Science and the Bible agree: Get your hopes up! Your brain literally changes how you think when you do. So thankful for the love of Jesus that promotes hope in life by interrupting  my agenda with His own. Have a blessed day friends. Remember to like and share! 

https://open.substack.com/pub/josephredraider/p/pay-attention-to-jesus-the-scripture?r=1ppv0p&utm_medium=ios

“When we make following Him our one thing to do each day, God takes care of the rest. I don’t know about you, but abiding in Christ is increasingly all I want these days…” 

This week’s sermon is up! Thanks Sally and our band for helping in my solo at the end and the Holy Spirit inspiring the church to join.  Bless you friends. Have a great week!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
2 Peter 1:3 NIV
We are not alone friends. God invites  us to accept His provision in Christ! Offer Him to all you meet and see this week.

“Following Jesus cannot be explained or proven, He can only be encountered.”

This  sermon for this week is up! Have a great day. 

https://open.substack.com/pub/josephredraider/p/behold-the-lamb-the-scripture-for?r=1ppv0p&utm_medium=ios

Good Friday is “the day of days” in the Christian faith! May we slow down and reflect on why Jesus died for you and me, and give him glory that by grace, His tomb, ours, is empty! Thanks Smith Chapel and our Alliance for the opportunity to preach. 

John 21:1-19 is one of the greatest moments in the Bible. Jesus comes to get Peter who tried to go back to normal after the cross and fish: God did not want Him, or you and me to go back to normal after encountering the Risen Christ! 

“Yet the third time, Jesus uses Peter’s word Phileo for the question “Do you love me.” Put in modern terms, Jesus asks Peter the third time if Jesus is still Peter’s friend even after everything that has happened on the cross, and that, sends Peter into a state of weeping.”

Who are you showing up for this week? Remember who you carry! God and His Holy Spirit is with you, therefore you are never alone, and that any situation anyone is facing can always change because of His presence you carry. Click below to hear the rest of the sermon. Have a great day! 

Today’s sermon. Have a blessed week! 

“God’s greatest resource for encouraging and saving other sinners is the Holy Spirit working through us, His church. Now, let's briefly define what the church is, the church is not only a museum. It’s not a place where you only just take care of what you have, maintain what you have, etc. Church is also not only a club when you only advertise to the community “To come hear our music, come hear our specials.” The church is a hospital that combines the best of both! The church is a place where sinners come and say “I have heard of what you have in Christ, I need it or I’m going to be in trouble. I need the Holy Spirit you have, within me!” The Church is a place where people say “I have seen and heard how well you care for your people within, and I need that care for me! I need your Doctor you call Jesus to change my life!” That is the greatness we inherit from Christ, to be a part of His church.”

Often times when we miss that job interview, mess up that relationship, or don’t get that opportunity we thought we deserved, we think God is holding out on us. The text today already says “no!” God wants to bless His church (Ephesians 1:3,5). Gods blessing is in His grace loves us enough to deploy all means at His disposal to bless and adopt sinners to himself. 

May Christ bind us mercifully to Himself in 2025. Paul’s letter to the Colossians reveals two pathways for the church, and us,  to hold on to Jesus. May we love people and God’s word well!