Redeemer OC Podcast

For what have you waited? (Take a moment and consider that question.) God made a promise to Simeon—one that foretold his destiny in life—that he would see the Lord’s Christ before he died. On the first Christmas, Simeon’s years of waiting were over. Simeon held Jesus in his arms and sang God’s praise. Join us this Sunday as continue our series Advent Songs and consider Luke 2:22-35.

Advent & Christmas songs are easy to sing, but difficult to live. This Sunday we’ll continue our Advent sermon series through the songs sung in the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke by looking at the Angels’ song. The song consists of two simple and well-known lines: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth” As you prepare for Sunday, meditate on the lyrics from Luke 2:14 and reflec...

Last week, in our series “Advent Songs” we said that some truths are so glorious that prose is inadequate; our hearts demand that we sing. This week we take up the account of Zechariah in Luke chapter 1. There, the aged priest encounters one such truth. It was perhaps the last thing he might have expected but it left him singing. Join us this Sunday as we continue our celebration of Advent and stu...

This Sunday we begin our new series: Advent Songs. We start with Mary’s famous song, The Magnificat, in which Mary responds to good news of a coming savior. Mary rejoices that God is fulfilling his promise to restore his kingdom and longs for the day when his salvation will be complete. Join us this Sunday as we, with Mary, sing God’s praise and await our celebration of his coming near in the pers...

In Romans 6 the Apostle Paul says that the church has been “baptized into Christ Jesus” and “united with him” in this death and resurrection. If you join us on Sunday for worship I hope that you will leave with an understanding of what Paul meant as well as a readiness to put these ideas into practice. Josh

Last week Pastor Adam began a brief series on Union with Christ.  From Galatians 2, he taught that Christ lives in us and we live in Christ.  To be sure, this is mysterious, but the Lord’s Supper helps us both to understand and to grow in our union with Christ.  This Sunday we will consider the language that the Apostle Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 10.  Speaking about the Lord’s Supper, he says that...

This Sunday we begin a new three-week sermon series on Union with Christ. Union with Christ means simply that Christ lives in you and you live in Christ. Simple explanation, complex comprehension. To help us practically live in our union with Christ, our three-part series will focus on first the basis of our identity, then how we’re reminded of our union with Christ in the sacrament of Baptism, an...

This week the sermon is about hell.  It’s a topic that is frequently misunderstood, uncomfortable for everyone, and difficult to address.  No wonder most people cite “Hellfire & Brimstone” as their biggest hang-up with preaching.  So, why bother at all?   Because we want to know God.  His prophets are our guides.  Nahum tells us that God is a God of vengeance (as well as mercy, as we saw so clearl...

Nahum’s oracle against Nineveh is a prophetic vision of the last day, the final judgment.  Nahum describes that day with vivid and arresting imagery as if it were a great battle in which a city falls to an invading army.   His message—that God will judge—is not a popular one, though it is necessary if we are to live well in this life or the one to come.     To prepare for worship, take a few minut...

This week we begin our study of the minor prophet, Nahum. Like Jonah, Nahum muses upon the nature or character of God. Like Jonah, Nahum starts with God's famous description of himself spoken to Moses in Exodus 34, stating that, "God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… but who will by no means clear the guilty…” Unlike Jonah, Nahum’s focus is on the final secti...

Jonah knew about God’s self-disclosure to Moses in Exodus 34, that he is a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty… Jonah didn’t just know about God’s mercy, he was also the recipient of this mercy. God had been kin...

In the third chapter of Jonah the prophet gets a second chance at the same calling—to go to Nineveh preaching God’s message.  What follows is as unexpected as it is comedic.  It’s a beautiful story about God’s mercy to a beastly people.   To best prepare for Sunday, take a few minutes to read through Jonah 3 I hope to see you on Sunday, Josh

Thus far, in our fall sermon series on Jonah & Nahum, I’ve been telling you, “It’s not about the fish!”   But this Sunday we will talk about “the whale of the tale” which leads some to call Jonah a “fishy story.”  Even then we’ll see that the focus is on a God who hears the cry of his people no matter what they have done or where they are and is mighty to save.     To best prepare for Sunday, take...

It’s not about the fish! This Sunday we continue our fall sermon series considering God’s mercy & justice in the prophets Jonah’s & Nahum. Jonah exclaims, “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” This week that point is made through twin stories of salvation. These stories are full of irony, twists & turns, and intrigue. Most of all, they surprise us with God’s grace. Come join us on Sunday, invite a frie...

Its not about the fish! This Sunday I am excited to begin our fall sermon series through the books of Jonah & Nahum. When we think of Jonah we tend to focus on the whale of the tale, but at its heart this comedic story is about God’s love for the nations. Should God not pity the nations which he has made for himself but are yet far from him? In this punchy story God takes aim at the lackadaisical...

This Sunday is a momentous day in the life of our church. Josh Hahne will be installed as Redeemer’s third Senior Pastor! To celebrate and be a part of the installation service, we are honored to have Rev. Pat Roach, a PCA pastor from Portland and close friend of Josh, preach for us. Pat will preach a sermon from Mark 5:1-20 on Jesus’ work in each of us and in his Church. To best prepare for Sunda...

Waiting in lines. How do you feel about waiting in lines? Most people find waiting in lines torturous, specifically when the waiting time is unoccupied. Waiting in general is something that most of us try to avoid. The Psalms remind us that not only is waiting a part of life, but it is actually a practice that we need to cultivate. This Sunday we’re wrapping up our Summer Psalms sermon series by l...

“Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end.” - A prayer from Psalm 7. Let this cry for justice become our prayer. Evil and sin is rampant in our world (and in ourselves). Psalm 7 describes God as a righteous judge who hates evil and loves justice. This Sunday we have the privilege of welcoming Derek Rishmawy, the new RUF Campus Minister at UCI, as we hear him preach on Psalm 7, A Prayer for Ju...

Psalm 23 is one of the most popular psalms and prayers in the Bible. It resonates with us because we all go through dark valleys in life, and we need to be reminded that God is with us and will comfort us. If you haven’t already, try and memorize Psalm 23. Spend 5 minutes each day over the next week and dedicate some time and energy to memorizes these 6 short verses. It is not if you will need to...

Fear dictates so much of our lives, but it doesn’t have to. God is a very present help in trouble. Emphasis being on present. God is with us. He is in our midst when trouble surrounds us. Meditate on that reality. Chew it over and let it sink in. The God who created and upholds all things is present with us when our fears take over our senses. This Sunday Rev. Josh Eby will encourage us in this tr...

Everyone sins. Everyone needs to confess their sin. And everyone needs to learn how to receive and offer forgiveness. Psalm 51 is a raw and beautiful prayer that teaches us how to be people who regularly confess and forgive. In Christ, all our sins are washed away, a new heart is created in us, and a renewed right spirit is placed within us. However, we still sin and need to be in the habit of pra...

Jesus reigns as King. Do you ever pray for Jesus’ reign as King? As a truth, Christians believe that Jesus reigns as the King of Kings over all the earth. How often to do you pause and respond to that truth in prayer? Psalm 72 is a prayer for the King. It is a prayer for Jesus. This Sunday the Rev. Josh Eby will be back in town and continuing our Summer Psalms sermon series by preaching on Psalm 7...

We all long to be seen and known. Yet, there is often a tension in our lives between the desire to be fully known and the desire to hide. We hide because we fear people seeing certain aspects of our lives. But we experience great joy when we let people fully see us and are still loved. This Sunday we’ll continue our Summer Psalms sermon series with the popular Psalm 139, a prayer of being known. A...

BIG NEWS… This Sunday the Rev. Josh Hahne will be preaching and leading elements of the liturgy at Redeemer! Josh is our senior pastor candidate who was unanimously recommended by our pastoral search committee (PSC), session, and staff. Plan to stick around after the worship service to enjoy our annual all-church summer lunch and meet Josh and his family. To prepare for Josh’s sermon, read, medita...

Rage is only safe in the presence of God. As we continue through our Summer Psalms sermon series, this Sunday we arrive at an imprecatory psalm, Psalm 109, a prayer of anger. Eugene Peterson describes imprecatory psalms as prayers where Christians learn how “to cuss without cussing.” When we read these psalms, we often don’t know how to handle them and feel weird expressing similar anger to God in...