Sermons on Reuben:

God's Thoughts Toward Us

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Sep 19, 2021

"I know the plans I have for you." With these words, God tells his sinful people that He won’t cast them off but restore them. And He expresses the same grace toward us in Christ. For us, God has plans of peace! God wants us for himself. He loves us, and He wants us to love him.

How much do you think about the future? Where would you like to be, this time next year, or in five years? Or do you wonder what lies ahead for your children, your loved ones? We all know that we’re only a vapour. Our life is like the wildflowers which quickly fade. We can try plan the future, yet ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Samson, The Flawed Savior

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Oct 10, 2021

When we stop trusting in human strength or looking to our own ability, God will act. When we are weakest and most defenseless, God will show grace. It’s when we’re at our lowest that God gets ready to shine his glory, to show that He is our Savior.

There is something called the underdog. It’s the boxer not expected to win the fight. It’s the team up against the undefeated champions from last year. The underdog is an unlikely candidate for success, because he’s too small, or they’re too weak, or inexperienced. Yet we know it’s the underdog ...read more

Scripture: Judges 16:23-31

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God Brings Down The Proud Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 10, 2022

In the church's fear and struggle, feeling hard-pressed and helpless, she can be encouraged. We know that the proud of the earth will not endure forever. The violent will not prevail. God is on his throne: He is the great judge and our faithful Saviour.

The world has seen many cruel tyrants and dictators. Sometimes these powerful men live out their days to the fullest, enjoying all the glories of their position right to the end, then dying in comfort. But many end in humiliation and defeat. The great Napoleon spent his last years in exile on a ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Suffering Servant Of The Lord Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 14, 2022

You can’t really appreciate the cross if you don’t know how bad you are every day, how guilty. The cross doesn’t mean anything if you’re a good person, comfortable and at ease with yourself. Do you know how much you need the work of Christ?

Imagine what it was like for the Ethiopian man in Acts 8. He’s traveling south through the countryside, having just been to Jerusalem to worship. He’s a foreigner, but he’s devoted to the Israelite faith—for he knows it is God’s truth! Now on his way home, the LORD is still very much on his mind. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:7-9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Welcome Change In Government Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on May 26, 2022

Christ is Lord even over those who seem to have all the influence today. They’re not running things, He is. They’re not shaping history, He is. None can override him, for Christ holds the keys. He will be forever secure on his throne!

A change in government is always a big deal: there are new cabinet members to choose, new policies to begin implementing, new office spaces to move into. The old is quickly shuffled to one side, and the new is put into the spotlight. In our text today, we see something similar. Isaiah 22 describes ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 22:20-23, Revelation 3:7-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Where Do You Put Your Trust? Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on May 29, 2022

Keep yourself from idols because all of them will come to nothing. Don’t trust in something that’s going to fail you in the end. Remember that you have a better refuge, a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The LORD God alone is the shade in whom we may dwell, in whom we may put our trust.

Where do you put your trust? Without any exaggeration at all, that’s the most important question of our life: Who to trust? What do you seek for the security, confidence, the peace and rest that you need? And this is the only right answer: ‘I trust in God. I wait on him. My faith is in the Lord ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 30:1-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Spirit Is Poured Onto A Wilderness Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jun 5, 2022

The Spirit is poured out from on high, “and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field.” It’s like the change from a dry desert into garden land. When God sends his Spirit, He begins to produce good fruits. That’s the sure effect of his work: a harvest for God.

If you looked back on the thirty-two chapters of Isaiah before our text, what would stand out about the people of God? How could we describe the nation of Judah in this book, and what they’ve shown themselves to be like? It’s not a flattering picture. Back in the very first chapter, the very first ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 32:15-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Looking For Answers In The Wrong Places

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Oct 24, 2021

We must know beyond any doubt that our God does speak to us. The LORD God comes near to us, and with living words He tells us his will. God speaks to us, and directs us in what we’ve got to do.

Some years ago I saw a sign out front of a church. The sign read: “There are Some Questions that Can’t Be Answered By Google.” It’s a good point. Because where do you turn for answers to your questions? Many turn almost automatically to Google. If we want information, or directions, or inspiration, ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Real Repentance

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Nov 7, 2021

Repentance means change. What was I doing before I repented? What kind of life was I leading before? And how will things be different now? That’s not a one-time question, but it’s asked day after day. What shall we do? We bear fruit, for the glory of the God who saved us.

It’s a great privilege, being a minister of God’s Word. Yet preaching is a difficult job. What makes it hard is not really the years of study beforehand. It’s not the many hours spent every week writing sermons. It’s not even getting over the fear of public speaking. Preaching is difficult because ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:7-9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Feed My Sheep

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Nov 14, 2021

If you love Christ, then show your love by your service in his church. If you’re devoted to the Good Shepherd, be devoted to his flock.

It is our joy and privilege to serve in the church of our Lord Christ. Some of us are office bearers, and we are allowed to serve in this capacity. Many of us are not office bearers and we have the opportunity to serve the church in numerous other ways. It’s always a privilege to serve, but the ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-16, John 21:15-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God’s Wisdom Is Health For The Whole Body

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Nov 21, 2021

Either our heart is slowly being filled with evil things, or gradually being filled with good. One heart condition ends in death, the other leads to life. So guard your heart! Then God will bless your life, from the inside out.

Some of us are involved in health care. In our church, we have nurses and others who work at nearby hospitals or nursing homes. Health and wellness are their daily focus. But health is vital for everyone, of course. We should all give it attention. How do you care for the body God has given you? Do ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27, Hebrews 12:1-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Overcoming The World

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Dec 5, 2021

If you have faith in Christ, you already have every resource to be an overcomer. God doesn’t allow us to surrender to worldly pressure or to hide ourselves away. But He says that in Christ we can conquer and gain the victory. Who is it that will overcome and persevere? Only the one who believes!

What we do today isn’t very exciting. For we’re just a small church in a big world. We’re reading an old book, and we’re talking about an old story. Yet a Christian has been given different eyes, and we look at things in a different way. Beneath the surface, God helps us to see things as they ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:5

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Encountering The Holy God Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Mar 6, 2022

When all hope is lost, when it looks like nothing is left—when the king is dead and the world is a mess—God is still working. For He is the great and holy king, and He sits on his throne, high and lifted up.

Being a prophet was one of the hardest jobs in the Old Testament. A prophet had to speak unsettling words, confronting sinners with sin and warning of judgment. They were usually unpopular, often persecuted. So a prophet needed a really clear sense that this is what he was called to do, the ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trust In Immanuel Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Mar 13, 2022

Our Saviour is Immanuel, God with us—in the present tense. And He will be, now and always. This name can give us confidence. For if God is with us, no one can stand against us, and nothing can keep us from his love.

When Dad and Mom receive the good news that a child is on the way, there’s a few things they’ll do. Paint the baby room. Take a birthing class. And pick names. Dad and Mom might want to choose a name with a family connection, and name the little one after Grandpa or a favourite aunt. Or perhaps ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 16:5-9, Matthew 1:18-25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Hope For A Broken World Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 3, 2022

The Root of Jesse will unite and heal everything in this world that has been broken and separated. Those who once were aggressive, hostile, and violent will live together in the harmony that only Christ can give.

When you look around the world, you see there’s a lot going wrong. People who don’t care at all about God are thriving. The tide of our culture is rushing quickly toward dangerous places. Just go to the public library, or onto Netflix or YouTube, and you’re confronted with many godless values. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed