In Nehemiah, the rebuilding of the wall is complete, the people have listened to the Law, and made oaths to stay faithful. At this stage they experience hearts that are overwhelmed with the goodness of God and they come together to celebrate and make a joyful noise. Celebration is essential to our lives as Christians as well, giving us opporutnity …

8/18/2024 - Matthew 5:13-16 - Community: The Means of Outreach by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

Throughout history, one things is repeatedly proven: our hearts are a mess. It was the same for God’s people in Nehemiah, too. In this sermon, we look at what is wrong with the human heart, how God gives us his mercy, and why he calls us to obedience. Key Verses: Nehemiah 10:28-29

After God’s people rebuild the wall, they spend a month listening to God’s commands. In this sermon, we look at what the law is, why it matters to his people, and how he wants us to use it today. Key Verses: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 8-12

Rev. Will Cote, RUF APSUBy Richard Schwartz

8/4/2024 - Luke 10:38-42 - Following the Lord by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

After all that Nehemiah and the Jewish people have overcome the work on rebuilding the wall comes to a halt. Why? Because money and greed have led to division amongst the Jewish people. The work can only be continued through Nehemiah’s actions of generous sacrificial living. Today we look at how we can begin to live a life fully invested in God thr…

7/28/2024 - John 20:1-18 - Loved by the Lord by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

This week, we will continue our study in the book of Nehemiah by taking a closer look at the opposition that Nehemiah faced in chapter 4. God’s people were continuing to accomplish the task that He had given them to do, yet they were in growing danger and battling doubt. As a result, they wrestled with a potent question we still face today- what ca…

Guest Speaker Rev. Kevin Teasley, Chief Advancement Officer, RUFBy Richard Schwartz

Guest Speaker Rev. Will Cote, RUF APSUBy Richard Schwartz

As Nehemiah begins to carry out God's vision for rebuilding the wall, and more importantly the people's hearts, he must first inspect the walls that need repair. It is in taking these important steps of obedience that we begin to see the hidden plans of God revealed to Nehemiah and the people of Israel, and the ways God wants to reveal his plans fo…

In Nehemiah, the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem serves as the main way God introduces redemption and renewal to his people. When things don’t turn out as we had hoped, we are called towards God through adoration and confession. We can appeal to God with the confidence that he will intercede and use our willingness to act for his purposes. Key…

7/7/2024 - John 4:1-30, 39-42 - Proclaiming the Lord by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

In one of Jesus’ most powerful teachings, he tells us that everyday life can create in us a persistent sense of worry. But then he offers us a surprising command — to look at beautiful things like birds and flowers as a way to fight against the demands of everyday life. In this sermon, we look at the importance of beauty, why we need it in our live…

6/30/2024 - Luke 1:26-45 - Mary and Her Response to the Lord by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

In the Incarnation, Jesus comes to be both fully human and fully God simultaneously. Looking closer at this central doctrine of our faith, we can discover that Jesus was coming to become like us so that he could better help us; believing this essential truth is to see his kingdom come to permeate every facet of our lives. Key Verses: Phillipians 2:…

6/23/2024 - Genesis 1-2 - The Foundations by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

As children, we are willing to believe and be ready for the impossible. As we grow older though we lose our dependence and faith that God can and will do the impossible. In this sermon, we look at one of the impossible works of God through the true account of God rescuing the Israelites from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. As you look at this…

Guest Speaker Rev. Will Cote, RUF APSUBy Richard Schwartz

We have never seen a lonelier society than we have today. What does Christianity say to loneliness, and what can it offer to lonely people? In this sermon, we look at the important of holy friendships and how we can pursue them in our lives today. Key Verses: Romans 16:3-16

Guest Speaker Rev. James Jardin, RUF Western KYBy Richard Schwartz

When are our hearts become anxious, worried, afraid, or even numb, Jesus tells us to put in our trust in God, and in him. But how? In this sermon, we look at some of Jesus’ final teachings about the reality of our future, the way to walk towards it, and the help we have along the journey. Key Verses: John 14:1-7…

6/2/2024 - Lamentations 3:22-24 - Facing Change by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

Over the last couple of months, we have gone through Biblical stories of people who encountered God in life-changing ways. This week, we close out our series by looking at John, whose knowledge of Jesus’ love for him informed his view of himself, of God, and of the world around him. We can learn a lot from John’s teachings if we are willing to reco…

Paul is one of the most accomplished people in the history of the world, and yet he never boasts of his successes. Instead, he boasts of his weaknesses and, more importantly, how he experienced God within them. In this sermon, we look at the importance of weaknesses, how God uses them in our lives, and how he uses them — for us and for the world. K…

Guest Speaker Rev. Tom Darnell, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, Nashville PresbyteryBy Richard Schwartz

How do you continue to experience God even when you have failed him? In this sermon, we look at Peter and his betrayal of Jesus, and then how Jesus heals him, restores him, and calls him from a place of love. Key Verses: John 21:15-19

5/12/2024 - Mark 3:20-35 - Our Highest Priority by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

During a time of transition and upheaval, God comes to Isaiah in a vision, and calls him to be a prophet. But first Isaiah must pass through several revelations about God and himself. In this sermon, we look at what Isaiah saw and how it can show us what an experience with God can mean for us today. Key Verses: Isaiah 6:1-8…

5/5/2024 - Acts 2:42-47 - The Marks of the Spirit's Work by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

Where do you go when you are at the edge of exhaustion and facing an impossible situation? Elijah goes to God and finds an unexpected experience of silence and stillness — which was exactly what he needed. In this sermon, we look at the importance of stillness and how it can shape our hearts in the midst of our daily lives. Key Verses: 1 Kings 19:8…

Guest Speaker Rev. Weston Duke, RUF Middle TN StateBy Richard Schwartz

One of the most frustrating things we can experience in our lives is an unanswered prayer. In this sermon, we look at how Hannah faced her unanswered prayers, and how she ultimately experienced God through them in powerful ways. Key Verses: 1 Samuel 1:9-18

Guest Speaker Chase Daws, RUF VanderbiltBy Richard Schwartz

Throughout this series, we are going through Biblical stories of people who experienced God in profound ways. This week, we look at Jacob, who wrestled with God and came away with a limp and a blessing. This unusual experience with God contains lessons for our lives today. Key Verses: Genesis 32:22-32…

4/14/2024 - Philippians 2:5-11 - Walking the Path by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

Jesus made the astounding promise that we can be friends with God. One of the ways by which we come into friendship with God is to experience him — not only as someone in ancient stories, but also as someone who is alive, in our hearts, today. But how? In this sermon, we look at the one of the most famous experiences of God, Moses and the Burning B…

4/7/2024 - Luke 24:36-49 - The Startling Implications of the Resurrection by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

When Jesus dies rises from the grave, he is putting his love on full display — for us. In this sermon, we celebrate his resurrection by looking at his great love for us, what it means, and how it can change us in the deepest of ways. Key Verses: Romans 5:6-11

3/31/2024 - 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 - Things of First Importance by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

The last words Jesus says before he dies show us, thousands of years later something incredibly powerful — the culmination of a life that was grounded in the reality of God, his calling, and most importantly his love. In this sermon, we look at these last words of Jesus and explore how they can help us face our lives, and our deaths, with this same…

Guest Speaker Rev. Will Cote, RUF APSUBy Richard Schwartz

As Jesus breathes his last, he shouts a cry of victory. His proclamation that “It is Finished!” is a joyful cry that will enable us to be made right with God. This victory is especially significant because it doesn’t need anything from us. We cannot add to it, earn it, or do anything additional. It is all grace; it is all finished. Key Verses: John…

3/17/2024 - Psalm 1:1-3 - Meditation on God's Word by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

When we look at Jesus on the Cross, John gives us a surprising detail — Jesus asks for a drink because he is thirsty. In this sermon, we see how Jesus’ thirst shows us what it means to be in need, and how to find real meaning and hope in the midst of our neediness. Key Verses: John 19:28-29

Guest Speaker Rev. Carter Crenshaw, Founding Pastor of West End Community Church NashvilleBy Richard Schwartz

As we continue to study the last words of Jesus on the cross, we look to words that Jesus utters as He is experiencing the greatest of His sufferings. Jesus’ cry towards God here is an expression of the internal suffering He is experiencing by taking on our sin, abandonment by God. We reflect today on this passage by looking at this suffering of Je…

3/3/2024 - 2 Timothy 3:10-17 - The Inspiration of the Scriptures by Richard SchwartzBy Richard Schwartz

Throughout Jesus’ life, he consistently redefines the nature of relationships and calls into something that can address the deepest needs of our hearts . In this sermon, we see how he specifically cares for two of his closest followers — Mary, his mother, and John, his beloved disciple — as he hangs on the cross. Key Verses: John 19:23-27…