Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin

Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae is a letter to a people he doesn’t know, except by reputation and the ministry of their beloved pastor Epaphras. This Sunday, we’ll see how Paul explains that even though he has not been with them in person, he struggles on their behalf to fulfill the work God has given him so that they might benefit from it. Paul’s explanation of his ministry is a helpful r...

Paul writes to the Colossians to show that Christ is preeminent over all so that they may know their new standing before him and new life in him and so be unshakable in their faith. Christ is the image of the invisible God and is unmatched in his work of creation and redemption. To exchange him for another would be to exchange the blazing sun for a nightlight.

In the opening of Colossians, the Holy Spirit through Paul, communicates three qualities that God delights in when he looks upon the church: a church that delights in discipleship (v. 3-6), a church with faithful ministers of the gospel (v.7-8, 1 & 2), and a church praying for Christ to actively work in their midst according to his will (v. 9-14). While these qualities invite us to evaluate our ex...

At the end of the beatitudes, Jesus pronounces perhaps the most paradoxical of all the beatitudes, “Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 2000 years later, Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world. Persecution doesn’t seem like a blessing. Furthermore, Christ tells us to “rejoice and be glad,” likely the last thing on the mind o...

As we near the end of our series in the Beatitudes, we turn to Jesus’ blessing on those who make peace. They shall be called “sons of God,” the Son of God assures us. In a world filled with war and turmoil, the prospect of peace seems like a distant dream. In a church that has recently undergone conflict, the pursuit of peace may seem hopeless. So, how do we live into this Beatitude? What must be...

Each year, on the Sunday following Pentecost, we set aside a week to remind ourselves that the God we worship is Triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rather than being “extra credit” for really serious Christians, understanding the Trinity is essential to our faith. Our Confession of Faith this Sunday will be the Athanasian Creed, which says we can’t be saved without believing the doctrine of the...

The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most fascinating accounts we can read in the Old Testament. Although it may seem mythical to some, its reality continues to bear bitter fruit in the interpersonal problems of our own day. We read this section of Scripture at Pentecost to remind us that by the Holy Spirit, God is at work reuniting what has previously been divided. The gift of the Spirit...

Message from Rev. Jon Herr on June 1, 2025

Message from Rev. Marcus Serven on May 29, 2025

In “The Merchant of Venice," William Shakespeare wrote, "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” Mercy is the quintessential character trait of a Christian because it is born out of our own reception of mercy from God. Having received mercy, Jesus says we are blessed...

One of the great advantages of coming to the end of yourself is that there is nowhere else to go but to God, to find from him the satisfaction that is otherwise unavailable in life. Sadly, most of us have to relearn this lesson again and again. We enjoy sweet times of communion with the Lord only to be distracted by the siren song of our age. Hours, days, months, or even years later, we wake up li...

Jesus’ Beatitudes are generally comforting. We may not like admit we are poor in spirit, but when we do we can be comforted by the promise that ours is the kingdom. Everyone must mourn, so it is a great encouragement to know that we shall be comforted in the end. But I am probably safe in assuming that no one wants to be thought of as “meek” and the promise that the meek will inherit the earth jus...

The beatitudes are Jesus’ paradoxical blessings for those awaiting the Kingdom of God, contrasted to the lesser ‘blessings' the kingdom of this world offers. In them, we see the way to blessing is not through, but within, poverty of spirit, mourning, persecution, meekness, etc. As we look this week at mourning, we see the way to experience our poverty of spirit. Within the mourning of our sin, the...

This week, we begin a new series in the Beatitudes, which we’re calling “The King’s Speech.” The Beatitudes are pronouncements of blessing on Jesus’ disciples; but the reason we are blessed might seem counter-intuitive in a culture that celebrates strength, expertise, and accomplishment. For instance, when Jesus blesses those who are poor in spirit, he identifies their great need as a reason for t...

On Sunday, Christians around the world will celebrate Easter, the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Over the years, the Resurrection has been a treasured belief, the subject of many songs and sermons, and the hope for Christians who mourn the death of friends and family. But it wasn’t always this way: at the very beginning, on the very first Easter, the Resurrection was too good to be true...

When Jesus rides into Jerusalem, the crowd of disciples and pilgrims respond to him as the king, the son of David returning to claim his father’s throne. Jesus refuses to quiet the crowd, telling the Pharisees that the rocks would cry out if no one else would acknowledge him. King Jesus and the kingdom he brings still summon you and me today. Join us on Palm Sunday to find out how.

It's hard to see our deficiencies and short-comings. Sometimes we never see them until we open our mouths and encounter others. Yet how we treat one another when our sins are exposed can make the difference between redemption and alienation. Despite James and John's request, Jesus hears them, instructs them, and providentially provides an example through Bartimeaus' healing of what true spiritual...

This Sunday, we turn to the well-known story in Mark 10 of the rich young man (he is called a “ruler” in Luke) who asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. There is much about this young man that is admirable: he is moral (having kept the commandments since his youth), he is wealthy (people often believed—then and now—that wealth was a sign of God’s favor), and he is interested in spiri...

In Mark 10, Mark’s gospel turns toward Jesus’ teaching on the relational life of a disciple. This week, we will look at our most important human relationship: the union of man and woman in the covenant of marriage. We will also look at Jesus’s teachings on what happens when this relationship needs an overhaul. Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders of the day and their poor interpretation o...

Who are the great men and women in history? What makes them great? Victory in war? Leadership in government? Fame? Service to humanity? At the end of Mark 9, Jesus identifies three different traits of Christian greatness. But be forewarned! There is also a shadow side to these traits exemplified in the person of Judas Iscariot, the one who will betray Jesus. In what direction is your heart pointed...

Listen as Pastor Jon Herr continues our series through the Gospel of Mark. This week's sermon will highlight the story of Jesus casting a demon from a young, mute boy. Pastor Herr will walk us through the text and help us to discern the schemes of the Devil by way of prayer and scripture.