"Advent" means a coming or arrival. It's the season where we remember Jesus' first coming and look forward to his coming again. We'll take a break from our Romans sermon series to consider the Old Testament promises (and images) of Jesus' coming. This week, we begin, well, at the very beginning.
This Sunday's passage is a detailed x-ray of how God saves us in the gospel. Significantly, we'll see that God's gift to us in the gospel is much more than forgiveness! Here the Apostle Paul paints a picture of our salvation with words like "righteousness," "grace," "justification," "law," "redemption," and "propitiation." Finally, we'll see why continuing to believe and boast only in the gospel is a crucial antidote to our pride, our anxiety, and our relationships with others.
So how bad is it really? This Sunday we come to the Apostle Paul's climactic conclusion about the depth and breadth of humanity's sin and rebellion against God. The truth is, all are sinners deserving the death penalty. We are guilty as charged by God, the only just judge. We'll see not only how bad it is but also the benefit to reading this sweeping judgment against us.
How do you know that you're a Christian? This is a simple but relevant question, because Scripture is clear that it's possible (even common) for people to be deceived about their relationship with God--particulaly "religious" people with a background in church. And this is who the Apostle Paul addresses in our passage this Sunday. We'll see the reality of false assurance and the defining factor of true salvatoin in Christ. It's a matter of the heart.
Ephesians 1 ended with a glorious declaration of God's immeasurable saving power at work in our world. But when we look around at the death and sadness and ungodliness the world today, sometimes it's hard to see evidence of God's power. Where do we see God's power at work today?
It's a new year in Boston. Thousands of people have moved into the city with plans for their education, career, and future. It's likely you also moved to Boston at some point with a plan. But what about God's plan? Have you ever wondered—or worried—about God's plan for your life? We being a new sermon series in Ephesians this Sunday. We'll see the "mystery" of God's plan for us revealed, and why it should bring us incredible joy.
Zephaniah gives us a vivid picture of God's character—both his justice and joy. After two weeks of judgment-focused prophecy, the book concludes with a passionate song of joyful praise. In this final passage, we will see the purpose of God's judgment and mercy: that we might sing to him, and with him, in joy forever.
This Sunday we welcome Timothy Craig, elder at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Watertown to serve us with God's word. Timothy is from New Hampshire and earned degrees in art from both UNH and BU. He first trusted Christ in his late 20s. After joining an evangelism ministry in San Francisco, Timothy completed seminary and later ministered in Chile and Mexico, before returning to the U.S. in 2021 to serve at Redeemer. He has painted and sold paintings everywhere he goes, but is most passionate about pastoral ministry.
The Christian life isn't always easy. We face doubts, temptations, the consequences of our own sin--as well as trials, opposition, and consequences of others' sin or just the broken world we live in. Sometimes it's hard to keep going. Our passage this Sunday is a reminder of the faithfulness of God to us as we walk with him—that He will keep his promise to save and preserve us, his people.
In the midst of all the tragedy, division, and disappointment of our day, it can be easy to wonder, where is God? Is he really in control? Where do we look to see the power of God at work? We're taking a break in our 1 Timothy sermon series this week to reflect on the theme from Fenway Kids Adventure Week. We'll see in Ephesians 2:1-10, that we can see God's power at work in us, his people.
Do you ever doubt your own salvation? Where do you find the confidence to say that you're truly a Christian? This week we'll explore one of the foundational, and revolutionary, beliefs of Protestant Evangelicals: Christians can have assurance of our salvation.
"What must I do to be saved?" This is a question found on the lips of the Philippian prison guard in Acts 16:30, but it has been on people's lips from the beginning--and even still today. This Sunday we're going to explore what Christianity believes about salvation and this doctrine's practical implications in our lives and our church.
