Renewal Church Podcast

At the end of the story, there is a great promise of the great renewal of all things. We have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection, and today we are born again into a living hope. The hope that we live in today is a shadow of what is coming—that at the end of all things, God will bring His final renewal to His creation. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Much of the Bible points to one simple truth: God is coming for us. He is coming to redeem all that has been broken, and He has one providential plan that cannot fail. His aim was to bring His glory forth through all the world, and in His love, He came to die on a cross for sins. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In Genesis 3, we see everything move from perfect to broken—from shalom to rebellion. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree in the garden, all of God’s perfect creation was distorted, and the stain of sin that began then still rules our world today. In order to understand the redemption that is coming, we must first understand the depth of sin, the judgment of God, and our inability to make everything right on our own. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In Genesis 1–2, we see God’s creation of all things, including us as His creatures and image-bearers. Despite the creation account being just two chapters, it sets the stage for the rest of the story and gives us the theological foundation of our faith. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In one of the most surprising and confusing moments of the gospel, we see Jesus test a Gentile woman. This woman comes to Jesus, asking for His help with her daughter. Jesus’ noncommittal response is surprising and may seem offensive. He gives three comparisons: bread (his message), children (the Jewish people), and dogs (Gentiles). The woman’s response to Jesus’ surprising statement (v. 27) is both humble and persistent. As she sits before the Messiah, her faith demonstrates humility before Him, and this moment is a reminder of why Jesus came. He did not just come for the people of Israel; he came so that all nations would be blessed through Him. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

When the Pharisees question Jesus on tradition, He proceeds to completely rewrite their understanding of what really matters to God. The Pharisees had added rules and regulations to God’s law and were intent on enforcing these man-made traditions on Jesus and His disciples. Jesus responds by calling them hypocrites! The Pharisees are hypocrites for two reasons: (1) their actions are merely external and do not come from their hearts, which are far from God; and (2) their teachings are not from God but reflect the tradition of men. What about us? Do we tend to focus on the external things in life, or are we aware of the state of our heart before God? Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In this text, we get a picture of two kings—Jesus and Herod. As Jesus looks out on the massive crowd, we aren’t meant to think of Ezekiel 34, where God condemns the shepherd of Israel. Thus, the contrast between Herod and Jesus: one leads in selfishness, debauchery, and greed, and the other leads in compassion. In this moment, Jesus provides for His people as the true shepherd. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

As Jesus faces rejection in His hometown, He is not deterred from the mission to bring forth the kingdom. The rejection that Jesus and the disciples faced in Nazareth will be instruction for the disciples as they begin their own ministry and face rejection themselves. The question for us is: How are we to handle the rejection of the gospel? The good news is that we are not alone when we face rejection. Jesus and His disciples also faced rejection, and they gave us a model as to what to do when it happens. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In this text, we first see the power of Jesus as He stands in the midst of a terrifying storm and commands the winds and waves to cease. Second, we see Jesus' purpose when He meets an unclean man who has been tormented and alienated from society and frees him from the chains that have bound him. Third, we see the priority of Jesus as He demonstrates compassion for two girls. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In Mark 4, we see Jesus preach three different parables, all of which give insight into the kingdom of God. Jesus uses these parables to illustrate a significant truth. There are two groups: those who seek to understand the kingdom of God and those who don’t. For those who seek to understand, Jesus says, they receive the secret to the kingdom; but for those who don't, the kingdom is folly to them. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one of the most debated and misunderstood sayings of Jesus during his ministry. We must first identify the difference between common blasphemy and specific blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And why does Jesus say that blasphemies uttered by men will be forgiven but not blasphemies of the Holy Spirit? At its core, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when a person persistently attributes to Satan what is accomplished by the power of God—that is, if one makes a flagrant, willful, decisive judgment that the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus is satanic, then such a person never has forgiveness. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In these verses, we will see five moments in the ministry of Jesus, and throughout these moments, different groups will try to define who Jesus is and what He is supposed to do. For the crowds, He was a miracle worker as He was healing sickness and casting out demons; for the disciples, He was the leader of a great healing ministry; and for the Pharisees, He was someone who was disturbing their cultural way of life. But for each group, Jesus demonstrated that there is no box that He will fit into. He has authority like no other, and He will do as He pleases. By the end of these verses, you have two groups. You have a group that is fully committed to Him, and you have another group that wants to destroy Him. What you don’t have is mild amusement, and mild amusement is where much of the culture wants to put Him today. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

"What is this? A new teaching with authority!" This is what we see Jesus do at the start of His ministry. When he calls on Simon and Andrew and tells them, "Follow me," their response is immediate. He is curing people's illnesses, casting out demons, and ultimately declaring his authority. Jesus begins to challenge cultural norms and make people question the possibilities. This is also where we begin to see the Pharisees question His authority, and that sets the stage for the rest of the gospel. The King has arrived, and His arrival has changed everything. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Mark begins his gospel by making a history-shaping claim: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Son of God has arrived. More than that, Mark uses the word "gospel", which was a term that the Romans would use to announce to their citizens that a new authority has risen to power. But in this moment, Mark uses the term to declare that good news has come to the world: the arrival of the king—the Son of God. In the opening chapters of Mark, we see two significant moments: the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Before Jesus begins His earthly ministry, we see Him submit to His father in His baptism and fully trust in His father in His temptation. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Our hope in Christ is not just a concept, some undefined thing. It is an inheritance, something that is given to the Father’s children. Our inheritance will never get worse, and there is nothing better. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

In the person of Jesus Christ we see the fulfillment of all things. He is the one that the law of Moses points to, He is the one that all of creation has been waiting for, and He is the one we set our hope on. The very Word of God came to dwell among His very own creation, He lived a sinless life, died the death that we deserved, and rose from the grave. And all who would receive Him in faith would receive “grace upon grace.” Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

This world is filled with people, expectations, mindsets, and comforts that all claim to know the path to true happiness. Every day we are tempted to believe what they are selling, but there is only one true Light that has come to the world. There is only one true King and there is only One who is truly worthy of all our affections and worship. The reality is that all have rejected Him. We have all turned from Him, but through the death and resurrection of Christ, we can find our hope and salvation in the assurance that all who come to Him in faith, will be born again. Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Throughout the Old Testament, God was preparing for the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah would come to redeem the people of God from their sins. In the Gospel of John, we meet the final character in God’s preparation for the arrival of the King: John the Baptist. His was the voice that made the final announcement. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of our King, we need to ask: Are we prepared? Have our hearts seen the glory of the King? Visit us online at: www.RenewalChurch.net

Both the books of Genesis and the Gospel of John begin with the words “In the beginning." In both places, we see one central character, Jesus, the Son of God. His Word spoke the world into existence in Genesis 1, and through God’s providential plan of redemption for His people, that Word has come to dwell among us.

Rahab, a Gentile and prostitute, showed remarkable faith by helping the people of God in a great time of need. She displayed what it looks like to have humble faith in a great God. God has the power to redeem and restore whomever He chooses. God chose Rahab not only to assist Israel's spies, but also to include her in the lineage that would lead to Jesus Christ. Her faith would lead to the coming of the true King and Savior that we have faith in today. Visit us online at: http://www.RenewalChurch.net

Thousands of years before Jesus would die on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins, God commanded His people to offer up their own sacrifice. In the midst of the plagues that God would place on Egypt, God commanded His people to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle the blood of the lamb over their doors. This would be a sign to God that the people in that home belonged to the people of God. It was but a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice to come. That sacrifice would be the perfect sacrifice for all sins. It required faith that saved; faith in the true sacrifice that could save us from our sins. Visit us online at: http://www.RenewalChurch.net

Moses refused to live a life that enjoyed the sinful privileges of belonging to Pharaoh. Instead he remembered that he belongs to God and chose to identify with the people of God. Moses displayed real faith in the midst of the the fleeting pleasures of this world. He remembered who he is and who God is, and for us, we must remember who we are in the midst of the fleeting pleasures of this world. We belong to God, and our faith must always remain in Him. Visit us online at: http://www.RenewalChurch.net

God gave Abraham an impossible test — the offering up of his promised son. Abraham was obedient to God, even when it could come at a great cost to him, but he held onto the promise that God would provide a sacrifice in Isaac’s place. Sometimes faith requires us to embrace the cost of following God. It’s in that space that we see God truly work in our lives and provide for us in ways that we never thought possible. Visit us online at: http://www.RenewalChurch.net

Sarah is included in the list of the name of the faithful, despite her doubting God’s power at one point. She trusted that God would bring her a son despite her age. Including her in Hebrews 11 is a testimony that having a true faith doesn’t mean that we always have perfect faith, but that we can have faith in the midst of the doubt. Visit us online at: http://www.RenewalChurch.net

Abraham was told to leave everything, his family, his home, everything he knew. All Abraham had to hold onto was a promise from God. A great promise that would lead to the blessing of all peoples on the earth. By faith Abraham obeyed God and surrendered everything to God’s purposes and plan. Even though he never saw those promises fulfilled with his own eyes, he continued to believe. Visit us online at: http://www.RenewalChurch.net