Renewal Church Podcast

Do we always respond to the call of God with joy and confidence? Probably not. Moses sure didn’t. Even after God displays to him His miraculous power, he still doubts if he can be used by God. Rather than focusing on who He is, we set our focus on where we fall short. This chapter is a reminder that even though we do have weakness, at the end of day, when the power of God is involved, what others will see is not our weaknesses, but His glorious power! Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Exodus 3 is one of the significant pivot points in our Scriptures. As Moses is in exile in the wilderness, God speaks to him through a burning bush. Their conversation set forth a trajectory for the people of God that is still felt today. As God calls Moses into His eternal purposes we learn that God has heard the cries of His people, and He comes to intervene. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

How many of us today still groan in our slavery and cry out for help? Our slavery today comes in various forms. It separates us from our God and we wonder, "does God care?" This text in Exodus reminds us that God does hear us and He does care that we remain in slavery. And just as He remembered the promises He made to the Israelites, He remembers His promises to us. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Sometimes due to our own decisions or the mere circumstances of life expose our deepest weaknesses. Like Moses, we are forced to flee into the wilderness where we are left searching for hope and meaning in life. All throughout the Bible the wilderness is a place of refining. A refining of who we are, what we value, and what we believe. Before God sends Moses to Pharaoh, He sends him into the wilderness. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

The people of God face horrible tragedy as the king of Egypt decrees that every newborn male be killed. In this text we see God’s provision and care as he begins to unfold his plan to bring His people to freedom. In our lives today we can hold onto the provision and care of God when we face grave darkness. Life can be very cruel sometimes, and though God does not always spare us from that cruelty we can hold onto the promise that God is with us and leading us to something better. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In the book of Exodus, we discover that God’s people have been enslaved in Egypt. In order to understand what unfolds throughout the rest of the book, we must first understand what has already happened. In week 1, we will look back at what God has already done and what He has declared to do throughout the book of Genesis. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Salvation is purposed by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit’s agency in salvation, all that Christ has accomplished brings no value to us. As Scripture uniformly presents, the Spirit graciously, effectively, and permanently gives us Christ Jesus, and every blessing He has secured. The Spirit is power manifested, illuminating in our knowledge and intimacy with God, and the guarantee of our salvation. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Access through grace. Without Jesus, humanity has no hope of having access to the triune God. He is the bridge that allows us to cross the chasm of sin that lies between us and God, and He has come to reconcile and redeem His people to the Godhead. Through the Son, we can have fellowship with the Father and be empowered by the Spirit to intimately know Him. The Son is the Word of God; by His words, all things were created and continue to be sustained. Ultimately, in the Son, what we see is undeserving grace. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Time-and-time again in the Scriptures, we see God referred to as a “Father.” In the Old Testament, we see the people of God referred to as His sons. In the New Testament, Jesus will speak of His Father continuously. In God the Father, we see the pinnacle of strength and love. He is strong, but He is kind. We relate to God as Father through Jesus the Son. Because of Christ’s redeeming work for us, we share in His Sonship by adoption. Through God the Father, we see the purposes of God fulfilled in His sovereignty. He is intentional, omnipotent, omniscient, and good in all that He does. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

While the name “Trinity” is not found in the Scriptures, there is more than enough evidence in God’s Word to justify the name. The Trinity is the foundation for how the believer understands who God is, how He works and interacts with Himself, and how He interacts with His people. In this message, we will do our best to grasp the concept of a triune God and ask the question, “How does the triune God interact with His people?” Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

As we conclude the book of Colossians, we will hear Paul’s conclusion to his beautiful letter to the church in Colossae. He gives them four things to continue to do as a church and gives his final greetings. The question we will answer as we leave this book is, “Now what?” How do we apply everything we have learned about Christ, the world, and ourselves every day? Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

We have a new life in Christ that is continually renewed by Him. What does it look like to live that life, and how does it influence the relationships we have? Paul explains that we need to allow the Word of God to shape the way we think and the way we live. We should interact with others in a way that is pleasing to God. He gives us some practical things to be mindful of in the areas of marriage, the home, and the workplace. The question that we all have to answer is, “Does my life reflect the grace of Jesus?” Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In this text, we see Paul’s arguments work like this: “You have been, therefore, so then.” He will say you have been raised with Christ, so put to death the things that are not consistent with your new identity. Then you can put on the things that fit your new identity. Too many of us are stuck living a life that is consumed with things that are no more. We live as if we have not been raised with Christ instead of embracing the new identity that Christ has purchased on our behalf. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Finally, Paul begins to discredit the exact nature of the false teachings in the church in Colossae. In similar ways, we still see these same false teachings today. They come in the form of legalism, false beliefs about the requirements to be a follower of Christ, and ultimately a false (or even self-serving) understanding of who Christ is. These false teachings fail to, as Paul says, “stop the indulgence of the flesh.” Therefore, we must be leery of teachings that only change the externals but do nothing for the transformation of the heart. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Do we truly understand what happened when Jesus died on the cross? The horrific, terrible, beautiful, and wonderful reality that God became a man and spilled his blood is the most important moment in all of history. In that moment, everything changed. The scope of history changed, our status before a holy God changed, and the aim of our lives changed. The debt that sin created is now gone, the death of our bodies has turned to life, and our souls have found new hope in the reality of the cross. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Typically, when we encounter false teachings about the doctrine of Christ, it isn’t some crazy argument out of left field. These arguments are, as Paul says, “plausible.” They tend to make some sort of logical sense, are appealing to us, and, with a few twists of the Scriptures, are believable. This is why it is important that we truly know the Scriptures, that our souls are rooted in Christ, and that we surround ourselves with a reliable and faithful community of believers. Are you aware of the false teachings that are present in our lives today? They are all around us, and if we fail to pay attention, we can easily begin to follow a gospel that is not actually true. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

The Apostle Paul expands on the hope that is found in the Gospel, as his message becomes very personal. He explains the nature of his work and his reasons for doing it. Paul was a tent-maker by trade, but that vocation did not define his life or his mission. Paul’s true labor, of which tent-making was a means to the end, was to proclaim the riches the church has been given in Christ, so everyone would be complete in Him. Our hope is that we would not only be reminded of the treasure we have been given in Christ, but also re-examine the Gospel work we have been called to, and why we labor for it. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

For each of us there was a time when we were not “in Christ.” The Bible uses language to describe the reality of this separation and death. Here in Colossians Paul tells us that we were “alienated” and “hostile.” But, although we were “evil in our deeds,” the Bible will also remind us that there has been a reconciliation through His body and His flesh. So, the question is, “what is more powerful? Our evil deeds, or the sacrifice of His body and His flesh?” According to Paul, the result is the redemption of our souls — we are presented as holy! Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Perhaps one of the most theological rich sections on the Doctrine of Christ. In this text we learn of the true divine nature of Christ. All things were created by Him, and through Him. Christ holds everything we see together. He existed before anything else, so everything that we see submits to Him. He is the standard to which everything else compares. What is His end goal? To make peace, and to reconcile us through His very own blood. What a glorious gospel we have in Jesus! Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

The church in Colossae in danger of syncretism, which is the combination of several religious practices. The believers in this church were in danger of losing the truth of Christ by forsaking the truth of the Gospel and adopting practices from other religions. Paul wants to remind them of the Gospel that they first heard from Epaphras (v. 5, 7) and so Paul begins to lay out the appropriate responses to the Gospel in verses 9-12. He finishes this section off by reminding them of the truth that we all need to remember each and every day. That God has transferred us from one kingdom to another — the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son. The question for us is, which kingdom are we living for today? Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Renewal Church exists so that people will be made new in Jesus, grow in Jesus, and be released into the world for Jesus. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Glory and peace are two words that cannot be separated. In this verse, we see a wonderful truth: Your peace depends on what you glorify. If you glorify yourself or the things of this world, you will not find peace. You will find fear, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. For those who are focused on the glory of God, they will find peace in the coming of Jesus Christ. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” The coming of Christ is the greatest proclamation that has ever occurred. This proclamation, for the one who truly hears it, can only be received with joy. God has not called us into a life of fear, but He has called us into a life of joy. God put the shepherds in a specific place for a specific purpose so that they would experience the joy of the coming of the Lord. In the same way, God has placed us in a specific place for a specific purpose so that we too can experience the joy of the coming of the Lord. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

As Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem due to the decree from Caesar, it would seem that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ are outside of God’s control. On the contrary, in the midst of the chaos, we see that God is sovereign over everything in this story. As Mary gives birth in a manger, we see a long-awaited promise fulfilled—God now dwells with us. In the providence of God, we see His love for His people through the birth of His Son. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net