We pick it back up with Matthew 18:15-35. You may hear people reference “Matthew 18” as a kind of catch-all for conflict and confrontation for Christians, which can be as unhelpful as it can be helpful. The truth is that the church is messy. We’re God’s people and God’s family, brothers and sisters, but brothers and sisters don’t always get along well. At times they can be outright mean to each other. So, how do we handle it when there is conflict, or when someone sins against us?

Like so much in the Kingdom, Jesus calls us to clear and simple steps that flow out a radical posture within our own hearts. This Sunday we are going to tackle the difficult issues of conflict, forgiveness, bitterness, and reconciliation. If you’re out of town for Labor Day, I encourage you to make time to catch this sermon because it is such an important topic.

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This Sunday closes out our August celebration series, and I get to preach! We will return to our study in Matthew’s Gospel next week. This week we will focus our attention on Paul’s letter, 1 Thessalonians. This was the focus of our Leadership Retreat last weekend, and I think it will be important for the whole church to hear what your Leaders and CG Leaders are focused on as we look to the year ahead.

The theme for this Sunday is Tending the Vine, from 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13. There are lots of really important things that we done in church that build a good trellis, structures and systems to make sure good work happens. Ultimately, though, the work of ministry is vine work. As 1 Corinthians 3 says, we plant and water, but only God gives the growth. This Sunday we will see the passion and care Paul had for the believers in Thessalonica and how that can help shape our understanding of God’s calling on us as a church.

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This Sunday we get to hear from Dr. Bill Kynes. Bill was the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Annandale, VA, for nearly 40 years. He was the pastor who believed in planting Redemption Hill Church. Over the years we worked together and alongside each other, Bill became a spiritual father for me. You can read more about his impact on me and on our church in an article I wrote, “Young Pastors Need Spiritual Fathers.” There is no one better to have with us for our 15th anniversary. I can’t wait for you to meet Bill and to hear from him as he opens God’s Word with us on Sunday.

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This Sunday we get to hear from Rev. Carlton Harris is the Acting President of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), our denomination. I have the privilege of serving alongside Carlton as a member of the EFCA Board of Directors. He has more than 3 decades of pastoral ministry experience and wisdom in multi-ethnic churches. I am impressed with Carlton’s character, leadership gifts, and self-discipline. More than any of that, though, I am thankful for his heart. He is a man who walks closely with Jesus. I’m thankful to have him as a friend and brother. Carlton spoke twice at the Challenge Conference our high school students went to in July, and our students were excited that he’s coming to our church. I am thankful that with all of his responsibilities, he and his wife Carol have taken the weekend to spend with us here in DC.

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Celebration without God glorifies the creation without the creator, and it misattributes the grace of God to something else (see Golden Calf). Celebrating without God elevates the human craving for pleasure and self-gratification above the greater joy of pleasing God. However, celebrating with God is an act of remembering with gratitude what God has done. Celebrating also results in a renewed commitment, a commitment to trust in God no matter what challenges may come our way in the future. Thus, celebrating is an act of gratitude, an act of dedication and an act of defiance in the face of adversity. If you'd like to get a jump on the competition, read Genesis 1:27-2:3 and get ready to celebrate!
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This Sunday we will take some time to stop and look around in the letter of 1 John. Specifically, we will study John's conclusion to the letter. Our intermittent study of 1 John began half a year ago, and now, we have arrived at the finish line. In his final remarks, John, the old apostle, the disciple that Jesus loved, wants the followers of Christ to be sure of who they are and of what they have overcome. Who they are is the beloved. John calls them beloved over and over again. His gentle reassurance gives his readers a settled confidence in the midst of a tumultuous world. What they have overcome is the world. John points his readers to the victory they have in Christ over the evil one. There is nothing to fear.

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It’s a rare one-off weekend for me, not tied into a specific series that we’re walking through as a church. So, I took some time to think about what I would preach if I only had one sermon left. In some ways, that’s how I hope to preach every week, but I’m glad for the chance to search Scripture and my own heart to discern what God has for us as we open his Word together this Sunday. On Sunday, we turn to Romans 8:1-4 together. Back in 2020 I preached through the book of Romans, mostly to an empty sanctuary while we were stuck doing what we could online. I took 8 weeks in Romans 8. That is how important and jam-packed this single chapter of Scripture is. The core of the good news of the gospel is on beautiful display, applied to our hearts and lives. Romans 7 sets the stage as the Apostle Paul opened his heart about the everyday struggle with sin, guilt, and condemnation. Romans 8 then bursts in as a beam of light piercing the darkness.

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This week I am going to preach through Psalm 139. Along the way, I also hope to share with you some of the highlights of the Challenge Conference and what we have learned this week in Kansas City. Psalm 139 shows us that the transcendent God and Creator of all things knows us intimately and is not distant from us. I’m excited to open it together as we gather for worship.

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The gospel reshapes our imagination, our desires are transformed. We are now able to envision God’s best for our lives and for others. Our eyes are open to opportunities to bring greater blessings into the world. We see opportunities for decisive acts of faith, such as buying a boat and inviting neighbors and friends and pastors to enjoy a cold drink with his bare feet up on the back deck.
But seriously, what does it mean to overcome the world? In 1 John 5:1-12, although outward appearances may not suggest it, followers of Christ have overcome the world by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and now every follower of Christ can have confidence that they are a cherished member of His family with the same eternal blessings enjoyed by Jesus the Son of God. I think that is a picture worth living for.  

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Why is love for one another such a high priority when there are so many lives at stake? How can we be sure that God really loves us when there are so many problems? How can we grow in our love for God and other people when we can barely make it through the week sometimes? 

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