Recently we looked at Hebrews 10:24-5: “[24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” God loves the church – he…
Chambersburg, PA
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
Pastor's Thoughts (Page 2)
The following post is by Troy Hostetter, an elder at Redeemer Church: Recent events in the lives of friends and neighbors reminded me again of the need to be merciful to those who are in need of mercy. What follows is a great call to be merciful by D. Martin Lloyd Jones in his Sermon on…
Jack Miller wrote a book entitled “Outgrowing the Ingrown Church”. I’ve only just read the first chapter, but merely reflecting on the title has proven convicting and challenging. Churches easily become ingrown. They easily become self-focused. They easily slip into “maintenance-mode” and “survival-mode” instead of having a sense of urgency and mission. Both corporately and…
(The following is an excerpt from the Easter sermon) Just yesterday, Amy and I went to a funeral and took our daughter with us. It was her first funeral, and, being only 20 months old, she was oblivious to what was happening. While others were somber, grieving, weeping, she was smiling, laughing, exclaiming “Hi pup!” (she loves dogs and…
At the end of each year I look over what I read the previous year and sort of make a mental note of which books I read that were worth reading again sometime or recommending to others. I thought I’d put it in writing in case you are looking for something to read in the…
Dear Redeemer, It is the end of 2014, New Year’s Eve as I’m writing. And so, it’s time to reminisce. Looking Back: A lot has happened this year for our church: first and foremost, it came into existence! Still as a “Mission” church, but just a year ago we were meeting informally at the Hostetter’s house…
In follow up to my overview of Hebrews, I thought I’d make a couple suggestions about how to prepare to learn from the book of Hebrews. 1. Read the entire book. 2. Repeat step #1, three times. Or more. 3. As you read, don’t make “understanding everything” your goal. Just try to become familiar with…
We’re beginning a new series on the book of Hebrews. I’ve come to love the book of Hebrews. I’ve studied it numerous times, and am fairly certain that most of those times I didn’t really understand it (not to claim that I’ve mastered it this time! Probably next time I study it I’ll say the…
I’ve been preaching through Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”. If someone is familiar with any of the teaching of Jesus, then chances are it is this sermon. In the words of John Stott, this sermon “is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it…