Redeemer West Side

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, in cities, and eventually the whole world. In Acts 1 we see why the church was alive: because they believed to their core that Jesus himself ...

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.

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 lose” (Tim Keller). “A pruned vine is not very pretty. What previously looked vibrant and beautiful is cut down to the stubs… vinedresse...

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | John 1:35-42When 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 experienced. The theme is joy: joy in who God is (v2) and in what God has done (v5).

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 sermon will invite RWS into the liberating (if not frightening!) life of spending and being spent for God’s mission in the city.

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 (Eph 2v19-22). The pastoral point, then, is that we won’t really know the living God apart from life together with the people of God.

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.

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.

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.

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. The gospel costs us everything, but we get far more in return.

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 patient and realistic hopefulness as we move through life.

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 unleashes a power that can remake our lives and the world around us.

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 we can experience it.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Luke 18:1-8Does 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 never lose heart even in the midst of our deepest troubles.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Luke 15:1-10Have 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 5:19-20Is 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 and rooted faith. Love drives a Christian’s mission.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | James 5:13-18Where 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.

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 all things, leading followers of Jesus to be ready for a speedy or lengthy wait.