pleasing to God and good for our neighbor to serve our own purposes, will ultimately miss that Christianity tells us our deepest problem exists within us. And, we need to be re-shaped and re-made into entirely new creatures. This renewal and restoration is given to us when we rest and receive Christ alone for our salvation, in which we have freedom from the power and guilt of sin and are made into a new people, not just given a new way to live. Christianity is not a religion of replacement but the restoration of what is bent and broken. 1 Samuel shows us the need and basis for this renewal both corporately, in the life of Israel, and individually, in the life of Samuel and Eli. In the call of Samuel, we see the birth of a new prophetic voice calling Israel to repentance and the certain nature of God’s Word to begin this work in the hearts of those ready to receive a new life.
The sons of Eli are servants of God, priests set apart by ordination to offer sacrifices to God at the Tabernacle. They minister in God’s presence. They are the visible manifestation of the religious life of Israel. They are also wicked men. They steal, they threaten, they commit sexual immorality…and everyone knows it. God tells Eli that he will judge his house, and history records that the line of the priesthood of Israel passed to a different family. This week, we wrestle with the challenge of sinning servants of God. What happens when the Lord’s priest doesn’t even know the Lord?
As we continue in our new sermon series in the book of First Samuel, we see God answer Hannah’s prayer and Hannah respond with a new prayer (or song) of praise. The song, however, is…odd. It’s different from the kinds of thanksgiving prayers and praise we give to God when he answers our prayers. This week, we’ll look at the content of Hannah’s prayer and the lesson of Hannah’s prayer. Join us as we continue to make our way through the gospel according to Samuel!
Where is God when we are hurting? Where is God when we are suffering from the effects of our own sin or from the wounds that people inflict by sinning against us? Where is God when we feel like we are under his curse rather than his blessing? Join us this Sunday, as follow a Jewish mother to the steps of the Tabernacle where she will pour out her heart in a desperate prayer for relief, for blessing, and for salvation.
As Paul concludes his final letter to Timothy, he updates his protégé on their mutual contacts and alludes to the circumstances of his trial before the Roman courts. Despite his desertion, isolation, and betrayal, Paul reminds Timothy of the goodness of God who strengthens him, who is with him and who alone is worthy of glory. Join us this Sunday as we conclude our series on 2 Timothy and explore how God forms us amidst isolation and betrayal to draw near to him so we can proclaim: from him grace and to him- glory!
As Paul approaches death, he unpacks his ultimate and final charge to Timothy, "Preach the word! " Paul knows the success of the second generation of Christians would depend in part upon their own commitment to perpetuate the ministry of the word. This Sunday we will explore the nature and purpose of preaching as described by Paul to Timothy and discern how we can continue the ministry of preaching in our souls that we might perpetuate the ministry of the gospel today.
We welcome back to our pulpit today Rev. Greg Ward, former Redeemer associate pastor and founding pastor of our daughter church, Emmanuel Presbyterian.
In the beginning of 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul sketches a discouraging outline of humanity during the times between Christ's ascension and return. But in verses 10 through 4:8 he outlines the hope provided the world through Timothy, the Ephesian church and all who take up his letter and hear it. This Sunday we will explore the first part of the hope Christians offer the world through the lives we model and imitate by continuing in the life-giving word of God, and through enduring persecution which reveals to the world its own folly and Christ's eternal glory.
Andrew Waller continues our summer series on 2 Timothy with his sermon "A Sure Foundation in Difficult Days."
We welcomed to our pulpit Rev. Lee Wright, who serves as the Reformed University Fellowship campus minister at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
If Timothy had any uncertainties about Paul’s hope for him, the words-- "the Lord’s Servant" would dispel them all. Among titles given by God to men, none carry such honor as "the Servant of the Lord." Knowing this of himself as a servant of God, Paul unveils for Timothy the qualities that belong to his calling to both challenge and inspire him to fulfill all God has laid before him. Join us this Sunday, as we discern these qualities and discover God’s plan for developing his servants, his church, and through them-- the world.
In his closing letter to Timothy, Paul encourages his young disciple to “do his best to present himself to God as one approved” and contrasts marks of an approved workman with the conduct and examples of unapproved workmen of God. This Sunday, in light of Paul’s instructions to Timothy, we will explore how to become a workman approved by God by discerning the values that the Holy Spirit is cultivating in us so that we might live under God’s pleasure as laborers in his kingdom.
C. S. Lewis says that if you are looking to be comfortable, Christianity is not the religion for you. Christianity is a religion of denying oneself (Matt.16:24), of being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6), and carrying our cross as we follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). Why would anyone be a Christian if all we have to look forward to is suffering and discomfort? The only real way to answer this question is if suffering and misery do not have the final say over us. In Christianity, we find the ultimate meaning and purpose for the troubles we face in this life because there is one who faced those same troubles for us. Only when we see Jesus are we able to see the meaning of suffering. In the second chapter of 2 Timothy, we see that the way to glory is first through the cross, where God not only gives us the meaning of suffering but shows us the ultimate fruit it bears. We see that the Christian life is learning to suffer for the sake of Christ’s gospel and seeing the fruit being produced within us by great trials.
Join us this Sunday as we begin a new sermon series and look at the opening verses of 2 Timothy, where we see the secure hope of the gospel grounded in God's eternal counsel and will. This eternal hope springs Christians, not into a fiery frenzy of uncontrolled emotions, but into a sober, gracious, merciful, disciplined life of warmth and courage as a witness to the Kingdom of God in a fearful and insecure world. Like a stranger wandering the cold wilderness at night, Paul exhorts Timothy to remember the faith of his mother and grandmother and the gift of pastoral ministry he has been given by the Spirit and to "fan into flame" his gift and calling so that others will see and feel the warmth and security of Christ and his gospel in a fear-driven age.
This Sunday is Pentecost, the day we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the infant church just fifty days after Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Pentecost is God’s promise that even though Jesus has ascended into heaven where he rules and reigns at the Father’s right hand, God is still with us—even more, he is “in” us! What does the presence of God in our lives look like? Why has God poured out his Spirit on his people? Those are the questions we’ll tackle this Sunday as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday!
As we conclude our series exploring the worship of the church, we turn our attention to the Lord’s Supper (or Communion or Eucharist). Some Christian traditions only have the Lord’s Supper once per year, once per quarter, or once per month. Some traditions only allow the laity to eat the bread. Some traditions think the Supper is a time for introspection and confession. Others believe the bread and wine actually become the physical body and blood of Christ. What’s going on as we eat and drink each Sunday? Join us this Sunday as we consider the work of God for us—feeding us with the body and blood of Christ, strengthening us for the pilgrim journey ahead.
In our continuing study of worship, we turn to the act of preaching. What is preaching? What is the purpose of preaching? In a day and age of entertainment on demand, how is preaching even relevant? Join us this Sunday as we examine the word that comes to us through lips of fallible men but is by the power of the Spirit the very word of God to the church.
We are continuing our short series on worship. This week, we turn to baptism: what role does it play in our worship services and what does God do through it for you and me? If worship is meeting and being met by the living God, we know there is a reality beyond our daily lived experience. How do we participate in that spiritual reality even as we live our earthly lives? I believe that Galatians 3 (our text this week) teaches us that in baptism, we are transformed by God to become his sons. Agree? Disagree? Join us this Sunday to find out more!
Pastor Danny Morgan continues our series, Worship: Conversations with God, this week on the topic of confession and absolution in our divine services.
Whether you are new to Redeemer or have been part of its special culture of worship from the very beginning of the church’s life, I invite you to join us for the next five weeks as we give our attention to the most important thing we do as Christians—the action and activity that is at the heart of our very creation: worship.
Following the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were in a state of complete disarray- they were fearful, confused, doubting the meaning of their lives and obstinately dictating the terms of their own belief. These are hardly the qualities one would look for to commission a new generation of leaders for any movement, let alone the kingdom of heaven. But Christ in his mercy and all his glory appeared again and again to his distraught disciples to affirming them, to prove himself among them, to commission them and to raise them from a state of complete disarray to such confidence, hope and strength that in a mere forty days neither they, nor their families, nor the authorities whom they once feared would recognize them. This Sunday we will explore the purposes of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to rediscover our hope and purpose in the risen Messiah!
The Easter story doesn’t dawn with hope and expectation. The women who gather at Jesus’ tomb have come to deal with death. But what begins as a day of sadness dawns as the first day of the new creation: a new world where death does not have the last laugh, where sin does not win, and where sinners are welcomed into God’s presence as his beloved children. Join us this Sunday—Easter Sunday!—as we celebrate the life changing, world shaking reality of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
“What goes up must come down,” the old saying goes. But the gospel turns that principle of gravity on its head: if you want to go up, you must first go down! This week, the Sunday of the Passion, we consider the humiliation of Christ—not just his suffering an ignoble death, but his very incarnation! His humiliation is the ground of our glory, because Jesus (who was made like us) continues to be human even as he rules and reigns at the Father’s right hand. And that exaltation is our hope, for where he is there will we be also. And in the meantime, we can live and serve like Jesus because he has been given to us not just as an example of behavior but as the very life we need.
Rev Wes Baker, director of Peru Mission in Trujillo, Peru, was our guest preacher this week. His sermon, "Heroic Stories for a Heroic Mission," provided insights into a familiar passage, as we considered how Jesus invites us to join in his mission of bringing the gospel to the world.
Pastor Danny concludes our current study in the book of Mark with "Lord of the Sabbath." Our series on the Gospel of Mark will resume next spring.
When people think of Christianity, do they think of the dour Pharisees or the joyful Jesus? Do they think of duty and obligation or do they think of celebration? Sometimes we can trick ourselves into thinking that God especially appreciates and wants devotion that hurts, but in Mark 2 Jesus pushes back against that idea. Join us this week as we hear Jesus tell some of his earliest parables, which give us insight into the kind of celebratory people he calls us to be.
This week, we are introduced to another of Jesus’ disciples: Levi (better known to us as Matthew). If the first four disciples of Jesus represent the common man of Israel, Levi would appear at the opposite end of the spectrum. He is one of the hated tax collectors. Can God’s grace really extend even to Levi? As we consider the expanse of God’s mercy in Mark 2, we’re also brought face to face with our own continuing need of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ. The danger for many Christians is that we become less like Levi and his fellow “sinners” and more like the self-righteous Pharisees, whom Jesus condemns.
Faith in an interesting subject for Christians. We are people of faith. We walk by faith. Our faith is in Christ, not in ourselves. Yet if we are honest with ourselves our personal faith is neither fixed nor static. It often waxes and wanes in differing seasons and circumstances. In Mark 2:1-12 Christ demonstrates his goodness by responding to the simple faith of the paralytic and his companions and the doubting faith of the scribes to produce an astonished faith by those who see him as he truly is. This Sunday we will explore these dynamics of faith, and Christ’s methods to strengthen our faith in him.
We know that something is wrong with us, our culture, and our world. As we conclude this day that we set aside for prayer and fasting, Pastor Eric helps us think about two missing ingredients: sin and forgiveness.
In Jesus’ day, leprosy was a skin disease that not only severely affected a person’s skin but was often accompanied by a life sentence of being socially outcast as an unclean entity in Israel’s ceremonial law. Lepers were not welcome to belong to the covenant community of God’s people, leaving them to perpetually await healing in order to be ritually washed and declared clean by the priesthood and restored to fellowship. Jesus’ encounter with the leper in Mark 1 connects the multi-dimensional aspect of the Gospel with modern-day “leprosy” and the alienation sinners experience, severing us from community. Jesus’ encounter with the leper reminds Christians of their own alienation from God and from community and the restorative and reconciliatory dimensions of the good news of Jesus’ substitutionary life, death, and resurrection for those who humbly plea with him to forgive them of their sins.
Jesus has just concluded a long day of ministry. It began with him teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum and it ended with his staying up late into the evening healing people outside Peter’s house. But instead of sleeping in and taking a day off, Jesus begins the new day before sunrise with prayer. Jesus prays often in the Gospels, but we don’t always know what he prays about. In this instance, however, we have a good idea because he expresses clarity and direction for his future ministry. This week, we turn to Mark 1:35-39 to get a picture of the ministry of Jesus—a ministry that he still enacts for you and me today.
Many scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark is based in large part on the Apostle Peter’s eyewitness testimony of the life and ministry of Jesus. In Acts 10:38, when Peter was preaching to the household of Cornelius, he summed up the ministry of Jesus by saying he went about “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” This week, in Mark 1, we see the healing touch of Jesus in the privacy of Peter’s home and in the long lines of people brought to Jesus late into the night to be healed. What does Jesus’ healing touch communicate to you and me today? What do we do if we are suffering and in need of a healing that God doesn’t seem interested in providing? These are just some of the questions we’ll tackle this week in our continuing study of Mark’s Gospel.
The term "authority" makes us nervous in 2023. We've seen how authorities and powers can corrupt and harm. Yet Christ does not demand we recognize his authority like a vicious dictator or an evil demon. He compels us through his teaching, through his presence with us, and through the proof of his ministry. In contrast to Satan's minions, Jesus does not undermine, interrupt, exploit or force through harm, rather he speaks, heals and liberates souls leaving no doubt to all that his authority is unlike any other- greater than all teachers, all influencers, and all canons of law. He is Jesus the Christ.
Has anyone ever made you an offer you couldn’t refuse? Here, in these early verses of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to follow him. More than a bucolic stroll through the Galilean hillside, this will be a call to suffer and die. They will also, in turn, call others as Jesus makes them into “fishers of men.” Although this metaphor seems pleasant at first thought, consider what happens to the fish you catch! You and I are both the recipients of Jesus’ call to follow him and the subjects of the disciples’ finishing ministry. What difference does it all make and how can we see the growth of the kingdom expressed through these actions? All that and more this Sunday as we continue in our new sermon series through the Gospel of Mark.
Pastor Danny Morgan continues our "Seeing Jesus" series with his sermon "The Good News of the Wilderness."
Our sermon series on the Gospel of Mark: Seeing Jesus, starts out "In the Beginning." Studying Mark will remind us about the identity, mission, and meaning of Jesus.
Pastor Eric closes out our Christmas season sermons with "Life After Christmas" from the last part of Luke 2.
Pastor Danny Morgan preaches an Advent sermon on Psalm 110: "One King to Rule Them All."
For those old enough to remember Johnny Carson, you’ll also fondly remember his sidekick, Ed McMahon, who would start each night’s show with his iconic introduction: “Heeeeeere’s Johnny!” In Matthew 3 we have John the Baptist's introduction of King Jesus, but it’s less Ed McMahon and more Jack Nicholson in "The Shining”! John is announcing a violent overthrow of the kings and kingdoms of the earth, a violent king who will take an axe to the nation of Israel and to everyone who doesn’t bear the fruits of repentance. But the first official act of the king is to be symbolically drowned in the waters of the Jordan River. What kind of king is Jesus and how can we be members of his kingdom? Join us for the second Sunday of Advent as we hear the cry of John the Baptist still sounding to us in our own wilderness of sin and despair.
Advent is a glorious season--full of light, hope and reflection upon the goodness of God. It also can be a time of discouragement as we reflect upon the challenges of the year and strive to navigate the added busyness of our holiday schedules. But in the midst of this dynamic season, Christ invites us to taste and know the dignity and glory of belonging to him. He invites us to wake up and wonder at his glory, to put on and sense his dignity and to walk in heaven's pleasure for the glory of God and blessing of earth. Come and be filled with hope as we begin our 2022 Advent season.
Our short sermon series through the book of Ruth has now reached its end. This Sunday, we conclude with Ruth 4 and a surprising twist: although Ruth gives birth to a son, the women of Bethlehem praise God by saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” And although Boaz tells the other potential redeemer that he must redeem Ruth, it is the son born to Boaz and Ruth who is said to be a redeemer for Naomi. Did the narrator simply confuse the characters of the story as he drew it to a close? Were the townspeople mistaken? Join us this Sunday as we finish Ruth and learn more about the redeemer for Naomi.
One of the most depressing aspects of modern life is the lack of rest. We blur the lines between home and work. Our devices are always on. Our side hustles keep us grinding well into the weekend. We seldom find time to stop and rest. As we continue on in our study of Ruth, we see Naomi—previously paralyzed by bitterness—spurred into action by the prospect of finding rest for Ruth. Naomi doesn’t just want to relieve her daughter in law of the difficult work of gleaning, she wants to ensure that Ruth has a future and a hope. Join us this week, to see how Ruth’s rest will finally come through for her—even though she must face danger and toils and snares to get there.
On All Saints’ Day we remember our friends and loved ones who have died in the Lord. Although the apostle Paul tells us we should not grieve as those who have no hope in the resurrection of the dead, all of us mourn the loss death inflicts on us. We remember the presence of our friends and family, and we grieve their absence. Do you ever feel like God is also absent from your life? Do your mourn a close connection you once had? Do you wonder if perhaps your own sin has driven God away? In Exodus 3, God promises Moses that he will be with him as Moses leads the people out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land. That gracious presence is what allows us to live boldly, love confidently, and look with hope to the resurrection of the dead and the renewal of all things.
This sermon, "The Presence and the Power," was preached at our Sunday evening service of installation and ordination for new officers and pastors as a charge to the men and to our congregation.
This Sunday is Reformation Sunday and to celebrate the work of an obscure monk in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517, we’ll turn to Luke 19 and the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector from Jericho. What does this “wee little man” have to do with the great work of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other Protestant reformers? Join us this Sunday as we see the heights and depths that grace will go to redeem the lost and restore them to God.
We live in an ultra-connected cultural moment. Our age is one of readily available information and limitless opportunities to meet and connect with others online. It seems like we can change our destinies by just signing up for the right social media or dating app. And yet, despite so much opportunity, we are growing less connected and more isolated. The simple obligation of face-to-face friendship inconveniences us, we are annoyed when someone in our neighborhood asks us for a basic favor, and many of us struggle to offer a simple smile as we pass by people while shopping at the store. The simplicity of being kind seems to be in short supply, and we are suffering for it. As we study the book of Ruth this coming Sunday, we’ll see that the simplicity of kindness can go a long way and often reveals the hidden love of God for the world as his redemptive plan unfolds in the lives of Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi.
Have you ever wished someone, “good luck!” or exclaimed, “I was so lucky!” As Christians, we know, of course, there is no such thing as chance. Instead, God is at work to bring what he ordains to pass in our lives and in the world even when we can’t see him at work. This Sunday, we turn to Ruth 2 and to the story of Ruth’s lucky day! Chance and luck, hard work and compassion all have their moment in the spotlight as Ruth finally meets Boaz and is protected and provided for in her new homeland and by her new God. Join us this Sunday for the “chance" of a lifetime!
This Sunday we return to the Book of Ruth chapter 1 and encounter three grievers- Naomi, Orpah and Ruth. As we hear their story, we are called to both sympathize as grievers with fellow grievers, and to discover how God plants "hidden graces" around grievers to demonstrate his goodness and grace. In so doing he invites us to discover him as he rebuilds us from grief into deeper, richer, more complete Christ-like people.
On this first Sunday of October, Pastor Eric Landry brings us the message: "A Life of Gratitude."
Each fall, we turn to an Old Testament text for our sermon series. Having concluded Genesis last year, we are fast-forwarding a bit in redemptive history to the book of Ruth this fall. Ruth is set after Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery and after Joshua led them into the land of promise. But instead of blessing, life has gone drastically wrong for Naomi and her family. Join us this week, as we begin a new study in Ruth with a focus on the “frowning providence of God” that hides his smiling face—in Naomi’s life and our own.
On May 1, 2022, we began our journey through the Epistle to the Hebrews. We still don’t know who wrote it or to whom it was written or from where it was written or even exactly why it was written! But I hope that over our sixteen sermons exploring this book you have come to appreciate and understand its main theme: Jesus is better. We conclude with the benediction of Hebrews 13:20-21. What exactly is a benediction? What role does it play in this epistle and in our worship? Why does the author conclude with it and how should we understand this “good word” of God in our own lives? Join us this Sunday as we conclude our study of Hebrews.
So, what exactly are you supposed to do? In light of all that God has done in Christ for you, what is your response? Last week, we saw that we were supposed to gratefully receive and in turn worship. This week, we’ll consider a number of seemingly disconnected commands that the preacher uses as applications to his congregation. Why these commands? How do they reveal a life transformed by grace? How do they point others to the Jesus? Join us this Sunday as near the end of our sermon series in the book of Hebrews.
In many ways, our text for this Sunday (Hebrews 12:18-29) can be seen as a final summary statement—a conclusion to the preacher's long argument that Jesus is better than the Mosaic system his congregation left behind. Included in this summary statement is a helpful comparison of the old covenant and new covenant, as well as an illustration of the difference being part of the new covenant makes to our worship. Join us this Sunday as we peer deeply into the mysteries of our faith and the privilege given to us to ascend to Zion to be with our God.
Every four years, the world gathers to watch the best athletes from every country compete in the Olympics. Each of us has our favorite contests to watch, but some of the most moving are the long distance races that stretch their participants physically and emotionally to the breaking point. This week, we turn to Hebrews 12 and another well-known passage from this important epistle. The author encourages his congregation to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (v1). As we consider these first verses of Hebrews 12 our focus will be on the nature of the race, the runners in the race, and the goal of the race. Join us this Sunday as we leap from the blocks at the sound of the starting gun and race toward home.
Pastor Marcus continues our summer sermon series with his message: "A Faith That Endures."
As we near the end of our summer series in the book of Hebrews, we come to the preacher’s points of application to his ancient congregation. Several in chapter 10 will be of particular interest to us, since like those ancient Christians we are sometimes also tempted to turn away from the promises of the gospel. The preacher is very direct with both his warnings and his encouragement, and it’s that plain talk that we need to hear today as we strive to follow Jesus as his faithful disciples.
As our preacher continues to make his case for the supremacy of Christ over the system of religion his congregation left behind, he makes the case that what is unseen (Christ’s mediation in the heavenly places) is better than what can be seen (the work of the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem). At first glance that seems wrong: isn’t it better to see? Isn’t it harder to believe when you can’t see, when you don’t have proof? This Sunday, we continue working our way through the central argument of Hebrews by looking at chapter 9 and the author’s insistence that what happens in heaven is superior to what can be done on earth.
After a short summer break, we’re returning to our study of Hebrews by taking up the next big section of the preacher’s argument. He’s shown his congregation that Jesus is better than the angels, better than Moses, better than Joshua, and better than the priests of the religious system they left behind when they converted to Christianity. Now, he tells them that Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant. What is this new covenant and to what covenant is our preacher referring when he says the new is better than the old? What does that mean for you and me? Join us as we dig back into Hebrews with a study of chapter 8 and the supremacy of Christ’s mediation.
Austin McCann is the new campus minister at Texas A&M with Reformed University Fellowship.
In Hebrews 7, our preacher finally returns to the subject that he paused while he warned the congregation about falling away: how Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek and how that priesthood is better than the Levitical priesthood of the Mosaic covenant. It’s a mouthful! Who was Melchizedek and how does Jesus being a priest in his order rather than Aaron’s actually matter to you and me? Join us this Sunday as we’re brought before the throne of God to worship our perfect priest who always lives to make intercession for you and me.
Apostate. Just reading the word probably evokes a mix of emotions: worry for friends and family who have fallen away from the faith, personal anxiety when you think about your own seasons of doubt and apathy, confusion over how someone who once professed to believe can walk away from Christ and his church. This Sunday, we’re tackling one of the hardest passages in Scripture: the author of Hebrews warns the church that it is impossible to restore apostates to repentance. Why does he say this? About whom does he say this? What does it mean for you and me as we labor to believe and follow King Jesus through difficult trials and temptations. Join us this Sunday as we take a hard and sober look at apostasy.
After warning his congregation about failing to enter God’s rest, our author/preacher turns with comfort to one of the enduring images of this book: Jesus, our high priest, welcoming us to his throne of grace. This is the only place in the Bible that mentions God’s throne as a throne of grace. What does that mean and why is it important for needy people like us to understand? Join us this Sunday as we go before God’s throne of grace.
In the 1990s, it became popular among evangelical circles to ask the question: “what would Jesus do?” Bracelets and wristbands bearing the abbreviation, WWJD, could be seen on Christian teenagers all over the country. In Hebrews 3, our preacher is asking the congregation a variation of that popular message: “what would Moses do?” Remember, the audience is in danger of turning back toward Judaism, so our author calls forward the central figure of Judaism to help his ancient readers understand why Jesus is better than Moses. Join us this Sunday as we compare and contrast God’s servant, Moses, with Jesus, God’s Son.
Join us this Sunday as we dive into chapter 1 and uncover the main problem the book is addressing and the ways in which this important book also helps us understand our need for Christ’s supremacy in our lives.
It’s Easter! And this Sunday we’ll hear Luke’s account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the disciples arrived at the tomb, they discovered that it was empty. What does the empty tomb really mean for you and me? Why do we—like those early disciples—still seek life in dead places? Join us as we worship our resurrected King!
Before Moses died, he sang a song for Israel. This song is captured for us in Deuteronomy 32. Moses sings of God’s faithfulness to Israel even though Israel—throughout the 40 years of desert wanderings—has been consistently unfaithful to God. We turn to this text on Palm Sunday because in it we see the work of Jesus poetically and prophetically described for us: he is the King who has mercy on his people, who vanquishes his enemies, and who establishes his rule and justice. Join us this Sunday as we consider not just the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, but also the the tremendous cost of his mercy toward all of us.
On January 7, 2018, we began our journey through the Gospel of John. 57 sermons later we have reached the end! Join us this Sunday for our final sermon in the Gospel of John series when we tackle the important question: What difference does the resurrection of Jesus make?
This week, we turn to the familiar story of Thomas—the disciple who doubted that Jesus had really risen from the dead. Thomas is a sympathetic character because all of us at some level must deal with doubt. Our confidence is never as certain as the earliest disciples who saw Jesus. We must rely on their eye-witness testimony. But sometimes the world, the flesh, and the devil all conspire to rob us of our assurance that Jesus has risen from the dead. This week, we’ll use the story of Thomas to explore the tension between our own faith and doubt and the Savior who loves us through it all.
Immediately after the Resurrection, Jesus appears to ten of his disciples. He finds them afraid and confused. They were afraid of the Jews and confused by the report from Mary Magdalen. What does Jesus say to these disciples? It is John’s version of what is often called, “The Great Commission.” Through the mission Jesus gives his disciples in John 20 we can see the depth of our own hope in Christ: peace with God, an expanding kingdom, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual power that makes a difference. Join us this Sunday as we explore each of these elements from John’s Gospel.
Christians are often pretty clear on how the various parts of Jesus’ life apply to our lives today. We understand why Jesus had to die. We understand why he needed to live a perfect life. We understand the significance of his resurrection. But what about his burial? Every Sunday we confess in the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds that we believe Jesus “was buried,” but why is that important? This Sunday we will examine John’s account of Jesus’ burial to answer that question and see how Jesus’ burial applies to our lives.
This past week was the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth. The presentation of a king or queen is marked with great pomp and ceremony, not just in the current era but also in antiquity. The first crown and royal robe Jesus wears, however, is a mockery of his royalty. Who is King Jesus? What do we see in the mockery of his coronation ceremony? What does it tell us about our own suffering? Join us this week as we turn to John 19 and the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
The confrontation between Jesus and Pilate is not just dramatic, it is telling. It helps Christians today understand what kind of kingdom Jesus brought into being and the very real threat it poses to the world’s petty rulers. Just as we feel safe, however, from the clash between these two powers, our own kingdoms are called into question! If Jesus is who he said he is then no ruler is safe—not even you and me when we try to rule our own lives. Join us this Sunday as we continue the story of Jesus’ final hours from John 18.
It is the night of Passover, one of the most significant Jewish feasts, and Jesus has led his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. Now, the clock begins to speed up: his hour is upon him. Three surprising betrayals overtake Jesus as he heads toward the cross. This week, we’ll look at each betrayal as a way to help us understand not only our own sin but also the glory of Christ’s redeeming work. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
"A Prayer with a Purpose" continues our series on the Gospel of John with a second look at Jesus' prayer for his disciples.
Last week, we returned to the Gospel of John and examined the first five verses of the High Priestly Prayer of Christ in chapter 17. This week, we continue in chapter 17 and discover the primary petition of Christ’s prayer: that the disciples would be “kept” in the name of God. One of the great comforts of this prayer is how realistic it is: Jesus knows that the disciples will be "tempted, tried, and sometimes failing” (as the hymn “Jesus What a Friend for Sinners” says). But, Jesus prays for them and he prays for us that we might be kept in the name of God. What does it mean to be kept in the name? How can we be assured that we are kept, especially when everything around us is falling apart?
In this final sermon of the Christmas season, Pastor Marcus Serven guides us in an examination of "The Compelling Testimony of the Shepherds."
Seventy-nine years ago this month, Winston Churchill spoke these famous words: “Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” After a series of humiliating defeats, the British had finally secured a victory over the Nazis in North Africa and there was a sense that perhaps the tide of the war was beginning to turn. But the war itself was far from over. In the same way, we will reach a conclusion this Sunday that is not really the end. God’s people (Jacob’s family) are out of place (in Egypt, not the Promised Land), enjoying the blessings of a benevolent Pharaoh but still waiting for the Redeemer who had been promised so long ago. These final verses point our eyes forward to the seed of the woman and are the perfect bridge to our celebration of Advent in the weeks to come as we remember the first coming of Christ as an infant and anticipate his second coming as a conquering king.
Do you want to know your future? What kind of life you’ll lead, how your children will grow, when you will die? Whatever benefit we might have to knowing the future pales, I think, in comparison to the sense of fatality: do I really want to know about the sadness of life beforehand? Wouldn’t it be better to be surprised by both suffering and joy? In his final moments of life, Jacob prophesies. He tells each of his sons what will happen to them in the days to come. For the most part, the prophecies of the future follow the pattern of the past. But there are a few surprising twists and turns along the way. Join us this Sunday as we open up Genesis 49 and discover the future of Jacob’s sons.
This Sunday is All Saints Sunday - the day on which the church has traditionally remembered those who have died in the Lord. In the book of Revelation the apostle John receives a vision of those who have died for their faith. But this vision wasn’t given to him to satisfy his curiosity or even to answer difficult questions about life after death. God wanted John and the churches of his day to remember the saints who had died before them as a way to encourage their own faithfulness to Jesus during challenging times. What do believers who are now in heaven have to teach us about the Christian life? We’ll explore that question as we worship Jesus and remember all the Saints together this Sunday.
Although death may not be a pleasant topic for conversation, it is the great equalizer. We all die. So, it is important for us to wrestle with questions of profound importance: how will you die? How will you think about your death? How can you prepare others to consider their own deaths? In Genesis 48 we find Jacob near the end of his life. The famine is over, his children and grandchildren are firmly settled in Egypt, but Jacob is looking beyond his own death to the future. What gives him confidence of a future beyond death? What can we learn from him and how can we walk in confidence toward the future God is creating for us?
Having been assured by God that his family would be made into a great nation in Egypt, Jacob and his sons settle in Goshen. Their life in Egypt is a stark contrast to the Egyptians who become poorer and poorer as Joseph continues to lead the nation during the height of the famine. The distinction between the two people (Jacob’s family and the populace of Egypt) is a helpful analogy to our own life as exiles and aliens. What does it mean for us to live here in Austin while we are also citizens of the Kingdom of God? What promises can we hold on to and what challenges must we endure?
As Jacob prepares to see his son, Joseph, again for the first time in over 20 years his excitement is mixed with some apprehension. His grandfather Abraham had gotten himself into a lot of trouble while traveling through Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20). God had told Jacob's father Isaac not to go down to Egypt during a famine in his own day (26:1-15). Was this foreign travel out of the promised land authorized by God? Or would his passport be revoked? In order to quiet Jacob’s apprehension, God assures him with this promise: I myself will go down with you to Egypt. What does it mean for God to be with us? How can that assurance help us today as we face our own apprehensions and fears? Join us as we explore this promise and its significance for our lives today.
This week, we return to the story of Joseph and his brothers. We left them in Genesis 43 at the end of a party. The brothers still did not know Joseph, but their experience of him was gracious and joyful. A new day dawns in Genesis 44 and Joseph puts his brothers to the final test. Throughout the verses that follow, the power of words is on display: Judah’s words, Joseph’s words, and Jacob’s words. Join us this Sunday as we reach the climax of the Joseph story and hear words of confession, absolution, and resolution from a family finally at peace.
Jacob’s sons must return to Egypt. The family is again on the brink of starvation. This time they bring Benjamin. What will be their reception? How will Joseph (whom they only know as a great prince) treat them? This week, we see the triumph of mercy over judgment as Joseph feasts with his brothers.
Nearly 20 years after Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, we find them bowing before him and begging for their lives—not because they know who Joseph is, but because they are now in a position of need: they have come to Egypt to buy bread. The dramatic exchange between the brothers and Joseph (who they do not recognize) is instructive for us as we consider the ways that sin impacts families, victims, and perpetrators. Join us this Sunday as we discover the real answer to the problem of sin in Genesis 42.
In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis famously wrote, "“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” This week, we turn to the final instructions of Paul to the church in Ephesus. The apostle strikes the right balance by acknowledging the existence of but also the limits of our spiritual enemy. Join us this Sunday as we consider his final admonition to “stand firm” against the spiritual forces arrayed against us: how do we do it, where does the battle rage with the most intensity, and what are the weapons of our warfare?
Last week, we saw how Paul applied the gospel’s teaching to the most intimate of relationships. This week, we follow Paul as he continues to work his way through the households: children and parents, masters and slaves. Paul is using a common frame of reference here that scholars call “household codes.” Ancient writers would use these codes to establish systems of ethical behavior. Paul uses the same structure to show how Jesus overturns cultural expectations and norms. Because of Jesus, culture can never be the same: the family is different, society is different, we are different! Join us this Sunday to learn about the difference Jesus makes.
Marriage is both glorious and hard. It is the highest joys and passions and the worst kind of blood, sweat and tears that we can know. This week, we turn to Paul’s famous (and to some, “infamous”) teaching on marriage. At the heart of it is a mystery, a picture of God’s love and care for his people. Whether you are married or single, it is important for you to understand and believe the promise that God makes to us in marriage. Join us this Sunday as we tackle this important subject in our continuing series in the book of Ephesians.
Today we welcome to our pulpit Jordan Griesbeck, who is beginning his work as RUF campus minister at the University of Texas.
We live in a morally complex world. In most of the circumstances we face as Christians, the difference between right and wrong is not always abundantly clear, and a simple list of “dos” and “don’ts” won’t give us what we really need in order to make wise decisions that lead to a spiritually fruitful life. What we need is to learn the art of spiritual discernment. In our passage this morning we will examine Paul’s call to the Ephesians Christians to “try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” and ask how we can develop that kind of discernment in our own lives.
Last week we made the turn we’ve all come to expect in Paul’s epistles: from the doctrine that Paul explains to the practice that Paul applies. This turn from indicative to imperative is an important one to make. Otherwise our heads are full of knowledge but our hands and feet never do the things that the Bible expects us to do. As we make the turn, however, we need to ensure that we don’t leave behind the doctrine that enables us to do the things God commands. Join us this week as we see what God has done for us and how that leads to a new life in Christ as we study Ephesians 4:17-32.
Almost all of us have experienced life defining moments where everything changed and sent us in a new direction. From our first day of school to leaving home to getting married and having children to a new job and a new city to losing a spouse—each moment leaves a clear “before” and “after.” In Ephesians 2, Paul traces our “before” and “after” in salvation. Before our salvation, we were like dead men walking through life. After our salvation, we have been united to Christ and raised to rule and reign with him in heaven. The hinge, the moment that it all became different is described with two important words in Ephesians 2:4, “But God.” Join us this Sunday as we explore the moment that marks our destiny.
This week, in our new study of Ephesians, we turn to the first of several prayers that are part of Paul’s letter to this ancient church. This first prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise for all that God has done through Christ to bring the people of Ephesus into his family. As we study this prayer, we’ll see how personal God’s saving work is in our lives. True belief isn’t just assent to certain historical facts, it has real life implications for what we know, hope, love, and trust in. Join us this Sunday as we turn to Ephesians 1:15-23 and consider Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus.
This week, we begin a new series in the book of Ephesians. The title for the series comes from a book by the British pastor and theologian John Stott, “God’s New Society.” Ephesians is one of the few books Paul wrote that wasn’t attempting to correct a problem in a church. Instead, it seems to be almost a summary of his doctrine, but with a particular focus on the health and vitality of the church—God’s new society. What binds this new society together? Not ethnicity, culture, religious background, or socioeconomic status. Instead, Paul reminds the Ephesians (and us) that we are “in him” or “in Christ.” Over and over in Ephesians, Paul uses those two words to define our reality, our hope, our confidence, our joy, and our strength. Join us this Sunday as we reestablish ourselves on the foundation of Christ alone—for this summer and for the rest of our lives!
"Behold Your God," a sermon given on Holy Trinity Sunday on ways the doctrine of the Trinity affects our lives.
This week, we’ll conclude our topical sermon series (Male & Female: In The Image of God for the Purpose of God), by looking again at the church. Who is called to do what in the church? The officers of the church are given tasks and responsibilities of leadership, but in order for the church to properly work—in order for you to grow up in Christ—there are roles and responsibilities for all of God’s people. Join us this week as we consider the body of Christ that builds itself up in love.
Over the last several weeks, we have explored the goodness of God creating us male and female in his image. We have also seen the terrible disorder and chaos unleashed by Adam’s fall into sin. This week, we turn to our third biblical coordinate: redemption. What difference does our new life in Christ make? How does our Christianity inform who we are as men and women? What purpose does God give us this side of the cross and resurrection? Join us this Sunday as we learn about the new self and the men and women Christ has redeemed us to be.
The very good beginning of God’s creation is suddenly brought to an end by Adam’s failure to exercise his role as the federal head of all humanity. Even though Eve sins first, it is Adam who is ultimately held responsible and through whom sin enters into the human race. This week, we turn to Genesis 3 and consider all the fallout Adam and Eve’s sin has had for our bodies and our relationships. We’ll also see the promises of grace that temper God’s judgment and point forward to a savior yet to come.
Last week, we began a new series on men and women by looking at the creation of Man (plural) in the image of God. This week, we turn the page to Genesis 2 to better understand the particular relationship men and women have in the covenant of marriage. Although marriage is one of the basic building blocks of society, it is not guaranteed that all men and women will be married. In fact, although some of us will experience a marriage relationship, all of us will know singleness (either in our youth or widowhood). So, what does Adam and Eve’s relationship teach us about the interactions of men and women, both in and out of marriage? Join us this week for “Paradise Found,” the second sermon in our new series, Male & Female: In the Image of God for the Purpose of God.
Any discussion of men and women has to begin at the beginning, and the Bible tells a very good story about men and women at the dawn of creation. Starting in Genesis 1 also gives us an opportunity to see the end for which men and women were created. Those very good bookends (creation and the final state) are crucial to understanding who we are and why we exist.
We live in an age that often defines success in terms of wealth and the accumulation of stuff. The quest for more and more is a never-ending one. We instinctively recognize that life is about more than money and possessions, but how can we break out of the cycle of consumption that too often draws us in? Our passage from the book of Acts this week provides us with a vignette from the early life of the Christian church that paints a vision of how the resurrection of Jesus impacted their relationship with their wealth and possessions. The picture we see is a challenging and counter-cultural one. What would it take for us to live such generous lives today, especially living in a city that Elon Musk says will be the “biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years?” Where can we find the strength to live against that tide?
This Sunday we’ll remember the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem by looking at Psalm 118, a powerful Messianic psalm that celebrates the enthronement of Israel’s king. Jesus, of course, rode toward a different kind of throne and a different kind of crown. Psalm 118 includes phrases sung by Israel’s king and phrase sung by the people who praise God for his faithfulness to them. As we study this psalm together, we’ll discover how Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem also wraps us up in his victory over sin and death.
An earthquake is about to hit the disciples. In just a few short hours, Jesus will be "delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” to be "crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23). As Jesus predicts in our text, they will be scattered, when Christ will be left alone, and when Jesus will win. As the old kids’ television program song goes, “one of these things is not like the other.” How can a moment of divine loss be a moment of divine victory? How can the moment of the disciples’ greatest shame, be the moment of their rest and peace? How can the victory of the world actually be the victory of God? Join us this Sunday as we conclude—for now—our sermon series in the Gospel of John with a study of the final verses of John 16: “Jesus Wins."
We all know theoretically that death is a reality we all must face, both for ourselves as well as those closest to us. But somehow despite that knowledge, whenever the reality of death touches our lives it always seems unfair and untimely. It has certainly felt that way this week as we mourn the loss of a beloved brother in Christ.
Jesus knows experiencing the untimely death of a loved one will have a profound impact on our faith and the way we relate to God. This week we listen in on his conversation with his disciples as he prepares them for the emotional impact his own death will have on them. But we will also see how he prepares them to move from sorrow to joy in the wake of his resurrection, a lesson we need to hear as well as we grapple with the great and last enemy of death in our own lives.
Two weeks ago, Jesus introduced us to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Through our study of John 14, we learned the Spirit is our “Advocate,” which is a legal term Jesus uses to show how the Spirit continues his work of establishing righteousness for his people even after Jesus ascends into heaven. This week, we turn again to a study of the Holy Spirit in John 16. We’ll pay particular attention to verse 8 where Jesus says that the Spirit will convict the world "concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.” What does this mean and why does the Spirit do it? Join us this week to find out!
The disciples’ final few hours with Jesus are quite a roller coaster of emotions: the highs of the Passover Feast and Jesus’ words of love are paired first with confusing acts of service, then predictions of betrayal, and now a divine warning: the disciples themselves will face hatred and persecution; some will even die. What was true for the disciples has been true of the church down through history in nearly every time and place. Seasons of relative peace are punctured by hatred and persecution. The normal Christian life until Jesus returns is to bear up under this trial and tribulation. Join us this Sunday as we consider Jesus’ warning to the disciples in John 15:18-16:4 and the strength you and I can know in the face of hatred and persecution.
Despite the explosive growth of charismatic and Pentecostal versions of Christianity, the person and work of the Holy Spirit remain a mystery to many. The Puritan John Owen noted that our communion with God includes “distinct communion with each person of the Trinity,” including the Holy Spirit. How many of us, though, act as if the Spirit is a sort of gauzy haze that permeates the Christian life instead of a distinct person with distinct actions with which he engages the world and the church? This Sunday, we look at Jesus’ first detailed description of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper who will remain with the disciples after he ascends into heaven.
Besides Jesus, two others in the Upper Room are named by John in this account: Judas and Peter. This Sunday, we will examine the sad and tragic ways in which the two men are alike as well as the grace-filled and merciful ways in which they are different. Knowing their stories and the way they responded to their rejection and betrayal of Jesus will help us make sense of our own stories and our moments of falling away from Christ.
Jesus has now retreated from the crowds. He is alone with his disciples in the Upper Room. Within 24 hours Jesus will be dead. What will he say to the men who have followed him most closely for the last three and a half years? How can he prepare them for the onslaught to come? If we could forget that we have read this chapter countless times before, I think we would all be surprised by what Jesus does and what he says in these final hours of his life. He washes his disciples’ feet, he tells them to wash one another’s feet, and he tells them that all people will know they are his disciples if they have love for one another. It all seems so anticlimactic; it all seems out of place—until we return to John 1 and the wonder of the incarnation! Join us this Sunday as we turn to John 13 and the story of the Servant King.
A Theology of Unbelief - With these final verses of John 12, the public ministry of Jesus draws to a close. Instead of the crowds, Jesus will now spend his time with his closest disciples. The next time the people see him, he will be paraded through the streets of Jerusalem and delivered over to be crucified. John uses these final verses of chapter 12 to talk about the unbelief of the people of God. As we consider this text together on Sunday, I want us to explore the multifaceted reasons for unbelief and the ultimate solution to unbelief. Understanding the theology of unbelief is important not just for people you know who have rejected the claims of Christ, but even for us who—as Christians—will sometimes struggle to believe the gospel promises we know are true. Join us this Sunday as we fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Show Me Jesus - As we return to John, we find Jesus in the final week of his earthly ministry. And, fitting for this Epiphany season, he is being sought after by “some Greeks.” They want to see Jesus. But the rest of our passage is filled with a Jesus who utters enigmatic sayings, who speaks of his death, and who hears the voice of his Father in heaven. Like many of us, the Greeks got more than they bargained for when they asked to see Jesus! Over and over again in this Gospel, we have been confronted with a Jesus who pushes back against our expectations, who shatters our religious illusions, who shows himself in ways we could have never imagined. Join us this Sunday as we turn to John 12 and with the Greeks seek Jesus—in the text of Scripture, with words of prayer, and with hearts of hopeful expectation.
The Accused - The rest of Genesis is focused on the story of Joseph. When last we left him, Joseph was on the way down to Egypt, having been sold into slavery by his brothers. Providentially, the man who bought Joseph is Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, a captain of the guard. Joseph is blessed in Potiphar’s house. You might even say that he is treated better there than in his own father’s house. But suddenly and dramatically, the blessings seem to turn to persecution and tribulation. Where is God for Joseph when things suddenly go from blessing to trial? Where is God for you and me when we experience the same turn in our own life. Join us this Sunday as we consider Genesis 39.