In this message, Pastor Ruffatto unpacks Jesus’ illustrations of salt and light and what they mean to church congregations today. Christians are challenged to create a thirst for Jesus and to be the light of Truth in a dark world.
Read More
What does an Old Testament prophecy have to say to us today? From Sunday’s Old Testament lesson: “And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”
What does this mean for us today? We don’t live a pastoral, agrarian lifestyle. So, who is Ezekiel talking about, and who is he addressing? Is he actually speaking figuratively? What are the realities he’s talking about in his prophecy? Are the realities still pertinent to us today?
Read More
In our gospel lesson this week, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”And that’s not all. He goes on to say, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
These are difficult words to hear from Jesus. Not much “safe space” in HIs words, are there? But is that really the case? There’s more hope there than may meet the eye.
Read More
How often do you think of God as being “high and far away”? Have you ever thought, “He is up in heaven,” “He is glorious and powerful, and we – well, are not!”?
Read More
At first glance, it seems rather unexpected that Yahweh, the God of Israel, would set out to gather the nations to Himself and save them. The Israelites, not the nations, were Yahweh’s chosen people, His “treasured possession,” a people whom He caringly gathered to Himself. And it seems even more unexpected that Yahweh would use “the nations” to save those nations.
Read More
The Gospel of Peace brings division.
Jesus gives us a peace that the world cannot give, a peace that passes all understanding. This is the peace between God and man. It’s a peace in believers’ hearts. It’s the peace of knowing that our sins are forgiven. Yet, some would like the Gospel to give world peace, a utopia on earth. But that will never happen. Because of sin, Jesus divides like nothing else – even more than politics! Some will believe, and some will refuse.
Read More
This week we look at a passage from Hebrews. We learn:
God Calls Us out of Nothing to Trust His Promises and Follow Him to the Promised Land,
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
- Psalm 100
Through the Work of Jesus, God Has Made Us His People So That We Can Know Him as God – A Way of Giving Thanks.
Read More
We’re not going to be talking about money in this message. The debt we’re talking about is the spiritual debt that sin loads onto our backs. In today’s text we are reminded of how our lives changed when Jesus paid the debt of our sin.
Read More
Jesus crucified and resurrected. This is the one thing necessary that always needs to be preached, because our attention can be so easily diverted away from Jesus. What are the things distracting you from the ONE NECESSARY THING?
Read More
Paul writes that we have been delivered “from the domain of darkness.” (Colossians 1:13) Eve’s sin and Adam’s fall have placed us in dire straits. The wages of our sin is death. We need rescuing. We need deliverance. “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) asks Paul. Only one can. Only one has. Jesus Christ it is.
Given this Great News, what is our response what is the fruit borne from our rescue?
Read More
So why doesn’t God do something about this mess? Where is the power of God? Where is our hope and salvation? Is there any hope for the future?
God has a better plan that the ways and means and plans of this world, even among us His people. Yes, He must punish sin. Yes, we must know the consequences. But feeling some of the darkness only helps us appreciate the light.
Read More