Grace Transformation

Better Than Clarity: Not a Map. A Shepherd. | 3/3 "Jesus. Right Where You Are"

Most of us say we want clarity. What we really want is certainty about the future. And Jesus never promised that. What he promised was his own presence, every step of the way. In this final message of the series Jesus. Right Where You Are, Pastor John Rallison explores Psalm 23 and John 10, and what it means that the Good Shepherd does not hand us a map. He walks with us. His rod and staff are with us even when we cannot see the way forward. If you are facing a hard decision, a season of waiting, or a life that will not resolve the way you hoped, this message is for you. STAY CONNECTED: • Receive weekly sermon summaries by email: https://mailchi.mp/92230176913c/redeemer-email-signup-landing-page [https://mailchi.mp/92230176913c/redeemer-email-signup-landing-page] • Read more reflections on Substack: https://johnrallison.substack.com/ [https://johnrallison.substack.com/] • Watch more sermons on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ozqxlON8mRFDt6Y0-nfb4qm5sjnQynm [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ozqxlON8mRFDt6Y0-nfb4qm5sjnQynm] • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40R6TAOIWGgjqOz8fVibMd?si=b9fba79c1eac491b [https://open.spotify.com/show/40R6TAOIWGgjqOz8fVibMd?si=b9fba79c1eac491b]   Pastor John Rallison Redeemer Lutheran Church | Salem, Oregon https://www.RedeemerSalem.org [https://www.RedeemerSalem.org]

Hope That Actually Holds | Jesus. Right Where You Are. Week 2

What do you do when hope collapses? The disciples on the road to Emmaus know the feeling. On the evening of the first Easter, they're walking away from Jerusalem saying "we had hoped" — past tense. Their hope was real. It was just aimed at the wrong thing. This message draws a sharp distinction between optimism and Christian hope. Positive thinking is a tool for navigating the manageable. It cannot carry you through suffering and death. Christian hope has to hold in Nigeria — where Christians are being killed for their faith — or it doesn't hold at all. The risen Jesus walks with disappointed people. He opens the Scriptures. He breaks bread. And hope returns — not because the situation changed, but because Christ is known. Hope is the way the soul sets itself toward the future in light of the risen Christ. Not a feeling to generate. Not a timeline to protect. A person to trust. Part 2 of "Jesus. Right Where You Are." — a post-Easter series from Redeemer Lutheran Church in Salem, Oregon.

Peace in the Midst of Fear (John 20:19–31)

Even after the resurrection, the disciples are still afraid. In John 20, we find them behind locked doors, uncertain and trying to stay safe. The resurrection is real, but they are not yet living in it. And that’s where Jesus meets them. He doesn’t wait for their fear to go away. He stands among them and says, “Peace be with you.” In this message, we explore what that peace really means. Not just a calm feeling, but shalom—a deep, lasting peace grounded in what Jesus has done through his death and resurrection. We also look at Thomas’ struggle to believe and how Jesus meets doubt with presence, not condemnation. If you’ve ever felt afraid, uncertain, or stuck in your own “locked room,” this message invites you to hear those same words spoken to you: “Peace be with you.” STAY CONNECTED:   • Receive weekly sermon summaries by email: https://mailchi.mp/92230176913c/redeemer-email-signup-landing-page [https://mailchi.mp/92230176913c/redeemer-email-signup-landing-page]   • Read more reflections on Substack: https://johnrallison.substack.com/ [https://johnrallison.substack.com/]   • Watch more sermons on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ozqxlON8mRFDt6Y0-nfb4qm5sjnQynm [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ozqxlON8mRFDt6Y0-nfb4qm5sjnQynm]   • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40R6TAOIWGgjqOz8fVibMd?si=b9fba79c1eac491b [https://open.spotify.com/show/40R6TAOIWGgjqOz8fVibMd?si=b9fba79c1eac491b]   Pastor John Rallison Redeemer Lutheran Church | Salem, Oregon https://www.RedeemerSalem.org [https://www.RedeemerSalem.org]

What Easter Takes Away: Freedom from Fear, Shame, and Regret

Easter is often about what Jesus gives—hope, life, and joy. But what if it’s also about what He takes away? In this message, we look at how the resurrection of Jesus changes three deep human burdens: fear about the future, shame that makes us hide, and regret that keeps us stuck in the past. These struggles don’t simply disappear—but because Jesus is alive, they no longer get the final word. More than a message or mindset, Easter gives us someone to turn to. A living Savior who has faced death, carried our sin, and risen again so that forgiveness, freedom, and a new beginning are real. He is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia. Stay Connected: • Receive weekly sermon summaries by email: https://mailchi.mp/92230176913c/redeemer-email-signup-landing-page [https://mailchi.mp/92230176913c/redeemer-email-signup-landing-page]   • Read more reflections on Substack: https://johnrallison.substack.com/ [https://johnrallison.substack.com/]   • Watch more sermons on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ozqxlON8mRFDt6Y0-nfb4qm5sjnQynm [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ozqxlON8mRFDt6Y0-nfb4qm5sjnQynm]   • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40R6TAOIWGgjqOz8fVibMd?si=b9fba79c1eac491b [https://open.spotify.com/show/40R6TAOIWGgjqOz8fVibMd?si=b9fba79c1eac491b]   Pastor John Rallison Redeemer Lutheran Church | Salem, Oregon https://www.RedeemerSalem.org [https://www.RedeemerSalem.org]

Palm Sunday: Do You Trust Jesus to Answer His Way?

Palm Sunday begins with a crowd crying out “Hosanna”—“save us”—as Jesus enters Jerusalem. They know what they want: deliverance from Rome. But Jesus comes to confront a deeper enemy, one they cannot see. In this message, we explore how Jesus intentionally fulfills prophecy, what kind of King He truly is, and why His answer to our prayers often looks different than what we expect. The same tension the crowd faced then still shows up in our lives today. Do we trust Jesus enough to answer our cry His way?