Saints‘ Hill Church Podcast

The King is Here: The Resurrection

This last Sunday, Alex spoke about the Resurrection of Jesus being historically plausible, existentially hopeful, and emotionally satisfying.

 

The story that the Bible tells is all about love. Love is threatened by death, and that is why the Resurrection is the answer for humanity. Love that lasts is God’s aim, and that becomes possible with the Resurrection of Jesus. 

 

It’s a powerful idea, but faith only comes when you actually encounter the risen Jesus. He is ready to show himself to anyone who desires to see Him. We are welcomed not into a set of theological beliefs, but into the mystery of His love and the greatest story ever told. 

The King is Here: The Crucifixion

As we enter into Holy Week, our Luke series has brought us to the passage of Jesus’ crucifixion.  

As we read through this passage we are rightfully shocked to remember that the symbol of our Christian faith, the cross, is indeed a torture device intended to assert dominance and to put fear into the hearts of all who witnessed it.  

So what did Jesus’ death on a cross actually mean?  

He did not die on a cross to atone for something He did, but for the sins of the world. Christ hanging on the cross becomes the symbol of divine power and the way of discipleship. 

The cross is the great eyesore of humanity because it says your power, your money and your enjoyment won’t save you. There’s only one way through and it is to choose to give up your life for the sake of the kingdom.

The King is Here: Truth on Trial

Luke 22v66-23v25 plays out like a trial in a courtroom. Truth himself stands before the Law and the people responsible for upholding the Law refuse to recognize the Truth.

The trials of Jesus show us the deepest injustice ever committed, and at the same time, the greatest act of divine mercy ever offered. The Innocent One condemned so that the guilty may go free, this is the heart of the gospel.

Because we are set free by the sacrifice of Jesus, we live with courage, conviction and confidence as righteous sons and daughters of the King!

The King is Here: The Disillusionment of Denial

On Sunday, Bria taught from Luke 22v47-65. 

 

Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial both reveal the tendency of humanity, to deny what is true for the sake of our own preservation. The life and death of Jesus confronts all of us, and invites us to trust in Him and His purposes above our own. 

His life and death also extends more grace than we think possible, even in our failure. In his great mercy, Jesus is always gazing at us - inviting repentance, restoring relationship, and freeing us from the disillusionment of denial. 

The King is Here: Faith Like Jesus

The Scripture reading this week from Luke 22v39-46 kicks off what is known as “the passion,” or, the suffering of Christ.

Jesus, being the true man, shows us how to suffer well. He is honest with the Father about his fear, but ultimately chooses to trust God that the Cross will not be the end. 

The New Testament speaks at great length to suffering. We learn that suffering is about knowing Jesus. When life brings a test, let it disillusion you to every other lesser love so that your capacity for knowing and loving Jesus, may increase. 

The King is Here: The Sifting

In Luke 22v31-38 Jesus warns his disciples that a sifting is coming. Their trust in Him will be tested in the coming days.

 

Jesus points out that it is Satan, or, “The Accuser” whose aim it is to expose & inspire faithlessness in His followers. Satan’s accusation is that the disciples only love Jesus for what they think He can do for them. 

 

The New Testament refers to Satan as the ruler of this age. So it’s safe to say that we too can expect to be sifted in this life. The beautiful thing about Jesus is that no matter how humiliated or hopeless you may have become in the sifting, His heart remains open to you. The sifting at its best creates an opportunity for mercy you didn’t know existed. 

 

The path of the disciple, like Peter, is the path of having all your images of God fail you, so that you can truly know and love Him as He is.

The King is Here: The Solution to the 7 Deadly Sins

On Sunday, one of our elders, Austin Smith, explored Jesus’ radical definition on greatness found in Luke 22v24-30. 

 

While the disciples argue about status, Jesus teaches that true greatness in His kingdom is found in humble service—becoming useful rather than trying to get ahead.

 

Worldly self-centeredness will keep us from loving others well, but in Jesus’ life we see another way to live. He is so certain of His identity as a beloved son, that he is able to go low, to be grateful and generous in every situation.

 

As we grow in gratitude to God, may our lives become acts of worship and may we be found useful to his kingdom. 

The King is Here: The Last Supper

On Sunday we got to hear from Bria on the Last Supper passage in Luke 22v1-23.  

The Last Supper is not just a famous scene, but an intentional fulfillment of the Jewish Passover. Jesus transforms the Seder’s promises of sanctification, deliverance, redemption, and praise into a new covenant centered on Himself.  

As the true Passover Lamb, He invites His disciples—and us—not just to remember the Exodus, but to remember Him: His body broken, His blood poured out, and the fullness found only in union with Him.

The King is Here: The End of the Age

Luke 21v5-38 has been interpreted by many modern Protestants as an end times prediction. On Sunday, Alex gave us some helpful tools to aid in our interpretation of Jesus' words in this passage.

 

There is both prophetic and apocalyptic language in this passage, and it is important to distinguish which is happening when. Jesus does describe an actual event in the future of Israel where Rome takes Jerusalem by siege and destroys the temple (70 AD). He also uses apocalyptic imagery to describe patterns we can expect to see in the world until His return. 

 

Amid the tumult of living in this world, Jesus calls our attention to what matters most - the Holy Spirit with us and the mission God has given us to advance the kingdom.

 

We pray that this message encourages you in your walk with Jesus!

Saints in the World: Labor

The overarching idea of this series is that we live in this world, we don’t live in heaven fully yet. God designed it this way, and it means we have a role to play. 

Your labor will likely be one of the largest roles you play in bringing heaven to earth.

While toil is a result of the fall, labor is not. Humans were made to labor with God - made to build, to act upon created things in order to make them more than they would have been on their own.

In God’s economy, labor leads to ownership and ownership leads to offering. This is a life of worship. 

We pray that through this series, God will be speaking to you about your gifts, your limitations, and the opportunities He's given you. These will inform how you take ownership and serve wherever He has placed you.