Renewal Church

How often do we find ourselves making commitments to God only to find ourselves sliding back into sin? We're caught in a cycle of devotion and rejection. This week, Pastor Ulysses teaches about the sinful nature within us against which we battle, and he highlights prayer as our most important and effective tool in keeping us from sin.

In this world, death is seen as the end of all things. We’re told that nothing overcomes death, and because of that, many people focus on accumulating wealth, fame, and fortune in an attempt to make the most of this life we have. Christians however see the world differently - through Jesus’ resurrection, we believe there is in fact life after death, and that worldview affects how we are called to carry out our day to day lives. This week, Pastor Ulysses shares how as Christians we can live a different life than those around us - a “Resurrection Life” that puts our faith in Jesus to overcome death and sin.

When we face pressure or criticism from the world, it's tempting to distance ourselves from Jesus. We fear the persecution. When Jesus talked of going to the cross, Peter spoke against him even though he knew Jesus was the Christ. This week Pastor Ulysses encourages us to be true in our confession and follow Him, holding tightly onto the majesty and glory of who He is.

There are a number of traditions that Christians devote themselves to as part of our following of Jesus. We have routines like tithing, worship, prayer, and Communion, but is it enough to just simply "do" these things? Today, as we return to our series reading through the Book of Mark, Pastor Ulysses expands on the topic of Christian traditions, challenging us to engage in these acts with mindful intentionality and God-pursuing hearts.

The 2020 general election is days away, and we may be feeling some powerful emotions. We may have great hope for our preferred candidate, or feel fearful and anxious about the results, or feel hopeless about the country's political climate. This week, Pastor Ulysses reminds us of the wrongly placed political and economic hope Jesus' disciples placed in him. They were crushed following his crucifixtion, because of their earthly vision of the freedom Jesus would bring. Let's reorient, and instead of placing our utlimate hope in a political savior, turn our hope to rest in Christ above.

As Christians, we often feel that we are expected to be happy all the time - that we should always have joy and comfort in knowing that God is in control. But does this mean that we should never be sad? Knowing this, is sadness something that Christians should always stray away from? Today, we are joined by guest Pastor Eddie Kim as he preaches on the topic of seeking happiness through mourning. Reading from the beattitudes in Matthew 5, Pastor Kim explains how happiness can be achieved through facing one's difficulties head on, knowing God is by our side to comfort us every step of the way.

Are you afraid to follow Jesus? Jesus' ministry was full of radical and unexpected events. So much so that many people thought his actions were crazy, and the religious leaders of the time accused him of being possessed by demons. While Christians would never say that Jesus is of Satan, how far will we really go to follow Jesus when the dominant culture finds our actions ridiculous? This week, Pastor Ulysses teaches from the book of Mark, and challenges us to consider whether we will follow the crowds or whether we will choose to be like Jesus.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? Often we ask Jesus to follow us. We want him to come with us as we pursue new jobs or opportunities. We want him to bless us in our endeavors and relationships. This week, Pastor Ulysses preaches from the book of Mark, urging us to consider what Jesus is asking us to do right now to truly follow him.

Changing for the better is not an idea unique to Christianity - everyone wants to become better versions of themselves. However, change is difficult, and especially as Christians, it is common to find ourselves struggling to realize what the "right" change is in the eyes of God. Today, Pastor Ulysses shares on how we can better pursue "change" through living lives that revolve around prayer, repentance, and, perhaps most crucially, knowing that our God is already pleased with us.

Christians live caught between two worlds. We live as both children of God, but also as members of culture and communities that may be opposed to God. We can be timid or find it difficult to live into our Christian identities. This week, Pastor Ulysses offers us encouragement from 1 Kings 18 that we can be confident about the great and good message we bring as ambassadors of Christ.