God wants you to be fruitful. This is no minor theme, but is fundamental to God’s purposes for creation. God wants... his creation to reflect something of his own vitality, his abundance, his fruitfulness. But do you feel fruitful? Or do you feel dry? Parched? Barren? In John 15, we find Jesus teaching on the true vine and the branches, setting up his disciples for a lifetime of fruitfulness. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on John 15:1–8, addressing three questions: What does it mean to bear fruit? How do we bear fruit? And why should we bear fruit?

Whoever might have won this past week’s election, it does not change the truth of what God says nor does... it change the reality that Christ is on the throne. Our hope, ultimately, must never be in an election. Our hope is that Christ is on the throne. Concluding a three-sermon mini-series, Pastor Luke Herche has previously been teaching, first, that we are to obey governing authorities and, second, that we are to obey God rather than men. In this final sermon of the series, focusing on Psalm 2, Pastor Luke shows that we are to know that Christ is on the throne, in four points:

    · Though the nations rage, Christ is on the throne!
    · God has set him there; Christ is on the throne!
    · Serve the Lord or face his wrath; Christ is on the throne!
    · Blessed are all who take refuge in him; Christ is on the throne!

Where do your fears take you? Fear and worry are part of our daily lives. Everybody has fears. And everybody... responds to fears in different ways. Some sweat, others get quiet or make jokes. But where do your fears drive you to? And how do they play out in your day-to-day? In John 14:27–31, we find Jesus teaching his disciples for the last time before his crucifixion, and here he begins to strike at their fear and anxiety, telling them, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Listen as Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on this passage, showing that in the midst of his counsel to his fearful disciples, Jesus gives them his peace and instills them with confidence because he loves the Father.

Quotation from the ESV.

How do you relate to Jesus? How do you relate to Jesus when he is not here, physically, when you can’t see his face, hear... his voice, or touch the scars on his hands? That was clearly a question in the early church. From a secular perspective, the church had a PR problem. They said Jesus had risen from the dead, but if so, where was Jesus? We invite people into a relationship with Christ, but where is Christ? We answer, rightly, that he is in Heaven. But what does it look like to have a relationship with someone who is in Heaven? Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on John 14:15–26 showing that in a reciprocal, post-resurrection relationship with Jesus we love him as we keep his commandments, and he loves us by coming to us by his Spirit and speaking to us in his Word. Therefore, we keep his commandments, delight in his presence, and stay in his Word.

The night before he was crucified, Jesus told his disciples that, following his ascension, whoever believes... in him will do the works that Jesus did and even “greater works than these.” Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on John 14:12–14, focusing on the “greater works” and discussing when they will be done, who does them, what they are, how they are done, and why they are done.

Where do you need comfort right now? Be it political tensions, trouble at work or at home, or even the turmoil of... your own heart—what is going on in your world that is upsetting? In John 14, Jesus begins with the comforting words, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on this passage, addressing three questions: Why do we need comfort? Where do we find comfort? And how do we get there?

Christians are tempted in every age to compromise. One age might be tempted to self-reliance, another to... complacency, another to immorality, but every age has its temptations. Our day is no exception. As long as you live in this world, temptations and trials are bound to come. When the immorality of the present age and the power of the state combine to oppose Christ and his church, there is a question every Christian must face: What do you do when you must decide between doing something that goes against God’s law or facing the punitive action of the governing authorities? Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches from Acts chapter 5, showing that we, like the apostles, “must obey God rather than men,” and answering the what, why, when, and how of what that looks like.

The Gospel of John is the gospel written by a friend. John was someone who walked with Jesus, knew him, ate... with him, saw the miracles. There are details in the gospel of John not seen anywhere else, as well as a more intimate, personal look at Jesus. In John 13:21–38 we see, from his friend, the love of Christ on display, even framed by the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter. Listen as Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on this passage, showing us how Jesus calls his disciples to love others, reflecting Christ, and following him even through failure.

In John chapter 13, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, demonstrating that Jesus comes as a servant and calls... those who follow him to serve. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on this astonishing passage, teaching us to serve, not from a place of insecurity, but of confidence, not just our friends, but our enemies, and not as something optional, but as fundamental to discipleship of the Servant King.

If we have believed in Christ, and been united to Christ, and died with Christ, and been raised with Christ, what... does it look to walk with Christ in a world that does not know him? Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on Colossians 4:2–6, teaching us to prayerfully cling to the gospel, pray for the work of the gospel, and make the most of every opportunity that you have.

What story are you living? We are all in the middle of a story. It’s the story of redemption, the story of grace..., the story of Jesus. And it’s his story, not ours. We didn’t make it up, it’s not fantasy, and the ending is already set—but it’s a story all the same. It has a beginning, middle, and end, a sovereign narrator, narrative tension, a hero, and plenty of plot twists. Being able to imagine this story, to hold it in your mind, enables you to better live the Christian life. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on Jeremiah 29:1–14, showing how this text points to where we are in God’s story, and therefore how we are to live in the story. He begins with getting the plot right (seeing how Israel’s story is our story) and then shows that God has placed us where we are to flourish and bless, in hope of things to come, as we keep our eyes on him.

What are we doing here? That’s a question that can be answered in a variety of ways, but to put it broadly...: what are we, Christians, doing here in the world? What is our role in God’s work in our day-to-day lives? And how is God calling you to join him in what the is doing in and through you? Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on Matthew 5:14–16, answering four questions from this passage: Who are you in Jesus’ story? What role do you play? Where do you play that role? And why do you play it?

What does God have to say about civil government? There are many different types of governing authorities... today: monarchies, democracies, communist dictatorships. Do the same basic Biblical principles apply to each form of government? Do some apply better than others? What is a Christian’s role as a member of a modern civil society?

To answer these questions, it’s important to begin with the understanding that government is God’s idea. When God first created humanity, he gave them dominion. Humanity was to order and rule over creation, and that even includes human life and relationships—not tyrannically, but in a life-giving way. While the execution of this calling has been seriously corrupted by the fall, it is still God’s desire for creation today. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche begins a three-part series on “The Creation, Fall, & Redemption of Civil Government,” preaching on Romans 13:1–7 and answering four questions: Where does it come from? How is it exercised? Why is it exercised? And what do we do now?

Ora et labora is a Latin phrase with origins in Christian monastic communities. It was a maxim of monks and... nuns throughout the history of the church that captured what they thought the Christian life was all about: prayer and work. And there certainly is an integral connection between our prayer and our work. Listen as RUF Campus Minister Ethan Brown preaches on Psalm 46:10 showing how this passage of Scripture, through the help of the Holy Spirit, can help us lead lives of prayer and work for the glory of God.

Do you believe that God can bring change into your life? Christians often struggle with sin... and weakness, wondering if things will ever get better, often tempted to believe they won’t. But the good news for these weary believers is that Christ came (in part) to change us. And he has given us everything we need to that end. But how does it happen? Listen as Pastor Luke preaches on 2 Corinthians 3:18, showing that as we behold Christ in the Scriptures, through the ministry of the word, we become like Christ by the power of the Spirit.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? In order to get moving, something has to grip your heart. Maybe... it’s a new job, a new goal, that first cup of coffee. In Habakkuk 2, we find a better source of hope, of strength, of power to grip your heart. To move you. To get you out of bed. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (ESV) Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on this verse, first providing the context of Habakkuk, then looking at the language and vocabulary of the verse itself, and finally sharing three implications: delight in the glory of the Lord in Christ, wait for that glory to come, and reflect that glory to the world.