Redeemer Connects

Pastor Tim Runtsch offers a devotion titled, "The Paradox of Generosity" based on the wisdom of Proverbs 11:24-25.

We begin our Entrusted series by looking at generosity through the eyes of a widow who gave two small coins in Luke 21:1–4. Jesus said she gave more than all the wealthy, because she entrusted everything she had to God. In the same way, we are called to give generously, not from surplus or fear, but from trust in the God who has already given us all things in Christ. Join us for week 1 of our Entrusted series.

Pastor Tim offers a devotion on the final two verses of the book of James. The devotion is titled, "Looking Out for One Another" and is based on James 5:19-20.

The saints who have gone before us endured hardship, loss, and persecution—yet they clung to the promises of God. James calls us to the same patient steadfastness, pointing to the prophets and saints as examples of perseverance. Jesus, in the Beatitudes, assures us that those who are poor in spirit, meek, merciful, and even persecuted are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Our waiting is not empty; it is filled with hope, because the Lord is coming to make all things new. Join us for our sermon, “Patience and Perseverance.”

Pastor Tim offers a devotion based on James 2:14-18 titled, "Good Works, Lutheran Style."

James confronts a faith that is all talk and no action, reminding us that real faith is alive and active. He also exposes the quarrels, pride, and self-reliance that wage war in our hearts. But in the middle of this hard truth comes a greater promise: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The Reformation reminds us of the good news that this grace is not earned—it is given freely in Christ, who alone makes us free indeed. Join us Sunday for our sermon, “Faith that Works.”

Words have power—to build up or to burn down. James reminds us that the tongue, though small, can steer the course of a life or set a whole forest ablaze. But Jesus teaches that our words reveal something deeper—they flow from the abundance of our hearts. If our speech is to be tamed, our hearts must be tended. The Gospel doesn’t just give us new words to say—it gives us a new heart from which those words can flow. Join us Sunday for our sermon, “Taming the Tongue, Tending the Heart.”

When the lawyer of Luke 10 asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” he was really asking, “Who can I leave out?” James leaves no room for such limits. Favoritism, partiality, and judging by appearances stand opposed to the mercy we’ve been shown in Christ. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shatters our boundaries, showing that true love moves toward the one in need—no matter their status, background, or cost to us. Mercy triumphs over judgment because in Christ, God’s mercy has triumphed over our sin. Join us Sunday for our sermon, “Mercy > Judgment.”

Life’s trials can either break us or strengthen us. James reminds us that faith is tested in the furnace of hardship, producing endurance and maturity. But this resilience isn’t something we muster up from within—it’s the fruit of a living faith given by God. In Christ, we stand justified, at peace with God, and confident that even suffering serves His purposes. Our true religion, James says, is not just hearing the Word and receiving the Good News but letting it shape us into people who act in love, because we have first been loved in Christ. Join us on Sunday for a sermon titled “Resilient Faith,” as we begin a 5-week sermon series on the epistle of James.

Pastor Tim offers a devotion on Jesus' words in Luke 9:23 entitled, "Follow the Leader."