Redeemer OC Podcast

A beautiful life is on the far side of suffering. Is the bridge you are on strong enough to carry the weight of your suffering? What if, no matter what our circumstances, we could experience true joy? This fall we have been looking at the Gospel of Luke chapter 10 and thinking together about how we can live beautiful lives and build beautiful neighborhoods. We will continue this theme as we shift...

Our sermon this Sunday is given by guest preacher, Rev. Eric Kapur, from Redeemer San Diego, who is preaching in Pastor David’s absence. His message is based on 1 John 2:15-17.

Why is it important for Christians to think about food and creation? We don’t just eat to fuel ourselves several times a day. We eat food to feast, to enjoy gifts, to be creative, and to live in community together. Food and creation should matter to Christians. This Sunday, through the study of Psalm 104 and 1 Peter 2, we will explore how food and creation are gifts that we should receive with gra...

What did I forget? I don’t know what it is, but I know I forgot something. Do you know the feeling? I fly to Atlanta for a conference on Monday and I know when I get on the plane my mind will be searching for that one necessary item I left out of my bag. Over the last three weeks we have been talking about how we can be neighbors to those Jesus has placed around us. It is going to take our time. I...

From stranger to acquaintance to relationship, this is the pathway of being a neighbor. Last week we saw that Jesus completely rejects the mere notion that anyone could be considered a non-neighbor. By grace Jesus has become our neighbor and he now makes us gospel neighbors to those he has placed around us. One of the greatest obstacles to being good neighbors is our time. So much competes for our...

Stories are powerful. Just think, the story we are going to listen to this Sunday has been read and loved by countless millions for generations. We are not the only ones who have longed for a beautiful life and a beautiful neighborhood. Who is your neighbor? Or is that even the right question? Read Luke 10:29-37. What do you think? We all want to live in beautiful neighborhoods. Where do we even s...

A beautiful life and a beautiful neighborhood, we all want both. Not just manicured beauty seen from the curb or in the mirror, but a substantial health that goes deep. A poetic resilience that allows us to meet hardship and disappointment with strength and endurance. A hopeful courageous honesty that allows us to face our failures and weaknesses, and with a smile ask for the help we need. A lasti...

It’s common as Christians for most of our communal meals together to begin with the liturgical practice of saying grace. A majority of us are in the habit of pausing before we enjoy our food to give thanks to God for the day, for our company, for our food, and of course for the cook. As with any habitual practice, sometimes we forget why we really say grace and what the act of saying grace does to...

Think of a well known person of contemporary history that you respect the most. What would you rather have? An email they sent you that you printed out on your home printer or a handwritten letter, personally signed? What is the difference? Am I being overly sentimental, or is there something different about actually touching the paper they touched, reading words written with their own hand, smell...

What if? How would your day-to-day life be different if loving, real communion with God and his people was your norm? If that unity, oneness of family identity, purpose, significance, even dignity, informed your emotions, captivated your thoughts, motivated your actions? What if? How might this give you strength in the face of the hard and sad things? How might this increase your pleasure of the g...

Battlefield or playground? Out for a stroll or prepared for danger? Our lives are more dangerous than we realize. What you do matters. In your workplace, in the public square, in your family, in your neighborhood. What you do and don’t do carries weight and significance, lasting effects. In John 17 Jesus is praying for your protection. Do you realize that you need it? What you face outside, and ev...

What is that one thing you want most of all? The one thing you can’t live without. The one thing you would give your life for. As we continue our look this Sunday at the prayer of Jesus in John 17, we get to see how Jesus would answer that question. What do you think Jesus would say? As you prepare for worship this Sunday read through John 17. Read it out loud. Read it with your friends and family...

Why does Jesus pray? Have you ever thought about that? He’s the son of God, a member of the Trinity. He is intimately and constantly connected to God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Why would Jesus need to pray? This Sunday we start a sermon mini-series that will run through the end of August. We will spend several weeks focused on John 17 where we find the longest written record of one of the pra...

This Sunday I am looking forward to worshiping with you and our children as we study Psalm 19 and learn about the glory of God in creation and the Law. Psalm 19 is a wonderful psalm that helps us understand both the duty and the delight of knowing God. Prior to coming to worship on Sunday, spend a few minutes reading the 14 verses of Psalm 19 and ask the following questions: When following the tea...

The prophet Jonah was surrounded by God’s grace. We today are also surrounded by God’s past, present, and future grace. Last Sunday Rev. Joe White from RUF UCLA reminded us that not only do we, like Jonah, run from God, but God runs too. He runs after us. Plan to join us again this Sunday as Joe continues his two part series on the prophet Jonah. Prepare yourself to delight in learning about the a...

For the next two Sundays we will have the privilege of hearing Rev. Joe White from RUF at UCLA preach to us from the book of Jonah. In preparation for these sermons, spend some time as an individual or family reading through Jonah a few times. The book is only 4 short chapters and will take you about 10 minutes to read. In doing so, you will be reminded that Jonah is not just the story of a man be...

We all desire and long to be known by others, and to know others in return. To be known and to know come in different forms for different people. For some that is a two hour, pour out your heart, transparent conversation; for others that is receiving a desired gift or favorite brand of mint chocolate chip ice cream from a thoughtful spouse or friend. This Sunday we will look at Psalm 139 and notic...

Summer is here! I hope you are looking forward to a good few months. Try to take some extra time to spend with friends and neighbors. Go outside. Take a walk. Have the kids play in the front yard. You may be surprised at how easy it is to meet your neighbors by simply making a point to get outside. I am planning to take a few weeks of vacation in July so Rev. Joe White with RUF at UCLA will preach...

Don’t worry. I am leaving, but I am not leaving you alone. Jesus tells his disciples that he is leaving. He will no longer be with them, but they are to continue his work. As we have been exploring these last weeks, John 13-17 records some of Jesus’ last words to his first followers. We can imagine the look on their faces by listening to Jesus’ response to their emotion. Jesus says to them, “Let n...

Where is your ambition taking you? It is good and right to be passionate and driven; to desire and work hard towards accomplishing worthy goals. However, questions haunt us: How do we know we are not wasting our life on the wrong things? In the wrong ways? For the wrong reasons? Even hurting or neglecting those around us we are called to love. Last week we started a four week series focusing on Jo...

Why doesn’t Jesus show up? Sometimes when we need him the most he seems the most distant. What do we do with that? This Sunday we read an account of a family that desperately needed Jesus to show up. And he didn’t. A least not in time and not in the way they wanted. Do you know what that’s like? This passage of scripture invites us to ask Jesus some hard questions and we will. But trust me, the wa...

It is fun to remember the good times, and even more fun to share those stories with each other around a campfire or table. As we remember and tell those stories we help refresh memories for each other and generate hearts of gratitude. This Sunday we will be looking at Psalm 136, a psalm of praise where the Israelites paused to remember all the good things that God had done for them as acts of his...

The ancient desert east of Jerusalem is dangerous. Food is hard to find, water is scarce, and bandits hide ready to strike. It is a dangerous place for a flock of sheep. They need nourishment. They need protection. They need a shepherd who can lead them to both. Life is difficult, dangerous, and confusing. We need a shepherd, tough enough, wise enough, and good enough for the real problems we face...

Close your eyes. Well not yet. Finish this first paragraph then close your eyes. Keep them closed and go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before. Well, not if it will hurt you or anyone else. Be responsible. You’re an adult. How did that go for you? Unless you were already taking a nap or listening to music, the darkness got in the way, it probably completely frustrated whatever you we...