RUF at the University of Tennessee

"The Hope of Those Who Went Before"

Hebrews 11:32-12:2

"Rahab and the Scandal of Faith"

Hebrews 11:30-31 Joshua 2:1-14

"Moses and the Endurance of Faith"

Hebrews 11:23-29 Grateful to Keller's exegesis on Moses' life!

"Joseph and the Confidence of Faith"

"Hebrews 11: Joseph and the Confidence of Faith"

"Sarah, Shame, and Faith"

Thanks to my friend Austin Braasch with RUF Ole Miss!

Abraham and the Cost of Faith - Brent Harriman

Thanks to Brent Harriman for rejoining RUF at UTK for the evening!

Jacob and the Wrestle of Faith

Thanks to Tim Keller and Chad Bird for expositions of this text.  Hebrews 11:8-9 Genesis 32:22-32

'Abraham and the Call of Faith"

Hebrews 11:8-10; Genesis 12:1-9 Thankful for Tim Keller's Genesis study for this.

"Noah and the Deliverance of Faith"

Hebrews 11:7; Genesis 6:8-22 Huge thanks to my friend Robert Cunningham.  Arguments from Love and Justice taken directly from him.

"Enoch and the Walk of Faith"

Hebrews 11:5-6 Genesis 5:21-24

"Abel and the Beginnings of Faith"

Second sermon from our series looking at the case-studies of faith from Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11:4 Genesis 4:1-16

Guest Speaker: James Forsyth Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 "A Surprisingly Happy Sermon on Death"

Hebrews 11:1-3: "Defining Faith"

The Joy of Contentment (Philippians 4:10-23)

Wrapping up Philippians and the semester! Thanks to Tim Keller's analysis of contentment and covetousness in his 10 Commandments work.

"Joy and Anxiety" - Philippians 4:2-9

Indebted to the book "Your Only Human" by Kelly Kapic for his work on anxiety.

" Psalm 130" - Guest Speaker Britton Wood

Thank you to Britton Wood for filling in for Mac!

"The Joy of Sanctification" (Philippians 3:7-14)

"The Joy of Justification" (Philippians 3:1-11)

Big thanks to Brian Sorgenfrei for his SUCO talks on justification for this talk.

"The Costly Joy of Friendship" (Philippians 2:19-30)

"How We Change" (Philippians 2:12-18)

"Subversive Glory" (Philippians 2:3-11)

So much thanks to the work of Tim Keller in "Freedom of Self Forgetfulness" and a Philippians sermon from him in tonight's talk!

"Strong and Kind" (Philippians 1:26-2:5)

Thank you to Robert Cunningham for his Beatitude thought

"God's Plan" (Philippians 1:12-26)

Thank you to Tim Keller for his work on this text.

Philippians 1:1-11 RUF 101

Welcome back to UT RUF! We are going through Philippians this semester and tonight we introduce the semester and the book of Philippians. RUF is a community, gathered around the gospel, with a mission of joy for the University of Tennessee! Thank you to Matt Howell for the Waffle House illustration! 

"The Fulfillment of the Law"

Matthew 5:17-20 Wrapping up the 10 Commandments by looking at how Jesus Fulfills the Laws meaning and the laws demands.  Thanks to Robert Cunningham for his thoughts on this text.

"Restless Hearts"

The last of the commandments: "Do Not Covet", using Exodus 20:17 and Philippians 3:7-14.

"The Gospel for Thieves"

Exodus 20:15; Luke 9:1-10. The 8th Commandment This semester we are studying the 10 Commandments. 10 Words given by God to train us in loving Him and loving our neighbor. Thankful for Russ Whitfield of Grace Mosaic for his work on this commandment! Indebted to his thought on the ways we steal. 

"The Gospel for Liars"

Exodus 20:16; James 3:1-12. The 9th Commandment This semester we are studying the 10 Commandments. 10 Words given by God to train us in loving Him and loving our neighbor. Thankful for Keller's thought on the ways we lie.

Jesus and Our Sexuality

In our series on the 10 Commandments and we come to the 7th Commandment: "Do Not Commit Adultery."  Tonight we cover the Bible's ethic for our sexuality.  Significant portions of this sermon were directly adapted from my old pastor, mentor, and dear friend Robert Cunningham. His teaching from "The Good Of the Bluegrass Conference" held in 2022 in Lexington, KY is reflected and quoted all throughout this sermon. 

Christ's Ethic of Life

Exodus 20:13, and Matthew 5:21-24. Continuing through our series on the 10 Commandments, 10 Words given by God to teach us how to live well as we love our God and neighbor.

"Honoring Our Parents"

Text: Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-4 Continuing through our series on the 10 Commandments, 10 Words given by God to teach us how to live well.  Indebted to Russ Whitfield of Grace Mosaic for his teaching on the 5th Commandment

"The Weight of His Name"

Philippians 2:9-11; Exodus 20:7: The 3rd Commandment This semester we are studying the 10 Commandments. 10 Words given by God to train us in loving Him and loving our neighbor. Thankful for Keller's thought on taking the Lord's name

"The Image of God"

This semester we are studying the 10 Commandments. 10 Words given by God to train us in loving Him and loving our neighbor. Indebted to the thought of Tim Keller on this text.

"The Freedom of Obedience"

This semester we are studying the 10 Commandments. 10 Words given by God to train us in loving Him and loving our neighbor so that Good Things Might Run Wild Exodus 20:1-3

"The Law of Love"

This semester we are studying the 10 Commandments. 10 Words given by God to train us in loving Him and loving our neighbor.  Huge thanks to Robert Cunningham for his words on the Foundation of Love and the Application of Love. 

Luke 1:26-38: Advent 2022

Final large group of the semester! Advent + Christmas Party

John 20:1-18: Life and the Resurrection

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Brian Sorgenfrei's sermon on this text for some of the commentary!

John 19:16-37: Life by Death

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Robert Cunningham for content on the atonement.

John 15:1-12: Life By Abiding

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Robert Cunningham for commentary on the meaning of abiding.

John 13:1-17: Life From Christ's Service

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell for some of this material around Christ's service!

John 10:1-18: Life with the Shepherd

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. **The first 10 minutes or so are very muffled as a backpack was covering the voice recorder!

John 8:31-36: Life and True Freedom

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell and Robert Cunningham for many of the thoughts in this.

John 5:1-18: Life and Suffering

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell for help on the ways we hold onto our suffering!

John 3:5-18; 28-30, 39: Life After Shame

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell for descriptions of the shame cycle.

John 3:1-17: Life is Received Not Achieved

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell and Brian Sorgenfrei for their old sermons/illustrations here!

John 2:13-22: Life from Disruption

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions.

John 2:1-12: The Life of the Party

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell, Brian Sorgenfrei, and Tim Keller's "Encounter's with Jesus" for much of the content!

John 1:1-18: "The Shape of Things to Come"

"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." This semester we look at the Gospel of John which shows us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how He offers the answers to life's biggest questions. Thanks to Matt Howell and Tim Keller's "Making Sense of God" for much of the content! And thanks to Shawn Slate for the Planet Earth Illustration **beginning of audio was lost

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 compl...