Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Habakkuk 2 After asking his hard questions, Habakkuk gets a response from God, even if not a satisfactory answer. God doesn’t explain all of his ways to Habakkuk, but he does remind Habakkuk of his glory: “The Lord is in his holy temple” (v. 20). In other words, God responds to Habakkuk’s hard quest…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Habakkuk 1 Habakkuk 1 describes a man asking God hard, uncomfortable questions, and being unsettled by the answers God gives. We need to start here—with hard questions—because experiences of suffering always raise hard questions. We need to encourage honesty in wrestling with a God whose ways are of…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Ephesians 1:15-23 This sermon explores the historical foundation and the life-transforming power of the greatest news ever told: Jesus was raised on the third day.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

Given by Rev. Andrew Field. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Matthew 21:1-11 Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a true king, and a truly humble king. The triumphal entry reveals the upside-down nature of his kingdom and how followers of this humble king should use their power in the world.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Luke 18:9-14 To round out our series on repentance, we’ll consider humility. Humility is both the foundation for and a fruit of repentance. Pride will keep us from truly repenting. And if a person truly repents, they are filled with gospel-humility, not less of themselves, but thinking of themselve…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 As Thomas Watson points out, godly repentance is that which starts in the heart and bursts forth into a change in life. This sermon explores how repentance is a turning from “sin”, or idols, and is a turning to God. This turn manifests in actions, deeds, behavior, etc. (cf Ac…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Psalm 32:1-11 Another essential ingredient in gospel repentance is the confession of sin. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament highlight the importance of confession as a regular practice for the people of God. In this passage, we learn something about what real confession is and why confes…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | 2 Corinthians 7:8-12 In the March 9 sermon, we considered repentance generally. The upcoming three sermons dive more specifically into the aspects of repentance. One ingredient of biblical repentance is experiencing godly sorrow for sin. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, distinguishes godly sorrow from world…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Mark 1:14-20 In his famous 95 Theses, Martin Luther remarked that the entirety of the Christian life is one of repentance. This is fitting, for when Jesus’ begins his public ministry and announces his kingdom, the invitation Jesus gives is one of repentance. In this sermon we’ll be exploring what r…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Mark 2:1-12 In Mark 2, we see someone whose life was radically and holistically healed by Jesus. But he would not have experienced healing from Jesus if it were not for his friends who brought him to Jesus. Because this man’s friends brought him to Jesus, his life was forever changed. We want to be…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Ephesians 2:19-22 In his book, Side by Side, Ed Welch describes church as a place where every person is both needy and needed. Using the imagery of “temple” to describe the church, Paul is reminding Christians that they need the church and the church needs them. One way we promote shalom in our cit…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Ephesians 2:11-18 In these verses, Paul provides a theological foundation for the kind of reconciliation that we see depicted in Acts 10: The same gospel that reconciles people to God also reconciles people to each other. The gospel can tear down any ways erected between peoples today.…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Acts 10 Acts 10 records a kind of conversion story, but not in the way you expect. Peter, who was an apostle and the leader of the church, experiences a kind of conversion when he experiences that the good news of Jesus really is for all peoples. Peter understands the gospel in a new and deeper way…

Given by Rev. Andrew Field. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Acts 6:1-7 As we saw last week, the first Christians were committed to serving their city in word and deed ministry. In Acts 6, God invites his people to serve one another practically inside the church. The revolutionary idea of spiritual gifts releases every Christian to serve in God-designed and God…

Given by Rev. Bijan Mirtolooi. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Acts 3:1-16 While Peter and John were making their way to the temple to pray, they encountered a man with tremendous physical need. Instead of offering a smile and walking by, Peter and John stop, engage the man, and pronounce healing in the name of Jesus. Here, we see a sign of the church alive: C…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Jeremiah 29:4-14 For the people of God, “exile” is their current but not their ultimate status. While they are to seek the shalom of their cities (be it Babylon or NYC), they must not forget that their “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3v20). God promises his people in exile that he won’t forget about them, and that he will bring…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Jeremiah 29:1-9 God tells his people in Babylon to seek the shalom of their city (29v7). One of our values at RWS is pursuing and promoting a flourishing city. This sermon explores not only what shalom is, but some of the ways that God calls us, his people, to pursue shalom.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Jeremiah 29:1-9 An “exile” is someone who’s been displaced from their homeland, having undergone an experience of disruption/disorientation. The theme of “exile” runs throughout the Bible. The apostle Peter describes the church as “foreigners and exiles” (1 Pet 2v18). Here in Jeremiah 29, we see God’s people in exile, and God re…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | John 1:19-28 What does it mean to live in light of Christmas? Christians, like John the Baptist, are called to use their “voice” to proclaim the “Word”. Jesus must increase, we must decrease.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | John 1:14-18 In our polarized and polarizing society, people who live with both grace and truth are rare and beautiful. As FD Bruner points out, at Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of deep grace and deep truth — the very glory of the eternal God, now clothed in flesh. The more we’re shaped by the reality of Christmas, the…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | John 1:14 In Eugene Peterson’s The Message, he paraphrased this verse by saying, “The word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood.” The more the message of Christmas grabs our hearts and changes our life, the more we’ll move into our neighborhood as representatives of Jesus’ kingdom.…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | John 1:6-13 The Advent season is a remarkable promise: Jesus was born of Mary so that all who receive him can be born of God—can become part of God’s family. This sermon can explore the reality of what the new birth is, as well as how those who experience the new birth invite others into it, too.…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | John 1:1-5 Christ’s incarnation reminds us that what Jesus did for us what he now calls us — in his power — to do for others: move towards brokenness with good news of grace and healing. Jesus, the Word, didn’t remain distant and aloof, but came into our darkness and brought light, at great cost to himself.…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Acts 16:11-15; Romans 12:9-13 One of the signs that your heart has been opened to the gospel is that you open your life to others: your home, your possessions, your time, and so on. Being a hospitable church—truly open and welcoming to others—is a sign of a church alive, filled with the Spirit, and a powerful witness in a lonely…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE | Acts 4:32-37 God’s grace at work in the earliest church brought about a remarkable kind of generosity, in which the members of the church cared for each other in practical ways. When members of the church care for each with sacrificial love and generosity, it’s a sign to the world that they are Christ’s disciples.…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Acts 4:23-31 One sign of life in a church is that they pray together. This sermon will explore what we can learn from the first Christians about how and why we must pray together as a church.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Acts 4:1-22 The revival that broke forth in the early church disrupted and angered the religious establishment. When the church was persecuted, they responded with humble, Christ-focused courage. This sermon will explore how a church community can embody humble courage, even amid opposition and persecution.…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Acts 1:1-11 The book of Acts records the history of the first Christian church. Acts presents the people of God as a church alive for the glory of God and the good of their cities. The church in Acts wasn’t perfect, but as the living Jesus worked in and through them, the power of the gospel brought transformation in individuals,…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | John 15:9-17 God gives his people commands because he longs for their joy. Every “law” from God is a manifestation of his love for his people and the world he made. Growing in maturity as a follower of Jesus means obedience: loving what he loves, living as he commands.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | John 15:1-8 The heart of the Christian life is abiding in Jesus, living in union with him. This sermon explores what it means to abide in Jesus as well as what are some of the challenges to abiding in him. “A skilled gardener never cuts off anything, never prunes off anything, that wouldn’t have been a loss to keep and a gain to…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | John 1:35-42 When Jesus met his first disciples, he asked them: “What do you want?” By asking this simple yet revealing question, Jesus was surfacing the desires and longings of these would-be disciples. As we look at John 1:35-42, we discover where discipleship to Jesus starts, and what it really means to be his disciple…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Isaiah 12:1-6 Anyone who meets with God through the gospel inevitably finds a life-shaping, life-altering joy bubbling in their soul. Many scholars rightly see this passage as the conclusion of Isaiah’s call before the glorious Lord, which began in 6:1-8. In this hymn of joyful praise, Isaiah sings of the salvation he has experi…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Isaiah 6:1-10 How can you know if you’ve really met with the living God? One sign is that you surrender your life to God. Like Isaiah, you say to him, “Here am I. Send me”. Notice that Isaiah commits to serving God before he knows exactly what God will ask of him. There’s no bargaining; only surrender to the holy one. This sermo…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Isaiah 6:1-8 It’s no coincidence that Isaiah meets God in the temple, the place where heaven touches earth. This sermon will offer a brief biblical theology of “temple”, noting things like the pervasiveness of “temples” throughout our city, how Christ is the true temple, and how in the gospel the church has become the temple (Ep…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Isaiah 6:1-8 A vision of God as holy, confession of sin, and cleansing through sacrifice: Isaiah’s call serves as a kind of case study for what a real encounter with the living God consists of. Isaiah encounters God the only way a person can: in and through the gospel.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | John 2:1-11 John calls Jesus’ miracle at Cana the archetype sign (v11): as we look at this story, we have a picture of who Jesus is and what he came into the world to do.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Luke 18:9-14 The gospel reverses our image of righteousness. Jesus' message is clear: true righteousness comes not from self-promotion but from a humble recognition of our need for God's grace. The Pharisee boasts of his own goodness, while the tax collector acknowledges his sinfulness and begs for forgiveness.…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Luke 15:11-23 “Am I enough? Will I ever be? How will I even know?” In this parable of a father and his two sons, Jesus challenges our views of status, identity, and self-worth as he shows us the depths of the Father’s heart.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus has come to give us a life that is better than we could have ever wanted or imagined. For many, the surpassing worth of this life remains hidden and unseen. But for those who find it – whether by happy circumstance or an earnest search for truth – they discover that it is worth giving up everything for. Th…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 In this parable, Jesus teaches us that evil is more deeply rooted than we know, both in our hearts and in the world. At the same time, God is actively sowing and cultivating good things, and will one day deal with evil in a final and climactic way. Grasping both these realities can help us live with a pat…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Matthew 13:1-23 A seed can utterly transform a patch of soil and bring forth life and beauty, but only if the soil is receptive and hospitable. The good news of Jesus - who he is and what he came to do - is like a seed that won’t force itself into a person’s life. But if it is met with openness and genuine understanding, it unle…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Matthew 18:21-35 One YouTube comment said, “Unforgiveness is definitely the flavor of the day.” We live in a time and age where giving and receiving forgiveness is an uncommon experience, and yet we all desire it. The parable of the unforgiving servant by Jesus gives us a picture of why Christians are called to forgive and how w…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Luke 18:1-8 Does God hear our prayer? Jesus shows us that even an unjust judge will respond to persistent requests. If this is true for flawed human beings, how much more will our perfectly loving and just God answer the prayers of those who persistently seek Him? Christians can keep praying, keep seeking, keep knocking—and neve…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Luke 15:1-10 Have you ever felt truly, frighteningly lost? In these two parables, Jesus invites us to experience something counterintuitive: that admitting our lostness is the first step to finding a stable, meaningful foundation for living.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 5:19-20 Is restoration possible? James describes the gospel's missional compassion. For those who have strayed from the truth or fallen into destructive patterns, hope remains for them to be restored to a relationship with God. James inspires Christians to engage in compassionate outreach to bring others back to a vibrant …

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 5:13-18 Where do we turn for help in our greatest needs? This passage explores the transformative power of prayer. James describes the importance of fervent, faith-filled prayer for both personal and communal healing. As a community, we bear one another’s burdens.By Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 5:7-12 What do we do when we have no control? James describes patience in the face of waiting for the Lord to return. This passage tells Christians to trust in God's timing and purpose during challenging seasons, finding strength in enduring faith. Our moment of history is merely the beginning of the full restoration of al…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 4:11-5:6 What are the dangers of power and wealth for those who follow Jesus? The world’s values and God’s kingdom values are reversed. He challenges us to prioritize God's kingdom over worldly possessions and consider the ethical use of our wealth. This is more than wise stewardship, but using wealth as a power for the sa…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 4:4-10 How does God relate to us, and how do we relate to him? James describes the relational aspect of submission to God, emphasizing the need to resist worldly desires and draw near to God. Following Jesus is not abstractly knowing him but putting one's life under his leadership with humility and repentance. God sees, lo…

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 3:13-4:3 What does a mature follower of Jesus look like? This section shows a picture of someone whose beauty and goodness are genuine. In a city of manufactured self-image, James gives us an alternative personhood based on the gospel. The result is someone who can make peace and avoid conflict because they have everything…