Sermons on Reuben:

The Bridegroom Gives An Abundance Of New Wine

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Feb 7, 2021

To those who love him, the Bridegroom gives this promise: his great marriage feast is coming! At that feast there won’t ever be the disappointment that it’s coming to an end, that the joy is running out, but there will be blessedness unending.

When you meet someone new, it can take a while to get to know them. Maybe you’re starting at high school or university, and you’re meeting all kinds of people for the first time. Or you just gained a few new colleagues at work. Well, it’ll take a while to get acquainted. You chat together on and ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11, John 20:24-31, Joel 3:14-21

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jesus Stays On The Road To His Death

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 4, 2021

Jesus didn’t sit on Death Row. Yet his life was always moving toward that certain and terrible end: He’d be killed on the cross. He knew this, because the Scriptures pointed to it. He knew this, and He predicted it himself more than once during his ministry.

In some prisons in America there is an area known as Death Row. It’s where those who have been sentenced to die go to wait for the time of their execution. Every day on Death Row is a day closer to death. So for a prisoner, after five or ten years, there might be only 30 days left. Then only 20. ...read more

Scripture: John 12:27-33

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Believing Without Seeing

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 4, 2021

On the day of Jesus's return we will see him, in person, face to face. Until that great day, we are those who have not seen, yet believe. We are those who have not touched and seen and heard.

There are some things about us that we just have, naturally. Think about how children look. Every child receives some features from his or her parents, like red hair or brown eyes or a certain shape of nose or chin. And sometimes we think faith is like that too. We say, “I’m pretty sure I have ...read more

Scripture: John 20:28-29

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

No Place Like Home

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jan 9, 2022

We would sooner give up everything of human worth, even earthly joy, physical health and wholeness, than lose that gift. For this is our true home: in Zion, with God, and in his house. This is always home for God’s people: to be with Him!

There’s no place like home. You realize that when you’ve been away for a while: maybe on vacation, a business trip, or in the hospital. Home is a refuge. For when we’re at home, we’re surrounded by the familiar. Home is security and comfort. There’s no place like it. But how do we know when we’ve ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 137:4-6, Jeremiah 25:1-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Rejoice In The Lord Always!

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jan 16, 2022

The source of our true rejoicing is found only through a right relationship with God! Everything apart from him is crumbling and disappointing. Yet our God is eternal, glorious, lacks in no way, and never fails. So those who enjoy a living fellowship with Christ are given true gladness of heart.

Are we known as a joyful people? Is that the reputation we have, that we’re often rejoicing? Perhaps not. On first impressions, our worship is pretty sombre. In speaking about our faith, most of us are reserved, and we keep our emotions well in check. Even when we have what we call “the celebration ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4, James 1:1-8

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Building Blocks In God's Holy House

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jan 23, 2022

We are “living stones,” called to be linked with one another in Christ, tightly integrated like stones in a wall. This requires us to strengthen our connections with each other, in fellowship, mutual support, and prayer.

God has given us a real blessing in this church building. In many ways, it’s a hub for congregational life. It serves as a centre of our worship, our learning and study, and it’s a place for our communion together. It’s a good gift of God to us. Yet how does the Bible speak about our places of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-8

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

Open Eyes, Open Hearts

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on May 2, 2021

The gospel is veiled to sinners, the eye of our heart is closed, yet God has devised a free and accessible solution in Christ Jesus. By him, God shines his Word into the darkness of our hearts, so that we may see him truly, and walk in the light of life.

Some of you may have enjoyed the benefits of cataract surgery. With this simple operation, one usually done in less than fifteen minutes, doctors remove the clouded lens of the eye and they replace it with a clear, artificial lens. Most people go home the same day with vision that is dramatically ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-12, John 9:1-7

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Dead Hear His Voice And Live

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on May 9, 2021

The day will come when all the graveyards and all the cemeteries in the world will be emptied out. They will give up their dead, who will live again. And those who have believed in Christ will live forever with him.

The apostle John records seven miracles (or signs) from Jesus’s public ministry. Today we come to the seventh sign, and it is without question the greatest sign. For in John 11, the Lord Jesus powerfully restores the life of Lazarus. And it’s actually a miracle that we can relate to, in the sense ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-44

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on May 13, 2021

The ascended Christ wants us to be where He is. Jesus wants us to join him, even standing in the glorious presence of the Father, “that where I am, there you may be also.” And there in his presence, we will have lasting peace forever.

When parents are headed out for the evening, they might give their teenaged children some last-minute instructions: “Don’t forget to feed the dog. No fighting. Turn the lights off when you go to bed. We’ll be home by eleven.” Parting words, then they’re gone. Something like this is happening in ...read more

Scripture: John 14:27

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Pentecost: Keep In Step With The Spirit

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on May 23, 2021

When children of God walk through this life, we should not be wandering aimlessly, getting tripped up by our desires, but God calls us to keep in step, to watch where we put our feet, and to follow the lead of the one who commands us: “Walk in the Spirit!”

When the Holy Spirit was first poured out on the church, that event was spectacular in every way, with a rushing wind, tongues of fire on the disciples’ heads, and foreign languages on their lips. But that first Pentecost was more than just an impressive beginning. For now that they had the Holy ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Am The Bread Of Life Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jun 6, 2021

The amazing thing is that the more we eat the Bread of Life, the hungrier for him we become. Once we have started to experience Jesus’s grace and goodness, we actually want more of him! Your appetite for Christ won’t decrease the more you get to know him, but increase.

Say you’ve recently met someone new. Another worker was hired on, or you started at a new school, or you got a new client for your business. You get to know a person in a few ways. One is to watch what they do. How do they behave, and how do they treat other people? You get acquainted also by ...read more

Scripture: John 6:35

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Am The Light Of The World Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jul 11, 2021

When we believe in Christ, the Light of the World, He delivers us from the darkness. The darkness is still there, and it’s still deadly, but it cannot overcome the light of the Lord.

Say you’re out in the bush somewhere at nighttime. All around it’s very dark, just the murkiness of midnight, and you’re a bit scared. You’re glad you have your flashlight, and glad the moon is shining. And when you come to a hill, and you look out over the treetops, you’re even gladder when you ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-12, John 12:35-50, John 8:12

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Am The Door Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jul 19, 2021

Enter through Christ, who is the door for the sheep. Trust in his name. Love him, and listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Know that you are forever secure behind the One who is the door.

Who does the Bible say that you are? Many beautiful comparisons and images portray our identity in Christ. Who are you? You are the apple of God’s eye. You are the holy bride of the Lord. You are his vineyard, and his body, and his temple. You are his inheritance and treasure. And you are his ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 34:1-10, John 10:9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed