Redeemer Community Church
Redeemer Community Church is located in the historic Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham, AL. Our church family exists to celebrate and declare the gospel of God as we grow in knowing and following Jesus Christ. For more information on who we are, what we believe, or how to join us, please visit our website at rccbirmingham.org.
Hope in the Power, Promises, & Pleasure of God
Jeremiah 32 (Listen)
Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege
32:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold...
New Covenant, New Heart
Jeremiah 30:1–3 (Listen)
Restoration for Israel and Judah
30:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
(ESV)
Jeremiah 31:31–34 (Listen)
The New...
Mercy for Today
Lamentations 3:1–33 (Listen)
Great Is Your Faithfulness
3:1 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of his wrath;
2 he has driven and brought me
into darkness without any light;
3 surely against me he turns his hand
again and again the whole day long.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;
he has broken my bones;
5 he has besieged and enveloped me
with bitterness and tribulation;
6 he has made me dwell in darkness
like the dea...
An Evening With Christopher Watkin - Living Biblically in a World That Isn't
On November 12, our church family gathered to hear from Christopher Watkin, author of Biblical Critical Theory. Over the course of the evening, Dr. Watkin helped us rethink one of culture’s most persistent questions: Who am I? Drawing on everything from Star Wars to Viktor Frankl to the biblical narrative itself, he showed us why the stories we live in shape us far more than we realize, and why the gospel offers a truer, richer, and more hope-filled story than any we could possibly write for ourselves.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER WATKIN
Christopher joined us from Melbourne, Australia, wh...
Seeking the Welfare of the City of Babylon (Afternoon)
Jeremiah 24:4–7 (Listen)
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to...
Seeking the Welfare of the City of Babylon (Morning)
Jeremiah 24:4–7 (Listen)
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to...
Deaf Hearts & Ancient Paths
Jeremiah 6:10–17 (Listen)
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD;
I am weary of holding it in.
“Pour it out upon the children in the street,
and upon the gatherings of young men, also;
both husband and wife shall be taken,
the elderly and the very aged.
12 <...
God's Calling On Our Lives (Afternoon)
Jeremiah 1 (Listen)
1:1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fif...
God's Calling On Our Lives (Morning)
Jeremiah 1 (Listen)
1:1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fif...
The Lord is Our Inheritance
Joshua 13:32–33 (Listen)
32 These are the inheritances that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. 33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.
(ESV)
Luke 12:22–32 (Listen)
Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life i...
Amen and Alleluia
Isaiah 65:17–25 (Listen)
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
...
The Delight of the Lord (Afternoon)
Isaiah 61–62:7 (Listen)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;1
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
...
The Delight of the Lord (Morning)
Isaiah 61–62:7 (Listen)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;1
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
...
The Restorer of Streets
Isaiah 58:1–12 (Listen)
True and False Fasting
58:1 “Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humble...
"Come! Buy! Eat! Enjoy!" (Afternoon)
Isaiah 55 (Listen)
The Compassion of the Lord
55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I...
"Come! Buy! Eat! Enjoy!" (Morning)
Isaiah 55 (Listen)
The Compassion of the Lord
55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I...
"Sing, O Barren One!"
Psalm 23:5–6 (Listen)
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely1 goodness and mercy2 shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell3 in the house of the LORD
forever.4
Footnotes
[1] 23:6 Or Only
[2] 23:6 Or steadfast love
[3] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
[4] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days
(ESV)
Luke 14:15–24 (Listen)
15 When one of those who reclined at table...
Gospel Hospitality
Psalm 23:5–6 (Listen)
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely1 goodness and mercy2 shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell3 in the house of the LORD
forever.4
Footnotes
[1] 23:6 Or Only
[2] 23:6 Or steadfast love
[3] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
[4] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days
(ESV)
Luke 14:15–24 (Listen)
15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard th...
The Servant Who Suffers for Our Sins (Afternoon)
Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (Listen)
He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;1
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle2 many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
53:1 Who ha...
The Servant Who Suffers for Our Sins (Morning)
Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (Listen)
He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;1
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle2 many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
53:1 Who ha...
Trusting God in the Darkness (Afternoon)
Isaiah 50 (Listen)
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
50:1 Thus says the LORD:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce,
with which I sent her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,
and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 Why, when I came, was there no man;
why, when I called, was there no one to answer?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to d...
Trusting God in the Darkness (Morning)
Isaiah 50 (Listen)
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
50:1 Thus says the LORD:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce,
with which I sent her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,
and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 Why, when I came, was there no man;
why, when I called, was there no one to answer?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to d...
The Servant of the Lord (Afternoon)
Isaiah 48:16 (Listen)
16 Draw near to me, hear this:
from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
from the time it came to be I have been there.”
And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.
(ESV)
Isaiah 49:1–16 (Listen)
The Servant of the Lord
49:1 Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The LORD called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sha...
The Servant of the Lord (Morning)
Isaiah 48:16 (Listen)
16 Draw near to me, hear this:
from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
from the time it came to be I have been there.”
And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.
(ESV)
Isaiah 49:1–16 (Listen)
The Servant of the Lord
49:1 Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The LORD called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sha...
God's Passion for His Own Glory
Isaiah 48:1–16 (Listen)
Israel Refined for God’s Glory
48:1 Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel,
and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the LORD
and confess the God of Israel,
but not in truth or right.
2 For they call themselves after the holy city,
and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
the LORD of hosts is his name.
3 “The former things I declared of old;
they went out from my mouth, and I...
The Burden of Idolatry
Isaiah 44:1–17 (Listen)
Israel the Lord’s Chosen
44:1 “But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
2 Thus says the LORD who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They shall spring up among the grass
lik...
Sovereign Over Our Suffering
Isaiah 45:1–13 (Listen)
Cyrus, God’s Instrument
45:1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2 “I will go before you
and level the exalted places,1
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that yo...
Faithful in Our Failure
Isaiah 42:18–43:5 (Listen)
Israel’s Failure to Hear and See
18 Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19 Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,1
or blind as the servant of the LORD?
20 He sees many things, but does not observe them;
his ears are open, but he does not hear.
21 The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake,
to magnify his law and make it glorious.
22 ...
Summer Talkback Series - The Theology of Faithful Stewardship
For our final Talkback of the summer on July 9, we were excited to focus on a theology of worship and stewardship. Our lives are marked by the things we worship – for better or worse. One way we can assess whether we’re rightly ordering our Christian life is by looking at how we steward our time, talents, and resources. For this gathering, we had a chance to hear from elders, pastors, and lay members about what it means to keep Christ at the center of it all.
ABOUT TALKBACKS
Our Talkbacks are great opportunities to see how...
Sing a New Song
Isaiah 42:5–17 (Listen)
5 Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the LORD; I have called you1 in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners...
The Servant of the Lord
Isaiah 41:21–42:5 (Listen)
The Futility of Idols
21 Set forth your case, says the LORD;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them, and tell us
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them,
that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
23 Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
do good, or do harm,
that we may be dismayed and te...
Waiting for the Lord
Isaiah 40:27–31 (Listen)
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young m...
Summer Talkback Series - Ben Sciacca & Janet King on Meaningful Friendships in a Disconnected Age
Many of us ask ourselves the honest question: Why is making friends as an adult so hard? At this Talkback, Ben Sciacca, Redeemer's Local Ministry Coordinator, dove into how God created us to live in meaningful community with one another. While the desire for friendship is part of God's good design, the reality is that we live in a time of prevailing loneliness and isolation.
Ben was joined by Janet King, Founder of The Gathering Lab. Together, they discussed how to move past small talk into something deeper. They explored what barriers keep us isolated and what f...
Unmatched Majesty
Isaiah 40:12–26 (Listen)
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured1 the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 B...
The Word of the Lord Stands Forever
Isaiah 40:1–11 (Listen)
Comfort for God’s People
40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare1 is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:2
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven...
Whom Will You Trust?
Isaiah 36–37:7 (Listen)
Sennacherib Invades Judah
36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh1 from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. 3 And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asap...
Summer Talkback Series - Sho Baraka on a Theology of Creativity & Vocation
ABOUT SHO BARAKA
We are thrilled to welcome guest speaker Sho Baraka to the stage. Sho has spent nearly two decades traveling the world as a recording artist, speaker, and writer. Sho has four solo albums, three feature film appearances, and one book, He Saw That It Was Good.
ABOUT TALKBACKS
Our Talkbacks are great opportunities to see how our faith engages with the world around us. This summer, we're excited to have four evenings that discuss how the gospel changes how we think about race, politics, the world, and our stories.<...
The Feast of Yahweh
Isaiah 24:4–10 (Listen)
4 The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.
5 The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.
7 The wine mourns,
the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The mirth of the tambourines is stilled...
In That Day
Isaiah 10:20–27 (Listen)
The Remnant of Israel Will Return
20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord GOD of hosts...
Immanuel: God With Us
Isaiah 7:1–16 (Listen)
Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz
7:1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.
3
