Christ-Centered

These days everyone is gospel-centered, Christ-centered, God-centered, Bible-centered, etc. It all sounds so spiritual, but for so many people it is simply another language that has little meaning. So is this just a way that we are trying to look like we've got it together without actually having any day-to-day meaning? 

As our first Core Value, we really do mean it when we say we strive to be "Christ-centered." We say, "Christ is the light of the world, bringing salvation to all who believe. By his blood, he has redeemed his people and has brought us from death to life. This Christ exalting message is the hope of all men and women, and is the focus of every endeavor at Redemption City Church."

Everything we teach points to Christ

In John 5:39 Jesus confronted the religious majority of the day saying that they had missed the entire point of the Scriptures they thought they knew so well. He says these Old Testament texts all "bear witness about me." The Jews should have known Jesus before he even came because their book told them all about him.

In Luke 24:25-27 two men are walking on the road to Emmaus discouraged that Jesus had just died. When Jesus appears to them they are surprised wondering how such a thing could happen. And in verse 27, "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Jesus began going through every section of the Old Testament showing them that they should have known his life, death, and resurrection would happen.

So we preach, teach, and disciple at Redemption City Church not just to improve our lives, but to show from every text how Jesus is the main character in the story of the Bible and the story of our lives. The only way to defeat sin, overcome shame, guilt, and sorrow, is to look to Jesus in his word from beginning to end.

Everything we do is about Christ.

But we don't just focus on Jesus when we are in the Bible. He is the point of everything we do. "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col. 3:17). "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Everything we do points to God's work toward us in Christ. We strive for great marriages because marriage points to Jesus (Eph. 5:32). We work in our jobs as we are working for Jesus (Col. 3:23). We care for one another as unto Christ (Matt. 25:40). We eat food in anticipation of the coming marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9). We sleep because of the rest and peace with God that Christ obtains for us (Psalm 2:12; 3:5-6; 4:8). We play as children adopted into the family of God through Christ (Matt. 19:14; Rom. 8:15-17). We do evangelism not simply to save people from their sins, but in order that they would delight to worship God in Christ (Psalm 22:27; Matt. 5:16; Rom. 9:17; 15:9).

Everything we do as the people of Redemption City Church is done so that people will see Jesus, become like him, rest in his protection rejoice in his provision, and exalt in his glory. We do all these things because all things were made by him and for him (Rom 11:36; Col. 1:16).