The Redemption Blog

Sunday @ Redemption...

 

Join us this Sunday at Redemption as we begin a 4-part series titled, "But God: Defining the Gospel in Two Words".  

All of us have walked through seasons of life that did not make sense. 

Seasons of pain. Seasons of struggle. Seasons of loss.

You find yourself wondering how a loving God could allow such pain in the world and in your life.

You find yourself wondering if God is really there. 

You find yourself wondering how there could possibly be meaning in your pain.

Join us this weekend as we look to the life of a guy named Joseph in the book of Genesis and how he asked some of these same questions, had the same doubts, and walked through the same seasons...

Join us for "But God"...

9:45 @ Cutting Hall

150 E. Wood St. in Downtown Palatine

(MAP) 

 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"

-1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, it is a great time to stop and recognize the evidence of God's grace in our lives. Here are 8 things I'm thankful for right now:

1. The Gospel

I'm thankful Jesus gave His perfect life in my place.

2. My Wife

I'm thankful God has blessed me with Tami who fills my life with joy and makes me a better Christian, husband, daddy and pastor.

3. My Kids

I'm thankful for how Ava has blessed and stretched us and ultimately taught me far more about God. I also can't wait to meet my new baby in May!

4. RBC Leaders

I'm thankful I get to serve in the mission of Jesus with some of my closest friends and so many people who make my job a joy.

5. Growth at Redemption

We have seen tremendous growth in both health and numbers at Redemption and I continue to be amazed at God's work here.

6. Gospel Transformation

It seems that each week I have a front row seat from which to watch the Gospel drop in people's hearts

7. Acts 29

This network has served us well and been a source of great brotherhood, encouragement and challenge.

8. RBC Volunteers

We have an amazing group of people who serve faithfully each week in various ways and we couldn't do this without them.

My list could go on and on, but I would really like to hear what your thankful for.  Where do you see evidence of God's grace in your life?

Click here to join the conversation...

Preaching Resources

As I was trying to figure out what books to recommend to everyone this week, I was struck by how many authors are attempting to deal with the issue of money and possessions. In the taglines for many of the books I read, something like the following was affirmed again and again: “We live in the most prosperous society in the history of the world.” Many people realize the crisis of wealth in which we find ourselves, as living conditions between the rich and the poor are perhaps as polarized as ever. Because of the confusion surrounding how we ought to view our possessions, I want to recommend to you just one book this week: Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions (IVP 2001). We are all incredibly skeptical of what various authors have to say when it comes in money, because we think they just somehow want a piece of the change. However, this book, written by Craig Blomberg, looks at how the theme of possessions develops throughout Scripture, giving us a complete picture of how we ought to view or things in relation to God.

A note from Ryan...

Greetings Friends!

It's been a crazy few weeks, but things are settling down just in time to get crazy again for the holidays.  I can hardly believe we are 10 weeks in to the life of our young church and that the holidays are around the corner.  

The holidays present us with some great Gospel-mission opportunities I wanted to draw your attention to.

1. Missional Prayer

While the holidays are a time of celebration for many of us, they are a time of darkness and depression for many. This gives us great opportunity to lift up friends and loved ones in prayer. Let's pray that the Light would shine in their darkness this season and ask God how we can be a light and a source of Gospel-hope in their lives.

2. Missional Partying

For many of us, the holidays are a time of one party after another. We will be surrounded by friends, family, neighbors and co-workers, many of which do not know Jesus. We have an opportunity to continue to build relationships and love people well. Let's bring the best food, bring the best wine, and be a source of blessing for the sake of the Gospel.

3. Missional Partnership

At Redemption we are taking the first step in partnering with local community organizations to serve our city well.  This Sunday we are starting a children's coat drive with PHD, a local non-profit that seeks to counsel, educate, and love young mom's in need.  We want each of you to bring or buy at least one coat for a child anywhere from birth to six years of age.

We will also be hosting a Christmas Eve service on Thursday, December 24 from 4-5PM at Cutting Hall. This is a great opportunity to invite friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate the life of Christ with us.

Let's seize the opportunities God puts before us this holiday season and pray God would work amazing things in each of our hearts and the hearts of those we love and who do not know Jesus.  

I love you guys and I continue to thank God for your Gospel-partnership!

Posted by Ryan Huguley

Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision

Sunday @Redemption...

If you are normal, your first response to the word "discipline" in general and "church discipline" in particular, is probably not positive.

We hear that word and our thoughts harken back to childhood. We think of things like...

The many times we were forced to sit in the corner...

The hours we spent grounded in our rooms...

The bars of soap used to wash the profanity from our mouths...

For some of us it brings to mind dark memories of abuse, or severe and over harsh punishments we both did not deserve and did not understand.

Needless to say, it is a loaded word for each of us.  

Join us this Sunday at Redemption as we work to both unpack this word from God's perspective and discuss how we work it out as a church family. My promise to you is that it will be a time of healing, challenge, conviction, and encouragement.  

You won't want to miss it!

Map and Service time here...

Preaching Resources

 

Here are a list of resources to supplement further study based on Sunday's sermon on Redeeming Church: Sacraments.  Enjoy!

Introductory

• John H. Armstrong, ed., Understanding Four Views on Baptism (Zondervan, 2007), 224 pages.
• David F. Wright, ed., Baptism: Three Views (IVP, 2009), 200 pages.
• Gordon T. Smith, ed., The Lord’s Supper: Five Views (IVP, 2007), 157 pages.

Intermediate

• Thomas Schreiner, ed., Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ (B & H Academic, 2007), 364 pages.
• Leonard J. Vander Zee, Christ, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship (IVP 2004), 249 pages.
• John H. Armstrong, ed., Understanding Four Views on the Lord’s Supper (Zondervan, 2007), 224 pages.

Advanced

• Everett Ferguson, Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries (Eerdmans, 2009), 912 pages.