What’s Happening – September 4, 2026 #2

Newsletter

Twenty-five years ago today, our nation experienced a morning that most who lived through it will never forget. September 11, 2001, left thousands of families grieving, changed countless lives, and became one of those rare moments when an entire country seemed suddenly aware of just how fragile life really is.

Twenty-five years is a long time. Children who were not yet born at the time are now adults. Many who remember that morning vividly have gray hair now. And yet, for others, twenty-five years has not erased the empty chair, the memories, or the consequences of what happened that day. There is something else many remember about the days that followed. People reached for one another.

Neighbors checked on neighbors. Churches filled with people praying. Strangers spoke to one another. Families called just to hear a familiar voice. For a little while, many of the things that normally divide us seemed much less important because we had been reminded that people matter. It is unfortunate that it so often takes tragedy to teach us that lesson.

Scripture does not tell us to wait for a crisis before we love one another. Jesus tells His disciples, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). The church is meant to be a people who know one another, bear one another’s burdens, pray for one another, encourage one another, forgive one another, and genuinely enjoy life together. So as a reminder, this weekend, you have a very simple challenge.

That challenge is to Make a Connection. I’d love to see everyone this weekend intentionally connect with someone from Redeemer. Not because we have scheduled another event. We haven’t.

Call somebody. Invite another family over for supper. Meet someone for coffee. Take the kids to the park together. Sit on somebody’s porch. Go fishing. Send a text that says, “What are y’all doing today?” Find someone you normally only see for a few minutes on Sunday morning and spend a little more time getting to know them.

And perhaps especially, reach beyond the people you already know best. Church fellowship cannot be built entirely in the few minutes before and after a worship service. Relationships grow through time, conversation, hospitality, shared meals, laughter, prayer, and the ordinary interruptions of life.

Twenty-five years ago, a terrible day reminded millions of people to hold one another a little closer. We don’t need to wait for another terrible day. This Saturday, make a connection. Then on Sunday, let’s gather again, not merely as people who attend the same church, but as brothers and sisters who are learning to love one another more deeply.

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Upcoming Events

Ladies Night — Tuesday at 6:00 PM

Ladies, join us this Tuesday, September 15, at 6:00 PM for an evening of food, fellowship, and encouragement. Bring a dish or snack to share, and come ready to enjoy some time together.

This month, the ladies will also begin their study of Kevin DeYoung’s Crazy Busy, a practical look at the busyness that so easily takes over our lives and distracts us from what matters most. Even if you haven’t started the book yet, come join the conversation!

Upward Flag Football is Underway!

The whistles are blowing and the footballs are flying! Upward Flag Football practices will continue on Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM. Please pray for our players, coaches, families, and volunteers as we use this season to encourage kids, build relationships with families, and point them toward Christ.

And mark your calendar for our season-opening game on Saturday, September 19 at 8:30 AM! Come out, grab a spot on the sideline, and help us cheer on the kids as we kick off the season together.

Maguire State Missions Offering

Every September, Florida Baptists join together for the Maguire State Mission Offering. This year’s theme is “Immeasurably More,” and every dollar given through the offering goes directly toward planting new churches in Florida through Send Network Florida.

Florida is growing rapidly, and every new neighborhood, apartment complex, and community represents people who need to hear the good news of Jesus. We may never meet the church planters or sit in the churches our gifts help launch, but we can stand beside them through prayer and generous giving.

Pray for God to raise up faithful pastors, establish healthy churches, and use our churches together to make Christ known all across Florida. The statewide goal is $1 million, and every dollar collected goes straight to church planters.

Fourth Watch – Fridays – 0400

Every Friday morning at 4 AM, men gather for Fourth Watch, a time to seek the Lord before the noise and responsibilities of the day begin.

There’s no breakfast, no entertainment, and no elaborate program. We’ll open the Bible, talk honestly, and spend serious time in prayer for four things. For the Lord’s guidance, for our own hearts, for one another, and for our families. Bring your Bible. Come looking for the Lord.

Fourth Watch is open not only to the men of Redeemer, but to Christian men throughout our community who want brothers who will encourage them, challenge them, and help them keep watch over the things God has entrusted to them.

Thanksgiving isn’t meant to be a Christian posture for one Thursday in November. Scripture calls us to be a people marked by gratitude. We should remember God’s goodness, trust Him through sorrow, tell stories of His faithfulness, and respond to His grace with worship.

Beginning October 18, On Sunday Mornings we’ll spend six weeks together in the Psalms learning what it looks like to give thanks to the LORD. Along the way, we’ll also begin remembering and writing down the stories of God’s faithfulness to us throughout this year, preparing to share them together as we close out 2026. Give Thanks: Six Psalms for a Grateful People begins Sunday, October 18.

Give Faithfully

The Bridge

Last Sunday we watched the Pharisees stand face-to-face with the compassion and authority of Jesus and still walk away with withered hearts. That can be a frightening image of being close enough to Jesus to hear His words and witness His goodness while remaining stubbornly closed off to His heart.

And that hardheartedness is not merely a Pharisee problem. Sometimes it looks less like outright rebellion and more like becoming so familiar with the things of God that they no longer move us. We can know the Scriptures, defend what is true, attend worship, and still become more concerned with being right than being compassionate.

This week Mark takes us from the synagogue down to the sea, where the scene changes dramatically. Instead of people plotting against Jesus, enormous crowds are pressing toward Him. They have heard about His healings and His authority, and they want to get close enough to touch Him. Yet Mark shows us that there is a difference between being against Jesus, being around Jesus, and actually being with Jesus.

Jesus goes up the mountain and calls a particular group of men to Himself and appoints twelve of them, and Mark’s description of why Jesus calls them is too important to miss: “that they might be with him and he might send them out.”

Notice the order. Before they are sent by Jesus, they are called to be with Jesus. Before mission comes presence. Before preaching comes fellowship. That pattern reaches far beyond the Twelve because it gets to the heart of Christian discipleship. Jesus does not merely give His people assignments; He gives us Himself.

So this Sunday we’ll follow Jesus from the crowds at the sea up onto the mountain and consider what it means to be called to Him before being sent by Him. It leaves us with a question worth carrying into worship: Am I simply around Jesus, or am I actually with Him? Because those who are with Him should not be surprised when, eventually, He turns them toward the world and says, “Now go.”

Pastor Logan

Weekly Life Together

Wednesday Night Dinner, Kids, and Prayer

Join us each Wednesday evening as we gather for a shared family meal and time together.

Sunday Morning Bible Study and Worship

Sundays at 9:30am is our Bible Study hour. From children to adults, each class is focused on helping us grow in understanding of God’s word and encouraging one another to live out our faith.

Then at 10:45am, we come together for corporate worship as one body. Our aim is simple: to humble ourselves before the throne of Jesus our King and to joyfully worship Him side by side as families. Kids and adults all share in this time as we sit under the same truth and fix our eyes on Christ together. Check out this playlist of some of the music that we will sing together in worship.

Breaking Bread Groups

Throughout the week, we gather in homes to discuss God’s Word and to pray for each other as we do life together. We currently have groups that meet on Sunday afternoons, as well as Tuesday and Thursday nights. If you are interested in joining or starting a group, please talk to someone in leadership.

At Redeemer Baptist Church our mission is to Glorify Jesus by Growing in Holiness and Loving Generously. Please leave a quick Google review and like or follow us on social media. It’s a small thing that helps more people in our community find us.

Redeemer Baptist Church | 20545 SW 5th Pl, Dunnellon, FL 34431

(352) 489-1788 | RedeemerRomeo.com

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