Author: Phil Rehberg

Weekly words of encouragement

Living Out Of God’s Lovingkindness – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

“When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved [your name here], not because of works done by [your name here] in righteousness but according to his own mercy” (Titus 3:4-5, ESV). This is a reminder that God’s attitude towards us is one of goodness, loving-kindness and mercy. In fact, these are so strong in him that he didn’t even bother to take our good works into account when he wanted to save us. There was no need. His goodness, loving-kindness and mercy were more than enough, not to mention the infinite inferiority of our good works. Let us constantly remind ourselves of these. It would be a wonderful practice to constantly repeat these three divine traits to ourselves for a week. We need this continuous encouragement. We need the Spirit to embed in our hearts the reality of God’s attitudes towards us because these are Continue Reading →

evangelism missions

Kingdom Evangelism – What Your Unbelieving Friends Need To Know About Themselves

Posted on by

It is important to be realistic about what is in the heart of unbelievers. Some Christians give the impression that the biggest reason people don’t follow Jesus is the bad example of Christians or other faults in the church. But this does not fit with Scripture. The reality is that the lost are corrupt. By the time people reach early teens they have adopted sinful ways. Most people want to be god of their own lives; they want to cling to destructive ways. Even if they are “nice” people and have been hurt by those who call themselves Christians, the truth is that they are just making excuses. (There are cases of real abuse that do create a huge barrier and we should recognize their pain) “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, ESV). In other words, the lost are just like all of Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

The Encouragement Of Waiting – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

“Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, ESV). Our present mode of existence is the mode of waiting. When we look forward to something really good that we know is coming it fills us with energy to get through our days. It lifts our hearts to know that soon we are going to experience something very exciting. So waiting for something wonderful is not a bad thing, rather, it encourages us and keeps us focused on something good. Likewise, waiting for Jesus to appear with all his majesty and goodness on display strengthens us, knowing that our destiny is to live with him in his utopia forever. As we keep our gaze on Jesus and our future hope he empowers us to overcome all obstacles. Our Future Perfect CommunityNovember 14, 2025God Will Show Us Mercy – Weekly Continue Reading →

evangelism missions

Kingdom Evangelism

Posted on by

When it comes to evangelism and missions, Jesus wants us to show the world what a citizen of the kingdom looks like. Immediately after the beatitudes in Matthew 5 we hear Jesus saying “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14, NIV). (Paul says something similar in Philippians 2:14-16.) Then he gives the command “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, NIV). Thus, after explaining what kind of people his disciples should be, he directs them to go out and display the kingdom of God in their lives. His point is that when others see what the kingdom looks like in us, then some of them will also become people who glorify – display – God and his kingdom. God is looking for seekers who will Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Jesus Gave Us Peace – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

“Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21, 26, ESV). After Jesus arose he appeared to his disciples and at least three times he said to them “Peace be with you.” They had been extremely distressed by his death and the opposition of the Jewish leaders but now Jesus is emphasizing that they should now have peace. “Peace” includes a general inner harmony and freedom from turmoil. This peace is available to all his followers who keep their focus on him and walk in his Spirit. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit and so if we keep faith we experience a deep peace that passes understanding (Phil. 4:7). When we embrace fear and unbelief this peace fades but we can always refocus ourselves on the peace Jesus gives. He wants us to have peace and he provides it. Let us be encouraged that God is in control of all things Continue Reading →