Redeemer OC Podcast

Our summer series through the book of Jonah begins this Sunday. The story of the Minor Prophet Jonah is one of the most well known stories in the Old Testament. This short four chapter book is a literary masterpiece that captures our imaginations in a playful manner with irony and satire. Every page takes us on a wild ride. We literally have a hard time believing all the aspects of the story and w...

We often struggle with comparing ourselves to others and being content. Jesus in John chapter 21 calls us to lay down our pride and follow him. To hand over our sins of comparison and find contentment in him. This Sunday we have the privilege of hearing from Rev. Paul Kim, from Pacific Crossroads Church in Los Angeles, preach to us from John 21 and Luke 9. Two texts that will move us as a church f...

In response to the violent shootings in Florida, we will take a look at Psalm 137 in which the psalmist unabashedly prays his anger to God. This visceral cry to God leads us to ask these questions: What do we do with our anger? Can we entrust our anger to God? Can we also pray to God in this way? In preparation for this sermon, read Psalm 137 and consider these questions and how we respond to God...

Love is a core pillar for the Church. Love is what our community should be defined by and known by. This Sunday we have the opportunity to hear from Rev. Josh Eby as he preaches on “A Community of Love” by looking at Jesus’ new commandment in the Gospel of John 13:31-35. Josh and his wife Robin are both from Southern California. They met and married in Los Angeles. Over their 20 year journey toget...

What if you found it, that thing you are longing for? Our hearts and minds are in motion. We are always looking, always searching. Imagine for a moment what it might actually be like to lay our hands on it. To actually draw it close, that thing, that person, that experience we are longing to embrace. In our passage for this Sunday, John the Baptist asks Jesus the question we all ask, whether we re...

What if you found it, that thing you are longing for? Our hearts and minds are in motion. We are always looking, always searching. Imagine for a moment what it might actually be like to lay our hands on it. To actually draw it close, that thing, that person, that experience we are longing to embrace. In our passage for this Sunday, John the Baptist asks Jesus the question we all ask, whether we re...

A Sabbath is the silence in music, the line breaks in poetry, and the white space in design. Without it there is no rhythm, no understanding, and a lot of clutter. Taking a Sabbath should be something beautiful. A blessing, not a burden. Yet, most of us struggle to stop and rest. We see it as a luxury instead of a necessity created for our good. The Scriptures regularly speak of the gift and beaut...

A Sabbath is the silence in music, the line breaks in poetry, and the white space in design. Without it there is no rhythm, no understanding, and a lot of clutter. Taking a Sabbath should be something beautiful. A blessing, not a burden. Yet, most of us struggle to stop and rest. We see it as a luxury instead of a necessity created for our good. The Scriptures regularly speak of the gift and beaut...

Pick one. Pick one thing to change about yourself. One broken thing fixed. One suffering thing healed. What would it be? This Sunday we will focus on Jesus as healer. Luke 5:12-32 describes several well known stories about Jesus healing the sick as well as these famous words from Jesus himself, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the rig...

Pick one. Pick one thing to change about yourself. One broken thing fixed. One suffering thing healed. What would it be? This Sunday we will focus on Jesus as healer. Luke 5:12-32 describes several well known stories about Jesus healing the sick as well as these famous words from Jesus himself, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the rig...

What about women? Christians are called to follow Jesus as king in every area of their lives. This means openness to having every aspect of our lives torn down and rebuilt around the resurrection of Jesus the king. Thankfully Jesus has not left us alone on this massive project of transformation, but has given us, among other things, a support structure of elders and deacons to nurture and empower...

“You can’t tell me what to do!” I wonder how many in the Corinthian church back in A.D. 55 responded that way when they read this section of Paul’s letter, chapter 5 of 1Corinthians. It really is a tough passage. Take some time this weekend to read and pray through 1Corinthinas 5. As I have been repeating each week, when we decide to become a Christian we follow a new leader (King Jesus), we adopt...

A full and equal order. This is the subtitle to James Monroe Barnett’s book on the diaconate. It is a helpful corrective for us. It is not uncommon for some church communities to mistakenly think that deacons are a second class office. That the “real” ministry and influence rests with the elders and pastors. That way of thinking is unbiblical and just plain wrong on several levels. I hope to expos...

This Sunday is the fourth Sunday in the season of Easter. Pastor Greg Thompson reminds us of the significance this season holds for the Christian, “This is the time when the church around the world joins together, having longed for Jesus’ coming in Advent, celebrated his coming at Christmas, benefited from his ministry during epiphany, and entered into his suffering and death during lent, now we g...

This Sunday is the fourth Sunday in the season of Easter. Pastor Greg Thompson reminds us of the significance this season holds for the Christian, “This is the time when the church around the world joins together, having longed for Jesus’ coming in Advent, celebrated his coming at Christmas, benefited from his ministry during epiphany, and entered into his suffering and death during lent, now we g...

Judgment. Now that’s a word that brings a smile to everyone’s face. Well, I guess maybe not. Why are we talking about the Day of Judgment? Because Jesus keeps bringing up the subject when he teaches. Pastor Chad Brewer will be preaching this week from Matthew 25:31-46 to help us wrestle with the judgment we read about here. What do we learn from Jesus about the final judgment in this passage? What...

Authority. We all love it, right?! If we are honest, we seem to only like certain authorities as long as they don’t threaten our own personal authority. Jesus threatens our personal authority. He threatens it, but also teaches us that we don’t really want to be our own authority and that we need a final authority outside of ourselves to trust in. This Sunday we will continue our study of the Gospe...

Authority. We all love it, right?! If we are honest, we seem to only like certain authorities as long as they don’t threaten our own personal authority. Jesus threatens our personal authority. He threatens it, but also teaches us that we don’t really want to be our own authority and that we need a final authority outside of ourselves to trust in. This Sunday we will continue our study of the Gospe...

Have you ever seen a sunrise? The darkness of night chased away by explosions of color. Easter is a celebration where the darkness of death is chased away by the bursting forth of new life. If our Easter service is the sunrise, our Maundy Thursday service tonight is the darkness before the dawn. Maundy Thursday is a beautiful and solemn service that will focus your mind and grip your heart. After...

Have you ever seen a sunrise? The darkness of night chased away by explosions of color. Easter is a celebration where the darkness of death is chased away by the bursting forth of new life. If our Easter service is the sunrise, our Maundy Thursday service tonight is the darkness before the dawn. Maundy Thursday is a beautiful and solemn service that will focus your mind and grip your heart. After...

Kings are scary. I don’t mean the contemporary “kings” and “princes” whom we see on the cover of magazines. They may have royal titles but they seem more like figureheads and global celebrities. The scary kings are the ones with real power and real authority. Who can tell you what to do and don’t take no for an answer, or else. Jesus is a real king. No question. Our passage for this Sunday is the...

Kings are scary. I don’t mean the contemporary “kings” and “princes” whom we see on the cover of magazines. They may have royal titles but they seem more like figureheads and global celebrities. The scary kings are the ones with real power and real authority. Who can tell you what to do and don’t take no for an answer, or else. Jesus is a real king. No question. Our passage for this Sunday is the...

It was a big moment. What would he say first? The crowd was gathered. Expectations were high. How would he start? “You brood of vipers!” (Luke 3:7) Yikes. He starts by insulting the crowd? That’s one way to do it. The ministry of John the Baptist starts with a bang; a scary dude yelling at people in the wilderness about their sin. We have looked together at the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel,...

It was a big moment. What would he say first? The crowd was gathered. Expectations were high. How would he start? “You brood of vipers!” (Luke 3:7) Yikes. He starts by insulting the crowd? That’s one way to do it. The ministry of John the Baptist starts with a bang; a scary dude yelling at people in the wilderness about their sin. We have looked together at the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel,...

Life will bring moments of amazement. Times when you don’t believe what you have just witnessed or heard. Jesus’ forgiveness of sins and healing of the sick are some of those moments in which people are seized by amazement. This is especially true in the story of the paralytic found in Luke 5:17-26. This Sunday we are honored to have Rev. Dan Myers, pastor of New Creation Church in Los Angeles, gu...