HAPPY reNEW YEAR!

Renew: The Gospel, Hope,

and the World

*I took a pic of the this billboard in Times Square yesterday.

Fitting, isn't it?

Redeemer has been in a season of Renewal during the

Fall 2009 Vision Campaign.

"By the end of this next decade the vision is to have three strong congregations serving a total of 9,000-10,000 people, worshiping at 7-9 locations and 12 or more services around the city, drawing many more un-churched people into a relationship with God, and with a reputation for serving and loving those in the city who don't share our beliefs as well as loving those who do." Tim Keller

Tim has gone through a series of sermons on Hope. Each week we have discussed them in our fellowship group. I'd love to share the nuggets of truth I'm walking away with from each of the sermons & discussions. You can download them for free.

*This is a pic of some of the fellowship group girls at our Christmas party.

Hope for the World: Real hope is certain. We are fully known yet fully loved. Jesus embraces us even when we are at our worst. We are exposed but not rejected. "Naked without shame." Fully seen & fully known yet embraced and adored because of grace. He feels rich looking at me.

Hope for the Poor: Live sacrificially active; a life poured out. "The way you know you are a Christian is that you don't do things that make Him weep." Don't let your own heart condemn you. 1 John 3. Love, at its essence, is weakening oneself so another self can flourish.

Hope for Your Life: The Gospel transforms every area of our lives. An encounter with the Lord changes us & empowers us to serve others.

Hope for the Family: In a covenant relationship, the relationship's needs are more important than the needs of the individuals. Submission is the acting of granting someone leadership in your life. A wife brings a strength to her husband that he does not naturally possess. Gospel reenactment is the opportunity to redo in someone's life what Christ has done in our lives. "Marry a man who's male ego has been shaped by the cross & permanently change by the Spirit." TK

"Some of you are too unhappy about being single. The city is a mess. You are a mess. You marry a mess. And, you give birth to little messes. If you think marriage is ultimate, you will crush your spouse under the expectations of your heart." Dang, TK, sock it to us! We needed it.

Hope for Your Work: The Gospel shapes our public life & how we work. Righteous living is to live justly in the world. Disadvantage yourself for the advantage of the community. A just person sees his/her belongings as resources for the community. Work for the common good. Eph 6 The second coming of Christ is our blessed hope.

Hope for the Church: Community gives us what we need, not what we want. The wages of sin are aloneness. Christians are not to push the eject button on one another. Jesus' commitment to us is not fickle. When we are tempted to isolate and run for cover, we should devote ourselves to the community of God's people.

Hope and Your Money: We want to be free from the love of money so we can use money in life-giving ways, and for life-giving purposes. It is not money that is a root of evil but “the love of money”. It is not those who are rich whose faith is under a threat, it is those “who want to get rich” and who are “eager for money." When our goal is wealth and a life of comfort and luxury, we tend to be disinterested in using wealth to bless others and do good. Christian generosity communicates that the Gospel is true & beautiful. Grace will lead us to give. Live radically generous lives. Would you ever consider giving more than you feel comfortable giving?

Hope for the City: You reach the city, you reach the culture. "Your culture has taught you to despise other cultures. The Gospel erodes what keeps the races apart." TK

Christians must respond with love to persecution. God has called his people to live & love the city; we need to humbly learn from the city as well. We can use our resources of the Gospel to repair broken cities to give the world a foretaste of the City-to-Come.

In a recent article Tim responded about all the upcoming changes saying, "It all sounds shaky to people. It makes them nervous. But this is not such a bad thing. If you don't know how something will turn out, you pray like crazy."

Also, DO NOT FORGET to watch the New Birth Portrait series!