Redemption Hill Church

Why is love for one another such a high priority when there are so many lives at stake? How can we be sure that God really loves us when there are so many problems? How can we grow in our love for God and other people when we can barely make it through the week sometimes?  -------------------------------------------  Connect with us on Social Media ⁠Website⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ |...

In our summer journey through the letter of 1 John, chapter three ended with the two-part command to believe and to love one another. Chapter four is an elaboration of these two topics: the source of what we believe (1 John 4:1-6) and the source of our love for one another (1 John 4:7-21). This Sunday we will look into 1 John 4:1-6, the source of truth and falsehood.  John emphasizes the command t...

In John's Gospel, just after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered to conspire against him. They wanted a way to get rid of him. Caiaphas, the high priest, unbeknownst to himself, accidentally says something prophetic: that Jesus would die for the nation. John then adds his own inspired commentary... but not only would Jesus die for the nation but also to...

The previous chapter shows the clear contrast between the blinding glory of Jesus Christ and the helplessness and hopelessness of the crowds and disciples. And yet, as we begin chapter 18, we catch the disciples asking who will be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Like everything else in Jesus’ teaching, the answer is completely different than anything we could expect. On Sunday we will see what...

As Jesus headed down the mountain with Peter, James, and John, fresh from the revelation of his glory in the Transfiguration, he came back to the wakeup call of facing a helpless boy, a helpless father, helpless crowds, and helpless disciples. Faithlessness and inability to even understand the basic foundations of who God is and who Jesus is brought a cold reality check. Our lives often feel that...

In one of the most stunning passages in the Gospels, the glory of Jesus Christ is revealed, he was changed right before the eyes of three of his disciples and had a conversation with Moses and Elijah on top of a mountain. It’s a major event in Peter, James, and John’s lives that is reflected in other places in the New Testament as well. We will take a look at why the Transfiguration matters, and w...

Where we left off in 1 John, the churches were warned of false teachers, called antichrists, who were seeking to deceive everyone about the true identity of Jesus. Now, the old apostle tells the church to become what they already are. Having already been declared a child of God by faith in Christ, now the church is to put into practice the righteousness that results from faith. Twist: practicing r...

This passage brings us to the first time that Jesus’ own disciples identify Him as the Messiah, and a controversial passage about the nature of the church. I’m excited to dig in with you. Peter is identified as a key leader, the rock on whom the church would be built. We will also see the costly call to discipleship that Jesus extended then and extends to all of us now. It is not easy or comfortab...

When we left off, Jesus and his disciples were in Gentile territory and we saw the grace of God in the Kingdom of Heaven through the Messiah extend even to the ancient enemies of Israel. As chapter 16 begins, Jesus headed back into the region of Galilee where he was immediately confronted by the religious leaders and teachers, who were still demanding signs of God’s power. It is just more evidence...

This week we will be returning to our intermittent study of John's First Letter. Although it is a sweet and personal expression of his love, it is also an urgent warning. He is sounding the alarm. They are in danger, grave danger.  John says he is writing ‘about those who are trying to deceive you.’ He says we are living in the last hour, and in the last hour, false teaching is a recurring pat...

After repeated attempts to get some time away and alone, Jesus left the region of Galilee and headed northwest into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Even in Gentile territory, though, He was recognized and people came to Him in need. Our author, Matthew, shows a clear contrast in this chapter between the responses of the religious leaders, Pharisees and Scribes, and the Gentiles. While the religious...

In our passage for Sunday, Jesus has yet another confrontation with the Pharisees and Scribes. This time it is over whether, or how, his disciples washed their hands. It led Jesus to bring stark clarity to the difference between God’s commands and man-made rules, and to clarify what it is that defiles us. It’s important for us as we work to follow Christ together. There are lots of religious expec...

Matthew 14:22-36 gives us the account of Jesus walking on the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee. While Matthew, Mark, and John all include an account of this event, only Matthew includes the detail of Peter asking Jesus to call him out to walk on the water as well. Peter climbed out of the boat, a huge act of courage, and walked toward Jesus, but got scared when he saw the storm and the waves. T...

This week I am going to preach on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In some ways, that’s what I do every week, and if I get away from it, I ought to look for a new job. But this is a Sunday to especially highlight the resurrection. I will work to help us consider why the resurrection matters, why it’s important that it was a bodily, physical resurrection, and what it means for us. We will look int...

This past Sunday, Pastor Nathan preached on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. It is the event we celebrate each year as the people who had been with Jesus ushered him into the city riding on the back of a donkey, waving palm branches, and crying out “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Pastor Nathan will help us understand the importance and significance of...

Jesus was rejected in his own hometown, his cousin John was beheaded by King Herod Antipas, and Jesus learned that the King had heard about his ministry and miracles. So, Jesus tried to get some time alone in a remote place. A massive crowd followed him. As we study the passage together this week, we will see the contrast between the response of Jesus compared to the response of His disciples. At...

This Sunday we continued The Upside-Down Kingdom in Matthew 13:54-14:14. The argument is often made that Christianity is behind the times and that the modern world has moved past the traditional emphases and stands of the church. What that argument misses is that Jesus was controversial and counter-cultural 2,000 years ago, at least as much if not more than today. Jesus was rejected by Jews and Ro...

This chapter full of parables comes to its close with four additional parables. The parables this week – the treasure in a field, pearl of great price, fish in the net, and owner of a house – all parallel parables that have come earlier in this chapter. Individually and collectively, they show us the reality of the cost of discipleship. That is, Jesus told His disciples clearly that it would cost...

After the Parable of the Sower and Jesus’ explanation to His disciples, a natural question came up. If Jesus is sowing good seed and it is a matter of the soil of our hearts taking in God’s Word and the proclamation of the Kingdom, then how do we make sense of all the “bad seed” sown around us? The world doesn’t look like a lot of good. In fact, it can often be more of a challenge to see the good...

After some heavy sections through the Sermon on the Mount, seeing the ministry of Jesus reflecting the Kingdom of God, and the confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees, we get to settle into some parables. Parables are stories that reflect and express deeper themes using vivid imagery, metaphors, and simile. Parables were one of the primary styles of teaching from Jesus. On Sunday we will lo...

When we left off, the Pharisees confronted Jesus and claimed that his work in casting out demons was actually the work of Satan. Jesus put them in their place. The next angle comes this Sunday. In what seems to be the same conversation and moment, the Pharisees challenged Jesus to give them a sign, a miracle that they would deem to be sufficient to prove his credentials as being sent by God. His a...

In the letter of First John, we get a clear picture of what the world is really like. As the early church wrestled to understand the Christian life, John wanted them to be reassured of their secure relationship with God in spite of a chaotic world. Feel free to look ahead. We will be covering 1 John 2:3-17.   -------------------------------------------  Connect with us on Social Media ⁠ Website⁠ |...

What difference does it make to know God is there? For sure, in the midst of trials, it's very reassuring to know He is there to help us in our time of need. But, what about other times? What difference does it make to know God is there in the everyday stuff of life? He's there just as much in the washing of dishes, the folding of clothes, the shoveling of snow, and in the standing in line...

This week we get to the heart of one of the most difficult questions for each one of our souls – can we truly be forgiven? The heart of the gospel is God’s pursuit of us, His people, and the work Christ did on the cross – in our place, for our sin. Yet, in Matthew 12:21-27, Jesus called out the religious leaders, the Pharisees, for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, for which there is no forgivene...

The end of Matthew 11 gives us the beautiful invitation from Jesus that we can come to him to find rest for our souls. As we turn to Matthew 12:1-21, we also continue with the theme of rest because our author turns our attention to a series of moments that happened on the Sabbath. Sabbath laws developed over time, and what Jesus encountered was well beyond anything found in God’s Law, but the thou...