This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”We will finish our semester series by looking at 4 stories surrounding the birth of Christ. This week we discuss the well-known passage of Jesus’ birth. We will see the reality of why we are so afraid, the revelation of joy in the midst of our fear, and the response to dream again and slow down when we find ourselves living in fear.TEXT: Luke 2:8-20

RUF at the University of Tennessee

Living without Fear | Luke 2:8-20

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”We will finish our semester series by looking at 4 stories surrounding the birth of Christ. This week we discuss the importance of believing the good news of Jesus as we try to make it in this beautiful but broken world.TEXT: Luke 1:5-25

Spooky Scary Good News | Luke 1:5-25

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we continue to look at the story of Jonah and his resentful heart at God’s love and mercy. We learn that resentment comes from an idolatrous heart, it leads to loneliness and fragility, and how God pursues us in our resentment with patience and compassion.TEXT: Jonah 4

Living With Resentment | Jonah 4

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we continue to look at the story of Jonah, where we are invited to live a life of repentance and the freedom that comes from it.TEXT: Jonah 2-3

Living With Repentance | Jonah 2-3

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”We continue our series by looking at the book of Jonah for the next 4 weeks. The story of humanity is that we run away from God. We run away because we want control, we think we’re better than others, and we look to other things besides God for our identity. But though we run away God always pursues us in love. He pursues us intensely, by confronting us, and even takes our place. Jonah reminds us of the gospel: we’re never too bad that we are beyond the reach of Gods grace; and we are never too good that we are beyond the need of Gods grace.

Living While Running Away | Jonah 1

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we look at what it means to live with blessings in God’s story, even when life in this world becomes messy. Being blessed by God doesn’t guarantee outward success or that you’ll never experience pain or sadness, but it does mean that God is for you, wants to give you good things, and will bring fruitfulness to you and through you. Our time in Ruth ends with tons of blessings, but how did we get there? It was a tough road. This week we’ll be reminded that blessings come through suffering, sacrifice, messy stories, and the providential care of love of God over it all.TEXT: Ruth 4

Living With (messy) Blessings | Ruth 4

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we look at what it means to live in God’s story with risk as we tell the story of an encounter of love between Ruth and Boaz.TEXT: Ruth 3

Living With Risk | Ruth 3

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we at what it means to live in God’s story with generosity.  Boaz comes on to the scene and is extremely generous to a foreign female servant. Why? Because Boaz point us to our generous God. We learn about why Boaz is generous, how he is generous, and how we can become generous people as we live in God’s story.TEXT: Ruth 2

Living With Generosity | Ruth 2

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: if the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we at what it means to live in God’s story when you feel empty. Naomi lost her husband and sons; she had no money and no prospects. In her own words, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:21). We will learn from Naomi’s story that feeling empty in life is inevitable, gives us an opportunity to turn to God and trust in God, and can surprise us with its grace.TEXT: Ruth 1

Living On Empty | Ruth 1

This semester we’re going through a sermon series entitled,  “Living In God’s Story As We Live In This World.”  As you go through life, it’s easy to forget who you are and what story you’re a part of. Alasdyre McIntyre reminds us that before we ask, “What do I have to do today?” we must first ask ourselves, “What story am I a part of?” The story you’re living in informs the choices you make in the world. The claim of the semester is this: If the story of Jesus is true, then His story completely changes how we live in this world. For we are not only a character in God’s story (because God’s story of redemption is still happening right now!), we are also a carrier of God’s story. We are called to carry God’s story of love and redemption into the world because we are also a character in the story who needed to be loved and redeemed too.So every week we ask ourselves, “How does this biblical passage teach us how to live in God’s Story as we live in the world?”This week we look at what it means to live as a beloved child. The waters of baptism remind us that we belong to God and are beloved by God as we face temptations in the wilderness.

Living as a Beloved Child | Mark 1:9-13

**This was a sermon preached at Resurrection Presbyterian Church in Knoxville on July 11, 2021 (originally preached at Summer RUF in Memphis, May 25, 2021).When you are afraid, Psalm 23 reminds us that we have a Good Shepherd who loves us, we must face the darkness, Jesus is with us in the darkness, and the darkness doesn&apos;t win.TEXT: Psalm 23

Fear Doesn't Win | Psalm 23

** The next 5 talks on the podcast are ones given at Ridgehaven Family Camp (July 5-9, 2021). The first was an invitation to rest from the 4th commandment (originally preached at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church on June 29, 2021). The remaining 4 talks are on the topic of Glorification and the future hope of glory in the Christian faith (originally given at RUF Beach Week 3, May 15-19, 2021).Note: given that this was for a special weeklong camp, there will be a few stories/illustrations you have heard before!TEXT: 2 Corinthians 5:16-18, 21

Freed to Love | Glorification Talk #4 | 2 Corinthians 5:16-18, 21

** The next 5 talks on the podcast are ones given at Ridgehaven Family Camp (July 5-9, 2021).  The first was an invitation to rest from the 4th commandment (originally preached at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church on June 29, 2021). The remaining 4 talks are on the topic of Glorification and the future hope of glory in the Christian faith (originally given at RUF Beach Week 3, May 15-19, 2021).Note: given that this was for a special weeklong camp, there will be a few stories/illustrations you have heard before!TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 5:6-9Special thanks to Brian Sorgenfrei and Matt Howell (for the crazy engagement story at the beginning).

Glorification Changes How We Live | Glorification Talk #3 | 2 Corinthians 4:16-8; 5:6-9

Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), specifically on college campuses. These sermons are from the RUF at UTK.

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RUF at the University of Tennessee

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