Reading City Church: Recent Episodes
Vince Donnachie
No matter how long we have been a Christian, we are always beginners. But wrong thinking often gets in the way of the our spiritual growth. In "chapter" 10 of our book, Vince and Sarah look at how fear creates barriers to spiritual growth, but can also serve as beacons if we let them.
No matter how long we have been a Christian, we are always beginners. But wrong thinking often gets in the way of the our spiritual growth. In "chapter" 9 of our book, guest speaker, Dr Carmen Morrison looks at the role of relational intimacy in our spiritual growth.
No matter how long we have been a Christian, we are always beginners. But wrong thinking often gets in the way of the our spiritual growth. In "chapter" 8 of our book, Vince and Sarah looks at the role our individual physical bodies play in our spiritual growth.
No matter how long we have been a Christian, we are always beginners. But wrong thinking often gets in the way of the our spiritual growth. In "chapters" 7 of our book, Vince and Sarah looks at how our words are fruits of our inner realities.
No matter how long we have been a Christian, we are always beginners. But wrong thinking often gets in the way of the our spiritual growth. In "chapters" 5 & 6 of our book, Sarah looks at speaking honestly and holding tension.
No matter how long we have been a Christian, we are always beginners. But wrong thinking often gets in the way of the our spiritual growth. In the first two "chapters" of our book, Vince & Sarah look at demystifying our spirituality and demystifying sin.
In today's scripture we see Jesus's embrace of an "unfinished symphony" as He prioritizing the freedom of people, is vulnerable in His desire, and is unwavering in His love. And we learn how His example relates to our purposes.
We're looking at a very familiar passage from Luke this week, but with a slightly different interpretation than sometimes it is taught from. Entering the way of the narrow door means letting go of this deeply rooted idea that we can somehow achieve godliness. It is the way of greater humility; it is the way of greater freedom. It is an effort born out of great love for others and for God’s life-giving ways to be made known through our actions.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
We continue our study of Luke in Luke 14 when Jesus begins to unravel what it means to be His disciple. Real disciples develop complete commitment, a commitment that is unyielding, unrelenting, and unshakeable. God’s invitation is the most important event in life, no matter how inconveniently it may be timed.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
Simple things are important to Jesus. Throughout his time on Earth, most of his instructions and teachings were about the simple things in life: how we related to each other, how we pray, how we listen, etc. Often, we are tempted to add to what Jesus asks us to do, we almost want to add complications to his teachings. In this next passage of Luke, Jesus highlights being smaller, slower, more patient. There are many things in the Kingdom of God that we won't see right away. There are rhythms that we ignore because we'd rather see results RIGHT NOW.
Jesus shows us how influence can be gentle and slow. Take your every day, ordinary life and place it before God as an offering (Romans 12:1-2). Because the Kingdom is, by its nature, relational, it must also be, by it's nature, gentle. Find the rhythms that invite you to rest with Jesus, to love others, and to slow down.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
Early in the chapter of Luke 13, Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath and is criticized for it. We could quickly analyze this as a horrible reaction by religious leaders who are too stuck in their own self-righteousness to recognize a miracle. Instead of pointing fingers, let's instead hold up a mirror to ourselves to see how we also fall into the trap of missing the point of what Jesus is teaching us because we want to hold on to anger or defend our own assumptions.
Jesus' ministry is about pulling us out of our inward self-defense mechanisms, to refocus us outward to see what He sees, to love like He loves.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
We're starting chapter 13 of Luke with a new miniseries to examine the ways Jesus calls us to act which may be countercultural or force us out of our comfortable spaces. What we have in these first few verses is so quintessential Jesus: comforting those who are suffering, filled with shame, and on the outs of religious thought and community. At the same time, he is confronting those who were entrenched in political and religious dogma.
What if the whole foundation of understanding the heart of Jesus is off? What if the American evangelical understanding of Jesus and even the Bible since the beginning of our country has been greatly influenced by power, dominance, fear, and a judgmental moralism that Jesus never asked us to be about?
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
We finish chapter 12 of Luke with a deep dive into discernment and how Jesus speaks to us in small and large ways.
Discernment is important because if we cannot truly discern the heart and the desire of God in our lives, then make no mistake, we will be pulled like the wind by every cultural high and low and every wind of doctrine. Our tendency to fill our minds with fears and control undermines our desire or ability to trust God. We prefer to find ways to prepare, rather than ways to listen.
If you are truly discerning, you will likely find yourself in a small minority and your position with God will often clash with culture and the world around you...True discernment may be very unpopular.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
We're continuing our study of Luke with a look at only four verses: Luke 12:49-53. These verses are often confused or used to condemn, but the strong language Jesus is using is for a different purpose than we may perceive it. Jesus had a deep compassion for the ways that sin was ripping people's lives apart. He went to the most sinful to offer then wholeness and acceptance. His strongest language was directed towards the religious people who rejected others or put up barriers to the grace of God.
The Holy Spirit IS the fire that Jesus is referring to that is both an encouragement and a warning here. Ultimately, it is good news for everyone.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
In this section of Luke, we're looking at Jesus' instructions to be watchful and to be full of integrity. If we become careless about what we let into our hearts, we will allow the thief to steal what is most important to the heart of God and we will have no guard against being robbed of it from our character. We determine the level to which we keep watch over the house God has given us and whether or not we pursue wholeness for the sake of God, on behalf of ourselves and others.
In this next section of Luke 12, we read about the care that God has for us. The child of God is meant to be different from the world, primarily because we are rooted in this knowledge that the Creator of all things sees us, knows us, understands us, and loves us. We struggle to live in that reality though - we often want for things we don't need, fall into the temptation of greed, hoard possessions instead of give them away.
Releasing the worry and anxiety that clutters our minds will make us naturally more generous - which in turn reflects His reality to the world. It requires us to shift our mindset and trust in God's provision and love for us.
We're continuing to study this section of Luke by examining Jesus' warning to not fall into the temptation of greed. Jesus cautions against greed because the motivations of greed are not often obvious right away. Greed, at its core, is often driven by fear. We then remove ourselves from dependence on God and rely on our self. Greed motivates a person to exploit others, to forget the plight of the poor, to identify only with what our ego wants and to cast God aside. Greed can be a constant push and pull on our attention, seducing us to grab, own, and hoard.
Let's learn how to be rich towards God and reject greed in all its forms.
We're starting Luke chapter 12 with a section of scripture that can be confusing. Jesus asks us to reject hypocrisy and release fear of people or ideas that are threatening. The heart behind it is what matters.
Hypocrisy is presenting ourselves as God-lovers and worshipers while judging, despising, and even conspiring against the very ones for which He would sacrifice His Son. He aimed at taking off the heaviness of shame, the constant enslavement to self-perfection, and the fear of punishment that guided humanity. Knowing His intimate love enables us to represent that love in the face of misunderstandings and accusations.
For the past few years, we continue to return to the book of Luke for an in-depth study. You can find all sermons since chapter one under the sermon series marked "Luke." There are several small focused series under that title.
We're finishing chapter 11 of Luke by understanding Jesus' invitation to the religious leaders and how we accept what He offers as an invitation without restriction.
Jesus carried within Him the full desire of God for us, to know us, to love us, to BE WITH us, to heal us, to open us to kindness, goodness, and mercy and for us to carry that same fire so that we would want the same for others.
We return to the book of Luke for another mini series, this time called "Stand Firm." We're picking up where we left off in Luke 11:33. In this passage, Jesus is instructing us how to share His light with the world and what it looks like to actually be light in the darkness. What does the world see in our eyes?
God's desire is to fill our bodies with His light so that we can live it out in our relationships.
We are concluding this mini-series by focusing on the way of grace. The way of grace is peace in the midst of chaos, peace in unknowing, freedom in the midst of doubt, space in the place of cynicism, invitation in the opening. We give grace to others, but we must also be aware of our own need for grace.
Rescue requires nothing of the one needing to be rescued, it requires only that they keep calling out until they are found. Chasing salvation means that we are continually reaching out for rescue.
The Bible often describes the Holy Spirit as wisdom and mystery. Listening to the voice of God the Father means being attuned to His Spirit. We seek to understand what’s underneath our desires, our knee-jerk reactions, our fears. We aim to stay curious, not judgmental, and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what needs to be revealed, redeem what needs to be redeemed, prune what needs to be pruned, and heal what needs to be healed.
Conversion is the process of changing or causing something to change from one form to another. One of the greatest measures of how we’re growing in Christ is how we relate to ourselves, to God, and to other people. Our greatest measure of the wealth of the abundant life that God promises, life to the full, is not a measure of our material wealth or possessions, but rather the deepest, love, peace and security at the center of our soul.
We're doing this mini series in May to further explore how God loves the mess out of our lives so that we can experience his fullness and abundance.
The Gospel is the story of Jesus bringing God’s Kingdom to all and the renewing all things. Today we finish the Supernatural series by looking at Heaven, Earth, and Hell and what we can understand about the heart of God by looking at these eternal realities.
The Bible is far less clear about Hell than what you may have grown up hearing. Complex and eternal realities cannot be talked about with complete certainty. Instead, we can approach these topics with great humility and trust that God will bring clarity in the end. Today, we're looking at the historic and cultural references that are often translated to "Hell," and what the Bible says Hell is intended for.
Ultimately, we have never known a time and place in our entire history without God’s presence. No matter what that looks like in reality, the point is to understand God's grace that surrounds and protects us. God does not desire for anyone to experience this kind of existence without Him.
The focus of darkness in spiritual warfare is to pull us into ourselves and doubt God's love - this happens when we believe lies over the Truth of God. When we choose to live out the words of Jesus to "love others as [He] has loved us," we defeat darkness. There isn't a magic formula, it's simply loving others in the same love that has transformed us. Today, we continue to define how to live out this idea according to scripture and the armor that God has given us.
There can be a disconnect between our daily lives and the internal realities of what the death and resurrection of Jesus did for us. We will all experience difficult times in our lives, but we don't always feel the reality that Jesus has overcome that difficulty. In these seasons, we can find some relevant parallels to what the disciples experienced in the moments immediately after Jesus' death/resurrection. If don’t leave God in the hard and confusing seasons in which it feels like the bottom falls out beneath us, we find God and our faith come alive with new and deeper meaning.
The victory of Jesus doesn't just impact our future, it affects who we are NOW. His suffering and his death and his resurrection was a work that remakes us into people of God whose shame is banished, where death does not have the final word, where we are in deep communion with God again, and where we learn to love others as God has loved us. We often spend our time trying really hard to BE different instead of being transformed by the knowledge that we ARE different, and then choosing to live from the knowledge of that reality.
We're continuing our series about the supernatural themes and ideas of the Bible and what it tells us about God. This week we start to examine the idea of spiritual warfare and what God actually asks us to do.
Having a personal doctrine of spiritual warfare in which we feel we must battle Satan is a dangerous game to play. It can often end up putting people exactly where Satan wants them - which is focused on the darkness, or themselves, more than God and others. Ideas about spiritual warfare can seduce us with a list of the right actions and words that are needed to successfully push back darkness and in so doing, it elevates man and method above the work of Christ.
Putting on the reality of who we are in Jesus Christ is what eliminates the darkness. Owning this identity prevents lies from taking root in our mind.
We are continuing our study of what the Bible says about Satan, specifically the influence that he has (or doesn't have) on the world. The purpose of this study is to define our true identity in the love and power of God and how we do not need to fear the world or its ruler, no matter what we face. Part of this is acknowledging the ways of the world that are not aligned with the Truth of who God is, but may feel right to us. We humbly ask the Holy Spirit to teach us and show us ways that we are acting with hard hearts or anger instead of the grace and love of Christ.
To many Americans, the idea of Satan seems very archaic and ignorant. The Western world does not accept the existence of evil beings as readily as the idea of angels or other holy beings. We are generally hesitant to label darkness in the world.
Recognizing the ways that we've been formed by the world and choosing to turn to God's truth is important and that's what we've focused on a lot in the past few months. Today, we're asking what is behind the "patterns of the world" that goes against the heart of God?
This is the first part of our new series about the supernatural things that are described in the Bible. Our intention for this series is to make our faith big again - to break out of the boxes that we put God into and to embrace wonder again.
We're starting with studying what the Bible says about angels: what they do, why they exist, and how they appear.
There will be lots of scripture references in these episodes, so please email info@readingcitychurch.com if you would like a full list of what is referenced during this sermon.
We are concluding our short series about women and men in the Church by acknowledging wounds of the past and taking a peek into a potential future of how the Church could operate if we move in grace and understanding - knowing that we won't always get things right. We are after a life-giving vision of women and men side by side, based on the clear heart of God in scripture, made a reality through Jesus. We believe this to be best for a healthy church community and for a more full representation of God to the world.
We are continuing to examine God's heart for men and women in the context of scripture, culture, and our own biases. The filter through which so many view the scriptures is still through an unredeemed lens - one that seems bent on preserving the consequences of sin instead of the new way of redemption, or reconciliation, and trust between men and women.
This week, we are specifically looking at the Bible verses that are primarily used in the Church to silence women's voices. We will use historical context and also humbly offer a different understanding of Paul's intention for writing these words and how he wanted the Church to operate.
We're continuing to look at the role and interactions of women and men in the Bible, this week from the perspective of the New Testament.
Jesus affirmed women with a depth that is difficult for us to grasp today. He redeemed them, engaged them, elevated them, equipped them with His teachings, and sent them to proclaim His truth. He revealed a kingdom that included men and women, side by side. This is our spiritual reality through Jesus. We are both created in His image. We need both actively fulfilling what God has called us to for the Church to be the Church.
This is the beginning of a short series that is meant to give a larger understanding of God's heart for women and men. This Sunday we're starting with the Old Testament, specifically Genesis to set up God's original design for creating humanity - male and female - in the image of God.
We're starting out by recognizing that many of the roles, reactions, guidelines, and other norms that determine how we feel about the difference of the sexes come from a broken place and are shaped by our experiences and culture. We want to do our best to stay humble and lay aside our biases in order to talk about how we can begin to heal the gap that has come between women and men in the church and the world.
Every year we take some intentional time to reflect on the goodness of God in our community and our church. We use this time to talk about the life of the church and the budget, but also to remember what matters most in our relationship with God and each other.
This is our last week to hear a short challenge about a topic that is important for your spiritual formation. You'll also hear from a few members of our staff about their experiences with some of these topics. This week we are talking about transformation in our church.
Every year we take some intentional time to reflect on the goodness of God in our community and our church. We use this time to talk about the life of the church and the budget, but also to remember what matters most in our relationship with God and each other.
In the next three weeks, you'll hear a short challenge about a topic that is important for your spiritual formation. You'll also hear from a few members of our church family about their testimonies and experiences with some of these topics. This week we are talking about action opportunities at our church.
Every year we take some intentional time to reflect on the goodness of God in our community and our church. We use this time to talk about the life of the church and the budget, but also to remember what matters most in our relationship with God and each other.
In the next three weeks, you'll hear a short challenge about a topic that is important for your spiritual formation. You'll also hear from a few members of our church family about their testimonies and experiences with some of these topics. This week we are focusing on the connection and formation opportunities at our church.
We all have 3 versions of ourselves. There's the "Ideal You" which is the you that you usually present to the world. The "Real You" which is the you that you only show to certain trusted family or friends who have earned your trust. There's also a "Real, Real You" which is the you that is eternal. It's the You that was created in the image of God that Jesus created brand new.
There are forces that conform us in this life - positively or negatively. In Romans 12:2, Paul is asking us to consider all the ways we have been conformed and then challenges us to be transformed by renewing our minds.
In this Advent season, we are looking at men and women who chose to follow a difficult calling from God and then gifts that came through their obedience. This week, we learn about Simeon and Anna and their "Delayed Gift."
There are processes that take place in our times of waiting that grow our character, expand our ability to trust & help us let go of our need to control the outcomes of things. If we can live in a rhythm of surrender to God and continue to listen for His voice, the delayed gifts of God cause beautiful things to happen within us that even prepare us to receive the gifts that we long for, and keep our focus toward Heaven. Can we learn to lean into the spaces between "now" and "not yet?"
During the Advent season, we are looking at the good gifts of God that often show up in surprising ways and we may not consider to be gifts at the time. This week, we are focusing on the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the "unexpected gift." They are faced with acknowledging a hurt they've carried for a long time - the lack of a child - and a miraculous promise.
The unexpected gift can come as a shock. It can completely interrupt our processes and cause whole new ways of thinking and being to emerge. And so there is this caution for all of us - that when the unexpected gift shows up, we may choose to hold on to cynicism and dismiss it, rather than to dare to hope and be disappointed again. How do we trust God and learn to hope again?
In anticipation of Christmas, we are opening and examining the very good gifts that Christ gives us, which we may or may not understand. This week, we start with the "unseen gift" and read the stories of Mary and Joseph as they take on a responsibility and gift they never anticipated: birthing and raising the Son of God.
Change comes through unseen gifts. Our struggles offer us unseen gifts that call us to step out into the unknown - into what is not comfortable. These gifts teach us how to become our better selves, stretch our capacity and increase our ability to remain at peace.
By inviting God into your life, He may disrupt it. Is there a gift in your life that you can now see, which you wouldn't have identified as something redeemable when you were in the midst of it?
We are finishing our segment of scripture for this series by returning to the question of "what matters most?" Jesus addresses a crowd of people who are used to certain responses, religious ways of living, or cultural biases and he challenges how they are observing a situation. His words would have been confusing and difficult for them to accept. In the same way, his words challenge us to reform our thinking. Loving God and loving others is a difficult mandate sometimes, but true love as He intends it requires a new perspective.
When spiritual realities are mentioned in the Bible they are often cause confusion (both for us and for the audience at the time). These kinds of passages require lots of prayer and patience to allow God to speak to us and discern for us what we need to pay attention to. Today, we are focusing on Jesus' warning about how darkness can cause us to fight against each other, scatter, or simply disconnect, rather than joining together to stand against evil or confusion.
We often miss the beauty in some Bible stories or passages that we hear frequently. In this continuation of our study in Luke, we listen to the prayer that Jesus teaches his disciples. It's a simple prayer that he gives them because they ask. We can approach God in the same way - even when we feel lost or have no idea what to say. He tells us that His spirit is with us, teaching and guiding us.
You already have what you need to be able to pray. All you need is your faith to engage what God, the generous giver, has already given you in the words of Jesus and in what He has placed within you so that you may be complete and equipped for all good works.
We continue reading Luke with the story that highlights two of Jesus' closest friends: Mary and Martha. This story is meant to jolt us into a different way of seeing what matters most in this life and how the most honored actions in the kingdom of God come from the least likely people.
Mary's messy emotions and unconventional openness was welcomed and embraced by Jesus. He sees her depths and meets her there. At the same time, he offers a special invitation to Martha that she can release the pressures perform and serve in order to love him and simply come to him.
One of the amazing things that Jesus taught us during his time on Earth was how to be human. This series is called "What Matters Most" because we are examining the things that mattered the most to Jesus while He spent time here. In this passage, Jesus shows us what spiritual authority means. He teaches us that spiritual authority has nothing to do with our perception of our worth; our title, position, accomplishments, or worthiness. It has nothing to do with our names or our fame. It is an authority that is lent to us by Jesus for the purposes of Jesus alone. Our ego can so easily get in the way of what he wants to reveal to us through our posture of openness.
It is the Joy of Jesus to partner with you, to give you good gifts and to take absolute delight in you.
In the previous sermon, we considered the different kind of resolution that Jesus set in his mind on his journey to Jerusalem. Now, we look at the same verses to study the different kind of response that Jesus had in contrast to the culture he was raised in and the expectations of the time. When we are on our own journeys, how do we respond differently than what may be expect? As we fall on His grace again and again, and as our face is fixed on the one who is fixed on Jerusalem, we grow to also respond very differently to hurt than how we once did.
This is what matters most: to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ and purpose to follow His spirit. This may not look like what we expect. Sometimes it feels like wandering with little to no direction. This is the part of faith that is difficult because we may feel like a spiritual nomad. However there are rich and beautiful things that He will show us along the way.
This is the first sermon in our fall series about focusing on the unusual progress of Jesus and a very different kind of resolve.
Every year in September, we have a Welcome Back Sunday to review some of the values, changes, and opportunities at RCC. This year we are also exploring the Biblical support for time management and how God blesses the investment of our time.
Jesus constantly challenged perceptions and ideas that were taken for granted as fact. He continues to do this. In Luke 9:46-50, Jesus used the example of a child to explain that it's often those who we look down on or ignore who have great value in the kingdom of God. We are quick to make assumptions or hold tightly to what we think is right to justify ourselves. God is asking us to surrender these preconceived notions to better understand Him and His purpose. Today, we are challenged to look at how we have spread the message that "we are better than them" in Christian world history, our country, in our own church, and individually.
We don't have to look hard to face the reality of darkness. It's real in our world, but Jesus is clear that we are not without hope. In this section of Luke, he casts out the darkness from a little boy who is suffering. He rebukes his disciples for their inability to meet the need. His desire was for them to understand that his extraordinary, life-giving kingdom must flow through common, everyday life and unremarkable people. What breaks Jesus' heart, is that the goodness of His Kingdom, so freely given, is being kept by close-fisted beneficiaries. We are able to bring hope to this world. The world is not hopeless. You are in it, and He is in you.
Continuing in our intensive study in Luke, today we read about Jesus' transfiguration. This is the only time when Jesus actually shows some of the essence of who he is to a few of his disciples. God is being fully accessible and approachable to his people for the first time.
The idea of the eternal glory of God that we will one day enter and is within our humanity because of Jesus, can seem very unrelatable or hard to grasp. However, the Bible talks of the transfiguration as something that really happened - not a vision. It speaks of the wonders of God's realm that intermingle with what is on Earth.
Today, Vince introduces the "J-curve of Jesus." This is the idea that Jesus' path did not follow a typical upward slant of success. Instead, he interrupted his relatively normal, human existence to suffer and die before ascending to his rightful place. By choosing this path, Jesus showed his love for humanity and transformed reality for the rest of time by making it possible for us to receive his salvation. In the same way, we must continuously die to ourselves and our desires to be moved to a place of wholeness and life in him.
People had all sorts of theories about who Jesus was and the reason why He came to the Earth. In Luke 9:7-9, Jesus addresses this question with his disciples. Peter is the only one who is able or brave enough to answer with his heart. Over and over again, Jesus invites us to answer the same question for ourselves, because over and over again we need to evaluate our own feelings and faith apart from the influences of others. In this grace-filled moment, Jesus cuts away the past, present, or future perspectives that the world has about him and goes right to Peter as an individual.
The places in our lives that may feel desolate are an invitation to go deeper into the riches of Christ from which we can feed others. We continue our study in the book of Luke with the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. In this empty place, Jesus feeds his people.
The more stripping away of our own power happens, the more power from God to bring goodness and life settles upon us. When we are weak, we are strong…it’s just a very different kind of strength. It is perfected in our weakness.
The invitation for this message is to consider Jesus’ sending of the 12 as a model for how we can share the goodness of His Kingdom through dependency and loving others in His power. It is impossible to have our hearts turned to and deeply resonate with the heart of God all the time. We are too wounded, too suspicious, too fickle, to formed by a fallen world and too likely to contribute to it’s pain ourselves out of self-interests and self-preservation. This is one of the many reasons we needed a Savior.
The more stripping away of our own power happens, the more power from God to bring goodness and life settles upon us. When we are weak, we are strong. It’s just a very different kind of strength. It is perfected in our weakness.
In this message, we focus on “normal” human fears and our normal human reactions to them… the stuff that often trips us up in our spiritual life, our relationships, our careers, our ability to enjoy life. The root of fear is in the story of our separation from God, the story we tell ourselves that we are on our own in a scary world. Tony Blair is our guest speaker this morning and he shares Jesus' invitation to experience something awesome that we haven't before.
When the fear rises, maybe we can take His hand as He leads us into one adventure of faith after another, as we enter in his joy.
Here are two questions we're very familiar with in the church: who is Jesus? and What is His kingdom like? We're exploring these questions through another story in Luke, one that is probably confusing to most readers. In this story, we see Jesus act, but we also should notice the reactions of the people around him. Some responded with fear, some with awe and gratefulness.
Our healing and salvation is an invitation to be a witness and to awaken to the lordship of Jesus. What do you notice about this story?
Jesus’ revolutionary explanation redefines the fabric of family and is the exact inclusiveness that so many need today. At the core of every family structure, whether traditional or not, is the deepest human desire to be a part of something. Healthy Christian families are meant to have opened arms, opened hearts, and opened homes to the larger eternal family. On this Father's Day, we pray that you feel loved by your heavenly Father, but also by a supportive community that lives out the family ties that Jesus calls us to - whether or not you saw this modeled to you by your Earthly father.
The secrets of the Kingdom of God are not actually riddles we may never understand. God wants us to know these things. He desires us to seek them out and He is glad to help us. True growth through the revelation of God takes time. We need to consider the whole context of scripture, hold loosely to what we've heard in the past, and put in the time to experience growth.
Jesus' tendency to speak in parables confused a lot of people. We have the benefit of being on the other side, with the interpretation of the story included in Luke's gospel. Jesus is telling us how different His kingdom is from what we expect. There is so much freedom in that truth and yet we often don't understand, just like the crowds who listened to Him. Jesus wasn’t interested in telling people what to think. He was after the condition of their hearts and whether the deeper truths of God would find good soil there.
Today, we unpack the counter-cultural approach Jesus took to the role of women and men in his life and ministry. He wants to abolish the fears and harsh divisions that keep men and women from serving together as brothers and sisters in Christ. The world would then see a more full picture of God in our relationships and leadership - for both are created in the image of His likeness.
We are starting a new portion of the book of Luke and focusing specifically on the Kingdom of God and how Jesus shows us the better and more beautiful realities that are to come. The goodness of God’s realm is clear any place and time His desires are fulfilled.
We're continuing to look at the story of Jesus on the Emmaus road with two disciples who did not recognize him at first. In part one, we acknowledged the deep grief of the disciples - in the anguish of their dashed hopes. Now, we look at all that Jesus wanted them to realize in the midst of their pain. Inviting Jesus into the conversations in our heads, expressing to Him the depths of our desires, is a crucial step in beginning to slowly see differently. Our brokenness and our unmet needs have to come to the surface if we are ever going to experience wholeness.
After the Resurrection, there was still hopelessness among the disciples who did not yet know that Jesus had returned to them. We pick up their story on the road to Emmaus. We sit in their grief with them, even as they talk to their Savior without realizing it. How often in our own seasons of pain do we miss Jesus walking with us? What new thing does he want us to see? Today, we talk about a new kind of expectancy in the midst of what feels lost or hopeless.
Easter is always a celebration in the church because we honor Christ's sacrifice. We're celebrating even more this Sunday because of several church family members who chose to be baptized during the service. Today we talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus and the ramifications of this great act of love for us.
What would be your first response if you were asked "What is the meaning of the cross?" In this continuation of our series on the book of Luke, Pastor Vince goes into detail about the full reason why Jesus died for us. This goes beyond the Sunday School answers that we've been taught. God's reason for His death was much deeper and richer than we may know.
We're covering more scripture than usual this Sunday as we approach Easter and these are difficult verses to study. Jesus purposefully laid down his rights and power to submit his body to his own creation, who mocked him and tried to destroy him. He chose a season of surrendered passivity.
We also may experience times when we feel stripped of our own power. We realize in these seasons how much is actually out of our control. Our "power" was only lent to us. A surrendered power remembers God. We may finally realize we made idols of our ability to reason, we were prideful in our conclusions, we were arrogant and likely hypocritical in our judgements. There is beauty to be found in surrender.
We continue our series on the book of Luke by studying Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is one of the most vulnerable glimpses of Jesus in his humanity that we are given in the gospels. He is wrestling with the reality of what is coming and feeling the weight of extreme loneliness. Jesus identifies himself with our struggles because he felt every temptation and pain just as we have suffered. Mature faith leans into God in seasons of intense pain in which one feels that sense of loneliness deeply. It does not lean away because God doesn't give us what we want.
We're jumping ahead a few chapters in our study of Luke to read about The Last Supper and Jesus' final instructions to his disciples. There was so much that he wanted them to understand, but they missed. Now we can study these scriptures with the benefit of knowing how the story ends, but we also tend to miss important truths about Jesus' message.
Gary Christman was our guest speaker. Gary and his wife Lily serve full-time in ministry with Disciple Makers - a Christian campus ministry. They have been a part of the RCC family for a long time and we appreciated Gary taking the time to be with us. The first couple of minutes of this message was cut off due to technical issues.
We're taking a quick break from our Luke series to explore the meaning of Lent before beginning the season together.
We think we know and are sure of what we see, especially when the whole the town sees and knows it too...But Jesus invited us to see & know differently. In this next passage of Luke, we're introduced to the "sinful" woman who anoints Jesus' feet. What was it like to be in her place? What about the dinner guests and the host who were watching her? Jesus was safe for her to approach, he didn't just offer forgiveness, he accepted her. This was a radical response in that time and place, but it's a beautiful story of exactly who Jesus is to us as well.
Luke 7:18-35 has some curious statements of Jesus. He addresses questions from John the Baptist's disciples, but His answers aren't very satisfying. This week, we're considering how the Kingdom of Heaven appears upside down to us. Jesus' words often caused offense because His audience didn't fully understand His meaning. What does this mean for us when something we read triggers an uncomfortable feeling in us? What grace do we need to extend to others?
This week we read about the raising of the widow's son, which is a unique story because there doesn't seem to be any other "lesson" that Jesus brings into this interaction. He doesn't pronounce forgiveness of sins or ask the mother to do anything specific. For such a momentous interaction, it seems very simple. Yet, there is so much in this short story of how Jesus cares for the grief, sadness, and death that we deal with.
On New Year's Day, we had a special service dedicated to reflecting on the past year and taking a moment to set our hearts for this new year. The focus on this devotion was surrender, healing, and love.
The meditative questions were: What do I need to let go of? What do I need to accept? What way of thinking or way of acting is getting the way of my own healing? What active steps can I commit to in 2023 towards my healing in Christ Jesus? In what ways may have God used love & suffering to shape my heart in 2022? In what ways can I love and honor those who have wounded me?
This is our last Sunday of Advent so we are concluding our study of the earlier chapters of Luke by considering the message of Jesus' birth. Luke 2:1-38 is often read at Christmas and so we may not hear it for the amazing news that it is anymore. But God came to Earth as a human, lowly in a manager, recognized by the poor and forgotten, yet heralded by angels to humble men and women. Let us understand the true meaning of "God with us" and how His example should shape our lives.
This is part 2 of our series-within-a-series on Advent and the wonder of Jesus coming to Earth as a human. This is a continuation of our study of Luke. Today we read about Mary's response to the calling of God on her life and the implications of bringing the Son of God into the Earth.
We're continuing our series in Luke, but back-tracking to the very beginning of the book for our mini series called "God in the Flesh." We read this story through our focus on Advent and the anticipation around the birth of Jesus. The unexpected expectancy of our Savior coming to Earth. This passage focuses on the prophecy and birth of John the Baptist.
On this Worship Sunday, we wrap up the passage known as the Sermon on the Plain. This has been a challenging passage. Jesus calls us to a very difficult standard. Why is it so difficult to follow his words? In the end, we need to recognize that it's his strength and peace inside of us that makes loving our enemies and doing good to those who hurt us, possible.
We also begin our Advent season by considering the HOPE that Jesus brings.
Does Jesus ever call us to judge? What is the difference between that and discernment? In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus explains how to recognize the fruit that comes from our lives and the lives of others. In noticing these things, we are to show generous love because we have also received generous love for our own failings.
In Luke 6:36-42, Jesus shows us the difference between judgement and forgiveness and how we are to offer generous grace to others.
After Jesus charged us to love our enemies, he explained what that meant. In this continuation of our series studying Luke, we read Luke 6:29-35 when Jesus calls us to live his love to the world. We are to be a people who love differently.
Jesus tells us that loving our enemies looks like: Doing good to those who hate us, speaking blessings over those who curse us, praying for those who mistreat us, and offering the other cheek to those who strike us. In theory, it sounds great, but how do we do this practically?
This week we are breaking down one of the most well-known sermons in the Bible in Luke 6:17-26. In this section about blessings and woes, Jesus tackles our assumptions and shows us the grace of divine favor for circumstances that are difficult.
Despite what He knew He was facing, Jesus chose to more forward by moving upward and outward. We learn through His example that in times of blistering tensions, we should move towards God with greater intensity.
We are continuing our study of Luke in chapter 6, verses 6-11 when Jesus heals a man's hand on the Sabbath. Through this story, we see how Jesus still desires to heal that which is withered; that which is barren, that which is paralyzed, that which is our source of shame and pain.
Phil continues our study of the book of Luke with another response of Jesus to being accused of disrupting the Sabbath. In this passage Jesus shows how He came to fulfill the law and challenge the god that the religious leaders had constructed in their minds. The Lord of the Sabbath invites us to be with Him and allow Him to nourish us with His goodness without building fences to keep others away.
We continue our dive through the book of Luke. This week Sarah defines how God's kingdom is so different from our understanding, and how that should affect everything that we do. God is always up to life, He is always up to a kind of blessing - if only we can have eyes to see it, ears to hear it, and hearts to perceive it.
Sarah continues our study of the book of Luke, chapter 5, when Jesus invites a tax collector to follow him and how this story shows that no outsiders exist in the calling and community of God.
Jeff Bateman shows how Jesus sees our needs, restores our dignity, and brings us back into community through the stories in Luke 5:12-26.
Jeff Tuck continues our series studying the book of Luke by examining chapter 5:1-11 when Simon Peter first realizes the authority of Jesus through a miraculous catch of fish.
We're continuing our study of Luke by examining how Jesus exemplifies trusting God for our provision, safety, and well-being.
Vince begins our new series on the book of Luke by introducing us to the writer Luke and his passion for explaining how Jesus came for ALL people.
Today we have special guests from Hosanna! speaking today in continuation of our series "God Between Us." This series ties into our OUT season, which will deal with our relationships with each other, ourselves, and God.
Welcome to Reading City Church! Today we are starting a new series "God Between Us." This series ties into our OUT season, which will deal with our relationships with each other, ourselves, and God.
Welcome to Reading City Church! Today we are continuing our series called "In God We Trust?". Our theme of 2022 is ALL OF ME. This series is all about our finances and how God plays a part in it all.
To view our slides for this sermon, click here! https://www.canva.com/design/DAE4PoMldIU/s_6RfUBC0znciDZJUr3CFg/view?utm_content=DAE4PoMldIU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton
THEME FOR 2022: ALL OF ME My finances - IN: January - March My Relationships - OUT: April - June My Creativity - REST: July - September My Emotions - UP: October - December Overall Scripture: Matthew 6:24
Find out more about us on our website: http://www.readingcitychurch.com
Follow us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingcitychurch Instagram: @reading_city_church Twitter: @ReadingChurch
Welcome to Reading City Church! Today we are continuing our series called "In God We Trust?". Our theme of 2022 is ALL OF ME. This series is all about our finances and how God plays a part in it all.
To view our slides for this sermon, click here! https://www.canva.com/design/DAE4PoMldIU/s_6RfUBC0znciDZJUr3CFg/view?utm_content=DAE4PoMldIU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton
THEME FOR 2022: ALL OF ME My finances - IN: January - March My Relationships - OUT: April - June My Creativity - REST: July - September My Emotions - UP: October - December Overall Scripture: Matthew 6:24
Find out more about us on our website: http://www.readingcitychurch.com
Follow us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingcitychurch Instagram: @reading_city_church Twitter: @ReadingChurch
Welcome to Reading City Church! Today we are continuing our series called "In God We Trust?". Our theme of 2022 is ALL OF ME. This series is all about our finances and how God plays a part in it all.
To view our slides for this sermon, click here!
https://www.canva.com/design/DAE3U1acpuI/AQ0B104nIp9-vIPA2dvkAg/view?utm_content=DAE3U1acpuI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton
THEME FOR 2022: ALL OF ME My finances - IN: January - March My Relationships - OUT: April - June My Creativity - REST: July - September My Emotions - UP: October - December Overall Scripture: Matthew 6:24
Find out more about us on our website: http://www.readingcitychurch.com
Follow us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingcitychurch Instagram: @reading_city_church Twitter: @ReadingChurch
Welcome to Reading City Church! Today we are continuing our series called "In God We Trust?". Our theme of 2022 is ALL OF ME. This series is all about our finances and how God plays a part in it all.
THEME FOR 2022: ALL OF ME My finances - IN: January - March My Relationships - OUT: April - June My Creativity - REST: July - September My Emotions - UP: October - December Overall Scripture: Matthew 6:24
Find out more about us on our website: http://www.readingcitychurch.com
Follow us here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm8uR1WorsaveeuHx6ayFZw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingcitychurch Instagram: @reading_city_church Twitter: @ReadingChurch
Welcome to Reading City Church! Today we are starting a new series called "In God We Trust?". Our theme of 2022 is ALL OF ME. This series is all about our finances and how God plays a part in it all.
THEME FOR 2022: ALL OF ME My finances - IN: January - March My Relationships - OUT: April - June My Creativity - REST: July - September My Emotions - UP: October - December Overall Scripture: Matthew 6:24
Find out more about us on our website: http://www.readingcitychurch.com
Follow us here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingcitychurch Instagram: @reading_city_church Twitter: @ReadingChurch
Today Phil Warner continues our series, "The Light of the World."
Find out more about us on our website: http://www.readingcitychurch.com
Today we continue our new series, "The Light of the World." We also present our IMPACT 2021 video which tells the story of RCC's heart and vision through what we've accomplished this year.
In this conclusion of the series Good God, Almighty, Pastor Vince examines God's ongoing posture of love.
Pastor Vince looks at redefining our origins of what it means to be human based on how God intended us to be.
Pastor Vince considers how the barrier of shame prevents us from fully understanding how God truly sees us; fully realizing how shame has kept us from experiencing his love is part of how we can experience the joy of a relationship with him.
In part 2 of Good God, Almighty, Vincent challenges our understanding of original sin and reminds us of our value as God's creation, made to worship him.
Pastor Vince introduces the new teaching series "Good God Almighty," focusing on how we worship.
Pastor Vince continues this short series on the Sabbath by explaining how God intended us to delight in His creation through rest and community.
Jeff Bateman introduces this short sermon series on the Sabbath by explaining how the Sabbath is represented in the Bible.
Pastor Vince talks about why being intentional about loving one another matters in the second sermon of this series.
Pastor Vince speaks about learning to be intentional in the community as the church, and how we can be genuine with each other while growing in our own spiritual journeys.
Pastor Vince shares from his heart about how to be wounded healers who don't judge, who don't always try to fix problems, and who always choose love.
In the second week of this miniseries, Pastor Vince looks at the Psalms of lament as he discusses forgiveness with God and a new spiritual practice called "Sacred Wrestling."
Pastor Vince contemplates the importance of forgiveness in this first part of a new sermon miniseries.
Pastor Vince concludes the series with a final look at Romans and what makes us Christians.
Pastor Vince looks at the proof of our Christianity as he continues the study in Romans.
We continue discussing what makes us Christians as Pastor Vince gives another lesson on Romans.
Pastor Vince introduces the sermon series "What Makes Us Christian," a study in the book of Romans.
Pastor Vince gives an overview of what retooling Sunday mornings will look like and why it's important.
It's a question we may find ourselves asking after the holiday season; Pastor Vince gives his take on why every day can't be like Christmas.
Pastor Vince concludes "The Journey to Christmas" with a meditative reading of scriptures.
Pastor Vince introduces the new festive sermon series entitled "The Journey to Christmas."
Pastor Vince reviews the various sermon series we talked about in 2020 and reaffirms their relevance.
Pastor Vince continues the discussion of Jesus's character as he examines the honesty of Jesus.
Pastor Vince concludes the sermon series as he contemplates the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Conrad Kraybill talks about a woman caught in adultery in part six of "The Compassion of Jesus."
Pastor Vince talks about Jesus's encounter with a man with leprosy as he continues the sermon series.
In part four of "The Compassion of Jesus," Pastor Vince speaks about Jesus, the crown, and Bartimaeus.
Pastor Vince talks about a widow's son raised to life in part two of "The Compassion of Jesus."
Pastor Vince, Jon, and Michael continue their discussion from last week about their sermons and what has been on their hearts during these times.
Pastor Vince, Jon, and Michael touch back on their sermons from the past three weeks and discuss what God has been revealing to them during this season.
Pastor Vince goes over the story of Elijah and explains how it is relevant to us today.
Michael Kaucher talks about being transformed and practically living out our relationship with Jesus.
Jon VanWyngarden offers a message about listening to the voice of Jesus during times of upheaval.
Pastor Vince discusses the true impact that Christianity and the church has had on the world.
Pastor Vince talks about the importance of love being an action as he preaches from Weaver's Orchard.
Pastor Vince talks about the true meaning of worship within the church in part seven of "Irrepressible Ecclesia."
Pastor Vince explains the importance of preaching in the church as he gives the fourth part of the "Irrepressible Ecclesia" series.
Pastor Vince discusses the importance of embracing the church in part five of "Irrepressible Ecclesia."
Pastor Vince talks in week 4 of "Irrepressible Ecclesia" about the church giving us what we need, but not necessarily what we want.
Pastor Vince talks about his own thoughts on effectively being the church in part three of the "Irrepressible Ecclesia" series.
Pastor Vince talks about what gathering in a church building means for the church in week 2 of "Irrepressible Ecclesia."
Pastor Vince introduces the idea of being the "Irrepressible Ecclesia" in the first part of this new sermon series.
Pastor Vince and Brandon Hertzler discuss the ideas and questions brought up over the course of the "Beloved" series.
Pastor Vince speaks of Christians being the bridge between God's love and humanity in part 5 of the "Beloved" series.
Pastor Vince talks about the beauty of being adopted by God on this Mother's Day in week four of the "Beloved" series.
Pastor Vince talks about being chosen in love as he gives the third sermon of the "Beloved" series.
Pastor Vince delivers the second part of the "Beloved" series as he contemplates the most loving sacrifice of all.
Pastor Vince introduces the subject of the new "Beloved" series as he walks through West Reading.
We hear from same-sex attracted people who have found God as Pastor Vince offers the fifth and final sermon of the Higher Love series.
Pastor Vince delivers the fourth message in the Higher Love series. *Please excuse the audio for the first 6 minutes—there were some technical difficulties regarding the live stream.
Pastor Vince speaks more about gay individuals and the church in part three of Higher Love.
Pastor Vince talks about the role of love in today's controversy with gay christians and the church as he introduces this new sermon series.
Pastor Vince talks about the true meanings of inerrancy and inspiration as he offers the third part of The Honest Truth series.
Pastor Vince introduces a new sermon series with a message on the Truth God shows us, and how it compares to our own truths.
Reading City Church gets an update from Pastor Vince, the RCC staff, and various ministry team leaders about where we are now and where we are headed as a church in 2020. Follow along with slides from the morning by clicking on SLIDES below.
Jeff Bateman invites two guest speakers to talk about their experiences with fasting, then gives the second part of the Fasting 101 series.
As the church approaches a time of fasting, Pastor Vince offers a sermon on the how and why of this important Biblical practice.
Jeff Bateman gives the third part of the Subversive Joy series, as well as inviting up some members of the church to share their experiences.
Pastor Vince delivers part two of this holiday sermon series as he expounds upon what it means to have a healthy mindset towards joy.
Pastor Vince gives the first sermon of the Subversive Joy series and invites a few guests up to give their experience on the topic.
Pastor Vince delivers a message about giving praise for who God is and giving thanks for what God does.
Pastor Vince gives a sermon about the unconditional grace and compassion that God has us belong to.
As the sermon series comes to a close, Pastor Vince again allows members of the church body to offer their own thoughts on being the church.
Pastor Vince opens up the floor for members of the church to give their own lessons about being the church.
Michael Kaucher encourages the church as he gives part 3 of the We are the Church sermon series.
Pastor Vince talks about what it means to be the church in this first part of a new sermon series.
Guest speaker Larry Kreider delivers a message about how the church operates in both small and large ways, and why each are essential.
Pastor Vince gives a sermon about three urgencies described in the Bible on this Baptism Sunday.
Pastor Vince gives a sermon on the idea of a balanced church in the third message of the From the Heart series.
Pastor Vince gives a message about how we must share Jesus with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pastor Vince delivers a sermon about the essentialness of Jesus in our lives. This is the first From the Heart message, in which Pastor Vince is clearing the sermon schedule and preaching what he believes God is laying on his heart.
Conrad Kraybill talks about what is and is not our job in our closest relationships as he gives part four of the Family Vacation series.
Pastor Vince preaches the first part of the Don't Waste Your Work series and looks at how we can worship through our work.
Following Pastor Vince's message, a few members of the church family come up and share their testimonies.
Following Pastor Vince's message, a few members of the church family come up and share their testimonies.
Pastor Vince preaches the last part of the World of Wonder series and gives an invitation to silence and solitude.
Pastor Vince preaches the first part of the World of Wonder series, looking at spiritual disciplines to reengage with God's wonder and purpose for the world.
In part 2 of the series, Pastor Vince preaches about rising above politics to live out what matters most as members of God's Kingdom.
George Davis preaches his last sermon as executive pastor of Reading City Church about what it means to follow Jesus even when you don't understand why.
Pastor George preaches about the tools we need to build a thankful heart in this November stand-alone sermon.
In this sermon Pastor Vince preaches on the 3 things not to do in order to avoid using our mouths for death and 3 things to do with our mouths to move towards life.
Pastor Vince preaches on the danger and forgiveness of emotional outbursts in the Bible.
Pastor George preaches on what it means to love one another in the second part of the We Love Series.
In conclusion of the series, Pastor Vince preaches how Hebrews describes us as "people of presence."
In part 4 of the series Andrea McHenry looks at how Hebrews shows us how to live like Jesus in the world.
In part 3 of the series Pastor George looks at how Hebrews says Jesus is greater than the angels.
In Part 2 of the series Pastor Vince looks at the greatness of Jesus by looking at who Jesus is and what he does.
In part 1 of the series Pastor Vince gives an introduction to the book of Hebrews, and examines how Jesus is at the center of this book.
In part 4 of the series Pastor George looks at 3 common roadblocks we can face while learning to live a life of repentance.
In part 3 of the series Pastor Clark looks at repenting from the cultures of celebrity, consumerism, and competition.
In part 2 of the series Andrea McHenry looks at looking at hungering for God alone through repentance.
In part 1 of the series pastor Vince begins by looking at a story of repentance in scripture and why repentance is crucial to our relationship with God.
In part 2 of The Vow series Conrad looks at the importance of pursuit in healthy committed relationships.
In part 1 of The Vow series Pastor Vince looks at the first and most important vow between us and God.
On Easter Sunday Pastor Vince shares about the victory we have over darkness because of the great love of God.
In part 8 Pastor Vince concludes the series by giving an overview of key points throughout the series, and finishes by looking at where to go from here.
In part 8 Pastor Vince concludes the series by giving an overview of key points throughout the series, and finishes by looking at where to go from here.
In part 7 of the Rooted Series Pastor Vince Donnachie continues to look at the missional living of the early church. Specifically the life giving suffering of the early church.
Part 6 of the Rooted series begins with an open mic time, then Pastor Vince begins to look at the mission of the early church.
In Part 5 of the Rooted series, Pastor Vince looks at how the early church used worship and prayer as part of their spiritual formation.
In the week 4 of the Rooted Series Pastor Vince looks at the worship practices of the early church.
In the week 4 of the Rooted Series Pastor Vince looks at the worship practices of the early church.
In Part 3 of the series Pastor Vince looks at the beliefs of the early church, including views on creation, sin, salvation, and humanity.
In Part 3 of the series Pastor Vince looks at the beliefs of the early church, including views on creation, sin, salvation, and humanity.
In part 2 of the series Pastor Vince Donnachie begins to do an overview of the beliefs of the early church, specifically their views on truth.
In Part 1 of the series Pastor Vince begins to lay the foundation of the early church, and explains why this subject matter should matter so much to us as Christians.
In Part 1, various ministry team leaders share about their ministries including upcoming events and vision.
In week 2 of the series pastor George Davis looks at how putting our trust in Jesus can lead to living a life of generosity.
In week 1 of the series Pastor George Davis looks at 3 different examples of what it looked like for followers of Jesus, and what we can learn about embracing the adventure of following Him.
In Becoming Less Busy pastor Vince Donnachie looks at the importance of trusting God with our time.
Executive Pastor George Davis begins the new year by looking at examining our priorities. This new year we can make God—not money, titles, or promotions—the number one priority in our lives.
In week 4 Pastor Vince Donnachie concludes the series by looking at the Wise Mens' act of bowing their knees before Jesus as a way of worship.
In part 3 of the series Pastor Vince Donnachie looks at pouring our hearts out to God as an act of Worship. This act of worship allows us to live and worship in the way God designed us.
In week 2 of the series, Luke Jones looks at bringing our gifts to God as a way of worship.
In week one of the series, Pastor Vince looks at the Biblical act of lifting hands in worship.
In part 4 Pastor Vince concludes the series by focusing on giving thanks in everything through Christ Jesus.
In week 3 Pastor George Davis looks at how sharing thanksgiving and gratitude makes way for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts.
In week 2 of the series Pastor Vince shares three Biblical stories of thanks. Through these stories he looks at how God honors thanks, and draws close to those who thank Him.
In week 1 of the series Pastor Vince looks at the mortal enemy of gratitude, complaining. To make room for thankfulness we must first expel complaining from our lives.
In part 5 of the series, Pastor George looks at the final awakening of coming to life. Using the story of the older brother in the prodigal son, Pastor George looks at the Father's invitation to His party.
In part 4 of the series, Pastor Vince looks at the significance of the robe, ring and sandals that the father places on his prodigal son and our need to awaken and define ourselves by God's love for us.
In the third sermon of the series, new Executive Pastor of RCC, George Davis, teaches from the story of the Prodigal Son on a heavenly Father that runs to us.
In the second part of this series, Pastor Vince shows how embracing regret can bring us back to God.
In the first sermon of this 5-part series, Pastor Vince speaks on the awakening to longing and the understanding that longing for love, purpose & meaning are fulfilled in a relationship with God.
Army Chaplain, pastor and RCC church family member, Schaun Myers, strikes a Biblical balance with end-times reactions.
In this concluding sermon for the Logos series, Pastor Vince brings us back to the importance of the question Jesus asks each of us, "Who do you say that I am?" And for those who have answered that question, a second crucial question of Jesus is asked for us to contemplate.
In this sermon, Luke Jones looks at some of the worshipful descriptions of Jesus in the book of Revelation.
In this sermon, Clark looks at the church was Jesus idea, built on the proclamation of who He is and how He was the head of the NT church.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince looks at Jesus' conversation with the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus is revealed to those who want to know Him.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince looks beyond forgiveness and into the larger narrative of the Bible to show how the cross brought us Marriage to God, Life of God and Liberty from darkness.
RCC elder, Conrad Kraybill, shares on how Jesus did all He did for the will and glory of God, the Father and His close relationship with Him.
Jesus often offended the religious leaders of His day. The question is, who are the religious leaders of today? To those who have a similar posture, Jesus is still a necessary rock of offense.
In this sermon, Vince looks at the ways in which Jesus taught and embodied love of His enemies and how we can do the same.
RCC family member, Lynne Burkholder preaches on the love Jesus has for all people and how His disciples are to love one another.
In this sermon, Conrad Kraybill looks at Jesus' teachings on the crucial role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His followers.
In this sermon, Vince looks at Jesus teaching on the beatitudes to discover the broad way of Jesus' love for all of humanity and the narrow way of our choice to love Him back.
In this sermon, Andrea Mchenry teaches on the growing Kingdom of God that Jesus came to bring.
In this sermon, we look at Jesus raising a dead Lazarus to life, what this reveals about Jesus and ourselves, as people of the resurrection.
In this sermon, RCC family member, Lynne Burkholder shares on how miracles reveal Jesus' heart for wholeness & restoration.
In this sermon, Vince looks at the miracle of Jesus casting out a legion of demons from a man and what this has to teach us about who He is and our reactions to that reality.
In this sermon, Vince looks at Jesus' miracle of changing water into wine at a friends wedding and the greater meaning this sign points to, of His cross & resurrection.
Guest speaker, Patrick Tutella, continues our series by looking at the incarnation and the Jewishness of Jesus as well as Palm Sunday.
In this sermon, we learn of the Jewishness of Jesus, the Divinity of Jesus and the Vulnerability of Jesus from the first 2 chapters of Mathew & Luke.
Conrad looks into the depth of John 3:16 and focuses on how God = Love, the world = death, The Son of God = Life.
In this sermon, Vince looks at particular examples of the "Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament and parallels with Jesus in the New Testament.
In the first sermon in our Logos series, Vince looks into the meaning of John 1:1-4 to explain Jesus as Logos of God.
In this teaching, Vince goes over skills, conflict resolution & commissioning the church.
"RCC Life" is a teaching series presented by teams of RCC elders that helps explain the story, the vision, the values of Reading City Church, as well as understanding the basics of growing in faith, spiritual gifts and how that all fits into the opportunities to serve in and outside the church community. This teaching explains the DISC Personality, Spiritual Gifts and Passion assessments.
"RCC Life" is a teaching series presented by teams of RCC elders that helps explain the story, the vision, the values of Reading City Church, as well as understanding the basics of growing in faith, spiritual gifts and how that all fits into the opportunities to serve in and outside the church community. This teaching explains the DISC Personality, Spiritual Gifts and Passion assessments.
"RCC Life" is a teaching series presented by teams of RCC elders that helps explain the story, the vision, the values of Reading City Church, as well as understanding the basics of growing in faith, spiritual gifts and how that all fits into the opportunities to serve in and outside the church community.
"RCC Life" is a teaching series presented by teams of RCC elders that helps explain the story, the vision, the values of Reading City Church, as well as understanding the basics of growing in faith, spiritual gifts and how that all fits into the opportunities to serve in and outside the church community.
In the stand-alone sermon, Vince looks at unredeemed and redeemed desires and our yearning for God.
Hear from various ministry team leaders at RCC parishes concerning highlights from 2016 and what they are looking forward to in 2017.
In the second part of this recording, hear from Pastor Vince and Executive director John Fuller, about highlights from 2016 and the coming year of 2017. Included in this talk is RCC's new position on female elders.
In part 2 of this mini-series, Pastor Vince takes us through Philemon, verses 13-22 as we discover it's relevancy for relationships and how the church functions.
First, in a two-part sermon, Pastor Vince shares from verses 1-12 from the letter of Philemon, it's background and why it matters to us today.
More than 1/2 of America has made New Year's resolutions. But what is it that leads to true transformation? In this sermon, Vince looks at the 3 foundational keys to real change: Salvation, Sanctification & Repentance.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince preaches on Zechariah & Elizabeth, the gift of waiting and the fruit of joy.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince looks at how we can learn from Joseph and the honor and devotion he showed Mary and his family.
In this sermon, guest speaker & former national prison chaplain for the Orthodox Church, Patrick Tutella, speaks on the Wisemen and true worship of Jesus.
In this concluding sermon of the series, Vince looks at the new life and hope that comes to Naomi and how the story's end point us to the hope of Christmas.
In this sermon, Conrad looks at the marriage of Ruth & Boaz and what is needed for healthy intimacy to exist.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince looks at the beginnings of intimacy between Ruth & Boaz and relates that our intimacy with God.
RCC Youth Director, Luke Jones looks at how we can learn to honor one another through the example of Boaz & Ruth.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince looks at Ruth's example of how to stay relationally devoted through times of difficulty.
In this sermon, Andrea, member of RCC and director of local anti-human trafficking awareness organization (FRE*E), speaks on the result of the fall in Genesis 3.
Having laid a Biblical foundation for the beauty of marriage & sex in the first two sermons, Vince speaks about times of celibacy for those who are married as well as singles and those who identify themselves as homosexual.
In the second part of our series, Pastor Vince looks at the deep spiritual reality sex was meant to illustrate.
In this first sermon of the series, Pastor Vince speaks on the original designs of God for male and female marriage.
In this final sermon of the series, Vince gives an overview of chapters 11-13 and ends with a call to the church for an undivided heart of devotion & worship.
In this sermon, church family member, Conrad Kraybill preaches on Nehemiah 9 &10 and how Unity in repentance leads to unity in revival which leads to unity in Christ, a key element of true restoration and transformation.
In part 8 of the series, Vince looks through Nehemiah 8 and the revival that the Jews experienced as a result of their prayers, hard work & obedience to God's heart.
In this sermon, RCC youth director, Luke Jones, preaches from Nehemiah chapters 6 & 7 and the mission of involving both city AND suburbs in our mission.
In this sermon, RCC member, Cait Beiler looks at Nehemiah chapter 5 and the need to see all people as God's children.
In part 5 of the series, we look at Nehemiah 4 & how opposition is meant to make us more like Jesus.
In this sermon, elder & executive director of RCC, John Fuller, preaches from Nehemiah 3.
In part 3 of our series, RCC Elder shares in Nehemiah 2 and how the alignment of our hearts with God's heart brings His favor.
In this sermon, we look at the events of Ezra, the first chapter of Nehemiah, the history of Reading and the need to be broken for the sake of the city.
In the first sermon of the series, Vince looks the story of Cities throughout the Bible, God's heart for cities and our identity as the city of God.
Former pastor of Saint James and current member & Army Chaplain, Schaun Myers gives this special Father's Day sermon.
In this sermon, RCC member, Andrea McHenry looks at the need for, and power of, intercessory prayer.
In this sermon, guest speaker Patrick Tutella seeks to bring together the charismatic tradition with the contemplative tradition.
In this sermon, guest speaker, Kara Sensenig shares about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In the first part of this sermon, we look at the Trinity and the role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church.
Follow along with visuals. Click on play first, X out of that window (it will still play) and click on "Revive4 Visuals."
In the second part of this sermon, we look at the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit and the preeminence of love.
Follow along with visuals. Click on play first, X out of that window (it will still play) and click on "Revive4 Visuals."
In this sermon, RCC member & elder, Rob Martin records a sermon he gave on Pentecost Sunday at our new church - RCC Center City.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince gives an intro to Pentecost, followed by the sermon by RCC member, Conrad Kraybill.
Guest speaker Greg Hubbard shares about being thirsty for Jesus at one of our special evening services.
In part two of the series, and Mother's Day, Vince looks at the labor pains of prayer we all must endure as God-bearers.
In part one of the series, we look at what revival is, the Biblical precedence for it, the need for it in the church and the means by which it comes.
RCC family member and director of Reading Berks Conference of Churches, Michael Kaucher shares about the need for a heart transformation.
In the concluding sermon to the series, we take a look at the Biblical discipline and spiritual practice of keeping a sabbath day's rest.
In part 9 of our series, Vince leads the "prayer of examen" and then a question & answer time with St James Parish of RCC congregants concerning the spiritual practices & disciplines.
In the 7th sermon of our Retreat series, former national chaplain for the Orthodox Church, Patrick Tutella, shares on repentance, fasting & significance of the story of Barabbas.
Vince leads in "Centering Down" practice and speaks on the discipline of Meditation. The practice of "Lectio Divina" is also introduced.
In the second week of the series, Rob continues in laying a theological groundwork for the series by understanding legalism verses resting in the done work of Christ.
In this first week of the series, Vince seeks to lay some theological groundwork for understanding the everywhere presence of God.
Dr. Carmen Morrison & her husband Bob, are former leaders of our kids ministry at RCC and now serve as full-time missionaries with Connexion Mosaico in Mexico. In this sermon, Carmen shares what true hope looks like in the midsts of difficulties.
Christ as light, broke through our darkness, illuminates our eternity and causes us to shine for His glory. RCC Center City member and youth leader, Cait Queppet brings the second part of this mini-Christmas series.
Christ as light, broke through our darkness, illuminates our eternity and causes us to shine for His glory. Pastor Vince bring the first part of this mini-Christmas series.
In the conclusion of the series, church member, Andrea McHenry, challenges & encourages us from Luke 12:33-34, towards a heart of generosity.
In this sermon, Pastor Vince contrasts the goodness of the Kingdom of God with current world events.
Church member, Jordan Weidler shares from Luke 12:29-31 and shared about wealth, simplicity and the kingdom of God.
In this sermon, Vince preaches from Luke 12:27-28 on meaning of true beauty and the ways in which God clothes His children.
In this sermon, RCC family member, Conrad Kraybill, preaches from Luke 12:25-26 and encourages us to look past the part that we know onto the whole that God is in control of.
In part 3 of our series, Vince preaches on the words of Jesus "Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!"
In this second part of the series, Reading City Church's youth director, Luke Jones, preaches from Luke 12:22-23.
Is the idea of retirement Biblical? Is it Biblical that pastors are paid salaries? Does the Old Testament law concerning tithe mean that we should be giving to the church today? In this introductory sermon, Vince looks at the words of Jesus in Luke 12v13-21, concerning financial generosity & being "rich toward God."
Prison chaplain, Patrick Tutella shares about Jesus heart on loving the loving the least of these and on seeing the incarnated as our neighbor.
In this conclusion of the Jonah series, we take a look at God's question to Jonah on which the book ends.
Rob takes a look at Jonah's anger and calls into question what it means to have "God on our side."
In this sermon, Vince looks at the possible reasons Jonah had such a strong impact on Nineveh and what we can learn from it.
In this message, our new youth director, Luke shares about the mercy of God that Jonah experienced.
Rob gives the second message in this series and looks at Jonah's struggle with racism & nationalism.
In this introduction to the series, Vince gives background on Jonah and the relevancy today to cultural issues such as same-sex marriage and ISIS.
This mini-series looks at God’s heart for women & men throughout the Bible. This sermon focuses on the idols that males and females make of themselves and the Biblical understanding of headship and submission.
In this sermon, church family member, Joe Hine takes a look at sorrow over sin and the necessary repentance.
In this Psalm, Vince looks at the "far-away" and "close-at-hand" nature of God and how that impacts our prayer lives.
Church family member, Jordan Weidler shares another look at Psalm 22 and the importance of being real and honest with God in our prayer lives.
In this sermon, church family member, Stephen Jackson shares from Psalm 1 and from his personal struggle with trusting God.
In this sermon, church family member, former St. James Pastor, and military chaplain, Schaun Myers, shares on Psalm 40.
In this sermon, church family member, Rob Martin, shares the spiritually sobering truths of Psalm 90.
Church family member & Bible college student, Isaac Fabian shares from Psalm 63 concerning the satisfaction that only Jesus can bring.
In this message, worship pastor, Dan Smith preaches from Psalm 46 about letting God fight our battles.
In this first message of the series, Vince teaches on the people, purpose, prominence and prayers of the Psalms.
Is it possible to keep that "Christmas spirit" throughout the year? Yes, if we can learn the most important lessons from our past, present & future.
Is a conversion, like the one Ebenezer Scrooge experiences, possible? This sermon looks at the 2 powerful motivations for change but how ultimately, only one reality can bring true transformation.
In this 3rd sermon of the series, we look at what it means to give the gifts of Forgiveness and Appreciation to those that need them most.
The wounds of our past, the wounds we inflict and how the redefining joy of Jesus changes it all.
In this first sermon of the series, we use Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" to look at making room for the presence of Christ and standing sure in the freedom He has brought us.
Take a look at the ways in which we objectify people everyday & learn how to see people as Jesus did.
Bob Lenz is our guest speaker for this part of our Disconnect series and talks about Biblical Dignity.
The current epidemic, its effects on society, its origins and the transformation that only the Gospel brings.
Vince takes a look at the need to build technological boundaries so that we can be more present to God and to others.
Why do believers chose to be baptized? The Bible gives 3 main reasons: 1). Jesus did it and told His followers to do it 2). Baptism is a symbol of our death and resurrection with Jesus and 3). Baptism identifies ourselves with a community of Jesus followers. Please note: This message is recorded only in part. The first 10 minutes were not recorded.
A look at the meaning of historical & Biblical discipleship as well as some of the ways our church body seeks to fulfill it.
The worship band sings numerous hymns of our faith, book-ended by a musical history lesson in worship by Vince.
Pastor Vince looks seeks to uncover the Biblical truth of this controversial text for husbands and wives.
Rob Martin bring part 3 in the series and looks at how Paul encourages us to remember who we were so that we will not pridefully boast in who we are.
In this message, we look at how our heavenly Father chose us to belong to Him, His Son redeemed us to make our belonging possible and the Holy Spirit solidifies our belonging. FYI -there is an echo during much of this recording. It does eventually go away.
Grace Fabian shares the story of her book in which her husband was slain while translating the Bible into the Papa New Guinean language. Her story is one of inspiration, redemption and the miracle of forgiveness out of pain & life out of death.
Purchase her book "Outrageous Grace" on Amazon.
If you are curious about Reading City Church & our first neighborhood parish of St James, listen as Vince speaks about "What we are about," "What we believe," and "What we value." Part 2 will be given on May 18th and will be "How we function."
Former wife of Nickel Mines Amish Schoolhouse shooting shares her story of God's faithfulness and redemption.
In this message, Vince preaches from Luke 5:17-26. Learning from Jesus' interaction with the paralytic, we can see that 1). we don't have to make resuscitation easy and 2). we can answer suffering with His new life.
A message from John 9 about the need to see people, churches and our city as they truly are: filled with cracks through which God's glory can shine!
This message is based on John 3 & 4 and is from a Sunday morning gathering at our St. James parish.
This first message in the series was given at a combined service between RCC & St. James. The focus is John 2: The Wedding at Cana.