It’s possible to claim to be a Christian yet not truly possess saving faith. This was the case in Sardis, the 5th of the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3. So how can we be sure we’re alive and not dead? Jesus says it’s all about the clothes we’re wearing, a metaphor for godly works that prove genuine faith.
Like fish, we're constantly swimming in the waters of our culture all around us. If we're not careful, we may end up like the church of Pergamum--faithful in some ways but compromised in others. This Sunday we'll hear Jesus' remedy for the church that is compromising in both doctrine and life, and we'll consider: Are there areas of our life, our church's life, in which we're compromising our faith?
Most people in Boston don't worship Jesus. Many don't understand and are even hostile to our faith. How do we persevere and not hide or give up in the face of persecution, not to mention the sufferings day-to-day life? Jesus has an encouraging word for the church in Smyrna, and for us.
If you're looking for a perfect church in Boston, you won't find one--Ruggles included, of course. Praise God that Jesus loves imperfect churches! This summer we're going to see how Jesus loves his struggling people through his letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3, through words of commendation and a call to repent. We begin with the church at Ephesus. We'll see that it's possible to have right doctrine but lack love.
This week, we're taking some time to reflect and recenter on our mission: Inviting Boston and beyond into a life-changing relationship with Christ and his church. From a few verses in Matthew 9, we'll see Jesus' motivation for his mission and how he intends to accomplish his mission--through the earnest prayer and faithful witness of us, his church!
This Sunday, Pastor Travis Vaclavik will proclaim God's word to us. Pastor Travis serves as Pastor of Westgate Church in Weston, Mass. He is originally from Colorado, but moved to New England to study at Gordon-Conwell Theology Seminary. Pray for Pastor Travis as he prepares to preach the word of the Lord to us from 2 Cor. 12.
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.
This Sunday we welcome back Pastor Ron Bouthillette. Pastor Ron served for many years as Senior Pastor of The Bridge Community Church in Milford, New Hampshire. He is currently Associate Executive Minister of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM) and is a former member of Ruggles from back in the 1970s!
"Everything will be alright." Are you sure? This Sunday we come to the conclusion of the focus on Jacob's life in Genesis. You might think that this story would end well--Jacob is in the Promised Land, reconciled with his brother, and grown in his faith and character. Instead we find betrayal and death. We'll recap chapters 25-35 and consider the significance of this sad conclusion.
What is the purpose of your life? After a disastrous stay in Shechem, the Lord calls Jacob to finish his journey back home to Bethel. This is where God first revealed himself to Jacob and where Jacob first worshiped the Lord. We see in this passage at the end of Jacob's journey that worship is the ultimate goal of his life and our lives. What do we learn about how God calls us to worship him?
In our journey through Genesis, we come this Sunday to one of the darkest and most difficult passages in all of Scripture. It is here we see that the Lord knows the depth of our depravity and yet his purpose of grace runs even deeper. This passage is a warning but also a comfort that the Lord will save and heal his people no matter what.
This Easter Sunday we consider how we see and experience the resurrected Jesus in his word.
We are all prone to self-reliance, especially when times get tough. In this Sunday's passage, Jacob comes to the climactic conflict of his life--facing his brother Esau. Yet it is Jacob's newfound weakness, not his strength, that enables him to find deliverance and reconciliation.
Brother Daniel leads us back into our sermon series in Genesis this Sunday. We'll consider through Jacob's wrestling with an angels, how we can persevere with the Lord when doubts or difficulties come.
This Sunday we welcome Pastor Curtis Cook of Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge to preach God's word to us. Pastor Curtis has not only been a faithful church planter and pastor for 20 years, but also a mentor and equipper of other pastors. He'll share the word from us Psalm 127.
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.
Who is responsible for our success? How does our work relate with God's work? This Sunday's sermon text might seem foreign to us. It's an ancient business deal involving herds, breeding, and a little superstition, too. And yet at the foundation we'll see two men not unlike us today who are striving for material success no matter the cost.
This Sunday's passage is another bizarre and incredibly sad one. We'll learn from Jacob's two wives--Leah and Rachel--who each experience an unfulfilled longing for their deepest desire. And we'll see how God can bless despite even the worst kind of mess.
Scripture is clear that the Lord leads his people into difficult circumstances to grow our faith in him. Do you remember a past faith-refining season in your own life? This Sunday's passage is a particularly bizarre and painful expression of that. We'll observe both the Lord's kind providence and his refining discipline in Jacob's life and apply it to our own lives.
Our passage this week finds Jacob in the consequences of his sin: alone, running for his life, and with an uncertain future. Perhaps you can relate to some or all these feelings in your own life. Yet it is in this dark, lonely place where God graciously meets Jacob--and delights to meet us--with his amazing grace.
