Revive us Again:
The Cry for Revival
As we begin a new year we begin this exciting and challenging journey with a new sermon series: “Revive Us Again“. This series draws its heartbeat from an ancient prayer:
Psalm 85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
What is revival? It is not a programmed event or emotional hype. Revival is God’s sovereign work of awakening His people—individually and corporately—from spiritual complacency to vibrant, rejoicing faith in Him. Throughout Scripture, God’s people cried out in times of dryness: Habakkuk pleaded for God to “renew” His deeds in their day; the exiles begged, “Restore us to yourself, O LORD”; and the Lord promised to revive the contrite in spirit (Isaiah 57:15).
History echoes these cries with powerful answers. In the First Great Awakening of the 1730s–1740s, preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield saw tens of thousands convicted and converted, transforming colonial society. Closer in time, the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival brought over 100,000 to Christ in months— churches overflowed with spontaneous singing and confession, crime rates plummeted, and even coal miners’ profanity ceased, leaving workhorses bewildered!
Our own Stone/Campbell restoration movement, which rejected denominational creeds and focused on non-denominational Christian unity through a return to the Scripture, occurred during the 2nd Great Awakening (1790-1840) harnessing that revival energy.
Yet revivals often follow seasons of decline, when God’s people sense a loss of “first love” (Revelation 2:4–5). Could this describe us today? In our busy, comfortable world, it’s easy to go through motions without deep joy in Christ.
This Sunday, we begin with “The Cry for Revival” from Psalm 85. We’ll remember God’s past faithfulness, acknowledge our present need, and dare to pray boldly for renewal. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore conditions, marks, power, and fruit of revival—always rooted in Scripture and informed by theology.
This series isn’t just information—it’s an invitation. Come expectant. Pray with us: “Revive us again!” May God stir fresh longing, lead us to repentance, and pour out His Spirit so that we rejoice in Him anew—and our community sees His glory.
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