Redemption Hill Church

The passage centers on Jesus’ encounter with a Gentile woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon, a place considered unclean by Jewish standards. Her daughter is possessed by a demon, and in her desperation, the woman seeks out Jesus, believing He is the only one who can help. This illustrates real need—a deep, personal crisis that drives someone to seek divine intervention. The story emphasizes that...

We are quick to blame circumstances, people, or environments for our sin, just as the Pharisees did with their man-made traditions. They assumed defilement came from something outside of them—food touched by Gentiles, unwashed hands, unclean environments. But Jesus confronts this thinking head-on: the real problem is not out there, but inside of us. “There is nothing outside a person that by going...

In Mark 7:1–13, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes who have traveled from Jerusalem to investigate Him. Their concern wasn’t curiosity—it was opposition. They accused Jesus’ disciples of eating with “defiled hands,” not because of hygiene, but because they didn’t follow the “tradition of the elders,” an elaborate system of rules developed to safeguard ritual purity. These traditions went be...

“If Jesus cares, why doesn’t He show up?” Most of us have asked that question in hard seasons. We’ve felt it in financial pressure, restless nights of worry, or deep grief when life seems unbearable. The disciples felt it too, straining at the oars in the middle of the sea, battling the wind, and realizing Jesus wasn’t with them in the boat. But the story reminds us of this comforting truth: Jesus...

We’ve come to another familiar story in Mark’s gospel—the feeding of the five thousand. Outside of the resurrection, it’s the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. If we’re not careful, its familiarity can keep us from feeling its weight. So let’s place ourselves, not in the shoes of the disciples this time, but among the crowd. Imagine the scene: you’ve heard rumors of this man who heals the...

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you should stand up for the truth, but you hesitated? Maybe it was gossip, a false story, or pressure to compromise your convictions. That’s hard enough when the cost is just awkwardness or reputation. But what if the cost was much higher—your friends, your job, even your life? That’s the question before us in Mark 6, where we find the horrific stor...

Imagine for a moment that you are one of the disciples. You’ve just watched Jesus calm a storm, cast out demons, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. Your confidence in Him is soaring. Then Jesus takes you to His hometown, and instead of celebration you watch Him face rejection and mockery. And right after that, He gathers you in and says, “Now it’s your turn.” But here’s the catch—you are to g...

Have you ever heard the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt”? It’s true in everyday life. Many of us didn’t fully appreciate our parents until we left home. New Yorkers can live their whole lives without ever visiting the Statue of Liberty. I’ll never forget my first trip to the Rocky Mountains—jaw dropped in awe of their majesty. But the locals? Unmoved. Why? Because those mountains had always b...

In Mark 5, two desperate people find themselves at the feet of Jesus—a respected synagogue leader named Jairus whose twelve-year-old daughter is dying, and an unnamed woman who has been bleeding for twelve years. One is a man of status, the other a social outcast. One is surrounded by crowds, the other hidden in shame. Yet both have run out of options, and both come to Jesus because they believe H...

Yes, Jesus had stilled the storm in chapter 4—a breathtaking display of power—but this encounter is something different. Here, Jesus steps onto Gentile soil and meets a man no one dared go near. A man consumed by darkness, living among the tombs, uncontrollable and utterly alone. Society had done all it could: bind him, exile him, forget him. But Jesus does not avoid what is unclean or broken. He...

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Have you ever felt like you were wandering in a dry, weary land—desperate for something real, something lasting, something that truly satisfies? That’s exactly where David found himself when he wrote Psalm 63. Whether he was fleeing from King Saul or his son Absalom, David was in the wilderness, physically and spiritually—separated from safety, his people, and it seemed, even his God. Yet, from th...

Psalm 42 paints a beautiful picture of how to fight for joy by a crushed man. The author is a Son of Korah, one of the most notorious rebels in Israel’s history. God redeemed his sons, and gave them a place of honor in leading worship in his house. This Psalm, meant to be sung, is a brutally honest and desperate fight to put his hope in God. Even though God is far, even though he feels forgotten,...

Psalm 84 is a rich expression of longing for the presence of God. The Sons of Korah write from the heart of a pilgrim, yearning not just for a place, but for the God who dwells there. This psalm reveals the unmatched joy of being near the Lord—a joy so powerful that even the birds nesting near the temple are envied. The cry of the psalmist is clear: true, lasting joy is found in the presence of Go...

There’s a memorable moment in The Pilgrim’s Progress where Christian arrives at a steep hill called Difficulty. The true path to the Celestial City leads straight up that hill, but two easier-looking roads—Danger and Destruction—veer off to either side. Christian pauses, tired and hesitant, but remembers the King’s instructions and begins the hard climb, declaring, “The way to life lies here.” His...

Seeing the Gospel: The Significance of Baptism When we gather as the church, we come to sing the gospel, speak the gospel, and see the gospel. One way we see the gospel is through the ordinances—visible, symbolic acts given by Jesus to His church to display His saving work. These are not just church traditions; they are gospel reenactments instituted by Christ, taught by the apostles, and practice...

Imagine getting into the boat with Jesus. The day had been full—Jesus teaching crowds along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Now, He leads His disciples to the other side. The water is calm, the breeze gentle, and the sky painted with sunset. But suddenly, without warning, calm gives way to chaos. A fierce storm erupts. Winds howl, waves crash into the boat, and fear grips your heart. You panic....

We live in a culture of instant everything—fast food, same-day delivery, streaming in seconds. We’re trained to value what is visible, measurable, and immediate. If something takes time, or we can’t see its results right away, we often assume it isn’t working or isn’t worth it. And sadly, we bring that mindset into our spiritual lives. We expect quick growth in our churches, instant transformation...

We’ve all experienced it: a skill we once practiced, a habit we once maintained, or a truth we once held closely—slowly slipping away over time. Maybe it was a language you studied, an instrument you played, or a relationship you didn’t nurture. The principle is familiar: use it or lose it. And Jesus tells us that this is true when it comes to spiritual truth. His message in Mark 4:21–25 is simple...

magine yourself in the disciples’ sandals. You’ve seen Jesus calm storms, heal the sick, cast out demons, and draw massive crowds with His teaching. But then, He tells a parable about a farmer scattering seed. It seems simple—maybe too simple. Yet this story holds profound truth. In it, Jesus reveals that the real difference between those who receive His Word and those who don’t comes down to one...

In our modern world, there are two competing views of family. One sees it as a restriction—something that limits freedom and personal fulfillment. The other places family on a pedestal, making it the ultimate source of meaning and identity. But Jesus presents us with something far more profound. While He affirms the value of biological family, He refuses to treat it as ultimate. Instead, Jesus inv...

Imagine a firefighter arriving at a burning house—sirens blaring, hose in hand, rushing in to save lives. But then someone from the crowd shouts, “He started the fire himself!” The accusation would be shocking, absurd, and offensive. Yet this is exactly the kind of charge the religious leaders make against Jesus in this passage. Though He’s healing the sick, casting out demons, and calling sinners...

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God gives Israel the gift of the Sabbath to rest and remember God’s faithfulness. The Pharisees took the command and turn it into everything but resting. We see in the sermon this morning that they would rather someone starve or suffer than to help them. All in the effort to not work. They had twisted God’s gift for their own Glory. They had raised their traditions to the level of scripture and ac...