Drew Trenz preaches on Jeremiah 29:4-9, and what it means for us today as we endeavor to live according to God's purpose right where he's planted us.

"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord."

Ryan Zhang is our preacher this Sunday as Pastor Marc and Jill attend their oldest child’s graduation from Miami. Ryan, a pastor on staff at one of our sister churches in Norwood (New City), will speak from Romans 14:1-12, “A Diverse Community.” We are grateful for his ministry to Redeemer over the years as a consistent guest.

Moving forward in the face of opposition. It’s hard – but it is the way of faith. We are in Nehemiah 4:10-23 on Sunday, covering the second part of the chapter and the second part of a message on how this leader, and God’s people, respond to the voices and threats that strive to keep them from their task. This text should resonate especially on Mother's Day, but regardless of our roles the challenge to persevere comes to each of us.

In Nehemiah 4, we find a unified construction project has begun with remarkable leadership and buy-in from top to bottom. As the walls begin to take form and rise, so do the voices of opposition. Soon after the rallying cry of "Let's get building!" come the nay-saying voices shouting, "You'll never get it done because you are a joke and the task is impossible!" The entirety of the chapter explores Nehemiah's response, but we will focus this week on 4:1-9, "Moving Froward in the Face of Opposition, Part 1."

Forging ahead in our new series, “Rebuilding the Foundations,” we spend time in Nehemiah 2 this Sunday. The text underscores the prayer life of this man of faith. After all, he has been fasting and interceding for four months now, and when the king addresses him directly he reflexively prays yet again (much more briefly!).

Prayer is not a stand-alone activity, however; Nehemiah has also been planning, and when the opportune time arises he is well prepared. By the end of the text, again four months later, Nehemiah stands in the midst of the ruins and begins to cast a vision for the future: one which continue to rely on prayer, rally resources and make the best use of plans, and ultimately draw the people closer to God.

We celebrate the reality of the resurrection Sunday morning together! It is the high point of the church calendar, when death is conquered and our Savior rises in victory over the grave. The springboard text for exploring “Why the Resurrection Matters…to Everyone” is Matthew 28:1-16 (New King James Version for this Sunday – if you are curious about the switch, you will have to attend to find out the reason!).

We begin our “Rebuilding the Foundations” series in the book of Nehemiah this Sunday by looking at the first chapter. There, we are introduced to the book’s namesake who is a slave in exile serving the king as cupbearer – a position which by its very nature, in a culture with high turnover of leaders due to assassination, would mean every sip of wine he took could be his last. His concern is less with his own well-being, though, and more with his brothers and sisters back in Jerusalem. He hears they are in distress and his beloved home town (a place he has only heard about in stories), is in ruins despite Ezra’s previous rebuilding efforts. How will he respond? The story opens with his “Prayer in the Trenches,” signaling the very foundation of his own life and application of faith.

Jesus finishes his Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7:24-29, with a clear picture of the choice before those who are listening to his words: you can take the way of wisdom and build your life on a firm foundation, or the way of foolishness and build your house on sand. According to Jesus’ straightforward analogy, the distinction between these two options lies in whether or not you actually put Jesus’ words into practice. It’s that simple. Well, putting his words into practice is hard, of course, but this is the only sure way to build a rock-solid foundation. Simply hearing his words only (and not doing them) is building life on shifting sand. These closing thoughts come as a challenge primarily to those us who claim to follow Christ, whose authority is without rival. Let’s pray together that this teaching lands on fallow ground!

In Matthew 7:15-23, Jesus warns his followers to watch out for false prophets. The admonition is certainly not new, as demonstrated repeatedly in the pages of the Old Testament. There is something about the human heart that, even in religious circles, aims to leverage influence for personal gain rather than God’s glory. How will these “ferocious wolves” tip their hand? By the fruit they bear – which may take time, and thus the call to “watch out.” Jesus is expressing the need for vigilance over the long haul, not only with respect to leaders’ doctrine, but also to their character, and to our own.

Life presents each of us with two options, Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14. Option 1 is pictured as a wide gate which accesses a broad road. The easy entry and simple path is attractive to many, but its end is stark: death. Option 2 is more challenging, with a small gate and a narrow road, but its end is filled with the promise of life. Those following Jesus are to take the latter option! We will explore the implications of our Lord’s words together, and do so mostly through the test case of Solomon, who exemplifies the pitfalls of “Option 1” while extolling the virtues and joy of pursuing “Option 2.”