Mountain Park Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mountain Park Church
Captivated By The Nearness Of The Kingdom
Jesus said that the Kingdom of the Heavens was near, it was at hand. When Jesus healed, set free, ministered to the broken or sinful or preached, the Kingdom was at hand. For most of us, the struggle is in being aware of, and engaged with that Kingdom in our everyday lives. When we get a glimpse of the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit it becomes a captivating force in our lives.
Captivated: Joining Jesus As He Ministers In Prisons
Being captivated by Jesus isn’t just about having the right doctrine or theology, it is about seeing him minister to his favourite people in his favourite places. In John 17 Jesus said that he wanted his disciples to be with him where he is. But where is Jesus? What kinds of people does Jesus love to be with? What kinds of places does Jesus love to be in? In this episode, on of our friends shares about how he has been captivated by Jesus as he sees Jesus minister to men and women in the prison system.
Captivated: Eyes Like Fire and Feet Like Burnished Bronze
There is a connection in scripture between where your eyes are looking and what your feet are standing on. It is not a matter of whether you are captivated, the question is what are you captivated by. Fear has the power to overpower and blind us, captivating us with its power, but there is someone great who is inviting us to put our eyes on him.
Captivating The Next Generation
We believe the call of God on our lives is to cultivate a culture of revival and renewal for the sake of the next generation. Our kids and students need to see and experience parents and church families that are living in renewal and awakening so that they can be men and women of awakening in the coming years.
Captivated Stories: Matt and Laila Srigley
Matt and Laila have been a part of Mountain Park for a few years but about a year ago God began to speak to them about an area of their lives he was calling them to trust him with and surrender to him. As they began to learn to trust with this area of their lives things began to radically change in many areas of life for Matt and Laila. This is an encouraging story of God’s captivating generosity and trustworthiness.
Captivated PT3: Captivated By The Father Heart Of God
One of the most captivating things about Jesus is how he talked to, and talked about God. In a time period where the name of God was so holy and set apart that no one would even say it out loud, Jesus called God Father, Abba. He came to reconnect us with the heart of the Father and make the unapproachable, high and holy God, not less holy, but a holy God who is near and approachable. A high and holy God who is Father.
Captivated PT2: Captivated By The Heart Of Jesus
Scripture tells us the Jesus is the exact representation of the heart and character of God. Jesus is what God is like as a human, and Jesus is a man of deep visceral emotion. His heart is huge and it feels with a depth of feeling that we struggle to imagine. When we read the gospel accounts of Jesus life we might expect that his primary disposition toward the world is anger over sin or frustration with our failings, but that is not the dominant response of Jesus, compassion and mercy is.
Captivated PT 1: Captivated By The Humility Of Jesus
As humans, we are creatures drawn to beauty. What we find beautiful we give attention to. What we give attention to we become captivated by. Those things that captivate us become the things we love and the things that direct our lives. In Part 1 of our Captivated series Andrew talks about the humility of Jesus and how it has captivated his own heart.
Prologue-PT 11: God’s Vision For Community
In light of Genesis 2, what might God’s heart be for community? What does a Kingdom of God community look like?
Spiritual Practices: Guided Prayer For Forgiveness (working through relational strain)
We want to go beyond information into revelation and experience. Information does not bring about transformation, but encountering God through scripture, spiritual practices and prayer do bring transformation. In this guided prayer we want to practice a way to work through difficult relationships, hurtful experiences and painful encounters with others.
Prologue PT 10: God’s Vision For Relationships—Kingdom Leadership, Headship and AuthorityIn Genesis chapter 2, God creates woman from man, but what is really taking place in this story? Is Eve really made from just a little rib? In Genesis chapter 2, God is laying out his vision for relationships and the radical difference between his kingdom vision for relationships and vision of the world around us. God reframes what leadership, headship, And authority within our relationships should look like under his rule
Prologue PT 9: The Tree of LifeWhen Adam and Eve were in the garden there were two trees planted in the centre, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. The story focuses on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the restriction that God placed on it, but there is another tree present that Jesus wants to invite us to give greater attention to—the tree of life.
Prologue PT : Eden As A Cosmic Temple And The Test At The TreeIn this episode we unpack more of what the Garden of Eden actually was and what the tree of the knowledge of God and evil was. What was the was the writer of Genesis trying to communicate to us that has application for us in our own lives today.
Taking It Deeper - Conversation on being in the image of GodIn this conversation between Pastor Andrew and Pastor Brenda, we enter into dialogue together to unpack more of our last podcast episode and Andrew’s teaching on Genesis 2 and the image of God. We also take things deeper and move from information into a way to practice the presence of God in your own life.
Prologue PT 7 - The Image in the GardenWhat was the Garden of Eden? Did it cover the whole earth? Was it a really beautiful orchard, or was there something greater going on? In this Episode we are talking more about the identity of humanity and the purpose of Eden as a divine throne room where heaven met earth. A place where the divine unseen realm met the natural realm, a place of deep connection to God.
Prologue Pt 6: Genesis 1 And Our Identity In The Image And Likeness Of GodScripture opens with a stunning portrait of God; a window into what he is like. In a stunning turn, the writer of Genesis describes all of humanity as being made in the image and likeness of God, but what does that really mean and was the image of God broken when mankind sinned in the garden?
Prologue Pt 5: Does God like me?This week Pastor Alex asks the question does God like me? We know that God loves us but we often wonder if he enjoys us. Does God just put up with me or does he desire to be with me? This week we speak about how much God loves us and look at the beginning of our relationship with God.
Prologue Pt 4: Five practical ways to reorder our lives God’s way
In Genesis 1-3 we see the story of God’s identity and our own identity as humans as created finite beings. The story of scripture is is one where humanity by nature is subject to certain limitations. Instead of seeing the wisdom of God in our limitations, we fight against them and often view those limitations as a liability or even a fault to overcome rather than a constructive gift. In this message we talk about our how our constant wrestle with our limits robs us of the peace that God promises and five practical ways to reorder our lives God’s way.
Prologue: Bonus Episode-God’s Heavenly Family and Jesus As The “only” begotten Son.
In part three, we introduced the possibility that when God uses the plural, let us make man in our image in Genesis 1:27 he is not referring to the Trinity, but to what scripture calls, the heavenly host, the sons of God or God’s divine council. But how can we take this interpretation of Jesus is God’s “only” begotten son?
Prologue PT 3: GOD’S IDENTITY: MORE THAN A CREATOR—THE STORY OF A FATHER
The story of Genesis is the story of a God who has created and ordered the heavens and the earth. The story of a God who is not only powerful, but present and personal. The story of a God who is interested and attentive. This is the story of a God who has created a home: an ordered sacred space to live with us in. Genesis is not just the story of a powerful creator, it is the story of a father. A relational God who has a heavenly family and a human family.In Part 3 we unpack some possible interpretations of Genesis 1:26-27 and what scripture means when God says: “Let us make man in our image and likeness…” What does the “us” and “our” refer to if God is one? Is God referring to himself as the trinity? Possibly, but there may be a better way to understand the plural language that pulls together the whole arc of scripture. Maybe after describing how he has ordered the cosmos, God is now describing the reality of the unseen spiritual realm in relation to humanity and the world.
Prologue PT 2: God’s Identity: The Story of a God of generosity who is filled with abundance and capacity.
Stories have a powerful shaping influence on us. We are reintroducing ourselves to the story of Genesis 1-3 (the prologue of scripture) and the theological messages found in the first pages of scripture, asking “What does God want to reveal about who He is and what He is like? What does he want us to know about our identity? What does He want us to know about the shattering of his good world and why we experience life the way that we do—instead of the way we once did? What does God want us to know about the deep longing and ache in our heart for another world, a true HOME?In Part 2 we are asking what story has the greatest influence on your life. The story of God found in Genesis 1, which is the story of a good and generous God who has immense capacity and loves to give abundantly, or the story of our world, our own narratives and the narrative of the enemy which is a story of scarcity and fear. Which one has formed a stronger pull on your life? God wants to reset how we understand his identity and how we image him.
Prologue PT 1: God’s Identity: The Story of a master builder creating a HOME
We long for another world and connectedness to God, but many of us feel trapped in the brokenness of this world and disconnected and distant from God. We know information about God, we know what we are supposed to believe, but He isn’t real to us. Many of us live with an inner conflict from the disconnection between what we believe should be and what we experience. We long and ache for beauty, purpose, and order, to know we are not alone and that rest and peace are possible. We ache for the day when death and pain are swallowed up. We are aching for something to make sense of, and bring healing to, the pain and grief we experience as normal life in a broken and dark world. We long for order in a sea of disorder.
We are reintroducing ourselves to the story of Genesis 1-3 (the prologue of scripture) and the theological messages found in the first pages of scripture, asking “What does God want to reveal about who He is and what He is like? What does he want us to know about our identity? What does He want us to know about the shattering of his good world and why we experience life the way that we do—instead of the way we once did? What does God want us to know about the deep longing and ache in our heart for another world, a true HOME?
In Part 1 we are asking if Genesis 1 isn’t so much about the material creation of the universe and the mechanisms required, but about the heart of God to reveal his true identity, our true identity and the reality of the world we live in? What if the main message of Genesis 1 is theological and not scientific? In this first part of our Prologue series we are unpacking how to read Genesis in context and how to understand the word create and how it is used in context.
GOD’S NOT DONE PT3
When we read the bible it can be easy to think that its characters don’t really struggle with the same things we do. It can be easy to read the highlights of their lives and come away thinking that they somehow had a different kind of spiritual life than we have access to today. But the scriptures are filled with men and women who struggled with sin, doubt, disappointment and failure just like we do. The message of scripture through their lives is that God is never done and the stuff of our lives, even right now, is not beyond his capacity to redeem and restore. God was not done with them and he is not done with us.
GOD’S NOT DONE PT2
When we read the bible it can be easy to think that its characters don’t really struggle with the same things we do. It can be easy to read the highlights of their lives and come away thinking that they somehow had a different kind of spiritual life than we have access to today. But the scriptures are filled with men and women who struggled with sin, doubt, disappointment and failure just like we do. The message of scripture through their lives is that God is never done and the stuff of our lives, even right now, is not beyond his capacity to redeem and restore. God was not done with them and he is not done with us.
IMPOSTER IDENTITY
In the first century the Apostle Paul wrote to his protoge Timothy with the purpose of equipping and encouraging him to live out his spiritual calling and identity in really difficult circumstances. Timothy has been asked to follow after Paul in leading the church in Ephesus. Those are big shoes to follow. Paul is aware that leading in Ephesus is challenging and that Timothy will face opposition on all fronts. Paul knows that when we face great opposition it can be easy to revert to patterns and ways of dealing with struggle that are ungodly, unholy and unhelpful. In response, Paul gives Timothy 3 archetypes of Godly manhood and womanhood; the soldier, the athlete and the farmer. Paul is giving Timothy a vision for Godly character that is needed for us today.
IMPOSTER IDENTITY
In the first century the Apostle Paul wrote to his protoge Timothy with the purpose of equipping and encouraging him to live out his spiritual calling and identity in really difficult circumstances. Timothy has been asked to follow after Paul in leading the church in Ephesus. Those are big shoes to follow. Paul is aware that leading in Ephesus is challenging and that Timothy will face opposition on all fronts. Paul knows that when we face great opposition it can be easy to revert to patterns and ways of dealing with struggle that are ungodly, unholy and unhelpful. In response, Paul gives Timothy 3 archetypes of Godly manhood and womanhood; the soldier, the athlete and the farmer. Paul is giving Timothy a vision for Godly character that is needed for us today.
IMPOSTER IDENTITY
In the first century the Apostle Paul wrote to his protoge Timothy with the purpose of equipping and encouraging him to live out his spiritual calling and identity in really difficult circumstances. Timothy has been asked to follow after Paul in leading the church in Ephesus. Those are big shoes to follow. Paul is aware that leading in Ephesus is challenging and that Timothy will face opposition on all fronts. Paul knows that when we face great opposition it can be easy to revert to patterns and ways of dealing with struggle that are ungodly, unholy and unhelpful. In response, Paul gives Timothy 3 archetypes of Godly manhood and womanhood; the soldier, the athlete and the farmer. Paul is giving Timothy a vision for Godly character that is needed for us today.
IMPOSTER IDENTITY
In the first century the Apostle Paul wrote to his protoge Timothy with the purpose of equipping and encouraging him to live out his spiritual calling and identity in really difficult circumstances. Timothy has been asked to follow after Paul in leading the church in Ephesus. Those are big shoes to follow. Paul is aware that leading in Ephesus is challenging and that Timothy will face opposition on all fronts. Paul knows that when we face great opposition it can be easy to revert to patterns and ways of dealing with struggle that are ungodly, unholy and unhelpful. In response, Paul gives Timothy 3 archetypes of Godly manhood and womanhood; the soldier, the athlete and the farmer. Paul is giving Timothy a vision for Godly character that is needed for us today.
A Consecrated Year:
The prophetic word that God has given us for the life of the church in 2024 is consecrated. Pastor Brenda takes the first Sunday of 2024 to review what that word consecrated means and invite us to ask the Spirit what he might want to invite us to personally consecrate to him this year.
For Renewal PT 1
Our mission is to “live the way of Jesus for the renewal of Niagara” but what does the word “renewal” really mean? What do we mean when we say that word? The word renewal comes with a lot of excitement for some, a lot of fear for others and big shrug of the shoulders for a few. Many people have a preconceived idea of what they think renewal means, so we want to take a few weeks to clarify what we mean by that word and what we are calling you into this year.
Dawn —The Darkness Cannot Prevail
How do you feel about the state of the world right now? It can be depressing to look around us because it seems as though things are just getting worse, getting darker. The story of the coming of Jesus is a story of the victory of God over the best efforts of the kingdom of darkness to overthrow the rule of God on the earth. The gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy that may seem boring and irrelevant on the surface, but is pregnant with meaning about the purposes and power of God for us even today. Through this genealogy, Matthew is reminding us of the victory of God through every generation and that God is still overcoming the darkness.
Consecrated PT 4-Take Off Your Sandals
As Joshua is on the doorstep of conquest and victory he is confronted by the Commander of the armies of the Lord. In this interaction, Joshua might be expecting to get some battle strategies for the next mission, but instead, when he asks the angel what he is to do, he is told to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. In taking off his sandals, Joshua was being invited to surrender his power, dignity and ownership, and God is still in the business of asking if we would be willing to surrender these things in our own life.
Consecrated Pt 3: Consecrated For Crossing.
Every great move of God on the earth is ignited by men and women willing to walk through the fire of consecration. It was consecration that prepared Joshua and the Israelites to cross the Jordan into God’s calling.
Consecrated PT 2: Consecrated For Calling
Every great outpouring of God’s presence on the earth has been ignited by men and women who first walked through the fire of consecration. Consecration is essential to living out God’s call on our lives.
Consecrated-PT 1-Consecrated For An Uncommon Life
There is a word found repeatedly in scripture that God is deeply passionate about. It is the word we have heard the Holy Spirit calling our whole church to in 2024. It is consecration. But what does that word mean and why is it important to God?
Three things marked Jesus’ life: the presence of God, formation into the image of God and a life of responsive mission. Our vision is to see the invasion of God’s kingdom on the earth as it is in heaven through us. To do that, we must live the way of Jesus for the renewal of Niagara by becoming people of presence, formation and mission. In order to be people of presence, formation and mission we need to order our lives around scripture, spiritual practices and dependence on the Holy Spirit’s gifts and power. These were the training tools of Jesus and they are the things that we need today so that we can become people of presence, formation and mission.
Our vision is to see the people of God live the prayer of Jesus “may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We long to see our cities filled with men and women who’s lives have become living cathedrals of God’s kingdom presence and power. We long to see the church realize again that we are the place where heaven touches earth, our lives are meant to be the place through which heaven invades the earth. The problem is often that we are building our lives with the wrong blueprints, not the blueprints of the kingdom to build cathedrals of God’s presence, but the blueprints of the world, the flesh and the devil to build castles and fortresses.
We long to close the gap between what we read in scripture and what we experience in our every day lives. If we are called to be these living cathedrals of gods, kingdom presence, and power on the Earth, as it is in heaven, there must be a way for us to begin living the reality of heaven. The invasion of gods kingdom on earth as it is in heaven through us begins with living the way of Jesus, for the renewal of Niagara. But what does it mean to live the way of Jesus?
Vision 2030—PT 1: On Earth As It Is In Heaven Through YouWhat is the will or heart of God on the earth? It is found in the great prayer of all prayers, “your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The will of God is invade the earth with his tangible presence and kingdom. That prayer is not only good theology, we are called to live it the way Jesus himself lived it.In this first part of our Vision 2030 series we are taking a 30,000 foot view of God’s vision for our lives and our church, the invasion of his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven; through you. We are calling ourselves out of small thinking and a spirit of limitation. We are calling ourselves to repent for living dependent on our own strength and capacity. We are calling ourselves to become a living cathedral of the Father’s tangible kingdom on the earth as it is in heaven.UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-0"));
Foundations Pt 13: The gift of evangelism and shepherd/pastor. What really is the gift of evangelism and what really is the gift of shepherd/pastor? Maybe we’ve been thinking about the shepherd from a one-dimensional reality that doesn’t give the full picture of what it means to not only care for the sheep, but go to war for them in spiritual places.
Foundations Pt 12: What does it mean to operate in a spiritual gift? Why does Paul call them manifestations and what do the manifestations of the Spirit through encouragement and teaching look like? What about the 5-fold list in Ephesians 4, are those gifts or offices, or both?
Foundations Pt 11: The Manifestations of God’s Love The spiritual “gifts” that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 12, 14 and Romans 12 are not things that a distant and far away God send down to his people. They are the very evidence of His presence, character and heart. That is why Paul calls them manifestations, because the manifest the tangible presence of God. Not only does God manifest his power, he also manifests his heart to love and serve and support.
Foundations Pt 10: The Manifestation of Faith, Words of Knowledge, Wisdom and Why God Uses His Expressions Of Power Today We are wrapping up the very loose category of power manifestations with a recap of what Paul means by manifestations, what he might be referring to with the 9 that he lists in 1 Corinthians 12 and why God still uses these today.
Foundations PT 9: The Gifts Of Healings Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is still operating in the same ways, expressing the same compassion and mercy and expressing the nature and character of God to heal.
Foundations Pt 8: Hearing The Voice Of God and The Prophetic (Dr. Rob Reimer) The most basic underlying need we have is to able to hear and discern the voice of God. Without God’s voice, there is no prophetic ministry. So how are the ways that we can hear God’s voice? How do we interpret his voice? What is the New Testament guideline for how to deliver and use the prophetic in the church today?
Foundations Pt 7: Being Filled With The Holy Spirit There are many words the Biblical writers used to describe the interaction of the Holy Spirit with those who follow Jesus. The question is what were the Biblical authors trying to describe when using the specific language they did? In this message we are taking a look at Luke’s use of the word “filled” and “full” as well as some of the references to the word “baptism” in reference to the Holy Spirit. How can we best understand the nature and desire of the Holy Spirit in relation to our everyday lives today?
Foundations: Pt 6 The Holy Spirit, Tongues and Interpretation. Things can get messy when we start entering into the realm of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in public, but the mess and sometimes improper use should never lead us to relegate the gifts to the sidelines. As dysfunctional as the Corinthian church was, Paul wasn’t telling them to stop, he was giving boundaries that were healthy. Part of that is understanding what Paul was teaching by way of correction. What is the gift of tongues that Paul is describing in 1 Corinthians 12-14? Is it the same gift we see released on the believers on the day of Pentecost? How do we use this in our own private devotional life, and more importantly, how do we use this gift in the corporate life of the church? And after all of that, what about interpretation?
FOUNDATIONS: PT 5
The purpose of Pentecost in Acts 2 and how it connects to key passages in the Old Testament. Pentecost wasn’t a random event, God had an agenda to linked all the way back to the Tower of Babel and his plan to reclaim the earth for himself.
We also started a discussion on the spiritual gift of tongues and what exactly was happening in Acts 2 compared to the tongues that Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians.
FOUNDATIONS: PT 4
So often, spiritual gifts are abused because they are being used from an unhealthy source, the false self. In order to walk in the authority and power of Jesus we need to establish our true identity and learn to recognize our false identity that is at work to sabotage the purposes and plans of God for our lives.
FOUNDATIONS: PT 3
1 Corinthians 13 is not a chapter for wedding ceremonies, it is a foundational understanding of the nature of God. It is a description of who God is and what his baseline demeanour is toward us. Love is the essential foundation for how to engage in the spiritual gifts of the Spirit properly. Without it, we’re just a noisy gong.
FOUNDATIONS: PT 2 — The Holy Spirit Brings The Kingdom In Us (Brenda Drost)
The Holy Spirit is not only given to us to live in us as a deposit guaranteeing our salvation, He also wants to bring the kingdom of God in us, in the places within our heart and soul, our thoughts and emotions and behaviours that are resistant to the will and desire of God. In Heaven, God’s will is always done but in order for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven we need to be willing to yield the places of our will to his will. There are places in all of us where the kingdom is absent because it is being blocked by our will which exercises its own control and power. One of the foundational works of the Holy Spirit is to bring the kingdom in these areas of our inner life.
FOUNDATIONS: PT 1 – The Holy Spirit And The Kingdom Of God
The central message of Jesus and the apostles was the arrival of the kingdom of God. After his resurrection Luke tells us in Acts 1 that Jesus spent 40 days on earth proving that he rose from the dead and teaching them about the kingdom of God. In this first week we will discover what the kingdom is and the truth that the Holy Spirit wants to bring the kingdom to bear in us so that he can express the kingdom through us. The danger is that we can perceive the kingdom as a threat to our pride, security, comfort, need for control, insecurities etc.
James Pt 10: 5:12-20
In this last passage of James, the author shifts gears dramatically to talk about the power of prayer for healing and our need to walk in the light if we want to be able to access the power of God. James talks about confession and the role of secret sin as a possible block to prayer for healing.
Before Jesus was resurrected from the dead on that first Easter Sunday, he was walking in his resurrection identity. Four days after one of his closest friends, Lazarus, had died Jesus went to visit his friends (Lazarus’ sisters) who were grieving, and into the middle of their grieving and pain he makes a declaration about his identity saying “I am the resurrection and the life.” In that moment Jesus is communicating something powerful and profound about his identity and nature. His statement “I am” is not only an identity statement, it is a statement of presence in the present. Jesus is calling Mary and Martha out of the past (and the disappointment of what he didn’t do for them) and also out of the future (what might happen) and into the present. I am here now and I am the resurrection and life. Jesus is calling us today out of a life of bondage to the pain and disappointments of the past and out of a life dominated by anxiety, fear and our need to know and control the future. Jesus is inviting us to live with him and receive his resurrection power in the present.
We are almost through James, but he’s not letting off in intensity. In Pt 8 we cover James 4:1-13 and Jame’s continued dissection of the source of the conflicts and division going on within the first century Jewish followers of Jesus. For James, the source is found in desire and who or what is driving the desires of the human heart. Is it the devil or is it God?
In this part we examine James 3:13-18 with another searing pastoral challenge from James that has powerful application for us today as well. James continues to press in toward the source of our destructive speech patterns, and the source lies in our mind and heart. James establishes that there are two sources for wisdom, one is from above (God) and the other from below (worldly/demonic). Once again James isn’t coaching us in behaviour management, he is challenging us to examine the source that feeds our heart and our need to cultivate the soil of our heart so that we can plant the right kind of seed there.
This is a hard-hitting passage that not only examines the speech patterns that are so destructive but also the source. James is calling his listeners (and us) to not only focus on being disciplined with what comes out of our mouth but also to understand that our internal self-talk, patterns of reasoning, and inner conversations are precisely the place where the problem lies. It isn’t just about what you say, it is about what you think and say internally.
James is pastoring his fellow Jewish believers who have been driven all over the Roman Empire because of persecution and one of the pastoral issues that James confronts in chapter 2 is the preferential treatment of some over others, specifically those who have wealth and influence and cultural cache.
James is pastoring his fellow Jewish believers who have been driven all over the Roman Empire because of persecution and one of the pastoral issues that James confronts in chapter 2 is the preferential treatment of some over others, specifically those who have wealth and influence and cultural cache.
How do we process the trials and testing of life? Does God have a hand in testing us, what about temptation? If God does test us, why does he do it, what is he trying to accomplish? These are some of the questions that James might have been receiving from his own friends and community while they experienced persecution and injustice. So how does James respond and what can we learn from him today?
Part one (b) of our study through the book of James. In this episode we talk about the cultural context of the world around James and what that meant for those who were experiencing trouble, trial and persecution from within and without. James gives us the purpose for trials and and how to pray through them.
Part one (a) of our study through the book of James. In this episode we talk about the cultural context of the world around James and what that meant for those who were experiencing trouble, trial and persecution from within and without. James gives us the purpose for trials and and how to pray through them.
One of the essentials to an intentional life is knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit and being willing to obey and depend on his gifting and power. We are very familiar with the voices of our own desire and the desires of culture around us, but are we familiar with the voice of the Holy Spirit? Are we following his intentionality for our lives or the intentionality of the world, our flesh or the Devil.
There were three things that Jesus did with consistency in his life that were profoundly intentional. These things were how Jesus was discipled and how he discipled others. 1) He submitted his life to scripture. 2) He engaged in daily spiritual practices (disciplines). 3) He depended on the Holy Spirit’s gifting and power. If we are going to be formed into the image of Jesus for the sake of the world around us we need to be intentional as well. In this fourth week of the series pastor Andrew will talk about how we can be shaped by scripture and how we can engage with scripture in meaningful ways in our life.
We are all being spiritually discipled and formed, the question is: who (or what) is doing the discipling? For most, it is their screens, social media platforms and the winds of culture. If we want to be formed into the image of Jesus we are going to need to live an intentional life. This coming week pastor Alex will be talking to us about the key to Daniel’s ability to live as an exile and not be formed by Babylon. Hint: It was the revival culture he grew up in under Josiah the King
We are being spiritually formed (or discipled) whether we like it or not. The question is who or what is doing the forming in our families? If we are honest, our culture is more intentional about discipling our children and forming their outlook on life, values and spirituality than we are. It’s time for us to have an intentional plan to root our families in a Biblical worldview and there is a great starting question we can give our kids. “Does this honour God?”
The greatest need we have is nearness to the presence of God—to rekindle the spiritual fire of his presence in our lives by being near to him. Our greatest assignment is to rekindle the fire of his presence and nearness in our lives. We need to walk in faith to fuel the fire.
The greatest need we have in life is the presence of God. To fan into flame, his presence and life in us for the sake of the world around us. One of the essential ingredients in rekindling the fire of his presence is trust. But what does it mean to trust God?
The greatest need we have is for the presence of God. In scripture his presence is often described as fire. We need the fire of his presence, and one way we draw near to the presence of God us through suffering.
Fire needs oxygen, it feeds off of oxygen to grow in reach and power. In the same way, the fire of God’s presence in us needs oxygen to grow and burn hotter and brighter. The oxygen of the Spirit presence and fire in our lives is prayer, but not just any prayer. Prayer that costs us something, prayer that stops us in our tracks and takes our priority. Prayer that is marked by desperation, humility and brokenness.
In scripture God is often described as fire. Fire that leads, fire that consumes, fire that protects, fire that purifies, fire that reveals and fire that empowers. The greatest need we have today is to rekindle the fire of God’s presence in us again for the sake of the world around us. Many of us like the idea of being on fire for God but few of us want to do what it takes to fan the flames of his presence. Whatever the cost, whatever it takes, it's time for us to rekindle the fire of his presence again.
Holy Spirit And Allegiance: Q&AThis week we finished up our Holy Spirit and Allegiance series with a Q&A session.
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Holy Spirit And Allegiance: 04In this message, Pastor Andrew teaches about the working of the Holy Spirit in our transfer of allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God.
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Holy Spirit And Allegiance: 03In this message, Pastor Andrew teaches about the working of the Holy Spirit in our transfer of allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God.
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Holy Spirit: 02One of the Holy Spirit’s main functions is to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. In this message Pastor Andrew talks about the supernatural realities of the fall bringing us under the power and the rulership of Satan, and how through the work of Jesus, we can be transferred to his Lordship and rulership in our lives.
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Holy Spirit: 01As we jump into this new sermon series on the Holy Spirit, we are kicking the conversation off with a few bigger questions to lay a foundation for understanding who the Holy Spirit is and how He works. Questions like; how do you view the universe? What do you believe about the human spirit? Where do you stand on the supernatural? We can’t wait to dive into this series together!
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If It Ain't Broke...Guest Speaker, Ken Dyck, from Freedom Session, preaches a powerful message on the life-change that Jesus wants to do in the broken areas of our lives, marriages, and families.
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Foundations: The Invitation of JesusThe foundation of God’s vision for our lives is to become like Jesus. To be formed into his image. We will never fully understand baptism until we understand the foundational call and invitation of Jesus. His invitation is to repent and turn to him.
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Revival SundayListen to this powerful message from Sunday Morning of Revival Nights Weekend about what it means to be the church and live surrendered to Jesus.
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Vision SundayIn this message, we want to ignite in you the vision that Jesus has for your life and hopefully explain our role in that vision. We don’t know what that vision is but over the last 5 years God has been bringing things into clarity for us to know HOW you can begin to live into God’s vision for your life.
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Family Values: Part ThreeIn this short sermon series, we are building up to Vision Sunday by talking about the core values of our church family. Everything you need to know about our culture on worship, discipleship, community, and more will be on topic in the next few weeks!
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Family Values: Part TwoIn this short sermon series, we are building up to Vision Sunday by talking about the core values of our church family. Everything you need to know about our culture on worship, discipleship, community, and more will be on topic in the next few weeks!
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Family Values: Part OneIn this short sermon series, we are building up to Vision Sunday by talking about the core values of our church family. Everything you need to know about our culture on worship, discipleship, community, and more will be on topic in the next few weeks!
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REVELATION: 21&22Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 20Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 18&19Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 16&17Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 14&15Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 13Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 12&13Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 10&11Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 8&9Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 6&7Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: 4&5Things are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: Part ThreeThings are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: Part TwoThings are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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REVELATION: Part OneThings are not only as they may seem. The book of Revelation had a practical reality and relevance for the people it was written to, and it has to do the same for us today. We are approaching Revelation with humility and focussing on the Word itself, to allow it to inform the current reality we experience today.
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This Is My Story: PurposeA powerful Mother’s Day conversation about purpose and meaning.
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This Is My Story: IdentityWhat defines your life? What is the most important thing about you? In this message we consider the two most significant questions a person could ask… something we are all wondering: Who am I? And what is my purpose?
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It's For ForgivenessReceive the fullness of Jesus’ love and forgiveness through this powerful Good Friday message.
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Son Of SufferingHow do you handle things in your life when Jesus works differently than the way you expect Him to work? In a culture where pain and suffering are so adverse, Jesus counter-forms us by walking with us through suffering. Listen to this powerful Palm Sunday message as we enter into Holy Week.
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Counter-Formed Through A Rule Of LifeWe have a tendency to drift… to forget… to let our hearts be captivated by many things. God keeps calling us back throughout scripture to choose an intentional life with Him. In this final sermon in our Counter-Formed series, Pastor Brenda talks about creating a Rule of Life around all of the spiritual disciplines we have talked about in the previous weeks.
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Counter-Formed Through Radical GenerosityCounter-formed by radical generosity in a culture driven by comfort, security, and ownership.
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Counter-Formed Through ConfessionWe know something isn’t working but we are stuck, bombarded and overwhelmed and what we’ve been trying isn’t working. Why? Because the root of our battle is spiritual, not social, governmental, relational or physical. We won’t experience God’s vision of the good life for us until we learn to fight in the spiritual. The practice of biblical confession counter-forms us in a world full of curated identity.
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Rhythms To Cultivate God's PresenceDo you want to experience greater measures of God’s presence in your life? It takes intentional practice and disciple to experience it! Listen as guest speaker, Randy Friesen, teaches 5 regular rhythms to cultivate God’s presence in our lives.
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Counter-Formed Through FastingWe know something isn’t working but we are stuck, bombarded and overwhelmed and what we’ve been trying isn’t working. Why? Because the root of our battle is spiritual, not social, governmental, relational or physical. We won’t experience God’s vision of the good life for us until we learn to fight in the spiritual. The spiritual practice of fasting is one of the key ways that we fight spiritually. By fasting, counter-formed by hunger in a culture of indulgence.
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Counter-Formed Through SolitudeIn the busy, noisy chaos of our modern digital world everything and everyone is clamouring for our attention. There are so many distractions. It’s easier than ever to “gain the whole world, and yet lose your soul.” Practicing Silence and Solitude keeps us emotionally healthy as we connect with God, and fights against the noise and pace of the world around us.
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Counter-Formed Through RestWe have an unhealthy relationship with time. We hurry to get do what we worry about and we forget to trust God in the process. Rest and the practice of Sabbath counter forms us in a culture of restlessness and exhaustion.
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Counter-Formed Through ChastitySpiritual practices are like working the muscles of our spiritual life to build them up like lifting weights builds the muscles. Spiritual disciplines place us in intentional connection and communion with God. We are deeply formed and shaped by the world’s view of sexuality. Listen to this powerful message on how to live and practice Biblical Chastity.
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Counter-Formed Through CommunitySpiritual practices are like working the muscles of our spiritual life to build them up like lifting weights builds the muscles. Spiritual disciplines place us in intentional connection and communion with God. Though not a traditional “practice”, we are deeply formed and shaped by the community around us. We need to commit ourselves to a biblical model of church community that shape us into Christ’s likeness.
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Counter-Formed Through PrayerSpiritual practices are like working the muscles of our spiritual life to build them up like lifting weights builds the muscles. Spiritual disciplines place us in intentional connection and communion with God. The practice of praying is a pillar to our spiritual lives. It is the way humanity touches Heaven and how Heaven invades the earth.
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Counter-Formed Through ScriptureSpiritual practices are like working the muscles of our spiritual life to build them up like lifting weights builds the muscles. Spiritual disciplines place us in intentional connection and communion with God. The practice of reading Scripture is an intentional engagement with the written word of God with a posture to be shaped and formed by it as the Holy Spirit teaches us through it and brings its reality to bear on our lives.
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Counter-FormedThe call of our lives is to be formed into the image of Christ. Spiritual formation is always happening to everyone. Whether or not we if we are being formed is not the question, the question is who we are being formed by.
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The Greatness Of JesusWe need a vision of Jesus worth following. A vision of Jesus worth living for. A vision of Jesus and his kingdom culture that forms our lives more powerfully than the formation of the world, our flesh or the Devil. We need a vision of Jesus and his kingdom that is not only worthy living for, but one worth dying to self for and giving our life to.
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A Revelation Of JoyThe revelation John sees is not just about the unseen reality of Jesus in the present, it is a revelation of the unseen reality of the future in light of everything John is going through. In the same way, we too need a revelation of what is on the other side of the struggles of this life. The writer of Hebrews said that it was “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus had a revelation of what was ahead of Him, and so did John. It was the joy of what was coming that gave Jesus and John the ability to press through trials and tribulations of the present.
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A Revelation Of PeacePeace is not a feeling, it’s a person. It is Jesus. How free, how generous, how faith-filled would we be if we had a greater revelation of the reality that the Prince Of Peace is here with us and he is in control, his plans are good, and he will never leave or forsake us.
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A Revelation Of FaithOur faith is found in what is possible. Faith is not simply belief or seeing things differently, faith is what we are willing to do with our hope.
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A Revelation Of HopeSometimes it’s hard for us to see past what we experiencing in the natural, to see what is really going on in the spiritual reality. We need a revelation of hope for our specific situations today. God has a redemptive plan for your situation, we need to ask for a revelation of hope for what He has in store. UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-70"));
We Need A RevelationWhat is captivating your vision for life right now? What do you see that is driving your relationships, fears, uncertainties, finances and future? We need a captivating revelation of Jesus. We need a fresh vision of the unseen reality of Jesus as He is now. UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-73"));
Anger According To JesusHow does Jesus feel about anger? How do we respond to our emotions in a way that honours Jesus? UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-76"));
Salt And LightWhat does Jesus say about Scripture? How we approach it and what our perspective of it are incredibly important. Let’s see what Jesus in saying in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount. UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-79"));
Salt And LightWhat does being the salt of the earth actually mean? How do we live that out and apply it in practice to our lives today?
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Blessed Are The PersecutedWhat does Jesus mean by “Persecuted”? And how does that apply to our lives today? Listen to this powerful message from Pastor Andrew to find out! UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-85"));
The Pure In HeartWho gets to see God? In this beatitude we learn what Jesus means when He said “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
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Hunger And ThirstWhere do we find true satisfaction? What actually fills us? In this powerful sermon we learn what righteous actually means for our lives, and what it means to hunger and thirst after it.
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Blessed Are The PeacemakersIn this beatitude, Jesus blesses peace makers. Those who work for peace in all their relationships. What does this mean for us today?
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What is Mercy?A deep dive into the 5th beatitude from the Sermon On The Mount, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
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VIP SundayA message from our Pastors to hear about the vision, culture, DNA, and ministries of our Church family.
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The Radical ReversalA powerful sermon on the first Beatitude from Matthew 5; ““God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”
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The Good News Of The KingdomThe message about Jesus’ kingdom-bringing life, death, and resurrection as the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises of redemption.
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Be The ChurchWhat does it really look like to be THE Church? The kind of Church that God has called us to. Listen to this powerful sermon to find out!
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In The Presence, TogetherPraise, worship, and the presence of God in the corporate body of the Church. Listen to this powerful message of Part 3 of Comeback 2.0.
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In The Presence Of GodWhen we are faced with difficult times, what we need is a greater revelation of Jesus. Do we keep coming back to this? Do we keep asking for this? Lean in and receive from Him. It’s waiting there for you in his presence
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We Need A RevelationThe word we heard God speak to us about as a church this year is COMEBACK, a need to come back to Jesus, a need to position ourselves for a comeback in our lives from the areas we’ve been beat down and knocked out, and a renewed urgency to live in light of the return of Jesus.
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God Has A Name: God Is JealousWhat does God’s jealousy really mean? What is He jealous for? Listen along with this last message in our series “God Has A Name”.
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God Has A Name: Discipline Vs. PunishmentGod is full of forgiveness. He is forgiving in His nature. But he also disciplines those He loves, but sometimes we have a hard time processing what that really means. Listen to this powerful message on God’s nature.
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God Has A Name: Unfailing Love and FaithfulnessGod’s love is his faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is his love. God never, under any circumstances abandons his people. Instead, God is saying my nature is to be loyal and faithful to the bitter end, no matter what.
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God Has A Name: Slow To AngerDoes God get angry? Is He characterized by anger? Listen along in the second part of a sermon series called “God Has A Name”.
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God Has A NameWhat is God like? How would you describe God to someone who doesn’t know him? We can’t understand or digest the messages of Jesus’ sermon on the mount if we don’t know the God that Jesus knew. Join us for this small sub-series as we learn about the nature and character of God.
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The Kingdom WayHow might God’s vision for your next season be different than what makes most sense to you? What “makes most sense” or is “most logical” is often not the Kingdom way. What does repentance and obedience look like in God’s eyes.
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The Temptation of ChristHow do we have victory over temptation? Listen as we hear about the powerful story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.
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JESUS: The Living GospelJesus’ baptism shows us the character of God. Humility. Humility is the character of the kingdom. We should be astounded that Jesus got baptized at all. Matthew is now presenting Jesus, the living gospel and example of God’s nature and character.
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The Law and The Fire of GodWhat does true repentance, admission of sin, and confession look like? Matthew 3 will give us, through John the law; the holiness and fire of God which requires us to turn from sin and live a different kind of life. Through Jesus we see the gospel; the love and grace we need to be able to turn toward God.
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The Collision of Two KingdomsMatthew Chapter 2 gives us a picture of what humanity coming to Christ in faith or in rebellion looks like. In Jesus we see God’s vision for humanity and what it looks like when the kingdom of God reigns in the person and world that he made.
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The Doctrine Of GodIf we want to live with the yoke and rest of Jesus we have to see the reality of God that He sees. Much of our heaviness, anxiety and lack of peace come from a limited or even faulty view of God. The way into the “yoke” of Jesus is not only knowing what he did about God but living like he did in light of that reality.
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A Manual For The Way Of JesusThe Gospel according to Matthew is the outline for how to live the way of Jesus in real life. How to experience his reality in our lives from moment to moment. Matthew is a manifesto for followers of Jesus.
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Spiritual Maturity: Part Three - EmotionsWe cannot be spiritually mature if we are not emotionally mature. The two go hand-in-hand. Listen to the powerful message to learn how to manage and process our emotions that way God wants us to.
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Spiritual Maturity: Part Two - Renewing Your MindAre you thinking about what you are thinking about? Our mind is so incredible that at times the power of thought is so strong it is easy for us to make plans to fix and manage our own lives rather than relying on Christ. We have the power to choose our thoughts… we need to choose carefully.
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Spiritual Maturity: Part One - DesiresGod created us with desires. But we so often focus our desires in the wrong places. The problem is not desire itself. The problem is being led astray by deceitful and selfish desires and search to have them fulfilled outside of total dependence on God.
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Jesus and The Victory of God - Resurrection SundayHave you ever stopped to consider the claims of Jesus, or more specifically, the outrageous claim that Jesus rose from the dead? According to the Bible, everything hinges on the resurrection. Everything.
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True Worship - Palm SundayWhat does true worship look like? We need to have a revelation from God to see Jesus rightly, for who He truly is.
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Living The Way Of Jesus - Ephesians: Part 30Learning how to walk in spiritual maturity through victory over sin and shame.
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Living The Way Of Jesus - Ephesians: Part 30Living connected to Jesus requires being directed by Jesus in every area of our life.
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Grow Up Already - Ephesians: Part 29Listen to this powerful message as we learn how to grow into spiritual maturity.
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Not Just Part of Jesus - Ephesians: Part 28We cannot grow in maturity or measure up to the full and complete standard of Christ if we do not confess and believe the entirety of Jesus’ attributes and character.
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Ephesians: Part 27How are we suppose to grow in maturity as Christians? Listen to this powerful sermon of part 27 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Ephesians: Part 26Relationship and intimacy are the goal for God. Knowing Him is the first call, that is the place everything else flows out of. Listen as we relaunch and recap this sermon series in the book of Ephesians.
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Hearing God: Part 6Listen to this powerful message of part six from our “Hearing God” series.
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Hearing God: Part 5Listen to this powerful message of part five from our “Hearing God” series.
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Hearing God: Part 4Listen to this powerful message of part four from our “Hearing God” series.
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Hearing God: Part 2Listen to this powerful message of part two from our “Hearing God” series.
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Hearing God: Part 1Listen to this powerful message of part one from our “Hearing God” series.
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Christmas Eve 2020Listen to this powerful Christmas Eve message from Pastor Andrew.
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COMEBACK: Part 5The return of Jesus matters because he has a purpose for your life that goes well beyond your present life and experience. He’s created you for eternity and an eternal purpose.
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COMEBACK: Part 4Come back to God’s blessing and covering over your life. Listen to this powerful message, from the yearly landmark “Offering Sunday”.
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COMEBACK: Part 3Listen to Part 3 of our year-end series “COMEBACK” as we learn about the redemptive heart of God.
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COMEBACK: Part 2Not only is God calling us to COMEBACK with our whole heart, he is calling us to COMEBACK with our whole life. Listen to Part 2 of our year-end series “COMEBACK”.
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COMEBACK: Part 1The call of God for us is clear – return to him with our whole heart. Listen to Part 1 of our year-end series “COMEBACK”.
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Restart: Part 7Listen to this powerful message from part 7 of our “Restart” series as we learn about making truth real to us.
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Restart: Part 6Listen to this powerful message from part 6 of our “Restart” series as we learn about the fruit of the spirit.
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Restart: Part 5Listen to this powerful message from part 5 of our “Restart” series. Learn about returning to God’s vision for your life and kingdom purpose.
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Restart: Part 4Listen to this powerful message from part 4 of our “Restart” series. Learn about returning to God’s vision for your life and kingdom purpose.
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Restart: Part 3Listen to this powerful message from part 3 of a new series called “Restart”. Learn about returning to God’s vision for your life and kingdom purpose.
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Restart: Part 2Listen to this powerful message from part 2 of a new series called “Restart”. Learn about returning to God’s vision for your life and kingdom purpose.
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Restart: Part 1Listen to this powerful message from part 1 of a new series called “Restart”. Learn about returning to God’s vision for your life and kingdom purpose.
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Gifted for GreatnessJoin us as we learn how God has gifted us for greatness
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Gifted for BattleJoin us as we learn how God has gifted us for battle
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Possessing PeaceJoin us as we learn how to possess the peace that God has given us
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The Place of the PromiseJoin us as we learn about what to do when God’s promises and where we find ourselves don’t line up
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LifeproofJoin us as we learn about putting all our trust in Jesus
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UnshakeableJoin us as we learn about the unshakeable principles of the kingdom of God
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Living With MarginJoin us as we learn about the importance of creating margin in our lives for God to work in and through us.
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Treasures in the DarknessJoin us as we learn about what God can produce in us in our darkest seasons of life.
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Ephesians #25Join us in week 25 of our “Ephesians” series.
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Ephesians #24Join us in week 24 of our “Ephesians” series.
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Ephesians #23Join us in week 23 of our “Ephesians” series.
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Ephesians #22Join us in week 22 of our “Ephesians” series.
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How to Pray #12Join us in week 12 of our series “How To Pray” as we unpack the depth of what we can learn through praying “The Lord’s Prayer”.
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Ephesians #17Part 17 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Ephesians #16Part 16 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Anniversary Sunday 2020Pastor Matt Tapley joins us for Anniversary Sunday
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Ephesians #15Part 15 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Ephesians #14Part 14 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Ephesians #13Part 13 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Ephesians #12Part 12 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Be Strong #6: What story are you going to tell?Part 6 in our Be Strong series
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Be Strong #5: GOD. WITH. US.Part 5 in our Be Strong series
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Christmas Eve 2019:I Don't Need A Sign UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("row-unique-310"));
God desires to lead you to unbelievable places in your life, but before he can take you there, he needs to build in you the capacity to and character to handle the blessing.
God has designed us to accomplish supernatural things for his ministry on the earth, but in order to see the supernatural work of God in our lives we need to follow the principles of God in our lives - we need the 7th hand of God in our life. But how do we get the 7th hand? Ezekiel 43 gives us some clues.
God has a principle that runs through the whole Bible, it’s that in all things he must be first. When God is first, everything else is will be added to our lives. When our heart is divided we cannot stand in strength. So, what is the first and greatest threat to our hearts?
God’s call to us is to BE STRONG in the Lord, to establish spiritual ground in our lives, our marriages, families, church and city. God’s call to Joshua was to be strong and courageous because his desire for the Israelites was for them to possess everything God had promised to them, to be successful and prosper in every area of their lives. The catch, it was obedience and their heart. God puts obedience before blessing.
The third influence Paul says is working against the desire of God in our lives is our own sinful nature and desires. Are our desires the same as our identity? What are some of the sinful desires the bible talks about and where do they come from?
Anger, unforgiveness, judgement, hurt, offence and bitterness are common entryways to further sin and bondage in our lives. Unless we take an offensive posture to these areas of sin, they will ensnare us and hold us in bondage. What we believe about ourselves and others as it relates to these areas of sin has a powerful impact on our lives.
In Ephesians 2 Paul begins his diagnosis of what has gone so wrong with our world. He lists a 3 influences that are destroying our lives: The world. The Devil and his kingdom. Our desires.
In Ephesians 2:1-3 Paul now draws our attention to a big problem. What God intended with creation and man has gone horribly wrong and there is a spiritual enemy of God called the Devil that is the reason. The devil uses three primary avenues of attack on us; The World, The demonic realm and Our Flesh.
Ephesians #8Part 8 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul references or alludes to the unseen spiritual realm 14 times and speaks of adoption, heavenly blessings and spiritual authority in the heavenly realms. Why? What do we need to know about the spiritual realm that will unlock our own ability to live out God's purpose and calling on our lives?
Paul prays a short but insightful three point prayer for the church of Ephesus that gives us a guide for praying for the church today.
Ephesians #5Part 5 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Ephesians #4Part 4 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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Navigating the StormsKeith Martens joins us for Revival Nights 2019
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Revival Nights #3 - Fall 2019Night 3 of Revival Nights fall 2019
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Revival Nights #2 - Fall 2019Night 2 of Revival Nights fall 2019
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Revival Nights #1 - Fall 2019Pastor Matt Tapley joins us for the first night of Revival Nights fall 2019
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Ephesians #3: Getting Confrontation pt. 3Part 3 in our study of the book of Ephesians.
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The book of Ephesians is a breathtaking look at some of the biggest questions in life. Who is God? Who am I? What is the will of God? How do I live out God’s will and calling for me? Ephesians is about God confronting us with who we are and what we believe about ourselves, the spiritual world and Jesus. Ephesians also confronts our will and our need to surrender our will of desire and direction to Jesus. God is not afraid of confrontation, in fact he wants to confront the things inside of us so that he can work through us to confront the injustice, disease, bondage and effects of the kingdom of darkness around us.
What does God want to confront in your life? Contrary to popular belief, God isn’t afraid of confrontation. The book of Ephesians is a majestic look at who God is, who we are, what his will for our lives is and how we can live it out. It is a book that confronts what we believe about God and ourselves and how we live.
Four Tests Of Great FaithA message about increasing our faith for the impossible.
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The Impetus for MissionJesus is inviting us to a life of surrender and also calling us to a life of ministry to the poor.
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The Life You Always Dream ForA message about life in the fullness God designed.
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He's Working in the WildernessWhen we are facing trials and testing it can be easy to blame the devil or the people around us, but sometimes it is God himself who is leading us into the wilderness. God always has a plan and a reason for his work in our life, even in the wilderness. So why does he do it? What is it for? How do we get through it?
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Colossians #10The Gospel in real life
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Colossians #9What does it mean to submit to authority and leadership in the home, work, the church and government? What does the Bible teach about healthy marriage and relationships and the roles of men and women in them?
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The Good NewsHave you ever asked the question what is the gospel? How do I receive it? And what does it mean for me?
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D.A.D.Understanding our Heavenly Father.
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Some people want nothing to do with conversation about Hell or the Devil, they want to ignore it and hope that it will have no impact on eternity because of God’s love. Other people are obsessed with the Devil and have an unhealthy fascination with him and the kingdom of darkness. The Bible does talk about Hell and the Devil, so we need to understand as best we can what it has to say and what it means for our lives. The doctrine of Hell and the Devil is an essential part of the framework of our understanding of sin, evil, goodness and the love of God.
Are you past your peak? Have the best years or experiences of your life come and gone? What we believe about heaven will determine how we answer this question.
Does what we do in this life really matter for eternity? What is the difference between the gift of salvation and the rewards that Jesus said he would give to those who faithfully follow him? What we do with our lives here and now matters much more for eternity then we could ever imagine.
What does it mean when the Bible says that God is going to create a new heavens and new earth? If the earth is where we will spend eternity with Jesus what will it look like, will we recognize it? What about our bodies, will they be physical? Will we be ourselves? Will our resurrected bodies have greater abilities?
The Present Heaven: What happens the moment after we die? Is the place we go now, the place where we will be for eternity? Are we the same person on the other side of death? Do we have bodies, or are we just spirits? Is heaven a physical place, or just a spiritual one? There are more things we don’t know than do know about life after death, but the bible has a lot more to say about it than we’ve been taught to believe.
Generational sin and curses are a real thing? We all want to see the next generation be one of great vision, accomplishment and spiritual purpose, but how do we really raise a generation of giant killers in the spiritual and physical realm?
Our world is immersed in a crisis of hope, anxiety and fear. We're at a standstill of inactivity. We've lost vision and purpose and we're being crushed under the weight of our own desire to self-determine our lives, our identity and our future. But what if there was a way to recover our hope, passion, vision and calling? What if there was a way to regain the upper hand? There is, and it isn't in the place you might think, it's in recapturing what the bible really teaches about heaven, hell and our eternity life. Are you ready for new hope today?
What was the "it" that was finished when Jesus said "It is finished"? It was death, but not just death physically. Jesus destroyed the power of spiritual death, physical death and death over our emotions and our mind (our soul).
How different would our lives look if we realized that in every season of life, no matter how difficult, God had a plan for us to be fruitful? What if God wants you to see something different about your struggle, so that you can see the supernatural work that he's trying to accomplish in every season.
We might be aware that there are seasons in life, but are we aware of what season we're in or how to steward the season so that we're prepared to move on to the next season? Identifying what season you're in and knowing what your assignments are for that season are essential to our ability to fulfill the purpose and vision God has for our life.
The Kingdom #2A message on the Kingdom of God.
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The Kingdom #1A message on the Kingdom of God.
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Wherever Jesus is there is life, peace, freedom and healing if we would like to accept them. The invitation is there, the question is whether which hold out we will choose. Are we are going to hold out in fear and let it pass by, or hold out our weakness so that he can heal and restore.
What does it mean to be anointed? What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one? How do we live under the anointing of the Holy Spirit on a continual basis in our lives?
It all starts with presence. It's been 2 years since we restarted our church and pastor Andrew gives a state of the union address to talk about the great stories that God has been writing over the last two years.
Is God really good? Our circumstances or perspectives don't define whether God is good or not. God is good, even when "it" isn't. The struggle we often have is not in whether we can muster ourselves to believe that in our heads, it's whether we feel it in our hearts.
In order to effectively deal with sin in our lives we need to understand the principles of spiritual authority and the interactions of our spirit, soul and body with the kingdom of heaven, the world and the kingdom of darkness. Because of Jesus, we have authority and victory in His name, but we need to understand how to spot the tactics of the flesh and enemy of God if we are going to apply the rule of Christ to every part of our lives.
According to the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2, if we think philosophy, clinging to tradition, the worship of angels or observing religious practices will produce fruit in our lives - we are dead wrong. How we act or what we know doesn't impress God, He is interested in our heart and in our willingness to trust Him and walk in relationship with Him and obedience to Him.
Do you really trust God? Think about it for a minute before you answer. Do your actions and decisions point to a total trust in God, or do they point to your own need for control of the circumstances of your life?
What does it mean to take communion? What is the significance of communion? Is there a power connected to communion that we are missing today? Is communion meant for healing? Over the years, the teaching on communion, and the way that we have practiced it in most churches has strayed from the original intent of Jesus with it. We have turned it into a ritual that is void of the power and significance it is meant to have in our lives.
The birth of Jesus was foretold for thousands of years, but even with all of the information about him, nothing could compare with what a moment in his presence would actually be like. The wisemen had heard about him but it wasn't until they met Him that they truly understood that Jesus can change your life.
Your identity matters. Who you believe you are, and who you choose to follow. Jesus came to set you free so that you could live out you’re full God-given identity and purpose, and he came to show you as a man dad it is entirely possible to see the kingdom of heaven come down.
Have you ever wondered what elements are needed for spiritual growth in your life? In Acts 9:31 we get the answer. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. If you want to grow in faith, these are two non-negotiable ingredients, but do they really mean?
What happens when we are planted in the presence of God? Have you ever thought that maybe God isn't limited by the limitations you bring to the table, by your past or by your failures. When we are planted in God's presence who we are isn't what's important, it is who God is that defines the potential we have.
The Bible talks about seed, sowing and harvest a lot but did you know that it is always God's seed to provide, ours to manage, and his to grow. Too often we think it's our responsibility to provide, manage and grow when it comes to our time, talent and treasure - and when we do, we choke out the full potential of our lives, our resources and our time.
Did you know that you have everything you need for God to do miraculous things in your life? You might not think your ready, you too messed up or you haven't got much for God to use, but the truth is that He's just needs what you've got and a willingness to trust Him. He's got the rest.
God wants to do something powerful in your life. Even when you think God has nothing to work with He isn't limited. In fact, in Isaiah God told the prophet that he was the kind of God that could make rivers on the plateaus, increase the pools of water in the valleys and plant trees in the desert. God doesn't have limitations on what he can do in your life but He does invite you to plant and sow in the seasons that feel dry and barren so that He can bring to life the things that have died or have not even come to exist yet. God wants to take your life and cause things to grow, but you have to be willing to plant if you want to see His harvest.
Out of the blue, WDCX Radio in Buffalo, NY contacted pastor Andrew and asked if he'd be willing to share the story of what God's done in his life and in the life of the church. Here is that radio interview from Nov 7, 2018
Revival Nights #3 - Hearing His Voice (Andrew Plett). A lot of us may have heard of the Old Testament story of Samuel when he was a little boy serving in the temple, how God called to him one night. But have you ever stopped to think about how odd it is that Samuel, who literally grew up inside the temple, surrounded by religious practice and following every ritual of God, didn't know what the voice of God sounded like when He spoke to him.
Revival Nights #2 - Speak To The Dry Bones (Brenda Drost). What does it take for you to come alive? God not only wants to work powerfully in and through us but he's inviting us to partner with him in speaking to the dry bones and commanding them to come alive. It was in the garden that God invited Adam and Eve to carry and extend His authority and dominion over the earth.
Revival Nights October 2018 night 1. Randy Friesen brings us back to God's original design for us in the garden and talks about the starting place for revival in our lives.
Special guest Randy Friesen is the President of a global church-planting and mission organization called multiply. In this message Randy talks about the steps we need to walk through in order to experience spiritual revival and fruitfulness in our lives.
I can't Help Myself. That can either mean those things in your life when you get around them, that you can't control yourself with, or it can mean that we come to the realization that we can't help ourselves. In Acts 12 Peter was in chains and awaiting death the next day, yet he was sleeping. How in the world does that happen? Because of two things. Surrender to the purposes of God and the kind of dependence on God that realized he couldn't help himself anyway. God is calling you to a life of surrender and dependence on Him.
How does Peter go from telling Jesus he'd die for Him, and later while trying to defend Jesus from his captors, cutting off the ear of someone who was there to arrest Jesus - to 44 years later asleep in a prison cell chained to two guards the night before he was to be executed? How do you go from feeling like you need to conquer the world by exerting your voice or strength to being at peace with whatever life bring your way? In Peter's life, we see that real spiritual maturity is measured in depth of surrender and expressed in obedience, not in hype or overconfidence. Spiritual maturity isn't measured in how many bible verses you can quote, it is measured in how you die to yourself.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought things were just about to go the right way? One of those moments when you felt like you had just dodged a bullet only to have something totally unrelated go haywire in your life? In Acts 12 we have one of those moments. Luke starts the chapter with the words "In the meantime" which means while all this other stuff was already going on, there's another thing to add to the story. In this case, although Peter had dodged a bullet in one area of his life, he was about to experience fierce opposition in another that could even cost him his life. Acts 12 is Luke's way of stopping to let us know that all the power and might of this world is nothing compared to the power and might of God if we would just earnestly seek Him in prayer. This is the story of how prayer can change the course of nations even.
The lives of the disciples weren't transformed because of their scholastic study. In Acts 4:13 we read why they were transformed, because they "had been with Jesus." As a church we are charting a course for the future and everything is hinged on one thing, the presence of Jesus. We believe that Jesus is the most attractional and transformational force on earth, and that if we get serious about walking into His presence we will experience the same proximity effect that the disciples did.
It isn't a matter of whether we will face battles in our relationships, battles in our mind, battles physically or battles spiritually. We will! The question is how will you fight those battles when they come? Often, what we are going through isn't as important as why we are going through it, and when we understand the "why" it can help shift our perspective, which precedes peace in the storm.
What if you're not stuck in your career, in your marriage, in your social life? What if God has an assignment for you while you go through this season of life? Perspective is everything and the apostle Paul knew that what he saw happening around him wasn't what would define him or change the new perspective God had given him. So, are you stuck or are you stationed?
There was a problem in Colossae that Paul saw looming on the horizon. The young christians were in danger of compromising the simple gospel of Jesus Christ, bending to the pressures of the culture of the day. The book of Colossians is 4 chapters and 95 verses. It is the shortest of Paul's letters, but it packs one of the biggest punches. In this opening to the book we discover when it was written, who the people of Colossae were and why Paul probably wrote the book. We also take a look at the importance of how Paul introduces himself to the Colossians in chapter 1:1.
Have you ever thought of the Holy Spirit as your friend? The Bible says that we have a friend that is closer than a brother but all too often we struggle to experience the close relationship, even friendship of the Holy Spirit. So, how can you experience the friendship of the Holy Spirit in new and deeper ways?
All too often when we talk about the Holy Spirit we talk about the gifts He gives but rarely do we talk about the fruit of the Sprit. Sometimes it can be easy to overly desire the external "evidence" of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit and at the same time neglect our need to see growth in our character, but the bible says that it is the fruit of the Spirit that is the evidence of His work in our lives, not the gifts.
The bible talks about 3 primary baptisms, baptism into the body of Christ, water baptism and baptism with the Holy Spirit. We know from scripture that the Holy Spirit baptized us into Christ, the disciple baptizes in water but what does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?
When the bible talks about being led by the Holy Spirit, what does it mean? How can we know if it is the Holy Spirit leading us? Taking a look at the Old Testament, we can see some ways that they Holy Spirit led the Israelites and find clues for how He still leads us today.
Do you feel like you're just spinning your wheels, digging a deeper ditch of exhaustion, frustration and futility? Do you feel like you're being crushed under the weight of expectations unrealized dreams? Jesus said that it was his job to be the vine and ours to be the branches. That we are to abide and rest in him and allow him to give us strength, fruit and growth.
Have you ever taken a moment to look back at what is following you? In Psalm 23 David said "surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life." When you look behind you, is that what you see, or does it look like chaos, broken relationships, hurt, bondage to habits of sin you can't seem to break? When we examine the life of Jesus we see that he walked in powerful peace (even in the midst of conflict) and brought healing, hope and freedom. That he was not only able to calm the storm, but walk on the water over the storm.
We all feel it. Pressure. We feel the pressure of our hopes for the future, the expectations of others on us, the pressure to make all the right decisions at the right time, the pressure of family, the weight of disappointment and the pressure to do the right thing in every situation. Jesus faced this same pressure, but he handled it different than we do. He was able to walk with a peace that didn't let the outside pressure of life rattle him. The question is how?
Have you every wondered what baptism really is and why we do it? Pastor Brenda walks through the significance of baptism and why it is an essential practice of our faith.
The death and resurrection of Jesus touched two dimensions, the spiritual and the physical. Have you ever wondered why Jesus left the scars on His body after His resurrection?
What does it mean when Jesus said "I didn't come to bring peace, but a sword."? We think of peace as a feeling, or the absence of turmoil, or the ability to be calm in the most turbulent waters of life. That's part of it. If Jesus really is the Prince Of Peace, maybe the sword He brings is to cut out and destroy the things in us the bring fear, anxiety and death. Maybe it's as we allow Him to bring a spiritual "sword" to our life that we actually carry more of His presence, which is peace, in our lives.
Jesus is described in many different ways throughout the Bible, and two of them in Revelation 5 are as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the Lamb that was slain. But what does it really mean, and who cares? These two names of Jesus point to two different sides of Jesus' character that can literally change your life, your relationships and your future.
Often we think that our spiritual authority is tied to what we've done, how we're doing more of the right things and less of the wrong things. That isn't true. Our spiritual authority comes from the truth that we are adopted as sons and daughters of the Father. He is the basis of our authority because He purchased our freedom through the death and resurrection of Jesus. All we need to do, is walk in it.
God wants us to remember what He did, but forget how He did it. He wants to do a new thing in your life, not the next thing, but here's the catch. New things are always different than old things and new things are next things.
One of the reasons that we spend so much time living a defeated life is that we fail to understand or practice the power of praise. Time after time in the bible God demonstrated that when we praise Him for who He is and what He's done, when we declare our gratitude and proclaim His faithfulness, He works in the spiritual realm to bring victory, freedom and revelation. Worship has the power to change the atmosphere in your life, your work, your family and your city.
So many Christians are living an anemic faith, the atmosphere around them lacks passion, power and influence. The good news is that God has created a powerful tool to increase our faith and power, it's called fasting. When we fast we flip the switch and turn the tables on the enemy.
We hear people say "God is good" but many of us don't believe it. Many of us picture God as an angry, spiteful deity who is waiting to punish us for every slip-up. The problem is, that is an incorrect and distorted view of God that hurts us.
What does it mean when we say "God is here" Maybe it is less about the fact that God is everywhere, and more about the reality that He is here and wants to speak to you, to know you, to engage with you. If God is here, then how to we hear his voice, how do we know Him?
Our culture tells us a lot about where we find our worth, but what does the Bible say about it? How can we find our true worth? In this new series Alex Smethurst, will encourage and challenge you to not look at your situation to find your worth but to focus on God and worship him.
Do you really believe that God has the ability to do the things you are asking him to do? Sometime we don't believe because we don't take time to behold. The word behold means to stand amazed and in awe. Are you making the decision to take the time to intentionally reflect on how good God has been in your life? Sometimes we lack awe and wonder because we don't take time to behold what God has done in our lives.
Often we believe that in order to have hope we need to see an absence of struggle or conflict on the horizon... smooth sailing ahead. The way we think of the birth of Jesus doesn't help either, we hear phrases from our favourite Christmas carols in our heads and we risk losing the reality of the events of that night. Jesus came into the world through pain and struggle and his birth triggered a storm that the prophet Simeon told Mary "would pierce her soul." Hope isn't the absence of pain and struggle, it is an anchoring to Jesus, the one who calms the storm and walks on top of the waves and the one who can bring us through whatever we face today.
Have you ever felt you don't have enough? Maybe you look at your resources, your job or your relationships and you assume that God can't use you fully until you're in a better spot. The bible actually says the opposite, that we are made strong in our weakness and that God isn't asking us for what we don't have, he's asking wants to use the small things to demonstrate His great name. The bible is clear that we aren't to despise small beginnings, but rejoice in them because they are the seeds for the glory of God to be revealed in and through us.
Unfortunately the word "prosperity" in church has taken on a distorted and twisted meaning that God never intended it to. What if God's heart isn't that you're always just trusting Him for provision to make it through the week, or from pay check to pay check? What if God wants to fill you with the kind of generosity that blesses other people and blesses your life too. We don't give to get, we give to give!
Have you ever felt like you're spinning your wheels, stuck in the same ruts, never seeing lasting breakthrough? We want to see breakthrough and blessing but overlook the power of our priorities. God says that he won't be second, that he can't be second but most of us live our lives with God at the bottom of our priority list. It's time to get our priorities straight so we can see the breakthrough we need.
Sometimes we can get stuck with the idea that it is God who will make the first move, but the Bible paints a different picture. If we want breakthrough in our lives we are the ones who need to make the first move in faith, trusting God with our heart and our life.
Real breakthrough is never easy and sometimes defies conventional wisdom. Sometimes we feel so stuck that the only thing we can do is to trust God enough to push past the crowds, the noise, the expectations and limitations others put on us in order to touch Jesus.
Sometimes we get so focused on our problems, what got us to where we are or the things that we "do" or "did" that define us that we walk right past the next thing God has for us. Sometimes we need to trust God to circle back so he can show us what is next, and when we get there, we need to trust Him to burn the plow and follow Him.
The Bible talks about two kinds of rain, the former rain and latter rain. Each one comes in its season. The former rain falls in Israel in late October/early November and it has a specific function to prepare the hard ground to plough and receive seed. In 1Kings 18 the nation of Israel was about to enter a new season but before the rain came God had to bring them through a process of preparation.
Did you know that getting the kind of life you want is strongly tied to how you use your tongue? The Bible says in the book of Proverbs that the tongue has the power of life and death. What we say and how we talk to others has a dramatic impact on the kind of life we have. Are you intentional about living at peace with others, how about speaking peace over your life and others lives instead of anger, frustration or lies?
Why does it seem so difficult to have the kind of life that you actually want? Why does it appear as thought the prevailing thought about following Jesus seems to be that He wants to ruin your life, rob you of joy and steal your enjoyment away.
Thy Kingdom Come In Us: What does it mean for God's kingdom to be released in our lives every day? What would like be like if we really understood the reality that the power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us?
Thy Kingdom Come: What Will Our Bodies Be Like - So many people have this idea that in heaven we will just be disembodied spirits floating around in an empty ethereal space for eternity. Other people believe that heaven will be an everlasting church service where we'll just sing songs forever. It's no wonder people aren't excited about Heaven. But what does the bible actually say about what we will be like and what we might do for eternity? You might be surprised to find out.
Thy Kingdom Come: Heaven Comes Down. What will the new heaven be like? Will there be rivers, mountains, lakes? Sometimes we buy into the false idea that heaven will somehow be less enjoyable, less beautiful, less sensory than our world now, but is that what the Bible teaches?
Thy Kingdom Come: Will God Destroy The Universe? When satan tempted Adam and Eve and the curse of sin was placed on the earth, did he win? Will God be forced to abandon what He's made by destroying it completely and rebuilding it. What about us? Are we going to be the same people in heaven as we are now?
Thy Kingdom Come: What Happens When We Die? Have you ever wondered what Heaven is like? Is the place that we go when we die the final Heaven where we will spend and eternity with Jesus? Do we have bodies? Will we be ourselves? Unpacking these questions is important because how we live today is controlled by what we believe about the future.
Invisible Authority Week 3: What does it mean to live in spiritual authority? Did you know that God's kingdom is one of order and structure when it comes to authority? Did you know that you will experience greater effectiveness in your prayer life when you learn to live under and submit to authority? Brenda Drost walks through how God's structure of authority works and how can live out of it with greater effectiveness.
Invisible Authority Week 2: Our spiritual armour and how to stand against the attacks of the enemy.
Invisible Authority Week 1: Understanding The Spiritual Realm and the authority we have through the name of Jesus.