Redemption Hill Church

Last week we saw the despair of the prophet’s complaint, and that what he saw continues to reverberate through today – that violence, wickedness, and injustice are everywhere and it can feel like God is distant from it all. God’s answer was that He is active, and has a plan, but that we wouldn’t believe it if we knew what He was doing. This week we see that God laid out His plan to Habakkuk, and it seemed, at least to the prophet, to be a very bad plan! This is so often the case in our own experience. Even if we believe and accept that God is engaged and working in our world, and in our lives, it can feel like His plan just doesn’t make sense. This weekend we will see where we can find hope and how we can make sense of God’s plans, even when they don’t mesh with our own.

Habakkuk is a powerful book that expresses the cry and complaint of the prophet, and receives God’s answer. How can God use a wicked nation for His purposes and glory? Where is He in the midst of suffering? How long will God wait to bring righteousness and justice, and fulfillment of His promises?

This is the summation of the letter and a final charge from the Apostle. At its center, Paul has a curious statement on his grounds for boasting - in the cross of Christ alone. We're going to take some time together to remember the major themes of the letter, and to see how we are called to boast and given freedom to boast.

This is a critically important passage if we are going to understand what it looks like to live together as a spiritual family in the church. The law of Christ will compel us to act in love toward one another, bearing each other's burdens and walking alongside one another in sorrow and celebration. At RHC we often use #churchasfamily. This week will help us to better understand what that actually means and how it is lived out.

The letter to the Galatians has turned to full-on application at this point. This Sunday's text shows us that the reality of our hearts will show up practically in our lives. In alignment with Jesus' teaching that a tree will be known by its fruit, we see the fruit of our hearts will show up in how we live. The fruit of the Spirit is as clear as the fruit of selfishness and sin.

This section is a turning point in the letter. Paul moves from establishing the theological foundation of the gospel toward its outworking in our lives. If we have come into the family of God by grace through faith, it will show up in our lives. The four Sundays remaining in this series will look at the practical outworking of salvation in our lives as individuals and in the life of our church. The primary thrust of this week's passage is that the gospel frees us to love.

We continue our series in Galatians with the most difficult and confusing passage in the letter. Paradoxically, it also may be the most important, the climax of the theological argument Paul has been building through the first four chapters. Galatians 4:21-5:1 presents a contrast between Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac. Paul uses this Old Testament reference to provide an allegory, or illustration, of a broader theological principle. Ultimately, there are only two ways to follow God. One is to believe fully on the promises of God. The other is to believe fully on the promises of God, aided with our own help to work them out. Only one of those brings freedom and life.

In this passage we see the issue of idolatry addressed head-on. The idea of idolatry can be confusing to us - most of us don't have issues with bowing to actual statues. It's important for us to understand that, as Martin Luther said, "Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God." We all have an idolatry problem, and our worship will show up in our lives. Ultimately, anything other than Christ will enslave us and lead us to destruction. Our text this week helps us to see that Jesus frees us from slavery to false gods.

David betrays an abiding love for God and the things of God all across the psalms. Maybe nowhere more clearly than Psalm 63. In this Psalm, we see a deep spirituality shaped by a view of God in three parts.

In a world that is broken by division, injustice, and hate, there is hope for us in Christ. His people have the opportunity to be part of God's work in healing and restoring this world. We will take time to have a clear-eyed look at the brokenness around us both in our nation and in the American Church. All of this, though, will point us to hope and practical action to be part of God's work in healing and reconciliation.