Looking to Jesus, with Brian G. Hedges
“Looking to Jesus” features the preaching ministry of Brian G. Hedges, lead pastor at Redeemer Church in Niles, Michigan. Brian’s sermons are focused on the Christ-centered exposition and application of the Scriptures. His aim in preaching is to be “true to the text, true to the gospel, and true to life.” New episodes are released every week or two. Brian and his wife, Holly, have been married since 1996 and have four children. Brian is the author of Christ Formed in You; Christ All Sufficient; The Story of His Glory; Watchfulness: Recovering a Lost Spiritual Discipline, and other books. He enjoys working out, playing golf, and reading. Among his favorite authors are Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and C. S. Lewis.
Episodes
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 7 — Take Up the Shield of Faith
In this sermon, Brian G. Hedges emphasizes how faith both protects Christians from spiritual attack and identifies them in battle. He outlines what faith is (involving mind, heart, and will), how it defends against things like fear, doubt, and despair, and he gives practical ways believers can take up this shield through spirit...
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 6 — Put on the Gospel Shoes
Brian Hedges unfolds the metaphor of the “gospel shoes” drawn from Ephesians 6, showing how being justified by faith grants us peace with God—transforming us from enemies into friends and children of God—which equips believers for evangelism, endurance, and spiritual readiness. He emphasizes that the “shoes” symbolize not merely kn...
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 5 — Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness
Brian Hedges emphasizes that the breastplate signifies practical, Spirit-empowered holiness—not self-righteousness but pursuing godly living rooted in the imputed righteousness of Christ. He explains that while justification (positional righteousness) forms the foundation, the breastplate represents a call to activ...
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 4 — Put On the Belt of Truth
Brian Hedges explores Ephesians 6:14, where Paul urges believers to “stand… having fastened on the belt of truth.” He unpacks the metaphor, illustrating how the “belt of truth” refers to girding up the loins of one’s mind with God’s word — serving as the foundational garment that enables spiritual readiness, clarity, and integrity...
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 3 — The Christian in Complete Armor
God’s word equips the believer for battle. Brian Hedges relates five key aspects of the armor of God.
(4:01) 1. The Armor Is Essential
(9:22) 2. The Armor Is God’s Armor
(13:58) 3. The Armor Is Gospel Armor
(19:01) 4. The Armor Is Complete
(24:02) 5. The Armor Must Be Put On
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 2 — Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices
The devil is real, and he’s scheming to deceive you. How can you resist him? Brian Hedges shows you:
(4:36) 1. The Reality of the Devil
(11:14) 2. The Strategies of the Devil
(23:04) 3. The Defeat of the Devil
Season 9 — Dressing for Battle: Gospel Armor for the Fight of Faith
Episode 1 — The Christian Warfare
Pastor Brian Hedges opens Ephesians 6:10-20 to remind us:
(6:44) 1. We Are Fighting in an Ongoing War
(15:23) 2. We Have an Evil and Malicious Enemy
(23:17) 3. Christ Has Shown Us the Way to Victory
“There’s a universal longing we all have, whether we’re Christian or non-Christian. If you’re a human being, you have this longing. There are two ways of trying to fulfill this longing: the way of self and the way of Jesus.” ~ Brian Hedges
(5:00) 1. The Universal Longing
(12:36) 2. The Way of Self
(24:24) 3. The Way of Jesus
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
The reason you can’t just “follow your heart” is that you have a war going on inside you. Conflicting desires. Brian Hedges helps you understand:
(10:02) 1. The Division of the Self
(19:04) 2. The Reason for This Division
(26:15) 3. The Freedom the Gospel Brings
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
You say you’re a Christian, but is Jesus at the center of your thoughts, affections, ambitions, and desires? Brian Hedges encourages you to:
(10:06) 1. Set Your Mind on the Person and Work of Christ
(16:32) 2. Put on the Character of Christ
(20:23) 3. Be Faithful to the Body of Christ
(27:55) 4. Be Filled with the Word of Christ
(35:04) 5. Live for the Name of Christ
When you travel internationally, your passport is the main proof of who you are and which country you belong to. Brian Hedges draws an analogy to show that, if you’re a Christian, your spiritual passport is your identity in Christ. He takes you to Ephesians 1 to show you:
(9:40) 1. You are chosen in Christ.
(17:38) 2. You are adopted in Christ.
(23:17) 3. You are forgiven in Christ.
(29:57) 4. You are secure in Christ.
Podcast Description: When you meet Jesus personally, your whole identity is re-centered. It transforms you. That’s what happened to Saul of Tarsus. In this message, see:
(8:04) 1. Identity before Christ
(14:52) 2. A Transforming Encounter with Christ
(33:17) 3. New Identity in Christ
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
Everyone longs to be noticed. Known. Cared about. Be comforted and challenged as Brian Hedges shares these powerful principles from Psalm 139:
(7:25) 1. God Knows You Better Than You Know Yourself
(13:56) 2. You Cannot Hide Yourself from God
(23:06) 3. You Are Uniquely Created by God
(31:30) 4. God Loves You with an Immeasurable, Covenantal, Saving Love
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
The crisis of identity we face is, at its core, an issue of misplaced worship. Brian Hedges shows us
(9:56) 1. What Idolatry Is
(21:01) 2. How Idols Shape Identity
(30:32) 3. How the Gospel Frees Us from Idols
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
It’s common to hear messages like “You do you” or “Be true to yourself” or “Just follow your heart.” Brian Hedges sees them as symptoms of an underlying confusion about who we are and why we exist. In this episode, he explains:
(5:01) 1. The Nature of Identity
(10:23) 2. The Crisis of Identity
(29:07) 3. The Biblical Basis for Identity
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
If you have doubts either that the resurrection occurred or that it matters, Brian Hedges offers two lines of reasoning:
(1:51) 1. The Evidence for the Resurrection
(16:27) 2. The Significance of the Resurrection
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
Jesus showed what a radically different kind of king he is by dying in the place of his people. In this message, Brian Hedges helps us understand:
(6:46) 1. The Scandal of the Cross
(11:54) 2. The Meaning of the Cross
(21:33) 3. The Power of the Cross
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
The triumphal entry had a lot more to it than just a crowd of people putting palm branches on the ground for Jesus. Brian Hedges helps us see:
(5:40) 1. The Uniqueness of the King
(19:01) 2. The Agenda of the King
(30:34) 3. The Followers of the King
Read the transcript of this sermon here.
Have you ever asked God for wisdom and guidance in a given situation? Psalm 25 is just that kind of prayer. Brian Hedges gives us five things to do from this psalm:
(6:53) 1. Fear the Lord
(13:05) 2. Learn His Truth
(19:28) 3. Obey His Commands
(23:04) 4. Ask for His Mercy
(28:50) 5. Wait for His Help
What burdens you? What causes you confusion, even anger? Pastor Brian Hedges takes you to Psalm 55, where King David describes, expresses, and addresses:
(6:41) 1. The Storm of Emotion
(11:47) 2. The Desire to Escape
(17:10) 3. The Rhetoric of Outrage
(24:21) 4. The Discipline of Prayer
(27:27) 5. The God Who Hears
Read the sermon transcript here.
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