Resurrection Life Sunday Sermon

SCRIPTURE: Numbers 22.

This Sunday marked the beginning of a new chapter for ResLife. Felton Grove High School is our new worshiping home, so Sunday marked a new day for us. This move marks a transition to a new mission field. We want to be a blessing wherever the Lord leads us. Felton Grove High is embedded within several different communities with plenty of opportunities.

This week, we also begin a new sermon series called Straight Line, Crooked Sticks. We will be looking at a collection of Old Testament characters who play a role in God’s redemptive plan. But they aren’t major players. They are like the supporting cast. But we will see through their broken stories that God’s faithfulness plays out no matter what.

This week, we focus on the famous story of King Balak, Balaam, and a talking donkey found in Numbers 22. As entertaining as this story is, it ultimately points to God’s faithfulness. God’s promises to His people will remain despite all concerted effort. God used a very broken prophet to achieve His plan to bless Israel in the liminal space called Moab.

I’m very much looking forward to diving into this series! Please pray that the Lord will use this series for His glory as the Lord continues to use us—as His very own modern-day broken sticks—to ensure His plan of salvation continues to the end.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 13:20-22.

Last Sunday marked Resurrection Life Church's final service at Apex Middle School and concluded a significant transition as we make a new worshiping home at Felton Grove High School.

Sunday also marked the end of our sermon series through the Book of Hebrews. We focus on a final prayer from Hebrews, a prayer we are able to carry with us wherever we go. It’s a prayer and a blessing all wrapped up in one, as an encouragement for us to live for Jesus wherever and whenever.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 13:1-9

In this episode of the Resurrection Life Sunday Sermon we're doing a bit of catch-up as we go back to the sermon from Sunday, September 6th. Resurrection Church welcomed a guest minister, Reverend Eric Major to our Sunday Service to bring a message in our Hebrews sermon series, "From Shadow to Substance." Eric has been leading music for us on some Sundays but on this day he brought his message from Hebrews 13 "On What Remains."

Resurrection Life Church is moving to the New Felton Grove High School!

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12:4-11.

With today's podcast, we enter into the ending of the Book of Hebrews. The last two chapters are filled with practical steps towards living a faithful race of faith. We will learn about one way in which God shows His love to us from today's scripture. It’s certainly not the only way God shows us His love, but it does appear to be a common one. This is a difficult word for Christians. What does it mean that God chastises us? These words have punched me in the gut more than once over the years, as I’m sure it has for those of you who know them. Still, I look forward to working through these verses with you today as we consider God’s love and how God helps us grow as His sons and daughters.

In Christ, Pastor Mark

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12: 1 - 4.

Last week, we concluded our summer series through Hebrews 11. We jump back to “From Shadow to Substance” for the next few weeks as we complete the Book of Hebrews. One could argue that our next passage, Hebrews 12:1–4, is the climax of the book, so it has been a pleasure focusing on these important verses. One element I love about this passage is the athletic imagery of running a race, one where we remove what hinders and where we keep our eyes on Jesus. And if we forget what kind of race we are running, or we are distracted along the way, we also have the ultimate example for us in Jesus.

Pastor Mark

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11: 29 - 31.

This week we jump back into our summer series called Forward-Looking Faith. We have focused on Old Testament people like Abel, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, and Moses. Focusing on each individual’s faith has certainly been a challenge. These people weren’t perfect, but how they looked forward to a hopeful future does give us great hope for today. We must be a forward-looking people, because when we do, we see Jesus as the Victor, King, Healer, and Savior.

As this famous chapter concludes, the author presses upon his audience a sense of urgency. Belief is truly a matter of life or death. Faith is the ticket to freedom and to everlasting peace. Hebrews 11:29-31 may be a short passage, but it serves to make an urgent point: Faith gets us to the other side! Faith is the ticket away from slavery, the enemy, and destruction and onto freedom and victory!

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 16.

This week, we welcome a dear friend, Jonathan ("Jono") Darville, back to the podcast. Jono has recently accepted a new call, leaving Peace Church to plant a new church in Pittsboro. We are grateful that he has the time to be with us as he prepares for this new ministry adventure.

Jono's message is from Genesis 16, focusing on Hagar. Pastor Mark touched on Hagar's story a few weeks ago while preaching through the faith of Abraham and Sarah in Hebrews 11. It is fitting that Jono will take us on a deeper dive into this complex story.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 18: 1 - 8.

This Sunday, we were privileged to have Pastor Doug Domin preach. Coming as the associate pastor at Peace Presbyterian, Doug has been one of our greatest advocates over the past few years. He has served on our temporary session before we ordained our own elders and deacons. It is an honor to welcome Doug to our podcast to preach on Luke 18:1–8 as he continues to support us through the Word of God.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11:23-28.

This week, we examine the crux of faith through the lens of Moses’ "Forward-Looking Faith." True faith demands a deliberate choice to follow the Lord—a decision that impacts every area of life. Despite hardships, family tension, persecution, and opposition, faith consistently chooses what is better. Saving faith fixes its eyes on the eternal: a better Family, Kingdom, and King.

Now, some of you might be wondering: "Does this sound classically Reformed? We don't choose faith, do we?" Pastor Mark addresses this tension directly, unpacking human responsibility and our call to eternal belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior.