Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis
Janelle Garrett explains why she's disturbed by some of the responses to the Syrian refugee crisis. ...
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....
September 16, 2015 by | Category: Current Events | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, immigration, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, sojourners, Syria, refugees, refugee crisis, Europe
Janelle Garrett explains why she's disturbed by some of the responses to the Syrian refugee crisis. ...
Keep ReadingMarch 16, 2015 by Joey and Jake Phillips | Category: Cultural Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, cultural values, immigration, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, politics, President Obama, C.S. Lewis, sojourners, Leviticus, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alan Noble
Combining two older posts into one, Joey and Jake argue that immigration is a theological issue more than a political issue, which should inform the way we think about it. ...
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 ReadingNovember 17, 2014 | Category: Current Events | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, evangelism, immigration, Redeemer Church at Lake Nona, politics, compassion, amnesty, illegal immigration, John 8, laws, President Obama, Obama
Jake Phillips writes about our response as Christians to the coming Executive Order regarding amnesty. Our biblical mandate to incarnate Christ and display compassion is more important than our political views regarding issues of immigration and enforcing laws. ...
Keep ReadingJuly 26, 2014 | Category: Cultural Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, Lake Nona Churches, lee vista, lee vista church, cultural values, joey phillips, theology, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, redeemer blog, immigration, social issues, racial raparations, the gospel coalition
In Part 1 of the #CulturalValues post about Immigration, Joey pointed out that fundamentally, Christians should think about this issue through the lens of Jesus’ teaching about the “least of these.” Our primary concern about this issue should be for people, not fences. It’s important to remember that neither of us are advocating for a specific policy position. Our ...
Keep ReadingJuly 17, 2014 | Category: Cultural Values | Tags: Redeemer Church, Lake Nona Church, lake Nona, grace, Lake Nona Churches, Hope, lee vista, lee vista church, redeemerchurch, redeemer, lakenonachurch, liberty, redeemer blog, cultural values, immigration
By all accounts, thousands and thousands of children are entering the United States from Mexico every month. What has been a political issue for a long time has become something of a crisis. It is at the point that the government is asking for help from churches in the areas most affected. (See http://tinyurl.com/ow93le3) This issue has a lot of facets, not the least of w...
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