Being a "First-Responder" Church
Sheree Phillips with a follow-up post on how to be a "first-responder" church...
Keep ReadingJanuary 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....
November 8, 2016 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Suffering, love, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, empathy, sacrifice, first responders
Sheree Phillips with a follow-up post on how to be a "first-responder" church...
Keep ReadingJanuary 14, 2016 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Faith, church history, culture, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Catholicism, Benedict Option, BenOp, Rod Dreher, St. Benedict
Jake Phillips and Ryan McLaughlin discuss the theory and practical application of the so-called "Benedict Option." ...
Keep ReadingAugust 26, 2015 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Mercy, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, church, vacation, forgiveness, brokenness, apology
If we walk in close proximity to others, we will be hurt. And we will hurt them. But we don't have to give up or resort to bitterness, because we can extend and be shown mercy that flows from the cross....
Keep ReadingJune 30, 2015 by | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Sin, Racism, race, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, fish, race relations
Janelle Garrett writes about how we attack the cultural problem of racism -- by listening and examining our own hearts....
Keep ReadingJune 4, 2015 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, parenting, Play, empathy, parenthood, theology, trust, kingdom living, security, tethering
Over the years I’ve reflected on my “tetherball career.” Perhaps I’ve gotten better and even less beatable in the 50 years since I lived off Greenbelt Road. And maybe that mean boy wasn’t as mean and snooty as I remember. But what’s real clear in my mind is what I learned from playing tetherball....
Keep ReadingMay 4, 2015 | 2 Comments by Benny Phillips | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, the gospel coalition, John Piper, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, sermon on the mount, kingdom living, TGC, premillennialism, amillennialism, Revelations 20, eschatology, end times, 1000 years, dragon, devil
Benny Phillips explains why he holds an amillennial perspective on eschatology, and how it influences the way we interpret Scripture more generally. ...
Keep ReadingDecember 21, 2014 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, lake Nona, Lake Nona Church, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, empathy, Ferguson, Michael Brown, incarnation, Christmas, Advent, Immanuel, Hands Up Don't Shoot
We are posting the opening of Jesse's sermon today, "The Empathy of the Incarnation." It drew on recent events to set up the notion that the only way to achieve true peace with friend or foe is through empathy, perfectly modeled for us by He who did not count equality with God something to be grasped. ...
Keep ReadingDecember 1, 2014 | 1 Comments by Ryan McLaughlin | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Christmas, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Advent, Calendars, church calendars, Merry Christmas, Christmas season, Messiah, Immanuel, Advent season, Friends of Redeemer
Ryan McLaughlin writes about the theology of Advent and what the Christmas season is actually about. Advent is a reminder that we are both looking back to when the Messiah came, and looking forward to when He's coming again. ...
Keep ReadingNovember 6, 2014 by Eric Garrett | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Suffering, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, Jesus, John, endurance, sovereignty, God's will, obedience, trust
Eric Garrett attempts to help us arrive at a better understanding of suffering. The fact is that Jesus suffers with us, not because there is inherent value in suffering (in fact, it's part of the curse), but because He has come to redeem our suffering by suffering in our place. Jesus hates our suffering, and has provided a way out. We cannot truly understand the glory o...
Keep ReadingSeptember 24, 2014 by Eric Garrett | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, blog, lake Nona, bible, church life, Orlando Church, Lake Nona Churches, Community, Scripture, Eric Garrett, lee vista, lee vista church, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, redeemer blog, The church, church ministry, church blog, Redeemer Church of Lake Nona, unity, diversity, unified diversity
Something unexpected happened to me on Sunday morning. While I was preparing to teach for our children's ministry, Truth Miners, I was struck by the profundity of the passage I was about to teach from. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how God reveals to both young and old the same truths in profound ways. I was so affected by what I studied that I want to share s...
Keep ReadingSeptember 10, 2014 by Eric Garrett | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, Fellowship, lake Nona, vision, ministry, bible, church life, grace, Orlando Church, Lake Nona Churches, Community, Scripture, lee vista, lee vista church, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, redeemer blog, church ministry, church blog
There is something that's been on my heart about the life of our church (and others) for some time. Although I've discussed it briefly in various contexts I've never really sat down to try and succinctly articulate what it is...here it goes. I hope this turns out to be helpful for you. Week in and week out, as we gather together to lift up our Savior with one voice as a ch...
Keep ReadingAugust 19, 2014 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, blog, lake Nona, ministry, bible, Lake Nona Churches, lee vista, lee vista church, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, redeemer blog, Gospel-centeredness, church ministry, church identity, counseling, gospel-centered counseling
So far this series, we’ve discussed how the gospel is more than a reference point for ministry, and we have seen how that shapes our approach to preaching. This week, we discuss how that affects our approach to counseling....
Keep ReadingAugust 12, 2014 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Gospel-centeredness, preaching the gospel, gospel-centered preaching, Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, ministry, bible, Orlando Church, Lake Nona Churches, mission, lee vista, lee vista church, sermons, theology, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, the gospel, redeemer blog
Last week, we looked at the gospel as Scripture’s paradigm for ministry in general. Today, we are looking at the gospel as Scripture’s paradigm for preaching for interpreting and applying God’s Word for God’s people on God’s terms....
Keep ReadingAugust 5, 2014 | Category: Church Values | Tags: Gospel-centeredness, Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, ministry, bible, gospel, church life, Lake Nona Churches, Identity, lee vista, lee vista church, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, redeemer blog, The church, church ministry, church identity
If you've been around the church world long enough, you've probably heard someone somewhere talk about being "gospel-centered" - gospel-centered preaching, gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered counseling, gospel-centered everything. And you've probably had one of a number of reactions to these pretentious-sounding assertions of unique commitment to the gospel reactions...
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