Renewal Church

When it feels that God is absent in our darkest moments, we are reminded through Communion that God's presence is always with us.

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem after raising Lazarus from the dead, people shouted, "Hosanna!" However, they were completely mistaken about what Jesus was coming to do. Days later, the same people would be upset with Jesus, their expectations unmet, demanding to kill and crucify him. How often do we have incorrect expectations of God and demand that He works according to our wants and desires? This week, Pastor Ulysses encourages us to seek a simple, child-like relationship with Jesus as we reflect on his journey to the Cross during Passion Week.

In the midst of great difficulty and pain, how can we trust that God hears us? It becomes easy to feel that God isn't answering. This week, Pastor Ulyssess shares how Jesus responded to the death of his dear friend Lazarus. Jesus chose to delay instead of preventing Lazarus's death in order to display the resurrecting life that he brings. Even though he knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was still deeply compassionate and moved to tears. While Christians look forward with hope to everlasting life and joy, Jesus is also here for us, right now, in the present. He knows our pain and mourns with us through both struggle and sadness.

We're living in a time of great dispruption. With mandated guidelines for social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19, how should we choose to live each day? God's people have faced major disruption throughout history, including major separation and isolation. Daniel, taken captive in a foreign nation and tempted to give up his identity, committed himself to keeping God's Levitical law concerning food. God blessed Daniel and he matured to great spiritual stature. Today, Pastor Ulysses talks about how drastic situations may bring difficult challenges and extra temptations, but they can also be opportunities for us to continue to choose God with joy and receive more of His grace.

How should Christians respond to the COVID-19 crisis? This week, Pastor Ulysses teaches that we can look to Moses as an example. Moses chose to abandon his royalty and stand up for his people after he looked upon their burdens and made them his own. Likewise, we can sympathize with those in our community who are most impacted by the virus, understand their needs, and seek to love and support them.

Be Still. This is the single command in Psalm 46. In the face of fear, tremendous, and troubling situations, we are to trust that God is sovereign and in control. While we should take certainly take practical precautions regarding COVID-19, Pastor Ulysses teaches that Christians can find peace in who God is. This frees us to find the courage to consciously respond out of hope and security instead of react to our fear.

Continuing in our series on fasting, Pastor Ulysses shares six reasons why we might fast: Repentance, Guidance, Consecration, Deliverance & Protection, Healing, and Favor. Many examples in the Bible show that in times of great need, God's people fast and pray to express their ultimate dependence on God's grace and mercy.

With Lent on the horizon, Pastor Ulysses continues to extrapolate what it means to fast, and how we can do it rightly. Through Jesus's teachings, we can see that we are called to a "new" kind of fasting where, instead of mourning what's not right in the world, we long and yearn for more of Jesus and his return.

Fasting is something that's supposed to be core to our Christian lives, but we tend to hang our heads when fasting, often with the feeling that no meaningful effects will result from it. In today's sermon, Pastor Ulysses discusses how fasting is meant to draw us closer to others and help us live more righteous lives; shifting our notions of fasting towards the idea of "Fasting From" to "Moving Towards."

We worship on Sundays, do prayer meeting on Tuesdays, go to Community Groups on Thursdays, and read the bible every night. However, why should God be compartmentalized to just these specific times in our day-to-day lives? As Christians, we are called to always be mindful of God's presence at all times. Continuing with our reading of 2 Kings 5, Pastor Ulysses preaches on this topic by looking at the example set by the recently healed Namaan, a Syrian general cured of leprosy who epitomizes the idea of surrendering to God in every part of his new life in Christ.