Luke 23:50-56
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Have you ever been outside right after the wrath of a hurricane or major storm? It’s almost shocking how peaceful and gentle the weather feels. This week we’ll be examining the calm after the storm of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. It would be tempting to jump right past this part of the story to get to the finale of the resurrection, but Jesus bids us to pause in the silence of the moment. See you on Sunday.
Luke 23:26-31
Rev. Charlie Phillips
According to a recent study, the average American spends 8 hours a day sleeping. This isn’t surprising news. What is surprising is that the average American spends 3 hours a day watching tv, 2.5 hours perusing social media, 1 hour eating, 45 minutes in food preparation, 40 minutes in personal grooming, 35 minutes on household chores, and 30 minutes playing games. Add that all to a typical American work day and you realize that the average American doesn’t have much time left for other important things…like thinking! The truth is that most people simply don’t spend any meaningful amount of time thinking deeply. We struggle to be contemplative. But as we’ll see in our text this week, Jesus highly values deep thinking and contemplation. Join us this Sunday as we dive into Luke 23:26-31.
Luke 23:6-25
Rev. Doug McNutt
Pilate is a villain who has a complete failure of nerve—even thought he knows Jesus is innocent—he gives into the crowds in a cowardly fashion. Jesus behind the scenes is the true hero of our salvation. There is a failure of nerve today in both the world and the church, not doing the right we know we should, like Pilate. But the gentle hero of our salvation holds all the strength we need for true spiritual leadership if we look to him today for it.
Of all of Jesus' characteristics that Paul savors most in his old age, it’s his patience. In 1st Timothy 1, Paul shows us what Jesus' patience looked like in his life, why Jesus is patient toward us, and how his patience affords us the privilege of bearing patiently with each other. What's the significance of all this? Author Dane Ortlund put it best: “Given the depths of our sinfulness, the fact that Jesus has not yet cast us off proves that his deepest impulse and delight is patient gentleness. It’s not just that Jesus IS patient. Jesus loves bearing patiently with his sheep, IN our infirmities and weaknesses. Even in his correction of us.
Ben is the campus minister at UGA RUF. He's originally from Marietta and went to UGA. It was during the tail end of his undergrad years that God grabbed a hold of him and brought him to new life in Jesus. During his time in Athens, he also went to grad school, served as an RUF intern, and met Anna—his wife of 10 years now. After finishing the RUF internship, he moved to Philadelphia to attend seminary and begin married life with Anna. Anna and Ben share life and a boatload of chaos with their four "chublets"—Eli (7), Addie (6), Noah (4), and Evangeline (2). Prior to serving RUF students at UGA, they ministered to RUF students for 5 years at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.
It’s estimated that roughly 20,000 people or one percent of the prison population were wrongfully convicted. It’s a frightening thing to think that an innocent person could be sentenced to prison. But it’s even more unthinkable that a perfectly sinless person could be condemned—not to prison—but to death. This Sunday we begin the trial of Jesus by the Jewish and Roman courts—legal proceedings completely devoid of justice. Join us as we enter the last few hours of Jesus’ life.
Luke 22:54-62
Rev. Charlie Phillips
This Sunday as we steadily approach the crucifixion we’ll study Peter’s three-fold denial of Jesus. As you prepare for Sunday ask yourself these questions—“What is my attitude towards sin? How susceptible am I to the wiles of sin? How far am I from committing a grievous sin like Peter’s?” Alongside these questions ask yourself this—“How powerful is grace? What can/will grace do for me when I’m at my lowest?” Join us this Sunday as we study the effects of sin and grace.
Matthew 4:23-5:2
Rev. Ben Coppedge
When you're stuck in an oppressive kingdom and can't get out, your only hope is if help comes to you where you are (in captivity) and as you are (powerless). And so our hope in the Gospel is not that God lets us find our way to help, but that help finds his way to us--where we are and as we are and without leaving us stuck there.
https://youtu.be/4Mc_zsGWT7A
" The Kiss of Death"
Luke 22:47-53
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Join us this Sunday we continue our journey through the incredible last few days of Jesus’ life. This week we’ll study the ultimate betrayal—the night when our Savior was backstabbed by one of His own, and not just by any means but by a symbol of love and affection. It’s a remarkable story and applies to our lives in numerous ways. See you then!
Luke 22:39-46
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Every scene during the last week of Jesus’ life is incredibly important, but few demand such reverence as that of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. During this dark night we encounter Christ pleading before the Father amidst a pain we can never fully understand. Join us this Sunday as we study the way Jesus deals with pain and temptation.
Luke 22:31-38
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Learning to minister isn’t easy. Even after we repent of our sins, lean into Christ, and learn to follow Him we find that our call to minister is unexpectedly difficult. It’s wrought with challenges, pain, frustration, and confusion. Because of the dauntlessness required, many of us ease off the gas pedal and become accustomed to a life of apathy. So how do we fight the good fight of the faith as we pursue God’s vision for our lives? Join us this Sunday as we talk about ministry amidst the mess.
Luke 22:14-23
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Recently a few of the students in our communicants class expressed that they couldn’t wait to take their first Communion. I must confess that I felt convicted because if I’m to be honest I don’t always look forward to Communion Sundays with such enthusiasm. But I should! The truth is that if we as believers understand what the Lord’s Supper is all about we ought to approach each Communion Sunday with the anticipation of experiencing the grace of Christ in a unique way. Join us this Sunday as we dive into the meaning and beauty of the Lord’s Supper.
Luke 21:37-22:13
Rev. Charlie Phillips
When we think about the last days of Jesus’ life we don’t often think of the level to which God went to orchestrate the events leading up to the arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. But in taking a closer look it’s clear that God was far more in control of things than we can ever imagine or understand. Join us this week as we examine the greatest conspiracy of all time and contemplate where God was in the action.
1 Peter 1:1-5
Rev. Charlie Phillips
John Calvin once said “The cross of Christ only triumphs in the breast of believers over the devil and the flesh, sin and sinners, when their eyes are directed to the power of His Resurrection”. What does he mean when he talks about the “power” of the resurrection? We all know and believe that the resurrection is a historical fact, but how does it display its power in our lives? Join us this Sunday as we talk about the living hope that flows from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
"Come follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). Join us this Sunday as we investigate this challenging statement by Jesus. With these words he called his first disciples and with these words he still calls people to himself and then into the world. The early disciples followed immediately. What is our response?
Heiko Burklin is the Mission Developer at World Witness, the missions arm of the ARP denomination. He has served as the senior pastor at the Neely’s Creek ARP Church in Rock Hill, SC, (2009-2015), as the team leader for a youth church-planting team in East Berlin (1995-2006), and as the Minister of Youth and Christian Education at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Wales, FL, (1986-1995).
Hand-dipped ice cream, hand-spun shakes, and hand-cut fries speak to our tastebuds. Psalm 19 is a song with the volume on high about the work of God’s Hands, which melts our souls with gospel joy.
Jeff Thompson has been a campus minister with RUF International at the University of Georgia since 2001. Prior to his campus ministry at UGA, Jeff served with Mission to the World in Japan for almost five years. Jeff is a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. Jeff and his wife Caroline have two children, George and Caroline.
Rev. Charlie Phillips will be officially installed as the Senior Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church today, Sunday, march 27th at 4 PM. the service will take place in the sanctuary and is expected to last about an hour. Noah’s Landing will be available for our families and guests with infants and toddlers. A reception is planned immediately following the service. We look forward to seeing you.
When you contemplate the second coming of Jesus Christ what direction does your heart go? Do you find yourself feeling excited? Perhaps anxious? Maybe relieved? Possibly even desperate? The direction your heart goes reveals something about you and your walk with our Savior. At the end of Luke 21, Jesus tells us how we ought to think, feel, and live in light of His glorious second coming. Join us this Sunday as we dive into the text!
There’s no question that we live in crazy times. From covid-19 to one unforgettable election, our times feel incredibly turbulent. Recently, social media blew up with pictures of rising gas prices revealing that a number of people are paying upwards of $100 to fill up their cars. Top that off with what many interpret to be a government hostile to Christianity and you have every reason to believe that we live in exceedingly stressful times. Many teachers and preachers take all this to mean that the end is near. But is it? How should we respond to times like these? How would Christ have us to act? Join us this Sunday as we dig into Luke 21:5-24.
