Are you hungry for a real spiritual life that goes deeper than the surface? Join us Sunday as we explore the curious story of Jesus cleansing the temple, which shows us where to find this kind of life and a potentially unexpected aspect of this life: disruption.

Where do you turn when you experience disappointment and scarcity of joy? This week, we see Jesus’ first miraculous sign where he turns water into wine at a wedding celebration. In this sign, we catch a glorious glimpse of what Jesus is all about: JOY!

Jesus said, “Follow me.” This is one of the foundational statements for the Christian life. On the one hand, it’s simple enough for a child to understand in a game of Follow the Leader. But at the same time, the call is big enough to reorient our entire lives. Join us this Sunday, as we discover what it means to become a follower of Jesus.

Have you ever wanted a new day so badly you couldn’t wait? If it’s important enough, you drop everything and get ready for it’s arrival. This week, we see how John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, prepares the way for Jesus’ arrival. In his example, we see how the gospel both elevates us and humbles us, as we orient our lives around Jesus.

If you needed one absolutely critical bit of information to unlock the rest of the story John is writing, it is found in John 1:14-18. Some have called these verses the pinnacle of human thought. For God so loved the world that he moved into the neighborhood and introduced himself to us. Nothing in our lives or in all human history is more glorious than this.

John opens his gospel with a bold claim: Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. It's a claim that most people find farfetched or unimportant. But John knows this is the case. Join us Sunday as we see how John addresses those tensions and invites us to examine his claim and test out the relevance of the story for ourselves. You can download this week's Reflection Guide at redemptionokc.com/resources.

If you need guidance for the most probing, important decisions in your life, where do you turn? From the very first lines, John announces that Jesus is the most trustworthy guide for humanity–both intellectually and experientially. In this series, we will work our way through the theological riches of the Gospel according to John, who is said to be Jesus’ closest and most trusted friend. Who better to tell us how to experience spiritual vitality and meaningful life through belief in the person, work, and teaching of Jesus? Download this week's reflection guide at redemptionokc.com/resources.

Throughout this series, we've seen that an encounter with God's grace shapes our lives, and, in turn, shapes our community. But it doesn't stop there. Join us Sunday, as we wrap up our series exploring how a personal encounter with God's grace shapes how we interact with the hurting, the downcast, and those who don't know God's grace in Jesus for themselves.

Each of us is on a journey. All day, every day we’re being formed unto someone or something whether we like it or not. This means that being formed towards deep life in Christ will take intentionality. Join us this week, as we lean into how God desires to grow, form, and equip you for all of life.

The gospel invites us into a common cause bigger than any one of us. In the New Testament, we see that Jesus’ church is comprised of people with a bunch of different gifts and a bunch of different roles serving together in one mission. This week, discover your place in God’s redemption plan, which gives us all a meaningful role to play.

When you experience a life-forming encounter with the gospel of Jesus, it begins to shape your life and, in turn, shapes us as a community. This week, we explore what it looks like to live out the gospel in our relationships. As we practice honesty with one another and show honor toward one another, our spiritual friendships truly come to life.

You are invited into Life at Redemption to experience deep, meaningful life in Christ. This is what we want for you: a transcendent, ongoing, life-forming encounter with the gospel of Jesus that shapes your life and, in turn, shapes us as a community. You matter to God and you matter to us, so we want to help you find your path to grow and flourish as a follower of Jesus. Together, let’s kick off the fall exploring how the gospel changes our lives.

Throughout the summer, we've been journeying through the Psalms of Ascent seeking to find time-tested direction for our own lives as we move towards maturity in our life with God. Join us this week, as wrap up our series exploring Psalm 133 as it points us to a critical, but often neglected, ingredient in our spiritual journey.

As complex people in a confusing world, we find it easy to fluctuate between extremes of pride (I have it all figured out!) and panic (I don’t know anything at all!). This week, Psalm 131 calls us to calm and quiet our own souls, even in the middle of the great mysteries of life.

Ever feel out of your depth? Like there is no way out of the hurt, fear, and brokenness? For many of us, it feels like the night will never turn to day and we're stuck in the situation at hand. What do we do? Join us on Sunday as we unpack a reason for hope - not just for today or tomorrow, but for eternity. 

The abundance of self-help books and life hacks in our world is a testimony to the fact our lives are not quite right and that we desire a better way forward. But like any problem, before we jump to solutions we need to understand what's gone wrong. Join us Sunday as we seek to understand the problem, and, in the process, discover a blueprint for life far more transcendent and helpful than the latest New York Times bestseller.

This week, we see how three great endeavors of human existence — significance, security, and restful sleep — all fall under God’s providence. No matter how diligently we work, how carefully we protect, how intensely we seek a way forward, our striving is meaningless “unless the Lord” shows up for us. But the Lord love to give to his beloved.

Laughter is essential to Christian faith. This week, we see the importance of celebrating the goodness God brings in our lives: “the Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” These gospel memories strengthen us for tougher times that are sure to come, and they increase our faith in God’s promise that joy has the final word in our lives.

Where do you find confidence for your life that is lasting and strong? In contrast to our world of fickle feelings and temporary highs, God's people are confident because they are surrounded by God himself. Join us this weekend, as we learn ancient wisdom for all those who seek to walk with trust in the Lord.

As we journey through life we will regularly encounter great difficulty, which sometimes leads us to question our faith and doubt God. In these moments we often turn away from God, but when we turn towards God in difficulty and doubt we often find fertile soil for our faith to grow. Join us Sunday as we learn from David's experience how to seek the Lord in times of pain and suffering.

In contrast to our instant-everything world, spiritual growth is a slow, winding journey on the long road to a God-given destination. Christians often use the metaphor of a journey to describe what it’s like to move toward maturity in life with God. In ancient times, the people of God would literally travel together on the road to Jerusalem for worship. Since the city was at the highest elevation in the region, they ascended on this pilgrimage path. Along the way, they sang psalms which became known as the Songs of Ascent. Join us this summer as we travel through these ancient songs to find time-tested direction for our own journey with God and his people.

Do you believe you have a Heavenly Father who cares for you but still find yourself anxious and discontent? You're not alone. Because beliefs are important but they aren't enough to change us. As we conclude our series this Sunday, we'll consider Jesus' climatic invitation to bring all of life into alignment with his kingdom as the surprising catalyst that helps us move from anxiety towards contentment.

Where do you go with your worry? Scripture tells us to go to God, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). We find freedom from our striving for significance, image, and external validation by cultivating personal, soul-strengthening life with God. This week, we will explore how we can deepen our relationship with the Lord.

What keeps us from enjoying more contentment in our lives? When we become stuck in a mindset of comparison, criticism, or cynicism, we will find that contentment is impossible to find. In our search to be content in all circumstances, Jesus will point us to Gospel truth and confidence in the care of our Heavenly Father.

Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about your life.” Well, that’s easier said than done! We all feel the pull toward some version of the good life—however we choose to define it. In our own way, we each want to be noticed, respected, seen, secure. Modern technology and social media exploit our impulse to perform, increasing the pressure to play the comparison game. Against this constant struggle, let’s dive into Jesus’ teaching about our worry, money, and image as we seek to choose a better path: contentment.

Do you view all of life through the lens of grace? This week, we conclude our series looking at the end of Jacob’s life. After all the twists and turns, fits and starts, ups and downs of his life, the mature Jacob becomes a billboard for grace, recognizing God’s care through all that lies behind and rejoicing in God’s blessing for all that lies ahead. It’s one thing to run to grace in a moment of crisis, but what if we allowed God’s relentless grace to reframe our entire life?

Have you ever made such a mess in your life that you wondered if God was done with you? After a dark season of spiritual drift in Jacob’s life, God intervenes again. Over and over in Jacob’s journey, God’s relentless grace seeks Jacob out. This week, we are reminded that the Lord pursues us wherever we go, keeps his promises, and invites us to dwell with Him. Note: Please note that this chapter includes tragic events which are difficult to consider, including sexual assault, deceit, malicious use of religious ritual, and murder. It might be helpful to read Genesis 34 in advance of Sunday’s sermon, especially if you plan to bring children into worship.

Do you ever think that small decisions won’t lead to big trouble? It seems like Jacob’s troubles are behind him, now that Laban and Esau are out of the way. But sometimes, a place of comfort can become a place of compromise. In Genesis 34, it all takes a tragic turn as one devastation follows another. Scripture does not hide the ugly side of human nature, and we are left looking for God’s deliverance from it all.

What does it look like to have a life-changing encounter with God? It’s an important question, maybe even an intimidating question. This week’s sermon looks at one of the most famous scenes in all the Bible: Jacob wrestling with God. God engages Jacob at the point of his greatest weakness and transforms his life completely while also leaving him limping toward home.

An Easter Sunday message from Jeff Lawrence, Lead Pastor of Redemption Church.

Does life feel like a roller coaster sometimes? Jacob's life certainly did. This week, we'll look at another twist and turn in Jacob's life as he prepares to meet his brother Esau again after 20 years. Jacob's situation will give us an honest picture of the difficulties of life in our world, but it will also point us to hope in the midst of whatever life throws our way.

How do the routine frustrations of life teach us to lean on God? This week, we continue our journey with Jacob as he experiences both professional success and business corruption in his partnership with his father-in-law Laban. In our study, we will see how common conflicts of life, though annoying in the moment, can be used by God to shape our faith and bless our lives.

What do you want from life? We all have heart longings that demand our attention and drive our emotions. This is a normal part of life. But things get messy when we set an inordinate amount of hope on someone or something that can never fulfill us. This week, we watch Jacob’s wives seek to win affection, appreciation, and significance in all the wrong ways. It’s a complete mess! Yet God works through this dysfunctional family to bring about his plans for good.

Have you ever set your heart on some great goal only to be disappointed in the end? This week, we see Jacob’s disillusionment in the very moment he thought would be the highlight of his life. Yet even when the trickster gets tricked, God is at work to bring about his good. Join us as we see how our disappointments reveal desires that only find their fulfillment in God.f

What kind of people does God love? It’s an important question that this passage answers for us. To this point in Genesis, we’ve not seen anything admirable about Jacob — not his character, not his morality, not his spirituality. When Jacob is on the run, unsuspecting, and fast asleep, the gate of heaven opens to reveal God’s grace. Jacob was not looking for God, but God came looking for Jacob.

To be experts in grace, we must first admit we are experts in sin. Of course, none of us like to talk about our failures, but they’re still there. In some ways, things are complicated because good and evil keep showing up together, side-by-side, in our lives. So, we dress up our good intentions and do the best we can. But what if grace offered us a better way?

In the Age of Amazon, we've grown accustomed to having whatever we want delivered to our doorstop in two days or less. And it's not just Amazon. We can order food, stream movies, and communicate with others in an instant. But have you ever wondered what this instant, easy access to everything is doing to our spiritual lives? In week two of our series, we'll look at Jacob's dad Isaac and see how life with God is nothing like ordering on Amazon.

Most of us believe in God’s grace—at least in theory. But we often struggle to trust it in our everyday lives, so we live with by an internal scoreboard of our successes and failures. Yet over and over again, God uses messy and sinful people (like us) to fulfill his plans. This series follows the life of Jacob as it wanders a twisted path filled with grasping, striving, and deceit as well as redemption, blessing, and beauty. We will see how the gospel triumphs as he learns to lean upon God rather than self. Through his journey, we will learn to grapple with our own shortcomings as we live by faith in God’s relentless grace.

We wrap up our Deep, Meaningful Life series looking at the call to expand the reach of the gospel in our city and in our world. In Jesus’ plan, each of has a role to play using our unique spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences to advance the mission of God.

This week in our Deep, Meaningful Life series we'll look at the importance of connection to others when it comes to living a life of flourshing. Most of us know we need connection, but genuine connection is often hard to come by in our world where we often feel the need to perform and conform just to fit in. In John 13, though, we see that Jesus' vision was that the church would be a place where deep connection can be found.

We kicked off our Deep, Meaningful Life series looking at our personal devotion in Jesus’ call to “follow me.” This week, we see the importance of our personal development. Devotion without development is shallow. We will dive into the ways Jesus developed his disciples to live a deep, meaningful life.

The clean calendar of a new year invites us to renew and refocus our lives. This January, we will survey the New Testament Gospels to see how Jesus develops people to flourish as his followers. We are investing the entire month in you: your devotion, your development, your connection, and your expansion of God's love in our world. This is a great time for everyday people -- just like you and me -- to wake up to deep, meaningful life in Christ.

A short reflection on Psalm 1 as we wind down 2023 and usher in 2024.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 24, 2023

When you read about the birth of Christ, perhaps no one had a front row seat like the Innkeeper. He first told Mary and Joseph that there was no room at the inn, and then he showed them into the courtyard where the animals were kept. This week, we will consider the arrival of Jesus through the eyes of the Innkeeper as we consider the importance of seeing — really seeing — the significance of Jesus’ birth for our lives and our world.

Have you ever found God’s plans wild and weird and wonderful, all at the same time? This week, we will see the Christmas story from the surprising perspective of the angel Gabriel. He was the one God chose to tell an innocent teenager, Mary, that she would give birth to a Savior son. Were these words easy for an angel to speak? Were the eyes of the angel alive with wonder as he watched these long-awaited events unfold in God’s good time?

Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold of the virgin birth of a son to be called Immanuel (which means, "God with us"). This week will look at the story of the birth of Christ through the lens of Joseph. What can we learn about Joseph that might open our eyes to the greater wonder of this familiar Christmas story?

Like nothing else in human history, Christmas combines the cosmic marvel of God's salvation plan unfolding in time, and at the same moment, the most intimate and personal of human interactions surrounding the birth of a little boy. Join us this Christmas season as we zoom in for a close up look at Christmas from the perspective of the wisemen, Joseph, the angel Gabriel, the innkeeper, and the multitudes of the heavenly host. Through their eyes, we are invited to watch and see the miracle and the mystery of Jesus' birth.

How should Christians relate to those who are outsiders to Christian faith? This is an important question, especially in our complex and often contentious times. In these verses, Paul closes his letter with a call to be fully alive in gospel mission to the world around us as we prayerfully, wisely, and winsomely make the most of every opportunity.

How does new life in Christ affect our relationships? This week, we explore the ways in which being made alive together in Christ works out in everyday life — in our family and in our work. When Jesus is at the center of our relational world, it transforms and reorders everything under his leadership.

Most of us want to grow spiritually, but how exactly are we supposed to go about it? Over these four weeks, we will seek to answer this question and help you move toward spiritual maturity with Jesus. Join us this weekend as we talk about reasonable and unreasonable expectations for our spiritual growth.

Most of us want to grow spiritually, but how exactly are we supposed to go about it? Over these four weeks, we will seek to answer this question and help you move toward spiritual maturity with Jesus. Join us this weekend as we explore how our spiritual renewal leads us to put away our old habits and patterns and put on new attitudes and actions that look like Christ.

Most of us want to grow spiritually, but how exactly are we supposed to go about it? Over these four weeks, we will seek to answer this question and help you move toward spiritual maturity with Jesus. Join us this weekend as we explore how our spiritual renewal leads us to put away our old habits and patterns and put on new attitudes and actions that look like Christ.

Most of us want to grow spiritually, but how exactly are we supposed to go about it? Over the next four weeks, we will seek to answer this question and help you move toward spiritual maturity with Jesus. Join us this weekend as we see how embracing our identity in Christ transforms us from the inside out.

Humans have an innate desire to connect with the divine, and this leads people to pursue spirituality through a variety of paths. In this section of Colossians, Paul deals with missteps which lead people into false spirituality that limits the freedom and fullness of their experience of life in Christ.

Last week in our study of Colossians we looked at one of the most Christ exalting passages in all Scripture in which Paul described Jesus as the cosmic creator who also died for you and me. It’s incredible, mind-blowing truth. But if we’re honest there’s often a disconnect between what we know intellectually about Jesus and our daily experience of life with Jesus. This week we’ll see the importance of growing in our understanding of Jesus and how we can begin to connect theological truth to our daily lives.

Who is Jesus to you? Many people think of Jesus as a positive influence, a great philosopher, a wise friend, a freedom fighter, or a kind humanitarian. In this famous passage, we see Jesus the cosmic Christ who is far more than a good human — he is a divine human. We learn that we need to know who Jesus really is and what he’s done for us so that we can discover who we really are and all that Jesus wants for us.

Where do you seek “the good life”? Romance? Career? Kids? Sports? Money? Attention? But what if you discovered that these things only flourish fully when lived in light of the greatest thing? In Colossians, we see Jesus Christ exalted above all else. When our lives are connected to Christ, we are “made alive together” to experience new humanity, new freedom, new identity, new character, new relationships. In this series, we are asking one revolutionary question: is Jesus Christ first in your life?

When you consider hospitality, you probably have a single event in mind — a meal, a party, a get together with friends. In the Bible, we see an invitation from God to enjoy his eternal hospitality forever. There is no invite more valuable, no provision more ready, and no celebration more extravagant — yet the consequences are great for those who refuse to come to the table of God’s grace.

Jesus was known as the friend of sinners. As we follow Jesus’ example, this role shapes both our beliefs and our practices. In this sermon, we will explore how you and I can befriend those around us in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Relationships start with a simple reality: someone has to go first. Whether it is a walk across the room, a message to get together, or asking for a person’s name, someone must initiate. This week, we watch Jesus as he initiates a new connection with Zacchaeus, a man who most considered an unlikely candidate for friendship with Jesus.

In our busy-sick world, hurry and worry often distract us from the most important things like love of neighbor, which requires us to stop and take notice of another person’s worth. This week, we will see the power of giving our full attention to others.

Does this sound like you? You long for a meaningful life and deep relationships with others. You feel a little guilty about not having more time for others, but life feels too busy chasing the next thing—next text, next meeting, next sporting event, next career move. Maybe it’s time to reclaim an ancient idea. 2000 years ago, an invitation was given: “Love your neighbor.” The old word for this is hospitality. When you study the way Jesus lived, it’s amazing how many significant moments occurred as he encountered men and women in the everyday stuff of life. Join us for this series about the simplest way to change the world. It worked then. It will work now.

This teaching on abiding prayer was part of a special Prayer & Worship Sunday from July 30th.

In our journey through the book of Acts, we’ve seen how the church was born, how it grew, and how it thrived in the face of strong opposition. We saw God make hearts glad by the gospel, and the church became bold in mission. This week, we wrap up our series with a call to take the torch of the gospel forward in our day.

Our world is filled with distractions that can keep even the most devoted follower of Jesus from the kind of daily connection to God we long for. The good news is that Jesus gave us a model of life to follow that leads to deep, meaningful, and restful life in him. Join us this Sunday as we lean into how it is that we model our lives after Jesus' life.

Is it reasonable to be confident in God when our circumstances feel chaotic? In Acts, we read that God sent Paul to Rome to share the message about Jesus, yet his journey includes traveling as a prisoner, a horrifying storm at sea, a life-threatening shipwreck, and a dangerous bite from a venomous snake. This week, we explore how to live as a non-anxious presence in a challenging world.

What comes to mind when you think about power? Our world often associates it with influence, authority, strength, control, recognition, importance. But what if Jesus showed that we had it all wrong? What if he turned everything upside-down? This week, we learn from Paul how to walk in the way of Jesus in a world that rejects it.

Experiencing hard things in life is universal to human existence. The apostle Paul knew this better than anyone, and the way in which he trusted God in the face of pain and suffering gives us all an example to follow. In Acts 21 we learn from Paul about how to trust God with the hard stuff of life.

In Acts chapter 20, we hear Paul speak some final encouragement to the Church before he faces his last days in ministry. This Father’s Day we will consider some powerful truths spoken by a spiritual father that will resound no matter where you are in your faith journey.

The phrase "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" gets used often in our world, both inside the church and even in cultural settings like award acceptance speeches and post-game interviews. It's an easy phrase to throw around, but it's not always an easy truth to live by. In Acts 19 we see several stories that show Jesus as both Savior and Lord, and invite us to recognize him as Savior and Lord in our own lives!

Most of us have ideas about how we want life to work, but our reality rarely looks like our plans. In Acts 18, we see how God brings real-time growth in the midst of real messes. What if we learned to see “church” as a group of friends who walk alongside us in the mess and help us understand the way of God more deeply?

As Christians who live in a complex time, it can be confusing how to feel about our world. On the one hand, we see brokenness that leads to frustration. On the other hand, we see beauty in people made in the image of God, and we are filled with compassion. This weekend, we will study how Paul engages in spiritual conversation with the culture-makers of his day to see how the gospel creates both bridges and barriers.

Spiritual growth isn’t automatic. Different groups have different reactions to Jesus’ message. Some refuse. Some receive. This is why Paul reasoned, explained, and persuaded people with the Scriptures, and this is why some eagerly examined the Scriptures daily for themselves. This week, let’s embrace the noble task of centering our lives in the Word of God.

Can Jesus change your life? Acts 16 shares several compelling case studies in gospel transformation: the influence of a mother and grandmother, the conversion of a successful and entrepreneurial woman, a young slave girl oppressed both spiritually and financially, and a jailer in the immediate aftermath of his failure. Join us as we learn from these stories of life-change.

Disagreements happen to the best of us. Whether you are talking about friendships, teammates, co-workers, or families, we all experience conflict in one way or another. In Acts 15, we see a sorrowful parting of two great leaders. Paul and Barnabas served together, bled together, and walked together as friends for years, then a disagreement drove a wedge between them. Join us as we explore how God works in the messiness.

As we progress through Acts, the Church is exploding among Gentiles but tensions between Jews and Gentiles are rising to the surface. Contrary to the teaching Paul and Barnabas, some Jews are telling Gentiles that they must be circumcised and keep the Old Testament law in order to be saved. These tensions lead to the first historic Church council where nothing less than the core message of Christianity is on the line as the Church debates the question, How is someone saved?

Whenever the grace and truth of Christ enters new places to engage new people, we see a variety of responses. Some receive this message with joy. Others reject it with animosity. Opinions in our world can flip-flop from curiosity to animosity moment-by-moment. In the midst of fickle crowds, the church is called to grow faithful disciples who live under the good care of the living God.

When asked if he had any word of encouragement for people, Paul immediately talked about the resurrection of Jesus. He knew that understanding the importance of this single event to your own life is the only way to comprehend Christian faith. It has been said, “If the resurrection is real, nothing else matters. And if the resurrection is not real, then nothing else matters.” Everything hinges on this.

Do you ever wonder if God is sovereign why do we need to pray? Or whether or not your prayers make any difference in the world? Prayer is a mystery that we'll never fully wrap our minds around but the Bible teaches that our prayers do matter and that our prayers are one of the means God uses to bring about his purposes in the world.

When the Church is at its best, we see the grace of God visibly at work in changing people. At its best, church is people whose lives are marked by courage, joy, intentionality, purpose, encouragement, teamwork, generosity. When we are at our best, we experience the hand of God upon our lives.

Our time is filled with spiritual confusion caused by the enmeshment of Christian faith wrapped in cultural trappings. While this is certainly heightened in our day, this issue is not new. In fact, the early church wrestled with many of the same questions: how does my faith intersect with my politics, my ethnicity, my cultural preferences? This week, we continue to explore these tensions in one of the most important sections in the book of Acts.

Our time is filled with spiritual confusion caused by the enmeshment of Christian faith wrapped in cultural trappings. While this is certainly heightened in our day, this issue is not new. In fact, the early church wrestled with many of the same questions: how does my faith intersect with my politics, my ethnicity, my cultural preferences? This week, we explore these tensions in one of the most important sections in the book of Acts.

After his powerful conversion on the road to Damascus, Saul immediately turns from arresting Christians to inviting all of Damascus to become Christians, and the Church continues to spread and strengthen. As we pick up the story in Acts, we see that though not everyone has the same remarkable conversion story as Saul, God is inviting us all on the path from personal salvation to powerful participation with God in bringing the kingdom of heaven to our broken world.

What is Love? By most any metric there is more love than ever but somehow things seem to be getting worse and worse. How is this possible? Maybe we've got the wrong definition. Join us this weekend as we discover what love is and what this means for us as humans.

This week, we see a remarkable conversion story. Saul leaves home on a hateful mission to persecute those who believe in Jesus, but on the road to Damascus he encounters Jesus. Jesus confronts Saul, revealing his spiritual blindness and then opening Saul’s eyes to see truly for the first time. Like Saul, we need to see what it means to live before the face of God.

As the good news about Jesus advances beyond Jerusalem to reach new people, people respond in different ways. This passage reveals two remarkable encounters with the gospel: the first about a sorcerer named Simon, and the second about an Ethiopian eunuch. In these stories, we will see how the gospel both confronts and comforts us, and why we need both.

This week, we pick back up in our study through the book of Acts, where Jesus sends his church out empowered by the Holy Spirit. We’ve seen that hearts which become glad by the gospel in turn become bold in Jesus’ mission. But all is not easy in living for this cause. Join us this weekend as we discover the surprising way that God advances his church.

In order to help us understand the heart of God’s mission, Jesus told a mind-blowing story that disrupted the pharisaical religiosity in his day. The parable of the prodigal son has been shaping the hearts of his people ever since. Our mission begins with God, not us. Our mission grows by grace, not rules. Our mission advances through joy, not duty.

We were created to be connected to others in meaningful ways, but oftentimes, we aren't sure how to find this kind of community. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus pushed against a religious mindset that fails to act with practical love for others. His teaching challenges his followers to engage relationally in ways that are both spontaneous and intentional, courageous and compassionate, thoughtful and healthy.

The New Year is a natural time to evaluate areas of our lives and make changes for the upcoming year. The most popular changes are always about saving more money, exercising more frequently, and eating healthier, but reflecting on and refocusing our spiritual life doesn't always feel like as high of a priority. But the Parable of the Ten Minas from Luke 19 shows us why our investment in our spiritual life is incredibly important and why a process of evaluating our spiritual life and making changes in the New Year is healthy for our walk with Jesus.

The Christmas season is filled with traditions: lights, gifts, candles, carols. In the midst of the regular routines, Christmas is also a reminder that Christ has come into the world, and Jesus was not like anything anyone expected. In fact, Jesus is the most complex, mind-bending, life-rattling, soul-shaking human who has ever existed. This week, we see another aspect of his character as we explore the ways that the Son of God is our Everlasting Father.

Christmas can be an incredibly fun time of year filled with lights, carols, parties, and gifts. The problem with Christmas celebrations is that even when they bring us a joyful December, they always end, and life goes back to normal in January because Christmas trees and cookies can't fix our world's brokenness. The promise from Isaiah 9:6, though, is that a Mighty God was given to us at the first Christmas who can and will fix all of the brokenness in our world.

Christmas is the one major holiday celebrated simultaneously as both a secular and a Christian holiday. Each December, we experience Christmas as a celebration of lights, trees, and candy canes alongside hope, joy, and peace. As familiar as we may be with the season, we more deeply experience the power of Christmas when we unwrap the meaning of God's gift that was given to us.

This week, in our study of Acts, we are going to see how being filled with faith and the Spirit can lead to a God-centered boldness in everyday life, even in death. We will look at the acts of Stephen, an early church leader. We will examine what led to his death and celebrate the resurrection hope he found - A hope that is available to all who follow Christ!

Acts 5:12-42

What would you say is the greatest danger to Christian community? In this passage, we see the beauty of a bold church built up by God’s great grace only to be interrupted by great fear at the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. Join us Sunday as we explore this important lesson in being bold about the good grace of God.

We are all faced with an endless amount of questions in life. What do you want to be when you grow up? Will you take this job or that job? Should we put our kids in public school, private school, or homeschool? And the list goes on and on. And while those questions and others like them are difficult to answer, none of them are the most important question we have to answer in our lives. Join us this Sunday as we consider the most important question everyone needs to answer, What do you believe about Jesus?, and the implications for your life based on your answer.

When is the last time you ran and leaped in celebration of something so amazing you couldn’t help yourself? In Acts 3, we witness an event that led to an explosion of joy and wonder and worship which rippled throughout the city. Peter then explains how Jesus is at the center of it all. Through all the excitement, we see a model for our faith, a promise for our own future flourishing, and a mission to bring compassionate care to our world in the name of Jesus.

It’s easy to be cynical about institutions these days, but I believe that all the angst and frustration actually reveals a deep desire for life-giving relationships, truth, joy, and purpose. In Acts 2, we see how the power of the gospel forged such a community among the first Christians. When the Spirit of God drives the gospel deep into human hearts, people experience a new day that changes how they relate to God, to one another, and to all those around them.

This Sunday, we look at the first gospel presentation in the history of the church. In a striking speech, Peter describes incredible promises which are available for all people, even those who are far from God, but the promises only come to those who call out for help from Jesus. Upon hearing this message, many are cut to the heart with conviction, and three thousand souls come to experience new life in Christ.

One of the most important moments in Acts and, really, in the whole Bible occurs in Acts 2. God pours out his Spirit just as he promised, launching a new era of his work in the world. The Spirit arrives in a mind-blowing display of God’s power. Join us as we consider what the Spirit’s arrival means for God’s nearness to us, God’s love for all peoples, and God’s work through the church.

In the first week of our series in the book of Acts we kicked off the series by looking at Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8 that the disciples would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. We might expect that the story would continue this week with the beginning of this grand mission, but instead we get an interesting little story that at first glance seems more like an interruption than anything. But as we dive in we'll see that this story actually helps us slow down and learn what it looks like to be ready to live on mission for God.

This week began a new sermon series in the book of Acts. As we take a journey through the book of Acts, we see how God began the movement known as his church. We will see how the church was born, how it grew, and how it thrived in the face of strong opposition. We will see that as hearts become glad by the gospel, the church becomes bold in the mission of God. And all along the way, we will be encouraged to join God on this mission.

Luke 24

Examining the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus in Luke 19.

Is the fear of man keeping you from freedom in Christ?

Message from Jeff Lawrence on August 14, 2022

Various Proverbs on friendship

Have you ever tried to correct a person who assumes they are always right? It’s impossible! That’s why Proverbs repeatedly speaks about “the scoffer.” Mr. Scoff-a-lot appears everywhere these days when it’s become fashionable to spout confident opinions, debunk others with some snark, and dismiss opponents with a condescending flair. But the way of the wise is full of teachable and humble people, hungry to listen to true wisdom.

Walking Wounded with a Hopeful Heart, Various Proverbs

Proverbs 5

“It's easy to get angry. All you have to do is turn on the news, scroll social media or try to get the family in the car. But a life of wisdom is marked by patience. This weekend we'll take a look at the characteristics of someone who is slow to anger and what that means for the glory of God and the good of our world. “

Proverbs 4

A panel of men discusses studying Proverbs.

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 1

Philippians 4:10-23

A reading of the whole book of Philippians with focused prayers.

Philippians 4:4-9

Philippians 4:1-3

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:12-16

Philippians 3:2-11

Philippians 2:19-30

Philippians 2:14-18

Philippians 2:12-13

Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 1:27-30

Philippians 2:18-26

Where do we find our identity? Caleb Holmes, one of our teaching leaders in our student ministry, unpacks this by examining a passage Paul's words to the Colossian church.

Philippians 1:12-18

Philippians 1:3-11

Philippians 1:1-2, Acts 16

Message from Jeff Lawrence on January 30, 2022

Message from Jeff Lawrence on January 23, 2022

Message from Jeff Lawrence on January 16, 2022

Message from Jeff Lawrence on January 9, 2022

Message from Chace Ifland on January 2, 2022

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 24, 2021

Message from Chace Ifland on December 19, 2021

John 1:6-8

John 1:1-5,14

1 Thessalonians 5:14-23

Ephesians 4

Message from Jeff Lawrence on November 14, 2021

The Fruit of the Spirit

When we think about our salvation, we most immediately think about Jesus (as we should!), but what role does the Holy Spirit play in our salvation and spiritual life? The Bible tells us that we are born of the Spirit, sealed by the Spirit, washed by the regeneration and renewal of the Spirit, and more. This sermon, we will explore what the Bible says about the work of the Spirit in our lives.

We continued our study of the Holy Spirit by looking at what it means that we can have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. We reflected on the fact that it's even possible to have a personal relationship with God by his Spirit, before looking at what our fellowship with the Spirit actually looks like. Then we considered the Holy Spirit's responsibility in our fellowship and our own responsibility, before concluding by looking at the practical ways we can open ourselves up to have daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on October 10, 2021

Introduction to series.

Pastor Jeff shares his story.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on September 19, 2021

1 Thes. 2:8

1 Peter 1:1-9

Message from Shane Shaddix on August 29, 2021

Matthew7-8 & Serve Stories

Matthew 7:24-28

Matthew 7

Matthew 7

Matthew 7:7-11

Matthew 7

Matthew 6:25-34

Psalm 111, 112

Matthew 6:19-24

Matthew 6

Matthew 6

Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 5:33-37

Matthew 5:21-32

Matthew 5:17-20

Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 4

Acts 2:22-24

2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 24

2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 19-21

2 Samuel 16-18

2 Samuel

Luke 24

Luke 7

Steps for engaging your own soul.

1 Corinthians 8, 10

Isaiah 55

Colossians 3:1-17

Hebrews 12

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 24, 2020

Luke 1

Matthew 2

2 Samuel 12 & Matthew 1

2 Samuel 12

2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 9

Psalm 23

Luke 10:38-41

2 Samuel 7-8

2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 5, 1 Chronicles 11, 12

2 Samuel 2-5

2 Samuel 1

John 15

John 15, 2 Tim 3:16-17, Hebrews 12

Psalms 103

A church update.

John 15, Acts 16

John 15, Luke 10

John 15

Psalm 63

1 Timothy 4, Hebrews 4:14-16

Romans 12

Mark 14

John 13

John 4

John 13, John 17

This was our first in-person Gathering since the pandemic began for an hour of encouragement, singing, and eating.

1 Samuel 28-31

1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 24

Psalms 2, Acts 4, Acts 13

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 19, Psalm 59

1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 17

Reflections on David and Saul from 1 Samuel 10, 13, 14, 15, 16.

1 Samuel 13, 14, 15

1 Samuel 16

Psalm 133

Doctrine of Salvation. A look at Heaven.

The Doctrine of Salvation. Regeneration, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on January 5, 2020

Psalm 19:7-14

Christmas Eve

1 John 5, John 1

Isaiah 11:1-9

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 5:17-25, 6:1-2

1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3:1-12

1 Timothy 2:8-15

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Message from Jeff Lawrence on September 29, 2019

1 Timothy 1:8-20. Paul talks about law & grace.

1 Timothy 1

An introduction to the series and 1 Timothy 1.

Mark 2:13-17

Jeff Lawrence explores what Proverbs has to teach us about marriage and healthy relationships in Part 2.

Proverbs 31

Pastor Jeff explores wisdom and warnings in Proverbs around the subject of dating relationships.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on August 4, 2019

Pastor Jeff interviews a panel of Redemption Church members about the impact the word of God in their lives.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on July 21, 2019

Proverbs 7

Proverbs

Exploring what the Proverbs say about emotions and the heart.

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 5:21-23

Exploring healthy fear of Lord and how all of humanity is shaped by it.

Matthew 4:19, Matthew 9:10-13, Romans 1:16, Romans 10:13-15

Colossians 2:6-7, Matthew 6:19-21, Psalm 24:1 Haggai 2:8, Matthew 6:33,

A look at Grace in Galatians and the story of Mephibosheth and David.

This is a conversation between Jeff Lawrence and Alan Noble surrounding Alan's book Disruptive Witness.

Colossians 2

Luke 15:11-32

Ephesians 4

Colossians 2:6-7

Mark 14:3-9

2 Corinthians 4:16, 5

Daniel 6

Daniel 6

Daniel 5

Message from Jeff Lawrence on February 17, 2019

Daniel 3, Hebrews 11

Daniel 2

Daniel 1

An introduction to the first 6 books of Daniel through the lens of Jeremiah 29.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Chronicles 34

Ephesians 6:10-20

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 23, 2018

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 16, 2018

James 5:19-20

James 5:13-18

James 5:7-12

James 5:1-6

James 4:13-17

Message from Jeff Lawrence on November 4, 2018

James 3:13-18

James 3:1-12

James 2:14-26

Mark 19:27-20:19

James 2:1-13

James 2

James 1:12

James 1:1-12

John 13:31-35

A look at the heart and vision of Redemption Church. Acts 5 & 6

A look at the heart of Redemption Church and what it means to live for the glory of God.

A look at the heart and vision of Redemption Church through the lens of discipleship. Matthew 13

A look into what it means to be authentic in our faith.

Psalm 133

Psalm 139

Psalm 121

Psalms 119

John 6:1-36, 60

Psalm 100, 2 Samuel 6

Psalms 13

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Psalm 2, Genesis 3, Hebrew 5

1 Kings 19

Matthew 6:19-34

Exodus 1-4, Proverbs 3

Genesis 1

Psalm 1

Genesis 1, Matthew 11:28-30

Luke 10:38-42, Psalm 139

Philippians 4:4-12

Mark 15-16

Mark 14-15

Mark 14:1-13

Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah 12

Nehemiah 8-9

Nehemiah 7

Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah 4

Nehemiah 2:6-3:32

Nehemiah 1

Matthew 6

1 Kings 19

Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah 9

A time given to explore a simple tool aimed at at helping you be present with God | A.C.T.S. Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication

Judges 7

1 Corinthians 7:1-9

Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:24-25; Genesis 3:10; John 4:7-42

Mark 13

1 John 4:7-11

Mark 35-44

Mark 12:13-34

Mark 11:27-33, Mark 12:1-12

Mark 11:12-25, Isaiah 6, Revelation 5

Mark 11:1-11

Mark 10:46-52

Luke 10:25-37

Luke 5:27-32

Luke 10:38-42

Luke 24:13-35

Acts 2, Romans 12

Genesis 1:27-31, Genesis 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Revelation 21:1-6

1 Peter 4:7-11

Mark 10:32-45

Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:1-12

Mark 12:28, Revelation 2, Psalm 63

Mark 11:28-30

Mark 12:28-30

Mark 12

Matthew 12:28-30

Romans 8:28, Acts 20:18-24, 36-38

Message from Jeff Lawrence on May 14, 2017

Mark 9:38-50

Mark 9:30-37, 10:13-16

Mark 9:14-32

Psalm 8

Mark 9:1-13

Mark 8:31-38

Mark 8:27-33

Message from Jeff Lawrence on March 19, 2017

Psalm 42

Mark 7:24:30

Mark 8:1-10

Mark 7:1-23

Mark 6:47-52

Mark 6:45-46

Acts 16:6-40

Mark 6:30-44

Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:1-12

Christmas Eve

Mark 6:21-43

Mark 5:1-20

Mark 4:35-41

Luke 11:1-13

Mark 3:21-34

Mark 4:1-20

Mark 3:31-35

Mark 3:22-30

Mark 2:18-20

Mark 3:7-12

Mark 2:18

Mark 2:13-17

Acts 8:26-40

Mark 2:1-12

Mark 1:21-45

Mark 1:16-20

Mark 1:1-15

Jeremiah 2, Mark 10:45

Psalm 78

Psalm 134

Psalm 63

Psalm 133

Psalm 19

Psalm 8

Psalm 47

Luke 10:25-37

Acts 1:1-14

Mark 12:13-17

Galatians 1:6-8

2 Corinthians 8:8-15

2 Corinthians 8:8-9

2 Corinthians 8:1-12

Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians 6:5-9

Ephesians 6:1-4

Mark 10:17-22

Ephesians 5:22-33

Ephesians 5:22-33

John 14:1-6

Hebrews 4:14-16

Ephesians 5:1-21

Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians 4:17-24

John 4

Ephesians 4:11-16

Ephesians 4:11-16

Ephesians 4:11-16

Message from Jeff Lawrence on January 24, 2016

Ephesians 4:1-6

Ephesians 1-3, 4:1

Psalm 85

Luke 2:22-35

Luke 1:26-38, 46-56

Luke 1

Luke 2:8-14

Ephesians 3:20-21

Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians 3:1-13

Ephesians 2:17-22

Ephesians 2:11-22

Colossians 3:12-14

Revelation 2:1-5

Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:1-14

Ephesians 1:1-14

Psalm 63

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Isaiah 6

Acts 9

Acts 16

Romans 16

Colossians 4

2 Timothy 4

Acts 18

Psalm 67, Ephesians 1:3-14

Exodus 33:12-23, 34:5-9

Deuteronomy 20:2-13

Romans 1:15-16

A walk through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation seeking to answer the question, "Why would God willfully and joyfully kill His Son, Jesus?" Or, "Why would Jesus willfully and joyfully give his life up on a gruesome cross?" What we will see is that the Gospel has nothing to do with any of us, yet at the same time it has everything to do with us.

Exodus

Mathew 13:31-33

Exodus 32

Exodus 25-31

Exodus 24

Exodus 21-24

Exodus 20

Exodus 19

Ephesians 2:4-9

Exodus 17:8 - 18

2 Corinthians 1:3-10, 4:10-11, 4:16-18 Hebrews 4:14-16

Exodus 15:22-17:7

Romans 10:11-17

Exodus 13:17-15:21

Exodus 12

Exodus 7-10

Exodus 5 & 6

Exodus 4

A look at Exodus chapters 1-3 and how God's sovereignty was at work in the life of Moses, Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Israelites.

In 2 Timothy 2, Paul lovingly instructs Timothy in how to grow the church by first encouraging him to be strengthened by the Grace of God found in Jesus, and then to teach and raise up faithful men who would in turn teach and raise up more faithful men. Pastor Jeff explores what this looks like in the life of Redemption Church, looks back at God's faithfulness to gather a community of broken people together in order that they might fully know the grace and love of God, and then points the church toward healthy and biblical growth in the days ahead.

John 1:14-18, Exodus 24, 33-34, and more.

No matter our circumstances we can find rest, hope, and peace when we sit at the feet of Jesus. Spending time at His feet will inevitably fuel our hearts toward sharing the good news with others.

We all long for home. It is a deep and universal desire. However, there is only one home that can fully satisfy our longing; a heavenly and eternal home prepared for us by God through Jesus.

John 1:9-14

Various Scriptures.

John 1:6-9

John 1:6-9

John 1:1-5

Jonah 4

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Various Scriptures.

Matthew 6:19-34

Ephesians 4:11-16

Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:14-21

1 John 4:10-11, 19 and others.

John 4:7-30, 39-42

Mark 2:1-12

Matthew 13:44-46, Mark 1:35

Matthew 7:24-28, Matthew 28:16-20

Esther 4:10-16

Acts 9:1-19

Joshua 2:1-24

Proverbs 9:10

Proverbs 14:4 (HT: Tommy Nelson)

Proverbs 16:21, 23-24 and others.

Proverbs 1:1-5

Philippians 2:14-15

Galatians 6:11-18

Galatians 6:6-10

Galatians 5:25-6:5

Stand alone sermon from guest preacher, Brandon Donaldson.

Galatians 5:16-25

Galatians 5:13-18, 24-26

Galatians 5:1-12

Galatians 4:21-31

2 Chronicles 31-32

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (Credit: initial idea from Andy Stanley)

2 Chronicles 29-32

2 Chronicles 29-32

2 Chronicles 29

Stand Alone sermon from Romans 12:3-8.

Galatians 4:8-20

Galatians 3:23-4:7

Galatians 3:5-14

Galatians 3:1-5

Galatians 2:11-21

James 1:21-25

Galatians 2:1-10

Galatians 1:10-24

Galatians 1:1-9

Various Scriptures.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 22, 2013

NOTE: The sermon opens with a news story from http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-church-honors-the-life-of-slain-teacher-in-Benghazi-234989561.html

Guest Preacher

Message from Jeff Lawrence on December 1, 2013

NOTE: the first few minutes of this sermon was not recorded; we are sorry for this inconvenience.

Message from Jeff Lawrence on November 10, 2013

Message from Jeff Lawrence on November 3, 2013

Message from Jeff Lawrence on October 27, 2013

Message from Jeff Lawrence on October 20, 2013

Note: Some material in this series taken from Tim Keller and Mark Driscoll

Pastor Jeff Preaching at Frontline Church.