Sermon Preview: The End of Oppression

John 10 The ancient desert east of Jerusalem is dangerous. Food is hard to find, water is scarce, and bandits hide ready to strike. It is a dangerous place for a flock of sheep. They need nourishment. They need protection. They need a shepherd who can lead them to both.

Life is difficult, dangerous, and confusing. We need a shepherd, tough enough, wise enough, and good enough for the real problems we face. In John 10 Jesus uses the image of a shepherd to tell us who he is and what he is like. Jesus wants us to know that in him we have the shepherd we need. He wants us to pay attention to his voice and follow him.

We all need to hear from Jesus. I can’t wait for us to gather to worship and listen to Jesus together.

Pastor David

Quote: Hugo

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"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." - Victor Hugo

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LOVE Fullerton

Saturday, May 17th, 8:00 am-12:00 pm The next North County Parish event is May 17 in collaboration with the all-city serve day, or LOVE Fullerton.  We will be cleaning and painting the office spaces for Future of Humanity, a organization that provides resources for the homeless in Fullerton.  We will be located at First Lutheran Church in downtown Fullerton.

Sermon Preview: The End of Darkness

John 8 & 9 Close your eyes. Well not yet. Finish this first paragraph then close your eyes. Keep them closed and go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before. Well, not if it will hurt you or anyone else. Be responsible. You're an adult.

How did that go for you? Unless you were already taking a nap or listening to music, the darkness got in the way, it probably completely frustrated whatever you were doing. It could have even been dangerous. Power tools? Butcher knives? Driving? The darkness severely limits you, even makes you dangerous to yourself and others.

This week we get another glimpse of the future, of the coming Kingdom, when Jesus employs the rich biblical metaphor of light and darkness. Do you feel limited, even threatened by the darkness inside you, or the darkness looming around you? Jesus grabs the attention of the crowd during the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem and announces, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The darkness in us and in the world around us will not have the final word. The light of the world is here. Like that crowd 2000 years ago, Jesus will speak to us this Sunday and as the light of the world he will lovingly expose us for our good, then renew us and finally send us out to reflect his light into the lives of others.

I can’t wait to worship together.

Pastor David

Quote: Emerson

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"It is not length of life, but depth of life." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Welcome to Redeemer Lunch

Sunday, May 18, 12-2pm Newcomers to Redeemer are invited for lunch at the home of David & Heather Juelfs in Costa Mesa following worship on May 18th. Bring the whole family, a healthy appetite, and your questions for Pastor Juelfs. This is a great opportunity to get to know more about Redeemer in an informal setting. To RSVP, please contact Kem Erskine, kem@redeemeroc.org.

Upcoming Sermon Series: Glimpses of the Kingdom

Beginning Sunday, April 27 If you could get a glimpse of the future what would you want to see? If you did how might that change what you do today?

This Sunday we move into John chapter seven. Over the last weeks we walked through the first six chapters of John in a series called “Beauty and Belief”. We have seen that the apostle John wants to show us the beauty of Jesus and encourage us to believe, to entrust our lives to Jesus.

Starting this Sunday we begin a new series that will cover John 7 to 11, “Glimpses of the Kingdom.” We will focus on the glimpses Jesus gives us, though his teaching and actions, of what the Kingdom will be like when he returns. However, this series is not just about the future. We will also see how those aspects of the kingdom are breaking in to our reality even now. Each week we will ask what the kingdom will be like when Jesus returns, but also how we can see that kingdom reality now and how we can show that aspect of the kingdom in our neighborhoods. Below is an outline of the series:

  • The End of Thirst - John 7 - April 27th
  • The End of Darkness - John 8 & 9 - May 4th
  • The End of Oppression - John 10 - May 11
  • The End of Death - John 11 - May 25th

Our vision of the future shapes our lives now. May we know what is coming, see what is already here today, and show forth that beautiful reality to those around us.

I can’t wait to worship together this Sunday and glimpse the future.

Pastor David

Youth Events for Spring and Summer

Attention Redeemer Youth & Families! Click HERE to view and download our Spring & Summer 2014 calendar (pdf file). Please review and SAVE ALL THE DATES on your calendars at home.

Here are some gatherings & trips to highlight:

  • June 30-July 1: Green Valley Lake Overnighter [Read More]
  • July 17 - August 14, Thursdays: Pizza & Proverbs Study
  • July 26: Youth Family Gathering
  • August 19-21: Jalama Beach Camping Trip

Contact Pastor Adam Feichtman, adamf@redeemeroc.org, with questions about our youth ministry and events this summer and spring.

Quote: Williams

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"The basis for informed Christian action is its vision of the future, and that future can be stated in one word: resurrection." - Michael Williams

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Women's May Gathering

Monday, May 12, 7:30 pm, hosted by Kerry Maxwell in Irvine Ladies high school age and up are invited to join the women of Redeemer for our monthly fellowship gathering. We had so much interest in our Blessing Bags for the homeless last year that we are gathering to make them again. We will be assembling large ziplock bags filled with essential items that you can keep in your car and give to the homeless when you’re out and about. The women’s ministry will provide the supplies - just bring yourself and a friend to enjoy fellowship while we think about what it means to serve the vulnerable in our communities. Watch for an evite coming soon and please RSVP! Questions? Contact emailwomensministry@redeemeroc.org.

Quote: Keller

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"The Gospel is news of what God has done to reach us, not advice about what we must do to reach God." - Timothy Keller

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Redeemer 101 Class

Sundays, April 27 - May 25, 9:00-9:45 am We will be offering a Redeemer 101 class beginning on April 27th. This class is the first step in becoming a member of Redeemer. Whether you have attended Redeemer for 1 week or 5 years, this 4-week class is designed to teach you the basics about Redeemer and give you a forum to ask questions. The class will give you an overview of Redeemer’s identity, membership, doctrine, history, and ministry opportunities. Pastor Adam Feichtmann will be teaching the class. Please RSVP using the link below or contact Kem Erskine, kem@redeemeroc.org.  Class will not meet on May 11th in recognition of Mother's Day.

 

 

 

Sermon Preview: Understanding/Misunderstanding Jesus

John 12:9-19

Jesus is a very odd sort of King. He is simple, yet complicated. His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday 2,000 years ago reminds us that he is not the King we expected, but he is the King we needed.

Jesus at times can be easily understood, and yet, at other times be easily misunderstood. This Sunday, Palm Sunday, we will study a passage where three different groups of people understand but also misunderstand Jesus. It will feel normal to relate to each of these groups as they understand/misunderstand Jesus. Our goal for the morning will be to acknowledge that Jesus is not confused about his identity and mission, he is greater than we imagine and is in control. As a response, we then must learn how to trust in him daily, even in the midst of our confusion.

As you prepare for this Sunday, may you also remind yourself that next week is Holy Week. Please take the opportunity to invite a family member or friend to our Maunday Thursday and Easter services by forwarding them the invite you received earlier this week.

I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday!

Adam Feichtmann Assistant Pastor

Redeemer Easter Service

Sunday, April 20, 10:00 am, Chapel at Temple Bat Yahm

Have you ever seen a sunrise? The darkness of night chased away by explosions of color. Easter is a celebration where the darkness of death is chased away by the bursting forth of new life.

Our Easter worship service is a rich celebration of joy and hope for the future. We follow a thoughtful yet energetic rhythm in our worship, which is called a liturgy. We sing together, we recite together, and we pray together. The service culminates in the Eucharist. We have nursery care for infants through three-year-olds during the entire worship service, and special worship and teaching for kids up to 5th grade during the sermon.

Join us Easter Sunday, April 20th at 10am.

If you are new to Redeemer, see our Guide to Your First Visit.

 

Quote: St. Augustine

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"Lord, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in you." - St. Augustine

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Sermon Preview: Why We Love the Church

God loves to be in the presence of his people, the church! This is all the more amazing when we realize that the church, every single one of us, is made up of God’s former enemies. Yet God pursued us in love and won us back. God knows us from top to bottom; nothing is hidden from his sight. But don’t try to run and hide. Rejoice! Psalm 87 show us that God delights to be with his people. He loves us now and is transforming us into the people he made us to be, the people we long to become.

This Sunday Rev. Bryce Hales, the RUF campus minister at the University of Utah, will be preaching from Psalm 87.

I can’t wait to worship together.

Pastor David

Sermon Preview: Our Father

Our Father, Matthew 6:9-13 The Lord's Prayer, most of us have it memorized and recite it often. This prayer that Jesus taught his disciples is rich with meaning and sets forth a wonderful example and pattern for us to pray in weekly worship, as families, with friends, and by ourselves. However, from time to time it is worthwhile for us to pause and remind ourselves of the truths that are placed in the preface and each of the six petitions.

This Sunday we will have the joy to pause and look at the preface and first petition found in Matthew 6:9, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."  We will recognize our need for God as our Father, the significance of Him being in heaven, and the applications of hallowing his name.

In preparation for Sunday, read and pray through the Lord's Prayer a few times, and as you do so, pause and spend time reflecting over the richness and depth of truth found in the preface and each petition in a way that might be lost when you often recite this prayer on a regular basis.

I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!

Adam Feichtmann Assistant Pastor

Maundy Thursday Service

Thursday, April 17, 8:00 pm, Chapel at Temple Bat Yahm Maundy Thursday is a beautiful and solemn service that will focus your mind and grip your heart. After singing, silence, and a short meditation on a passage of scripture, we take the Lord’s Supper, prayerfully and seated at tables. For many this is one of the most powerful and rich communion experiences. At the conclusion of the service the communion tables are ceremonially stripped and we leave in silence and darkness. Symbolically this darkness and silence is broken with the shout of “He is risen!” at the opening of our Easter worship the following Sunday.  Due to the late start time, there will be no childcare provided during the service.

Also join us for our Easter worship service on April 20th at 10am. Read More

If you are new to Redeemer, see our Guide to Your First Visit.

 

Sermon Preview: Union with Christ

You are what you eat. Our bodies are constructed out of the nutrition we get from our food. Think of what you had for dinner last night. Right now your body is reducing that food into its essential components and absorbing it into your cells. You are built out of the food you eat. We will finish our look at John 6 this Sunday. Jesus is speaking to a crowd in a synagogue in Capernaum. He tells them that “the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” and that his “flesh is true food” and that his “blood is true drink.” The crowd erupts in confused revulsion. What is behind this odd image of eating flesh and drinking blood? How are we even supposed to eat Jesus' flesh?

This Sunday we will look at these questions and others, as Jesus points us to the nourishment that we need. You are what you eat, so Jesus gave us himself.

I can’t wait to worship together.

Pastor David

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