Being truthful is foundational in the sanctification process. We must be willing to embrace truth and not harden our hearts against it. Pastor Scott explores the concept of repentance, and explains how Satan wants to deceive us concerning shallow vs. deep repentance. Shallow repentance results in a shallow relationship with God, whereas deep repentance brings us into a deep, intimate relationship with God. Only deep repentance, complete honesty with God (who searches and knows our real heart-motives), and a ruthless removal of sin allows the Holy Spirit to work in us and change us over the course of our lives.
Bloom: Prayerful
God's desire is for us to burst into full bloom spiritually, and Pastor Scott delivers a powerful exhortation about prayer. A deep, intimate, and effective prayer life is God's will for us. Despite all the promises in scripture that accompany prayer, we neglect it at times. Scott explores different obstacles that we must work through in order to have a deeper prayer life, encouraging us not to compartmentalize prayer, but to allow it to permeate every part of our lives.
Bloom: Introduction
Pastor Scott introduces a new series concerning the motivation of our hearts as we pursue God. God always wants to bring us somewhere, not to stay just where we are right now. He has much more in mind: for us to grow and bloom in Him. We can be saved, but remain stagnant and unfruitful in our lives. This upcoming series will address issues such as extracting sin, perseverance, meekness, standing firm and rooted in deep communion with God, prayer, forgiveness, trusting God, purity, work ethic, and other topics that explore and reveal the work we are responsible for, in our partnership with God in the process of sanctification. Our lives are no longer our own. We should desire to live a life for God in full bloom.
Ren Vision + Mission: Devotion to the Local Church
Within a local church body, all the parts of the body need to function well together, and everyone is gifted uniquely to contribute to the body and play a role. Pastor Scott offers some vision about the ways in which our devotion to a local church body can create a catalyst for spiritual awakening and transformation, and create a dwelling place for God's presence. He then offers a specific call to Ren Core membership, and encourages us to be fully devoted to the Ren body.
Easter 2016
Pastor Scott unpacks Mark 16, and the astonishment that comes when we (like Mary Magdalene, Mary, Salome and the disciples) first realize that Jesus is actually alive, raised from the dead, now Lord and King and Savior of the universe. Something supernatural happens when the Holy Spirit makes the truth real. We stop hearing and seeing in the natural, but hear and see with our hearts. Scott also offers an exhortation against soul weariness: God is merciful and compassionate, and gives power to the weak.
Love Story: Resurrection
Pastor Scott unpacks Mark 16, and the astonishment that comes when we (like Mary Magdalene, Mary, Salome and the disciples) first realize that Jesus is actually alive, raised from the dead, now Lord and King and Savior of the universe. Something supernatural happens when the Holy Spirit makes the truth real. We stop hearing and seeing in the natural, but hear and see with our hearts. Scott also offers an exhortation against soul weariness: God is merciful and compassionate, and gives power to the weak.
Standalone Sermons: Make Sure We're Not a Stumbling Block
Paul Moon delivers a Passover sermon on Matthew 21:12-13, when Jesus enters the Court of the Gentiles in the temple, and defends them and removes the stumbling blocks holding them back from experiencing God in a deeper way. We avoid being a stumbling block by being filled to overflowing with the Spirit, glorifying God, and becoming a clear path to Him without restrictions. Paul then offers some practical steps to achieve this in deeper ways.
Standalone Sermons: What's So Great About The Great Commission?
John Michaelson delivers a compelling and inspiring sermon about Matthew 28:18-20, and explores five reasons why it's great: 1. Jesus is great, 2. disciples of Jesus are great, 3. the news is great, 4. the Holy Spirit is great, and 5. being commissioned is great.
Love Story: Eternity
For many, the concept of eternity seems unreal, so we only focus on things of the world. Popular culture has created a shallow notion of Heaven. But for the Christian, death is a promotion – a transition from this world to something much greater. Pastor Scott paints a vision of the new Heaven and Earth as presented in scripture, and urges us to live in the light of eternity.
Love Story: New Birth
Being "born again" in Christ means He has regenerated us; we are regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. There are dramatic implications of rebirth in our lives: we go from spiritual blindness to sight; we stand on solid ground; we receive a new heart and are cleansed from the inside out. Everyone has a different experience, but those who have truly been regenerated know, without doubt or question, that they are a new creation thanks to Jesus. Pastor Scott talks very personally about his own experience of being born again.