Restoration Community Church

Squandering Grace - A Family Affair

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale closes out our sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. This week we look at the shortest book of the Old Testament, Obadiah. The prophet tracks the family feud between Esau and Jacob, and how that conflict continued generations later with their descendants.

Passage: Obadiah

What Do I Do With My Anxiety?

Andy Moore, Campus Minister with the CCO in partnership with Bellefield Presbyterian Church, fills in as guest preacher at CityReach Church Swissvale. Andy looks at Paul's charge to a persecuted church, how those early believers could deal with the anxieties of that persecution. For us, that means that anxiety never has the last word, Christ does.

 

Passage: Philippians 4:1-9

Squandering Grace - Suffering of the Vulnerable

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale finishes our sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. This week we see the conclusion of the destruction of Nineveh. With brutal language, God gives a clear picture of their judgment. While they consider themselves strong, they will be made vulnerable.

 

Passage: Nahum 3

Squandering Grace - Destruction of Destroyers

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale continues the sermon series, Squandering Grace. The nation of Nineveh has not held fast to their repentance of their wickedness, but returned to their old ways of terror. In Nahum 2, God describes their future judgment and downfall at the hands of the Babylonians.

Passage: Nahum 2

Squandering Grace - God is Good Even When Life is Difficult

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale continues our sermon series, Squandering Grace. This week we look at the sequel to Jonah. It is about 150 years later, and Nineveh has returned to their wicked ways. God is patient, but his patience is about to run out. The prophet Nahum predicts the destruction of Assyria/Nineveh.

Passage: Nahum 1

Squandering Grace - The Denseness of Jonah

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale finishes preaching through the book of Jonah. In this text we see Jonah's negative response to God's compassion in light of Nineveh's repentance. Jonah sulks, still hoping the city will be destroyed. But God has something to show Jonah about his compassion towards his creation.

Passage: Jonah 4

Squandering Grace - Nineveh's Revival

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale continues our sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. This week Jonah finally gets to his mission, sharing a message of God's upending to the wicked city of Nineveh. The passion of their response can encourage us to follow their lead in repentance, trusting in the compassion of our God.

Passage: Jonah 3

Squandering Grace - The Sign of Jonah

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale kicks off the new sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. Jonah prays to God, thanking him for saving him from drowning. But in the midst of Jonah's prayer we see that even imperfect, selfish praise can be accepted by God.

Passage: Jonah 2

Squandering Grace - Running from God

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale kicks off the new sermon series, Squandering Grace: Radical Love and Human Selfishness. This week we encounter the prophet Jonah, after receiving a call from God to preach to his nation's mortal enemies, Jonah hightailed it out of there, attempting to flee from God. Jonah must come face to face with some of the inconsistencies in his service to Yahweh.

Passage: Jonah 1

NCC 19 - Is There Any Way to Escape Punishment and Be Brought Back into God's Favor?

Pastor Chris looks at question 19 of the New City Catechism which explores the way in which we can escape judgment and be brought back into God's favor. Spoiler alert: it is through Jesus. We see that we are not only saved the punishment of sin, but Christ also saves us from sin itself.

 

Q19: Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?

A: Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer.