Welcome to a new feature at Westminster, called “The Intel Report – Briefings from the Front to Equip Today’s Disciple.” Podcast link below, or click here to read the full Blog Post. Pastor Ruttan shares the first episode and explains the goal and intent of this new feature.

“Mesus” is a temptation for all of us; it’s self-projection. “McJesus” is consumerism gone bad, even with our faith–picking and choosing beliefs, even drawing from other religions. When these things happen, fear and anxiety can increase. They love a vacuum. They grow bigger and bigger as the Lordship of Jesus gets smaller and smaller. This sermon is on Colossians 2:6-23. We look at the concerning syncretism of this young congregation, and how Paul opens their eyes to the realities of spiritual warfare and to the Lordship of Jesus. Why pander to the chittering minions in the walls of the castle, when you have immediate access to the majestic King of Kings on his glorious throne?

Something still seems “off.” I’ve sensed it. Have you? Maybe not for everyone, but for more people than you realize. I’m talking about life after the pandemic. “It’s over, but I don’t feel the same.”“Life is moving on, but I sometimes don’t feel very well.”“I’m not sure why, but I’m angry.”“I’m worried about my kids.”“I should feel better, but don’t—and I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say anything about it.” In this episode I speak with Sarah Joy Covey, a therapist and the owner and director of the Covey Wellness Centre. She talks about what she is observing, some of the reasons for why many people feel the way they do, and some best practices going forward. You can listen here, or by tuning in to ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you subscribe. You can also watch the video (below), and see a list of topics, quotes, and the resources she mentions. Enjoy! And be well. Topics and quotes Ministries mentioned: Resources mentioned:

Johnny Cash was down and almost out in Nickajack cave when God came tohim personally. Saul was headed to Damascus to persecute Christians whenGod came to him personally. This tells us something. In the words of anold saying, “God meets you where you’re at, not where you should be at.” It was true for the Man in Black, for Saul, for the Colossians, and it’strue for you as well. That, my friends, is very good news for imperfectpeople. This sermon explores Colossians 1:24 – 2:5. This young church had it’sshare of problems. They were drifting. Even still, Paul shared with thema mystery that had been hidden for generations: “Christ in you, the hopeof glory.” Really? Even with their mixed-up thinking and relativeimmaturity? Yes. He meets us in our sin, shame, mistakes, weaknesses andquestions. This sermon also suggests four points to consider as we seek to applythese insights to our lives today. Brothers and sisters, when it comesto receiving God’s grace, perfection is not a necessary qualification.Christ in you, the hope of glory.

In this podcast and blog I answer a question in a Q & A Forum about whether or not the Old Testament laws are still relevant for Christians. You can read the full blog post here or listen to the podcast below.

The supremacy of Jesus sounds like a lofty idea. It might even sound like playground posturing: ‘My brother is bigger and stronger than your brother…’ But when Paul explains it to the Colossians it’s because (a) it’s true, (b) he cares about them, and (c) their mixed-up thinking is resulting in mixed-up living. When we trust in the supremacy of Jesus we know he is sufficient and experience security. If we don’t, we’ll start to supplement our faith with practices or beliefs from other religions, superstitions, or astrological signs. We’ll even start to look elsewhere for our sense of identity and purpose. But as Jay Strother says, Jesus plus anything equals a false gospel. The world will tell you that Jesus is not enough. They’re wrong. The world will tell you that you’re not enough. They’re wrong about that too. This sermon unpacks Colossians 1:15-23 and focuses our attention on three words: Supremacy, sufficiency, and security.

As promised, here is a more in-depth look at the four signs of spiritual maturity mentioned in the sermon from April 21, 2024. Maturity is meant to be shared. What if God had given someone you know—and perhaps even you—a measure of maturity which would help others who are also walking along the narrow path?”

In this podcast Pastor Ruttan answers a question submitted to the Q and A Forum.

They knew Jesus, but were swerving off course. That’s when a wiser, more mature Christian stepped in to help. This sermon is Part 1 in a new teaching series on the book of Colossians. They were a new community of faith–about 10 years old. They were doing good things, but were also losing focus. And when Jesus calls us to a narrow path (instead of a wide one), focus is very, very important — otherwise wayward and even harmful practices can take over. The sermon provides an introduction to the major theme, and explores the first 14 verses. Our point of application is about what people on the narrow path need. It’s practical, helpful and within reach.

Welcome. This podcast and post is called “Firm Faith in the Resurrection.” It is a summary of a two-part Sunday series called “Did the resurrection really happen? Explaining and defending our foundational belief.” It includes a lot of the content from the two sermons, plus a bit of extra background information. If you prefer to read the full blog post, click here.