Podcast
Redwood Church Preaching
Hosted by Redwood Church · EN
31episodes
Episodes
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Judges 5, part 3: should Christians curse their enemies?
Jun 7, 202500:38:26Tap to summarizeIn Deborah’s song, she recounts the angel of Yahweh cursing those who did not help God in battle. If we are to be holy as he is, should we follow his example? What is a curse, who is qualified to pronounce one, and when is it appropriate to do so under the new covenant of grace? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Psalm 32, the necessity of confession
May 31, 202500:35:52Tap to summarizePsalm 32 describes how to be happy, proved from David’s experience, and then taught to Israel. As long as we cover our sin, its weight crushes us with sorrow, but when we confess, God lifts our iniquity and gives us happiness. Yet this is not just an offer of forgiveness and joy; it is a command, to be heeded freely lest God have to “take our reins.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Judges 5, part 2: the active work of God in every event of our lives
May 24, 202500:42:12Tap to summarizeIsrael’s victories are not won by military strategy or strength of arms, but by the intervention of God’s presence with his hosts of angels. This is plainly depicted in Barak’s battle with Sisera, revealing a world not governed by mechanical, natural forces, but personal, spiritual agents. How does this affect our view of providence, and what is and (is not) possible? Rather than asking “what can I do in this situation?” and running a simulation in our heads, we should simply ask, “what should I do?” and leave the rest to God. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Judges 5, part 1: how the church should write victory psalms
May 17, 202500:42:16Tap to summarizeWhereas in one part of the church, singing anything but the Bible’s psalms is viewed as worldly progressivism, and in another part, singing psalms at all is viewed as backward primitivism, in fact scripture reveals the need to continually write new psalms. After going to war and defeating their enemies, Deborah and Barak model the proper response: a victory psalm commemorating God’s help. But what is the pattern of such a psalm? Does it look like contemporary Christian music? Old hymns? Or something else? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Judges 4, part 3: Yael, deceiver and piercer of the serpent
May 10, 202500:47:34Tap to summarizeYael, the lady of a house in league with the Canaanite king, defies her husband by deceiving and slaying Sisera, the principal of the Canaanite army. What should we make of Yael’s treatment of Sisera? Is she a liar and a murderer? Or is she indeed blessed among women? And if so, what is the implication for women in the church, and spiritual warfare? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Jesus’ arguments against anxiety, part 4
May 3, 202500:28:25Tap to summarizeJesus distilled his wisdom about worry into seven simple arguments in his Sermon on the Mount. We can follow these arguments to reason our way out of anxiety, and into mental fortitude. His fourth argument is against the futility of worry: that we cannot make ourselves grow in any way by it; rather the opposite. When we worry, we could be doing literally anything else of value, and the outcome would be better. We should therefore give our anxiety to the One who can do something about our problems. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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How are we to let go of rage and forgive our enemies?
Apr 26, 202500:36:29Tap to summarizeScripture tells us we are to participate in Christ by forgiving our enemies — sacrificing ourselves and our anger, knowing that ultimately God is the one sacrificing us for the sake of shaping us into his image. Yet the New Testament doesn’t give much practical instruction in how. This is because the Psalms already do. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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What does it mean to forgive our enemies?
Apr 19, 202500:48:44Tap to summarizeContrary to popular belief, we can and must forgive even those who wrong us unrepentantly. Repentance is not a necessary precondition for forgiveness — but, in fact, forgiveness is a necessary precondition for repentance. The doctrine of the cross helps us to understand how and why — and the scriptural distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Jesus’ arguments against anxiety, part 3
Apr 12, 202500:32:53Tap to summarizeJesus distilled his wisdom about worry into seven simple arguments in his Sermon on the Mount. We can follow these arguments to reason our way out of anxiety, and into mental fortitude. His third argument is that God provides food for all creatures through various means — even birds who don’t have to work for it. Since we are of superior worth, we should trust that God will provide our food also, through the means he has ordained for man: work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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Judges 4, part 2: the faith of Baraq
Apr 5, 202500:41:56Tap to summarizeAfter 20 years, a new generation has been raised up by Deborah to war against evil—led by Baraq, the lightning-man, to fight the lightning-god Ba’al. While modern readers haughtily interpret Baraq as a man of defective faith, he has the trust in God (along with the confidence of 10,000 peasants) to engage a humanly suicidal strategy to defeat 90,000 Canaanite soldiers, consuming them as fire from heaven on the mountain of Tabor. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redwoodchurch.substack.com
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