Like fish, we're constantly swimming in the waters of our culture all around us. If we're not careful, we may end up like the church of Pergamum--faithful in some ways but compromised in others. This Sunday we'll hear Jesus' remedy for the church that is compromising in both doctrine and life, and we'll consider: Are there areas of our life, our church's life, in which we're compromising our faith?
Most people in Boston don't worship Jesus. Many don't understand and are even hostile to our faith. How do we persevere and not hide or give up in the face of persecution, not to mention the sufferings day-to-day life? Jesus has an encouraging word for the church in Smyrna, and for us.
This Sunday we welcome Timothy Craig, elder at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Watertown to serve us with God's word. Timothy is from New Hampshire and earned degrees in art from both UNH and BU. He first trusted Christ in his late 20s. After joining an evangelism ministry in San Francisco, Timothy completed seminary and later ministered in Chile and Mexico, before returning to the U.S. in 2021 to serve at Redeemer. He has painted and sold paintings everywhere he goes, but is most passionate about pastoral ministry.
What is the hardest test you’ve ever taken? In our passage this week, Jesus goes from being declared beloved by his Father and empowered by the Spirit, to being led into the wilderness to be tested (or tempted) by the devil. We’ll see in this rich text the reality and strategy of our adversary and the power we have to pass the spiritual tests we encounter in our lives through the victory of Christ.
