In a city where we are constantly under pressure, it is easy to lose touch with our own hearts. That’s why we started a new four-week sermon series this past Sunday called After God’s Heart: Lessons from the Life and Prayers of David.
It is tempting to read David’s story as a moral fable—a guide on how to summon the courage to face our own “giants.” But that approach leaves us either self-righteous when we succeed, exhausted when we fail, or confused when David can’t live up to his own values. Instead, the Bible invites us to see David’s life through the lens of the gospel.
David was a gifted but flawed leader. His life points us to a perfect King; Jesus is the true and better David. Jesus is the one who stepped onto the battlefield to defeat our ultimate enemies of sin and death while we stood paralyzed on the sidelines. Jesus was anointed as the true Messiah. Jesus answered David’s prayer for forgiveness. Where David failed, Jesus succeeded.
Over the next month, we’ll look at David’s triumphs, his painful failures, and his raw, honest prayers in the Psalms. Rather than trying to present a curated, perfect version of ourselves to God, we will learn how to bring our real, messy lives to him. As C.S. Lewis once noted, the Psalms “express the same delight in God which made David dance.” Join us as we learn to stop performing our identities and begin abiding in the heart of our True King.
Grace and peace,
Drew
Stream RWS Services
On Sunday, we kicked off the new sermon series with a message on 1 Samuel 16:1-13: “Chosen.”
Sunday sermons are also available on our YouTube channel, ready for you to rewatch at your convenience. Prefer to listen on the go? Find our sermons on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
Click here to visit our YouTube channel.
Wednesday, July 22 at 6:45 pm
Exploring Your Spiritual Gifts: A Workshop
Join us over pizza for a practical workshop as we explore these questions together:
- What are spiritual gifts?
- What is a calling?
- How do we discern our spiritual gifts?
- How is God calling us to use our spiritual gifts?
This workshop will also include individual reflection and prayer, group discussion, and take-home resources to help you continue discerning and putting your gifts into practice. Click here to sign up.
Upcoming
- July 22 | 9:39 Bible Study Begins
- July 22 | Exploring Your Spiritual Gifts: A Workshop
- July 23 | Food Distribution at the Frederick Douglass Houses
- July 25 | RWS Dashers Running Club
- July 30 | Grief & Loss Support Group
- Aug 2 | Mandarin Speaking Community Group
- Aug 9 | All Angels’ Community Meal Volunteering
- Aug 13 | Riverside Chapel Service
- Sep 11 | West Side Youth Kickoff
- Sep 15 | Men’s Bible Study
- Sep 25 to 27 | Lake Champion Fall Retreat
Get Involved
| RWS Job Opening: Director of Youth Ministry RWS Job Opening: Youth Ministry High School Manager Volunteer with WS Youth on Friday nights this fall. Apply to serve with West Side Kids! Listen to sermons on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. Serve at our welcome table for one Sunday a month at RWS. Subscribe to our Neighborhood Engagement Newsletter. HFNY: Check out the HFNY Prayer Guide. Hope For New York has a monthly prayer guide to lead us in praying for the needs of the city throughout the year. Take a look at the digital version on their website! |
