Restoration Community Church

Shining Lights - The Church of Thyatira

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our sermon series looking at the letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation. This week we look at his statements to the church of Thyatira. In many ways the commendations/critiques are the opposite of what we saw in Ephesus. They were abounding in love, but had empowered false teachers in their communities.

Passages: Revelation 2:18-29; 1 Corinthians 10:19-21; 1 Kings 18:19

Shining Lights - The Church of Pergamum

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our sermon series looking at the letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation. This week we look at his statements to the church of Pergamum. Here we see that even though there was faithfulness amidst persecution, they had given positions of influence to false teachers who rationalized assimilation with the Roman government.

Passages: Revelation 2:12-17; Numbers 22

Shining Lights - The Church of Smyrna

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our sermon series looking at the letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation. This week we look at his statements to the church of Smyrna. The Christians in this city continued to hold fast to the faith in light of intense persecution. While martyrdom is not something a 21st century American regularly would face, can we learn from their faith as it pertains to suffering and slander in our lives?

Passages: Revelation 2:8-11; Daniel 1:12-14; Revelation 5:5-6

Shining Lights - the Church of Ephesus

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church begins our new sermon series looking at the letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation. This week we look at his statements to the church of Ephesus. By all account, the church in Ephesus is thriving, Jesus sees their works, their toil, their discernment. But his critique of them is that they have lost the love they had at first; both for God and their neighbor.

Passages: Revelation 2:1-7; Acts 20:29-30

Resurrection Sunday 2022

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church speaks on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Not only is the bodily resurrection of Jesus an event rooted in history, it also has ramifications for us today. The resurrection breaks the power of sin in our lives and breaks the shackles of death.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVnMUkohE1o

Passages: Matthew 28:1-15; 

Q&A Sunday - Russia and the End Times

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church addresses another Q&A Sunday where participants can submit questions. This question focuses on Russia and the End Times.

Question: "Is Russia in the Bible when it describes what happens in the End Times?"

Passages: Ezekiel 38:1-4; Revelation 20:7-8; Genesis 10:2

7 Deadly Sins - Vainglory

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church concludes our sermon series through the 7 deadly sins. This week we look at vainglory. Many lists of the deadly sins include pride, however, the church fathers like Thomas Aquinas listed pride as the root of all of the sins. While pride is the excessive focus on excellence in itself, vainglory is the fixation on the recognition for our excellence.

Passages: Matthew 23:27-28; Luke 18:9-14; Psalm 139:1-6,13-16

7 Deadly Sins - Envy

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our sermon series through the 7 deadly sins. This week we look at envy. This vice takes root in our lives when we fixate on the goods that God has given someone else and are resentful of the life that God has given us. Consequently, envy prevents us from loving our neighbor with fidelity.

Passages: Luke 22:24; Matthew 20:1-16; Exodus 20:17; James 4:1-3; Isaiah 43:1-4

7 Deadly Sins - Sloth

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our sermon series through the 7 deadly sins. This week we look at sloth. Contrary to common opinion, sloth is more than just laziness. Joseph Pieper suggests that busyness and a workaholic posture can be the telltale signs of sloth. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it fits with how the church fathers understood this vice.

Passages: Proverbs 26:14-15; Psalm 90:6; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 1:1-3

7 Deadly Sins - Lust

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our sermon series through the 7 deadly sins. This week we look at lust. Lust is a disordered sexual desire that is used for personal gratification. Given this definition we need to acknowledge that sex was created good by God, but has been distorted. To remedy this vice we need to temper our desires and channel them in virtuous avenues.

Passages: 1 Corinthians 6:13-20; Genesis 1:27; Philippians 4:8