RUF @ Western Carolina

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Messages from the ministry of RUF at Western Carolina University. RUF is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), to college campuses around the country and around the world, that seeks to reach students for Christ and equip them to serve. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, exploring Christianity, wrestling with doubt, or just looking for community, RUF is for you!

Andrew Shank


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 29m AVG DURATION
    • 112 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from RUF @ Western Carolina with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from RUF @ Western Carolina

    SuCo 2 - The Lion and the Ring: Sovereignty, Sin, and Salvation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 58:28


    Day 2 explores the reality of evil in Narnia and Middle Earth, as well as the unseen but ever-active hand of providence. We also look at Repentance and Justification, what happens when the intervention of God begins to work in our own lives.

    SuCo 1 - The Lion and the Ring: Christ Figures

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 56:56


    I got to teach this seminar at SuCo, and wanted to share it here for any who want to give it a listen! This first day we talk about the goal of the seminar, as well as Christ-figures in Middle Earth. Thanks to Fleming Ruteledge, Peter Kreeft, Mike Kruger, Louis Markos, and many others whose insights and teaching on these works has been so helpful!

    Ordinary - Sacraments

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 35:57


    Finishing up our series on the ordinary means of grace, we take a look this week at the NT sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Where do they come from? What are they? What do they mean? And how do we use them as means of grace despite our tendency to make them about ourselves?

    Ordinary - Prayer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 30:27


    Continuing our short series on the ordinary means of grace, how can we enjoy prayer in a fuller way? How does it sustain us in the Christian life?

    Ordinary - The Word

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 32:56


    What does it take to grow as a Christian? What are we supposed to do? In this mini-series, we're working through the "ordinary means of grace," looking at the common, easily available things that God uses to grow us and mature us by his grace. This week, we look at the Word: why is it a means of grace, and how can we actually enjoy it?

    Psalm 51 - David & Nathan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 34:30


    How does David respond after being exposed for his sin? How should we?

    2 Sam 11 - David and the Woman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 35:11


    This week we look at the story of David and Bathsheba, asking how David could have gone so far astray. What does this reveal about sin in our own lives?

    2 Samuel 9 - David & Mephibosheth

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 31:09


    What does a right response to the grace of God in our lives look like? Where does the power to respond in that way come from?

    2 Samuel 7 - David & God

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 26:27


    Last time we looked at the Ark coming into Jerusalem, asking what happens when God comes into the center of our lives? This week we're looking at David's desire to build a "house" for God, and asking the question "how do we relate to God? If he's at the center, what is that relationship like?"

    2 Samuel 6 - David & the Ark

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 34:21


    This week we skip ahead to the time when David is king over Israel. One of his first acts is to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to the center of the nation. But what happens to us when we invite God into the center of our lives?

    Psalm 57 - David & Saul

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 30:26


    About half of the psalms contain an element of lament, but what does it mean to lament? Why do we struggle to do it? What might it sound like in our personal prayer life and corporate worship?

    Psalm 133 - David & Jonathan

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 34:46


    What is friendship? What stands in the way of our friendships? How can we be freed to be committed, present, and vulnerable as we build friendships with others?

    I Samuel 17 - David & Goliath

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 31:24


    This week we look at the familiar story of David and Goliath, asking how it fits into the bigger story of Scripture and points to Jesus' victory before it points to our own personal struggle against the giants of our lives.

    1 Samuel 16 - Where are You Looking?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 27:23


    This week we start out our new sermon series looking at the life of David. Listen in as we meet him for the first time when Samuel anoints him as the next king of Israel.

    Mark 16:1-8 - Life with the King

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 33:12


    This week we look at the empty tomb, taking a brief detour into the field of textual criticism.

    Mark 12 - Caesar and the King

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 29:37


    How are Christians to navigate the political realities of the era they find themselves in? What are some of the complications, and what does it mean to "render unto Caesar that which is his, and to God that which is God's?"

    Mark 8-10 - The King's Followers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 32:16


    This week we look at the common ways that we can miss who Jesus is when we're too focused on what we want him to do for us.

    Mark 8:27-30, 9:2-13 - The King's Glory

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 26:47


    This week we look at Peter's confession and the Transfiguration. What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ? What does it mean that he is God? And why does he keep telling people not to tell anyone about him?!?

    Mark 7:1-23 - The King's Challenge

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 34:39


    Jesus' conflict with the Pharisees is escalating: why does Jesus call them "hypocrites?"

    Mark 5:21-43 - Waiting on the King

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 31:12


    What do you do when the way God works doesn't make sense? When he seems "late" in giving you what you need?

    Mark 2:23-3:6 - The King's Rest

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 26:12


    This week we look at two encounters Jesus had with the Pharisees on the Sabbath.

    Mark 2:1-12 - The Authority of the King

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 28:18


    Continuing in Mark, we look at the surprising things that Jesus says in the healing of the paralytic.

    Mark 1:16-20 - Following the King

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 29:06


    What does it mean to follow Jesus? This week we look at the call of the first disciples, and consider what it means for us when Jesus calls us to follow Him.

    Mark 1:1-16 - The Herald and the King

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 29:56


    Fall '24 - This semester we're looking at the Gospel of Mark, learning what it means to follow the servant king. Listen in to the first large group of the year!

    Romans 8:18-27 - About Suffering...

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 27:13


    What are we to do about suffering in the Christian life? What encouragement is there in suffering?

    Romans 8:1-17 - Blessed Assurance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2024 26:04


    What tools does God give us that we might have confidence that we belong to Him?

    Romans 7:13-25 - The Enemy Within

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2024 27:08


    How do we, as believers, think about our inability to live in the ways we really want to?

    Romans 7:1-13 - Sin and the Law

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 32:55


    This week we look at Paul's discussion on sin and the law: are they the same thing? Opposed? How are Christians to relate to God's law if we're under grace?

    Romans 6:15-23 - You've Gotta Serve Somebody

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2024 28:21


    This week we look at another angle of Paul's response to the misunderstanding that grace frees us to sin: our conversion. What does it mean that we've chosen a new master?

    Romans 5:20-6:14 - Think Different

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2024 27:44


    Paul starts applying our union with Christ to our day-to-day Christian lives, first addressing how we think about ourselves.

    Romans 5:1-11 - How Deep the Father's Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 35:04


    Jumping into our series on Romans, we look at how we can know that we are loved by the Father.

    Romans: Full Life in Christ - 5:1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2024 35:19


    This week, we introduce our series on the book of Romans, talking about how Paul gets to the good news of chapter 5 through the long road of chapters 1-4.

    Navigating Relationships - Dating 2: The Fruit of the Spirit

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2024 36:44


    If mini-marriage isn't the way we should date, what else is there? This week we imagine what the fruit of the Spirit might look like if they showed up in our dating relationships.

    Navigating Relationships - Dating I (The Cannonball)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 35:34


    Definitions can be tricky things, especially when it comes to dating. What does it mean to be dating, and what expectations should we bring into that kind of relationship?

    Navigating Relationships - Marriage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 36:26


    What does the Bible have to say about marriage? What is marriage? And how should an understanding of those things impact our relationships now?

    Navigating Relationships - Singleness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 31:12


    From Jan 16, 2024, we kick off our relationship mini-series looking at what the Bible has to say about singleness.

    Ephesians 4-5 - End of Semester Reflection

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 14:48


    After hearing from our graduating seniors, we had just a few minutes for a quick reflection on Eph 4-5 and Paul's command to "put on the new self."

    Genesis - The God Who Promises (15)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 27:35


    We wrap up our series on Genesis looking at God's covenant with Abram, and tracing the Covenant of Grace through the story of Genesis so far, and the rest of the OT.

    Genesis - The Call of Abram (12)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 39:15


    We look this week at the Call of Abram, and on of the purposes of God's blessing in our life. We also talk about God's will, and how to live in wisdom and trust.

    Genesis - The Tower of Babel (11)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2023 32:32


    This week we look at the Tower of Babel, and the modern ways that we seek to find security or "make a name for ourselves."

    Genesis - Re-Creation (6-9)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 30:59


    This week we continue with the Noah story, looking at Noah's obedience and the introduction of the sacrifice in the Biblical story.

    Genesis - The Heart of the Gospel (6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 32:52


    This week we look at the beginning of the Noah story, and meditating on the fact that grace comes first.

    Genesis - East of Eden (4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 31:33


    This week we look at the story of Cain and Abel, looking for signs of grace even as humanity moves further and further from God.

    Genesis - Vanity of Vanities (3:6-24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 31:17


    The week we look at the effects of the Fall: "there is a crack, a crack in everything."

    Genesis - What Went Wrong? (3:1-9)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 29:38


    This week we start our look at the Fall, focusing on the ways that temptation works and God's pursuit of his people, even in their sin.

    Genesis - Who are We? (2:4-25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023 35:57


    Last week we looked at what humanity is for. This week we're still on the topic of humanity, but asking a more fundamental question: who are we? How has God made us? What does it mean to be human?

    Genesis - What is Man? (1:26-28)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023 29:21


    This week we look at the Creation Mandate and ask what it means to be human.

    Genesis - Who Is God?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023 33:10


    We kick off our series on Genesis looking at chapter 1 and what creation reveals about our God.

    Psalm 1 - Why RUF?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2023 30:04


    New to RUF? Start here!

    Sermon on the Mount - Kingdom Foundations

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2023 24:58


    Drawing the series to a close, we look at the choice that Jesus sets before us. What does it mean to be Gospel people?

    Sermon on the Mount - Kingdom Identity

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2023 24:07


    What do you want to be known for? And will that ever be enough?

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