Redeemer Church

As the crowds clamored for selfish gain, the Pharisees sought to trap Jesus to discredit His power and influence. Emerging from the private ministry of discipling His disciples, Jesus immediately faced a question from the Pharisees. A question not asked to learn but asked to test. The Pharisees want to talk divorce, but Jesus wants to talk marriage, applying the principles of “deny yourself” to av...

Don’t for a minute think walking as a humble servant is easy, comfortable, or for the weak. To be great in the Kingdom is to be the servant of all, and being a servant is not for the faint-of-heart. Faithful followership of Jesus is about a radical obedience that serves others and battles sin with an unwavering commitment to the King.

Someone famously said, “Everyone wants to be a servant until you are treated like one.” I’ve certainly found that to be true in my own life. I want to selflessly, sacrificially serve people, and yet my pride rises when I feel slighted or go un-thanked. We, like the disciples, need yet another lesson in discipleship. Following Jesus means following the way of the Servant. Denying ourselves means gi...

We have reached a pivotal point in the gospel of Mark. The disciples have been used to walking by sight. Jesus has been right there: teaching them, encouraging them, rebuking them, performing miracles right in front of them. But, now Jesus is heading to Jerusalem and his impending death, resurrection, and ascension. Soon the King will be gone, and he must prepare his disciples to walk in powerful...

In one of the most fantastic scenes in Biblical history, the veil of Jesus’ humanity is peeled back and three humans become witnesses to the future indescribable glory of the King. What a gift they were given in the treacherous journey of discipleship here on earth to see what is to come. Disciples, then and now, must embrace that the cross comes before the crown, suffering before glory. But what...

To understand who Jesus is demands following what Jesus requires. Jesus’ path of obedience to the Father went through the suffering of the cross before the glory of heaven, and ours does too. But make no mistake, the cost of following King Jesus now is worth more than anything and everything this world has to offer. Trusting, obeying and following Jesus is always your very best option!

Jesus heals a blind man in two steps; the disciples are challenged to explain who Jesus is. How do these two events relate to each other? John Mark intentionally constructs these two accounts to show us our spiritual blindness and the remedy for our lack of sight. An intimate, vulnerable encounter with Jesus will bring us into the light!

Dull in understanding, slow to believe, and lazy in obedience … all characteristics of the disciples. Mind you, these Twelve were with Jesus, learning by His side. If that’s the case with them, we ought all to be on guard that we don’t develop a hard heart. Jesus warns them against the little “leavens” that corrupt the heart, and we would do well to listen in on His warnings too!

Here we go again … another feeding, more fights with the Jewish leaders, and a lack of complete understanding by the disciples. Why does John Mark (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) include these events here in chapter eight? If we look carefully, we see the compassion of Jesus spreading as the disciples understand a little bit more. As for the Pharisees, they can’t see what’s right in fro...

A gentile mom had greater understanding of, and faith in, Jesus than the disciples. How did that happen? Simply – Jesus opened her heart to believe in Him. In our narrative today, we see that beautiful picture of the work of Jesus to open deaf ears and make speechless tongues to give praise to Him. This story brings the cohesive teaching of Mark 7 to a glorious conclusion – Jesus does all things w...

After the strong rebukes of Jesus to the religious leaders who operated from the outside in, we now meet and experience the faith of one who operates from the inside out. We meet a woman, a Gentile, a foreigner … all identities of which the Jews were dismissive. But not Jesus! His posture is one that welcomes genuine faith and rewards those who seek Him. Come meet this mother of faith.

Leading Theme is the Church of Antioch changed the world. They were Selfless with their leaders. They had an A-Team Church Planting Team and rather than keeping them, they sent out their best. We will talk about being a church that is constantly focused on being Selfless.

Easter reminds us that we have put our faith in one who predicted his own death and resurrection and pull it off! Jesus Christ is in fact God incarnate who paid the price of our sin and then conquered death. All this means those who trust him will live forever with God and his people. In light of this good news—we have to tell others! We must live on mission. This morning we’ll learn from the life...

Who can you trust? The politicians and leaders of our day seem hardly the place to put our confidence. The entrepreneurs and marketers cleverly create and communicate that your needs and desires will be met in their products. But are you sure about that? There is a story, a true story, where promises were made and men and women wondered if and how they would be answered. It’s the grand story of th...

Jesus despised external religion. The Law of Moses was a shadow that pointed to the substance yet to come, and Jesus was the substance who had come. That the Jewish religious leaders continued to operate out of the law, and press it onto others, was the source of much of Jesus’ corrective teaching. Here, He upends the idea that we live by an outside-in mentality and describes the Gospel mentality...

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had used the Bible, and gone way beyond it with their traditions, to create a religion of scrupulous law-keeping. Jesus understood the Bible to be THE means of coming into and growing in a relationship with the living God. He also understood that to read it correctly, we need to see him at its very center.

What happens when we don’t get the rest that we need? Will we look to Jesus as our hope or will we miss Him?

While theories swirled about the identity of Jesus, Mark shows us His identity – The Shepherd of Israel. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (unlike Herod) who leads His people in the wilderness to green pastures and feeds them until they are satisfied. He alone provides the rest we need, always generous so that we lack no good thing.

The word had gotten out. As the disciples went about preaching repentance and making much of Jesus, His name had become even more known. So much so that even King Herod Antipas had heard about what was going on. He was haunted by this message of repentance that Jesus and the disciples preached. It was a message he had heard before. A message that had kept him up at night, but a message he failed t...

Jesus has power over creation, demons, disease and death, but still faces the rejection of those closest to him. Headed home to Nazareth, he is not welcomed with a hero’s parade, rather his lineage is questioned, his authority and wisdom dismissed, and unbelief runs as high as any time up to this point in ministry. He knows what rejection feels like, and the disciples soon will too.

Jesus doesn’t play favorites. He came to save sinners – young and old, rich and poor, marginalized and influential. From the woman suffering for twelve years to the twelve-year-old girl who had died. In coming to individuals, He always calls them away from fear and into faith. Our fears may keep us from bothering Jesus, but faith will lead us into real life and intimacy with Jesus.

Paul exhorts believers to live their lives sacrificially onto God in response to the merciful blessings they have received from Him. He encourages them to live a life of holiness in response to God's manifold blessings in their lives. He admonishes followers of Christ to refuse to live according to the philosophies of the world which are governed by Satan. Instead, he directs those of the fait...

King Jesus has power! He has demonstrated His decisive authority over creation, over the enemy kingdom, and now we will see His power over disease and death. Always the master teacher, Jesus never just coldly communicates His authority, but teaches real lessons of faith to real people in need. Come and meet Jesus as He brings healing to an unclean woman in need … a healing even deeper than she kne...

The accounts like we studied last week in Mark 5:1-20 where Jesus demonstrates His authority over the enemy kingdom raise numerous questions that we want to understand. The subject of Satan and demons is one that needs to be handled clearly, Biblically, and practically. We have no reason to fear the power of the enemy, but we have every reason to seek Biblical clarity, so we unmask the schemes of...

Jesus had powerfully demonstrated His authority over creation in the calming of the storm, even as He exposed the fears of the disciples’ heart and calmed the storm of their doubts. Now, He is demonstrating His authority over the demonic realm, even as He shows the great faith of the man now freed from bondage. Such power over the kingdom of darkness produces two clear responses begging two clear...