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Think about these things
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 Can hatred produce love? Can contempt and condemnation produce reconciliation and understanding? Can name calling produce unity? […]
Access Goes to Passion: A True Love Encounter
On January 2, 2017, at 6AM, 16 singles ages 18 years old and above, four leaders, and three vehicles met at Redeemer church in Chesapeake, Virginia with one mission – to experience a true love encounter with God. Access, Redeemer Church’s singles ministry, was en route to the “Passion Conference” in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of […]
What Abortion Is
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20 The prophet sounds a warning about something that is very simple, and at the same time completely unthinkable. Is it possible that a person could look at something evil and describe it in adoring terms, or look at something beneficial […]
Love in Guatemala City
by Matt Hennessey Recently I took a trip to Guatemala City with two other men on behalf of Great Commission Resources International (GCRI). The purpose was to verify the legitimacy of a local ministry before seeking to raise money to support the project. So how do I give my thumbs up to support a ministry […]
A Prayer to the True Vine
I offer this from John 15:1-11, as we prepare our hearts to pray together this evening. Lord Jesus, you are the true vine, and your Father is the vinedresser. We are mindful that he takes away every branch in you that does not bear fruit. We are encouraged that he prunes every branch that does […]
The Firstborn
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,” Colossians 1:15, 18 Twice in this hymn in Colossians 1:15-20 Paul refers to Jesus Christ, the Son, as “the firstborn.” This is a great example of how a biblical writer may use the […]
A Pack of Blessings
“Blessed…blessed…blessed…blessed…blessed…blessed…blessed…blessed…” Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus introduces his sermon about kingdom life with a pack of blessings that was unlike anything his listeners had ever heard. That is not to say that this kind of language was wholly foreign to his audience. Even a simple search through the Old Testament turns up verses like, “Blessed be you, my […]
Two Mountains
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.” Matthew 5:1 Jesus’ most famous sermon is preached in response to the crowds of people who have responded to Jesus’ initial ministry in Matthew chapter 4. Mathew describes the setting, using the word mountain, although not to […]
The Hand of the Lord
“No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.” Ruth 1:13 When Naomi finally exhausted her reasons for trying to send her daughters-in-law away from her, she got to the core of her own understanding of the situation. She articulated her complaint […]
The Obedience of Faith
“…we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations…” Romans 1:5 “…but [the gospel] has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about […]