Renew Covenant Church Sermons

Jesus heals a man who had been ill for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Unable to reach the healing waters, the man explains his situation to Jesus. Jesus tells him, “Get up, pick up your mat and walk.” The man obeys and is immediately healed. What is the interplay between faith, grace, and effort in this healing? What does it look like for us to pick up our mats and walk when we haven't been able to before? What does it mean to "want to be healed?"

Pastor Alison preaches from Mark 3:1-6.

To preach Jesus is to preach healing. Only Luke records the healing of Malchus’ (ref. John) ear. In a situation where violence could rule the day and evil would “have its hour” Jesus would perform a miraculous healing and restoration on a rather seemingly insignificant body part. But this ‘little’ healing truly highlights the contrast of Kingdoms. Jesus in his incarceration chooses non-violence and even loving touch, when vengeance could easily have won the day. This is who we proclaim and worship!

“People of color have endured traumatic histories and almost daily assaults on their dignity.” The answer is not in “just getting over it,” or to simply “pray more,” and definitely not in denial or venting in anger/violence. We collectively need to recognize and acknowledge racial trauma and pursue active healing corporately. In fact, all of us, people of color and white people carry the history of racial trauma in our bodies, and it is literally passed on through our DNA through generations, cit. Resmaa Menakem “My Grandmother’s Hands”

Guillermo Jiménez talks about the Lord as our Banner.

We are paralyzed by body comparisons, self-loathing, discomfort in our own skin, etc. Some of us have wrestled with eating disorders or attempts to make artificial changes to our appearance. Especially in this age of social media we are comparing ourselves to altered-cyber selves. Filters, photoshop, and extreme models all skew our perception of beauty. But we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are beautiful. The church is called to be prophetically counter-culture for the healing and renewal of humanity.

Pastor Alison continues our conversation around healing.

We pause here to collect ourselves, recenter, and consider what it means to live lives in pursuit of health and transformation. Self-love: embrace yourself and who god has made you to be. Continue to pursue healing from pain/brokenness from the past; knowing your limitations and boundaries; spiritual rhythms: sabbath and rest; develop skills for loving others well.

The Church is the body of Christ, but we have hurt one another.

There is deep hurt, wounding, and trauma that each of us have experienced in our lifetime. Physical and or Sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, the death of a significant relationship. Physical trauma and harm. Crisis and disaster. What does it mean to healthily go “through” trauma and forward into renewal and redemption. Deliverance “through” vs. “From”

We continue in our Healing series and address our families of origin and how family patterns can continue generationally and create hindrances to love in our lives today. God in his infinite Grace and Mercy can heal us and redeem these "family curses" for his glory and purposes.

We begin a series on inner healing and transformation. The God of peace is constantly at work to make us more whole in spirit, soul, and body–he will faithfully bring our healing and wholeness to completion. What is our part? Are we willing to roll up our sleeves and open ourselves up to this process?

Before his ascension, Jesus tells his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, then they will receive power from the HS and will be His witnesses to the world. The Holy Spirit is essential to the empowerment of the disciples for the mission. At the same time Jesus words teach them the importance of waiting for God’s promises.

This passage highlights the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian faith and the recognition that the Holy Spirit’s work transcends cultural boundaries. It emphasizes unity and acceptance within the early Christian community.

Philip and the man from Ethiopia. In the post resurrection life, we are led and discipled by the Spirit who takes us off the beaten path

God doesn't "protect" us in the sense of shielding us from pain, nor grief, nor doubt. But when our journey includes those things, God our protector is right beside us and won't let us get lost.

Resurrection Sunday, Epilogue Part 2 Wondering is the first step toward understanding, but we are invited to not sit in our confusion forever. We are invited to see Jesus’ presence in our lives, relying on Him to inform our understanding of the Scriptures and inspire us to share the Good News.

Resurrection Sunday, Epilogue Part 1 When Jesus’ loved ones found the tomb empty, they were “perplexed” with what must be going on. Often in life we expect to be able to have access to all the answers, immediately, when in reality we are invited into a holy place of humility and wonder

We often become paralyzed by our worries, fears, and doubts. The are obstacles on the journey that seem insurmountable, that cause us to fret. The women going to Jesus’ tomb worry about the large stone that will have to be rolled away. In our tunnel vision we don’t see the amazing good news God has been

Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9’s prophecy. His “royal” entry is contra the Roman empire and the scene is set for a confrontation. The crowd’s enthusiastic response reflects hope in Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. However, Holy Week events lead to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion. We examine the complexity of victory and suffering, and our choices in the midst of this. This passage invites us to reflect on our own responses to Jesus—faithful commitment or doubt