Mar 19, 2025
Week 10 – The Sabbatical Year & Jubilee
By: Luke Griffo
The Sabbath principle is about rest, renewal, and trusting God’s provision. Just as man needs rest, so does the land, reflecting God's care for creation. The Sabbatical Year required Israel to let the land lie fallow, relying on God rather than human effort.
The Year of Jubilee, every 50 years, restored land, forgave debts, and freed slaves—pointing to Christ’s ultimate redemption (Luke 4:18-21). These laws ensured justice, stewardship, and economic stability.
Unlike modern environmentalism, biblical stewardship upholds both man's dominion and responsibility. The Sabbath teaches us to trust in God’s provision and rest in His sovereignty.
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- Mar 19, 2025Week 10 – The Sabbatical Year & Jubilee
Mar 19, 2025Week 10 – The Sabbatical Year & JubileeBy: Luke GriffoThe Sabbath principle is about rest, renewal, and trusting God’s provision. Just as man needs rest, so does the land, reflecting God's care for creation. The Sabbatical Year required Israel to let the land lie fallow, relying on God rather than human effort. The Year of Jubilee, every 50 years, restored land, forgave debts, and freed slaves—pointing to Christ’s ultimate redemption (Luke 4:18-21). These laws ensured justice, stewardship, and economic stability. Unlike modern environmentalism, biblical stewardship upholds both man's dominion and responsibility. The Sabbath teaches us to trust in God’s provision and rest in His sovereignty.
- Mar 12, 2025Week 9 – Slavery and the Sabbath
Mar 12, 2025Week 9 – Slavery and the SabbathBy: Luke GriffoThe Sabbath, rooted in creation and commanded in the moral law, contrasts Israel’s former slavery, where labor was relentless. Unlike paganism, which relies on human effort, true faith rests in God’s work. God’s redemption established the Sabbath as a sign of freedom, pointing to Christ, who secures eternal rest for His people. More than a day of worship, it calls believers to cease from labor and trust in God’s provision. Rejecting Sabbath rest leads to spiritual and societal bondage, while true observance reflects the eternal rest found in Christ alone.
- Mar 4, 2025Week 8 – Citizens, Sojourners, Immigrants
Mar 4, 2025Week 8 – Citizens, Sojourners, ImmigrantsBy: Luke GriffoThis week explores the biblical understanding of citizenship, sojourning, and immigration. It emphasizes that nations, established by God, are governed by covenants that define mutual obligations and authority. The magistrate is responsible for ensuring the law is followed and enforcing justice for all within the nation, including citizens, sojourners, and immigrants. Citizens are full members of the covenant, with rights, responsibilities, and privileges, while sojourners are temporary residents granted protection but with limited rights. Immigrants, on the other hand, fully submit to the law order, making a public covenant with God. The biblical principle is clear: civil governments have the authority to decide who may reside in their nation based on their allegiance and commitment to uphold the law order.
- Feb 26, 2025Week 7: Public Worship and Blasphemy
Feb 26, 2025Week 7: Public Worship and BlasphemyBy: Luke GriffoGod’s law teaches us the seriousness of idolatry, blasphemy, and false oaths. Worship and obedience go hand in hand—what we worship, we serve. Public idolatry undermines the foundation of a just society, as all laws reflect a religious order. As Christians, we honor God by gathering for worship, speaking His name with reverence, and living with integrity. In a world that is turning away from Him, we stand firm—proclaiming His truth and building our lives on His word.
- Feb 19, 2025Week 6 – Crime and Punishment
Feb 19, 2025Week 6 – Crime and PunishmentBy: Luke GriffoGod's justice is based on restitution (fixing what’s broken) and retribution (getting what you deserve). Jesus showed this through His sacrifice. The government has the authority from God to make sure that justice is carried out by punishing wrongdoers and making victims whole. All governments, not just Israel, are called to follow God’s standards of justice. Civil penalties should match God’s law, as shown in Romans 13 and other parts of the Bible.
- Feb 12, 2025Week 5: Restitution – Justice According To God
Feb 12, 2025Week 5: Restitution – Justice According To GodBy: Luke GriffoGod’s law shows that penalties are not arbitrary but just consequences for sin that disrupts every level of creation. Sin demands restitution—repairing damage from the cosmic to the personal—which is ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice. Believers are called to genuine repentance and the sincere effort to make things right, acknowledging that true restoration comes from God.
- Feb 9, 2025How Much Greater?
Feb 9, 2025How Much Greater?By: Luke GriffoSeries: His Kingdom Is EverlastingGod always proves Himself supreme, and even His enemies must acknowledge it. King Darius saw an innocent man suffer injustice, yet he also witnessed God’s power to save. In response, he issued a decree that Daniel’s God must be worshiped and feared because His authority stands forever. God is living and active, delivering and rescuing His people. He rules over all things, and we can trust Him completely. What Darius witnessed was only a glimpse of something far greater to come—a picture of Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s saving power.Scripture: Daniel 6:25-28
- Feb 5, 2025Week 4 : The Functions of the Law
- Jan 28, 2025Week 3: Law Order – Yahweh or Idols
- Jan 15, 2025Week 2: God As Creator and Lawgiver
- Jan 8, 2025Week 1: Why The Law?
Jan 8, 2025Week 1: Why The Law?By: Luke GriffoWhy does God’s law matter today? Many see it as harsh or outdated, but Scripture shows the law is an expression of God’s love, guiding us in all of life. Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it — calling us to obedience, holiness, and true freedom through His Word. Understanding the law helps us grow in faith, resist legalism, and apply God’s truths in our homes, churches, and communities.
- Dec 8, 2024Faithful Witness
Dec 8, 2024Faithful WitnessBy: Luke GriffoSeries: The Birth of ChristGod’s promises echo through Scripture, from His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12—the seed of the gospel—to their fulfillment in Christ. Luke, writing to Gentiles, reminds us that Jesus is the King of all nations.The angel Gabriel assures Mary of God’s miraculous plan, pointing to Elizabeth, once barren, now carrying John the Baptist. When Mary visits, John leaps in the womb, a powerful reminder that even the smallest respond to the glory of Christ.Mary’s faith reflects the promises she sees fulfilled: God’s mercy, power, and faithfulness to His people. Like Mary, we are called to respond in faith, testifying through our lives that Christ has come and secured the victory for all nations.Scripture: Genesis 12:1-3, Luke 1:26-56
- Nov 17, 2024Given Over
Nov 17, 2024Given OverBy: Luke GriffoSeries: His Kingdom Is EverlastingIn Daniel 5, King Belshazzar’s defiance of God reaches its peak as he uses sacred temple vessels to worship false gods during a drunken feast. With Babylon under siege, his actions show arrogance, blasphemy, and a complete lack of fear of the Lord. God’s judgment comes swiftly and decisively as the mysterious writing on the wall foretells the kingdom’s fall. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, who humbled himself and found mercy, Belshazzar’s hardened heart leads only to destruction.For Christians, this account is a sobering reminder of God’s holiness and the seriousness of sin. It calls us to examine our own hearts—are we harboring sin, ignoring God’s Word, or presuming on His grace? This warning urges us to turn to God in repentance, live in humble obedience, and respond to His mercy with reverence and faithfulness.Scripture: Daniel 5:1-12
- Sep 8, 2024God Vindicated Through His People
Sep 8, 2024God Vindicated Through His PeopleBy: Luke GriffoSeries: His Kingdom Is EverlastingScripture: Daniel 1:8-21
- Jun 30, 2024Wrath Is Coming
Jun 30, 2024Wrath Is ComingBy: Luke GriffoChild sacrifice is a deeply engrained sin in the human heart and is central to Satan's strategies. God's people, from the beginning, have been called to be fundamentally opposed to child sacrifice. When they have failed in this calling, the results have been a downward spiral into demonic worship and, ultimately, the just wrath of God. Our modern age is no exception.Child sacrifice has been prevalent throughout history, and it is a pressing issue that demands our immediate and unwavering attention. Those who hate God love death, and as such, we cannot tolerate child sacrifice, which goes against the laws established by God. We must take decisive action to stop this practice, as turning a blind eye is not an option. It is imperative for churches to urgently and assertively address this issue, just as they do with other important matters.Scripture: Leviticus 18:21-30
- Jun 22, 2024Session 7: Men In The Church
Jun 22, 2024Session 7: Men In The ChurchBy: Luke GriffoSeries: Act Like Men Conference 2024From the Act Like Men Conference hosted by Redeemer Church of South Hills, Pittsburgh, PA Session 1: Act Like Men (Introduction) Session 2: Fatherlessness Session 3: Dominion In The Home Session 4: Men As Protectors Session 5: Men & Work Session 6: Men In Public Life Session 7: Men In The Church Friday, June 21st and Saturday June 22nd, 2024 www.redeemerchurchofsouthhills.org
- Jun 21, 2024Session 2: Fatherlessness
Jun 21, 2024Session 2: FatherlessnessBy: Luke GriffoSeries: Act Like Men Conference 2024From the Act Like Men Conference hosted by Redeemer Church of South Hills, Pittsburgh, PA Session 1: Act Like Men (Introduction) Session 2: Fatherlessness Session 3: Dominion In The Home Session 4: Men As Protectors Session 5: Men & Work Session 6: Men In Public Life Session 7: Men In The Church Friday, June 21st and Saturday June 22nd, 2024 www.redeemerchurchofsouthhills.org
- May 22, 2024Week 10: The Family As The Cornerstone Covenant
- May 15, 2024Week 9: Family Covenant Dissolution
- May 8, 2024Week 8: Family Covenant Obligations
- May 1, 2024Week 7: Children of the Covenant
- Apr 24, 2024Week 6: Covenant Dissolution
- Apr 17, 2024Week 5: The One Flesh Reality
- Apr 3, 2024Week 4: Making A Marriage (Part 2)
- Mar 27, 2024Week 3: Making A Marriage (Part 1)
- Mar 20, 2024Week 2: The Marriage Covenant
- Mar 13, 2024Week 1: Human Covenants
- Feb 18, 2024God Speaks
Feb 18, 2024God SpeaksBy: Luke GriffoScripture: Exodus 19:4-20:2 www.redeemerchurchofsouthhills.org
- Nov 27, 2023Legalism vs Holiness
Nov 27, 2023Legalism vs HolinessBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)Just as in Colossae, those who tend toward legalism are characterized by focusing on works, adding to the law being concerned with external appearances, and imposing those same things on others. It often leads to despair and frustration and is not a result of what Christ has done in us but trying to add to what he’s already done. The other temptation is to minimize the law and obedience to it, which also must be avoided. We ought to be concerned with holiness, which is always concerned with how God sees us rather than others and is a matter of the heart. It’s about applying the law of God to all of life, where there are no loopholes or corners to be cut. Though it doesn’t preclude a strong confrontation of sin since we are to be concerned with the holiness of God, it’s ready to give others the benefit of the doubt and is quick to forgive repentant hearts as Christ forgave us.Scripture: Psalm 119:97-104, Colossians 2:16-3:17
- Nov 19, 2023A Time For Confidence
- Sep 18, 2023Law, Kingdom, and Mercy
Sep 18, 2023Law, Kingdom, and MercyBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)The Psalms, primarily when understood as a whole, organized collection, lay out major themes of Scripture. They especially highlight the ultimate hope of god's people--the establishment of His law and the vindication of His kingdom, accomplished through His mercy throughout history.Scripture: Psalms 1-3
- Jun 25, 2023How To Live Under Judgment
Jun 25, 2023How To Live Under JudgmentBy: Luke GriffoSeries: Living Under JudgmentWe in today's world find ourselves in a similar place as the nation of Israel in the time of the prophet Amos. It was a time of great sin, yet the nation of Israel, who was called to be the light in the world, disobediently opted to maintain their peace while unrest happened all around them. While not the covenant nation of Israel, America's sin is grievous, and we can't expect to avoid judgment by a Holy and just God. As Christians, we need to repent for how we have contributed to the problem by protecting our peace and then live sacrificially and faithfully. We need to proclaim Christ everywhere, as God gives us the opportunity, whether to the grossly immoral or to our conservative unbelieving friends and family who are bothered by what they see but may not see why.Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 25-29, Amos 6
- May 31, 2023Week 20: The Kingdom of God
- May 21, 2023Comparing and Complaining
- May 17, 2023Week 19: Signs of the New Covenant
- May 10, 2023Week 18: Old Covenant Final Judgment
- Apr 26, 2023Week 17: The Mystery Revealed and Rejected
- Apr 19, 2023Week 16: The Blessings of the New Covenant
- Apr 12, 2023Week 15: The Blood of the New Covenant
- Mar 29, 2023Week 14: God’s Plan of Redemption
- Mar 22, 2023Week 13: The Messianic Mystery
- Mar 19, 2023The Priestly King
Mar 19, 2023The Priestly KingBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)At the height of the old covenant, David confidently penned Psalm 110, knowing that God would subdue the enemy. David, however, looked to One greater than himself who would destroy the enemies of God, either by wrath or grace. He looked to the Priestly King!Scripture: Psalm 110
- Mar 15, 2023Week 12: Old Covenant Consummation
- Mar 8, 2023Week 11: Who Is The King?
- Jan 15, 2023God With Us
Jan 15, 2023God With UsBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)We should be overwhelmed by God's knowledge, presence, and awareness of all things. God's knowledge is perfect, and through his special presence, he governs all matters.Scripture: Psalm 139
- Jan 1, 2023Engaging In The Conflict
Jan 1, 2023Engaging In The ConflictBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)The Christian life is one of conflict on every level--from our own sin to the struggle of loving others to the battle against the wickedness of the world. Christians must be involved in all of it.
- Nov 20, 2022The Way of Glory
Nov 20, 2022The Way of GloryBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)Christ sets for us a pattern of suffering, which is foreshadowed in David and shared in by Christians. Yet it is through the most profound suffering that God brings about the greatest glory.
- Nov 16, 2022Week 10: Typology in the Mosaic Covenant
- Nov 9, 2022Week 9: The Sacrificial System
- Oct 26, 2022Week 7: Grace and Works in the Abrahamic Covenant
- Oct 12, 2022Week 6: The Old Covenant Promised & Established
- Oct 5, 2022Week 5: The Covenant of Common Grace
- Sep 28, 2022Week 4: Judgment, Redemption, Re-Creation
- Sep 21, 2022Week 3: The Covenant of Life
- Sep 14, 2022Week 2: The Kingdom Prototype
- Sep 7, 2022Week 1 – What is Covenant Theology and Why Study It?
Sep 7, 2022Week 1 – What is Covenant Theology and Why Study It?By: Luke GriffoCovenant and Kingdom Week 1 - What is Covenant Theology and Why Study It? Hebrews 10:19-25
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- Why study covenant theology?
- Properly understanding covenant gives us deeper grounds for greater assurance of our faith, and a greater appreciation of God’s wisdom and faithfulness
- Covenant is the way that God relates to man and the way that the members of the Godhead relate to one another
- Helps us to see the fullness, scope, continuity, authority, and applicability of all of Scripture
- Helps to provide a framework for understanding the whole of Scripture in its context
- What is covenant theology?
- The study and explanation of the united purpose of God in all history past, present , and future (Samuel Renihan)
- A framework for biblical interpretation, informed by exegetical, biblical, and systematic theology, that recognizes that the redemptive history revealed in Scripture is explicitly articulated through a succession of covenants, thus providing an organizing principle for biblical theology (Ligon Duncan)
- Strong emphasis on the historical development and outworking of God’s redemptive plan
- Considers and impacts various branches of theology, thus it is important that we carefully consider it and understand it
- Key terms/concepts
- Why study covenant theology?
- Covenant - A commitment guaranteed by a solemn oath, with the threat of [divine] sanctions
- Typology - The study of analogical correspondence among revealed truths about persons, events, institutions, and other things within the historical framework of God’s special revelation, which, from a retrospective view, are of a prophetic nature and are escalated in their meaning (Greg Beale)
- Federal Head - One covenant representative whom God deals with and who connects all those under his headship to the covenant
- Covenants of Works - Covenants in which promised blessings are received on the basis of works done
- Covenants of Grace - Covenants in which promised blessings are received on the basis of free grace as a gift
- Kingdom/Dominion - Covenants delegate authority, grant dominion over a particular sphere
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- What makes a covenant?
- Sanctions - Threats that enforce and ensure the fulfillment of covenant commitments
- Precepts - The covenant law/obligations
- Promises - Blessings of the covenant
- Federal Head
- Delegation of Dominion
- Major covenants of Scripture
- Kingdom of Creation
- Covenant of Life, Noahic Covenant
- Kingdom of Israel
- Abrahamic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, Davidic Covenant
- Kingdom of Christ
- Covenant of Redemption, New Covenant
- Kingdom of Creation
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- Dec 26, 2021Don’t Settle
- Oct 17, 2021The Supremacy of Christ
- Jun 13, 2021Contend
- Jan 24, 2021A Work You Would Not Believe
- Dec 27, 2020Let Earth Receive Her King
- Nov 15, 2020High Risk
- Aug 9, 2020In Crisis or In Christ?
- Dec 29, 2019Provoked To Action
Dec 29, 2019Provoked To ActionBy: Luke GriffoSeries: Gifted: Use Your Spiritual GiftsWith all the sin surrounding us in our day, we are no strangers to righteous indignation. However, this indignation must biblically provoke us to defend God’s name by taking action against unbelief and rebellion, confronting it with the full and explicit truth of the gospel.
- Jul 24, 2019Session 3: The Tough Questions (Pt. 2)
Jul 24, 2019Session 3: The Tough Questions (Pt. 2)By: Luke Griffo
The Tough Questions
Session Three
Islam
Miracles
The Problem of Evil
- Jun 22, 2019Session 2: Apologetics In Action
Jun 22, 2019Session 2: Apologetics In ActionBy: Luke Griffo
Apologetics in Action
Session Two
The Bible Lays Out a Sound Approach for
Interacting with Unbelievers
Abortion
Homosexuality
Justice
- Jun 2, 2019God of Life, Culture of Death
Jun 2, 2019God of Life, Culture of DeathBy: Luke GriffoSeries: (All)As our culture continues along its course of rejection and hatred of God, it is becoming more and more apparent that we are a culture in love with death. As Christians, we must confront this culture on every front, especially in preaching the gospel of life, which transforms hearts.
- Feb 18, 2018Gifts From God
Feb 18, 2018Gifts From GodBy: Luke GriffoSeries: Gifted: Use Your Spiritual GiftsAll of us have been granted gifts from God and we are commanded to humbly use them for His glory, and to the building up of His church.Romans 12:1-8