Renewal Church Podcast

What makes someone great? Is it our reputation, our wealth, our career, or the number of material possessions we can amass? Jesus has a tendency to take our assumptions about how things should operate in this world and flip them upside down. In one moment, He challenges the disciples to flip their understanding of what it means to be great in this life. Visit us online at: www. RenewalChurch.net

When the disciples are unable to cast a demon out of a young boy, Jesus reminds them all that all things are possible for those who believe. The response of the father of the young boy is a good reminder of the faith we should all have. He says, "I believe; help my unbelief." That within us all is the battle of faith and doubt. On one hand, yes, we believe, but on the other, we need divine help in...

Jesus takes three of His disciples on a mountain where He is transformed to display His full divine nature. On the mountain with Him appeared Moses, the representation of the law, and Elijah, the representation of the prophets, giving testimony that Jesus is the fulfillment of both the law and the prophets. And in this moment, we get a glimpse of the full story of Scripture. The full plan of God i...

We are at the turning point in the book of Mark. From this point on, the relationship between the disciples and Jesus is drastically different. Jesus asks them a question, and it’s a question that we all have to answer. He asks them, "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter’s answer brought their relationship to a new intimacy that they had not experienced to this point. When Peter confesses that Jes...

Demanding a sign, the Pharisees approached Jesus after he performed another miracle by feeding the 4,000. This leads to an important warning for the disciples. He tells them to "beware of the leaven of the pharisees and of Herod." Leaven (see note on 1 Cor. 5:6–7) is a figurative description of the self-centeredness and self-reliance that all of us are tempted to demonstrate. But these things are...

At the end of the story, there is a great promise of the great renewal of all things. We have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection, and today we are born again into a living hope. The hope that we live in today is a shadow of what is coming—that at the end of all things, God will bring His final renewal to His creation. Visit us online at: www. RenewalChurch.net

Much of the Bible points to one simple truth: God is coming for us. He is coming to redeem all that has been broken, and He has one providential plan that cannot fail. His aim was to bring His glory forth through all the world, and in His love, He came to die on a cross for sins. Visit us online at: www. RenewalChurch.net

In Genesis 3, we see everything move from perfect to broken—from shalom to rebellion. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree in the garden, all of God’s perfect creation was distorted, and the stain of sin that began then still rules our world today. In order to understand the redemption that is coming, we must first understand the depth of sin, the judgment of God, and our inability to make everythi...

In Genesis 1–2, we see God’s creation of all things, including us as His creatures and image-bearers. Despite the creation account being just two chapters, it sets the stage for the rest of the story and gives us the theological foundation of our faith. Visit us online at: www. RenewalChurch.net

In one of the most surprising and confusing moments of the gospel, we see Jesus test a Gentile woman. This woman comes to Jesus, asking for His help with her daughter. Jesus’ noncommittal response is surprising and may seem offensive. He gives three comparisons: bread (his message), children (the Jewish people), and dogs (Gentiles). The woman’s response to Jesus’ surprising statement (v. 27) is bo...

When the Pharisees question Jesus on tradition, He proceeds to completely rewrite their understanding of what really matters to God. The Pharisees had added rules and regulations to God’s law and were intent on enforcing these man-made traditions on Jesus and His disciples. Jesus responds by calling them hypocrites! The Pharisees are hypocrites for two reasons: (1) their actions are merely externa...

In this text, we get a picture of two kings—Jesus and Herod. As Jesus looks out on the massive crowd, we aren’t meant to think of Ezekiel 34, where God condemns the shepherd of Israel. Thus, the contrast between Herod and Jesus: one leads in selfishness, debauchery, and greed, and the other leads in compassion. In this moment, Jesus provides for His people as the true shepherd. Visit us online at:...

As Jesus faces rejection in His hometown, He is not deterred from the mission to bring forth the kingdom. The rejection that Jesus and the disciples faced in Nazareth will be instruction for the disciples as they begin their own ministry and face rejection themselves. The question for us is: How are we to handle the rejection of the gospel? The good news is that we are not alone when we face rejec...

In this text, we first see the power of Jesus as He stands in the midst of a terrifying storm and commands the winds and waves to cease. Second, we see Jesus' purpose when He meets an unclean man who has been tormented and alienated from society and frees him from the chains that have bound him. Third, we see the priority of Jesus as He demonstrates compassion for two girls. Visit us online at: ww...

In Mark 4, we see Jesus preach three different parables, all of which give insight into the kingdom of God. Jesus uses these parables to illustrate a significant truth. There are two groups: those who seek to understand the kingdom of God and those who don’t. For those who seek to understand, Jesus says, they receive the secret to the kingdom; but for those who don't, the kingdom is folly to them....

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one of the most debated and misunderstood sayings of Jesus during his ministry. We must first identify the difference between common blasphemy and specific blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And why does Jesus say that blasphemies uttered by men will be forgiven but not blasphemies of the Holy Spirit? At its core, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when a person p...

In these verses, we will see five moments in the ministry of Jesus, and throughout these moments, different groups will try to define who Jesus is and what He is supposed to do. For the crowds, He was a miracle worker as He was healing sickness and casting out demons; for the disciples, He was the leader of a great healing ministry; and for the Pharisees, He was someone who was disturbing their cu...

"What is this? A new teaching with authority!" This is what we see Jesus do at the start of His ministry. When he calls on Simon and Andrew and tells them, "Follow me," their response is immediate. He is curing people's illnesses, casting out demons, and ultimately declaring his authority. Jesus begins to challenge cultural norms and make people question the possibilities. This is also where we be...

Mark begins his gospel by making a history-shaping claim: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Son of God has arrived. More than that, Mark uses the word "gospel", which was a term that the Romans would use to announce to their citizens that a new authority has risen to power. But in this moment, Mark uses the term to declare that good news has come to the world: the arrival of the king—the Son...

Our hope in Christ is not just a concept, some undefined thing. It is an inheritance, something that is given to the Father’s children. Our inheritance will never get worse, and there is nothing better. Visit us online at: www. RenewalChurch.net

In the person of Jesus Christ we see the fulfillment of all things. He is the one that the law of Moses points to, He is the one that all of creation has been waiting for, and He is the one we set our hope on. The very Word of God came to dwell among His very own creation, He lived a sinless life, died the death that we deserved, and rose from the grave. And all who would receive Him in faith woul...

This world is filled with people, expectations, mindsets, and comforts that all claim to know the path to true happiness. Every day we are tempted to believe what they are selling, but there is only one true Light that has come to the world. There is only one true King and there is only One who is truly worthy of all our affections and worship. The reality is that all have rejected Him. We have al...

Throughout the Old Testament, God was preparing for the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah would come to redeem the people of God from their sins. In the Gospel of John, we meet the final character in God’s preparation for the arrival of the King: John the Baptist. His was the voice that made the final announcement. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of our King, we need to ask: Are we prepared...

Both the books of Genesis and the Gospel of John begin with the words “In the beginning." In both places, we see one central character, Jesus, the Son of God. His Word spoke the world into existence in Genesis 1, and through God’s providential plan of redemption for His people, that Word has come to dwell among us.

Rahab, a Gentile and prostitute, showed remarkable faith by helping the people of God in a great time of need. She displayed what it looks like to have humble faith in a great God. God has the power to redeem and restore whomever He chooses. God chose Rahab not only to assist Israel's spies, but also to include her in the lineage that would lead to Jesus Christ. Her faith would lead to the coming...