Rhow Brooklyn

We've been talking about the attitudes that will help us in changing our lives both personally and as part of a church community. This week we're going to look how can we move from being a church IN the community to being a church WITH and FOR the community. There are so many people living around RHOW who need the word of God--and I'm not just talking about the homeless and others who lack the basic necessities of life. All kinds of new residents are moving in near 360 Schermerhorn who need God in their lives. We don't want to be a clique who keeps to ourselves.

Last week we talked about how we can experience a healthier way of life as a congregation and in all our relationships by adding one secret ingredient to our lives. HUMILITY is the foundation to all relationship success and joy. Yet this is an often ignored and overlooked principle, not only in the scriptures but in life. Come this week as we look at this most neglected but necessary grace that God gives the believer to experience the kind of relational intimacy we have only dreamed of. I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Hey Family, This Sunday we're going to speak about the key ingredient of every healthy relationship. Every year about this time I do two things: I reflect and I project. Reflect on how last year went and project on what I can change in the future. I think a lot of us go through that in one form or another. One thing that's held true throughout the years is my regular gathering with my brothers and sisters at Recovery House of Worship. I hope this is part of your regular diet of spirituality.

We've reached the end of another year, one that brought happiness, hope, and struggles as well. I hope to see you all at our New Year's Eve service, 10 p.m.-midnight on Saturday, Dec. 31. The next day, Sunday Jan. 1, join us at 10 a.m. as Pastor Gus leads our first service of 2017! In the beginning, everything was made new. You are invited to become new, to start new, to BE new, as you move into a new year.

As we draw closer to Christmas it's important to remember that Jesus was not just a baby in a manger but a Prophet, a Priest and a King.

Hey Family, Last week we began our new series, JESUS IS THE REASON, by hearing how Jesus is the ultimate Prophet. This week we'll learn how he's also the ultimate Priest--a priest ordained to be the mediator between God and his people. As we approach Christmas day, we hope this series will speak to your hearts and bring you surprising truths about Christ.

Hey Family, As we move into the Christmas season, we want to think more and more about the beauty and the wonder that is Jesus Christ. In our new series called JESUS we're going to discover the miraculous roles that Jesus plays in our lives. He encourages us when we're downcast, strengthens us when we're weak, unites us when we're divided.

Hey Family, Sometimes when we hear God referred to as our father, some strange images can come into our minds. Perhaps we are influenced by our experience with our earthly fathers, which for better or worse can form our vision of what God is like. Many times we can think that if our earthly father was impossible to please, then our heavenly father is too. Or if our earthly father was very harsh with us when we made errors, then our heavenly father will be too. This Sunday as our series HUNGRY continues we will work toward reclaiming the tender beauty of seeing God as our Father and enjoying him as one who pursues and longs for us. You don't want to miss out, so I'll see you at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and bring a friend.

Hey Family, Last week we started a new series, HUNGRY, which we hope will reawaken your appetite for God. Have you been remembering his blessings? We talked about how if we don't do that, we'll forget how God gets us through the hard times, redeems us from the pit, and heals all our diseases. I hope that each of you found some quiet time with God this week and were able to humble yourself before Him. On Sunday we'll continue our series by talking about how many times in life our hearts can be elated or depressed based on the many real injustices, setbacks, or victories that we experience. This week half of America felt as if they won a great victory, and the other half felt like they lost a terrible battle. So this week as we look at the Bible, we will discover another benefit of not being of this world, but belonging to the kingdom of God. --Edwin

Hey Family, As we head into the Thanksgiving season, we're looking forward to connecting with friends and family over a table full of great food. We can all imagine sitting down at that table because we know what follows: the delicious taste of turkey and stuffing and our favorite dessert. When it comes to sitting down with God, though, it's harder to imagine what benefits will follow. In our new series, HUNGRY, we'll talk about how the greatest longing we can have is to yearn for God. This Sunday we'll talk about the 5 most important blessings of spending time with him. Please come and bring a friend! Remember that we all get to sleep in an extra hour after turning back the clock, and I'll see you at 10 a.m. --Edwin

Hey Family, I'm looking forward to seeing you all this Sunday! We're going to talk about how often we can walk through life thinking that we're missing out on something--that maybe we need something more in order to be happy. But according to the scriptures God has given us, through Jesus Christ we have everything we need to be joyous, free, and fulfilled. Sometimes this truth can get lost in the hustle-bustle of life. We can be so concerned about everything that is going on in our day that we forget how God has provided for us. When we understand and fully embrace this truth, though, our worries are addressed, our anxieties are lessened, and we can truly enjoy the beauty and wonder and love that God gives to each of us.

Hey Family, What we believe is so important that it affects every area of our lives. But what happens when what we believe is wrong? Sincerely believing in something does not make it true. For a lot of my life I thought that if you just believe something with your whole heart, that was enough, that belief equals truth. But when we look at the Bible, it's not just belief, but belief in what's TRUE that makes faith so powerful. This week we'll finish up our series God Never Said That by addressing the lie, "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere."

Hey Family, How we live influences what happens after we die. Jesus spoke about how vital it is to live a life that honors God, not just put on the appearance of it. In this third part of our series called GOD NEVER SAID THAT, we'll learn that our acts have consequences that last far beyond the moment. We need to know what God has to say about how his family should behave. If we don't know what scripture says, how can we be true followers of Christ?

Hey Family, Last Sunday we started a brand-new series called GOD NEVER SAID THAT. The purpose is to combat some of the cultural beliefs that often guide our lives--but which are not at all biblical. Last week we looked at the common assumption that God wants us to be happy.. This week we'll dig deeper into a phrase that many of us believe but which is not biblical: "God will never give you more than you can handle." The fact is, the Bible never says that. Now before you feel all betrayed, you need to find out what the Bible really does say, and what God does to comfort and strengthen us in times of serious stress. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday at 10 a.m.--bring friends and family! --Edwin

Hey Family, A lot of times people think they're familiar with what the Bible says, when actually that's not true at all! For example, nowhere in scripture does it say, "God helps those who help themselves." This Sunday we're starting a new series called GOD NEVER SAID THAT! In it we'll look at some familiar "words of wisdom" that are not from God at all. Scripture should guide our lives and our relationships, but if we're making choices according to certain things that God never said in the first place, we're going to go off the rails!

Hey Family, How often do you catch yourself wondering whether somebody else's behavior shows them to be a Christian? Scripture tells us not to judge others, but we ARE asked to examine ourselves. So this week we're going to pause and take some time to determine whether we are fully devoted followers of Christ. It's important to us all, because being a true Christ-follower not only brings us peace and satisfaction, but allows us to bring joy and blessings into the world as well. If we address the things that might be tripping us up in our walk, we can go from being an insecure Christian to a faith-filled follower of Jesus. You don't want to miss this--and bring family and friends!

Hey Family, This week we finish our series WE CAME TO BELIEVE. We've looked at every line of the Apostles' Creed, which lays out the beliefs we all share as Christians. I hope it's been a powerful reminder of the great truths that God has given us to live by. As we finish the Apostles Creed, we come to the last word, a little word that has powerful meanings for us in our walk together with Jesus. Join us Sunday at 10 a.m. as we welcome Zac Martin from Trinity Grace Church in Brooklyn. We've enjoyed having him before and we look forward as he brings God's word. --Edwin

Hey Family, Maybe we don't think about it so much, but we know some day it will happen: Each one of us will die. What happens at that moment? Do we vanish like the flame of a blown-out candle? Or does our soul remain, and go on to another kind of existence? Scripture has much to tell us about what happens after death. This week we will continue our series on what all Christians believe as we host Mark Marchak from Missions Door, one of our favorite guest speakers. We will also celebrate a baptism at Sunday's service, so I hope to see you at 10 a.m.!

Hey Family, Over the last few weeks in our series WE CAME TO BELIEVE, we've been talking about the basic beliefs all Christians share. Last Sunday we talked about how important it is to be a part of a church family. This week we'll learn about what that means in terms of how we treat each other. Jesus taught us to forgive others. Because God forgives each of us, we are meant to show that forgiveness ourselves--even to others who have hurt us deeply. How can we possibly begin that painful process? Please come this Sunday at 10 a.m. to hear what the Bible has to say about how to grow in this very important area of our lives.

'm looking forward to seeing you this Sunday when we continue with our series, We Came to Believe. We'll be talking about the joy of being part of a church community. We've all had times when we couldn't get to church on a Sunday, and so maybe we listened to a sermon on TV or even a podcast on the RHOW website. But God never meant for us to experience his love alone, separate from each other. On the contrary, you probably can remember a time when being with other Christians was the only thing that kept you from collapsing under some great stress or sadness. It's that thought that we're going to explore this Sunday.