Redeemer reads Galatians 5

Welcome! Over the next week we will be reading through the book of Galatians together as a church! We’ll be reading a chapter each week day, beginning on Friday the 15th of May, and concluding on Friday the 22nd. We’re following the reading plan in the CBR Journal, which can also be found HERE.

Each day a member of the Redeemer family will be sharing with us some thoughts in video form, which can be seen above, previous days videos can be found on our Youtube channel. We’ll also be publishing blogs with more thoughts on the passages we’ve read, along with some ideas for those who want to study the passage further. We’re really looking forward to seeing God bear fruit in and through us as a church as we read his word, even during this challenging time.

Today Matt will be sharing with us his thoughts on Galatians 5.

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In the first section of today’s passage, Paul continues to talk about what freedom looks like for those who are followers of Jesus, and defined by the fact they are children of God. However rather than just talking generally, he focuses specifically on the issue which the Galatians were struggling with. False teachers had arrived in Galatia after Paul had left, and had begun to successfully convince some of the Christians there that to really become “proper Christians”, they must be circumcised! Paul is aiming to change their perspective on these teachings.

The reality is that though the specific issue may have changed for us, we can still fall prey to the same false teachings that the Galatians did. We can choose to believe that it is something which we accomplish which gains us the right to be children of God, that is not only untrue, but it separates us from being able to truly understand, and partly reject the grace and love shown through Jesus’ death on a cross for us! That’s a dangerous place to be!
It is so important, especially in times like this, when we can feel so powerless to achieve anything for ourselves, that we remember Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

The second half of the chapter, from verse 13-25, is a continuation of Paul’s explaining just how to live by that very first verse. Focusing on how slavery can also look like a lack of religion, and falling back into being servants of our own desires.

Doing whatever we want is not true freedom, when whatever we want is to satisfy the desires of our old self. True freedom as a follower of Jesus comes from divine sonship, from submitting to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and serving others above ourselves, out of love.

My prayer for you today is that you choose to live by the very first verse in today’s passage, and that God would pour out his Holy Spirit on you today, that you might not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery, but instead walk in true freedom!

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Further Study

T. J. Tims is lead pastor of Immanuel Nashville. He earned a BA from Southeastern Bible College, an MA from King’s College London in 2010, and is a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. 

In this podcast, Tims walks us through Galatians 5:5-6 and reminds us why we need to hear the gospel again and again.

#RedeemerRecommends - Andrew Haslam's latest blog

This blog has featured the talents of many members of the Redeemer family over the last few weeks, for today’s #RedeemerRecommends we travel a little further afield (though only a few miles across London). Andrew Haslam is the leader of Grace Church, London, another church in the Advance group of churches of which we are part. He is a fantastic writer and theologian, and on Good Friday he published a blog highlighting the fear which is gripping society during this time, and how we as Christians look at fear differently to others. We hope you enjoy reading it, and that you continue to stay safe during this time.

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Coronavirus, faith, and the fear of death

Many are questioning religious faith right now. I understand this. The shock of watching the death toll rise each day as the world is battered by this invisible enemy is an example of something very evil in this world. And the question of how God can allow evil to exist is, perhaps, the greatest obstacle to faith in the modern age. 

But, with all respect to those asking such questions, to pose the problem in this way is to miss the entire point of the Christian faith.

#RedeemerRecommends - 9 Things You Should Know About Hinduism

This week Hindus across London and the rest of the world have been celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights!

As a result, our latest #RedeemerRecommends is a blog from Joe Carter, which is a summary of the Hindu faith, and is incredibly helpful if you’re a Christian trying to learn more about how to connect with those from different religious backgrounds.

If this blog interests you, then why not sign up to our event on Saturday - ‘Discovering Jesus through Asian Eyes’, as we seek to equip ourselves as Christians to better reach our friends, neighbours and colleagues who come from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

You can read the beginning of the blog, and find a link to the whole thing below…

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This week more than a billion Hindus across the globe are celebrating Diwali. The five-day religious observance, which is also celebrated by followers of Sikh and Jain faiths, is the biggest holiday of the year in India, the country with the largest population of Hindus.

Here are nine things you should know about Hinduism.

1. Although Hinduism is often treated as a single religion, it is more accurate to describe it as a family of religions that share common beliefs and characteristics. Some scholars claim that early Hinduism originated around 5500 BC, making it one of the world’s oldest religions. The term Hindu was first used by the Persians, dating back to the 6th century BC, to describe the people living beyond the Indus River. For more than a thousand years the label had no specific religious connotation. In the early 19th century, though, the term Hinduism was coined by British writers to refer to the family of Vedic religious traditions. Some modern Hindus prefer the name “Vedic religion” or sanatana dharma (“eternal law”) rather than the label Hinduism.

#RedeemerRecommends - Not Too Poetry

If you’re a regular reader of the Redeemer Blog, or you are part of the Redeemer family that meet together on a Sunday, then you will no doubt be aware of the talents of our resident poet - Steve Page!

It is with great excitement that I get to present to you this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, which features Steve’s second published poetry anthology!

Following on from his first book, ‘Not Too Big to Weep’, Steve’s second book is entitled ‘Not Too Old to Dance’.

Steve’s poems speak about and draw inspiration from his faith, his life in London, and his vast imagination. The book is split into sections, each described as having a slightly different ‘mood’, whether that be observing, writing, or dancing! Some of the poems will be familiar to readers of this blog, but I would encourage you (as Pete Cornford does in the foreword) to grab a coffee, dive in, and discover the joy, laughter, sorrow, excitement, and many more emotions hidden within the pages of this book.

Steve, you are such a blessing, and we thank you for sharing your gifting with us!

#RedeemerRecommends - NewGround Academy

For this week’s #RedeemerRecommends we’re drawing your attention to a leadership training opportunity hosted by our friends in the New Ground sphere of churches, read on for more info!

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Here at Redeemer we are blessed to have many people amongst us who are gifted leaders, and involved in leadership in many areas of their life, be that in the workplace, in their family, or within the church as a volunteer. You may not recognise yourself as leading in any situations, but you may wish to in the future, or you may simply be wanting to grow in your self-leadership! In any of these cases, it is always good to identify opportunities to grow and stretch ourselves. One of these opportunities is available for us just down the road!

The New Ground Academy was set up in response to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations’. Its aim is to train and equip the church leaders and church shapers who are seeking to live out this verse in their day to day lives! It is a two year course, hosted by Everyday Church, Wimbledon, with two days of training taking place each month (on Friday & Saturday) for 10 months of the year, with holidays in August and December. Teaching at the Academy is led by a number of different men and women from across Newfrontiers and further afield, and topics in 2019 will include the Holy Spirit, Discipleship, Apologetics, Ethics, Leadership, Sexuality and many more! Each days training consists of teaching sessions, discussion groups, and Q&A opportunities, as well as time for lunch and coffee breaks when you can get to know other Academy students from different churches across London and the rest of the UK. There is a charge of £350 a year. It’s not without cost, but as anyone would agree, growing as a leader in any capacity always requires some cost. If finances are an issue, please do get in touch and we will do what we can to work something out. 

As someone who is almost a year into the Academy, I can testify that it is one of the best decisions I have ever made, every time I come away from a weekend of teaching I feel not only better equipped but also set on fire again for the lost and more desperate to see the impact of the gospel on the lives of believers and non-believers! I’m sure if you speak to anyone at Redeemer who has been on the Academy they would tell you a similar story!

So, you’re interested, what do you do next? Well why not join us THIS WEEKEND (7th or 8th of June) at Everyday Church, for one or both of the taster sessions, which are free to attend with no need to sign up! Just come along and hear some great teaching on the book of Romans. Each day starts with registration at 8:30, and finishes at 5:30 on Friday and 4:30 on Saturday. If you can’t make it this weekend but want to find out more there is a link below. Sign-up for next years course (starting September 2019) ends on the 28th of June, so don’t delay! If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@redeemerlondon.org

I hope you can join us this weekend. The Academy really can change your life.

We're Moving! - Pause & Praise

Redeemer Church is moving! From the 2nd of June we will be meeting in Weston Hall, at the University of West London! We will be releasing more information about the practicalities of the move over the next two weeks, so that you have all the information you need about the move before it happens. As part of the move we’ll be publishing 3 blogs, the first of which is this one!

In this first blog Pete Cornford looks back at our time in Ealing Town Hall over the last 5 years, and encourages us to pause and praise God for what he has done in and through us as a church!

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London is a fast paced and vibrant place to live. What a privilege it is to dwell in this city!

I am so aware in my own life that I love the new and the next: pressing on for what today holds and getting excited about the future. I would like to consider myself an ‘enthusiastic optimist’, with a mindset that says ‘we can do it!’

However sometimes it is good to pause. 

To stop. 

To reflect. 

To look back and be grateful, recognising all that God has accomplished.

Redeemer Church, London was launched on Sunday mornings, at Ealing Town Hall in January 2013. 

The iconic, central location has served us so well. From the small downstairs basement we have expanded into the main Hall as you enter the building. There has been space for the children's work to expand from 1 child to regularly getting over 50 children in attendance. People have decided to follow Jesus, many have got baptised, couples have got married and families have celebrated the arrival of babies. Visiting speakers have inspired and taught us, people have been healed and there have been powerful encounters with the living God. We have dreamed, cried and laughed together as community….. 

And I am very grateful!

If you have been part of the journey - THANK YOU.

Why don’t you pause now - reflect and be grateful for all you have!

#RedeemerRecommends - Mere Fidelity Podcast

The results are in. People love podcasts. 

Ofcom stats show podcasts are booming in the UK with the number of weekly podcast listeners doubling in five years (from 7% of adults in 2013 to 11%, or 5.9m last year). 

I’m a paid-up member of the podcast gang. The UK (and London in particular) provide some of the best  continent in the podcast space. We have great stuff from the world of football (try The Totally Football Show), comedy (No Such Thing As A Fish is worth a listen) and film (Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review is pretty essential) to name a few. 

What about podcasts from churches? I’ve found there are times that tuning in can be profound, and other times when it doesn’t quite work. A stirring stories can still raise my faith from the other side of the world. At the same time, some sermons are carefully contextualised to cities I don’t live in, and congregations and cultures which mean the applications or topics don’t quite ring true. 

If you’ve got an interest in picking up a new podcast, why not try Mere Fidelity - https://mereorthodoxy.com/category/mere-fidelity/

The focus of each episode is a hot topic about theology, the church and the culture, and the four contributors unpack what they’ve thought, studied, experienced and seen with care (and without a big fanfare or controversy). 

Why does it stand out? 

Well partly the episodes are equipping and formative without being a Sunday sermon recording. Why does that help? Listening to a sermon on a tube can feel difficult to fully engage with and, when the call to respond involves communion or going to speak to someone/get prayer, it can feel false to just move on to the next episode. 

Shallow listening and a flimsy attitude to responding to the bible can be dangerous habits which we don’t want to bring with us on Sundays. 

A theology-centred discussion between four well-read and well-rounded guys can spark inspiration, give a hunger for deeper study and draw you in to a whole topic you’ve never considered, without any feeling of ‘this is the wrong time and place’. 

The other reason it works well is that the topics they pick are timely and, frankly, fascinating! Some relatively recent episodes covered ‘millennials and burnout’, ‘the weirdness of Matthew 27’, ‘ethics and technology’ and one simply called ‘Hillsong’. 

It’s always good to hear London mentioned too. For that we can thank one of the four contributors, Andrew Wilson, who is the teaching pastor at Kings Church Catford, part of the Newfrontiers network here in London. 

See what you think. Happy listening! 

Better Together

London can be a lonely place at times. I’ve been on full tubes, in busy squares, in vibrant stadiums and at packed out gigs and known that feeling of not really connecting with anyone despite being around everyone.

 We’ve got a saying at Redeemer that “life is a team sport - best done together” and I’ve genuinely found at church that meeting new people, making friends and sharing life Monday to Saturday has added that all-important connection and depth to London.

 We call the stuff we do Monday-Saturday ‘Meetups’ at Redeemer. This term we’ve created spaces, times and options to hang out and grow together on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. They’re in evenings, early morning, in the middle of the day, over brunch and geographically spread out all over the borough, and everyone’s welcome.

Would you like to find a meetup of ten or so people for the next ten weeks? We’re aiming to grow in our prayer life in particular this Spring term, using some great resources to prioritise prayer, encourage each other in prayer, and pray for each other. Ten people could be praying for you, supporting you and making life more of a team sport for you over the next few weeks – sounds worthwhile doesn’t it?

For everyone who’s joined a meetup this term, have a superb time. One top tip - don’t hold back. We’ve found that the more real you are, the more likely it is you’ll grow yourself and bond with those there beyond just the ten weeks. Enjoy!

MAKE THIS YOUR FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS IN 2017

London is a busy place.

I'm not the first person in 2017 to notice that people in London are impatient, walk fast, drive close, demand convenience...and are driven to succeed.

I don't think I've met anyone since moving to London who's said:

Do you know, my life's not perfect, but I'm fine with accepting that.

More often, I encounter:

Life is great...but I still want more!

I believe that there's a big challenge to Londoners to become content with what we have, because the chances are that the challenges you and I face are real first-world problems...but equally, there's nothing wrong with setting ambitious goals and achieving them.

The year is young, and who knows what you might turn it into?

Come with me on a journey of self-discovery and future building. I'm going to post a series of blog entries walking us through some exercises I hope you find helpful.

In this first entry, we're going to dig into the five life indicators:

1 Health

Did you know that often, the most successful people in the world are also really healthy? Getting a good amount of sleep, drinking lots of water and eating healthily will all contribute to your ability to making lasting change.

2 Relationships

Who are your key relationships with? Who would you like better relationships with? Who would you like relationships with that you currently don't have? It's funny that the people with the best friendships tend to just be the friendliest people - we can all learn a lesson and be friendly.

3 Vocation

What takes up the most of your time? Is it a job, or a role in the home, or a role in society? What could you do that would make you feel more fulfilled in that?

4 Emotions

What are the three emotions you feel most of the time? How positive are those words? What could you do that would create more positive emotions?

5 Lifestyle

Where does your time and money go? How satisfied does that answer make you? How could you improve that?

Next steps...

I'd really encourage you to write down your answers to the questions above - it should lead you to a nice to-do list.

But the work's not done yet! Keep your eye on the blog, because the next entry in this series will be appearing in a week.

BUSY, OR EXISTENTIALLY BORED?

I love living in London.

One of the advantages of living in London is that something is always happening.

Life here is fast-paced and full of activity.

But I find that the constant busyness leads to a temptation to try and create busyness when things are slowing down a bit. Of course, I put it down to me liking activity, but it's probably fair to admit that sometimes I fill my time because I'm scared of the boredom that might come with slowing down.

I read a blog post the other day that captured this so well. It's only short, so I'd encourage you to read the whole thing, but here's a quote to whet your appetite:

Our culture now equates busyness with importance, hard work with ability. We like representing ourselves as capable, so our egos swell approvingly with each overtime hour logged. Our work has thus become our identity—when meeting new people, I’m likely to be asked ‘what I do’ before I’m asked my name. Even 2,000 years before Headspace offered free 10-day trials and lifestyle magazines wrote about mindfulness, Roman Stoic Seneca noted this human tendency with enough scathing accuracy to elicit a collective 21st-century cringe: ‘It is inevitable that life will be not just very short but very miserable for those who acquire by great toil what they must keep by greater toil. They achieve what they want laboriously; they possess what they have achieved anxiously... New preoccupations take the place of the old, hope excites more hope and ambition more ambition. They do not look for an end to their misery, but simply change the reason for it.’

So read the entire post on the Salt London blog, and why not put this into practice by ceasing your busyness this August, by enjoying our Holy Smokes Barbecues every Sunday.

SEE THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS GOSPEL CHOIR FOR FREE!

Looking for a Redeemer event to invite your friends and family to? We have just the thing for you!

On Sunday 10th July, the world-famous London Community Gospel Choir will be with us at our weekly meeting. This promises to be a very memorable Sunday and we have hundreds of seats we’d love to fill!

The event is completely free of charge and people of all ages are welcome.

Booking your tickets couldn’t be easier - simply click here, and book a ticket for each guest you plan to bring along. It would greatly help our creche and kids workers if you could book tickets for any children that may come, so we can provide enough fun activities for them on the day.

If you have any questions, please email us at hello@redeemerlondon.org.

We’ll see you there!

HOW MY LOVE FOR ARSENAL HAS COST ME

I have been a fan of the greatest North London team since my older brother informed me at primary school that ‘they are our team’.

I'm talking about Arsenal.

As a child, I wanted to wear the kit, had posters all round my room of the players and loved anything with their badge attached. Pencil case, rubber and ruler all became more valuable if painted red and white.

I have been faithful to the Gunners throughout the years...

• Drinking tea out of an Arsenal mug as a student
• Wearing the scarf on playground duty when a primary school teacher
• Instructing my kids ‘they are our team’
• Even preaching about the club at church - they are the only team mentioned in the Bible (Jeremiah 50:25)

Despite all this I still struggle this season…

I thought after the FA Cup final last year, and the sudden drop of form of Manchester United and Chelsea, that this would be our year!

Yet here I am at the beginning of May, still hopeful that we can make fourth place in the Premier League to scrape into European football again next season.

This faithfulness to Arsenal costs me - in time, emotion and money.

What are you faithful to, and what is it costing you?

I encouraged us in a sermon recently that Christians should pray, serve and give. So let me make that challenge again.

Will you pray?

Will you serve?

Will you give?

HOW A TRIP TO THE WALKIE-TALKIE TAUGHT ME TO LOOK AT LIFE DIFFERENTLY

I love London.

I love half-term holidays!

As a local primary school teacher I like to make the most of my holidays and get out and about as much as I can...

...that as well as a few well-needed lay-ins!

So on Monday I spent the day in Central London with my mum, and we visited the Sky Garden.

The Sky Garden spans the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch Street (aka the Walkie-Talkie), giving a 360-degree view of our great city.

You do need to book but it is free - the view and atmosphere are brilliant!

We did a complete tour of the inside, then went onto the south balcony to appreciate the London skyline.

We loved spotting as many different landmarks as we could, including:

• the beautiful St Paul's Cathedral
• the iconic Big Ben
• the famous Wembley Arch
• the historic Tower of London
• the impressive Shard

As we took in the view, we were reminded that London has some impressive buildings.

It is wholeheartedly a 21st century city, while retaining history stretching back to Ancient Roman times.

A fascinating portrait of architecture through the ages, right before our eyes.

You may love or loathe particular architecture, but you have to admit that we do have a wealth of iconic buildings in our city.

Sometimes it takes a new view and a different perspective to remember it.

When was the last time you simply appreciated the place where you live?

How much do you enjoy sharing experiences with others?

Are you ready to see life from a different perspective?

Every Sunday at Redeemer we take the chance to remind ourselves to look at life from an eternal perspective. Why not come along and see for yourself?

HOW DELAYS AT EALING BROADWAY ARE A GIFT

"We are signing you in - Please wait."

"Your custom is important to us - Please wait while we attend to your request."

"There is a problem with the connection - Please hold."

"We are experiencing a higher than usual demand for this service - Please wait."

"There are two callers ahead of you - Please hold."

"We are being held at the platform for two minutes to regulate the service."

"65 Ealing Broadway: 6 minutes away."

(Take a breath, this may take a while.)

I have a question for my fellow commuters and other London travellers.

Why do we find delays so frustrating?

Is it because we can't spare the time? Or is it because we feel control is being taken from us?

Is it because we feel imposed upon? Or perhaps we value our time so highly?

Let me suggest a different perspective:

Perhaps a delay, such as waiting for a bus, is a gift of time.

Rather than let a delay cause me irritation or anxiety, perhaps I can use the unplanned pause to look and listen, to reconsider, to let those thoughts that have drifted to the dusty corners of my mind to reassert themselves.

I read that one of the 'secrets' of successful people is pausing, making space for latent thoughts to rise to the surface.

I've another suggestion:

Perhaps I can take more of those unasked-for pauses in the day to voice a prayer, in order to ask for God's perspective on my day and to submit it to Him.

I discovered prayersonthemove.com last week:

Short one liners in an app to focus the mind away from the immediate and onto more important things.

One of the prayers quoted Nicholas Sagovsky:

"So many voices all around tell me what to do. Help me to listen to the still small voice of truth." (1 Kings 19:11-12)

You can download the app here.

Unplanned pauses give us time to conspire with our Father in heaven, to seek his wisdom, his truth and guidance, to commit our agendas to Him afresh.

So next time you have some unexpected waiting time thrust upon you, don't fret, just pause.

WHAT STARTING A NEW JOB IN LONDON TEACHES US ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN

Starting a new job can be intimidating.

After many years being part of the furniture in my previous job, I now find myself surrounded by people who know the environment, and each other, really well.

I've started apologising for having to ask where things are in the kitchen, who has the key to the stationery cupboard, who to ask to get business cards sorted, and what number to call for IT.

I still haven't found the quickest route from the tube station.

And working in London brings its own challenges. My new boss is really busy and expects me to be productive even though I've barely finished my first week.

But I've found the answer.

There's one thing that's going to open up opportunities for success here, and it's disappointingly obvious.

Become friends with people.

I know, that's nothing to do with work, but if I'm surrounded by friends, this intimidating scenario flips on its head.

Suddenly, it's easy to ask questions, because they're my friends, and it's just nice to hang out with friends, isn't it?

In business this is called networking. But people hate that word.

If you hate that word, I'm sorry for what I'm about to say: Jesus wants us to be experts at networking.

Jesus said that the single biggest indicator to the world that we know him is that we're best of friends with one another (John 13:35).

Let me encourage you then to make friends!

Two easy ways to do this:

1. Join a Meetup! This one's a #nobrainer. Click here, and register today.
2. Just ask someone to come over for a meal. Or drinks and snacks. Or go out for a coffee. Or go bowling. Or go watch a film. Or go for a walk. Or whatever.

Want friends? Be friendly. And enjoy yourself doing it!