Restoration Community Church

Groaning Inwardly While Waiting Eagerly

Guest speaker, Michael Pierson, fills the pulpit at CityReach Church Swissvale. Mike uses the imagery of childbirth to give us encouragement and hope in the midst of the pain and suffering of life. Just as a laboring woman endures the pain to seek the joy of the child who is born, we too can endure the pain of life, knowing that God has prepared a resurrected and joyous life for us.

Passage: Romans 8:22-25

Are You for Us, or for Them?

Guest speaker, Michael Thornhill, fills the pulpit at CityReach Church Swissvale. He looks at a particular encounter between Joshua (leader of the Hebrew people) and a warrior on the eve of battle. Joshua asks this warrior, "Are you for us, or for them?" The same question we often ask God in our own lives. Tune in to see how the warrior responds, and what God might be teaching us through his response.

Passage: Joshua 5

Christian Liberty and Love of Neighbor

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale addresses the intersection of our freedoms as believers of Jesus, and the call to love our neighbor. Looking at 1 Corinthians 8, we see that Paul explains when our freedoms conflict with caring for our neighbor, our love for our neighbor ought to win out every time. He uses some relevant issues of churches, masks, and schooling to help drive the point home.

Passage: 1 Corinthians 8

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