Momentum | March & April 2016 by Redeemer Bible Church

Momentum i A Publication of Redeemer Bible Church

The Triumph of Joy By David Mathis

Issue 30 // March & April, 2016

Evidence for the Resurrection By Jared Hollermann

Family Easter Traditions

By Pam Deckert

Consider Christ

By Joyce Heinrich

Welcome

We're glad you're here! We are a church with a mission. Our mission is to enjoy, embody, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ so that unbelievers are persuaded of the gospel, believers are built up in the gospel, and culture is transformed by the gospel – to the glory of God. Because the gospel is at the heart of RBC, we want all that we say and do as a church to honor and reflect Christ. Part of that includes making sure you are able to consistently and clearly know our vision and direction. That’s where Momentum comes in. On the first Sunday of every other month, everyone will receive a copy and be able to stay connected to the pulse of Redeemer. Inside each monthly issue, you will find a letter from the elders, encouraging articles from our members, as well as updates on things like church finances, new members, and upcoming church activities and programs. The gospel is what keeps Redeemer moving forward. It’s our passion, our motivation, our moving force. It’s our momentum.

In this Issue 20 HOW I MET JESUS 5

Bill & Cindi Walsh share their story of how Jesus rescued them and brought them to Himself.

LETTER FROM THE ELDERS

FAMILY EASTER TRADITIONS

10 3 GIFTS OF THE RESURRECTION “The stench of death will be blown away by the fragrance of new life. The cemetery is a garden, and one day the joy of resurrection will blow through the tombstones of all who believe.”

“Is the season before Easter mainly a hassle to get to the mall and a strain on the budget purchasing clothes, candy, cards and groceries for a big dinner? Or is it several days or weeks of considering God’s work in our lives through Jesus?”

17 “When we turn our considerations away from the world and upwards toward the massive truths bound up in Jesus’ life, crucifixion and resurrection, it is then that we suffer with Jesus, and then that we exult in celebration.”

THE TRIUMPH OF JOY “Easter is not an occasion to repress whatever ails you and put on a happy face. Rather, the joy of Easter speaks tenderly to the pains that plague you. Whatever loss you lament, whatever burden weighs you down, Easter says, ‘It will not always be this way for you. The new age has begun. Jesus has risen, and the kingdom of the Messiah is here.’”

CHILDREN'S DISCIPLESHIP 23 GLOBAL PARTNERS UPDATE 24

CONSIDER CHRIST

MIKE McKINLEY

GOSPEL LIFE BLOG

EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION

WOMEN'S MINISTRY UPDATE

“From scared men fleeing and hiding, to bold preachers and finally martyrs, the disciples’ lives show us that they believed that Jesus had truly risen from the dead.”

“We believe Christ would like to revive a crucial ministry that strengthens Redeemer. A healthy women’s ministry undergirds a healthy church family.”

18 BOOK REVIEW

Communications Department CONTENT DIRECTION Sara Briggs Lorie Schnell Bill Walsh

DESIGN & LAYOUT Sara Briggs

CONTENT MANAGER Lorie Schnell

EDITING Anne Lynn Brittney Westin

ELDER INSTALLATION SERVICE

>> 5:30 PM

SUNDAY, APRIL 17 JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL SERVICE ON THE EVENING OF SUNDAY, APRIL 17TH TO WELCOME AND PRAY FOR OUR NEW ELDERS. WE WILL ALSO BE CELEBRATING THE LORD'S TABLE. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW. <<

MOMENTUM // MARCH & APRIL 2016

Letter From the Elders

interim pastor OSCAR HUERTA interim pastor WARREN WATSON interim pastor JOHN SWEET

Dear Redeemer Family, If you are new to Redeemer, welcome! We are very grateful to get to know you better. If you have a moment, please let us know how we can connect with you and serve you. This last year has been a season of rebuilding and replanting for us at Redeemer. I am reminded of the hope the prophet Jeremiah announced to Israel after they endured the devastation of God’s discipline. ". . . I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul." (Jeremiah 32:37b-41 ESV) The Lord rejoices to do good to us, not because of our “faithfulness,” but because of his faithfulness. His covenant with us is “everlasting” because, in the gospel of Christ, we are no longer under condemnation, but under the pure affectionate care of our heavenly Father. In this issue of Momentum, we are tasting the astonishing reversal: deep unutterable sorrow turned to triumphant joy in the Resurrection of Jesus. We are also getting an opportunity to hear our brothers and sisters reflect on what the Resurrection means to them, as well as their own family traditions during Easter. But most of all, as a church, we sense our fragile shoots of new growth beginning to emerge from the dead of our “winter” sorrows. The Lord will most assuredly bring us back to “this place” of joy. He will make us “dwell in safety.” He will “plant us in this land,” not begrudgingly, but “. . . with all of [his] heart and all of [his] soul.” With great affection and confidence in Christ, Your brother Oscar on behalf of the elders

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By David Mathis

The

Triumph of

Joy

o not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6)

The word on the street that Sunday in the Holy City was almost too good to be true. This was so unexpected, so stupendous, such a dramatic reversal of the heartbreak and devastation of the previous three days. This would take days to sink it. Weeks even. In some ways, it would take his disciples the rest of their lives to grasp the impact of this news. He has risen. Indeed, for all eternity his people still will stand in awe of the love of God on display in Christ’s death, and the power of God bursting forth in his resurrection. THE SHEEP HAD SCATTERED No one truly saw this coming, except Jesus himself. He told his disciples plainly that he would be killed, then rise again (Mark 8:31; Matthew 17:22–23; Luke 9:22). He had hinted at it as early as the first temple cleaning (John 2:19). At his trial some testified against him that he’d made such an outlandish claim (Mark 14:58; Matthew 26:61; 27:63). Then there were his references to “the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:39; 16:4), and the rejected one becoming the cornerstone (Matthew 21:42). MARCH & APRIL 2016 \\ MOMENTUM

“Just as rehearsing the details of Jesus’s final days leading up to the cross prepares us for the fiery trial coming on us, so also Easter readies us for the triumph that will follow. Easter is our foretaste of glory divine.” But as much as he’d done to prepare his disciples for it, a literal crucifixion was so contrary to their paradigm that they had no meaningful way to bring it into their minds and hearts. It was “a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling” (Isaiah 8:14) for the long-awaited Messiah to go out like this. His men had abandoned their master in his most critical hour, leaving him alone to carry the weight of the world’s sin. And the greatest burden of all — being forsaken by his Father. One of his own had betrayed him. The chief among his men had denied him three times. After his death, the disciples dispersed. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7). Their doors were locked (John 20:19). Two even took to the road and were on their way out of Jerusalem (Luke 24:13). 8

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When news came from the women, it seemed like sheer fantasy. “These words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). It was beyond their imagination, but not beyond God. Could such a dream become reality? Might there be, after all, some deep magic that could turn back time? Better, might there be a power magnanimous enough to bring in a whole new age — the age of resurrection — and triumph over the final enemy, death itself? SEIZED WITH ASTONISHMENT The initial report left them in shock. Mark tells us the women “went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8). Astonishment seized them. Had the news been less spectacular, perhaps they would have celebrated right way. But this was far too big, and too surprising, to melt into immediate rejoicing. They were stunned. That’s what Easter does to the human soul when we own up to the reality of its message. That’s how explosive, how cataclysmic, how world-shattering it is that Jesus is alive. It is a joy too great for instant gratification. First there is utter astonishment. Then comes the mingling of “fear with great joy,” and finally the freedom to rejoice and tell others (Matthew 28:8). SADNESS COMES UNTRUE But what now of his passion? What of his excruciating agony at Golgotha? Yes, as C.S. Lewis says, the dawning of this resurrection age “will turn even that agony into a glory.” Now Joy has triumphed over sorrow. Day finally has dominion over night. Light has thrashed against the darkness. Christ, through death, has destroyed the one who had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). Easter now has become our annual dress rehearsal for that great coming Day. When our perishable bodies will put on the imperishable. When the mortal finally puts on immortality. When we join in the triumph song with the prophets and the apostles, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:55)

Just as rehearsing the details of Jesus’s final days leading up to the cross prepares us for the fiery trial coming on us, so also Easter readies us for the triumph that will follow. Easter is our foretaste of glory divine. Christ has been raised. Day no longer is fading to black, but night is awakening to the brightness. Darkness is not suffocating the sun, but light is chasing away the shadows. Sin is not winning, but death is swallowed up in victory. MORE THAN CONQUERORS Indeed, even agony will turn to glory, but Easter doesn’t suppress our pain. It doesn’t minimize our loss. It bids our burdens stand as they are, in all their weight, with all their threats. And this risen Christ, with the brilliance of indestructible life in his eyes, says, “These too I will claim in the victory. These too will serve your joy. These too, even these, I can make an occasion for rejoicing. I have overcome, and you will more than conquer.” Easter is not an occasion to repress whatever ails you and put on a happy face. Rather, the joy of Easter speaks tenderly to the pains that plague you. Whatever loss you lament, whatever burden weighs you down, Easter says, “It will not always be this way for you. The new age has begun. Jesus has risen, and the kingdom of the Messiah is here. He has conquered death and sin and hell. He is alive and on his throne. And he is putting your enemies, all your enemies, under his feet.” Not only will he remedy what’s wrong in your life and bring glorious order to the mess and vanquish your foe, but he will make your pain, your grief, your loss, your burden, through the deep magic of resurrection, to be a real ingredient in your everlasting joy. You will not only conquer this one day soon, but you will be more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). When he wipes away every tear, our faces glisten more brilliantly than if we never would have cried. Such power is too great to simply return us to the Garden. He ushers us into a garden-city, the New Jerusalem. Easter announces, in the voice of the risen Christ, “Your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20) and “no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). Easter says that the one who has conquered death has now made it the servant of our joy. Used with permission from Desiring God. www.desiringgod.org

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3 Gifts of the

Resurrection By Trevin Wax

f you listen carefully, you can hear echoes of the resurrection in the great, epic stories we return to again and again. Those stories lead us to a point of despair where all seems to be lost, only then to erupt into uncontainable joy as good triumphs over evil. There is a reason these stories resonate with us. In one way or another, they model and mimic the true story of our world. A story of perfection and paradise, corrupted by human sin and wickedness, redeemed by a selfless sacrifice, and restored through a triumphant return. This is the true story of our world. Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; resurrection is the turning point. There is great significance in this event, both in the broader story of all of creation and in our individual stories. For us, as believers, there are three unmistakable gifts of the resurrection. While there are obviously more than these, I believe there is much to be gained from focusing on these three gifts.

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1. LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE Jesus’ resurrection guarantees life beyond the grave – the first gift. In it, we find there is hope in our despair. The resurrection tells the Christian that the sin of your past doesn’t define your future. The struggle of the present will not keep you from glory. While you may look at yourself and only see your sin and failure, the resurrection says there’s more. The dark night is giving way to the dawn. Life beyond the grave means we can have confidence that Jesus will do what He has promised. Even though the idea of worshipping a crucified and risen Savior seems like nonsense for many people, we can witness with the confidence that there are people who will join the millions over the course of history who have been amazed to encounter the resurrected Savior. There are people who sense the darkness of their hearts and the depths of their sin and they are hoping for life – life beyond the deadness of their heart, life beyond the dreariness of their routine, and life that will take them beyond the grave to the world for which they were created. Jesus’ resurrection grants us this gift. 2. JOY BEYOND BELIEF The resurrection gives us joy beyond belief. We have the kind of joy that lasts forever and undergirds our lives. Knowing joy comes in the morning can give you hope during the darkest night. The gospel seems like it is good news that is too good to be true. The truth is, the gospel is too good not to be true. We can never exhaust the truths of the gospel. And it’s our joy that keeps us on the pursuit of God. Sometimes our faith has to catch up with our joy. In Jesus, everything sad will come untrue, and all the sufferings and pain of this present world will be swallowed up in a sinkhole of death and covered over with a garden so beautiful that it will make all the pain seem worth it. When Christ comes again, He will make us like Himself. Our final destination is a new earth. We await the day of resurrection, when the joy of heaven is reunited with the stuff of earth. In that day, joy will be our routine. It is, as C.S. Lewis called it, “the business of heaven.” Coffins will not stay closed. Old bones will come back together. Skin will reappear. That hole we fill up with dirt will be empty once more. The stench of death will be blown away by the fragrance of new life. The cemetery is a garden, and one day the joy of resurrection will blow through the tombstones of all who believe.

3. MISSION BEYOND BORDERS Christ’s work for you - as the Messiah who suffered, and died and rose – gives way to His work through you – as the ones who witness to His name. When God calls you to salvation, He calls you to His mission. His work for us leads to His work through us. So the point of the resurrection is not to sit back and wait for a heavenly afterlife. It’s not to give a religious dimension to our lives. It’s not to rest only in the comfort of future hope. The point is proclamation. The message is about the Messiah, and the message is for sinners everywhere. It’s about repentance. It’s about dying to sin and being made right with God. Forgiveness is available to all because of the wrath-averting sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the life-giving splendor of Jesus in His resurrection. We are soldiers of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There is a breeze blowing through this army of messengers. That breeze is a Person – He is the Holy Spirit of God empowering us to be on mission. The borders aren’t confined to Jerusalem. They’re not confined to your church or your community. The message must go out. The nations must hear. The Spirit of God uses the gospel of God to motivate the people of God to be on mission with God. To be about His work is a great gift. THE POINT OF RESURRECTION The resurrection is not the “happy end” after Jesus’ death. It’s the happy beginning of God’s new creation. We have a job to do. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul devotes an entire chapter to unpacking the resurrection and its significance. And how does this lengthy chapter end? “Therefore, my dear brothers” – in other words, in light of the resurrection – “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Knowing that we have been given life beyond the grave, joy beyond belief and a mission beyond borders enables us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to labor for the Lord. Used with permission from The Gospel Coalition. www.thegospelcoalition.org

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By Betty Cooper

Evidence

of the

Resurrection By Jared Hollermann

MOMENTUM // MARCH & APRIL 2016

t is hard to dispute that Jesus was a real person and that he was put to death on a cross, but what about the resurrection? The resurrection is central to Christianity. So much so, that without the resurrection the cross would have meant nothing. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14 that if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and our faith is in vain. If Jesus died and was never raised from the dead, then the claims he made about being God during his earthly ministry were lies. Beyond that, if the dead are not raised what is our hope in? If Christ was not raised, then what hope do we have of being raised on the last day? “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1 Corinthians 15:32b). If Christ is raised then the reality of the resurrection should control how I act in my life because my union with Jesus means I too will be raised. My life should reflect the reality of a risen Christ and a hope of my own resurrection. I can take risks in this life knowing that one day I will be raised with him. Jim Elliot knew this well when he said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose!” With all this in mind, let’s look at some actual evidence in support of the resurrection. There are many reasons to believe in the resurrection, but one piece of evidence that has been helpful to me is comparing the disciples’ actions before and after they discovered the empty tomb. When Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane the disciples scattered. Mark 14:50 says that they all deserted him and

fled, and that Peter denied he even knew Jesus (see Mark 14:66-72). In the days following Jesus’ death, they were hiding out of fear. John 20:19 describes it this way, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews.” Now from these verses we can conclude that the disciples were scared. They were scared when Jesus was arrested and they were scared after Jesus had been crucified because they feared the Jews were coming for them as well. Taking this all together this does not sound like the kind of people who would have been able to mastermind a plan to assault Roman guards, roll away a several thousand pound stone, and steal Jesus’ body without anyone figuring it out. Following the resurrection and Jesus’ ascension the disciples had a radical shift in how they acted. They now boldly proclaimed Jesus as the risen Christ and each one suffered greatly because of it. Consider how each of the disciples died: Peter – martyred; crucified upside down Andrew – martyred; crucified James (Son of Zebedee) – martyred; killed with a sword (Acts 12:1-19) John – exiled to island of Patmos Philip – martyred; crucified Bartholomew – martyred; crucified Thomas – martyred; speared to death Matthew – martyred; stabbed in the back. James (son of Alpheus) – martyred; beaten and stoned to death. Thaddeus – martyred; crucified

While there is some historical disagreement about the death of some of the apostles, I think the point is clear that most of them were martyred. There is no record of any of the disciples ever recanting or abandoning their faith in Jesus. This is important because if the disciples had been lying about the resurrection or had stolen the body, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble by denying the resurrection. Yet there is no record that any of them did. They were instead willing to endure horrible deaths. Who would do something like that unless they really believed that Jesus was who he said he was and had risen from the dead? From scared men fleeing and hiding, to bold preachers and finally martyrs, the disciples’ lives show us that they believed that Jesus had truly risen from the dead. This is good news because Jesus, our risen Lord, not only paid the price that we deserved on the cross, but he rose from the dead proclaiming victory over sin and the grave by fully paying the debt that we owed. Martyn Lloyd Jones in his sermon, A Living Hope of the Hereafter, says, “The Resurrection is the great announcement of the momentous fact that Christ has finished the work He came to do. He is no longer "under the law.” He is back in glory. Why? Because He has done everything that the Law could demand. Now the Law has exhausted itself upon Him, and He will die “no more.” So celebrate our Risen Savior and have confidence that Jesus has fully paid the debt and will die no more. Christ is risen! // RBC

Simon the Zealot – martyred; crucified

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Family Easter Traditions

By Pam Deckert

MOMENTUM // MARCH & APRIL 2016

he needles from our Christmas tree had barely been vacuumed when we received a catalog in the mail announcing the company’s new Easter products. When I looked inside, however, I was disappointed to find that there was not a single reference to Jesus, the cross or the empty tomb. It was all about pastel bunnies, chicks, lambs and colorful eggs. When I was a young mom, I was concerned about how these cultural traditions seemed to overshadow the real meaning of Easter- the deathdefeating love of God and Jesus’ resurrection. I am grateful that my parents kept religious Easter traditions alive. I remember annually attending Lenten services, a very somber communion service on Maundy Thursday; then the even more sobering Good Friday service; and finally the jubilant sunrise service Easter morning. I can still hear my dad’s baritone voice belt out, “Up From the Grave He Arose!” I also remember decorating eggs, wearing white shoes and a new hat to church, and having a basket to find. These activities helped me anticipate the excitement of Easter, but did they genuinely turn my attention to the true meaning of this holy day?

Nöel Piper in her book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions observes, “We reveal to ourselves and others what is important to us by the way we celebrate. Is the season before Easter mainly a hassle to get to the mall and a strain on the budget purchasing clothes, candy, cards and groceries for a big dinner? Or is it several days or weeks of considering God’s work in our lives through Jesus, along with special activities to help us think about Jesus’ death and resurrection? Over the course of the Lenten and Easter season, we are remembering the lowest points of sin and the highest peaks of what God has done for us through Jesus….That’s worth celebrating!” So, while many in our culture “celebrate” Easter only with such secular symbols as bunnies, chicks, eggs, bonnets and baskets, we can seek to create opportunities to teach our children about Easter with reminders and activities that invite spiritual discussion. Traditions are a means of passing on a custom or belief from generation to generation. They are tools parents can use to promote a sense of familiarity or unity in a home. The following are several ideas that either our family or others have tried from time to time over the years. Perhaps you could share additional ideas within your community group. Season of Lent – Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word lenten, which means spring. It has come to be observed by many Christians during the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, which is approximately 40 days. It can be a helpful time for

fasting or turning from something that has been drawing you away from God. It is helpful to ask God what we are depending on besides him. It should be a time for prayer. Lenten Candles – Just as some families observe Advent at Christmas as we wait for the birth of the Messiah, during Lent we are anticipating Jesus’ death and resurrection. The candles are lit in the opposite way from Advent, beginning with all 7 lit the first week and becoming darker with each progressing week. On Good Friday, the last candle is extinguished; demonstrating that sin has grown in power and the Light of the World has been crucified. Then on Easter morning, all of the candles are lit again demonstrating that darkness cannot put out the Light! (For more on Lenten candles, see Nöel Piper’s booklet, Lenten Lights). Passover Meal or Seder – Seder means “order” because Jewish families keep the celebration of the Passover in a certain order. Some families may want to celebrate a traditional Passover supper and talk about the significance of each item. Resurrection Cookies – As you make these cookies, there are Bible verses to go along with the recipe retelling the Gospel story. This recipe should be made on Saturday night, right before Easter Sunday. On Easter morning when you open the oven and remove the cookies, the children will see that the cookies are hollow and empty, like the tomb. Resurrection Eggs – These are a set of 12 plastic eggs that tell the Easter story with small toys and

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“...while many in our culture ‘celebrate’ Easter only with such secular symbols as bunnies, chicks, eggs, bonnets and baskets, we can seek to create opportunities to teach our children about Easter with reminders and activities that invite spiritual discussion.”

MOMENTUM // MARCH & APRIL 2016

symbols found inside the eggs. Sets are available through Family Life at www.fltoday.com. Easter Cards – We had a set of stencils with various words and symbols of Easter. For several years, the children would decorate cards and we would send them to family and neighbors. This activity can provide an opening to sharing the Gospel with unbelievers. Easter Frieze – Use a long, continuous piece of paper for this or tape sheets of paper together. The week before Easter, talk about events in Jesus’ life. Each day, have family members draw those events on the mural. Add pictures each day until on Easter, someone will draw the empty tomb and Jesus risen from the dead! Hang the frieze in your home. Eggs - For centuries, people have associated eggs with new life. Therefore, Easter eggs can be an opportunity to teach us of the new life God offers through his Son. More important than all the fun activities surrounding Easter are the truths about Christ and his sacrifice for us. Easter provides a special opportunity to teach our children: 1. God is love and He loves us We may tell our children that we love them but they know we love them by our actions. Romans 5:8: “God demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

2. Forgiveness for sins 1 John 1:9: “When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Easter reminds us that our eternal debt has been paid! 3. Restored relationship with God Jesus is our advocate before the Father. “When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see him there who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free! For God the Just is satisfied to look on him and pardon me.” (Before the Throne of God Above) 4. A bright future Satan is defeated! He was crushed at the cross and at the empty tomb (see Romans 16:20). Nothing can ever separate us from his love (see Romans 8:35, 39) and the resurrection assures us that we have an eternal home in Heaven (see Romans 4:24, 25). This Easter, no matter what traditions you may choose to begin or continue, may the focus of your day be the glad exclamation, “The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!” // RBC

Consider Christ By Joyce Heinrich

he men said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.' And they remembered His words!” (Luke 24:5b-8a) Did you ever notice that at Christmas time, the many festivities we attend, the lights and decorations, the baking and making of special foods all seem to flow naturally into the joyous commemoration of the birth of our long-awaited Savior? They seem to be an integral part of an event so exceedingly joyful that we can never do too much to celebrate it. Yet, at Easter, the food, the special dresses, the egg dying, the baskets – any and all of it pales and ebbs in importance – almost as if they are hardly related to the real occasion at all. Because of this, my daughter and her husband hold their egg and basket hunt on Saturday before Easter to preserve Easter morning as holy and belonging to our Lord, a time to focus on Christ alone. When we turn our considerations away from the world and upwards toward the massive truths bound up in Jesus’ life, crucifixion and resurrection, it is then that we suffer with Jesus, and then that we exult in celebration. For the Lenten season is, at once, the most somber and the most joyful of

seasons, as it moves believers from the deepest agony of soul and spirit to the highest exultation of hope and love and joy! Every year I grieve; deeply grieve, as I meditate on the scriptural accounts of our Lord’s death. Think of it, that night in Gethsemane – where Jesus prayed alone while his friends slept; I am aghast at his soul, mind and body wrestling with the reality of the horror that was to come - it wrung from his skin a bloody sweat. And I tremble to see hell visit earth as Judas plants his devil-driven kiss onto our Lord’s holy face. I cringe as the spikes are driven through his hands, his feet; I am angry at the mockery and disrespect hurled at the Christ after his arrest and as he hung on the cross, giving his life for us. I hate the torment of his exceeding thirst, and the unspeakable horror of his being abandoned by his Father. As for his becoming sin for us, who can fathom it? He traded his purity for the loathsome, putrid garment of sin, and his intimate attachment to the Father for an agony of separation, that we might become one with him and enjoy him forever. How awesome! How utterly, breathtakingly awesome! This Christ I worship! Never is he more beautiful to me that when I see him on the “old, rugged cross,” beaten, bruised, and blood-covered to serve our eternal need for a Savior! Even as I write, I am weeping. What Jesus did is beyond our comprehension…and defies description! But then…EASTER! Glorious Easter Morning! Jesus explodes from the tomb! He is risen! Satan cannot have him – Death cannot hold him!

JESUS IS ALIVE! Oh, the overwhelming joy that we share together as his children when we celebrate this enormous feat! It is the joy of Triumph! It is joy for the restored Life of our Lord Jesus! It is the joy of knowing that he is again One with the Father! It is joy that Satan is vanquished, sin is conquered, death is overcome! It is the joy of secured Salvation in Christ Jesus, our Lord! It is the promise of heaven – of a forever with our Lord Jesus! All are truths too magnificent, too marvelous to reach or to fathom! To each follower of Christ they are diamonds and sapphires, opals and pearls, satin and lace, beaten gold – most precious of all blessings, for they are truths that give us everything for this life and for the next! Our pearl of great price? Knowing our Lord – keeping company with him! Dear Brothers and Sisters at Redeemer, let us celebrate our victorious, wonderful Savior – his ultimate, eternal triumph in crucifixion and resurrection! Let’s celebrate our exceeding riches in Christ Jesus! Let’s rejoice, and in our rejoicing shout this out all together on Easter Morning… CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

// RBC

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Book Review

The Resurrection in Your Life:

How the Living Christ Changes Your World MIKE MCKINLEY The Resurrection in Your Life: How the Living Christ Changes Your World. Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2015. 144 pp. $14.99.

By Jason Dollar

ost Christians know the cross matters to how we live. It’s where Jesus died to wash away our sins and make us eternally right with God. We preach it, sing about it, share it with others, pattern our relationships after it, and suffer gladly because of it. But oddly enough, Jesus’s resurrection isn’t typically regarded the same way. It’s essential to our faith, and we celebrate it with joy, but it just doesn’t seem to have the same real-life effect as the cross. This is the problem Mike McKinley tackles in his fifth book, The Resurrection in Your Life: How the Living Christ Changes Your World, a sequel to his The Cross in Your Life (originally titled Passion: How Christ’s Final Day Changes Your Every Day). Without minimizing the crucial importance of the cross, McKinley argues that believers need to increase their awareness of how Christ’s resurrection affects us. He writes, “The risen Jesus ascended into heaven and poured out his Spirit on his people so that we can live our lives in his resurrection power” (11).

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SOLID AUTHOR McKinley is a shining example of a new generation of biblically strong Christian leaders. He has proven himself an able pastor and author. Trained at Westminster Theological Seminary, McKinley is the lead pastor of Sterling Park Baptist Church in Virginia and has been involved in pastoral ministry for more than a decade, including time on the pastoral staff of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Mark Dever’s positive influence can be seen in both Mike’s preaching and his writing. With this kind of background, I wasn’t surprised to find The Resurrection in Your Life to be a biblically solid publication. Readers are pushed in every paragraph to consider and reconsider the biblical texts that detail Christ’s resurrection and subsequent events. SOLID TOPIC McKinley labors to demonstrate why Christ’s resurrection isn’t an afterthought, some event merely tacked on to deal with a dead body. On the contrary, it has major theological and practical implications for how we understand our Lord’s present and future ministries on earth as well as how we understand our role today in his continuing story of redemption. McKinley shows that, because of the resurrection, death is now defeated—a fact that should dramatically alter how Christians make decisions and handle trials. He also explains how the resurrection leads to the ascension—with Christ now seated on his throne in full authority. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came in power on Pentecost. And the Spirit of the risen Christ fills believers, organizes them into churches, and sends them to the ends of the earth with the gospel. All of these are happening today because Jesus is a living Savior. One of McKinley’s most helpful illustrations appears as he reflects on how the Emmaus road disciples may have felt when they finally realized they were speaking with Jesus (Luke 24:13–35). He tells the story of a well-known television program that sent New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey to the streets of New York City to ask people about Matt Harvey. Harvey was in his rookie season and hadn’t been around long enough for most to recognize him. Nevertheless, many knew about him since he was having such a phenomenal season—he was all the buzz among Mets fans. So Harvey, with microphone in hand, asked stranger after stranger what they think of Matt Harvey. People offered their opinions, having no idea that they were speaking directly to him. At the

end of each interview Harvey revealed his true identity, and everyone responded with a hilarious look of total shock. This is how the disciples must have felt when it suddenly struck them that the stranger they’d been speaking with about Jesus was, in fact, Jesus. The Resurrection in Your Life has a number of similarly inviting stories that shed light on the Scriptures. MINOR WEAKNESS The Resurrection in Your Life originated in a series of sermons through the end of Luke’s Gospel and the beginning of Acts. It’s admittedly difficult to transform sermons into a book, but I think the volume could have been further edited to give it more of a book feel and less of a “collection of sermons” feel. The temptation is to take sermon manuscripts and keep them basically as they are—one sermon per chapter. But this can create problems with flow and continuity. Though McKinley no doubt worked hard on the transitions and was mostly effective in the process, more could have been done to create a smoother flow from chapter to chapter. WHO SHOULD READ IT Expectations are important. If you’re searching for a scholarly treatment of the resurrection or a Gary Habermastype apologetic, this isn’t the book for you. Those simply aren’t McKinley’s goals. But if you want to spend quality time meditating on the glory and power of Jesus, then The Resurrection in Your Life will not disappoint. It is terrific devotional reading material. Additionally, those looking for a small group study will find a strong candidate in this encouraging and readable volume (there are helpful discussion questions and inspiring hymn lyrics provided at the end of each chapter). Does the resurrection of Christ matter for our daily lives today? Yes, in every way. And McKinley’s new book does an outstanding job showing readers how. I hope it is widely read, sparking celebrations of the glories of the risen and living Christ. Jason Dollar serves as pastor of Rock Mountain Lakes Baptist Church in McCalla, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. His books (including an updated version of Jonathan Edwards's The End for Which God Created the World) and sermons can be found at Glory Focus, where he also blogs regularly. Jason is married to Page, and they have five children. Used with permission from The Gospel Coalition. www.the gospelcoalition.org

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More encouraging blog posts can be found at: RedeemerBibleChurch.com/resources/how_i_met_jesus

Bill & Cindi Walsh BILL WALSH BILL WALSH I grew up in an unbelieving but moral family. I was baptized as a Lutheran and my parents took me to church only rarely, mainly on Christmas and Easter. Faith was not a part of our daily life. As far back as I can see in our family tree, there are no believers. My dad had the most influence over me in areas of life philosophy. He was and is a modernist at heart, very much into scientific knowledge, rationalism and empiricism. But, we also were raised with a deep sense of moral uprightness, duty, and responsibility, for which I am mostly thankful. My father drove me, as the first-born, quite hard and I grew up with a strong sense of performance driven-ness. Rarely did I measure up to standards that he set, and rarely did I receive commendation. He never was one to admit that he was wrong, and there was, at times, an underlying shaming if I didn’t perform well enough in school, sports, duties, and such. This made me quite insecure in my growing up years and it still affects me to this day, through fear of man manifest in various ways in my soul. When I was 16 years old, growing up in Hudson, Wisconsin, we found out that my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought it through treatment for a year or so. At some point, it was known that she would likely not survive it. That was not made clear to us children until close to the end. My dad, for various reasons, 20

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decided to relocate the whole family to Southern Oregon, near where both his and my mom’s families were from, ostensibly to get the support of family, while ignoring the tremendous support network that we had in Hudson. So, when I was 17 years old, we sold our house, packed everything up and left Hudson. This was devastating to me because it was my senior year in high school. I had to leave my hometown, all my friends, my girlfriend, my swim team and my high school, and go to a town where I knew no one, and had no support. The day that I left, my Catholic evangelical girlfriend gave me a Living Bible in which she had spent evenings underlining important verses for me to read. The day that my dad and I left town, we began a drive across the country to move our cars from the Midwest out to Oregon. As we drove through the Twin Cities, I somehow managed to get separated from following my dad’s car. So I was in downtown Minneapolis, sitting in my car for hours, hoping he would turn around and find me, but he did not do that. He kept going. I felt abandoned and alone. After several hours, lost, sitting in my car, I became increasingly distraught. In desperation, for the first time ever in my life, I reached out for the Bible, on the dash of my car, in an attempt to console myself. Through my tears, I prayed for God to help me in this situation in which I did not know what to do. The idea eventually came to me

that I should look at the map and try to find my way out of the city, and get on Highway 94 heading west. I did that, and ended up calling a family friend back in Hudson who told me my dad was waiting at a hotel for me in St. Cloud. After re-establishing ourselves in Medford, Oregon, a month later my mom worsened and died on Halloween night, October 31st, 1979. The whole last week of her life, each night, I lay on my bed and cried. I felt as though my world was crumbling all around me and I was being ripped apart from the inside. During those times, I would reach my hands up in the air and cry out from my soul for God to come and help me. I didn’t have an understanding of the Gospel, but I somehow knew that I was desperate for God to come into my life. I did this throughout the week of my mom’s death. I did not realize what was happening to me, but this whole time, God was wooing my heart towards him. In my desperation, I found my soul hungering for comfort and reaching out to him. The amazing thing is that no one else in my family had this response, and to this day, they have not trusted Christ. God graciously plucked me out and called me his own, rescuing me from my sin. I began right away to hunger for reading the Bible. I also decided that I needed to start going to church. It just so happened that a girl down the street, who went to my high school, was a Christian and invited me to go to church. I began to go weekly on my own. Very soon after this, I was corresponding with a friend back in Hudson who was a Christian. I told her what was going on and she wrote back that she thought I had become born again. She explained to me from

How I Met Jesus the Scriptures what that meant and I began to recognize that this was what God had done in me. Later I was water baptized by a high school teacher who was a believer. I kept going to church and other Bible studies. I have never really looked back, or been seriously tempted to turn away from the Lord. Since that time I have always been part of a church and Christian community. I have always had a hunger to understand the Bible and incorporate it into my life. I have generally always had a desire to know Christ more deeply and walk with him. The Lord has been very gracious to me in that he has led my wife and I through many stages of Christian growth over the decades. I have seen some Christians who seem to be somewhat stuck at a certain level of limited understanding of biblical teaching, and stay there for years. But, somehow God has graciously moved us every so often, into new territories of understanding the Gospel more deeply than we knew was possible. This has happened to me over and over again. Most particular was the watershed year of 2005 when I read Luther’s Commentary on Galatians and experienced the grace of God in my justification like never before. It has been very much like a journey through a hill country. You climb up one hill not really knowing what’s on the other side. But then you come over the crest and discover new vistas you didn’t know existed. Sure, there are parts of the climb that are very hard and you’re not sure you can make it. But God gives greater grace and each view ends up being more wonderful, yet more humbling than the one before. And all during the journey, I have grown closer to my Savior Jesus Christ, who adopted me into his family,

gave me a perfect righteousness that he earned on my behalf, and bore my sins on the Cross, so that I could be free to join creation in being restored, to worship him forever. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10)

CINDI WALSH CINDI WALSH I was raised in a Christian home, the youngest of four children. We attended the small Baptist church where my dad was raised outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Overall, the church was relatively dead spiritually but my parents and grandparents had a strong faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This faith was woven into the fabric of our lives. I don't know the specific date and time when Christ made himself known to me, but I believe that this occurred at a young age. I attended the pastor's class when I was 11 years old. In this class, we were taught about the history of the Baptist Church and about our call to practice our faith on a daily basis. After completing this class, I was baptized to be obedient to display publically what was true in my heart, that Jesus was the Lord of my life and that I was dead, and now made alive through him. Shortly after my baptism, God was very gracious to show himself to me in deeper and deeper ways. A singing group came to our church and sang with an excitement and love that I had not seen. Their example sent me to my knees in worship to Jesus in a new way. The next fall, in my 6th

grade year, a new girl from England came to our school. Her father was a pastor starting a church in our neighborhood (Dr. Stuart Briscoe, Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, WI). As we became friends, I started to attend the youth meetings at her church. Unlike the church that I had grown up in, the pastor did expository teaching and I hungered for more and more. As long as I attended my parents’ church with them on Sunday mornings, they allowed me to attend this church as often as I liked. I basically grew up there- being involved in their activities, Bible studies and services from 6th grade through high school graduation. I was involved as a student, leader in training, and then leader. My spiritual journey has taken several turns, all of which have included serving the Lord- from the Baptist church of my upbringing, to the interdenominational church in my youth, to another Baptist church in college until a severe relationship breakup lead me to a charismatic church. In that church, I met my husband, and through various circumstances, felt the sure presence of the Lord both with me and in our relationship. We attended several charismatic churches until the Lord led us to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. I am extremely grateful to the Lord for his faithfulness to direct this journey. A journey where each leg has brought me closer to him in ways that I didn't know was even possible. I believe that the call to Redeemer Bible Church is the next leg of that journey. // RBC

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Children's Discipleship

Fighter Verses for the Fight of Faith! scripture is worth our every, intense effort. What is the secret to memorizing God’s word? As with any spiritual discipline, we have help:

By Betty Dodge

“

he grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

God’s word is eternal, steadfast, sure. His promises are like a mountain, a rock that cannot be moved. Nothing can, or ever will, change what God has said. Every word that goes forth from his mouth will accomplish the purposes for which he has sent it. “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day – Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors; Your statutes have been my songs; Your promise is well tried and your servant loves it.” (Psalm 119 ,selected verses). We can say with the psalmist that we love God’s word; it is our song and our delight. Why then is it such a challenge to commit God’s word to memory? The Bible tells us that if we will faithfully store up God’s Word in our minds and hearts, there will be countless benefits in our daily fight for faith. Memorizing

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• The Holy Spirit causes us to hunger for the word and he equips us with it for the fight of faith. • Trust in the Lord. Rely on him and ask his help to accomplish this great work in our lives. • Fight for the joy of knowing God’s word. Remember we have an enemy who does not want us to know the joy of having God’s word sunk deep in our souls. As Martin Luther once wrote, Satan knows “one little word will fell him – that Word above all earthly powers.” • Persevere in this good work in the strength of his might, fixing our eyes on Jesus. • Put in place joyful, encouraging accountability. Church-wide memorization of the same passages of scripture will bring about more fruit in individual memorization as we sharpen one another. • Begin memorizing and soon God surprises us with increased ability to memorize and treasure his word. He trains our minds and tunes our hearts to love his word and feast on it more and more. • Memorizing Fighter Verses, the testimonies and promises of God,

will help you gain victory in the fight of faith. On January 10th, Redeemer began a year of church-wide memorization of God’s word using Set 1 of Fighter Verses. (Learn more about Fighter Verses and the many resources for Set 1 at www.fighterverses.com). If you haven’t already picked one up, there are bookmarks available at the Welcome Center that give memorization tips and lists the weekly verse references. Meditation on the weekly Fighter Verse passage is helpful in preparing your heart for our gathered worship times and can inform your prayers in your personal devotions. Households, families, and Community Groups may want to structure their devotional times using the Fighter Verses Discussion Guide that provides discussion starters for each week's passage (found on the Fighter Verse website). By memorizing the weekly Fighter Verses, we will understand more fully the motivation of the psalmist in Psalm 119 – the more we memorize, the more our love for God’s unchangeable Word deepens, the more we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the more we overflow in praise to him. Let us wield the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6) and fight the fight of faith together in 2016.

Global Partners Update

A God Who Makes All Things New By Mike Wicker

“

orgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Last December, Pastor Brown Dor, one of my Sudanese students at Cru’s International Leadership University (ILU), invited me to speak on reconciliation at the South Sudan Massacre Commemoration. Unfortunately, I could not make it but instead sent a speech to be read at the commemoration. Rather than writing on the theoretical points of peace and reconciliation, I made the speech more personal. I shared the story about my personal journey of experiencing forgiveness with Christ and my teenage daughter, Susanna, when she became pregnant. Below, is an excerpt of Pastor Brown's encouraging response to me and my story. Prof. Mike, I read your story as a speech and gave an apology to the audience that you were unable to be here because the time we were commemorating was not convenient but next year you will be around. Most people who heard your story were amazed on how you forgave your daughter for the wrong she had done. In most cultures she could not be forgiven. Three people came to me afterward and requested a copy of your story. Your story was very captivating and thrilling. Thank you for your support for this ministry.

There is hope when we travel along the “Redemption Road” where we experience God’s forgiveness through Christ’s work on the cross. There is hope when Pastor Brown forgives those who massacred his relatives and friends in South Sudan. There is hope when we forgive our teenage daughter for becoming pregnant. Although it is hard to forgive, God commands us to forgive those who wrong us. “Bear with one another and forgive one another, if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13) God is repainting a new canvas in our family. Susanna and our 3-yearold grandson, Jayce live with us. In December, Shane the father to Jayce, trusted Christ as his Savior! We attended his baptism on January 3, 2016. The Lord is replacing our shame with significance and willing to forgive us for our wrongs, but also to pour his love on us again and again. He is making

beauty out of ashes. We are living out Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in his time” and the song by Gungor: You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of the dust You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of us May the God of all comfort, lead our friends at Redeemer Bible Church and those in Sudan and Africa to experience the redeeming work of Christ's forgiveness and reconciliation. // RBC

Pictured Below: Mike with Pastor Brown (with hat) and some of the board members of the Africa Recovery and Development Peace Mission. Their mission is to conduct Christian reconciliation and healing workshops and give aid to the orphans and widows as a result of the war in Sudan.

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Highlights from the Gospel Life Blog

Why We Can Embrace Trials By Katie Campbell

here are times when we are faced with circumstances that we would not have chosen for ourselves: illness, financial hardship, a wayward child, a distant spouse, the loss of a friendship, a tarnished reputation. What is the right response to finding yourself in a circumstance you don't desire? In Genesis, we can read about Joseph and all of the circumstances he endured that he wouldn't have chosen for himself. His brothers despised him, plotted against him, and sold him as a slave. He was falsely accused, wrongly imprisoned, and then forgotten. That is, until the day Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and warn of an impending famine. As a result, Pharaoh gave Joseph a new station in life that took him from prisoner to ruler of Egypt. In this new role, Joseph put in place a plan in which he stored up food for seven 24

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years so that, during the seven years of famine, the people would not perish. As it turned out, Joseph's own (betraying) family would not perish either. An amazing part of the story is when Joseph was once again in the presence of his brothers, now as their superior and provider of food, he did not turn them away out of bitterness and anger. He understood that God's plan had been in place the entire span of his life bringing him, his brothers, and all of Egypt to where they were. Genesis 45:7-8 says, "But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God." That two-word phrase at the end of Joseph's statement contains everything we need to know for rest and peace and comfort in any circumstance. But God has allowed any and all circumstances to come into our path for His purposes. Why is that comforting? Because of who that God is! He is trustworthy and loving! We can fully put our trust in the God described in Deuteronomy 32:4 which says, "His work is perfect, for all

His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He." We can understand more fully Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for us when we remember how He sent His Son to live a life where He experienced suffering reminiscent of Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, but this time it was to bring eternal salvation to all who would believe. Jesus endured being despised, falsely accused, betrayed, rejected, sold, and killed all to the Glory of His Father and for our salvation. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8 // RBC

Highlights from the Gospel Life Blog More encouraging blog posts can be found at: RedeemerBibleChurch.com/resources/blog

The Church Is More Than Sermons By Bill Walsh

hank God for preaching.

All my Christian life I have heard sermons, read sermons, listened to sermons. I’ve read them on long flights over the oceans. I’ve listened to them while jogging. I’ve reread and re-listened to the great ones. I’ve even preached sermons. Sermons have changed my life… literally. They are mere words, but words have tremendous power. God does amazing things with words. Preaching is a gift to the church. And so are preachers. As with any gift, there has to be a Giver. We all know who the Giver is, but we often forget. In our flesh, we begin to lift up the gift instead of the Giver. The gift is merely a conduit of love and care coming from our Heavenly Father who wants to speak to His church. And He does speak to us…powerfully. But, the church is more than sermons. When you think of church what picture comes to your mind? Probably, people sitting in chairs or pews, listening to a sermon. It’s just too easy for us to define church by what happens in the pulpit. We tend to think of church as a building where preaching happens.

That’s not the biblical vision of church. It’s much more. • The church is what happens before and after the service when you are spending time with your brothers and sisters, sharing about real life. • The church is when you get a call or a text from someone in your small group asking for emergency prayer late in the evening. • The church is setting up tables for an evening fellowship meal. • The church is taking a meal to a family who is suffering. • The church is a team going overseas together in mission. • The church is serving others week after week in an unseen vital role. • The church is your community group, studying together, praying together, doing life together. • The church is even your private time with the Lord in the morning, meditating on a passage of scripture and offering up secret prayer. • The church is taking your faith into your workplace and asking the Lord to make you a light shining in the darkness.

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4,5) The church is actually You. And it’s Us. God has raised You from the dead and made You a living stone that is part of Us – a spiritual house. And He is building that house into something amazing, holy, and eternal. Incredibly, God is assembling a living structure made up of a people that He has purchased and redeemed at the greatest cost we could imagine. The foundation of that spiritual house is the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, who lovingly gave Himself as a ransom for many. For us. Oh Lord, overturn our misconceptions and give us a new vision for who we are. We are Your church. // RBC

The church is more than a building, more than a room full of pews, more than a pulpit. The biblical vision of church is radically different. MARCH & APRIL 2016 \\ MOMENTUM

Women's Ministry Update

By Oscar Huerta

hy all the focus on Women’s Ministry these last few months? Mainly, we believe Christ would like to revive a crucial ministry that strengthens Redeemer. A healthy women’s ministry undergirds a healthy church family. "But as for you [Titus], teach what accords with sound [healthy] doctrine. . . Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior . . . They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women . . . that the word of God may not be reviled." (Titus 2:1-5 ESV)

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The apostle Paul commands Titus to teach the natural outcomes of “sound [healthy] doctrine”. One of the natural overflows of gospel teaching is the encouragement of older women to disciple (“train”) younger women. In fact, the reputation of the “word of God” – its very validity to the world – hinges on the ongoing successful transference of this important task: older women teaching younger women. So in the last few weeks, the Women’s Ministry leadership team is continuing to meet in prayer, to grow together relationally and to hear from one another how they might fulfill their calling as a core ministry to the church’s “soundness” and health. Patti Wessner and Jen Carter – both with leadership backgrounds in Bible Study Fellowship – have joined the team

to underscore our church’s commitment to strengthening our biblical gospel rootedness for our sisters at Redeemer. Please pray for them all as they seek the Lord together. Grateful to God for Christ’s shepherding of our sisters and us all, Oscar on behalf of the elders

Financial Update FY (FISCAL YEAR)

1.2 M 1M

$882,663 $174,000

800 K 600 K 400 K

YEAR END GIVING NEEDED

2015/16 FY BUDGET PROJECTED

200 K

$642,388

2015/16 FY PROJECTED GIVING

10 Provisions & Promises from God for our Giving from 2 Corinthians 9:10 By Bill Walsh

“

e who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." This is a wonderful promise from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It is packed with implications for our financial support of Redeemer Bible Church.

3. God is the source of all spiritual seed that will be planted for the Kingdom’s sake, no matter through what means it comes. 4. God will provide food for us, and will provide over and above so that we have extra with which to be generous towards others. He promises to take care of us, so we need not worry about this, but can concentrate on blessing those around us. 5. Extra seed is for sowing and not mainly for our own consumption.

1. God alone is the source of our daily bread for food. Everything we have is a gift from the Father of lights, with whom there is no shadow of turning.

6. God will take the small amount of seed we appear to have and multiply it in our hands.

2. God is the source of all our physical seed no matter through what human means it comes.

7. God promises that there will be a great harvest from the seed planting that we do.

8. God’s job, providing a harvest, is one only he can do. Our job, seed planting, is a small job. 9. God promises that by his grace, there will be an increase in the harvest. 10. God provides the righteousness that is at the foundation of this sowing and harvesting, through the power of the Gospel, which is our salvation by Christ alone. All of these provisions and promises serve as the foundation and the motivation for our giving in support of our church family and all ministries that are born in and through RBC. // RBC

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New Members

Welcome to the Family!

Rick & Betty Dodge

Paul & Megan Gustafson

Erik & Angie Kuch

Lori Myers

Dale & Amie Stinson 28

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Affinity Groups DORCAS DAMES The Dorcas Dames are named after a disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) who was a well-known and wellloved seamstress in the Bible (read Acts 9:36-42 for her story). If you enjoy sewing, we would love to have you join us in making baby quilts that will be donated. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a fanatic quilter, just plan on having lots of fun!

QUILTING GROUP DATE: Fridays, March 18 & April 15 TIME: 9am - 3pm LOCATION: Ministries Building WHAT TO BRING: Your lunch and sewing machine. For more information, contact Jean Bradford at retrojean@q.com.

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

@ REDEEMER

HILLTOPPERS HillToppers is a great way for Redeemer’s “older” crowd to get connected and have fun (emphasis on fun!). If you are over the proverbial “hill” (50s, 60s, 70s & up), please join us for our next event!

“5TH SATURDAY” BREAKFAST DATE: Saturday, April 30 TIME: 9-11 am LOCATION: Fellowship Hall Please RSVP to Pat York by Wednesday, April 27. Email: yorkp711@yahoo.com Cell: 612.508.4408 Home: 952.473.5196

MARCH 25th 7 PM Childcare provided for 0-4 years.

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Saturday, May 7 8 am - 4 pm

Fellowship Hall

Cost: $35*

or $50 with book, "Everyday Gr ace" by Jessica Thompson

*Continental breakfast and lunch provided. RSVP

Everyday mGrace m

Day Retreat at Redeemer X with

Author

Jessica Thompsonm

Sunday, March 27th | 9 & 11 am Childcare provided for 0-4 year olds.

R E G I O N A L Y O U T H G AT H E R I N G

WED, APRIL 20 | RED EEM ER BIB LE CH U RCH 6 : 3 0 - 8 : 3 0 P M | H O S T E D BY R E D E M PTIO N YO U T H

March

April

SUNDAY // 6th

SUNDAY // 20th

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship 5p | Family Gathering Dinner, Lord's Table & Family Forum

9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT

TUESDAY // 8th

9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 9th 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 13th 9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

TUESDAY // 15th

TUESDAY // 22nd 9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 23rd 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

FRIDAY // 25th 7p | Good Friday Service

SUNDAY // 27th EASTER 9a | Gathered Worship 11a | Gathered Worship

TUESDAY // 29th

9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 16th

WEDNESDAY // 30th

6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

FRIDAY // 18th

6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 3rd

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship Note: No Family Gathering

TUESDAY // 5th 9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 6th

6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 10th

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

TUESDAY // 12th

9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 13th 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

FRIDAY // 15th

9a-3p | Dorcas Dames

SUNDAY // 17th

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship 5:30p | Elder Installation Serivce & Lord's Table

TUESDAY // 19th

9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 20th 6:30p | Redemption Youth One Big Party

SUNDAY // 24th

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

TUESDAY // 26th

9:30a | Women's Book Study 6:30p | Women's Book Study

WEDNESDAY // 27th 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer

SATURDAY // 30th 9-11a | HillToppers Breakfast

*LT (includes the Lord's Table)

Momentum

16205 HIGHWAY 7 | MINNETONKA, MN 55345 P: 952.935.2425 E: INFO@REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM W: WWW.REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM