As we embark on this new year, let the words of Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) provide some strong comfort and encouragement concerning one area of belief, God’s sovereign goodness. He reminds us that God is present with us each step we take, both in where he leads us and how he provides for us. The following is an excerpt from one of his sermons on Job 23:10, “He knows the way that I take.”

“Untried, untrodden, and unknown as your future path may be, it is, each step, mapped, arranged, and provided for in the everlasting and unchangeable covenant of God. To Him who leads us, who accepts us in the Son of His love, who knows the end from the beginning, it is no new, or uncertain, or hidden way. We thank Him that while He wisely and kindly veils all the future from our reach, all that future- its minutest event- is as transparent and visible to Him as the past. Our Shepherd knows the windings along which He skillfully, gently, and safely leads His flock. He has traveled that way Himself, and has left the traces of His presence on the road. And as each follower advances-the new path unfolding at each step-he can exultingly exclaim, “I see the footprint of my Lord; here went my Master, my Leader, my Captain, leaving me an example that I should follow His steps.” Oh, it is a thought replete with strong consolation, and well calculated to gird us for the coming year- the Lord knows and has ordained each step of the untrodden path upon which I am about to enter.

Another reflection. The infinite forethought, wisdom, and goodness which have marked each line of our new path, have also provided for its every necessity. Each exigency [requirement or demand] in the history of the new year has been anticipated. Each need will bring its appropriate and adequate supply-each perplexity will have its guidance-each sorrow its comfort-each temptation its shield-each cloud its light. Each affliction will suggest its lesson-each correction will impart its teaching-each mercy will convey its message of love. The promise will be fulfilled to the letter, “As your day, so shall your strength be.””

Aren’t you thankful for our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (Ps. 23; John 10)? Do you believe in him? Hope in him, walk with him, live off of him this new year. Have a confident belief in his ability to lead and provide. It will be one resolution, you will not regret.

• Christmas is suited for sharing the gospel with family and friends.
• Aim to share the story of God’s grace in your life.
• By sharing we edify believers.
• By sharing we reach lost friends and family.
• Be alert for one-on-one opportunities to share your story.
• Don’t expect this sharing to be easy.
• Overcome this fear by sharing to honor your Savior.
• Share your story with gratitude to God.
• Share your story with humility.
• Share your story truthfully—don’t embellish it.
• Tell your story seriously—don’t share it flippantly.
• Don’t neglect your personal devotions during Christmas.
• Rest upon the Holy Spirit’s help to share.
• Remember that this story you share over the holidays is the story that will be on your lips eternally.

May God give us a renewed desire and greater boldness to lovingly share the gospel with many this Christmas season.

Jesus was born with a mission. We see this clearly on the last day of his life. In his trial before Pilate, Jesus makes what the Apostle Paul calls “the good confession.” That good confession ties together his incarnation and his ultimate exaltation, his humility and his glory. What was his confession? “I am King.” John 18:37 says, “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” A few observations on this passage:

1) Jesus is a King who reigns by bringing peace and renewal. Unlike earthly kings who advance their cause through political clout and militaristic might, Jesus is a king who wields his authority by bringing peace and renewal through his reign. For a closer look at the qualities of Jesus’ messianic reign, see Isaiah 9:6-7.

2) Jesus is a king who reigns by witnessing to the truth. Here for Jesus to witness to the truth is essentially another way to say that he came to witness to himself. Why? Because is he is the truth! He is true reality. John’s use of the word truth here is not so much truth as opposed to falsehood, but truth as in true reality. “Truth” carries the same meaning as it does in John 14:6 when Jesus said that he is “the way, the truth, and the life.” He is truth because embodies the supreme revelation of God. As D.A. Carson says, “Jesus is the truth, because he embodies the supreme revelation of God . . . He is God’s gracious self-disclosure.” To quote the words of John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

3) Finally, Jesus is a King who reigns by inviting all into his kingdom. This is more implicit than explicit, but it is not only here, but all throughout Scripture. Everyone who is of the truth listens to his voice. In other words, Jesus broke into history as a tiny baby that he might break into human hearts with his great love and truth. The great question we must ask ourselves is: “Do I hear his voice? Have I responded to his witness to the truth, his witness to himself, namely that he is the King, the Savior of the world?”

That’s what Christmas is all about.

How about making a list of reasons you are thankful and sharing that with someone you love? Better than that, make a list and give God thanks and praise for his unrestrained mercy and grace. While your at it, don’t just list “stuff” and names of people, add truths from God’s Word. Truths like: “Surely goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6) and “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” is mine because I belong to Christ (Eph. 1:3). Let’s be thankful for God and his countless gifts to us. Let’s express that gratitude this week and every week.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who stood against the Nazi regime in World War II Germany, understood the value of God’s people. In his book Life Together, he urged people to prize the community of faith as a gift from God. He wrote, “Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.” What then are some evidences of the grace of Christian community?

Let me give you one that is pretty all encompassing: The church provides the context where the “one another” commands of Scripture are to be fulfilled. This week in our Community Group meetings we looked at several key passages that highlight many of these commands (John 13:34-35; Rom 12:3-21; Gal 6:1-2; Eph 4:25-32; Col 3:16-17; James 5:16). We discovered a plethora of instructions concerning how God’s people are to live life together in a way that honors him and one another. We are to love one another, serve one another, outdo one another in showing honor, rejoice and weep with one another, live in harmony together, bear one another’s burdens, be kind to one another, teach, admonish, confess sin, forgive, pray for, and encourage one another. And that’s not all the Bible has to say about gospel fellowship.

Do you ever need to give and receive love? Do you have burdens that you carry? Do you have it all figured out, or are there things in life you need to learn? Do you ever need prayer? Do you ever rejoice or weep? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then let me suggest that you need the church. God designed the church to be a community of disciples who grow in their love for him and their love for one another together, to navigate the joys and the sorrows of life together, to advance his mission together, and to enjoy life and enjoy him together. That’s what it means to be the church. “ . . . grace, nothing but grace . . .”

One of our favorite verses around Redemption Hill has been Psalm 40:5. It has been particularly relevant as we have seen God answer prayer after prayer as he works to glorify himself in the starting of our church. In Psalm 40, King David begins the psalm with a word of personal praise in light of God’s deliverance (1-3). Then in verses 4 and 5, David reflects on a general truth for all who trust in the Lord (verse 5 in bold): “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!  You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.” Did you catch that? God’s wondrous deeds and his thoughts toward us (or plans for us) are so numerous that we can’t even begin to tell of all of them! Is this the God you know and serve? This is the God of Redemption Hill Church. Let me share just a few ways God has been answering prayer among us.

1) He has allowed the leadership team to get acclimated to life in Greater Boston over the past five months and has provided strategic places to live and work. He has also allowed them to make many new friends.

2) He has providentially led us to many people who are interested in being part of the core team of Redemption Hill. He is gradually building his church one person at a time.

3) He has given us opportunities to engage several different local organizations that could use some assistance.  We are currently working on ways to engage them with deeds of kindness in the days ahead.

4) He has graciously raised up many individuals and churches who are praying for our efforts and supporting us financially in these initial phases.

5) Each person connected to Redemption Hill could tell individual stories of God’s gracious work. We’ve seen him provide jobs, lead us to people who need Christ, give us a sense of true community, fill us with daily joy as we walk with him, make us content in all circumstances, and teach us ways we can fulfill his mission as a community that is being transformed by the gospel.

We are humbled and excited by God’s wondrous deeds among us. We are eager to continue to expect great things from him and attempt great things for him.

When: Sunday, Novemeber 7th, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Place Medford, 116 Riverside Ave., Medford, MA 02155
We will be meeting in the meeting room on the first floor behind the front desk area.
Transportation: Feel free to park in the parking garage below the hotel or in the parking lot behind the hotel. Take Bus 134 from Wellington Station, 94 from Davis Square, and 96 from Tufts. If you need help with transportation, email us at info@redemptionhillchurch.com

We will also be starting a 10 week Bible study series that will work through Redemption Hill’s Mission and Vision. This week we will be unpacking our mission statement by looking at Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 1:1-10). We will then take three weeks to cover each of our core values: gospel, community, mission. It’s a great time to get involved and learn more about God’s redeeming grace and about Redemption Hill Church.

Contact us if you have questions or would like more information!

Our relationship with Hope extends back about four years when we first started praying about starting a new church in greater Boston. That’s when I met Curtis Cook, the Pastor at Hope. Ever since that first meeting when Curtis took us to lunch and answered 1,000 questions while his food got disgustingly cold, Hope has been a great source of blessing to our team. Now that we have arrived in nearby Medford, Hope has extended support to us in a variety of ways. Our leadership team and core group worship there together most Sundays as we move toward starting our own worship gatherings. They are also praying for us, supporting us financially, as well as offering encouragement and mentorship. But that’s not all! Hope is even encouraging some of their members to pray about helping us start Redemption Hill by coming over and joining our core group. That’s generosity! Sadly enough, most churches would not be so selfless, so kingdom-minded, so much like Jesus (see Philippians 2:1-11).

Hope is hosting an informational meeting @ 12:30 p.m. on September 26th after their 11:00 a.m. service, so that their members and other interested individuals can learn more about us and our vision for Redemption Hill. Lunch will be provided. If you are in the Medford/Somerville area and would like to attend, feel free to join us by RSVPing to info@redemptionhillchurch.com. Hope is located at 16 Beech St. in Cambridge, MA.

And feel free to drop by Mystic Coffee Roasters if you’re in Medford and looking for a good cup of joe! (30 Riverside Ave.)