Into The River

New Beginnings » He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” —Revelation 21:5

PRAYER PROMPT: Father, you know the need for a fresh wave of your Spirit in our land. Bring the kind of revival that spurs us to evangelism. May revival result in the salvation of many.

In 2026 we are committing ourselves as a church body to seek God's heart for revival, reading Scripture and praying along with the prompts in the daily devotional Our Cry for Revival. For three weeks to begin the year we will share daily videos highlighting a theme from that day's devotion. This Sunday January 4, Pastor Jerry will teach on PRAYER & FASTING as we become more intentional in our efforts to follow Christ "Upstream," rather than just drifting downstream into a new year. Join us on this daily journey, and fasting as well (Jan. 5-14). ConnectionOC.com 🌊​​🛶

Devotional: Nick Harrison, Our Cry for Revival: 365 Devotions and Prayers for an Outpouring of God’s Spirit (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2024).

In 2026 we are committing ourselves as a church body to seek God's heart for revival, reading Scripture and praying along with the prompts in the daily devotional Our Cry for Revival. For three weeks to begin the year we will share daily videos highlighting a theme from that day's devotion.

This Sunday January 4, Pastor Jerry will teach on PRAYER & FASTING as we become more intentional in our efforts to follow Christ "Upstream," rather than just drifting downstream into a new year. Join us on this daily journey, and fasting as well (Jan. 5-14). » ConnectionOC.com 🌊​​🛶

Where's the livestream from today? (Sunday 12/28/25). Email us to get a link.

AND... Join the church body daily as we join the Lord going upstream in a 🌊 River of Revival. Daily videos accompanying devotional "Our Cry for Revival," the first three weeks of 2026. And more intentional focus with PRAYING & FASTING (January 5-14).

GodRenews.us / ConnectionOC.com

Renew Church family, we want to highlight gatherings on Sundays 7/27, 8/3 & 8/10, leading to our next gathering with Connection on 8/17. The culture we carry with us in combining ministries with Connection shall be celebrated at our final gatherings at the Revival Building on 7/27 & 8/10 especially. Great is the Lord and let us praise Him for all the goodness, truth, and beauty we have experienced through His steadfast love these nearly 13 years. You're invited!

Psalm 116

Preached on Sunday, June 22, 2025 by Jefferey Rondeau with Renew Church

Remember & Hope

Head, Heart & Hands

Head

Reading Psalms:

• Poetic, but not always poetry
• Open mind, heart & hands
• See surrounding psalms
• Read in light of Psalm 1 & 2 + NT

Psalms 111-117

1. God rescues 
2. God’s kindness 
3. God is over all

Heart

• Depth (3-4)
• Dependence (10-11)
• Deliverance (5-9, 15-16)
• Desire (1-2) 
• Duty (12-14, 17-19)

Join with the poet who sang,

      “Now I’m looking for the lilies

           Who neither toil nor spin

      Father, plant one in my heart

           And make it grow to be a garden”

Join with the psalmist who sang,

     “Return, my soul, to your resting place 

     because the Lord has been so, so good 

     to me... You Lord are gracious, and just, 

     and so loving.”

Hands

How do we remain faithful and give to God? 

• Trust and lean on what he has done (Remember)
• Let it captivate your heart, set your attention on it (Remember)
• Call on him in need and joy (Hope)
• Proclaim his name, making disciples for his kingdom (Hope)

Livestream

Colossians 1:15-29

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Preached on Sunday, June 8, 2025 by pastor Jeff Patterson of Renew Church

Livestream

Psalm 33

we worship God to 

remember & respond 

to God's word, 

worth & works

Preached on Sunday, May 25, 2025 by pastor Jeff Patterson, Renew Church.

Livestream

Combined worship service, Renew Church with Connection Church, on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the Connection Building.

Acts 2:42-47

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Romans 15:1-7

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Preached by pastor Jeff Patterson. Livestream on 5/18/25 at 10:00 AM.

For more on the Renew-Connection project toward unity, see Godrenews.us/renewconnection

Our next combined worship service will be on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

The Triumphal Entry on the first Palm Sunday

Gospel of Mark 11:1-11

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Already, Not Yet

Preached on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025 by pastor Jeff Patterson with Renew Church.

Livestream

Ninth and final message in Branches series on the fruit of the Spirit and union with Christ. After love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, we arrive at self-control.

Galatians 5:22-26

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Proverbs 4:20-27

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Augustine prayed, “Lord, give me chastity and self control — but not yet.” 

His honest confession gives a clue to the heart of it: we need the Lord Jesus to change our hearts. And we know it will not be easy, nor always pleasant. Yet the fruit of righteousness He produces in our lives is worth it, for the sake of God's honor and to help others. 

We come to the completion of this teaching series on the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26), a primer for living in our union with Christ. Truly, we have just begun!

Jesus, the Self-Controlled One, offers us His life, and makes us like Him. The goal of the Fruit of the Spirit, and indeed what each virtue points to — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — is Christlikeness. Jesus has given us a way to become like Him, by God's Spirit. 

What is self-control? 

“To have power or dominion over all things and over oneself.”

Preached on Sunday, March 30, 2025 at Renew Church by Pastor Jeff Patterson

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Livestream⁠