Redeemer Central

The Practice of Service – 01: Love Love is the hallmark of Jesus’ followers, but what does it look like? In the Way of Jesus, it means offering hidden acts of service to those right in front of us, allowing ourselves to be interrupted by unexpected needs, and overlapping our lives with those on the margins. In the first part of our short series on the practice of service, David Armstrong explores...

In Part 3 of our Community Life series, David Armstrong shares how even when we come to the table as a community, it’s easy to stay in the shallows and engage superficially, being present but feeling totally alone. The good news is Jesus demonstrated something different with his disciples: the power of sharing our joys and sorrows with one another. Through encouraging each other and bearing one an...

As we begin a new season of church this month, we’re highlighting two ways we practice community together — Tables & Teams. Table groups invite community to be experienced face-to-face as we eat together and share life, while Teams allow us to experience community side by side as we serve together In Part 2 of our Community Life series, David Armstrong uses the metaphor of a potluck lunch to i...

This month we are launching a new season of Table groups — small, local expressions of Redeemer Central that gather in homes to form community, share life and practice the way of Jesus together. In Part 1 of our three-part series Community Life, David Armstrong explores how the biblical vision of church as family and the subversive table practice of Jesus offer a radical antidote to the human disc...

The Book of Psalms is a rich and diverse collection of ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers that have shaped the worship and spiritual life of God’s people for millennia. Spanning a wide range of human experience—from deep lament and raw anger to exuberant praise and quiet trust—the Psalms give voice to the complexities of faith in the real world.  We continue our summer series reflecting...

The Book of Psalms is a rich and diverse collection of ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers that have shaped the worship and spiritual life of God’s people for millennia. Spanning a wide range of human experience—from deep lament and raw anger to exuberant praise and quiet trust—the Psalms give voice to the complexities of faith in the real world. David Armstrong continues our summer series by...

What happens when the gospel calls us to step past our safety zones and engage with the people we've deemed completely "beyond the pale"? In Part 3 of our series, John Herron explores one of the most seismic shifts in the early church: the radical inclusion of the Samaritans in Acts 8. For centuries, a deep-seated gulf of bitterness, ancestry, and religion had divided Jews and Samaritans, making S...

How does a movement that starts in a tiny, hidden corner of the world explode into a global reality? In Part 2 of our Before & After series, Adrian McCartney uses the vivid imagery of a 70-meter-long tapestry to trace the expansion of the early church from the Gospel of Luke into the Book of Acts. Moving from the narrow, traditional borders of Jerusalem, Adrian maps out a beautiful trajectory...

On this Pentecost Sunday, Adrian McCartney kicks off our new 5-week series, Before & After , exploring the missional trajectory found in the writings of Luke. Drawing on Luke’s unique perspective as an "outsider" (the only non-Jewish New Testament writer), Adrian explores how the Holy Spirit didn't just empower individuals, but birthed a brand new kind of community. By comparing the baptism of...

The meaning of the cross is bigger than any single theory. In the second part of this series, David Armstrong traces the road to Calvary — from Israel’s sacrificial system and the ritual of Yom Kippur to the Hebrew prophets wrestling with the tensions of justice and mercy. We also explore various rich understandings of Jesus’s death offered throughout church history — from Christus Victor to René...

From a piece of Roman graffiti scratched on a wall near the Palatine Hill, to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. From an instrument of imperial terror, to the central symbol of the world's largest religion — inked on skin and worn around the necks of millions of people today. The journey of the cross is one of the most extraordinary stories in human history. But what actually happened at the cruci...

Mark 8 presents a collision between two visions of the kingdom. Peter's Messiah conquers. Jesus' Messiah suffers. In this Lenten message, David Armstrong traces that collision through history — from Christendom to colonialism to Christian nationalism — and argues that the church has repeatedly made Peter's error: baptising the way of empire in the name of Christ. The antidote, Jesus insists, is no...

The Good Samaritan What must we do to inherit eternal life? John Herron opens up one of Jesus most famous parables, the story of the Good Samaritan, showing that true life comes not from knowing the right words, but from the radical, often unexpected, act of loving our neighbour. This message challenges us to move beyond fear-based religion and towards a wider, more expansive love—a love that chan...

David Armstrong brings a Lenten message looking at a significant moment in Jesus life before he starts his ministry bringing God's Kingdom — his 40 nights in the wilderness and the three dark temptations that come to him. Chapters/Timestamps: [00:00] Intro [00:28] South Bend City Church Trip [01:55 ] Sermon - David Armstrong [30:38 ] Song - Fra Sands [35:49] Closing Prayer & Benediction 🌿 Giv...

Look for the Light (Part 4): The Courage of Gideon John Herron brings the fourth part of our series, 'Look for the Light: An Epiphany Series' as we reflect upon an ancient story found deep in the Old Testament scripture; the story of Gideon. The season of Epiphany calls us to slow down and pay attention to the divine presence of God revealed in Christ. As we do we discover God is so often found in...

David Armstrong brings the third part of our series, 'Look for the Light: An Epiphany Series' as we reflect upon Jesus first miracle. The season of Epiphany calls us to slow down and pay attention to the divine presence of God revealed in Christ. As we do we discover God is so often found in the darkest and most unlikely of places.

David Armstrong brings the second talk in our series, 'Look for the Light: An Epiphany Series' that calls for us to slow down during this season of Epiphany and pay attention to the divine presence of God. As seen in the coming of Christ, God is so often found in the darkest and most unlikely of places waiting to be discovered.  In the second Epiphany story we reflect upon Jesus Baptism.

Look for the Light (Part 1): The Magi David Armstrong brings the first talk in a new series, 'Look for the Light: An Epiphany Series' that calls for us to slow down during this season of Epiphany and pay attention to the divine presence of God. As seen in the coming of Christ, God is so often found in the darkest and most unlikely of places waiting to be discovered.  The first story we r...

Advent: Love Lifts All Places - Jason Miller (Guest) Many of us yearn for sacred spaces, believing true purpose lies elsewhere—in a grander city or a different life. But what if the divine arrives not where we expect, but in the ordinary, even out-of-the-way places we inhabit? In this Advent message, Jason reflects on his deeply personal connection to South Bend, Indiana, and how a fresh reading o...

Mary’s “yes” to the angel Gabriel was not just about understanding; it was about belonging. Her response, “I am the Lord’s servant; may your word to me be fulfilled,” reveals a profound surrender to God’s purpose. Scott Witherick helps us discover how ordinary people can be part of God’s extraordinary story and how our willingness to say “yes” makes room for Christ to lead us. Chapters/Timestamps:...

In this concluding part, David and Stephanie reflect on the series and why we decided to do it in the first place. With a deep conviction that our spiritual lives are defined by experience, not just belief, they discuss the human need for a relationship with the divine as a hunger to be filled rather than mere information. This honest conversation covers varied church experiences, the pain of reli...

Many of us are drawn to the spectacular and extraordinary, but what truly cultivates a deep life? In this message, David Armstrong explores Saint Paul’s invitation to follow the way of love, and eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. This isn’t about choosing one over the other, but allowing love to shape us within community, learning to grow depth in ordinary, sometimes challenging, shared life....

Stephanie Wilson continues The Familiar Stranger series with a powerful message that speaks to the reality of suffering in the human experience. She reminds us that suffering isn’t evidence of God’s absence but the very place where God meets us—the Holy Spirit groaning with us, comforting us in our pain, and bringing new life through our struggles. This healing presence leads to profound redemptio...

We often seek explanations before we are willing to experience God yet this is a reversal of the scriptural pattern where experience often precedes understanding.  David Armstrong explores the story of Nicodemus, a high-ranking Pharisee, and his encounters with Jesus across three key scenes: a secret night visit, a public festival, and the solemn act of a burial.  Nicodemus’s story invit...

Story Sunday: Jesus, Justice & Gaza with Anton Deik Anton Deik — a Palestinian Christian and scholar — shares his family’s story and invites us to see the human, ethical, and theological realities of life in Israel-Palestine. He challenges us to reckon with the injustices endured by the Palestinian people and to reflect on what faith, justice, and peace look like in the name of Christ. Anton D...