Benediction Church, #HamOnt: Recent Episodes
Benediction Church, Hamilton
We're a church in Hamilton, Ontario learning to practice the way of Jesus, and we pray for the day it'll be in Hamilton as it is in Heaven. These recordings are from our Sunday "Word and Table" gatherings, and are offered freely to all sinners, saints, and skeptics interested in learning what it might look like to be the Church.
Scripture: Matthew 17:24-27; Mark 10:13-16
Date: September 22, 2024
Teacher: Mike Mileski
In the conclusion to this series, we ask what it really looks like to "carry our cross" and follow Jesus.
We need to be really honest: the Christian life isn't usually a choice between A and B, where A is clearly God's will and B is clearly not.
We need to learn the NORMAL rhythm of preaching the Gospel to our hearts. There really is no substitute or alternative. This is how we become like Jesus, or it doesn't happen.
discipleship, #theChurch, #carryyourcross, #jesus, #theGospel
Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Date: Sunday September 15, 2024
Teacher: Mike Mileski
Of course Jesus' followers want others to hear about Him, to be saved, and to follow Him their whole lives long. But the HOW matters.
In this message we learn what it should look like when the Ekklesia - Jesus' "called out" people - are on Mission.
mission, #evangelism, #church, #ekklesia, #Jesus, #theGospel
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Date: Sunday September 8, 2024
Teacher: Mike Mileski
There are all sorts of reasons (some good, some bad) why people are leaving the Church. This message is an honest, warts-and-all, biblical description of what the Church has always been since its earliest days: beautiful, messy, and necessary. Why should our experience of Church community be any different?
Rather, we should realize we will NEVER outgrow our need to be in this sort of broken, beautiful, imperfect community.
church, #theGospel, #community, #deconstruction
Date: September 1, 2024 (Labour Day)
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42
Teacher: Mike Mileski
Most of us spend our days feeling crazy busy, like our schedules are out of control, and we can't get done the things we need to. Interestingly, all the studies show that we're less busy than any previous generation.
In this study of Jesus' visit with Mary and Martha, we learn that we probably have a lot more in common with Martha than we think. And Jesus' command for her is the same one He has for us. If we obey Him, it doesn't have to be this way. We really can un-busy our lives!
Date: August 25, 2024
Scripture: John 11:1-44
Teacher: Dwayne Cline
Death is the ultimate enemy. When His good friend Lazarus died, Jesus' pained and angry reaction show us just how much He hates death. In this message, our friend Dwayne Cline shows us that this miracle is a signpost of a new world where there's no death, no dying, no goodbyes.
Date: August 18, 2024
Scripture: Mark 5:21-43
Teacher: Nathan Scott
Sometimes we feel sure we know how God should work, and when He doesn't, it's easy to get frustrated with Him. Imagine being Jairus, who pleaded with Jesus to heal his dying daughter, and on the way to do so, He stops instead and heals someone else. In this message, Nathan Shares how stories like this don't weaken our faith; they strengthen it.
Date: August 11, 2024
Scripture: Luke 5:17-26 (ESV)
Teacher: Rony Mikhael
Though one paralyzed man was healed, this is also a story of how three communities view Jesus: the religious leaders, the crowds, and the ones who carried this man into the presence of Jesus. In this message, our friend Rony Mikhael shows that Jesus isn't only about meeting physical needs; He's building a community that loves each other, bears one another's burdens, and trusts in Him.
Date: August 4, 2024
Scripture: Mark 8:22-26
Teacher: Rolf Nanninga
This miracle raises a lot of good questions because Jesus doesn't heal the man born blind in the way that we might have. That's the way of Jesus - sometimes He doesn't behave the way we expect Him to, or answer our prayers the ways we wish He did. In this message, our friend Rolf Nanninga challenges us with the question: Will we trust Him still?
Date: July 28, 2024
Scripture: John 21:1-14
Teacher: Lane Fusilier
It's hard to say which was the greater miracle: the restoration of Peter (after his betrayal of Jesus on the night of His arrest), or, this miraculous catch of fish. In this message, Pastor Lane Fusilier helps us to reflect on what the Lord has done for us, and thank Him.
Date: July 21, 2028
Scripture: Luke 5:1-11
Teacher: Scott McIntosh
Imagine Peter and his brothers' dismay at being instructed by Jesus to put out their nets for one more cast. Imagine Peter's amazement at knowing he's face to face with the world's true Lord and King. In this message, our friend Scott McIntosh reminds us that what Peter and his brothers walked away from in order to follow Jesus fully, is no greater than what the Lord asks us to set aside.
Date: July 14, 2024
Scripture: John 4
Teacher: Nathan Tomes
We don't typically think of this as a miracle story, but when Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, He showed an impossible, miraculous knowledge of the details of her life. Not only does Jesus NOT use those details to condemn her, He causes her to feel known, seen, and loved - as He means to for all of us.
Date: July 7, 2024
Scripture: Mark 4:35-41
Teacher: John Hilber
When Jesus calmed the storm, it was more than a flex of His power over nature. Ancient cultures claimed their gods to be the ones who brought order from chaos, but when he calmed the storm, Jesus showed that He is truly Lord over every storm.
Date: June 30, 2024
Scripture: Mark 5:1-20
Teacher: Mike Mileski
This story reveals Jesus' heart for personal and societal justice. When He set this poor, forgotten, expendable, demon-possessed man free, it forced all the people in the region to question whether they were part of the problem.
Today it forces us face an uncomfortable truth - especially those of us who live in the city - that sometimes, the MOST demonic problems in the city don't look very demonic.
Date: June 23, 2024
Scripture: John 2:1-12
Teacher: Mike Mileski
This is the first of a series of studies into the miracles of Jesus. His miracles had a purpose, and it was NOT to show off His Son-of-God powers. Jesus' miracles show us what God and His Kingdom are like.
And at the wedding in Cana (John 2), Jesus performed His very first miracle - turning water into wine and showing us what God's glory is really about!
In this final part of the Life Lessons series, Mike and Heather talk about the subject Jesus said more about than almost any other: money. Is money evil? What baggage do Mike and Heather bring into a conversation about money? How does one keep money from dividing us - as couples, families, churches, etc.? Are Christians responsible to tithe to their churches? What does it look like to be “generous” towards others with one’s money?
In this conversation, Mike and Heather shared about some of the helpful and unhelpful approaches to handling conflict that they witnessed, and how those lessons shaped their approach to conflict later in life. Are all conflicts resolvable? Do we always have to forgive someone who hurts us? What’s the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? What’s my responsibility if I’ve hurt someone? What can a faith community do to prevent conflicts from getting worse?
Mike and Heather have experienced their share of sudden, life-altering crises. They’ve also been present for many others who’ve gone through similar crises. What are some ways we can respond helpfully to those in crisis, and not make things worse? What do you have to say to someone who feels they’re not “good” in a crisis? What do people in crisis need from their community? What can we be doing NOW that will help us be better prepared for a crisis LATER, should one occur?
In this week’s conversation, Heather and Mike spent some time sharing about how they found their way into their vocations as Registered Dietician and Pastor? What does the Bible have to say about work? What’s the difference between a job, and a vocation? Does everyone have a calling? What should distinguish the way one does one’s work who is a follower of Jesus? How can we know if our work has become an idol in our lives?
How did Mike and Heather meet? What baggage did they bring into their relationship, and how did they deal with it? What do they wish they’d known in those days about dating, engagement, and marriage? This message is the first in a series of five conversations meant to help impart some of the wisdom Mike and Heather have accumulated after almost 25 years together.
Date: Sunday, May 12, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27
Teacher: Mike Mileski
In this final part of our study of Revelation, we reflect on Jesus’ promise that He is making all things new, and allow John to describe what that means. What are we waiting for? In this message we share five answers, and they are mind blowing! The world has never seen anything like it!
Scripture challenges us to see Revelation not as the end of the story, but as the end of the beginning! Let this message encourage and strengthen you when you face personal difficulty, or when the problems you see in our city discourage you: As Revelation ends, the Bible’s grand story is just getting STARTED, and you’re a part of it. Jesus really is making ALL things new.
Revelation, #TheChurch, #Jesus, #TheGospel, #AllThingsNew, #NewJerusalem, #HolyCity
Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024
Scripture: (various)
Teacher: Mike Mileski
A lot of Revelation is difficult to process: many of its visions show God’s justice and anger toward Satan, and those who destroy the earth. These sometimes draw our focus away from the beautiful promises and visions that Revelation also offers. We need BOTH - we cannot take the difficult and ignore the beautiful.
This was a week of guided listening prayer. We read aloud some very hopeful, inspiring, and visionary portions of Revelation. They show us a God who radically loves us and His creation, and is unswervingly committed to making all things new. In this recording, you’ll receive some basic instruction about listening prayer; you’ll hear those passages read, and you’ll have time to listen. (To extend those listening times, consider pausing the recording.)
prayer, #spiritualformation, #listeningprayer, #HolySpirit, #bestillandknowthatIamGod, #bestillandknow, #TheGospel, #TheChurch, #BeTheChurch, #Jesus, #Revelation, #AllThingsNew
Scripture: Revelation 19:11-20:15
Date: April 28, 2024
Teacher: Michael Mileski
The Early Christians used to bid farewell to one another by saying “Come, Lord Jesus”. The truth of Christ’s return gave them strength and encouragement to persevere even through persecution, oppression, and other forms of mistreatment. If the Return of Christ feels to some of us like just one more abstract theological idea, rest assured that to the first Christians, it was a matter of life and death.
In this message we considered several things that will take place at Jesus’ Second Coming. These are reasons why we ought to pray, “Come, Lord Jesus”.
lastjudgment, #satan, #deathofdeath #thebeast, #thefalseprophet, #resurrection, #millennium, #theGospel, #church, #theChurch, #hamont #Revelation #prophecy
Scripture: Revelation 15:5-19:10
Date: April 21, 2024
Teacher: Michael Mileski
The narrative of Revelation has a lot in common with the classic sci-fi film The Matrix: a futuristic world in which a majority of the population are blind, asleep, and feeding their power to a corrupt system. Like the world we live in, which John has symbolized by Babylon, a lot of people don’t seem to know (or care) that they’re being lied to, exploited, and manipulated. That’s what Babylon is all about.
The question is: “If you were more at home in Babylon than in the Kingdom of God, would you know it? And if you realized you were feeding Babylon, would you want to wake up from that, or continue in the fiction?"
Babylon is the unholy city, the prostitute, the antithesis of the Kingdom of God, and yet so many of us have no idea that we are part of it. In this message we consider seven key features / characteristics so that we can know whether we’re more at home here in Babylon, or in the Kingdom, and by knowing it, do something about it.
judgment, #wrath, #babylon #prostitute, #harlot, #satan, #thebeast, #thefalseprophet, #theGospel, #church, #theChurch, #hamont, #Revelation, #prophecy, #kingdomofGod, #thematrix, #neo, #morpheus, #redpill
Scripture: Revelation 11:15-15:4
Date: April 14, 2024
Teacher: Michael Mileski
Depending on one’s point of view as we read Revelation, its visions will either cause us to worship God, or to judge and criticize Him. There are, in this book, visions of judgment so serious that if we forget what God is doing, we’ll assume He is over-reacting, as though the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Not only will we judge God, will be distracted by debates over the meaning of symbols like 666 and the ‘Mark of the Beast’.
In this message, we learn that whenever we’re troubled by what we read in Scripture (and especially Revelation), we should ask: "What am I missing? What if I could see this the way God does?” This message deals with some of the more serious, sensational, and awful warnings of judgment, and offers a way to take the Scripture seriously, and trust in the good purposes of God.
judgment, #wrath, #seventrumpets, #satan, #beast, #falseprophet, #666, #markofthebeast, #theGospel, #church, #theChurch, #hamont
Scripture: Revelation 8:1-11:14
Date: April 7, 2024
Teacher: Michael Mileski
What could persuade you that YOU have a story that’s worth hearing? What would have to happen to make you believe that YOUR story is worth sharing with others?
In this message, John shares vision after vision of wrath and judgment; and it doesn’t have the effect some might expect it to. Instead of scaring people into faith with threats of divine punishment, these texts clearly show that God prefers to win people to His Kingdom by the testimony of ordinary saints and witnesses like you. YOUR story matters, and every day that you don’t quit on Jesus is another day that your story testifies that Jesus is worth it. Let this message encourage you to be the witness you are!
judgment, #wrath, #seventrumpets, #theGospel, #church, #theChurch, #hamont
Date: Sunday March 31, 2024 (Easter Sunday)
Scripture: Revelation 6+7
Teacher: Mike Mileski
Judgment images like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and others, are often the stuff of prophecies and predictions of woe and terror. Not here. These judgment images belong with Easter!
In this message, there is good news both for those with an unhealthy obsession with God’s judgment, and those who constantly feel that God can’t stand them. It's all about the resurrection!
Without Easter, we can’t hope to make sense of God’s judgment, or, to appreciate His mercy.
wrath, #judgment, #hell, #heaven, #multitude, #worship, #salvation, #TheLamb, #TheGospel, #church, #HamOnt, #Revelation, #Easter, #Resurrection
Date: Sunday March 24, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 5
Teacher: Mike Mileski
On this side of eternity, we wonder “Why?” Why did that person have to die? Why can’t I feel at home in my body? Why did I have to say or do that awful thing? Why can’t I experience God’s pleasure?
There are answers to our questions - they’re in the scroll, which is held safe and secure by Jesus the Lamb. He rules - not by killing and devouring His enemies - but with love, mercy, and self-sacrifice.
He has the answers we lack; can we trust Him with those?
TheGospel, #Jesus, #LambofGod, #church, #theodicy, #HamOnt, #Revelation, #prophecy
Date: Sunday March 17, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 4
Teacher: Dr. John Hilber
Imagine getting a peek inside the throne room of heaven, and to see who’s there, and what goes on. That’s what happens in Ch.4 of the book of Revelation. For those who’ve forgotten - or never imagined it - there’s a good, sovereign, holy, God on the throne!
Let this message - from our friend Dr. John Hilber - bring you comfort and assurance! What was introduced in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New! God is - and always will be - on the throne!
Heaven, #Revelation, #OldTestament, #TheGospel, #Christ, #TheLamb, #Jesus, #TheChurch, #HamOnt
Date: Sunday March 10, 2024
Scripture: All of Revelation!
Teacher: Dr. John Hilber and Jordan Moss
More than perhaps any other, it seems that bad interpretations of the book of Revelation have been the cause of many divisions, and the basis of much false teaching. Why is that? What makes Revelation unique? Why is Revelation so hard to understand? What should we make of “Left Behind” teaching?
This message was a conversation between elder Jordan Moss, and Dr. John Hilber from McMaster Divinity College that touched on several helpful topics, and answered many of the key questions people have about Revelation.
Revelation, #prophecy, #Bible, #LeftBehind, #Rapture, #premillennialism, #amillennialism, #postmillennialism, #TheChurch, #Gospel, #HamOnt
Date: Sunday March 3, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 2-3
Teacher: Mike Mileski
For the last couple of weeks we’ve heard Jesus’ messages to the seven churches of Asia. He has rebuked some, and encouraged others. Each church received a promise of blessing if they hold on, and "hear what the Spirit says to the Churches".
This week we used our teaching time for guided listening prayer. We read aloud Jesus’ promises to the churches, and took time to listen prayerfully to what the Spirit is saying. For those who struggle to slow down, be still, and listen to God’s voice, let this be your introduction to this beautiful, life-giving spiritual discipline!
HolySpirit #prayer #listening #spiritualdisciplines #bestillandknow #TheChurch #hamont
Date: February 25, 2024
Scripture: Letters to the churches of Ephesus, Thyatira, Sardis, Laodicea
Teacher: Mike Mileski
The wrong kind of tolerance is deadly to a community. Jesus’ tolerance is radical, costly, and includes those whom others consider “the wrong kind of Christian”. In this study, we hear Jesus’ words to four churches who have a tolerance problem. What happens to a church that says “YES” to what Jesus says “NO” to, and says “NO” to those to whom Jesus has already said “YES”?
theGospel #theChurch #Revelation #NeitherHotNorCold #intolerance #hate #tolerance #sideB #lgbtqi
Date: February 18, 2024
Scripture: The letters to the churches in Smyrna, Pergamum, and Philadelphia
Teacher: Mike Mileski
Revelation was written to seven real congregations in Asia. For some of them, the challenges they faced were internal, but for these three congregations, the problems came from OUTSIDE. What external dangers threaten us and our ability to follow the way of Jesus in this culture, and this moment? Are we paying attention?
thegospel, #theChurch, #persecution, #persecutedchurch, #empire, #deconstruction, #HamOnt, #12RulesforLife, #JBP, #theLeft, #postmodernism, #gentrification
Date: February 11, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 1:9-20
Teacher: Mike Mileski
John meets Jesus after being exiled by Caesar, and, abandoned by the Church. Can you imagine what that feels like? Can you relate? In this message, we see how John was comforted by what he hears, sees, feels, and receives from Christ. No matter how bleak things looked for the Church then (and now), Jesus has not abandoned her, nor will He ever.
MLKJr, #LetterFromABirminghamJail, #revelation, #prophecy, #jesus, #theGospel, #sevengoldenlampstands, #sevenstars, #theChurch
Date: February 4, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 1:1-8
Teacher: Mike Mileski
For a lot of us, the book of Revelation is not only the last book of the Bible; it’s the last book of the Bible we’d ever read. Functionally, we have a Bible that’s one book shorter than it should be.
This is the first message in a new series on the Revelation. We take back the Revelation from the end-times prophets who use it to predict the future, and from the experts who made us feel unqualified to read it. Revelation is for the Church: it calls us to subvert and resist the powers that wage war on the Church, and stand in the way of the way of Jesus.
In this message, we’re introduced to the purpose, the story, and the themes of Revelation, so that we’l be well prepared for what we read there.
revelation, #bible, #prophecy, #666, #dragon, #beast, #lamb, #thechurch, #angels, #satan, #TheGospel, #hamont
Date: January 21, 2024
Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35
Teacher: Mike Mileski
Lots of Christians are terrible at resolving conflict because we've learned all sorts of excuses and alternatives to forgiving. The damage from these is real, but God wants us to forgive.
In this message we explore (1) What is forgiveness? (2) Why does God care so much that we forgive others? and (3) How can I know whether I’ve truly forgiven someone?
sorry, #reconciliation, #forgiveness, #apology, #Joseph, #Jacob, #church, #hamont, #Jesus, #thegospel, #peacemaker, #peacefaker, #peacebreaker, #peacetaker
Date: January 14, 2024
Scripture: Genesis 50:15-21
Teacher: Mike Mileski
Sooner or later, each of us will need to apologize for something we’ve said or done. Why is it necessary? Isn’t an apology just a formality, and it should go without saying? Many people think so, and many of the apologies we hear or give turn out to be non-apologies. In this message, we learn how and why we should say we’re sorry.
sorry, #reconciliation, #forgiveness, #apology, #Joseph, #Jacob, #church, #hamont, #Jesus, #thegospel, #theslap, #WillSmith, #ChrisRock, #oscars
Date: January 7, 2024
Scripture: 1 Samuel 11, 12
Teacher: Mike Mileski
It seems like each time a prominent Christian leader has a moral failure, someone rationalizes it by saying "Well we're all sinners - just look at David!" or "God can use anyone - just look at David!"
In this message - the first in a series on reconciled relationships - we indeed "look at David" and his actions toward Bathsheba, and Uriah.
It turns out this story doesn't teach what you might think it does. It's NOT a story about what God is willing to overlook, but a story about sin and its very serious consequences.
sin, #kingdavid, #bathsheba, #uriah, #moralfailures, #thechurch, #jesus
Date: December 10, 2023
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
Teacher: Trevor Seath
Jesus offers a peace that makes absolutely no sense, except it's real. With all that's going on in the world, and in your life, can you really afford to ignore His offer of peace?
peace, #princeofpeace, #church, #jesus, #theGospel
Date: December 17, 2023
Scripture: Luke 2:21-39
Teacher: Elias Dummer
Where does joy come from? In this message, Elias shares how joy isn't a feeling to wait for; it's a decision to rebel against what is. Joy is a subversive choice to practice the way of Jesus: sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
joy, #advent, #christmas, #jesus, #theGospel, #bethechurch
Date: December 3, 2023
Scripture: Various
Teacher: Lane Fusilier
The church calendar begins with Advent, and Advent begins with hope. This week our friend Lane Fusilier leads us through the promises of Scripture to show that Jesus is the answer to the world's hopes and longings to know that it won't always be this way. Do you know that hope? Do you want it?
hope, #jesus, #advent, #nativity, #promisesofGod
Date: November 26, 2023
Scripture: the Book of Daniel (reveiw)
Teacher: Mike Mileski
The Prophet Daniel believed that everything that happened before and during his lifetime, and everything that would follow him, was part of God's sovereign plan. Daniel's life is full of these 'sovereignty stories' - and so is yours!
In this message we share the good, reassuring news that the one true God is also absolutely, unstoppably, sovereign.
sovereignty, #Daniel, #Jesus, #Gospel, #prophecy, #prophets, #SovereignGrace, #providence
Date: November 19, 2023
Scripture: Daniel 10
Teacher: Mike Mileski
What are we meant to think (and do) about spiritual warfare? The Bible has much to say about the reality and actions of angels, demons, and the devil, and we do well to avoid two equal mistakes: (a) to bury our heads in the sand, or (b) to become obsessed with spiritual warfare.
In this message we shared several helpful lessons that prepare us to live in a world where invisible warfare rages all around (and sometimes within) us.
Jesus, #warfare, #spiritualwarfare, #TheCross, #ScrewtapeLetters, #angels, #demons, #Satan, #TheGospel
Date: November 12, 2023
Scripture: Daniel 6
Teacher: Mike Mileski
What's your saving faith in? Possessions? Achievements? Friends? Your good looks? We all trust in something. Daniel's saving faith was in God, and in this story, it looks like God rewards Daniel's faith by rescuing him from the lions.
We who live here in our own Babylon know that God doesn't always rescue us, no matter how much we pray, read our Bible, or go to church. So if saving faith doesn't expect to be rescued, WHAT DOES SAVING FAITH BELIEVE?
faith, #lions, #lionsden, #daniel, #thecross, #savingfaith #jesus
Date: November 5, 2023
Scripture: Daniel 4, 5
Teacher: Mike Mileski
When we think about the relationship between the Church and the culture, we're sometimes tempted to say too much - like we're a Christian nation - or too little, by burying our heads in the sand.
What's our responsibility to the culture, and its kings? What's fair for 'them' to ask of 'us'? In this message we study two kings: Nebuchadnezzar who goes full Beast Mode, and Belshazzar, for whom the writing was on the wall. Daniel blessed them in surprising ways.
When our moment comes to speak the truth to a listening world, will we?
Gospel, #theChurch, #HamOnt, #OldTestament, #Daniel, #Trump, #Canada,
Date: October 22, 2023
Scripture: Daniel 3
Teacher: Mike Mileski
We'll all experience times when we're expected - by lawmakers, employers, neighbours, or by the culture - to say things we can't say, do things we can't do, and participate in things that seem wrong. What'll we do when the king expects us to ignore our conscience and bow down anyway?
The famous story of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego is a great lesson in why, when, and how civil disobedience ought to take place. But before we do, we'll want to settle in our minds once and for all that "It's just a furnace."
In this message, we share three questions to ask before we're expected to bow down, so we'll make an informed decision when the moment arrives.
nojusticenopeace, #civildisobedience, #theGospel, #pandemic, #Covid19
Date: October 15, 2023
Scripture: Daniel ch's 2, 7
Teacher: Mike Mileski
There are times in Exile when the truth we need to tell isn't welcome, popular, or safe. Where do truth tellers come from? In this message we uncover four marks of a truth-teller, and the part each of us has to play in God's recurring dream!
TheGospel, #Exile, #Truth, #TruthTellers, #Fear, #Prayer, #Compassion, #SoundDoctrine, #Church, #Daniel, #Empire
Date: October 8, 2023
Scripture: Daniel ch.1
Teacher: Mike Mileski
How do you - as a person of faith - make decisions about whether to partake or abstain? Would it surprise you to know that in Exile, Daniel said "NO" to some things that seem kind of innocent, and "YES" to some things that seem kind of dangerous?
This is our first study in the book of Daniel, which will give us tools and resources we need so we can thrive in Exile. In this first message we offer a helpful tool for deciding when to abstain and partake.
Exile, #Church, #Gospel, #Daniel, #Babylon, #Jerusalem, #HamOnt, #BeTheChurch, #Ethics, #Nebuchadnezzar
Date: October 1, 2023
Scripture: Luke 24
Speaker: Sarah Robinson
According to Henri Nouwen, the way of Jesus is hospitality, not hostility. Do we know the difference? What do we do when we realize that when we thought we were showing hospitality we were actually practicing hostility?
Date: September 24, 2023
Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 9:23-26
Speaker: Mike Mileski
In our culture, it's easy to outsource our discipleship and assume that we'll become the kind of people we're supposed to if we put effort into bettering ourselves and not being jerks. But that's not discipleship. In this message, we were introduced to five spiritual disciplines meant to help us be all-in on Jesus, and take responsibility for our discipleship.
SpiritualDisciplines #Christianity #Discipleship #Gospel #RuleOfLife #Examen #DailyOffice #LiturgicalCalendar #IlluminatedBible #Bonhoeffer #Therapy #Jesus
Date: September 17, 2023
Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4-9
Speaker: Mike Mileski
There was a time when the Church's paradigm for mission was Billy Graham: someone who stood at the front of a room, called them all sinners, and invited them to repent. The culture has changed, but the mission hasn't. We may not all be evangelists, but we're all sent. We're all on mission. We're all ambassadors.
In this mission we share three tangible, realistic ways that the Church (and our church) can embody its calling to be ambassadors for Jesus.
mission, #evangelism, #billygraham, #witness, #wealth, #story, #work, #ambassadorsforchrist, #church, #TheChurch, #BeTheChurch, #HamOnt, #HamiltonOntario, #GreatCommission
Date: September 10, 2023
Scripture: Acts 2:40-47
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Sometimes we find community in surprising places. There are all sorts of communities we might belong to, but they're not all helpful. This message is the first of three asking us whether we're 'all-in' on what makes the Church the Church: community, mission, and discipleship. We ask:
What rhythms or practices make a community distinctly Christian?
What are the rhythms of community in Benediction Church?
What sort of community do WE strive to be?
community, #discipleship, #mission, #bonhoeffer, #fellowship, #encouragement, #hospitality, #worship, #together
Message Date: August 27, 2023
Scripture: Romans 11:33-36
Speaker: Nathan Tomes
Gandalf. Yoda. Dumbledore. Solomon. The magi. When we think of wisdom, we imagine some old mystical sage whose wisdom is the result of decades of watching and learning. God's wisdom is different: There's no knowledge He lacks; He never makes a bad decision or judgment. In this message, we learned that God's wisdom is the reason Job should have kept quiet, rather than accuse God of having failed in His duty, and why we can know that when God says He's turning all things for good, He really means it.
wisdom, #Romans828, #justice, #gospel, #truth, #attributes, #BeholdOurGod, #BenedictionChurch, #HamOnt
Message Date: August 20, 2023
Scripture: Psalm 51
Speaker: Bill Allan (AGC President)
Inside and outside the Church, people are convinced that God is out to get them, that He can't stand them, and He's just waiting for an opportunity to smite them. That's not the God of Scripture, and certainly not the Father of our Lord Jesus.
In this message, our friend Bill Allan - president of the Associated Gospel Churches of Canada (AGC) challenges us to recover a true and better understanding of the God revealed in Scripture: a God of endless, amazing, undeserved grace.
grace, #AGC, #TheGospel, #JesusChrist, #KingDavid, #Repentance, #Mercy, #Forgiveness
Message Date: August 13, 2023
Scripture: Acts 4:32-5:11
Speaker: Mike Lewis
Does God lie? Does God exaggerate or stretch the truth in order to make Himself seem better than He is? In this message, Mike Lewis leads us on a helpful study of some biblical reasons why people who lie - even people who know better - to ask whether the same could be true of God. The result is an encouraging, life giving, and humbling message about Truth.
Truth, #postmodernism, #LetGodBeTrue #TheGospel, #Jesus, #Church, #TheChurch
Message Date: August 6, 2023
Scripture: Isaiah 6:8
Speaker: Mike Mileski
God is so holy that when the angels cry out to Him in worship, they declare not just "Holy!"; not even that He is "Holy, holy!"; no - they cry out that this enthroned God is "Holy, holy, holy - the whole earth is filled with His glory!" In light of prevailing attitudes about God, and about our own sin, it may be that of all God's attributes, this is the one the Church most needs to recover. God's holiness means that some things that we commonly believe are actually impossible, and some of the things that we've long assumed are impossible are actually possible and certain. God's holiness is good news for weary sinners, and we hope this message challenges and encourages you.
Augustine, #affections, #sovereignjoy, #Jesus, #TheGospel, #holy, #holiness, #Isaiah, #HereAmI, #repentance, #attributes, #preaching
Message Date: July 30, 2023
Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9
Speaker: Rony Mikhael
The problem at the tower of Babel wasn't WHAT they set out to build, but WHY. We seldom talk about God's creativity, but we need to. Our acts of creativity - whether in the arts, STEM, business, family, or justice - are acts of worship, beautification, community, and mission. In this message, Rony invites us to join the God who is creative, so that it may be in Hamilton as it is in heaven.
Message Date: July 23, 2023
Scripture: 1John 4
Speaker: Tom Lambshead
What do we mean when we say that God IS love? In this message, our friend Tom Lambshead, AGC Regional Director for Canada East, draws from his experience with Christians who don't understand love, to help us know and love the God who IS love.
Message Date: July 16, 2023
Scripture: Psalm 139
Speaker: Dwayne Cline
What does it mean that God is everywhere at the same time? Is there really no place in existence where God is not? In this message, our friend and neighbour, Dwayne Cline goes back through the Old and New Testaments to show how God was ALWAYS present, and in a special way, present with His people, by His Holy Spirit.
HolySpirit #Omnipresence #Attributes #Jesus #Church #Bible
Message Date: July 9, 2023
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27
Speaker Elias Dummer
Whether through a song or a sermon, we've often heard that God is present. But what does that really mean? Elias Dummer delves into how the concept of the Trinity can shape our perspective on the world and ourselves.The fact that God is one and three has lots of implications for us - implications for who we are, how we relate to each other, and God’s tendency to use the most ordinary things for extraordinary purposes.
Message date: July 2, 2023
Scripture: Mark 1:9-11; Matthew 28:18-20
Speaker: Mike Mileski
What is God like? That's the question at the heart of this series that'll take us through the summer. This week we start with what may be God's quintessential attribute: Trinity.
What do we mean by Trinity? Where in Scripture do we get the idea that there is one God, and, there are three Persons in Scripture who do the things that only God can do? And, what if it weren't true - if He were NOT God in three Persons, where would that leave the rest of us?
trinity #orthodoxy #AndreiRublev #trinityicon #FatherSonandSpirit #BeholdOurGod
Message date: June 25, 2023
Scripture: 1John 5:11-21
Speaker: Mike Mileski
In this final message in our study of 1John, we ask "What are we talking about when we talk about 'eternal life'?" The answer to that question has huge implications for how we live, and where we find our hope.
HereComestheSun #HereComestheSon #BeTheChurch #GoodNews #JesusChrist #1John #Bible #EternalLife #Kingdom #AgetoCome #AlreadyAndNotYet #NTWright #GELadd #HamOnt #InHamiltonAsItIsInHeaven
Message date: June 18, 2023
Scripture: 1John 5:1-10
Speaker: Nathan Tomes
In case you're wondering, growing and becoming like Jesus isn't a linear process. It happens differently for each of us, and no two people have the same experience of belief in Jesus. In this message, Nathan sets out to help us see the difference between intellectually agreeing that Jesus is real, and a personal, abiding faith in Him.
faith #Jesus #Gospel #discipleship #Lordhavemercy #trustinGod
Message date: June 11, 2023
Scripture: 1John 3:19-4:6
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Do you ever feel condemned - like you're too much of a sinner to possibly be a Christian? Do you ever have a hard time telling the difference between the truth tellers and the liars? Do you ever struggle to figure out why it sometimes seems like so few people are interested in the Good News you're trying to share?
What if these struggles aren't weird after all? What if they're a normal part of practicing the way of Jesus?
What if the struggle is our assurance?
Jesus #assurance #EternalSecurity #perseverance #discipleship #Mission #evangelism #ChristianNationalism #SpiritualWarfare #BeEncouraged #GoodNews #Gospel #BlessedAssurance
At some point in our lives, every Christian will ask questions like “Why does God really care whether I obey Him?” and “If I’m saved, why does it matter how I live?” and “Why should I love people who don’t love me?” Answering these questions doesn’t just make us smarter.
It shows us whether we’re children of God, or children of the Devil.
In this message, we considered some of what the Bible teaches about the Devil, and learned that once we realize what’s been done for us on the Cross, it changes how we live: we’ll neither underestimate the Devil, nor will we overestimate him.
TheDevil #Jesus #Church #Bible #Gospel #Assurance #Apologetics #GoodNews #BlessedAssurance
Message Date: Sunday, May 28, 2023
Scripture: 1 John 2:15-29
Speaker: Mike Mileski
The death of Tim Keller last week gave us pause to reflect on a life well-lived for Jesus, and why it seems like the exception these days. Why are there so many false teachers? Where do they come from? What are the small compromises one must make along the way to become a false teacher, a counterfeit, an 'antichrist' later in life? Could it happen to us?
In this message we considered four temptations that every Christian faces in the course of his/her faith: The temptation to love the world, the temptation to quit when things become difficult, the temptation to 'improve' the Gospel, and the temptation to be seen as important. To the degree that we're prepared for these, we'll be able to fight back, persevere, and be saved.
This is John's promise: those who persevere will stand before Jesus "confident and unashamed."
Assurance #church #bible #Jesus #TimKeller #RaviZacharias #falseteachers #antichrist #falseteaching #TheGospel
Message Date: Sunday, May 21, 2023
Scripture: 1 John 2:1-14
Speaker: Mike Mileski
We can't possibly have assurance that we have eternal life if we spend our lives on our own, isolated from other people. That's just not how it works. We need others to help us remember the Gospel when we've forgotten it. We need to remind others of the Gospel when they've forgotten.
In this third message in our series, we learn three more tests that John offers for discerning if we really HAVE passed from death to life.
Have a listen, and be assured that no matter what you feel, no matter how you look, or how many friends you have, you ARE part of God's family after all.
assurance #church #jesus #bible #propitiation #advocate #love #obedience #community
Message Date: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21
Speaker: Jordan Moss
There are all sorts of counterfeit forms of "love" in the culture that make it hard to appreciate what it means when God says, in the Scripture, that He IS love. Like, love is what God is.
So, what does that mean?
In this second message in 1 John, we learn that there are some people and things that we don't love as much as we think we do. The ultimate expression of God's love is Jesus, dying on a cross. That's what love looks like. That's the sort of love with which we're told to "love your neighbour" and doing so is a test of whether we're really part of God's family. Do you pass the test? Listen to this message and find out.
love #agapé #cross #crucifixion #jesus #church #bible #loveyourneighbour #prodigalson #GodisLove
Message Date: Sunday, May 7, 2023
Scripture: 1 John 1:1-10
Speaker: Mike Mileski
If I’m a Christian, why don’t I feel like it?
Why don’t I do a better job of living it out?
Is this all in my head?
Am I not just an imposter?
The Apostle John wrote this letter in order to assure the readers that they have eternal life. In a context where some leaders had bailed and stirred up doubt and confusion, John presents test after test, so that they can know for sure. This is the first message in a series in 1 John. Would you like to have this same 'blessed assurance' that you're really part of God's family? Wouldn't you like to know - beyond the shadow of a doubt - that you have eternal life?
You can. Listen to know why.
AssuranceofSalvation #BlessedAssurance #church #hypocrites #falseteachers #falseteaching #forgiveness #reconciliation #mercy #gnostics #gnosticism #1John
Date: Sunday, April 30, 2023
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21, Mark 12:41-44
Why is it that so often, what we think we own actually owns us? Why do we look to our savings to keep us safe? In this message we let Jesus show us that there isn't just one way to be greedy; there are two. We listened to several of our culture's assumptions about money; we learned some interesting trends and statistics in Canadian giving, but in the end, the alternative to greed isn't poverty. It's generosity. If you're not sure what generosity looks like, or when you'll know you're giving generously and sacrificially, we hope you'll find this message helpful.
generosity, #greed, #poverty, #wealth, #jesus, #richfool, #poorwidow, #giving, #church
Date: Sunday, April 23, 2023
Speaker: Paulo Caproni
Passage: (2 John 1-13)
In this one-off message, Paulo gave a creative re-read of a little-known letter in the New Testament: 2John. Paulo has been working with 2John in the original language, and helped college- and seminary-level students see and appreciate the good stuff he sees there. In 2John, the Apostle wants us to be reminded of what God has done for us, and he does so through these four pictures of community.
Message Date: April 9th, 2023
Scripture: Revelation 21
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Resurrection isn't the end of the Bible's grand story; it's the end of the beginning. God says "behold, I'm making all things new" - His story doesn't end, but it starts over. His story ends with a new beginning. In this message, we share four pictures of resurrection - four pictures of what God is making "new": A new life, a new home, a new body, and a new creation. It's almost too good to be true.
The resurrection of Jesus truly is the best news ever. If you've ever wrestled with your body, with hope for the future, or wondered where all this is going, we trust this message will encourage and inspire you.
NewCreation, #NewJerusalem, #NewHeavensandNewEarth, #BiblicalTheology, #KingdomofHeaven, #MetaNarrative, #resurrection, #NewLife, #NewBodies, #NewHome, #NewCreation, #Easter, #EasterSunday, #Anastasis
Message Date: April 2nd, 2023
Scripture: Luke 24: 13-32
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Each of us has assumptions and expectations that can keep us from recognizing the real Jesus when we meet Him. When that happens, some people will quit altogether and blame Him. Some will replace Him with their own imagined Jesus. Others will accept that Jesus we just can't know Him. In this message, we join the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who walked three hours, and seven miles beside the risen Jesus, and still couldn't recognize Him. If they can, so can we. If Israel can fail to recognize their Messiah because of unhelpful, unbiblical expectations, so can we. What else is there? This message presents an approach to discipleship we like to call Art Restoration.
MonkeyChrist #Jesus #PotatoJesus #Discipleship #Messiah #BiblicalTheology #MetaNarrative
Message Date: March 26th, 2023
Scripture: Lamentations 1:1-22
Speaker: Mike Mileski
(Please note that there was no recording for week 4, which was our conversation with the staff of St. Matthew's House and Helping Hands Street Mission)
Exile is what happens when it's too dangerous to be allowed to remain at home. We cannot understand the story God is telling in Scripture if we can't also understand the justice and horror of exile. Being removed from the Garden was an exile. Being taken into captivity in Babylon was an exile. Being excluded from God's Kingdom will be a final, awful, exile. We long for home, but we know that for now, this isn't it.
We're in exile, but Jesus is preparing a home for us.
exile, #home, #gospel, #jesus, #judgment, #parousia, #finaljudgment, #biblicaltheology, #church
Message Date: March 12th, 2023
Scripture: Genesis 3:1-24
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Why do we hide our true selves from one another? Why hide behind our work, possessions, wealth, and friends?
Why are we so quick to blame others - parents, alcohol, systems, hierarchies - or, blame ourselves, instead of doing the work of change?
Why is everything so hard - why can we do work we love, with people we love, and still feel so alone?
Why do we die?
In the beginning, God made us as His image bearers and gave us responsibility for the Garden. Now the Garden needs protecting from us. In this third part of the series, we try to understand why things are the way they are by considering what Scripture offers as the reason for the Curse, the results of the Curse, and the removal of the Curse.
Curse, #Sin, #AdamandEve, #TheFall, #OriginalSin, #Satan, #ProtoEuangelion
Message Date: March 5th, 2023
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-2:3; 2:15-22
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Whatever you believe about the earth will determine how you live on the earth. Each of us has internalized a story about how or why we got here, and it shapes how we treat the earth, our bodies, and each other. In this message we go to the beginning - the Creation stories in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 - to see some beautiful answers to the question "Why?". There are lessons here about gender, our dignity, our purpose, etc., that have have tremendous implications for us.
In the beginning, God saw people embrace their mission to continue His work of creating flourishing for humanity and for the earth, and He felt it was "very good".
He still does.
Creation #Genesis #CulturalMandate #GenderRoles #cities #ItWasGood #InTheBeginning #Church
Message Date: February 26th, 2023
Scripture: John 17:1-26
Speaker: Mike Mileski
You may have heard the old adage: "Show me a god, I'll show you a people." The opposite is also true: Show me a people, I'll tell you who (or what) their god is.
This is the first in a seven-part study of the Story of Scripture. Our aim is that hearing the one, big, beautiful, true story that God is telling us through Scripture will help us appreciate our place in it. And, perhaps doing so will help us put off some of the untrue stories we've internalized over the years.
In this message we're introduced to God as Trinity. His three-and-one-ness seems to be God's defining attribute because it seems to take all the others into it. For that reason we spent some time reflecting on the passages that reveal the Trinity. God as Trinity is why we can't worship our own individualism, or make unfair stereotypes about others. Our neighbours will feel seen, known, and loved because that's who our God has always been.
Trinity, #Theology, #church, #individualism, #collectivism, #privilege, #stereotypes, #Covid19, #HamiltonOntario, #HamOnt
Message Date: February 12th 2023
Scripture: Psalm 119:97-104; 114
Speaker: Mike Mileski
In our culture we can think of a hundred place to turn for comfort when things get hard: inside ourselves, our friends, our therapists, food, achievements, self esteem, etc. The harder things are, the less we're likely to turn to the Scriptures for comfort, hope, and encouragement.
The opposite was true in the life of Corrie Ten Boom. In a Nazi Concentration Camp, at the height of the Holocaust, she and her sister turned to the Scriptures and found a joy that was real, and surpassed all understanding. They shared that hope with others, and led countless Jewish prisoners to faith in Christ. Where do people like Corrie come from? Why do the Scriptures comfort some people and offend others? What has to happen so that we'll go to Scripture FIRST, and not as an afterthought?
CorrieTenBoom, #Holocaust, #WW2, #Nazis, #Scripture, #Biblical, #Church, #Jews, #BenedictionChurch
Message Date: February 5th 2023
Scripture: Matthew 10:16-22
Speaker: Mike Mileski
When someone suffers for the Scriptures the way William Tyndale did, it might make us wonder: Is it worth it? Is the ability to read Scripture in English - not Latin - worth a man's life? The answer to that depends on how important the Bible really is. Can we truly know God if we're not aware how He's revealed in His Word? Can we obey Him without reading - with our own eyes and understanding - His commands?
What if you knew that the Bible in your hand - or the Bible on your shelf - cost someone his life? It did. And this is that story.
bible #Reformation #WilliamTyndale #HenryVIII #Scriture #theWord #Englang #Protestants #Papacy #church #Latin #RomanCatholicism #ChurchofEngland
Message Date: January 29th 2023
Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-16
Speaker: Mike Mileski
What keeps YOU from the Bible? Is it the fear that you lack the knowledge or training that makes it worthwhile to spend the time? Scripture makes the claim that it is “alive and active” and “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. The life of Olga of Kiev (c.920-969) proves it. Before Christ, she’d been a murderous, vengeful, rage queen: she buried and burned her enemies alive. But in Christ she became a kind, humble, loving, servant-hearted, justice minded, disciple-maker. How in the world does such life change happen? Perhaps a key to a better relationship with the Bible - and the Lord Himself - isn’t our expertise, but simply time in the book.
bible #grace #conversion #Constantinople #liturgy #theWord #scripture #Ukraine #Russia #OlgaOfKiev #StOlga #VladimirtheGreat #sacraments #superstition #religion #church
Message Date: January 22nd 2023
Scripture: John 1:1-5, 14
Speaker: Mike Mileski
You might have been advised lower your expectations of the Bible, and focus solely on Jesus. It seemed like a good idea, because the Bible was written by people, and people make mistakes, but Jesus is the authoritative, inerrant Word of God. The story of Athanasius of Alexandria (c.296-373) is the story of a man who staked everything on the reliability of the Bible. If we can’t rely on Scripture to speak clearly, authoritatively, and without error, not only would there be no Nicene Creed; not only might we might all be Arians, but we wouldn’t know anything about Jesus in the first place. Listen to his story before you decide to put the Bible on the shelf.
NiceneCreed #Athanasius #Arius #Arianism #Empire #Deconstruction #Alexandria #Constantine #Bible #Jesus #Scripture #consubstantiation #homoousios #Nicaea #Constantinople
Message Date: December 11th 2022
Scripture: Mark 8:34-9:8
Speaker: Mike Mileski
This message is a great starting point for those who are new to Benediction Church.
The Transfiguration is a key moment in the life of Jesus and helps us understand what He wants for disciples. It sets Jesus above Moses and Elijah: they listen to Him, and so should we: When Jesus tells us we BELIEVE the wrong things, or we don't believe something we need to, we should LISTEN TO HIM. When He tells us we LOVE the wrong thing, or we don't love something He does, we should LISTEN TO HIM. When He tells us we're DOING something wrong, or we're not doing something we should be, we should LISTEN TO HIM.
To the degree that we're growing in all three ways - orthodoxy, orthopathy, and orthopraxy - we'll become more like Jesus. That's what He wants for the Church, and this understanding of discipleship informs everything we do in Benediction Church.
Note: This was an interactive message. Some of the comments / ideas shared by the congregation have been preserved (where possible) in the recording.
jesus, #discipleship, #orthodoxy, #orthopraxy, #orthopathy, #gospel, #thewayofjesus #hamont #markdriscoll #riseandfallofmarshill
Message Date: December 11th 2022
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
Speaker: Mike Mileski
The visit of the Magi presents us with a choice. The Magi met two kings, and would only worship one. One king (Herod) demanded their worship, but didn’t deserve it. Another king (Jesus) deserved their worship, but didn’t demand it. In a culture full of Herods who demand our worship, the visit of the Magi reminds us that once we’ve met the real Jesus, there’s no going back.
worship, #Magi, #AdorationoftheMagi, #idols, #idolatry, #joy, #Advent, #MassacreoftheInnocents
Message Date: December 4th, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Despite the legends surrounding him, little is known about the real Joseph of Nazareth. What sort of man was chosen to be the Messiah's stepdad? He's silent, submissive, almost domestic, and serves his family at great cost. He turns the stereotypes of traditional manhood on their head, and shows us what real strength looks like.
Joseph, #manhood, #nativity, #advent, #angels, #strength, #power, #courage, #scripture, #biblicalmanhood, #Messiah, #Christ
Message Date: November 27th, 2022
Scripture: Luke 1:26-55
Speaker: Mike Mileski
When we meet Miriam of Nazareth, she is a sweet, invisible, submissive girl. After her visit with the angel and her cousin, she is changed into a bold, outspoken, subversive, prophetic activist. Sometimes God sends us visitors to help us believe the things we find unbelievable, and Miriam is an example for us. She begins as a girl in danger, and on accepting God's will for her life, she is changed into someone dangerous.
womanhood, #Mary, #Virgin, #MotherofGod, #SaintMary, #Advent, #Nativity, #Annunciation, #Theotokos, #Magnificat, #Visitation
Message date: November 20th, 2022
Scripture: Amos 9:11-15
Speakers: Mike Mileski and Trevor Seath
The book of Amos ends on a hopeful note, with promised restoration for God's people: He'll gather His people from the places to which they were scattered, and they will find a home. This beautiful news is happening before our eyes in cities across Canada, and we wanted to end our study of Amos by celebrating some of the things God is doing in our cities.
Our special guest and friend Trevor Seath brings a unique perspective on God's activity in Canada's cities. Trevor works with C2C Collective to identify, train, and release church planters in Canada's cities, and in this message, Trevor shares stories of some of the creative ideas that churches are trying in cities like ours. His stories are encouraging and inspiring, and remind us that the nature of church planting in the city is to do what we can with what (and whom) we have, and watch God weave it together into something beautiful for His Kingdom. This interview was such a great way to wrap up our study of Amos!
*Please note that due to technical difficulties that morning, the quality of some of the recording was poor. Every effort has been made to restore the sound quality so that Trevor's part of the conversation could be preserved. We apologize for this error, and have taken steps to prevent it from happening again.
Message Date: November 13th, 2022
Scripture: Amos 8:1-12
Speaker: Mike Mileski
As we approach the end of Amos, we've seen all kinds of evidence that they love things more than people. God's judgment is coming. In this message, we trace the rest of the story to see that even when it seemed like it was too late for God's people, it wasn't too late. A century ago, it seemed like Hamilton was a God-forsaken city, and you should leave if you knew what's good for you. Both times, a remnant prayed, and God did something surprising. Is it really too late, or is there hope for Hamilton in 2022?
Message Date: November 6th, 2022
Scripture: Amos 7:10-17
Speaker: Mike Mileski
This week, Amos comes face to face with a bully - Amaziah, priest of Bethel, an ancient Pope. He's a typical bully: he wants to control and conquer Amos, and he fights dirty with gossip, lies, and manipulation - the same things any of us will face if we're faithfully serving God in our city. These Scriptures offer insight about how NOT to respond to a bully, and a tonne of encouragement as to how we can be transformed into the kinds of people that a bully wouldn't dare mess with.
Message Date: October 30th, 2022
Scripture: Amos 6:1-8
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Amos turns his attention to the rich, powerful, elites of his day - those whose pride, greed, and indifference to the suffering of others insulated them and allowed them to live in comfort while the rest of the nation starved. Our city has its own problems with privilege - like comparing first- and third-world countries, and in this message we saw how churches we might respond to the polarization of poverty and privilege by reimagining our roles as alternate cities within the city.
Message date: October 23rd, 2022
Scripture: Amos 5:18-24
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Doing justice in the city can feel impossible - the problems are so big, and the systems are so broken, we don't know where to start. We don't need lessons on what to do - we need inspiration to help us believe we can make a difference at some level. This week Amos offers a different way to think of justice - not something we "do" but something we surrender to, and that carries us to just the places we're meant to be.
Message Date: October 16th, 2022
Scripture: Amos 3:1-4:13
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Is Hamilton being punished by God? Is that why things are the way they are here? For everyone who looks at Hamilton as the Ambitious City, there are twice as many people for whom Hamilton is a broken promise. Despite the city's high hopes, they lived and suffered through the decline of the steel mills, many face poverty, addiction, mental illness, and have been left behind. And one of the things they want to know from the Church is: "Is God punishing us? What did we do wrong?!" This message offers insight into the problem of evil and suffering.
Message Date: October 9th, 2022
Scripture: Amos 1:3-2:16
Speaker: Jordan Moss
Unlike the gods of the nations who are too busy or self-absorbed to involve themselves in human affairs, the one true God sees and cares about what happens on the ground in the cities of the world. He sees the human trafficking, greed, corruption, exploitation, and oppression; He promises that every wrong will be made right. His judgment will be harsh for His people who know better; but even the Gentile cities where God isn't worshiped, He reserves the right to judge evil. He did then, and He does now. He will. Even in Hamilton.
Message Date: Sunday October 2nd
Scripture: Amos 1:1-2
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Do you sometimes get angry over what you see happening in your city? Is anger okay? Is it justified?
In the book of Amos God doesn’t tolerate evil - evils like exploitation of the poor, abuse of children and elderly, greed and corruption among the leaders, even human trafficking - some of the very same things happening in any major city in the world today.
In this message we get oriented to God’s message in Amos: He sees and He cares what happens in the city. If He does, so should His people.
cities, #loveyourcity, #wrath, #justice, #peace, #love, #judgment, #Amos, #Bible, #Scripture, #OldTestament, #Prophets, #poverty, #humantrafficking, #exploitation, #childabuse, #corruption, #greed, #Gospel, #GoodNews, #Jesus
Message date: September 25, 2022
Speaker: Mike Mileski
There is perhaps no other part of life where we so compare and compete with one another than in our work: some work is indispensable, some work is just a job, and some work is holy. The result is that all work is dishonoured, when it should be celebrated. Work is good; we were made for work, and in this message we learned some of the differences it makes when we believe that each of us has a God-given calling / vocation. If you ever wonder if your work matters, or whether you should quit and become a pastor, this message will encourage challenge you.
Message date: September 18, 2022
Speaker: Mike Mileski
Consumerism may be the most powerful force our culture has ever seen; it affects how we think, feel, and see the world. It teaches us there's never enough, and we must strive for more, and better. For Millennials, it's worse. It turns out that community is exactly what we need most, and until we commit to being in community with people who are allowed to love and challenge and change us, we can't know if we've truly de-coupled from consumerism. This message shares six reasons why that's true; for consumers and others weary of commitment, these are six things that happen in community.
Message date: September 11, 2022
Speaker: Mike Mileski
In ENOUGH we're subverting the narratives of comparison, consumerism, and competition. We’re acknowledging that God has given us amazing gifts; three of them deserve special focus: God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s calling on our lives. In this first week we begin by reflecting on what a gift it is to be able to hear and read God’s own words, which are reliable, helpful, and important.
Message Date: July 10th, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 12:24-30
Speaker: Paulo Caproni
This world and the spirit world are not separate, but one. In this parable of the Divided Kingdom, Jesus teaches that His mission was a spiritual one: before He could free the prisoners, Jesus would first bind the strong man by the power of the Spirit. What difference does all this talk of spirits and strong men make in your life?
Message Date: July 3rd, 2022
Scripture: Luke 16:1-15
Speaker: Mike Mileski
We begin our series in Jesus’ parables here, with a study of the ancient “Wolf of Wall” street. There’s a lot of good we can learn from this bad example: What kind of managers will WE be of the wealth God has entrusted to us? Will be faithful, or greedy? Do we use money to show that it - or God - is our master? This parable is about more than money; it's about the Gospel itself.
Message Date: June 19, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:29-36
Jesus’ harshest words in all of Scripture are here, and they're for the Pharisees: religious leaders who know their Bibles, who believe they’ve learned the lessons of the past; they've deconstructed, yet they didn’t recognize God when they were face to face with Him.
Would we recognize Jesus if we met Him? Would we know His voice? Or, have we become content - like the Pharisees - to criticize all the people we think we’re smarter than?
Jesus' warning is a crucial one for the Church to hear, as He has much to teach us about God's wrath, our blindness and our arrogance. It’s a warning to both conservatives AND progressive about the dangers of remaking God in our image, leaving Him unrecognizable.
hell #wrath #judgment #Pharisees #Woe #Deconstruction #Jesus
Message Date: June 12, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:27-28
It seems we’re flooded by stories of prominent pastors and church leaders who abused their power, exploited people, and disqualified themselves from ministry. Jesus called them “whitewashed tombs” and “wolves in sheep’s clothing” - in our day we might call them narcissists. All their effort to appear righteous, important, and busy is a distraction from the fact that they’re really corrupt, greedy, narcissists.
Why are our churches such a magnet for people like this? In this message, in addition to a study of this sixth “woe”, we paused for a group conversation about what churches and leaders need from each other. (The discussion portion of the study was not recorded.)
Pharisees #CelebrityPastors #ChurchNarcissists #Jesus
Message Date: May 29, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:23-24
Do you know the difference between a gnat and a camel? Does your church?
In this week’s WOE, Jesus is upset because of the tiny problems the Pharisees can’t tolerate, and the major problems the Pharisees won’t bother with. They “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel”. They ignore the big problem, because of the tiny problem they find shocking.
In Jesus’ ministry, we see that time after time, He dealt with the camel - the major issue - and doing so resolved the tiny problem in the process. In the same way, the Church needs to be unshockable. How do judgmental, intolerant people become unshockable? What needs to happen before we can judge the difference between gnats and camels?
Gospel #Unshockable #LGBTQ #GayChristians #SBC #SouthernBaptists #Hypocrisy #Tolerance #Intolerance #DoubleStandards #Sinners
Message Date: May 22, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:16-22
The Pharisees were in charge of a religious system where you could to break your word and betray one another when it suited you, without any consequences. They offered “believers” a way to live how you want; a religion that makes almost no demands of you in terms of you beliefs, character, or behaviour. This is consumerism, and for the Pharisees it’s the problem beneath the problem, making them “blind”.
Consumerism tries to cut the costs of discipleship, while Jesus tells us to count the costs. And so in our day, consumer Christianity may be the single biggest threat to Christians and churches in our culture, and we need a solution that’s counter-cultural. In this message we propose an ancient strategy that’ll keep consumerism in check.
consumerism #ConsumerChristianity #membership #CarryYourCross #CountTheCosts
Message Date: May 15, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:15
Are you an evangelist? It’s ok, most of us aren’t either. Neither were the Pharisees, though they had lots of converts.
For people in the Church today who don’t see themselves as “evangelists” there’s good news, and in this messages we learn there’s a better way to introduce people to Jesus than the colonialism that many of us have come to think of as ‘evangelism’.
Not everyone is an evangelist, but we're all ambassadors for Christ.
evangelism #mission #missional #ambassadors #BillyGraham #Babylon #Exile #Colonialism #DecolonizeFaith
Message date: 05/08/2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:13
In Jesus’ first ‘woe’ Jesus confronts the Pharisees who had become the self-appointed gatekeepers of the Kingdom of heaven in their culture. They turned people away, and failed to enter as well.
In the same way, the Church must stop saying, “no” to people to whom Jesus has already said “yes”. In this message we learned reasons to be glad our unity is in the hands of Jesus, not the Pharisees. While they turn away people who aren’t attractive, popular, or powerful, Jesus welcomes the Body despite our scars, our joint pain, and even a few amputations.
Message Date: May 1, 2022
Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12
What would Jesus say to the Church? In Matthew 23, Jesus goes off on a seven-part rebuke of the Pharisees, for their hypocrisy, their apathy, their vanity, and their sense of superiority. Yet that’s not how they started. If the Pharisees could lose their way, could we? If we’d become the Pharisees in our culture, would we know it? Would we want to know?
This is the first message in our series: “Woes: Seven things the Church must stop altogether because Jesus says so”. In it, we’ll turn Jesus’ seven woes into positive statements about what He wants the Church to do and be in our culture. This time, we learn why we need to stop assuming that the greatest problems facing the church are "out there" somewhere - like they have nothing to do with us, or our practices.
The situation between Russia and Ukraine is an opportunity for the Church to consider how we are tempted by, or fearful of, the power of the powerful. In this message we're reminded of what God promises to those who follow Jesus - that the same power that raised Him from the dead on Easter morning is, and will always be, at work in us. The Church need never fear Caesar (or Putin) nor should the Church be tempted to cooperate with them because Jesus is a different kind of king, and His is a different kind of kingdom. Resurrection power is truly the greatest kind the world has ever, or will ever, see.
(Message date: April 10, 2022)
In this final study, we explore the end of Ruth's story, and reflect on how she should be remembered. Interestingly, Ruth isn’t included on most lists of the great heroes of the faith; but why not? She's every bit as faith-filled as Abraham, as driven as Moses, and as devoted as David. Not only has Ruth given us invaluable lessons on how to trust God during times of suffering, but she’s taught us about the God-given importance of women - and the folly of excluding them - in the community of faith.
(Message date: April 3, 2022)
The meeting at the Bethlehem gate (Ruth 4:1-12) is a scene that powerfully shows us the Gospel of Jesus. It’s a high-stakes negotiation that narrowly succeeds. Here, Boaz shows us — by contrast to the other guy: Chad — the sort of redeemer he is, and ultimately, the sort of Redeemer God is. Just as they weighed the costs and risks of redeeming Ruth and the land, God weighed the implications to redeem us, and said: “Yes”.
Message Date: March 20, 2022
What we believe about God’s providence makes all the difference for how we face hard times. In this lesson in Ruth 2, after an eventful day on the farm for Ruth and Boaz, Naomi — who a chapter ago insisted on being called “Bitter” — now praises God for showing unexpected loving kindness. Is she right? Our answer really, really matters.
Message Date: March 6, 2022
If you’d been named for the things you’ve done, or the things done to you, what would you name yourself? Imposter? Victim? Invisible? Unworthy? After what Naomi has suffered, she wishes to be called “Bitter”. In this lesson, we observe what suffering does to Naomi's community, to her faith, and to her sense of identity. Our suffering doesn’t have to define or trap us, but it will, unless we know what the alternative is. Learn about it in this message.
Message date: February 20, 2022
For we who take our rights and freedoms for granted, Ruth is a window into the global reality of the suffering that is normal for millions. With Ruth, the world awaits a reversal of all that’s gone wrong, and in Ruth, we see a role model for all men and women of how to live while we wait. Lent is a focused season of waiting and self-denial, and as we learn in this message, Ruth is the perfect Lenten study.
Message date: January 30, 2022, (Matthew 18:1-10)
When a lot of children and youth in a culture learn to expect a lot of access to a lot of technology, that's not something to celebrate - it's something to avoid at all costs. In this message we heard four serious reasons why this is true, and why rather than completely abstain from all technology, families should have as their goal to let kids be kids, and put technology in its place. If we don't do the parenting, the technology will.
Message Date: January 23, 2022 (Colossians 3:1-14)
Why do so many kind and compassionate people become trolls online? What is it about online technologies that bring out the worst in us? In this message we considered persuasive evidence that the problem is not only human sin; these technologies are deliberately awful. And as serious as the problem is, it's not new; followers of Jesus have always wrestled with how to live for Jesus between two worlds. It turns out we already have all we need in order that it may be online as it is in heaven.
Message Date: January 16, 2022 (Ephesians 2:1-10)
Persuasive Technologies have turned human life into a commodity while we blindly click and scroll along. No longer. In this message we learn what an algorithm is, and how it knows so much about us. If we're disturbed at the idea that tech companies might be listening to us through our devices, the reality is even worse. Only by realigning our use of this tech with our identity in Christ can we take our lives back from a business model that traffics us.
Message date: January 9, 2022
This message is first in a series in which we consider what social media and related technologies are doing to us - individually and as a culture - and whether it's worth it. It's an important conversation for the Church to have. Reflecting theologically and biblically, we acknowledged that this tech has helped us in many ways, but there are numerous examples to show that this tech functions in our lives like an alternate god. It is deceptively powerful. What options are available to us as followers of Jesus?
(Message Date: November 28, 2021)
In this message we begin our Advent journey by considering the meaning of Jesus' Incarnation. The first week of Advent is the week of hope. We who live in seemingly hopeless times can find tremendous hope as we reflect biblically, historically, theologically, missionally, and personally, on the God who didn't stay in heaven, but put on flesh to be WITH US.
(Message date: November 21, 2021)
We conclude our study by asking how Habakkuk went from "Where are You?!" at the start of the book to "I trust You no matter what" here at the end. Habakkuk's despair was turned to rejoicing because of three choices faith makes: Faith doesn't mind a little trembling; Faith doesn't wait for 'why', and Faith doesn't judge God.
Message Date: November 21, 2021
We love superhero stories because they remind us what awe feels like. In this penultimate message in the series, Habakkuk's final prayer reads like a war psalm that establishes the God of Israel as the super-God among gods, and only by immersing ourselves in His story will we stand in awe of Him again. This is more than a religious duty for us to perform; it's a MINISTRY that each of us is called into. How's your ministry going?
Message date: November 7, 2021 by David Howson-Jan
At this point in Habakkuk, we must acknowledge with the Prophet that we're not nearly as aligned with God's heart as we think we are, and our cries for justice can seem more like a demand for revenge. Why do we assume we want justice more than He does, and that we know what it'll look like? What are we doing about the injustice around us currently? And what if it turns out that we're participants in the systems on which God pronounces "Woe"?
Message date: Sunday October 24, 2021 (Speaker: Jordan Moss)
We expect the good guys to win. We love an underdog story; so how do we process it when the bad guys win? What do we do when God's enemies are winning, and it seem like He's on THEIR side?! This question requires great care or we risk making God either guilty of sin, and Jordan offers careful insights into what to do when it seems like God is doing things He shouldn't be allowed to do.
Message Date: Sunday October 31st 2021
We know not to trust a promise from someone who's untruthful, or lacks the power to keep it, because any promise is only as sure as the person who makes it is reliable. That's why when God responds to Habakkuk's prayer with promises, they're trustworthy and true: Evil will come back on those who do it. The righteous will live by faith. And someday, what's hidden will be revealed.
Message date: October 17, 2021 (Habakkuk 1:5-12)
The mystery of God's sovereignty over evil is one we need to reckon with if our faith will survive the trials of life. How can God "raise up" evildoers like the Chaldeans without Himself being guilty of sin, or, excusing them from responsibility for their evil choices? And yet He can, and does. In this message we argue that a world in which evil and suffering happen and are controlled and measured by God is better than one in which these happen and He can't (or doesn't) do anything about it.
Message date: October 10, 2021 (recorded live during Word and Table service)
Why is God's answer to our prayers sometimes "No"?
Beneath the problem of evil and suffering in our world is the question: Can we trust God or not? And while some might interpret Habakkuk's prayer - asking "Why?" and "How long?" - as irreverent or unacceptable, it's what Jesus prayed in His anguish too. If you're not sure about God's goodness and sovereignty, let this message encourage and strengthen you. God doesn't relate to us as His children because He thinks we are childish, but because He knows He's our Father.
Message date: October 3, 2021. (Recorded live.)
This is the first of several messages in the book of Habakkuk. This time we shared some insights that will assist us in our journey, including the prophet’s context and content. We saw that Habakkuk’s burden is to tell the truth, but he does so more like a painter than a photographer.
Message date: Sept 26, 2021
This is the third and final message in our series: "ReLearning the Way of Jesus" and in it, we consider what Jesus meant by His invitation, "Follow Me". Like His other disciples, we sometimes fail to follow Jesus because we put our personal preferences first - the way of individualism. At other times, we put our group goals, and identity first - the way of tribalism. In the Gospel, Jesus offers us a way to die to both: denying ourselves, carrying our cross, and following Him.
Message date: September 19, 2021
What does repentance look like? In this message we considered three common alternatives to genuine repentance: religion, certainty, and consumerism. None of these bring about the kind of transformation Jesus wants for us, in which we love what He loves, and hate what He hates. Only repentance - as demonstrated by the woman who'd bled for twelve years - can do it.
Message date: September 12, 2021
This is the first of three messages in which we return to the simple, essential message of Jesus. In this first part, we ask what what Jesus meant when He said "believe the Good News". We compared the knowledge of experts with the faith of the thief on the cross. The thief got it, and he's a good example for us all: Jesus doesn't just want to be believed in; He wants to be believed.
Message date: September 5, 2021
In this conclusion to our Holy Ghost Stories, we focused on the meanings of Jesus' baptism. In addition to the many other biblical metaphors for baptism we include this one: Baptism as Jesus' commissioning into His Kingdom vocation. What if we looked at our own baptism this way? What if we looked at our work not as a 'job' we must endure, but a way that we participate in the work God is doing around us?
This message concluded with a Labour Day blessing over us and our work.
Message Date: August 29, 2021
Simon the Sorcerer was dangerous: he’s the original celebrity pastor and religious narcissist, who built a huge brand for himself and tried to buy the power to impart the Holy Spirit. In our own day, there may be no greater threat to the Church and our witness than the problem of unchallenged narcissists leading our churches and ministries. And, there might be no greater apologetic for the validity of the Christian faith than the contentment of faith communities with ordinary, unimpressive shepherds. The Spirit wants this for us; will we let Him?
Message Date August 1, 2021
In this study of the Jerusalem Council it became clear why the Holy Spirit never asks us to repent of culture; He asks us to repent of sin. The difference is important because while some aspects of a culture might be wonderful, others might be wicked, and others, with a bit of creativity, are redeemable. This is an important lesson showing that Christianizing people is not the Church’s job; it’s the Spirit’s job, and He’s good at it; consequently we won't make harder for people to come to Jesus.
Message Date July 18, 2021
Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus is a well known before / after story. But when we consider it through the eyes of the others involved, we realized that it was a turning point not just for Saul, but for everyone else. In fact, it seems that the conversion of anyone involves a conversion for everyone because no one comes to Jesus on their own. This is just one of the many lessons we learned from studying the conversion of Saul in this message.
(Message date: July 11, 2021)
The early Church felt "great fear" because of what the Spirit was doing; the death of Ananias and Sapphira after lying to the Apostles provides a perfect example: Did the Spirit kill them? Did they deserve what happened to them? In this message, the third in our "Holy Ghost Stories" series, David Howson-Jan guides us through the key questions related to this strange story, so that we learn reverence for God, and grace for each other.
(Message date: July 4, 2021)
What changed after Peter's visit with Cornelius the Roman Centurion?
Each of us learned to fear, hate, or generally avoid certain people for one reason or another. And some folks learned to fear, hate, and avoid you too. The simplistic stories we tell ourselves about one another have the power to kill and divide, and in this Holy Ghost Story, the Spirit forces Peter to rethink the "biblical" way to look at those whose story is different from ours.
(Preached June 27, 2021 by Mike Mileski)
This is the first of several messages in a series called "Holy Ghost Stories: Thrilling Encounters with the Third Person". Each week we'll learn what it looked like when the Spirit of God was at work in the stories of Scripture, so that we can also discern when it's Him in our day.
We launch the series with the story of Pentecost: the day the Spirit transformed the Church. In our day, when the Spirit shows up and does a powerful thing, there will be those on the inside of it, and those who mock and criticize from the outside. Who will we wish to be?
(Recorded May 30, 2021)
As we've studied 1Corinthians, we've heard Paul say some important, memorable things: some are memorable for how they sting; others because of their beauty. In this final message on 1Corinthians, Paul shows why any one of us can do what he did, and why (Lord willing) it could be in Hamilton as it was in Corinth.
(Recorded 05/23/2021)
This message is an honest effort to define “biblical manhood and womanhood” in light of Jesus, instead of unhelpful, unbiblical stereotypes. How do interpret a passage in which Paul calls it "disgraceful" for women to speak in church? When we look at it through Complementarian, Egalitarian, Patriarchal, and Feminist lenses can we clearly see what Paul really saying, “no” to? Is there a better way? And, what if we're wrong?
(This is the second in a pair of messages about Gender in the Church. Part 1 was preached April 25th, 2021.)
(Recorded 05/16/2021)
Paul's “love chapter” is simple yet beautiful theology. It's a love song that exposes a serious problem: many of us have a notion of God that doesn't even pass His own definition of love. If so, why should we surprised if we don't feel loved by God, or our love for others is distorted? This message is an invitation to receive God's love, to put down all our bad ideas about it, and learn the lengths God went to make us feel His love.
(Recorded 05/09/2021)
In this Chapter Paul compares a healthy church to a body with all its parts healthy and functioning. Yet in many parts of the culture, Consumerism has created something that looks more like Frankenstein's monster: technically "one body with many parts" but horrible. In this part of the letter, Paul names four dangers of Consumer Christianity in Corinth: idolatry, pride, greed, and laziness, and shows that the answer to all of it is a proper, functioning, Body of Christ.
(Recorded 05/02/2021)
This section of the letter, perhaps more than any other, epitomizes what we mean in this series by “Table Manners”. What happens when we celebrate the Lord’s Table? And consequently, which people should and shouldn’t participate? In this message we learned why Communion is a Reunion, a Rebuke, a Remembrance, and a Reorientation for God's people, and we applied that to the question of why children should (or shouldn't) be allowed to participate.
(Recorded 04/25/2021)
Gender inequality remains an issue in the Church, though it’s hardly just an “issue”. Texts like this one have been used to suppress women and divide churches. The Apostle's saying 'no' to SOMEthing, but what? In this message we propose what might be a helpful way forward in the gender debates that relies less on labels, stereotypes, and tribal loyalties: neither Complementarianism nor Egalitarianism, but Trinitarianism.
(Recorded 04/18/2021)
The Church is constantly tempted to measure, celebrate, and pursue the wrong things. The temptations of power, pleasure, and pride are almost more than we can bear, and the damage to the Church's witness in many places and times has been devastating. In this message we don't point fingers, we share hope and promises, because through the Church, God is making all things new.
(Recorded April 11, 2021)
For those who were taught either by movies or their Sunday school that eternal life will be spent as spirits playing harps in the clouds, this text has mind-blowing news: we were made embodied beings, and we will be RE-MADE embodied. In this message, Elder Jordan Moss walks through 1Corinthians 15 and the example of Jesus' own resurrection to explain what we will be and do in these new bodies.
(recorded Easter Sunday, 04/04/2021)
Like Star Wars, the Bible is full of easter eggs. The resurrection of Jesus might be the greatest one of all: it points back to God's promises, and forward to God's plan to someday be all in all. When God is everything, our enemies won't be. This was a candid, personal message that translated the resurrection into real hope that someday our enemies will be crushed, everything will be new, and God will be all in all.
(Recorded 03/28/2021)
What’s your stance on marijuana, alcohol, profanity, or other things the Bible neither forbids nor endorses? No matter what your parents or pastor thinks, YOU need good reason for your Yes or No. Are there ANY circumstances in which these are okay? Is there any excuse for NOT using, since we're 'free in Christ'? Here, Paul offers us a helpful (and a little surprising) set of questions to guide our decisions.
(Recorded 03/21/2021)
In some traditions, views on divorce has created church outcasts. Yet as Paul applies the Old Testament's divorce teaching to the situation in Corinth, it turns out there are circumstances in which staying in a bad marriage is actually worse than leaving. What breaks a marriage? When can a Christian divorce and remarry? And how can we be a church of, and for, those healing from the pain of a broken marriage?
(recorded 03/14/2021)
It turns out that there are several reasons why an unmarried believer isn’t a second-class citizen. It may be that single people might have the advantage over married ones. But that doesn’t make it easy. What else have we gotten wrong about singleness? What else do single Christians wish that married Christians understood?
(Message preached by Kevin Foth, March 7, 2021)
Why would the married couples in Corinth need an Apostle to tell them to have sex? Even though marriage is a gift from God, its importance is easily distorted. How would we know if we were making too much of marriage, or, not enough?
(recorded 02/28/2021)
Christian purity culture taught us that in sex is bad, and virginity is everything. In reaction, some Christians decided that restrictions are bad and sex is everything. This message presents a Gospel response to both errors. Warning: this message is rated PG13!
(recorded 02/21/2021)
This is an important and timely message. What’s at stake when Christians can’t resolve disputes on our own, and end up bringing them out into the court of public opinion? This passage has been used to justify church cover ups to and silence abuse victims, which - as we’ll see - is the very opposite of Paul’s aim.
(Recorded 02/14/2021)
In this message about church discipline, the greater problem wasn't the man's incest, but the Christians' refusal to do anything about it. God's Word corrects our bad ideas about privacy and unity, and shows how to respond to threats to the Body the same way we would to cancer.
(Recorded 02/07/2021)
The Corinthians were behaving like children, and like many churches today, measuring success all the wrong ways. Paul offers the solution to their worldliness: not anti-worldiness, but something far better: the right kind of worldliness. One that helps us think, feel, and live like Jesus.
(Recorded 01/31/2021)
Paul confronts the Celebrity Pastor problem. Everyone’s going to boast in something or someone. Who’s your idol? Who’s the person on your pedestal and what’s the harm in leaving them there?
Speaker: David Howson-Jan
(Recorded 01/24/2021)
Series Launch: TABLE MANNERS for Brothers, Sisters, Saints and Sinners. An intro to Corinth, their problems, and why we’d spend the next few months reading their mail. We start by asking: Who’s welcome in our version of ‘church’? Who isn’t? As big a mess as the church in Corinth had become, here’s why Paul still considered them “brothers and sisters”...
Recorded 01/17/2021
What if we could have everything we ever wanted? If we had the power to truly make it ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ would the end justify the means? In this third temptation Satan offers Jesus - and us - everything God wants for us, without a cross. Would it really be so bad if He (or we) accept?
(Part 3 of 3)
Recorded 01/10/2021
What happens when we face a situation that requires more faith than we’ve got? Do we take the leap of faith, or avoid risky situations altogether? Here, Satan tempts Jesus - and us - to put God’s love and faithfulness to the test. Our failures and fears, scream “don’t jump!” but what should we do?
(Part 2 of 3)
Recorded 01/03/2021
What’s the difference between being tested by God and tempted by Satan? What wouldn’t you do if you believed God had left alone in this world to fend for yourself? This first temptation offered Jesus a way to be filled and satisfied apart from God. If he can get Jesus - or us - to doubt that God could or would provide, it could work.
(Part 1 of 3)
(Recorded December 20, 2020)
There are so many reasons why true peace eludes us in our culture and lifestyles. There's one Person who offers it, and has the power to provide what He's promised. The peace of Jesus doesn't make us immune to stressful, difficult situations - it does something better: it assures us that not even this thing can separate us from God and God's love. It's a timely gift, and a fitting end to our Advent reflections.
(Recorded December 13, 2020)
This week, Scott McIntosh shares reflections from the point of view of the shepherds. When Jesus arrived, their overwhelming joy showed us that God cares how we respond to Him. God doesn't want us to come to Him in dutiful, religious obedience. Without joy, it isn't Christianity.
(Recorded December 6, 2020)
There's confusion in our culture over what faith is and what it does. Folks sometimes think faith makes life more bearable; the truth is no matter how much faith one has, if the object is unreliable, this faith is wasted. This week, Jordan Moss shares lessons from the life of Simeon, the old man who met the infant Jesus after years of patient waiting. His faith is an example for us: a faith that doesn't give up, but trusts that the promise-Maker is the promise Keeper.
Advent is an annual season of reflection on the past year. In 2020, a year filled with disruption due to Covid-19, uncertainty, tension, and loss; we search for hope. In this message, David Howson-Jan shows how certain God's promises are, connecting prophecies in the book of Isaiah with the beatitudes of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. Hope is restored; those whose hope is in Christ's return are truly "blessed"!
How did Christians go from celebrating a love feast to taking a bit of cracker and juice? What happens when we do? Who should and should not participate? Communion tests our Table manners; will selfishness and divisiveness keep us from sharing the Table, or will it be a tangible expression of our spiritual union with, and unity in, Christ?
How come we get to the New Testament and Jesus isn't offering a bull, but preaching a sermon? Where did sermons even come from - like are these the form Bible teaching is supposed to take? What would be wrong with just downloading podcasts from our favourite teacher on the other side of the world? This week we focus on the role of the Word in our "Word and Table" gatherings, and ask what sets apart good, biblical teaching.
In this message, we ask what's supposed to happen when followers of Jesus gather to "worship". What does that even mean? What's so special about this gathering? This is the first of three messages on the subject of the liturgy; it challenges us to check our expectations. Neither the legalism many of us grew up with, nor the consumerism many of us have absorbed, are helpful; they're barriers to the kind of worship God seeks.
Guess what put us on the map in 2018? Hamilton had more hate crimes than any other Canadian city. While there's lots of hate to go around on the right and the left, that's not the point; the Church isn't here to identify with an ideology, but with misfits. This message concludes our series: "In Hamilton as it is in Heaven" with many helpful, pointed corrections for Conservatives and Liberals. When Philip visited the Ethiopian Eunuch, it changed both of them, and we need to learn their lessons too. Otherwise, we risk making cross-carrying harder for each other than it already is, and saying "no" to those to whom God may be saying "yes".
(Delivered 10/18/2020)
McGruff the Crime Dog taught us as kids that "Users are Losers". Was he right? Is addiction mainly a sin / crime problem? Is that how God expresses it in Scripture? This question is crucial for loving addicts in our city, and our church. Anyone can be an addict; the problem with addictions isn't what you might think it is, and Christ's preferred response to addicts was compassion. If we can learn to see addicts as He does, it might be a little more in Hamilton as it is in heaven.
(Delivered 10/04/2020)
There are two versions of Hamilton: one for wealthy gentrifiers, and one for Hamilton’s homeless. Both contribute equally to the lack of flourishing in Hamilton, and the Church ought to function as the bridge between them because every dividing wall that separated us has been torn down by Jesus.
(Delivered 09/20/2020)
It’s no coincidence that as industries declined, crime and poverty in Hamilton increased. Our city’s poverty isn’t only a social issue; it’s a justice issue. Will it always be this way? Our responses to poverty will vary, and we won’t even get it right every time (Mike usually doesn’t) but God calls us to serve the poor because we're terrible at it, and so we might show others some of the same love He’s shown us.
(Delivered 09/13/2020)
The city is the place of greatest opportunity, density, and diversity. This week we tell the story of #HamOnt: a story of broken promises, unfulfilled dreams, and hope for the future. This is the first message in our series, In Hamilton As It Is In Heaven. It offers a theology of the city; a vision for how we can be the church together - an alternate city, a city within the city.
(Delivered 08/16/2020)
What would have to happen to cause you to betray someone you loved? When Israel worshiped the gold calf, it was like cheating on a spouse on the wedding night. As we compare Moses to Jesus we see you can’t punish your way back into a right relationship.
(Delivered 08/02/2020)
If you’re not put off by the story of God instructing Abraham to kill his son and set him on fire, you’re not reading it right. Is there an explanation that makes sense of the disturbing elements of this story? Yes, but not without Jesus. God sees and He will provide.
(Delivered 07/19/2020)
What are you capable of if you believed God, your family, and the world were conspiring against you? What could jealousy drive you to do? As we read the story of Cain and Abel through the lens of Jesus, we know that whatever the reason for our suffering, it’s not because God has forgotten about us.
(Delivered 07/12/2020)
Ever been busted doing something you knew you shouldn’t? The story of Adam and Eve has been used to teach many lessons that require zero faith in Jesus. And yet this story is incomplete without Him, who succeeded where Adam and Eve failed. He can handle our failure and shame.
What can the Church do about what the Church has done? This one-off talk aims to name and challenge common assumptions Christians make about race, and racism in Canada’s Church. It gives examples where Christians participated in, and tried to overturn, systemic racism, with a focus on Canada’s indigenous peoples in residential schools. Christ cannot be made to endorse racism, and this is a call to the Church to practice caring proximity, to repent of white supremacy, and bring the wounds of history into the light, so that reconciliation can take place.
Jesus is what God wants to say to the world! When the troubles we face, and the evils we see in the world feel overwhelming, God has shown us that as powerful as the world’s ruler is, the Spirit is greater. He’s the perfect guide, a constant companion, a faithful teacher, a reliable witness, and, our star defence. Best of all, He’s with us.
(Delivered 05/24/2020)
Jesus is what God wants to say about greatness. In a church culture when servant leadership is seen by some as degrading to one’s manhood (?) Jesus shows us that greatness is measured in whose feet you’re willing to wash.
(Delivered 05/17/2020)
Mary had her reasons for anointing Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, and Judas had his reasons for wanting to stop her. Whose reasons do we relate to more? Just when we think we know what makes "good financial sense", Jesus shows us what God wants to say about greed, and this story that can help us discern the difference between greed and generosity in our own hearts.
(Delivered 05/10/2020)
Jesus is what God wants to say about death. Like Mary and Martha, it's super easy for us to believe that God has abandoned us when things get bad. But that doesn't make it true. At the tomb of Lazarus, we see how Jesus loved, we see what Jesus hated, and while our deepest need (and theirs) is resurrection, it can only happen if He's allowed into the tomb. Will He be?
(Delivered 05/03/2020)
Jesus is what God wants to say about culture! When Jesus showed up at Sukkot, the Jewish Feast of Booths, it wasn't to overturn their traditions, but to show that He fulfills them. Jesus isn't the enemy of culture; He joins the celebration, and whoever trusts Him is more a child of Abraham than the strictest Pharisee who rejects Him.
(Delivered 04/19/2020)
Jesus is what God wants to say about "biblical". What does "biblical" actually mean? The word is used in religious circles to add weight to what's said, but there's a way to be biblical like the Pharisees, or biblical like Jesus. How can we know which we are? Jesus offers us His test in this passage.
Easter 2020!
When Mary Magdalene was first to meet the risen Lord Jesus, it was unbelievable news in the hands of an unreliable witness. What can God do with a person with demons? In this Easter message, Jesus has shown us some pretty great news, and He is what God wants to say about your demons.
March 29, 2020 (John 9:1-25)
When Jesus healed the man born blind, it was a powerful lesson about real blindness. Just when the expert theologians felt sure they could look at a situation - not unlike this Covid-19 pandemic - and diagnose it as God's judgment, here comes Jesus. He's what God wants to say about blindness and true sight. He has a Word for us about what this is (and what it isn't).
March 15, 2020 (John 8:1-11)
This is the famous story of Jesus' encounter with the woman caught in adultery, and the men who wanted her punished. How come whenever fundamentalists show up to a party to talk about sinners, someone always gets stoned? Jesus shows us. He is what God wants to say about sinners, and He corrects what we thought we understood about sin.
February 16, 2020 (John, Part 3)
Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus reminds us that you can look like a fine, upstanding evangelical, and still perish: It's not some alternative way to God; it's the opposite, and Jesus shows us.
February 2, 2020: John 2:1-11
When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana, it was a crisis averted, religion subverted, and God's glory inverted. Most of us think we know what God's glory looks like, but Jesus has shown us that we've got it upside-down.
January 19, 2020: Week One
This week we kicked off our series in John's amazing Gospel. Each week is an opportunity to consider how Jesus corrects the bad ideas we all - churched, unchurched, or de-churched - have about God. As the Word-made-flesh, Jesus Himself is what God wants to say, Jesus has shown us.
Introduction: "We Believe"
This week we begin our study of the Apostles' Creed by exploring its background and asking what creeds are for. What do we even mean when we say "We believe"? What are the risks and rewards of becoming familiar with the Creed?
"I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth"
What did the Apostles believe about God the Father? (Like, is He more like a father than a mother?) And how "all" is God's "almighty"? Finally, what are we meant to believe about God's role in Creation? Is it as simple as some Bible teachers make it sound? This week we consider the differences it'd make if we believed in Him as we're invited to.
"I Believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried."
What difference does Jesus' incarnation make? Why did He become flesh? This week we look at what Scripture teaches about Jesus, and consider whether it's more important to know that Jesus is God, or that God is like Jesus.
"I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body, and Life Everlasting, Amen."
What have we learned from generations of individualistic, revivalist, turn-or-burn preaching? What messages have we picked up about God that need to be put down? What truths have been lost that need to be picked up again? This week we conclude up our study of the Apostles' Creed by reminding ourselves what followers of Jesus do (and don't) have to look forward to.
"I believe Jesus descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again, and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead."
Each of us has a flawed image of Jesus. What could be worse for worship, mission, and community than if we all know our image of Jesus is flawed, but we're afraid to allowed to talk about it? The Apostles' Creed provides invaluable help for our process of "art restoration".
"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy, catholic, Church, the communion of saints"
How can we know whether the our beliefs - the images of Jesus we each walk around with - are true, helpful, and good? In the Creed, the Apostles have given us a three-part test we examine this week.
"I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins"
How does the cross actually result in forgiven sins? Scripture provides many helpful pictures, yet many of us have chosen to hold onto just one. The Cross expresses our deepest beliefs about who God is. Wouldn't you want to know if your view was distorted, or unbalanced? Wouldn't you want to know if the Good News is better than you'd imagined?