In the midst of heartache and loss it can be extremely hard to see where God is at work, or even if He is at work. Naomi was there – Famine, death, loss, bitter circumstances that seemed to cling to her. But Ruth clung to her with love and loyal devotion, and God did too. Upon their return to Bethlehem, glimpses of a new story about to be written over the dark chapters of their lives begin to emerge. Come see God’s hand of providence as Ruth leaned into obedience in a foreign land … and ask the question: How do we take the initiative to obey, confident that God works in unlikely places?

God wastes nothing is His commitment to preserve His people and advance His glory-cause in the world. During a tumultuous time for the Old Testament people of God, we are given the answer to the chaos in the little book of Ruth. The answer is God’s King, and the journey involves darkness, but hope is always around the corner. Come see God’s hand of providence amid famine, death, and disappointment … and ask the question: How do you face dark disappointment with a believing heart?

You were built for relationships! A divine blueprint was established in the first two chapters of the Bible. But only one chapter later what you were built for becomes blocked by sin and its lingering effects. Yet, through the Gospel, that blueprint in redeemed. It is only as your relationship with Christ is established and growing that your human relationships will flourish as God designed. So, let’s follow God’s design!

If God is committed to His own glory, then our chief aim must be a commitment to His glory as well. And if the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, we must be confident of just what it looks like to do that. In understanding what the Bible says about glorifying God, we can than obediently and joyfully live to the glory of God. Oh, the freedom that comes from knowing how to order our days, and all that fills them, so that we operate as God designed for His glory and for our joy!

God will not share His glory with another! In other words, He’s a jealous God. So many times, in the Scriptures, we see those who tried to get God on their side, to fight for their cause. But guess what? God, jealous for His own glory, doesn’t take sides. He fights for Himself, stands for His glory, and isn’t manipulated by our clever ploys to get Him to bless us. If God is passionately committed to His own glory, then we must fight against all that stands against His glory, in our hearts and in our obedience. Understanding our God-centered God ought to produce in us a Glory-Centered joy.

This Sunday, we are taking the opportunity to discuss five current cultural idols that are shaping our generation and how we equip our youth to be salt and light in this culture. Rather than standing on the outside and critiquing the culture, it is our hearts desire that our young people would engage with the culture and share the good news of the person of Jesus Christ.

Our vision at Redeemer is to help people everywhere find their ultimate satisfaction in Christ the Redeemer. If we are going to help them find their ultimate satisfaction, we have to Winsomely talk to unbelievers about the Gospel. Paul gives the church in Colassae very practical instructions on evangelism that applies to every Christ follower, then and now.

At Redeemer, we want to be a church that is focused on the deepest parts of us: our hearts. We want to be more concerned about our affections than our behavior because wrong living always flows from wrong loving. The Apostle James will help us see if we have left our first love and begun loving/ worshipping a counterfeit god to try to extract from it what only God can give. This text will help us identify and repent from idolatry which is best understood as spiritual adultery!