January 31, 2012
"The gospel, applied to our hearts every day, frees us to be brutally honest with ourselves and with God. The assurance of His total forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ means we don't have to play defensive games anymore. We don't have to rationalize and excuse our sins. We can say we told a lie instead of saying we exaggerated a bit. We can admit an unforgiving spirit instead of continuing to blame our parents for our emotional distress. We can call sin exactly what it is, regardless of how ugly and shameful it may be, because we know that Jesus bore that sin in His body on the cross. With the assurance of total forgiveness through Christ, we have no reason to hide from our sins anymore."...
January 6, 2012
I'm at a season of life where it seems like it's time to slow down. Nothing is working quite right anymore. I need glasses for aging eyes and anti-inflammtories for aging joints. I forget names and what commonly used household gadgets are called. Solitude invites me to steal away (which I enjoy doing at times!) while a growing family and new church lovingly require me to get even busier than ever. The commercials say Benny and I should be anticipating retirement after all the years of being in the throes of parenting and pastoring. Sometimes I envy those who can....
February 27, 2015 | 1 Comments | Category: Gospel Substitutes | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Faith, Galatians, salvation, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, legalism, Gospel substitutes, Kevin DeYoung
Joey Phillips covers the fourth part of our "Gospel Substitutes" series. He covers the topic of legalism. Why is legalism still such a significant temptation for the church even after the apostle Paul covered the topic in such detail?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 26, 2015 | Category: Highlighted Links | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Highlights from the Blogosphere, abortion, vocation, Orthodox activism, TGC, Kevin DeYoung, Friday Night Lights
We've rounded up some edifying, challenging and encouraging posts on a myriad of topics from around the blogosphere. We hope it's helpful...
Keep ReadingFebruary 25, 2015 | Category: Cultural Values | Tags: girls, Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, abortion, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, compassion, empathy, pro-life, pro-choice, Lena Dunham, HBO
The HBO show "Girls" covered the topic of abortion, and they got it wrong. But their portrayal of the issue is part of the shift in rhetoric by pro-choice advocates. How should the Church respond?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 24, 2015 | 2 Comments | Category: Gospel Substitutes | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Sanctification, revival, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus Movement, Gospel substitutes, mysticism, emotion, spiritual gifts, Rolling Stones
Sheree Phillips writes the third part of our "Gospel Substitutes" series, tackling the subject of Mysticism. At what point does the God-given desire for a close and emotional relationship with Him become a sinful Gospel substitute? ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 23, 2015 by Bob Putman | Category: Sermon Review | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, gospel, sermon review, kingdom of God, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, sermon on the mount, kingdom living, meek, beatitudes, Red letters
Bob Putnam summarizes the latest sermon in our series on the Sermon on the Mount entitled "Kingdom Living in a Fallen World." What does it mean to be meek?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 20, 2015 | Category: Highlighted Links | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Highlights from the Blogosphere, evangelism, ISIS, pop culture, Lent, Parks & Rec, Lol Interwebz, Carl Trueman
We've rounded up some of the most helpful articles from around the web. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 19, 2015 | Category: Gospel Substitutes | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, gospel, Racism, abortion, immigration, racial reconciliation, social justice, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, Gospel substitutes, redemption, Calvary, Activism, sex trafficking, Christian causes, Good News, Good Samaritan
Jake Phillips writes the second part in our series entitled "Gospel Substitutes." Is there a danger that our participation in Christian causes can become a substitute for the core message of the Gospel?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 18, 2015 by | Category: Member Musings | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, art, salvation, culture, cross, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, pop culture, 50 Shades of Grey, The Blacklist, redemption, Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller, James Spader, Hollywood, Calvary, Reddington
Pop culture often presents us with stories of false redemption. The antidote is to combat stories with stories, specifically the story of blood-bought redemption. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 17, 2015 | Category: Gospel Substitutes | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, gospel, salvation, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, series, formalism, Gospel substitutes, serving, counterfeit, authenticity
We are beginning a series on our blog entitled "Gospel Substitutes" where we will analyze how we are tempted to substitute certain modes of thinking (formalism, legalism, socialism etc.) for the Gospel. Sheree Phillips begins our series with a look at Formalism. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 16, 2015 | 4 Comments | Category: Current Events | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, ISIS, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, unplugged, digital age, terrorism, social media, Facebook, Twitter, IS, ISIL, executions
How should we think through the brutal executions orchestrated by ISIS, and the way that the news of such attacks spreads through social media?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 12, 2015 | 2 Comments by | Category: Evangelism | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, gospel, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, compassion, preaching, Wayne Grudem, St. Francis, Great Commission
Janelle Garrett shows why demonstrating the Gospel is important, but not sufficient. We must also use words. We must declare the Gospel even as we demonstrate the Gospel. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 10, 2015 | Category: Uncategorized | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Racism, racial reconciliation, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, links, death penalty, criminals, American Horror Story, vaccines
Jake Phillips rounds up some helpful links from around the blogosphere about religion, theology and culture....
Keep ReadingFebruary 10, 2015 | Category: Poetry | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Prayer, abortion, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, compassion, kingdom living, pro-life, laughter
Jake Phillips prays over the issue of abortion in our country. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours....
Keep ReadingFebruary 9, 2015 | 4 Comments by Sarah Grace Pavelchak | Category: Friends of Redeemer | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Prayer, humility, John Piper, cross, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, dependence, C.S. Lewis
The latest in our off-again, on-again Friends of Redeemer series comes from Sarah Grace Pavelchak, who writes a personal reflection on what prayer means to her. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 9, 2015 by Bob Putman | Category: Sermon Review | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, humility, sermon review, kingdom of God, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, righteousness, kingdom living, Sermon on the Mounth, Matthew 5, poor in spirit
Bob Putnam reviews the sermon deliver by Benny Phillips entitled "Poor in Spirit." It is the first sermon from our "Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Living in a Fallen World" series. What does it mean to be 'poor in spirit'? ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 6, 2015 | 2 Comments | Category: Musings of a Pastor's Wife | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, unplugged, digital age, technology, communication, connectivity, Kate & Leopold, cell phones, Apostle Paul
Sheree Phillips analyzes how technology has changed the way we communicate, for better or worse. How has technology enhanced our communication? And what lessons can we learn from Paul (and yes, Hugh Jackman) that should inform the way we communicate with all of the technological gadgets available to us?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 5, 2015 | Category: Sermon Review | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, parenting, Work, sermon review, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, self-control, relationships, unplugged, digital age, technology, Apple, vocation, jobs, vacation, connectivity, spiritual disciplines
Jake Phillips reviews Jesse Phillips' sermon from this past Sunday entitled "Unplugged: Vocation in the Digital Age." It was the last sermon in our "Unplugged: Finding Peace in the Digital Age" series....
Keep ReadingFebruary 4, 2015 | Category: Musings of a Pastor's Wife | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, relationships, unplugged, friendship, technology, communication, bitterness, miscommunication
Sheree Phillips writes about relationships and the potential for misunderstanding. Like texting with a smart phone, miscommunication is inevitable. But relationships are worth the potential for misunderstanding....
Keep ReadingFebruary 3, 2015 | Category: Cultural Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Sin, rape culture, modesty, wisdom, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, modesty movement, legalism, fundamentalism, evangelicalism, pornography
Jake Phillips asks whether the modesty movement contributes to the rape culture. Does talking about modesty necessarily objectify women?...
Keep ReadingFebruary 2, 2015 | 1 Comments by | Category: Member Musings | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Idolatry, Sin, marriage, John Piper, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, functional gods, cheating, card games, depression
Janelle Garrett writes about idolatry and why our spouses make for terrible gods. Is your spouse (or children or friend) functioning as an idol? ...
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