Resurrection Oakland Podcast

We see the Law of God as constraining and demanding, but Jesus sees it as quite the opposite. In the opening of our new series, “The Law of Freedom,” Pastor Brent teaches us that the the true 4 words that frame the Ten Commandments are beauty, freedom, love, and grace.

This week, Pastor Brent concludes our series on this famous words from John 15. In this passage, John begins by discussing our vertical relationship with God, and concludes by discussing our horizontal relationships with others. Because “God is love,” these relationships must be defined by love itself. Through this lens, Pastor Brent teaches us about the surprise of love, the challenge of love, and finally, the secret of love.

We are invited into a life of abiding in God so we can be changed by God in order that we might be sent out for Him. In this sermon, Pastor Brent discusses the second aspect of that statement—whether change is possible and how it happens. First, Jesus gives us a vision for our lives. Second, change itself is a long journey. Third, there is a shortcut to growth, but no one chooses it. And finally, real change comes as we learn to abide in God’s love.

As we kick off 2025, we contemplate our own dreams for ourselves in the new year. But what are God’s dreams for us? One word: abide. But what does it mean to abide in Jesus? And why is it so important? It means that God makes His home with you, and to know His love and His presence in your life.

Favor and welcome are interchangeable words in Scripture. Pastor Paul Schuler guest preaches about the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, reveling in the amazing welcome God has for us and ultimately, the welcome we can extend to others.

Despite many harrowing years throughout human existence, the year humanity sinned and lost their relationship with God was unequivocally the worst in our history. In this sermon from Genesis 3, a familiar passage outlining the Fall, we learn that nothing is as good as it could be, nothing is as bad as it could be, and the best is yet to come in Jesus.

Christmas is all about the gifts God gives us, not the other way around. In the final sermon of this series, Pastor Brent outlines the precious gift of hope. Christmas means that hope is possible because with it, there is justice for our world, grace for our hearts, and a mission for our lives.

The reality is that the opposed of joy is not sorrow, it’s emptiness, and God alone can fill that emptiness. The Magi (or Wisemen) were experiencing this emptiness when they sought out the newborn Savior. At our annual Noel celebration service, Pastor Brent teaches us about this through the search of the Magi, the wonder of the Child, and the joy of God.