Summer Psalms
A Prayer of Waiting
September 1, 2019 • Rev. Adam Feichtmann
Waiting in lines. How do you feel about waiting in lines? Most people find waiting in lines torturous, specifically when the waiting time is unoccupied. Waiting in general is something that most of us try to avoid. The Psalms remind us that not only is waiting a part of life, but it is actually a practice that we need to cultivate. This Sunday we’re wrapping up our Summer Psalms sermon series by looking at Psalm 62: A Prayer of Waiting. To prepare for Sunday, read, meditate, and pray through Psalm 62. Then practice waiting in silence. Try to sit in one place for 5 minutes and embrace the silence, while letting the words of Psalm 62 become your words, your prayer. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer for Justice
August 25, 2019 • Mr. Derek Rishmawy
“Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end.” - A prayer from Psalm 7. Let this cry for justice become our prayer. Evil and sin is rampant in our world (and in ourselves). Psalm 7 describes God as a righteous judge who hates evil and loves justice. This Sunday we have the privilege of welcoming Derek Rishmawy, the new RUF Campus Minister at UCI, as we hear him preach on Psalm 7, A Prayer for Justice. To prepare for Sunday, read, meditate, and pray through Psalm 7. Let the words make you feel uncomfortable. Uncomfortable because of the evil and sin inside you, and uncomfortable because of the evil and sin this world. But then, let this reality comfort you: God is a righteous judge, he is on your side and he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to deal with all evil and sin. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Confidence
August 18, 2019 • Rev. Josh Eby
Psalm 23 is one of the most popular psalms and prayers in the Bible. It resonates with us because we all go through dark valleys in life, and we need to be reminded that God is with us and will comfort us. If you haven’t already, try and memorize Psalm 23. Spend 5 minutes each day over the next week and dedicate some time and energy to memorizes these 6 short verses. It is not if you will need to pray this prayer, but when you will need to pray this prayer. This Sunday Rev. Josh Eby will conclude his month long visit by preaching on Psalm 23. As you prepare for the sermon, please also give thanks for all the work that Josh Eby has done for Redeemer over this past year, especially with the pastoral search committee and me. Have a blessed Lord’s Day this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer for Trouble
August 11, 2019 • Rev. Josh Eby
Fear dictates so much of our lives, but it doesn’t have to. God is a very present help in trouble. Emphasis being on present. God is with us. He is in our midst when trouble surrounds us. Meditate on that reality. Chew it over and let it sink in. The God who created and upholds all things is present with us when our fears take over our senses. This Sunday Rev. Josh Eby will encourage us in this truth by continuing our Summer Psalms sermon series on Psalm 46, a prayer for trouble. To prepare for Sunday, and to calm your fears, read, pray, and let Psalm 46 be a balm to you. Have a blessed Lord’s Day this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Confession
August 4, 2019 • Rev. Josh Eby
Everyone sins. Everyone needs to confess their sin. And everyone needs to learn how to receive and offer forgiveness. Psalm 51 is a raw and beautiful prayer that teaches us how to be people who regularly confess and forgive. In Christ, all our sins are washed away, a new heart is created in us, and a renewed right spirit is placed within us. However, we still sin and need to be in the habit of praying Psalm 51 on repeat. This Sunday Rev. Josh Eby will continue our Summer Psalms series by preaching on Psalm 51 - A Prayer of Confession. To prepare for Sunday, read, meditate, and pray through Psalm 51. As you do, let the words of this psalm become your words, your prayer. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer for the King
July 28, 2019 • Rev. Josh Eby
Jesus reigns as King. Do you ever pray for Jesus’ reign as King? As a truth, Christians believe that Jesus reigns as the King of Kings over all the earth. How often to do you pause and respond to that truth in prayer? Psalm 72 is a prayer for the King. It is a prayer for Jesus. This Sunday the Rev. Josh Eby will be back in town and continuing our Summer Psalms sermon series by preaching on Psalm 72. He will unpack the psalm and show us how it teaches us to pray for Jesus’ reign as King. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Being Known
July 21, 2019 • Rev. Adam
We all long to be seen and known. Yet, there is often a tension in our lives between the desire to be fully known and the desire to hide. We hide because we fear people seeing certain aspects of our lives. But we experience great joy when we let people fully see us and are still loved. This Sunday we’ll continue our Summer Psalms sermon series with the popular Psalm 139, a prayer of being known. As you prepare for Sunday, read, meditate, and pray through Psalm 139. When you get to verses 23 & 24, ask yourself how the psalmist could pray those lines, and then how you might pray them as well. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Anger
July 7, 2019 • Rev. Eric Chappell
Rage is only safe in the presence of God. As we continue through our Summer Psalms sermon series, this Sunday we arrive at an imprecatory psalm, Psalm 109, a prayer of anger. Eugene Peterson describes imprecatory psalms as prayers where Christians learn how “to cuss without cussing.” When we read these psalms, we often don’t know how to handle them and feel weird expressing similar anger to God in prayer. This Sunday, we have the honor of having the Rev. Eric Chappell, Assistant Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Orange, preach on Psalm 109 and help us learn how to pray a godly prayer of anger. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Praise
June 30, 2019 • Rev. Josh Eby
Majestic: Having or showing impressive beauty or dignity. The name of God is majestic! When we pray to God, Psalm 8 shows us how to contemplate the majesty of God. This Sunday the Rev. Josh Eby will be back in town as we continue our Summer Psalms sermon series by preaching on Psalm 8, a prayer of praise. In preparation for Sunday, spend two minutes to read, meditate, pray, and contemplate Psalm 8, specifically the majesty of God. I look forward to worshiping and praying with you on Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Joy
June 23, 2019 • Rev. Adam Feichtmann
Joy! We all want to lead a joyful life. How do we cultivate joy in our lives, even in the midst of sorrow? Last Sunday we kicked off our Summer Psalms preaching series with Psalm 13, a prayer of lament. This Sunday we will be looking at Psalm 126, a prayer of joy. Psalm 126 is a simple and concise prayer of joy that is written to help foster a life of joy for God’s people. In preparation for Sunday, read, meditate, and pray through Psalm 126. Reflect on the gifts God has given you in the past and what he promises for your future. As you pray and prepare for Sunday, notice that tears of sorrow are shed in Psalm 126. Pain and suffering are not antithetical to joy. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.” - Psalm 126:5 I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam
A Prayer of Lament
June 16, 2019 • Rev. Adam Feichtmann
Summer Psalms. I am excited to announce that this Sunday we will begin a new sermon series through the Psalms for the summer! The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible. If you desire to deepen your life of prayer, saturate yourself in the Psalms. Let their words become your words, their prayers your prayers. Over the summer we will be cover the main categories of psalms/prayers: Praise, Joy, Lament, Confession, Longing, Thanksgiving, Wisdom, Remembrance, and Messianic. This Sunday we’ll begin with Lament. Everyone suffers. Thus, we need to let the scriptures teach us how to properly lament. Psalm 13 is a powerful example on how to pray a lament to God. To best prepare for Sunday, read slowly through Psalm 13. Notice the paradox of agony and adoration in one breath. As you do, reflect on how you normally lament to God in prayer when you face suffering. What might you learn from Psalm 13? I look forward to praying and worshiping with you this Sunday! Pastor Adam