Faith In The City

Hebrews 9 shows that Christ’s blood is not gore but covenant love that cleanses our conscience from dead works so we can serve the living God with purpose.

In this week’s message, Jonathan pauses the Hebrews series to reflect on the opening words of John’s Gospel. John declares that “all things were created through Him,” a truth that reshapes how we understand life, purpose, and dignity.

Even when life feels like a wilderness, God has not left you. That wilderness may be the very place Jesus meets you with mercy. If you are struggling with doubt or trying to rebuild your faith, this message invites you to come back to God through Christ and find lasting hope again.

When faith frays, Hebrews invites us to a throne of grace, not a courtroom. Jesus is our great High Priest who participates in our pain and restores our hope. He stands with us in suffering, for us in faithfulness, and in us through the Spirit. In Him we discover that the cross is not divine rage, it is divine love poured through the Son into a suffering world.

In this message, Dr. Smith explains why arguments rarely undo faith, but shallow roots do. The solution is not white-knuckled effort, but being carried by grace. Do not let go. You are being held. Discover how Christian maturity forms when we yield to Christ, find our true humanity in Him, and drop our anchor in the inner sanctuary where Jesus has gone before us.

God can take broken faith and turn seasons of doubt into new spiritual growth. Through the weakness and suffering of Jesus our High Priest, we see that God’s strength is revealed most clearly in our weakness. If you’ve ever struggled to believe, this message reminds you that your deconstruction may actually be the start of deeper growth in Jesus.

Suffering touches every life, but Jesus understands it from the inside. Hebrews 4:14–16 reveals a Savior who shares our humanity, feels our pain, and stands ready to help in our time of need. Bishop Jonathan shows how Jesus relates to human suffering—not from a distance, but through compassion, obedience, and redeeming love.

When your pastor or favorite Christian leader fails, it’s tempting to loosen your grip on Jesus. Hebrews reminds us that servants stumble, but the Son remains faithful. Rather than letting deconstruction harden into unbelief, bring your wounds to the Lord, seek honest encouragement in community, and fix your eyes on Christ. His comfort and rest are open today.

When faith feels swept up in the tide of Christian deconstruction, how can we stay anchored to Jesus instead of drifting away? In this message from Hebrews 2, Dr. Smith reveals four anchors that secure our souls: don’t drift, see Jesus, follow Jesus, and trust Jesus. Rather than dismantling the faith we barely understand, Hebrews invites us to step inside the beauty of Christ’s redeeming work. Jesus, our brother and trailblazer, enters our suffering, conquers death, and calls us family. These anchors will hold you steady when the waves of doubt rise.

When the ground shifts under your feet, what do you hold onto? In this opening message of Hold Fast, we face Christian deconstruction with honesty and hope. Hebrews 1–2 reframes truth—not as a concept to control, but as a Person with a name: Jesus. If you’re weary or wrestling, this message invites you to grip Christ, who already holds you.

When the ground shakes beneath your feet, what will you hold onto? In this first message from Hold Fast, Dr. Jonathan Smith explores the growing wave of Christian deconstruction and why so many are struggling to keep faith amid disappointment, hypocrisy, and doubt. Hebrews 1–2 shows that truth isn’t an idea to debate but a Person who meets us in our suffering. Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory, invites us not to control or certainty but to trust and allegiance. When all else shakes, hold fast to Him.

If God wanted to plant an amazing work in you, is your life ready to bear lasting fruit? In this closing message of Fresh Soil, Pastor Jonathan explores what Jesus meant when He said, “Abide in Me.” Drawing from John 15 and Romans 8, this episode walks through FRUIT: Faithful Endurance, Righteous Character, Unshakable Hope, Image Restored, and Transcendent Destiny. Discover how the Spirit forms Christ’s life in you, producing fruit that endures beyond success or failure—a harvest that glorifies God and lasts forever. Abide in Christ, and your life will never be barren again.

Sermon Date: 8/31/2025 This week on Faith in the City, Dr. Jonathan G. Smith walks us beneath the surface of religious activity to the heart of Christian identity. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 and the “Fresh Soil” series, he shows that our problem isn’t the soil—it’s what’s been planted there. In Christ, we become a […]

Fresh Soil Series – Redeemer Church Casselberry Sermon Date: August 24, 2024 In this message, Dr. Jonathan G. Smith takes us back to Genesis 2–3 to uncover how sin reversed the beauty of Eden and left behind the weeds that still choke our lives today. Using the acrostic WEEDS—Withheld Responsibility, Embraced Deception, Eroded Unity, Distorted […]

Sermon Date: 8-10-2025 By Rev. Dr. Jonathan G. Smith Some gardens grow wild, bursting with beauty and life. Others grow overrun, tangled, and weary from neglect. Spiritually speaking, we all have a garden—a place in our soul where God plants His Word and intends for it to flourish. But life has a way of drying […]

A Sermon by Dr. Jonathan G. Smith Given at Redeemer Church Casselberry November 24, 2024 Lectionary Readings: John 18 In this week’s sermon, Dr. Jonathan G. Smith takes us on a profound journey through the significance of Christ the King Sunday, celebrated on the final day of the liturgical calendar. Speaking at Redeemer Church Casselberry, […]

Show Notes:In this episode, we delve into the timeless call for Christian unity, guided by Ephesians 2:11–22. The Apostle Paul’s vision of a harmonious Christian community—where ethnic and cultural divisions dissolve in the presence of Christ—serves as our foundation. We explore why modern Christians, despite our shared faith, struggle to embody this unity, especially during […]

Show Notes In this episode, Bishop Dr. Jonathan G. Smith looks at a big question: “Is it the end of the world?” Using insights from Mark 13:1-8 and Hebrews 10:11-25, he talks about different views on what the future holds, especially ideas shaped by movies, books, and “rapture theology.” Dr. Smith offers a more hopeful […]

<br> Show Notes A Sermon by Dr. Jonathan G. SmithGiven at Redeemer Church Casselberry – February 4, 2024 Join Dr. Jonathan G. Smith as he unpacks the profound story of Simeon and Anna from Luke 2:22-38. This powerful narrative of Jesus’ presentation at the temple offers timeless insights into recognizing Christ in our daily lives. […]

In this episode, Pastor Jonathan shares his Easter message titled “Good News For A Worn Out World.”   Pressures in America to climb the social ladder and accumulate wealth, has left most people frustrated, worn-out and left feeling stressed.   The relentless pursuit of career has even caused some to earn it all only to realize the emptiness hasn’t gone away.