Renaissance Church

This sermon delves into the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22, emphasizing Abraham's unwavering faith in God's promises even when asked to sacrifice his son. Drawing from Hebrews 11 and James 2, the message shows that Abraham's faith was not blind but reasoned and deeply rooted in God's character—trusting that God could raise the dead if necessary. It also reveals how this story foreshadows the sacrifice of Jesus, with Isaac as a type of Christ and the ram as a symbol of substitution. Ultimately, Mark Skillin in this sermon challenges listeners to live out the Christian faith that not only believes but acts, trusting God's goodness even when His ways are mysterious.

In this episode, we explore the story of God rejecting Saul and choosing David as the next king of Israel, found in 1 Samuel 16. We walk through Samuel's fear, God's surprising instruction, and the powerful moment when David, the overlooked youngest son tending sheep, is chosen and anointed. The key message centers on how God does not look at outward appearances but sees the heart. We reflect on how this applies to us—reminding listeners that God values faithfulness in hidden places and uses those with a surrendered heart for significant Kingdom purposes, even if they feel overlooked or unqualified.

This final part of the Spirit series explores how to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit—not just as a one-time event, but as a daily reality. Drawing from Scripture and practical illustrations, we look at how sin and distraction can block the Spirit's flow, why a lukewarm heart is so dangerous, and how true spiritual power is marked by love. Pastor Scott covers three practices to help us be continuously filled by the Holy Spirit: aligning your life with God's will, waiting on Him with expectancy, and giving away to others the love and power we receive from the Holy Spirit. This message is a call to go beyond spiritual routine and become a life set ablaze by the presence of God.

In this sermon, we dive into the vital work of the Holy Spirit—regenerating our lives, transforming our hearts, enabling deep prayer, and giving us boldness and assurance of salvation. The Spirit pours out God's love in our hearts (Romans 5). The Spirit empowers us to live out Christlike love, endure suffering with joy, and understand spiritual truths. We don't need to try to manufacture these qualities on our own; in fact, these things are impossible to do without the Holy Spirit. A key to the Christian life is learning how to yield to the Spirit's work in our lives.

This sermon launches a three-part series on the Holy Spirit by addressing why we need to be filled with Him. Pastor Scott highlights the confusion and extremes often associated with the Spirit—some churches downplay His role, while others overemphasize emotional or dramatic manifestations. Yet the Holy Spirit is not merely a force or influence, but God Himself—the third person of the Trinity. Scripture shows that the Spirit teaches, comforts, convicts, empowers, and enables believers to live the Christian life. Without the Spirit, such a life is not merely difficult but impossible. This message corrects common misunderstandings and calls the church to actively seek the Spirit, recognizing Him as essential to living a life that truly honors God.

Luke 24: 1 - 35 What if Jesus is closer than you think—even when you feel most abandoned? On Easter Sunday, we looked at two disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how the risen Jesus met them in their confusion, not their certainty. As he walked with them and opened the Scriptures, their hearts began to burn with fresh hope. This message invites you to see how God often shows up in the questions, not just the answers.

This sermon, based on Luke 19:28–48, explores the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Just days before His crucifixion, Jesus enters the city on a donkey in fulfillment of prophecy, declaring Himself King, but not the kind of political or military leader many expected. Instead, He embodies peace and humility. The crowd's celebration contrasts with Jesus' deep sorrow as He weeps over Jerusalem, lamenting that the people do not recognize the peace He offers or the significance of His coming. Jesus then drives out the shop vendors in the temple, asserting His authority. This passage gives us a glimpse into the complexity and beauty of Jesus' character, calling listeners to see Jesus for who He truly is and to respond with authentic worship.

Luke 14: 1 - 24 Jesus is invited to dine at the house of a leader of Pharisees, only to disrupt the evening. It was the Sabbath, and a man with dropsy approaches Jesus for healing—something the religious leaders around the table would've considered forbidden work. Jesus heals the man anyway, stunning the dinner guests. He then addresses the guests with two banquet parables designed to expose their pride and self-righteousness.  This message compels each listener to reflect personally: have you truly humbled yourself before God? Do you presume you're secure in God's kingdom, or do you recognize your deep spiritual need and your dependence on His grace?

Zacchaeus was a tax collector in Jericho who became very rich from exploiting people's finances. One day Jesus passed through Jericho, and Zaccheus did everything he could to see Jesus, even climbing a tree because he was too short to see him in the crowds. Then Jesus calls up to Zacchaeus to come down from the tree because Jesus planned to come to his house, and while the crowd is shocked Jesus would go to the house of a “sinner,” Zacchaeus responds with saying he will give half of everything he owns to the poor. Church leader Vicky Griffiths helps us in this message to understand the significance of this interaction. It seems like Zacchaeus is seeking Jesus, but really Jesus is seeking him. This message is also part of Family Sunday and is designed for grade school kids to listen in, too.

While Jesus is teaching in the temple, religious leaders drag a woman into the space who had committed adultery. The leaders' aim is not justice; rather they use her to provoke Jesus to say something that would get him in trouble. But what Jesus says puts the religious leaders in their place, and he protects the woman, offers her mercy, and calls her to live a new life: “Go, and from now on sin no more.” Today when we read this story from John 8:1 - 11, maybe we see ourselves in the story as the religious leaders, but many of us can relate to the Woman. Each one of us has sinned against God's ways, and each one of us needs God's forgiveness. This message is for anyone who is struggling with guilt or shame and needs to drink in the mercy of Jesus that ushers people into a new life.

Genesis 15 The covenant God makes with Abraham in Genesis 15 sets up the entire Bible narrative for human redemption. God promises that Abraham's descendants will be countless and that his offspring will bless all the nations forever. Even though Abraham is old in age and has no children, he responds with belief, and Abraham's faith equates to righteousness in God's eyes. Church leader Mark Skillin unpacks why belief matters to God so much. Mark also points out the ways Jesus will, 2000 years later, fulfill promises made in this covenant, and where we are today, eagerly waiting for the the rest of God's promises to be fulfilled. Listen in for a deeper understanding of our faith in God and God's faithfulness to us.

Genesis 11: 1 - 9 When God saw people build a tower and he confused their languages and scattered them over the earth, it wasn't because building cities are bad or making a name for ourselves is dishonorable; rather, God cares about the motives behind our actions and for us to obey His will. In that moment, humans were not filling the earth as God commanded, so God scattered them Himself. Studying the tower of Babel narrative, Pastor Scott shares what it means to follow the will of God.

Genesis 4 Cain, filled with anger against his brother Abel, murders him. God doles out both justice and mercy onto Cain in response t0 sin. This passage outlines the mess that humans have made in giving in to sin, as it festers, grows, and drives us into restless wandering. This passage also shows God's character, in light of human evil. RenKids teacher Reid Megathlin shares teaching points prepared by Scott Axtmann about the Genesis narrative of Cain and Abel.

Luke 5: 17 - 26 It's the 1st century AD. The people of God hold high expectations for a Messianic King to arrive at any moment. Prophecies foresaw this to happen around that time. Then Jesus enters the synagogue, and a new reality bursts upon the scene: “The Kingdom of God is near!” he preaches. And people react. Some reject, some doubt, and some drop everything to follow this Jesus. A few men even break through the roof of a crowded place to lower down a paralyzed man right to him. Here, Jesus sees their faith and forgives their sins. Then, he instructs the paralytic to walk, and the man picks up his mat and walks home. Who but the Messiah could heal AND forgive sins? This message from Mark Skillin will give you a deeper understanding of the kingdom of God, of the beauty of faith embodied, and why Jesus is the Messianic King who is worthy to rule the world.

Good stories often introduce the most important characters at the beginning of the narrative. The opening chapters of Genesis set the stage for the entire biblical narrative, casting who God is and how humans came to be. Listen in as Pastor Scott walks through the layers of Genesis 1 - 3.

2 Kings 4: 1 - 7 Told in 2 Kings, a widow is about to lose her sons to slavery if her debt is not paid, but through a miracle God multiples one jar of oil into many jars of oil, in order for her to sell them and pay off the debt. Teaching leader Vicky Griffiths shares how we can see God's power and presence increase through small things. Imagine what we can see God do when we trust Him.

John 12: 1 - 8 The Stories of God series highlights countless narratives in the Bible. This message looks at the account of Mary anointing Jesus' feet with perfume one evening at dinner. One of the disciples rebukes her unusual offering, but Jesus advocates for her. Just as Jesus responded to Mary's motives, Jesus notices and delights in the things we do for Him today.

Matthew 9:35 - 10:1 In this message, guest speaker Emily Cordon Drainville, a pastoral resident from Sanctuary Church in Providence, preaches about Jesus' compassion for lost people. While it seems that people in Providence do not appear “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36), many are walking with deep hurt inside and are searching for answers. In recent months, Emily has witnessed an openness to Jesus like never before from her peers locally and from testimonies around the world. In summary, the harvest is plentiful! There is a great need for people to go bring the light of Jesus into their communities here in New England, and Jesus is empowering you through His Spirit to join Him in the healing work. This message is meant to encourage anyone who needs needs a fresh wind of Jesus' compassion for people in our spheres.

2 Corinthians 13: 11 To conclude this series on 2 Corinthians, Pastor Scott unpacks what it means to live a life that aims for restoration and living in peace with one another. “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

2 Corinthians 12: 1 - 10 Why doesn't God always deliver us from hardship, even when we cry out to Him? What if we tried everything we could to remove intense suffering, yet nothing seems to change? While there is some mystery, we do know that God permits troubles in our lives to form us into the image of Jesus. He cares more about our character than our comfort. Pride, unaddressed, would destroy us. Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 refers to being given “a thorn in [his] flesh” so as to keep him humble, learning how to “boast all the more gladly about [his]weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on [him.]” The hope for this message is to consider responding to hardship as an embrace of the way God wants to shape us.

2 Corinthians 10 The problem of people being deceived by teaching is more relevant now than ever. A flood of information comes at us through social media, TV, and YouTube, and so much of it is biblically messed up. Many Christians fall for the persuasions, falling away from the true gospel. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul defends the validity of his gospel preaching and calls out the false teaching going on in the Corinthian community. Given that this issue persists through every generation, Pastor Scott ends this message with practical tips for how to stay grounded in the truth of the gospel in the midst of deceitful teaching.

2 Corinthians 9: 5 - 8 The stress of dealing with money in our time—it's real. Sometimes we operate out of a shame state or a scarcity mentality when it comes to managing time or money. But contact with Jesus can heal this worry within us. He takes us from an exacting compulsory life to a spacious life of grace. In this message Chris Waugh shares life stories to help listeners imagine where God may be calling us to expand our capacity to be generous. 

2 Corinthians 8 The practice of generosity is a huge part of our spiritual formation and even combatting spiritual warfare, as giving is the antithesis to a culture that hoards money and fears of not having enough. Reading about the church in 2 Corinthians 8, Pastor Scott shares what it looks like to be wise with money while giving much in light of what we have. The posture of giving can be an act of worship, of grace, and can shape us into the people God is calling us to be.

2 Corinthians 7:8 - 13 What does it look like to have a healthy process of repentance and growth in your church community? It involves church leaders addressing sin instead of ignoring the problem, to respond to discipline with “godly sorrow,” and to commit to loving people instead of ostracizing them, hanging in there for the whole process of salvation. Mark Skillin unpacks several nuances to this type of dilemma as referred in 2 Corinthians 7, including what it means to find salvation when one is already a Christian.

2 Corinthians 7:2 - 16 2 Corinthians 7 gives a snapshot into the life of the apostles, such as Paul and Titus, who endured suffering through their travels and gospel teaching, yet their love for the local church and hearing about the Corinthians' growth in repentance magnified their joy that could not overshadowed by troubles. Mark Skillin goes through the backstory of this passage and from it gleans wisdom about suffering, joy in the Lord, and why learning from the apostles is important.

2 Corinthians 6: 14 - 7:1 God calls us to be fully in communion with Him. As Christ followers we can't have one foot in the world, one foot with God. Yet throughout the centuries, determining what it means to be separate from the world and fully aligned with God has been challenging for the Church, and sometimes this separation has gone to the extreme. Pastor Scott sorts through what it means in chapter 6 v. 14 to not be “equally yoked” with nonbelievers, what to do with rules upon rules in legalistic circles, how to interact with our culture, and how to address internal shame in the process of pursuing holy communion.

2 Corinthians 6:1 - 13 Is there any part of your life that you're holding back from God, and why is that? God continues to dole out grace, yet believers can neglect to tap into His treasures. Pastor Scott challenges listeners to “open wide” their hearts to God, in the context of Paul displaying His wholeheartedness to Christ and the Corinthian church through sorrow and joy.

2 Corinthians 5: 16 - 21 As Christians, we are “new creation[s].” Jesus has given us a new identity. The challenge is to keep walking the path of reconciliation in the redeemed identity. Pastor Scott unpacks the complex themes in 2 Corinthians 5: 16 - 21 about being reconciled to God, what it means to take sin seriously and walk toward righteousness, especially in a contemporary culture that's normalized lukewarm faith.

2 Corinthians 5: 9 - 15 What motivates us to do the things we do? In Corinthians 5, Paul highlights that his motivation for doing good, sharing the gospel, and working for God's kingdom is that he will be rewarded by Christ after death. There is an underrated theme of divine reciprocity in the Bible. What Christians do with their lives to honor God is accounted for by God and will reap a reward. This is in the context of paradoxes. Because Christ died for our sins, we must die to ourselves; Christians no longer live for themselves but for Christ's motives, and living for Christ alone is rewarded. Listen to one of our elders Mark Skilllin as he unpacks these multi-faceted themes in 2 Corinthians 5: 9 - 15.

2 Corinthians 5: 1 - 10 Who we are in our bodies is a reflection of who we are in our souls. On the day of judgment, the way we conducted ourselves in our real bodies will give an account for the way we stewarded our spiritual vitality. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor 5:10). Speaker Chris Waugh analyzes three idols in our culture today that are related to the body, and he offers their spiritual antidotes. These idols are: the body as an object of worship, the body as a form of personal identity, and the body as a means of sacrifice. Listen in on these topics related to pornography, body image, health habits, and trauma, and how Jesus has a redemptive say to these important issues.

2 Corinthians 3: 12 - 18 We know that the fullness of Christ is meant to dwell within his believers, and yet we all sin, even after coming back to Christ. Through this struggle between sin and freedom, what is required of us to further pursue the fullness of Christian life? In this message, Council leader Vicky Griffiths clues us in on practical applications for transformation, the ways in which beholding the glory of God and embracing His Spirit will change us from one degree of glory to another.

2 Corinthians 3: 7 - 16 There's a strange tendency as Christians to not realize what we have in Christ and to not take full advantage of all that is available to us. We settle for less than what God has for us. This malnourished approach to the Christian life has become the norm in this western corner of the world. Passages like 2 Corinthians 3: 7 - 16 spur believers to refocus on what we truly have with Christ within us! He is true satisfaction. Everything else pales in comparison. But we must chase it, hunger for it, surrender fully to God's life to embrace the fullness of Christ within us.

What people have had the most theological influence on you? What is the criteria you look for to trust the person's spiritual expertise? Whether we're aware of it or not, we tend to be on the lookout for people to emulate, and it's important to discern the level of truth we hear from different teachers. The 1st century Corinthian culture was no exception to sifting out false teachers, and in the mess some challenged Paul's validity. 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 looks at the relationship between Paul and the Corinthian church and how the good fruit from the Corinthians bears witnesses to God's true transformation and the good gospel message which Paul delivered to them.

2 Corinthians 2:17 What habits do Christ followers fall into that turn them into “peddlers of God's word,” that cheapen or distort the gospel? How can we better understand and walk in the righteousness that Christ declares over his followers? Chris Waugh walks us through what gets disguised as Christ's authority and Christ's authority actually looks like.

Luke 24:13-34 Let's talk about an Easter story after Easter! What if you already had the sign you were looking for? Council Leader Vicky Griffiths goes through the encounter of Jesus with the people on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection, how Jesus' explanation of the scriptures and his breaking bread with the travelers both point to Him as the Savior we are looking for.

Church spaces all throughout the globe are talking and singing about the resurrection of Jesus, and Christians have hope to be raised from the dead at Christ's second coming. But there are ways we can experience resurrection life now! Somehow, the Spirit of the living God can raise us out of spiritual death today and seat us with the resurrected Christ in heavenly places. We can be raised out of the muck of guilt and shame now. There are so many more implications, and Pastor Scott points out the unexpected path to resurrection life is the same one Christ took. Through death to sin and self, there is new life ahead.

2 Corinthians 2:12 - 16 What does it mean to be “the aroma of Christ to God?” The aroma refers to the fragrance of a sacrifice burning up to the heavens. Imagine a person's heart, marked by the sacrifice of Christ, set ablaze by the Holy Spirit, with smoke reaching up to please the Father—this is the pleasing aroma to which Paul in 2 Corinithians refers. Chris Waugh challenges some of the common habits we have, such as letting savviness for knowledge get in the way of the heart, or putting on our best self at worship services like we put on perfume. But God wants to purify the heart and set it ablaze. This is what pleases the Lord.

How should a church respond to scandal within its community? Because the church is made of people who still sin, Christians need to prepare for how to disciple repentance and how to respond well to people's sinful behavior. Pastor Scott talks about when to respond with tough love and when to respond with mercy by studying how Paul advises the Corinthians about a situation within their church community where they needed to call out the sin, confront, and restore the person back into the community.

In 2 Corinthians 1:23 - 2:6, Paul refers to the grief he felt when addressing the corruption in the Corinthian church community. The portrait of Paul in the Corinthian letters brings us up against this question: do we possess this kind of abundant love for the Church, that her condition intensely produces deep grief or joy? How much are affected by the state of the Church? Or affected by the people around us who are spiritually lost? Pastor Scott challenges us to let God's grief for the spiritual condition of people to hit our hearts. 

One day, followers of Christ will receive praise from Him for pursuing a life of righteousness. In the mean time, our present need is to motivate each other to seek Christ's righteousness in the midst of trials and temptations. Following the model of church leaders encouraging believers in 2 Corinthians 1:12-22, Mark Skillin encourages us today to live in such a genuine way where Jesus is Lord over our politics, our homes, our work, even our meal times—every aspect of life, until the day when He tells us, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mat. 25).

Pastor Scott shares thoughts and updates for the Ren community this season related to Lent, the move out of the 184 Broad St building, and Core membership in 2024. Chris Waugh closes out with a brief word on communion and the full measure we can have of Jesus in our lives.

2 Corinthians 1: 8 - 11 In our own strength and wit, do we really have what it takes to live the way God wants us to live? Can we really rid ourselves of pride? God will help us get to a point of humility, endurance, and trust in Him when we're in circumstances beyond our ability to handle on our own. When He calls us to do impossible things, He will give us what we need, but we must rely on Him. This message looks at the circumstances Apostle Paul faced that drove him to the Lord to get through, and Pastor Scott unpacks how we can approach our need for God in our everyday lives.

We've all had our share of suffering—it's part of the human experience. It's a reality that we struggle to understand, and it frustrates us because we know what suffering can do to the human spirit. Suffering can lead us to despair; it changes us for the worse—or for the better. Trials can lead us to lose faith or could bring character, even intimacy with God. Suffering provides an opportunity to experience divine comfort, which in turn equips us to comfort others in similar circumstances. In this message, dive deeply into what the opening of 2 Corinthians says about the unexpected gift of suffering.

As followers of Jesus, how do we prioritize our love for God, our love for one another, and our love for neighbors in our spheres? Pastor Scott gives a pastoral talk on the most important essentials for Christian living to set us in the right direction for how we live and how we are a church together in 2024.

There is no one God is not willing to pursue. The wise men, doing their job as well-off astrologists, followed an unusual star and discovered the true King of the Jews—Jesus. It's worth looking at our own stories to ask, how might God today meet us in our communities and in our passions and interests? By studying the Magi story in Matthew 2, Ren Church member Vicky Griffiths helps us reflect on how we can pursue Jesus in 2024.

Listen for a short word on the joyous arrival of Jesus and the way God included shepherds as part of the celebration.

We may know in our mind that God loves us, but this truth does not always move to our hearts. We may feel our flaws are too much for God, or the experiences of being failed by others may affect our view of love. In these moments, we can ask God to help us with a fresh revelation of His love. As you listen to this message, let the truth of God's depth love for you sink into your heart.

We kick off the 2023 advent season by dwelling on the hope Christians have because the arrival of Jesus, who came like the dawn piercing the darkness. The Christian hope of eternal life is not a vague experience but is one grounded in reality. In this message Pastor Scott goes through several reasons for why we can anchor our hope in Jesus.

In Revelation, Apostle John receives a vision of what Jesus has to say on the condition of various churches. Letters in chapter 3 write to a dead church, a weak but highly-honored church, and a lukewarm but greatly loved church. While these letters are to specific churches, Pastor Scott challenges listeners of Renaissance Church to consider the warnings Jesus gave and look within: are our hearts truly burning for Christ, or are they lukewarm?

This is a 2-part series that studies the seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation. The letters reveal what Christ cares about, what impresses him and upsets him, what He wants to see His Church become. Though these are written specifically to churches in 95 AD, the principles about love, endurance and commitment to the truth can be applied to our church today.

Throughout the book of Acts there's a pattern of demonstrations of the supernatural bringing people's attention to Jesus and the gospel message. In the final chapter of the series, God uses a shipwreck, a snake bite, and countless healings from fatal sickness on the island of Malta, in order to break through to the Maltese toward belief and repentance. God used a variety of strange ways to capture the attention of people in the 1st century Mediterranean region—how can you ask God to demonstrate his supernatural power and presence to people in your community today?