Reality Boston
102 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 40 ratingsReality Boston is a community following Jesus that desires to advance joy in the city of Boston through the good news of Jesus Christ. For more information visit realityboston.com
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Episodes
Seek First | Put In Everything
January 25, 2021 01:21 - 24 minutes Audio/MP3True worship is costly and happens only when we recognize the worth of the one who is worthy of our worship. From Mark 12:41-44, we see a widow willing to give all she has to God, and Jesus stands in awe of her faith. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Seek First | Seeking a Solitary Place
January 17, 2021 15:30 - 23 minutes Audio/MP3What gift might be wrapped in this season of isolation? Most of us aren't leaping to answer such a question though it's probably an important one. From Mark 1:35-39, we'll take a look at how Jesus intentionally withdraws to be with God, regardless of what's happening around him. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Seek First | Desperation
January 10, 2021 15:30 - 30 minutes Audio/MP3When reflecting on your deepest longing, what would you ask the Lord to do for you? In Mark 10:46-52, we see a blind man named Bartimaeus desperately cry out to Jesus as he is passing by. Jesus hears him, stops, and in his mercy, asks Bartimaeus what he'd like him to do. From this passage, we explore God's response to our desperation, and perhaps his eagerness to do so. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Christmas Tide | Healing + Hope
January 04, 2021 01:15 - 24 minutes Audio/MP3As we embrace the blessing of a new year, we want to fix our hearts on the kind of faith Jesus wants us to have, his healing power, and compassion towards us. Join us as we re-discover the famous stories of Jesus' healing from Luke 8:40-60, taught by Amanda Hug. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Christmas Tide | Attention
December 27, 2020 15:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3The arrival of the Magi to worship the newborn Jesus is a familiar story to the Christmas season. From Matthew 2:1-12, we see what it looks like to pay attention to God's revelation and respond to Him accordingly. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Advent Together | A Son is Given
December 20, 2020 15:30 - 26 minutes Audio/MP3On the last Sunday of Advent, we're going to take time to reflect on a popular passage of Scripture— John 3:16. If you grew up in church you know it well, and perhaps it's lost its meaning to you. But as we actively await the Messiah's second coming, we must do so by remembering his great love, humility, and lavish generosity towards us. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Advent Together | Fear Not
December 13, 2020 15:30 - 29 minutes Audio/MP3Many of us know the story of Jesus' birth well, and we know that his conception was nothing short of miraculous. When the angel of the Lord appears to Mary, he tells her not to be afraid, but comforts her with a reason not to fear— great joy is coming! From Luke 2:1-12, Sarah Cowan Johnson reminds us that God is with us, and is as work.
Advent Together | Vulnerability
December 06, 2020 15:30 - 27 minutes Audio/MP3As we continue our sermon series in the season of Advent in Luke 1, we see God choose to come to us in a vulnerable state— that of an infant. Not only that, but through an unlikely woman, carefully set aside to care for and raise him. We see God's faithfulness to go to great lengths to bring salvation to the children he loves. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Advent Together | God Illuminated
November 29, 2020 15:30 - 24 minutes Audio/MP3Each year we immerse ourselves in the story of Jesus' birth, the arrival of God-With-Us. We anticipate the arrival of what John 1 calls the "True Light", who shines into the darkness, illuminating with unsurpassed clarity who God is and what He thinks of us. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Joshua's Parting Words
November 22, 2020 15:30 - 26 minutes Audio/MP3Joshua recounts the history of God’s goodness to Israel, back to the call of Abraham until the present. He leaves them with a final decision to make: who will you serve? The people choose YHWH and Joshua renews the covenant with them and sets up a memorial stone as a witness to remind the people of this choice to serve God alone. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | God's Faithfulness
November 17, 2020 14:06 - 22 minutes Audio/MP3After allotting each tribe their land inheritance, Joshua reflects on all that God has done in his lifetime. Not one single word had failed of all the good things God promised Israel. This reminder of God’s faithfulness is also a charge to the people to remain faithful to God. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Promise Keeper
November 08, 2020 15:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3If God is victorious and keeps his promises, why should we fear loosing the battle? When we recall the many miracles of God, our faith rises, and this should be what fuels our obedience to trust his command not to fear. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Hidden Sin
November 01, 2020 15:30 - 22 minutes Audio/MP3The sin of one man in Israel has greater consequences both for himself and for the whole community than he could have imagined. God exposes this breach of covenant faithfulness and Joshua acts to uphold the justice and holiness of God. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Jericho
October 26, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3Joshua trusts God’s unusual means and follows His instructions to capture Jericho. Without battle the city and everything in it is given to Israel. Rahab and her family are spared as promised. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Promises
October 18, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3Rahab and the spies. Israel crossing the Jordan River. 12 Memorial stones. This is a story about a God who accomplishes His purposes and keeps His promises. And a people who bear witness and participate in this work, for their own sake and for the sake of the world. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | A Unfamiliar Place
October 13, 2020 19:28 - 29 minutes Audio/MP3Joshua and the people of God find themselves in a very unfamiliar place. Moses, their leader is gone, and now they have to trust God through the leadership of Joshua to lead them to a place they have never been before. In unprecedented circumstances God calls on his people not to shrink back, but to take up the courage to step out into new places for the new season— all for His glory. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Joshua Commissioned
October 04, 2020 14:30 - 24 minutes Audio/MP3Moses asks God to appoint his successor to shepherd the people. God tells Moses to commission Joshua, a man who possesses the Spirit, to lead His people. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | The Spies + The Report
September 28, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3Pastor Rashad Clemons continues our sermon series on the life of Joshua picking up in the book of Numbers. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
The Life of Joshua | Joshua, the Apprentice of Moses
September 13, 2020 14:30 - 23 minutes Audio/MP3Where we're headed in life is almost always tied to how we steward our present moments. The earliest recorded stories of Joshua, before he became the leader of the people of God, was of a young man who was faithful and obedient to Moses and the call of God. From Exodus 17, we explore how God calls us to steward the season we find ourselves in through the example of Joshua, the apprentice of Moses. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Prayers of the People | Pray Until
September 06, 2020 14:30 - 22 minutes Audio/MP3In life we're always looking for solutions to the challenges we face. If we are fortunate, we may find something that works, but more often than not, we have to move on to find something new. If we're not careful this can creep into our posture toward prayer, though effective prayer is one of persistence and perseverance. In Colossians 4 Paul exhorts the church to commit to a life of prayer until doors are opened! From this passage, Rashad Clemons explores our need and call to a devoted pr...
Prayers of the People | Prayer for Boldness
August 30, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3Arrest. Trial. Threats. This is the reality of Peter, John and the early Church for healing and proclaiming the Good News. Upon their release, they return to the community of believers and pray -- not for safety but for boldness. As followers of Jesus, we will be called to heal and to speak truth to power. We will be judged and threatened in spaces beyond our competency and influence. In these moments of confrontation and intimidation what will our response be? Will we turn inward, or will we...
Prayers of the People | Pharisee and Tax Collector: Prayer of the Destitute
August 24, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3In life it's so easy to fall into the trap of showing the best version of ourselves. This can also be true of our approach to God in prayer. In Luke 18 Jesus contrasts two different people and their posture to prayer, and in this parable, he points out that the calling of prayer is about brutal honesty with who we really are in the light of God's presence, and our great need for HIm. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Prayers of the People | Simeon and Anna: Waiting Faithfully
August 16, 2020 14:30 - 26 minutes Audio/MP3There are few things we despise more in life than being asked to wait. Proverbs 13 says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Throughout the scriptures and in our own experience we find ourselves and others waiting on God. Waiting is such a common part of life, but how, as followers of Jesus, do we wait well? In Luke 2 we are introduced to Simeon and Anna, two godly people who show us a path for what it looks like to wait faithfully upon God. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/t...
Prayers of the People | Prayer of Repentance + Restoration
August 09, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3When it comes to asking God for forgiveness, many doubt that God is willing to forgive them. Not only that, we likely mistake worldly sorrow with Godly sorrow and true repentance. From Psalm 51, a prayer of repentance from King David, Ruthie Kim shares about how passionate God is about forgiveness, and true intimacy with Him. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Prayers of the People | Prayer of Nehemiah: Restoration
August 03, 2020 14:30 - 25 minutes Audio/MP3What do you do when things in life seem to have taken a turn for the worse? God oftentimes strategically places us in a particular time and place to stand up in prayer and to petition the things that counter His kingdom. Nehemiah here in chapter 1 was in a time and place where he had the opportunity to stand in the gap for the people of God who were being exploited and oppressed. This Sunday we will explore how God's restoration in the world is released from a place of compassion, courage, a...
Prayers of the People | Prayer of Hannah: God Lifts the Lowly
July 26, 2020 14:30 - 24 minutes Audio/MP3When we hear the words, "the last shall be first," it sounds like a promise that won't come to pass in our lifetime, or a platitude. In the Old Testament, the story of Hannah shows us something different-- God hears, and answers the prayers of the lowly, and it seems that he is very much so interested in raising us up from the ashes and restoring our joy. While the Lord will allow deep pain into our lives, he will also develop our character by showing us more of his character. For sermon sl...
Prayers of the People | Prayer for Presence
July 19, 2020 14:30 - 26 minutes Audio/MP3We cannot talk about prayer without looking at the lives and prayers of those who came before us. In Exodus 33 we find Moses praying to God on behalf of the people of Israel, not for things, but for God's presence. Pastor Rashad explores this prayer and how God longs for us to desire Him. The shape and direction of our prayers ought to be rooted in presence, because that's the goal. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Prayers of the People | Growing in Prayer
July 12, 2020 14:30 - 22 minutes Audio/MP3Throughout scripture, God's word commands us to pray. When we consider how our relationship with the Father directly influences our prayer life, we see that the beginning stages look very different from the latter years as maturity comes. Our desires begin taking on the shape of the Kingdom, and our requests begin to look different as we surrender our lives to Christ. From Luke 22:39-46, Jon Tyson walks us through what it looks like to grow in prayer as children of God. For sermon slides, v...
Prayers of the People | Intercession: Our Calling and Hope
July 05, 2020 14:00 - 21 minutes Audio/MP3Intercession is the action of intervening on behalf of another before God in prayer. How do we stand in the gap for a world ravaged by sickness, injustice, oppression and death? Hebrews 11:22-28 describes our perfect intercessor, Jesus Christ. We need him to show us how to pray and how to stand in the messy middle of our world. As we pray for people around us, is it possible that our perfect intercessor is acting on behalf of our prayers all while doing a work of transformation in our own he...
Prayers of the People | Power in Weakness
June 28, 2020 14:30 - 19 minutes Audio/MP3Throughout the Bible, God uses weak people for great works. In 1 Corinthians 1 we see that God uses the weak and foolish things of the world to bring to nothing the wise and powerful. In this message Austin Baten explores how the seemingly upside-down ways of God should lead us deeper into prayer and dependence on Him as we seek to engage in our world. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Prayers of the People | Identity + Access
June 21, 2020 14:30 - 18 minutes Audio/MP3Prayer was an integral part of Jesus' ministry and how he related to the Father, because Jesus knew who he was in relation to the Father. Rashad Clemons will teach from Hebrews 3 and explore our primary identity of being God's sons and daughters, and how our understanding of that will unlock the posture in which we approach God. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Drifting
June 07, 2020 14:30 - 18 minutes Audio/MP3Pastor Larry Kim preaches on the story of Noah’s Flood and encourages us to remain faithful and not lose hope even when things feel desperate. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | Ascension, Unity and Power
May 31, 2020 14:30 - 17 minutes Audio/MP3Right before Pentecost in Acts chapter 1, we find Jesus leaving his disciples, ascending to heaven, and promising them that they would be his witnesses. Jesus said he would send them his Spirit, and all they had to do was wait and receive. Through this text, we discover that waiting on God often precedes glory, and that Jesus sends all of us on 'mission' from a place of prayer and dependency. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | Resurrection's Purpose
May 24, 2020 14:30 - 19 minutes Audio/MP3The end of Luke and beginning of Acts give us overlapping accounts of Jesus' final post-resurrection, pre-ascension appearance to his disciples. This is by no means the end of Jesus' work, but the beginning of a new way (a new body) through which He will work. He instructs the disciples to wait for the Spirit which will empower them to continue the work of Jesus even after he is physically gone away. In this final appearance, we discover with fresh clarity the resurrection purpose (mission) ...
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | On the shores of the Sea of Galilee
May 17, 2020 14:30 - 21 minutes Audio/MP3The resurrected power of Jesus appears to us in our greatest moments of need with more than enough provision for us to live out our calling. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | Resurrection's Engagement with Doubt in Community
May 10, 2020 14:30 - 16 minutes Audio/MP3In John 20:26-29 we see Jesus once again appearing to his disciples huddled behind locked doors. As Thomas enters the story, he confronts the disciples with doubt of the resurrected Christ. We are immediately invited to witness Jesus engage Thomas' unbelief with the scars of his suffering. What if we trusted our community of faith with our doubt more than the locked rooms of isolation and fear? What if our skepticism was met with the grace of examine over debate? Jesus' encounter with Thomas...
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | The Reality of the Risen Jesus
May 03, 2020 14:30 - 24 minutes Audio/MP3What if you lived as though the resurrection of Jesus were a Reality, today? What affect would it have on you, right now, in the midst of pandemic? From Luke 24:36-49 and John 20:19-22, Al Abdulla explores what often gets in the way of us living as though the Resurrection is a reality, as well as what can begin to make that shift in our lives. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | Eyes Opened, Hearts Burning!
April 26, 2020 14:30 - 20 minutes Audio/MP3When tragic events happen in our world it can be hard to imagine a better day, or that anything good could come from it. This perspective was likely true for the disciples of Jesus— they thought that the crucifixion of Jesus meant the end of God's redemption plan. In Luke 24:13-32 we find 2 disciples in the midst of a long walk discussing the disappointment of their shattered dreams, and Jesus joins them and gives them a renewed perspective on the events that just occurred. For sermon slide...
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | Resurrection Wonder
April 19, 2020 14:30 - 19 minutes Audio/MP3We continue our sermon series in Eastertide focusing on the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, and we find that the followers of Jesus are skeptical about this news. Not only that, they were not expectant, and certainly not filled with wonder. From Luke 24:9-12, Rashad Clemons talks about what it means to live in awe and wonder of God, knowing that Christ is still risen, no matter the circumstances. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Resurrection Culture: Eastertide | Trembling and Astonishment
April 12, 2020 14:30 - 18 minutes Audio/MP3Things often don't go as we expect. The same could be said for the disciples, though Jesus foretold about His death, burial, and resurrection. Like the disciples, we often experience disappointment and failed expectations in life, and often believe that this is just how things will be. But if we view the events of life through the prism of Jesus' life it might just wake up the Resurrection Hope within us. From Mark 16:1-8, Rashad Clemons teaches that disappointment and failed expectations do...
Lent | RCB-DNA Part I, Mission + Values | Who Is This?
April 05, 2020 14:30 - 22 minutes Audio/MP3In times of uncertainty sometimes hear, "All you can do is trust God.” But how do we know we can really trust God? And is that really all we can do? From the Palm Sunday text of Matthew 21:1-11, Al Abdulla addresses what’s needed to trust God, and what active trust looks. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Lent | RCB-DNA Part I, Mission + Values | Space to Listen III
March 29, 2020 14:30 - 19 minutes Audio/MP3As we adapt to meeting online and engaging in community, we're still observing what it means to make space to listen in this Lenten season. To do that, we're going to look at Jacob's dream in Genesis 28:10-17. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Lent | RCB-DNA Part I, Mission + Values | Space to Listen II
March 22, 2020 14:30 - 17 minutes Audio/MP3Our world has changed drastically since the COVID-19 epidemic. Still, Jesus' Church is on the move. As we adapt to meeting online and engaging in community, we'll take a look at 1 Kings 19:9-12, and pay attention to how God has still called us to make space to hear Him in this season. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Lent | RCB-DNA Part I, Mission + Values | Space to Listen
March 08, 2020 14:30 - 36 minutes Audio/MP3In our world and in our city so many things demand our attention— business, chaos, and other distractions. As a community following Jesus, one of our core values is to live lives that are postured to hear from God, which is a counter-cultural act. In Psalm 46 God says to his people, "be Still and know that I am God". From this passage, Rashad Clemons explores what it means to make space, quiet our souls, and hear from the Lord. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Lent | RCB-DNA Part I, Mission + Values | The Church Scattered
March 02, 2020 02:34 - 37 minutes Audio/MP3After Jesus reappeared from the dead, he commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. It was a mission with meaning. Little did the ancient church, and the modern church for that matter, know that the great commission would often be at the expense of their comfort. From Acts 8:1-8, Al Abdulla explores our purpose and promise we have in participating in God’s modern day mission. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Epiphany: Advancing Joy Again and Again! | Joyful Peace of Mind
February 23, 2020 15:30 - 33 minutes Audio/MP3Everything begins in the mind— our thoughts shape our reality, and our thoughts lead to actions. If Jesus embodies what is true, good and beautiful, our thoughts should be centered on Him, but the wrong mindset can rob us of Christ's eternal joy and peace. In the final chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, we see how a thought life centered in Christ reframes how we see the world. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Epiphany: Advancing Joy Again and Again! | Citizens of Hope
February 16, 2020 15:30 - 39 minutes Audio/MP3What is it that we’re really hoping for in an election year? Perhaps it’s vindication. We want someone to finally represent our needs, our views, and our values. Election year gives is the possibility of hope. From Philippians 3:15-21, Al Abdulla explores why our citizenship in heaven is perhaps the fulfillment of our deepest longing. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Epiphany: Advancing Joy Again and Again! | Take Hold of Joy
February 09, 2020 15:30 - 36 minutes Audio/MP3In life we are often taking hold of things that we believe will bring us joy, fulfillment, and status. Here in Philippians 3:1-14, Paul teaches and exhorts the church to take Hold of true Joy by pursuing a life with Jesus— that pursuing Jesus will challenge us to let go of the things we once thought would bring us fulfillment. For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Epiphany: Advancing Joy Again and Again! | Working it out for Joy
February 02, 2020 15:30 - 37 minutes Audio/MP3Community and relationships can be difficult, and the church in Philippi was experiencing the difficulty of unity and affection in the midst of trial. From Philippians 2:12-18, Rashad Clemons shares how Paul admonishes this young church— Paul explains that the love of Jesus that's been worked into our hearts is also meant to be worked out in our difficulties with one another for the advancement of the Gospel! For sermon slides, visit realityboston.com/teachings.
Epiphany: Advancing Joy Again and Again! | Humble Confidence
January 26, 2020 15:30 - 39 minutes Audio/MP3Humble confidence is the sweet spot of loving others as you also love yourself. Yet, there are two enemies to humble confidence: Fear and self-doubt. Both are rooted in the ego. From Philippians 2:1-11, Al Abdulla explores the antidote we need to become truly humble and confident. *There are no slides available for this sermon.