Redeemer Central

Advent: Love Lifts All Places - Jason Miller (Guest)

Many of us yearn for sacred spaces, believing true purpose lies elsewhere—in a grander city or a different life. But what if the divine arrives not where we expect, but in the ordinary, even out-of-the-way places we inhabit?

In this Advent message, Jason reflects on his deeply personal connection to South Bend, Indiana, and how a fresh reading of the Christmas story in Luke’s Gospel challenges our assumptions about sacred geography, quietly elevating Bethlehem—an unexpected and unimpressive town—into a place of profound divine significance.

Through this lens, we are invited to see how God’s presence has the power to transform any place, and any circumstance, into sacred ground when met with love. As Christ enters the world, our everyday “Bethlehems” are lifted up, becoming spaces of meaning, hope, and the tangible presence of God.

Chapters/Timestamps:

[00:52] Notice: Christmas Compassion Appeal 2025

[03:20] Introduction to Jason Miller and South Bend City Church

[06:53] Sermon - Jason Miller

About Jason Miller

Jason serves as a pastor at South Bend City Church (IN, USA), a sister church and kindred community to us at Redeemer Central. SBCC are described as 'community of grace & peace for our city and the world', a Jesus-centred community not afraid to wrestle with the tensions of ancient faith in a modern world. He is also the author of When The World Breaks: The Surprising Hope and Subversive Promises in the Teachings of Jesus.

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Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~ 

Mary’s “yes” to the angel Gabriel was not just about understanding; it was about belonging. Her response, “I am the Lord’s servant; may your word to me be fulfilled,” reveals a profound surrender to God’s purpose. Scott Witherick helps us discover how ordinary people can be part of God’s extraordinary story and how our willingness to say “yes” makes room for Christ to lead us.

Chapters/Timestamps:

[00:00] Intro

[00:28] Interview with new Board

[18:28] Sermon - Scott Witherick

In this concluding part, David and Stephanie reflect on the series and why we decided to do it in the first place. With a deep conviction that our spiritual lives are defined by experience, not just belief, they discuss the human need for a relationship with the divine as a hunger to be filled rather than mere information. This honest conversation covers varied church experiences, the pain of religious trauma, and the pursuit of a ‘second naivety’—a rediscovery of our first love for God, where intimacy and trust become the bedrock of faith.

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~ 

Many of us are drawn to the spectacular and extraordinary, but what truly cultivates a deep life? In this message, David Armstrong explores Saint Paul’s invitation to follow the way of love, and eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. This isn’t about choosing one over the other, but allowing love to shape us within community, learning to grow depth in ordinary, sometimes challenging, shared life. We consider how God often works through the mundane and unexpected, and how staying rooted in relationship cultivates true spiritual maturity.

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~ 

Stephanie Wilson continues The Familiar Stranger series with a powerful message that speaks to the reality of suffering in the human experience. She reminds us that suffering isn’t evidence of God’s absence but the very place where God meets us—the Holy Spirit groaning with us, comforting us in our pain, and bringing new life through our struggles. This healing presence leads to profound redemption, where scars become means of grace, wounds expand our capacity for love, and our hope in Jesus assures us that suffering is never the final word in our story.

This recording also includes a Remembrance Sunday Prayer, some notices on upcoming gatherings plus a special honouring of Ian & Libby Ryans as they step down from 8 years of leading our Farmbox ministry. 

Chapters/Timestamps:

[00:30] Worship & Prayer

[01:41] Remembrance Sunday Prayer

[03:51] Honouring Ian & Libby Ryans (Farmbox)

[09:20] Notice: Dinners

[10:22] Notice: Carols by Candlelight

[10:57] Notice: Dinners (updated)

[12:34] Sermon

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~ 

We often seek explanations before we are willing to experience God yet this is a reversal of the scriptural pattern where experience often precedes understanding. 

David Armstrong explores the story of Nicodemus, a high-ranking Pharisee, and his encounters with Jesus across three key scenes: a secret night visit, a public festival, and the solemn act of a burial.  Nicodemus’s story invites us to let go of our need for certainty and step into the mystery of faith—to move beyond belief into the wonder of being born again by the Spirit?

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~ 

Story Sunday: Jesus, Justice & Gaza with Anton Deik

Anton Deik — a Palestinian Christian and scholar — shares his family’s story and invites us to see the human, ethical, and theological realities of life in Israel-Palestine. He challenges us to reckon with the injustices endured by the Palestinian people and to reflect on what faith, justice, and peace look like in the name of Christ.

Anton Deik is Associate Director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice and Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Bethlehem Bible College. Originally from Bethlehem, he has served in ministry and education across East Asia, England, Palestine, and Bolivia. Anton is married to Sara Améstegui (from Bolivia) and together they are parents to Nour Sofia. His background includes serving as Director of Online Education at Bethlehem Bible College, working with Operation Mobilization onboard MV Logos Hope, and leading research projects in computer science with Birzeit University and the Palestinian government.

About Story Sunday: Story Sunday creates space for sharing stories and exploring the intersection of faith and spirituality with lived experience.

Links:

Bethlehem Institute for Peace & Justice - https://www.bipj.info

Across the Divide Podcast - https://www.peacecatalyst.org/across-the-divide-podcast

Telos Group - https://www.telosgroup.org

The Familiar Stranger: Part 6 — The Curious Case of Simon the Sorcerer

In this teaching John Herron helps us explore the cautionary tale of Simon the Sorcerer from Acts 8—a striking story of power, money, and misdirected spirituality. Through Simon’s attempt to buy the Holy Spirit, we confront the allure of spiritual shortcuts and self-promotion, contrasting them with the slow, transformative work of grace. As followers of Jesus we are invited into an unmasking journey of healing and authenticity, asking: where do we seek validation, and what is the true measure of our wealth? The Holy Spirit offers not a shortcut, but a path to the genuine power of transformation and growth.

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Redeemer Central is a registered charity in Northern Ireland: NI100831 · Company No. NI623785

The Familiar Stranger: Part 5 — Dove

Many associate the Holy Spirit with fire, wind, or powerful displays, but what if the truest image is quieter. Stephanie Wilson invites us to rediscover the Spirit not as a force to wield, but as a gentle presence that rests. Tracing the image of the dove through scripture—from Genesis to Jesus’ baptism—we uncover a Spirit that brings order out of chaos, offers new life, and affirms our identity as beloved children of God. It is a call to move from striving to resting, from performance to peace and an invitation to allow the Spirit to hover over our chaos, whispering, “Let there be light,” and reminding us of our royal identity in the Father’s house.

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

~ Redeemer Central is a registered charity in Northern Ireland: NI100831 · Company No. NI623785

Subversive Tables - Vision for a Community of Great Grace

What does community look like in the church?

In the 1st century Roman world, the dinner table was more than a place to eat—it was a stage for empire. Banquets celebrated Caesar, reinforced social hierarchies, and excluded anyone who didn’t belong. Around those tables, uniformity and status ruled.

But in Luke 14, Jesus turns that entire system on its head. In this teaching, David Armstrong explores how Jesus reimagines the table—not as a site of exclusion, but of radical welcome. Here, the poor, the stranger, and the outsider are not just guests—they’re family.

This sermon invites us to see how the practice of Jesus’ table shapes a new kind of community: one marked by humility, generosity, and grace. In a world fractured by division and self-interest, we are called to keep our tables open, our gardens growing, and our wine pouring—living as witnesses to a different kind of kingdom and a different kind of King.

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🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

~ Redeemer Central is a registered charity in Northern Ireland: NI100831 · Company No. NI623785