Jacob Phillips on the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. ...

Jacob Phillips on the alt-right, white panic and the ways in which we subtly affirm our cultural values as preferential to others. ...

Jake Phillips wrote a few words on the recent shooting here in Central Florida and acts of terror across the ocean. Both raise an age-old question: how do we respond -- and how should we think -- when faced with such evil?...

Jake Phillips analyzes Judge Gorsuch's answer regarding Roe v. Wade, and whether it should give pro-lifers cause for concern. ...

Sheree Phillips with a follow-up post on how to be a "first-responder" church...

Sheree Phillips explains what it means to be a "First-Responder" Christian, and why it should be a goal of all of ours. ...

Yesterday was All Hallows' Eve. Today is All Saints Day. But soon comes Advent. ...

Jacob Phillips on why the success of individual African-Americans or Christians doesn't disprove allegations of systemic racism or bias against Christianity. ...

Joey Phillips reevaluates "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." It's better than he remembered. ...

Sheree Phillips on how being faithful and obedience can seem boring or ordinary ...

In the latest Apply the Word, Alex recaps and draws application from Benny's sermon on John 6, the latest in our Visible Glory series. ...

Dave Pearce contributes a post about the importance of practical, active faith in God....

Our latest Apply the Word reviews the first sermon from our new series on the Gospel of John, Visible Glory...

Alex writes the latest in our "Apply the Word" series, reviewing Joey's message on Psalm 23....

Joey wraps up our "Atonement Theory Week" by looking at penal substitution ...

Alex Thermenos with the latest in our Apply the Word series, writing about three reasons we should pursue God. ...

Ryan McLaughlin with Part 2 of the Recapitulation theory of the atonement...

Ryan McLaughlin writes about the second theory we are highlighting in our Atonement Theory Week: recapitulation. ...

Jacob Phillips beings our "Atonement Theory Week" by look at the Patristic theory, i.e. "Christus Victor"...

Joey Phillips talks about ethical theories and why he's dissenting from this election. ...

In the latest "Apply the Word" post, Alex talks about Benny's sermon on Psalm 131, and how we can become content in Christ. ...

Janelle, a white mother, writes about what she wants to teach her sons about their black friends ...

Alex Thermenos helps us apply the preaching of the Word on Sunday to our daily lives. ...

What are some points of application we can draw from the sermon on Psalm 46? Alex has some suggestions. ...

Our statement on the death of Alton Sterling. ...

Jake Phillips writes about the recent Supreme Court decision and the future of abortion and the pro-life movement. ...

Here is our church's statement regarding the terror attack at The Pulse. 12...

Jake Phillips talks about the "God's Not Dead" franchise and why it's problematic. ...

Sheree Phillips takes a look at when holidays that are happy for so many bring pain and heartache to others....

Here is the lyrics to the spoken word that Jake Phillips delivered on Easter Sunday...

Jake Phillips writes about Good Friday and the movie "Warrior"...

Our statement on the Belgium attacks today in Brussels ...

Joey Phillips reviews the latest album, a kids album, from Sovereign Grace Music ...

Our statement on the passing of Dr. Jerry Bridges...

Jake Phillips takes issue with the "Make America Great Again" slogan...

Janelle Garrett writes about jealousy and the lens by which we filter social media. ...

Janelle Garrett tells the story of one of her neighbors, and what it can teach us about music, discernment and the heart...

Jake Phillips asked Bob Kauflin a few questions in anticipation of The Gathering....

Part 2 of a discussion about the Benedict Option......

Jake Phillips and Ryan McLaughlin discuss the theory and practical application of the so-called "Benedict Option." ...

Our latest Friends of Redeemer post comes from Ryan McLaughlin, who offers an Eastern Orthodox defense of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens...

Part 2 of Joey's article about John Piper, guns and lethal self-defense...

It is a temptation within American evangelicalism to conflate cultural and political values with biblical teaching. John Piper might be right about guns and self-defense, or he might be wrong. Either way, we can learn from him how to approach our own values based on the Bible rather than only the Constitution....

What can a 19th century poet teach us about the meaning of the Advent season?...

There's a recent debate in evangelicalism about when, if ever, to call abortion "murder." Jake Phillips weighs in. ...

Sheree Phillips with the second part of her series on Metacommunication and relationships...

Joey Phillips writes about the current refugee status, and why he thinks we should welcome as many as practicable ...

Jake Phillips writes about how we shouldn't feel inadequate about posting our solidarity with France on social media. We should do the same for Lebanon. ...

Bob Putman analyzes The Brain with David Eagleman, a PBS production, and how it both wildly misses the point, but also demonstrates the glory and power of God. ...

What is metacommunication? And how does it impact our relationships? Sheree Phillips is spending a 5-part series exploring the concept and how it impacts our lives....

Redeemer Church at Lake Nona is moving to Sun Blaze Elementary School! ...

Jake Phillips argues that the issues surrounding Kim Davis are not hard to resolve. What might be more difficult, though, is handling an actual issue of civil disobedience. ...

Janelle Garrett explains why she's disturbed by some of the responses to the Syrian refugee crisis. ...

Confession breeds freedom....

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....

The seventh Planned Parenthood video was released last week. Break the arm of the wicked, oh Lord. ...

Is our worship service and the songs we sing only appropriate for comfortable, middle-class Christians? Or is it also appropriate for the dispossessed, sad and broken among us?...

Janelle Garrett asks what would have happened if some of the most influential people in history had never lived? What if abortion had always been legal?...

Jesus' sacrifice was enough to defeat our sin. When will the wicked have prospered for long enough? When will we see the Rider on the White Horse?...

Ryan McLaughlin writes about the transfiguration and the soteriological essence of all of our stories, fictional or otherwise, including that of Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner. ...

Bob Putman recaps the concluding message in our series "Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Living in a Fallen World."...

Sheree Phillips explains living through the rise of second-wave feminism, and how her choices were not a total rejection of its values. ...

Janelle Garrett writes about anxiety, the kingdom of God, and running to Jesus....

Jake Phillips discusses gay marriage, racism, and the things we choose to talk about....

Janelle Garrett writes about how we attack the cultural problem of racism -- by listening and examining our own hearts....

Janelle Garrett writes about searching our own hearts, and being honest about what we find....

After one of the worst racial attacks in American history, how will we respond?...

Bob Putman reviews Benny's sermon from this past Sunday about motherhood and identity. How God sees us is infinitely more important than how anyone else sees us, including ourselves. ...

Jake Phillips writes about for-profit prisons and the problem of fiduciary duties. ...

What did Jesus mean when He said "let your yes be yes and your no be no?" What should we think about oaths, truth-telling, swearing, lies, and the differences and distinctions between them?...

Jake starts the first of a couple of posts about Christian ethics and for-profit prisons by dispensing some facts....

Benny Phillips explains why he holds an amillennial perspective on eschatology, and how it influences the way we interpret Scripture more generally. ...

The latest in our "Compassionate Complementarianism" series: Sheree Phillips addresses the myth that complementarians always get theology right. ...

The Gospel Coalition just finished their national conference; one of the days focused on the issue of justice. Here's what one of our church members recaps the day. ...

A recap of our latest sermon in our Sermon on the Mount series, "Kingdom Living." What did Jesus mean when he said that came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it? ...

Jake Phillips reviews the latest album by Sojourn, entitled "New Again." ...

Joey Phillips describes just one little gem he learned from listening to Dr. Tim Keller's opening address at TGC15. Thank God for godly, smart pastors, locally and globally. ...

Jake Phillips discusses the ERLC summit on racial reconciliation and the lectures delivered by Trip Lee and Thabiti Anyabwile. What type of unity is our goal? ...

Bob Putman reviews Benny's Easter sermon, where he recounted the righteousness credited to us based on the death and resurrection of our Lord. ...

Indiana is the latest state to pass an RFRA law. They also recently amended the language of the law in response to public backlash. What does it all mean?...

Taraleigh Davis on how to see the good despite the darkness, how to cling to the hope of the promise we've been given even when it seems like the enemy is winning. ...

Kyle Davis explains the story we will try to tell through worship this Easter Sunday, and how we plan to accomplish that purpose. ...

Jake Phillips discusses Spy Wednesday, what it means, and the lessons we can draw from the story of Judas Iscariot. ...

A recap of the latest sermon in our "Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Living in a Fallen World" covering the topic of persecution. ...

Jake Phillips continues our series on Compassionate Complementarianism by analyzing some myths and misconceptions about what complementarianism actually is. ...

Losing the home that we grew up in, a place that we loved more than any other place on earth, reminds us that our true home is yet to come. ...

Joey Phillips discusses the problem of evil and how Christians should respond to this objection. It is the most difficult philosophical and apologetic problem we will face. And while the answer might not be satisfactory, it exists. ...

Sheree Phillips introduces our series entitled "Compassionate Complementarianism." What does it mean? What does it look like?...

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. ...

Jake Phillips reviews the book "Fierce Convictions" by Karen Swallow Prior, which detailed the life of Hannah More, who helped fight to abolish the slave trade in England along with Wilberforce. ...

Janelle Garrett writes about what she learned regarding evangelism through a near-drowning experience and watching her son play at the park. Evangelism is possible because we aren't alone....

Sheree Phillips explains how a man from Haiti named Souvenir taught her again what it means to serve and love family. ...

Bob Putnam reviews the latest sermon from our Sermon on the Mount series, "Kingdom Living in a Fallen World." This sermon covered the topic of mercy....

Joey Phillips writes about our pursuit of corporate and personal righteousness, and how such pursuit is impossible without anger. ...

Jake Phillips writes part 6 of our "Gospel Substitutes" series, analyzing the issue of Biblicism. What happens when we reduce the Gospel to mastering Christian theology and/or biblical content?...

Part 5 of our "Gospel Substitutes" series focuses on Socialism. Is sanctification the goal of our relationships and friendships? If not, there is a danger that we are succumbing to the temptation of a gospel substitute. ...

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?...

We've rounded up some edifying, challenging and encouraging posts on a myriad of topics from around the blogosphere. We hope it's helpful...

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?...

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? ...

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?...

We've rounded up some of the most helpful articles from around the web. ...

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?...

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. ...

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. ...

How should we think through the brutal executions orchestrated by ISIS, and the way that the news of such attacks spreads through social media?...

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. ...

Jake Phillips rounds up some helpful links from around the blogosphere about religion, theology and culture....

Jake Phillips prays over the issue of abortion in our country. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours....

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. ...

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'? ...

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?...

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....

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....

Jake Phillips asks whether the modesty movement contributes to the rape culture. Does talking about modesty necessarily objectify women?...

Janelle Garrett writes about idolatry and why our spouses make for terrible gods. Is your spouse (or children or friend) functioning as an idol? ...

Sheree Phillips tells the story of Paul and his useless bonfire. How do we mortify our temptations to worldliness? How do we find our contentment in Christ alone? What does it mean to abide in Christ?...

Jake Phillips writes about the different possible outcomes of the Supreme Court gay marriage case, and how we might respond as a church. Will our response be predominantly political, cultural or Gospel-centered?...

Sheree Phillips explains a few of the lessons she learned from homeschooling for 30 years. God equips everyone he calls to homeschooling (or anything else), no matter how qualified they may feel. Is God calling you to consider homeschooling? Hopefully this post will encourage you as you begin (or continue) your journey. ...

Bob reviews Joey's sermon from this past Sunday, "Friendship in the Age of Friending." It's the latest in our series entitled "Unplugged: Peace in the Digital Age." Joey explored what it means to have true, biblical friendships and fellowship in the age of artificial connections. ...

Ryan McLaughlin writes about the Charlie Hedbo attacks and the baptism of Christ: a tale of two rivers. What can we learn, as Christians, from this devastating attack? Well, for one, as Ryan writes, we can remind ourselves of the futility of man's efforts to save himself and rid the world of evil. ...

When we consider how to approach those who are struggling, I believe most of us would agree that our disposition is of utmost importance. How many of us can look back with regret on a conversation we've had with someone grieving a lost loved one, bemoaning a challenging circumstance at work or home, or even struggling with a besetting sin and see where we were short, quick...

If you’re like me sometimes it’s hard to know what the gospel really looks like in relationships. I actually used to think the gospel was something you spoke only to the lost who needed to hear how the sinless life, atoning death and glorious resurrection of Christ made a way for them to have a relationship with God, brings meaning to suffering and provides hope for th...

Jake Phillips writes about why 2014 was such a bad year for American society, and what we can do about it. Should we view it, and the year to come, optimistically? Pessimistically? Some combination of the two? Jake argues that G.K. Chesterton shows a better way: we must simultaneously be irrational pessimists and irrational optimists....

Most people know what you’re obsessed with. It’s clear because you live devoted to you obsession. ...

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. ...

This past week, Senate Democrats released a 6,000 page report about CIA tactics in the post-9/11 but pre-Obama world. It is colloquially known as the “torture report,” although it centers around what the CIA called “enhanced interrogation techniques,” which were approved by the Bush administration, funded by Congress, and considered legal by various...

Janelle writes a poem about the hidden hatred in all of us, and what the solution is. ...

I’m one of those crazy people who gets up early on Black Friday to shop. It’s a tradition my daughters and I have enjoyed for years. Frankly, I don’t buy much. For me it’s primarily a sentimental opportunity to spend time with my girls and have our yearly lunch at Olive Garden....

Well here it is...the holiday season. The traffic's getting busier, the office seems a bit more cheery, and, I confess, I'm playing Christmas music most of the time I'm in my car (at least until a few days before Christmas after I've overindulged in it). I've gotta say that I love this time of year. I love that many of us consciously spend more time with those we love. I l...

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. ...

Pastor Benny began his message on Sunday by saying these are difficult verses because of how radical Paul’s message was. The Galatian churches were being affected by “men from James,” the Jerusalem church that James led. The Judaizers, whom James did not agree with, were saying, it’s fine and important to become a Christian, and yes, Jesus is the Messiah. But to be...

I watched a man die once. It was not an experience I’ve ever wanted to repeat again. He was a quiet, pleasant patient whom I had taken care of a few times since he had been placed within our unit. That day, my friend was his nurse. She called me in to come help her, stating he was having difficulty breathing. Sure enough, he was in his recliner gasping for breath. As she...

This past Monday started out pretty gloomy. I had trouble sleeping the night before, partly because aging brings sleeping issues and, yeah, I’m in “that season” of life when sleeping is typically challenging. But my restlessness was also related to some weighty concerns I’ve been having about people I love…a lot....

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. ...

Fascinated by scenes unfurled, fascinated they come and dance This vision of a Son of Man, who melts my heart with soulful glance Across the vision of cautious mind, foreboding foresight still I see the Maker of all things, bear a cross uphill...

Often the moments I hear heart-wrenching comments like this are while sitting on the couch in my living room sharing a glass of sweet tea with women from my church. Like me, they’re dealing with the often-weighty consequences of sins by or against them: pain that runs deep like a knife being slowly twisted through the heart. It’s not always there. But when it’s trigg...

Recently, Sheree Phillips wrote a transparent and helpful post on the struggle of waiting for God. If you're like her (and me), then you probably have an aversion to waiting for just about anything. And the reality is that if you're a Westerner, you're probably just like us in this way. It's no new revelation that with our culture-wide embrace of fast food, fast cash, and ...

Jake Phillips wraps up our posts on elections with a call to unity. Our identity in Christ is more important than our political affiliations, and it is important to remember, as Joey preached this past Sunday, that the believer is not permitted to make distinctions based on classes. ...

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...

Bob Putnam reviews Joey Phillips' sermon from this past Sunday about our union with Christ, a union that destroys divisions and makes us equal heirs to the promise of God. ...

How we contextualize Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 within the United States' governmental structure? What does it mean to honor the governing authorities if the government under which we live is a government "of the people, by the people, for the people"? Jesse Phillips argues the answer is to locate the supreme authority within a governmental structure, and to apply the command...

How should Christians think about voting, elections and democracy? Ryan McLaughlin argues that the way we should think about these issues should be informed by what we know about the kingdom of God, the resurrection, and the preeminence of Christ. ...

Jake Phillips writes about Amendment 2, the amendment votes will face tomorrow about allowing the legalization of medical marijuana for medicinal purposes. What are the issues facing Christian voters? What would the passage of Amendment 2 actually mean? Jake's goal is not to convince anyone to vote one way or another, but to clarify some of the issues surrounding Amendmen...

Modest dress is a worthy discussion (after all, the Bible does talk about it!) but modesty includes far more than what can be seen on the outside. In fact, the definition of modest is not “Women who dress culturally appropriate.” Rather, the definition is “the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.” I didn’t see “Modest is hottest” a...

Joey Phillips writes part 3 in our Moments in Church History series, using Halloween to talk about Reformation Day. He shares several facts about Reformation Day, Martin Luther, and the 95 Theses. Although it's a lighthearted post, it's also an example of how God sovereignly uses mundane obedience to further His kingdom. ...

suffering4 This likely won't be my most popular post (not that I'm under any illusion that any of my posts are widely read). But I believe this issue to be so important that it needs to be discussed, particularly among those of us from a younger generation. For those of us who haven't experienced the pressures of real financial hardship, who haven't mourned the death of...

Benny Phillips continued Redeemer's Galatians series, preaching on Galatians 3:15-25 on Sunday. So far in the letter to the Galatians, Paul has a specific flow of thought: He has established that we are saved, justified and redeemed only by faith in Christ and not through righteousness of our own. Any careful reader (or listener) will inevitably have questions about wher...

Ryan McLaughlin, a Catholic who came from a Reformed Protestant tradition, writes about 5 misconceptions that Protestants have about Catholic theology. How can knowing these things help us in our dialogue and discussions with Catholics?...

I love God's Word. I hope you do too. I love knowing that because of what Jesus accomplished for me in the gospel, earning my righteousness by living a perfect life, absorbing the penalty for my sin at the cross, and rising from the dead to secure my new life in him, I can sit at his feet and commune with the living God in a completely restored relationship. And I love tha...

Jake Phillips discusses the rise of New Age spiritualism and what it means for college preparation. The key in combating New Age spiritualism is in being able to define what it actually is. How do we identify New Age thoughts where they exist, and how do we combat the consequences of the ideas?...

If we assess the idea that “faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone” is all we need for salvation, we need to evaluate this in the light of scripture. And we need to evaluate the Judaizers’ idea that something more than Christ’s sacrifice is needed. Let’s not be too quick to condemn them. They were trying to protect something good: Godâ...

Sheree Phillips talks about suffering and grace. We have a tendency to minimize our sufferings because we don't think they compare to other types of suffering. But if we minimize suffering, we can inadvertently be minimizing grace. Suffering comes in degree, but grace doesn't....

I will offend you. And you will offend me. This is the harsh reality of life as a part of God's eternal kingdom while still living in our sinful flesh as inhabitants of our broken world. As brothers and sisters in Christ we will offend each other, and it will likely happen often. I wish this was not true, but both experience and Scripture validate this hard truth (see Matt...

Kyle Davis writes about race, the gospel and the home. If we accept the premise that racism and discrimination are problems in our society, where do we go from there? What is the solution? And how do we ensure that we properly teach our children about both the problem and the proper solution?...

Jesse began by talking about the concept of change. Turning away from unwanted behavior is something common to everyone. Whether it is silly habits, or more serious addictions, we all have aspects of behavior that we want to modify. 12 step programs abound for every sort of sin, addiction or compulsion. Many of these programs borrow from biblical wisdom in their approach, ...

Jake Phillips writes about Christopher Columbus, Christian subcultures, and legitimate conversion. Are we placing more value in seeing unbelievers begin to look, act and talk like us, or in seeing them act more like Christ? Do we value legitimate conversions or cultural assimilation? ...

Up until a couple of weeks before the birth of my son, Silas, I worked full time as an orthopedic nurse in a large hospital in Orlando. I took care of a large number of people, 90% of whom had surgery to fix broken bones; people who had been in horrible car accidents, people who had broken bones from slipping and falling at Disney, and a large population of the elderly who...

I hate waiting. Like last week when I sat at a light. I was in a hurry to get home before the Florida skies open up like they do on most warm, sunny days. The light turned green but there was no movement. Too quickly it turned yellow, then red again. Humph. Huge raindrops started pelting my windshield. Then I noticed flashing lights on a car ahead. I waited some more, h...

Benny Phillips and Jacob Phillips discuss race, racism, racial reconciliation and the necessity of dialogue regarding these topics within the church. How does our theology inform our practical involvement and discussions regarding issues of race and racism? ...

In this passage Paul is at the heart of his argument in Galatians. There are only two ways to relate to God: either on the basis of law and your good works or on the basis of faith and God’s grace. The key phrase in Reformed theology is “Justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.”...

Alex Couch writes the latest post in our series entitled Moments in Church History. Alex analyzes the historiographical debate regarding how great the Great Awakening truly was. What, if any, was the connection between the revivals in New England led by Whitfield and those in Virginia led by Davis and Morris?...

I'm currently doing something that I rarely do: re-reading a book. Not that I am opposed this practice, but I suppose I believe there are just too many good books I haven't read to consider going through what I've found to be excellent books that are worthy of a second read. However, I am delighted to say that I'm going against my custom right now. Because for me, John Pip...

Jake Phillips reviews "Prepare Him Room," the latest Christmas album from Sovereign Grace and Bob Kauflin. He's mostly interested in the title of the album and what it means. ...

Jake Phillips addresses issues related to the death of postmodernism and the rise of pseudo-modernism, which he calls "narcissism as epistemology." How does this impact how we should prepare (either ourselves or our kids) for cultural engagement in college?...

As the parents of 7 and grandparents of 15, people sometimes ask us for parenting advice. Perhaps we've gotten to a place in our lives where we have something to offer, if only due to the fact that we survived 35 years of parenting, are still married and actually have a warm relationship with all the once-little people who are now giving us little ones of their own. Really...

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...

Constant friend, my soul's own darkness, constant still, my soul's repose In the alley of soul's shadow, lurks a monster of my own Chained by sinful thoughts immoral, chained by sinful deeds done bold Soul and spirit war between me, making war, my corpse gone cold...

On Sunday morning Pastor Benny reprised his excellent intro to the Book of Galatians by focusing on the Apostle Paul as a “freedom fighter for truth.” Judaizers from Jerusalem had come to the churches Paul had planted in Galatia making three accusations against Paul: 1. He was not an apostle. 2. He was not preaching the true gospel. 3. The gospel (of grace) he preac...

Being a Christian in modern military life could be compared to a salmon making the tough journey up stream. There are times it can feel as though everything in life is coming at you trying to drive you in the mainstream direction, opposite of what you're striving towards. There are so many hardships and uncertainties: low finances, multiple moves, many times having a lack ...

Jake Phillips begins our periodic series on Moments in Church History by writing about the historic connection in Irish society between the Priest (church) and the Mother (cultural values). Is there a connection to the current conversation in the United States about the role that Judeo-Christian values should have on government and society?...

What does it mean to pursue wealth? We know that the love of money is the root of evil, but is pursuing wealth necessarily a bad thing? Eric Garrett explores what can often be a touchy subject....

What does it mean to internalize illegitimate criticism? For starters, it is evidence not of humility but of false humility, and it neither serves nor is loving towards others. Jake Phillips explains further, using 2 Corinthians 11 as an example. ...

“Oh, great,” said everyone. “Another church railing against promiscuity, homosexuality, and how society is going to hell in a handbasket. Just what I want to read today (this is not what I want to read today).” I know there is something archaic and cliché to read a blog post about sexual ethics from an evangelical church. Having admitted that, I hope you’ll bear...

If you step inside a major city, you see art everywhere. You see it on the billboards and the crossing signs; you hear it in the form of music on radio or see it on giant T.V.'s in places like New York City. If you pay attention to those things, they have one thing in common--communication. These mediums of art usually bring a message to the viewer or listener to express s...

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...

There are reasons to respect Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the family at the center of AMC’s blockbuster hit Duck Dynasty. He was a good enough athlete to start over 4-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw while in college even though he didn’t think much about practice. He was, by his own admission, a borderline alcoholic and druggie until he was miraculously sav...

Sunday was an historic day at Redeemer Church, as we celebrated the ordination of Jesse Phillips, son of Pastor Benny Phillips and his wife Sheree. Numerous visitors were present for the service, including guests from Metro Life Church, Orlando, where Jesse grew up and was called to ministry....

The other lesson we have learned as parents is to trust. With each new child comes a new challenge. As each child enters a new season of life, a new challenge is introduced. As parents we are constantly relearning how to be parents, trying to remember how we did things with our older kids and driven to our knees to trust God for wisdom when we have none of our own. If your...

When I decided to go to law school, I received many comments like “Are you going to be one of the ones who keeps the criminals off the street?” and “Nice. So you’re going to get the bad guys and make sure they pay.” At the time, I had no difficulty with these statements. Though I had no intention of pursuing a career in criminal law, I figured that if I did, it w...

Like my good friend Alex Thermenos, you may have thought that last week's post was the final post in this series on making disciples. Now this is understandable. I mean, after touching base with the lost, talking to them, enjoying meals with them at your dinner table, teaching them how the gospel relates to their lives, tying them into the fellowship of the church, and cal...

A twisted seed writhing forth, converging in the soil Bringing darkness, birthing fear, mindless in its toil Distorts the call of shameless grace, rejects the call of hope It cannot see the barren soul from which its blackness sloped...

This is what making disciples of Jesus all boils down to. In fact, there is a real sense in which this is the only absolutely necessary step in the process to making disciples. Everything about this process hinges on whether or not our lost friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors, by God's sovereign grace, place their trust in Jesus, and Jesus alone, for their p...

At age 60 I remember the days when church women’s ministries were focused on Titus 2: 3-5 which in part teaches women to be “keepers at home.” In fact, I was one of those pastor’s wives who taught this passage in our own church’s women’s ministry. Honestly, I benefited from this. I gained a vision for my home as the primary focus of my gifts and ministry. I lea...

For hours our group of foreign and Chinese teachers drove south through rice paddies and terraced tea hills to the famed Yellow Mountains of east central China. My initial fascination worn thin through endless unfamiliarity, I felt I had been dropped on another planet and wished I could switch off my senses. But we kept driving and entered the town of Mt. Jihua (pronounced...

When God appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush, this is a moment that affects everyone. God steps forward and speaks His name. But before God tells Moses who He is, He shows him who He is. A messenger speaks on God’s behalf. This is called a theophany, God appearing in another form. There are many in the Old Testament. This burning bush is a temple of the living...

My sister’s baby had a fever, so I ran by her house the other week to pick up two of her kids and take them with me on my errands to give her a little break. They were prattling on like little girls do, talking about nothing and everything. On our way home, we were listening to a local Christian radio station and Everfound’s “God of the Impossible” came on. Now, I�...

An automated spiritual gifts test once assumed I was a man. It was a generic test, so at the end, the tally of my results indicated (to the formula of the test results) that I should serve as a teaching pastor or lead men’s ministry. I cried, and the elder leading our class had no idea how to console me. In his mumbling, he said this, “God didn’t mess up and you aren...

In reading last week's post, some of you may have wondered how by yourself you could ever teach your lost friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers "all" that Jesus has commanded us (see Matt. 28:18-20). If that was you, there's good news: you don't have to do this alone. In fact, you shouldn't. The wonderful truth about our witness to the lost is that it is a comm...

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....

A man is working hard in obscurity. His intent is to work in obscurity because any attention was bad attention (or so he thought). But he drew the attention of the Lord, who came to him and instructed him that he would be used to rescue his people from their oppressors. The Lord filled the man with strength and bravery, and miraculously everything the Lord said would happe...

My cousin Doug Hodges (pretty much a big brother to the Phillips kids), pointed me to an article he had come across recently by a gentleman named Thomas Umstattd Jr. regarding why he felt like courtship, as opposed to traditional dating, was fundamentally flawed. Since the article was very thorough, if haphazard, and encapsulated a lot of the criticism I have heard of cour...

This month in our cultural value series we are sharing thoughts on different issues women face. Last week, Janelle discussed the issue of women and image. This week I want to touch on the topic of women and work. When you think about women and work there is SO much that has already been said and written on the subject. I am not going to attempt to address the question on w...

Over the last few weeks, I've been painting a picture of how we can practically apply our wonderful responsibility of sharing the gospel with the lost in a simple, step-by-step approach. By following these steps I believe each of us can obey Jesus' radical call to make disciples by simply interacting with the lost people who are already in our lives in intentional, Jesus-i...

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....

Dad (Benny) continued our series "Age of Heroes" with the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three men thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. As Dad explained, the story is a story of faith on trial....

The issue of what it means to work, where we should work, and how the gospel applies to our work is an important issue, and one that Alex Thermenos somewhat addressed in an earlier post. We want to look at the issue more in-depth; this is Part I of a series on “Work and the Gospel,” and I want to address an issue that is relevant to whatever “work” we are doing. Wh...

Our culture gets it wrong when it comes to women and image. That is no surprise, and much has been said on the topic. Recently the Huffington Post did a piece on what tabloids would look like if they treated men the way they treated women. Westminster College has a well-researched article about beauty standards, women in the media, and how women internalize the “thin-bea...

Who would you invite into your home for dinner? Perhaps more significantly, who would you not invite over for dinner? If we're honest, most of us probably have some real restrictions on who makes it to our dinner table. It's one thing to have people come over for a large event, it's another thing to have a few people over for the game, but we tend to reserve our dinner tab...

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...

“Israel and Hamas broke their ceasefire today and resumed fighting. This means the war has now gone on for…let me just check my watch here. Is it July 31st? Ok that means the war has been going on for…3000 years.” That joke (roughly) was how Stephen Colbert began his show on Friday, and it was either hilarious or insensitive. But it was also illustrative of a far m...

I forget things all the time. Just ask my husband. He has formed a habit of following behind me whenever we leave somewhere, whether it’s a restaurant or a friend’s house, to grab my phone, keys, and wallet that I left behind. My forgetfulness is my dad’s fault (right, Mom?), or so I claim. I tend to forget other things, too. I tend to look at what is going on around...

Ephesians 5:23-30 is a familiar passage to most of us. (It’s the one about husbands and wives relating to one another as Christ and the church do.) While it’s a great passage about husbands and wives, it carries far greater significance. There are many different images in the Bible to describe the church, but none more clearly communicate the way God binds Himself in l...

Last week, we discussed the importance of engaging with the lost with the intent of making disciples of Jesus. We talked about how we need to make it a priority to prayerfully and intentionally touch base with those around us, just as Jesus did. Just as Jesus "looked up" towards Zacchaeus as he passed through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem (see Luke 19:5) we must take the...

The gospel does two things for us when we suffer: it comforts us, and it calls us. In my last post, I surveyed the glorious hope our identity in Christ gives us in the face of suffering:...

Yesterday’s message from Pastor Benny Phillips continues with the "Age of Heroes" series. I am thankful to God for this message of inspiration, hope, and redemption. We were reminded of God's immense power in how God uses His people to overcome many obstacles that are seemingly insurmountable. It is amazing how the gospel is connected to every story in scripture. Many of...

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 ...

In this, the third and final post of the series on worship, I am hoping that you have been challenged with how you prepare your heart, as well as your physical expressiveness in times of corporate worship. Today, I would like to stir up the pot a little with what is an ongoing debate amongst churches and hopefully encourage us all to use our gifts and talents for the glory...

Last week, I introduced a seven-step approach to making disciples that I believe can serve as a helpful, step-by-step way for us to follow Jesus in fulfilling his Great Commission. By way of reminder, here is the basic approach....

This past Sunday, Joey Phillips delivered the latest sermon in our Age of Heroes series, entitled David and Goliath. Joey pointed out that the story of David and Goliath is a story about the complete and utter authority of God, as well as the heroic obedience of David....

The suffering in our lives keeps us from doing and experiencing many good things, and it often teaches us bad things. Suffering has the tendency to pervert our perception of the world around us. Children who grow up abused often have uniquely distorted views of God, self, and others. Those who suffer traumatic experiences in any stage of life often have difficulty engaging...

There is a reason that the first post in this three part series was on preparing our hearts for worship and the fact that every aspect of our lives during the week is a form of worshiping the Creator. We were created to worship God and we are emotional creatures, but just as in everything else we are called to do, we are to direct those around us to God’s glory and not o...

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...

If you've been with us at Redeemer Church for a bit, you may have heard us use the term "disciple-making disciple" as a way to encapsulate what we believe is our role as followers of Jesus in our God-created, fallen, yet redeemed and soon to be restored world. As I've explained elsewhere, as we seek to follow Jesus in his mission of redemption for the world, we are to draw...

In my last article, I described our core identity in terms of being God's image-bearers, but if you survey the New Testament, you'll find its overarching understanding of our identity in Christ is that we are sons, co-heirs, siblings of Christ destined to become like Christ. So, we must ask the question: is the New Testament replacing the Old Testament image-bearer motif w...

When asked to do a three part series on worship, numerous topics came to mind as I sat down to start writing. What would be helpful to talk about? How do I prepare for writing these posts? And that’s when I thought this: if I need to prepare for writing this, how much more important is it for me to prepare my heart for corporate worship? So, this week we are going t...

Walking purposefully along the winding sidewalk towards the host hotel for my final day at The Gospel Coalition’s national women’s conference, I was stopped by an inquisitive taxi driver who looked at my name tag and asked me what was going on inside. As if to aid me in my answer, I held out my nametag for him to read and replied “It’s an event put on by The Gospel...

For those of you who were not present to hear Jesse's message on Sunday, please do yourselves a favor and listen to it here. It was simply and profoundly inspiring. As he reminded us about God's relentless and merciful pursuit of us in our wanderings and rebellion, my soul was stirred afresh as I was reminded of the wonder and the power of God's great love for us, for me....

On Sunday, we heard from Jesse Phillips to kick start our summer series, “Age of Heroes: Classic Bible Stories and What They Really Mean.” He took us through the story of Jonah, beginning by explaining to us what Jonah ISN’T about. Often we hear children’s ministry versions of classic Bible heroes and the supposed lessons that God wants to teach us about them. Jona...

Identity is who you are. It tells you what you are worth, why you are here, and how you should live. It provides roles and boundaries for your relationships; it provides goals and parameters for your lifestyle; it gives significance to your thoughts, desires, and behavior. Identity is something that can and should be ascribed to each of us by God alone, and the identity He...

The recent opinion issued by Justice Samuel Alito on behalf of the Supreme Court in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case gives us reason to rejoice, although not, I think, for the reasons most Christians (and people of all faiths and religions) have been rejoicing thus far. In Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court held that the obligations imposed on closely-held corporations by the ...

I went to the Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference on the book of Nehemiah. That still makes me laugh. Who teaches Nehemiah at a women’s conference? And beyond that, no one taught a single leadership principle! Not one. Because that isn’t the heart of Nehemiah or the overall story of the Bible: the story is God, in love, redeeming His people....

This last weekend a few ladies from Redeemer went to The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference. We heard from speakers including Don Carson, John Piper, Tim and Kathy Keller, Paige Benton Brown, and Nancy Guthrie. Those were only the plenary speakers! There were several breakouts to choose from including a list of speakers and authors who have contributed to the gospel wor...

Often, we are tempted to place our hope in something other than Christ, and we are tempted to be constrained by something other than the Spirit....

Our identity, he taught, is not defined by our roles. But our God-given roles guide us in how we are to live out our identity in Christ....

It’s a popular storyline--"a princess kisses a frog that is magically transformed into a prince. The obvious moral of the story is that handsome princes are better than frogs. But advancements in understanding of the human heart have cast doubt on this conventional wisdom. It may be that people, even handsome princes, are actually worse off than frogs....

I was recently asked to succinctly describe my burden for Redeemer Church: I want to see God birth in us a rich culture of disciples who make disciple-making disciples....

What are some of the idols in your heart? What are some good desires that have been twisted by your internal idol factory into a substitute for God? As we identify the ways that we are like Ananias, let's do what Ananias and Sapphira did not do, and refuse to serve them....

Soon after the church took Jerusalem by storm - adding thousands of members in its opening sermon - it began to encounter stiff opposition. The gospel will never go unopposed by Satan. One of his initial strategies in Acts was to derail the church's momentum through the trial of moral corruption....

Are you a parent? Need help? Join Benny and Sheree Phillips, a pastor and wife with seven children, eleven grandchildren and authors of five books on parenting and related topics, as they host “Redemptive Parenting”, a free two-day event that will equip and envision parents of kids of all ages. Check it out here http://tinyurl.com/c3h3ewe...

Are you a broken reed, bruised by the cares of life, broken and hurting? Are you smoldering? Once a bright burning flame now exhausted, smoking, coughing about to go out? Put your hope in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for you. He was bruised to save the bruised reed. His lamp was put out in his death on the cross so that your lamp could be relit with love for him....

This June we have the opportunity to join several different churches including Sovereign Grace Church (Greenville, SC), Metro Life Church (Orlando, FL, Grace Church (Winter Garden, FL) as well as individuals from several other churches in Central Florida in fulfilling the Great Commission....

"It's Time! It's Time!" The world was about to change forever. And it almost went by unnoticed... Join us Sunday Morning December 16th as the Truth Miners present "Song of the Stars" A Christmas Story...

Don't forget to change your clocks back one hour this Saturday night, Nov. 3rd, because DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ends at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 4th....

Here is the list of books Benny recommended during his message for further study on the Holy Spirit....

The following testimony was shared by Kara Sherman in September of 2011. ...

My mom was one of the parents who regularly said, "Because I said so." I told myself I would never say that...like I told myself I would never make my kids clean on Saturday mornings so they could watch cartoons like the rest of the world....

Along with evangelism prayer can often seem like the most excruciating discipline of a Christian's life. But perhaps unlike evangelism it is not so much a result of forgetful negligence, but rather our seemingly half-hearted, faith-deficient offerings before God that lead us to feel God's proverbial pebble in our shoe...

A couple of years ago my son, Jesse, preached a message on the importance of seeing the place into which God has put us as a divine calling. The text was 1 Corinthians 7:17: "Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches."...