Renew Covenant Church Sermons

We begin a series on inner healing and transformation. The God of peace is constantly at work to make us more whole in spirit, soul, and body–he will faithfully bring our healing and wholeness to completion. What is our part? Are we willing to roll up our sleeves and open ourselves up to this process?

Before his ascension, Jesus tells his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, then they will receive power from the HS and will be His witnesses to the world. The Holy Spirit is essential to the empowerment of the disciples for the mission. At the same time Jesus words teach them the importance of waiting for God’s promises.

This passage highlights the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian faith and the recognition that the Holy Spirit’s work transcends cultural boundaries. It emphasizes unity and acceptance within the early Christian community.

Philip and the man from Ethiopia. In the post resurrection life, we are led and discipled by the Spirit who takes us off the beaten path

God doesn't "protect" us in the sense of shielding us from pain, nor grief, nor doubt. But when our journey includes those things, God our protector is right beside us and won't let us get lost.

Resurrection Sunday, Epilogue Part 2 Wondering is the first step toward understanding, but we are invited to not sit in our confusion forever. We are invited to see Jesus’ presence in our lives, relying on Him to inform our understanding of the Scriptures and inspire us to share the Good News.

Resurrection Sunday, Epilogue Part 1 When Jesus’ loved ones found the tomb empty, they were “perplexed” with what must be going on. Often in life we expect to be able to have access to all the answers, immediately, when in reality we are invited into a holy place of humility and wonder

We often become paralyzed by our worries, fears, and doubts. The are obstacles on the journey that seem insurmountable, that cause us to fret. The women going to Jesus’ tomb worry about the large stone that will have to be rolled away. In our tunnel vision we don’t see the amazing good news God has been

Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9’s prophecy. His “royal” entry is contra the Roman empire and the scene is set for a confrontation. The crowd’s enthusiastic response reflects hope in Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. However, Holy Week events lead to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion. We examine the complexity of victory and suffering, and our...

Pastor Eunice Do visits Renew with her word on "God with Us" during our "Names of God" series.

This is the episode before the Last Supper. We have another meal here that is disrupted by a woman who lavishly annoints Jesus with oil. Everyone is appalled, but Jesus praises the woman’s faith. Might we be disrupted by the scandalous and unconventional.

God is generous and compassionate towards His people, even when they are unfaithful and rebellious. God does not give up on them, but sends them many messengers and opportunities to repent and return to Him. God’s grace is not limited by human boundaries or expectations, but extends to all who are willing to accept it. On the flip side, the parable also challenges us to examine our own role and re...

Jesus has a discourse with a rich young ruler. The takeaway in the context of Mark 10 is that the path to eternal life comes via having a child-like wonder and dependance on Christ. What are the “riches” we hold onto that serve as buffers against a deeper journey with Jesus?

Guest speaker Paul Cabellon shares insight on the story of Hagar and God, El Roi.

Where Jesus’ identity is declared with words in the previous chapter, now Jesus is revealed visually in illuminated Glory through the transfiguration. We are given a visual expression of God’s delight in His Son, and the disciples too are to delight and stand in awe of Jesus. Sometimes, we don’t explain with words or try to understand completely the Glory of Jesus Christ. The disciples stand on ho...

The center of Mark is Jesus’ question “Who do you say I am” and Peter’s response “you are the Messiah” What is JEsus’ identity. But also, what does this mean? The disciples are caught up to what Mark has already told the reader: Jesus is the Messiah. But then Jesus continues relaying that the Messiah must suffer, die, and rise–which further highlights the disciples’ ignorance around the way of the...

“Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” It’s not external objects or people that are evil, but that which comes from inside us. Humans can objectify other humans–we judge others based on the outside and the labels we give them. Jesus calls us to be relational and move past superficial excuses.

Jesus performs a miracle of feeding a multitude. We hone in on Jesus’ compassion and desire to meet the needs of his ‘sheep.’ We also consider the “abundance” of the Kingdom–is there always enough?

Jesus ministers in his hometown and experiences a wall of faithlessness. He is ‘unable’ to do more miracles there. Jesus sends the disciples on their own itinerant missions and prepares them for possible rejection among other things.

Simeon, a man filled with the Spirit, had been waiting for the consolation of Israel. Finally, he meets the Messiah and is released from his ‘waiting.’ He prophesies over the new family, pointing to how Jesus will confront power and pierce the hearts of many. May the Spirit pierce our hearts in 2024 and bring forth ‘new things’

Paul declares that Christ is our Peace who breaks down the walls of hostility, bring those who are far in community with those who are near. We (the church) are being built up together as Christ’s household of peace, a witness to the world.

The Magnificat, or Mary’s Song, is one of four Psalm like songs in Luke 1-2 surrounding the birth narrative of Jesus. Magnificat = my soul magnifies the lord. This is a song of reversals and joy, praising God for His timely deliverance. Let us sing a song of joy remembering what God has done for us.

Peter warns us against following false teachers down a path that neglects the call to live in the fullness of the knowledge of God. Through God’s promises, we have been invited to participate in His divine nature! He consistently models for us patience and love for all mankind. As we “intentionally wait” for his return, we are called to set aside selfish desires and live a life that, like God, is...

The Prophet writes that God “works for those who wait for him.” In a culture of increasingly low attention span and impatience for the “good things that come for those who wait,” intentional waiting (“Hope”) is difficult. We display fidelity and faith when we trust that in time God will shape us into who we really need to be.

jesus frees a man afflicted by a legion of demons, and in his freedom he shares his testimony throughout the Decapolis. Evil is real and hurts real people. What does "Legion" look like for us today, for our society, for the people around us? What are the shackles that bind us?