Ottawa Valley Community Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Ottawa Valley Community Church
Welcome to the OVC Podcast feed. We're so glad you're taking time to hear how God is working in and through our community. Our mantra is "we are all people with messes of lives" who gather under the incredible grace and love of God. It is our desire to love God, love people, and have fun.
We were so happy to have Mark and Debbie back to visit and share their story of moving to Mexico to follow God's calling for them. The theme of their message this Sunday was Embracing Discomfort.Sometimes we have a false belief that God wouldn't want us to be uncomfortable or wouldn't be leading us down the path blocked by obstacles. But God never promises us an easy life.
Brian shared his testimony with us on Sunday, and spoke to us about the lessons he learned from the book of James. He shared how temptations come from our own sinful desires and attitudes of comparison, and how only god can produce a real change to our thoughts and our conduct.
This week, we heard from Jono on the parable of the Sower and the Seed (Matthew 13). He shared that in order to really hear what God is saying to us through scripture, we have to be willing to dialogue with him. We have to engage with the text and seek a deeper understanding.Jesus isn’t interested in people who only want a surface level relationship with him. He wants intimacy and discussion.
In this message, Ahren walks us through a simple pattern or liturgy designed to break devotional bible reading into practical steps. WITHDRAW, INVITE, READ, MEDITATE, APPLY, CELEBRATE, ARTICULATE.
Join us as Ahren helps us tackle the question, "Why does the 'old gospel story' matter in our complex modern world?"
This week, Ahren leads us in looking at the idea of calling and vocation. How do we have a right posture to hear the voice of God in our lives? It is the servant's heart that draws the voice of the Lord. Is our posture, "What are you going to do for me?" , or is it, "Lord, what can I do for you?"
Ahren talks about how the vision for OVC has changed to one of being a discipling church, and what that looks like on a personal and community level.
Guest speaker Joey Molloy talks about the 3 kinds of people who need to hear us sharing the gospel: those who don't know Jesus, ourselves, and the next generation.
What do we do with suffering? Ahren speaks about how God uses suffering to produce fruit and faith in our lives, to bring Himself glory, and to bring comfort to others.
There are 4 main ways that the Holy Spirit shapes our identity in Christ: scripture prayer, community, and suffering. Ahren speaks on the first 3 and how we need to have a balance in order to become who God has made us to be.
His Glory and Our Good: He is the ONLY true God. How does believing in God as the only true God change how you live? Are there parts of you that are drawn to follow other "gods"? And what good things do you experience by living in the glory of his only-ness?
Ahren kicks off a new sermon series called: "His Glory and Our Good." These messages parallel our small group study materials, highlighting aspect of who God is and looking at how those truths change us and impact our lives for the better. In this first part, Ahren speaks about what it means to seek God first.
Philippians 4:6-7 is what we might call a "panic-to-peace" liturgy. When we pray and give thanks, we will find our troubles transformed into a transcendent sense of peace, knowing that we have a good God who is in control.
What is it about Jesus that makes a disciple want to run after him? Ahren takes us through the story of Matthew the tax collector to see why even one who was considered a sinner and a social outcast would still want to follow Jesus and surrender his life to live Jesus' way.
Sins for which we haven't sought forgiveness are like credit card debts: they create a burden on us, and that burden increases with time. Ian shares his personal experience with learning to give forgiveness, according to God's commands, in order to experience more abundant grace.
What does it look like to be a disciple? Ahren takes us through the stories of Jesus calling the apostles to show us what made them suitable disciples, and how we can adopt these attitudes and heart postures to become better disciples of Christ.
Our goals as a church are changing. Ahren explans why we feel that the "why" behind OVC's existence - our motivation and mission - is changing. God is calling us to spend less time growing and more time building strong foundations of discipleship.
We were made to glorify God. We are most fully ourselves when we delight in his glory. But what does "glory" really mean? And why were we made to glorify? Those are the questions Ahren addresses in this sermon.
God is both transcendent and immanent - mighty and intimate. We tend to place him somewhere on a spectrum between the two, but the reality is that he is completely both. Will you let him show you who he really is?
Although we are in this age of brokenness, we are not of it. It is Jesus' intention to make this world new, and to make us new with it. Vince reminds us that, when things seem dark, we have comfort in Jesus and we are called to be the light in the darkness.
Giving forgiveness isn't easy. But it is the only way to be able to receive forgiveness from God. And, as Ian shares from his personal testimony, it is the only way to live free from the hurt and sin that has been directed at us so that we can fully worship and live in intimate relationship with God.
People are prone to conflict. Even within our own Christian communities, we encounter hurt and brokenness. Kathleen speaks on the importance of Christ-likeness and spiritual transformation for making us into the kind of people who can become the loving community that God desires us to be.
Jack shares about his experience attending YWAM and how God taught him to trust, obey, and turn his focus outward as he went deeper in discipleship.
"They live upon the earth, but they are citizens of heaven." With Canada Day approaching, Ahren teaches us what scripture says about how God and his people relate to the nations and governments of this world.
For Father's Day, Ian brings us a special message on the Father's love. The primary image of our relationship with God in the New Testament is God as our Father. Some of us have good relationships with our fathers, many of us experience brokenness, but all of us need to experience God's fatherly love.
We are brothers and sisters in Christ; we are a family brought together by our allegiance to Christ, working toward a shared purpose. In this sermon, Ahren talks about how God instructs us to interact as a family, and how that plays out in churches today.
To understand what communion is and why we take it, we must also understand what it means to be a communion. We are connected to, and belong with, all believers from all times and places.
In a discussion-style sermon, Ahren teaches about the concept of being "born again." Step into the story of Nicodemus to understand how to be part of what God is doing, the importance of spiritual transformation, and what it means to believe in Jesus.
For Mother's Day, Ahren takes us through the scriptures in which God uses female or mothering images to describe himself before taking us through the story of Hannah to show how God understands the mothering journey.
Paul uses the image of adoption numerous times in his writing to describe our relationship to the family of God. This week, Ahren introduces our new series by exploring what adoption meant in New Testament culture and how that helps us understand our relationship with God.
God wants us to be in relationship with him because we need him - not because he needs us. When he seeks to get our attention, it is often because we really need his attention. But, we can't always stay on top of the mountains in God's presence because it's too much for us to handle. Things in our lives will cause us to experience a disconnect; that is what many call "the dark night of the soul."
What does the Ascension mean for us as believers? So often, we stop the Easter story at the Resurrection, but the Ascension also has major implications on how we live and on our eternity. When the God-Man returned to Heaven in bodily form, he brought a bit of earth (a bit of us) back with Him. And he made a place for us to one day be there with him.
What exactly is grace? And what does God's grace look like when applied in a practical way in our lives? Ian explains 9 key points of grace and how he has seen them manifested in his life and in the lives of people around him.
For Palm Sunday, we are looking at Jesus' statement that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When Thomas asked how to get to where Jesus was going, Jesus said, "I am the way." Much like Jesus' journey into Jerusalem, our journey through life may not always be glorious or easy, but if we follow Jesus as the way, we can rest assured in the hope of our destination.
When Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd," he was differentiating himself from those who were shepherding his people, Israel (and from those who shepherd us today). But he was also pointing out an important aspect of our relationship to him: in order to be under his care, we have to be willing to be under his ownership and direction.
Do you know the voice of your saviour? He alone is the door to abundant life, but we can easily be led astray by thieves and robbers if we are not familiar with our Shepherd's voice.
What are we filling up on? That's the question we're asking in part 2 of our discussion on "I am the bread of life." It's also the question at the heart of Lent: are we filling up on God, or something that ultimately won't satisfy?
As we enter into Lent, our desire is to understand who Jesus is and how that changes how we see ourselves. There are 7 "I am" statements that Jesus makes in the book of John. We're beginning with, "I am the bread of life."
Continuing our mini-series, "Epic: Tales from the Old Testament," Ahren leads us on a close examination of the story of Elijah under the broom tree to understand how God meets us where we're at.
Which kind of offering are you giving God? Digging deep into Romans 11:33 - 12:9, Ahren leads a discussion looking at what Paul has to say about our place in the body of Christ and how we are to serve self-sacrificially in gratitude for God's mercies.
We're starting a new series entitled, "Epic: Tales from the Old Testament," looking at obscure or lesser-known stories from the Old Testament and what they have to teach us (after all, they were included in scripture for a reason). First up, Ahren discusses the healing of Naaman in 1 Kings 5:1-19.
This week, Vince brings us a message on the Psalms and how they can be applied to our lives, our prayer time, and our worship.
We're kicking off the new year with our favourite annual trafition: pastor on the hot seat. Ahren fields questions from members of the congregation and does his best to answer them on the spot.
Part 4 of our Advent series is Emmanuel: God with us in the field. Looking at the story of the shepherds who first received the announcement of Jesus' birth, Ahren reminds us that our place of work should be dedicated to God, and our gifts are our sacrifices to Him. How do you respond to this reality?
The third part of our Advent series is Emmanuel: God with us in the seeking. Looking at the story of the wise men, Ahren digs deeper to explore their journey of seeking Jesus, and how God met them in many ways throughout the process, bringing them joy and guiding them to their ultimate destination: a place of worship. We can learn a lot about our own journeys of seeking Christ when we look at the story of the wise men.
In the second week of our Advent series, Ahren speaks on what it means to have God with us in moments of decision. Looking at Joseph's careful and difficult decision about whether to marry Mary (Matthew 1:18-25), we see that sometimes God's way is one we may never have even considered. God's way also isn't always the easiest one. Where might you be tempted to choose a decision that serves you instead of identifying with God's purpose for your life?
As we come into the advent season, we will be exploring the theme of Emmanuel: God With Us. In this first sermon of the series, Ahren speaks on God with us in the waiting. When there is hurt or brokenness, when we feel lost, abandoned, or hopeless, even then we can trust in the promises of God and the hope of His return. Not only that, but we can count on Him to be with us in the difficult times, even as we wait on His promises.
No one can live without hope. At a time when our world and our culture feel so lost in hopelessness, Vince reminds us that we have the only true source of hope in Christ's resurrection and his Spirit present within us. And that hope is not only for us, but for the world, as He is coming again to make all things right.
To continue our series on discipleship, Ahren addresses our societal mistrust of authority (and other people in general) and how this hinders our willingness to let other people speak into our lives. But one important issue this raises is the role and responsibility of Christian leaders and disciplers, and how that should look biblically.
How are we to find the time and energy needed for true discipleship? It seems that chronic exhaustion has become a normal part of our lives and culture. We're exhausted from living life in a way that God never intended for us to live. God offers something different: true rest, and running without weariness, when we rely on him.
Rooted: Growing Up and Growing Deep, is a sermon series on the importance of discipleship. In this talk, Ahren spoke on the Christ-likeness that defines disciples and how that requires holding a very unique, and often hard-to-accept, tension of truth and compassion, of humility and honesty. It's a balancing act – a narrow path, but one that leads to life.
Every man needs a fatherly voice in their life. For Timothy, that voice was Paul, his spiritual father. In honour of Father's Day, Ahren takes us through an examination of Paul's letters to Timothy to see the godly and fatherly advice that he has for Timothy and, by extension, all Christian men. Through Paul's words, we are reminded of God's hope and purpose for all our lives.
The redemptive power of God is the only force in the universe that can transform your identity. Peter was reminded of this in his conversation with Jesus on the beach. Despite all his grandiose promises to follow Jesus and give his life for the mission, Peter fell short. But when Jesus presented him with this opportunity for redemption, he realized that he couldn't live up to that perfect image he had tried to create for himself. All he could offer was his imperfect love and commitment, trusting that Jesus could use him in greater ways by making him who God intended him to be.
The gospel of John features many stories of Jesus' disciples wrestling with their faith. One of the most memorable accounts is that of Peter denying Jesus during His trial, leading up to the crucifixion. Ahren explains how this story serves as a beautiful reminder that, even when we fail God or refuse to own our faith, He still loves us and is working to lead us to where He wants us to end up. Sometimes we just need to hear the rooster's crow to remind us.
Doubting Thomas often gets a bad rap. But John uses his story as the linchpin for his entire gospel account, which was carefully written to highlight specific accounts that would persuade readers that Jesus was Christ and the Son of God. Why? Because we all wrestle with ownership of our faith from time to time. And Thomas' story not only reminds us that this is normal, but teaches us how we can deal with our doubts and hesitations.
To help us celebrate Mother's Day, we are joined by special guest speaker Beryl Orok, who is speaking on the important role that God has given to mothers. While acknowledging how difficult this day can be for some, Beryl reminds us of some powerful examples from the Bible of mothers who followed God's leading and example in caring for their families.
This week, we're joined by three special guests: Murray Cornelius (Executive Director for Internatioal Missions at the PAOC), Pastor Munetsi Zowa, and Bishop Never Muparutsa. They share a little bit with us about the impact of international missions, particularly in Zimbabwe, and how they have seen the church growing. Bishop Never then takes some time to remind us about the importance of the mission, using examples from the accounts of the apostles to show us how easy it can be to lose sight of the mission and get caught up in ourselves.
What keeps us from seeing Jesus? That's the question Ahren answers this week while looking at the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). In this passage, we encounter some disciples leaving Jerusalem after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but what they don't realize is that Jesus is walking alongside them. Why can't they see who he is? There are times or areas in our lives where we are as blind as they were. But the good news is that Jesus meets us in those moments.
Guest speaker David Ruis, Director of Vineyard Canada, shares some words of wisdom and encouragement with us from the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). In our foolishness, we tend to plan our lives out without ever knowing what's coming ahead. When we do, we can easily become overwhelmed when things change unexpectedly. But, through this parable, God invites us to be wise and to look for His leading. We need to be expectant, alert, and ready to pivot.
After the disciples found the empty tomb, 62 personal encounters with Jesus were recorded. Why does the validity of the accounts of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection matter? Ahren explains what the truth of the Easter story means for our lives and how that should change the way we live.
For Palm Sunday, Ivan explores the kingly imagery associated with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and encourages us to consider the question of how we will respond to His lordship. Are we prepared to let Jesus rule His way in our lives, or do we have our own expectations of what it means for Him to be our Lord and Saviour?
How do we endure and thrive when we are fundamentally at odds with the world around us? That's the question Jesus answers for His disciples in John 15:18-16:33. In this text, Jesus reminds His followers that there should be something distinct about them–about us. We don't live as the world lives. Our priorities, actions, and words should set us apart. There is grief that comes with that. But God promises to be with us in it.
Picking up from his last message, Ahren reminds us that the disciples were feeling troubled that Jesus was leaving them, and how He comforted them by explaining that the mission was to go on. In this second part of the chapter, Jesus further addresses their concerns that they would be alone by teaching them about how the Holy Spirit would come to bring them guidance, love, power, comfort, and connection to God until Jesus returns. The Holy Spirit, as Ahren explains, plays a crucial role in fulfilling the Old Covenant.
In the second part of our "Prepared" series, Ivan takes us through John 15:1-11 and helps us understand how the illustration of the vine and the branches reflects a sincere relationship with Jesus: one in which we are present, obedient, persistent, and faithful. When we abide, we are made more like Christ, we grow closer to God, and we bear the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.
The season of Lent is about preparing our hearts for Easter. As we move through this time, we are looking at John 14-17, in which Jesus prepares his disciples for his death and continuing on the mission without him. For the first part of this series, Ahren breaks down John 14:1-6. Here, Jesus begins to address the concerns of his disciples as they realize that they are about to lose their Messiah, and he assures them that he has a mission and a place for them.
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:25) Although God's wisdom may seem like foolishness to the world (1 Cor 1:18), our human understanding can never compare. We need spiritual discernment. In this week's talk, Ivan reminds us not to rely on the knowledge and wisdom of this world, but to seek the wisdom of God instead.
What is Lent? Depending on your church background, you may not be too familiar with this practice. This week, Ivan dives into the history of this traditional time of fasting, and the heart behind this season of sacrifice and reflection. By giving something up, we refocus our minds and make space to spend time with God. If, like Ivan, you have never entered into Lent before, you are invited to take part in this time of repentance, renewal, and restoration with us.
Does the Gospel cease being relevant or necessary once we're saved? Absolutely not! No matter how mature our faith, or how many times we've heard it, we will never outgrow our need for the Gospel. Ahren reminds us that, in all circumstances, we must preach the Gospel to ourselves and have it preached to us because it is our anchor and our source of hope.
What is the significance of baptism? In this week's sermon, Ahren talks about the identity piece behind baptism. While baptism is an act of obedience and a public expression of faith, it is also representative of the Christian's choice to lay down their own identity and take up the identity of Christ.
We all have bad days. No matter who you are, you will have faced troubling circumstances. And for many, the scariest part of that is the unknown: not knowing how things will turn out or if we will be okay. But God calls us to continue walking by faith. Whenever God brings us to a place of struggle or uncertainty, we can learn from the example of Job that God is trustworthy, He is in control, and He will deliver us.
We all experience anxieties and stress from time to time. But, in our current climate of cultural anxiety, those feelings can be heightened. As the Church, we are called to be a place of refuge, security, and peace in the midst of this turmoil. Yet, many of us would admit that we have felt these anxieties as well. The problem is not that we have fear, but what we are fearing. God is above it all, and He is the only one whose power is worthy of our fear, awe, and respect.
God does want His people to prosper, but not at the expense of their souls. That's why, in 3 John verse 2, he prays that Gaius would see prosperity in all areas of life in accordance with the prosperity of his soul. Guest speaker Ian Dunn reminds us that we must be worshipping properly if we want to see God's blessings poured out in all areas of our lives. And so, our top priority should always be the prosperity (the growth and wellbeing) of our souls.
If a new year is a blank book, then the question we must ask is, "Who will write our story this year?" It can be easy to focus on what others say about us, or what we want our lives to look like, but the best stories are those that God writes. Ivan's challenge to us for 2023 is to let God have the ultimate control of our lives and to look ahead to where He is leading us. So, will you make Jesus the LORD of your life this year?
In subconscious ways, we, like Herod, perceive Jesus as a threat to our autonomy, but this is the wrong way to see Him. He is our long-awaited Messiah. He is our King who came to deliver us and set us free to establish His kingdom in us first and then in His world. Will We Bow? (Sermon Text: Matthew 2:1-12)
Some ideas are meant to be struggled with. Some things are never meant to be fully understood. But the divinity of Christ is one thing we should know with certainty. That is why the gospel of Luke begins by explaining that rigorous research and interviews were conducted to confirm what we have been told about Jesus. That is also why, in this third week of Advent, Ahren is taking us through the facts of Jesus' birth to remind us of the significance of His death.
No other god recorded throughout all of history did what our God and Saviour did. On this second Sunday of Advent, Ivan talks about how Jesus came near to us and became like one of us so that we could draw closer in relationship to Him. Jesus lived a life of vulnerability, temptation, grief, and suffering so that we could know that we have a Saviour who understands us and identifies intimately with us.
The world is in need of a Saviour, whether they know it or not. On this first Sunday of Advent, Ahren speaks on the hope that Jesus can bring to all areas of our life. The place where Jesus lived and began His ministry was full of gloom and darkness, idol worship, and suffering. But Jesus brought light and hope into that gloom. And he does the same with any areas of our lives where we experience gloom, pain, and despair.
The purpose of church isn't just for us to be ministered to, but for us to minister to others. As members of God's kingdom here on earth, we are called to be part of bringing healing, restoration, and salvation. And, in order to do that, we have to choose to fully surrender our lives to God. Only then can the kingdom come in us and through us.
In the third part of the series "But It's Not My Dream," Ivan discusses the importance of humility in our relationship with God, both for individuals and the collective body of Christ. If we want to see change in our lives and grow closer to God, we have to be willing to let go of our pride and place ourselves under God's mission and serve His will instead of our own.
To be effective in this world, we have to be like Jesus. One person we see in the Bible who mirrors Jesus in many ways is Joseph. In the second part of the sermon series, "But It's Not My Dream: The Heart of a Servant," Ivan looks at the ways that Joseph's life parallels Jesus' and what we can learn from those commonalities.
As the body of Christ, we (the members of the church) are to be imitators of Christ. The life of the church should closely resemble the life of Jesus. But we've come short over and over again because we have neglected our commitments to one another. We've made church about what we take away from it, rather than what we bring to it. How can we shift our approach away from an individualized experience and towards a community built around caring for and ministering to one another?
Periods of hardship and change often reveal us to be people of attraction rather than commitment. But when we entered into a covenantal relationship with God, we also entered into a covenantal relationship with the church. As Christians, we are connected to other believers in our church congregation, in our local area, and around the world. What happens when we don't take that commitment seriously?
Even if we get nothing out of our worship experience, we are still fulfilling our purpose of reflecting God's glory back to Him. It can be easy to approach our church gatherings as activities and ministries that are meant to serve us: to teach us, to make us feel good, to offer us a chance to socialize. And God can certainly use these experiences to reveal Himself to us and draw us closer to Him. But our true motivation for gathering and worshipping should be to glorify God.
Do you know who you REALLY are? Or do you feel insecure? Perhaps you need to stop basing your worth on earthly value systems and start seeing yourself through God's perspective. If you have had a born-again experience, then you hold high status as a child of God! You have been adopted into God's family. You are a chosen child.
What are we leaving for the next generation? As believers, we are called to prepare and equip the next generation of leaders, but so often we don't think about how our lives leave a legacy. Randal, a missionary in Hong Kong, shares how, in his experience, legacy-building is often an informal process that happens as younger Christians watch and interact with us. Thus, we need to be intentional about what we are teaching those around us so that we can plant and water the seeds that God will one day use to produce much fruit.
"Follow me as I follow Christ" was Paul's instruction to the Corinthians. As believers, we should be able to say the same thing to those around us. In order to be used by God, we must be like Christ, and that starts with humility Looking at the story of Joseph, Ivan gives an example from the Old Testament of what it means to have a servant heart.
In part 2 of our "Why Church?" series, Ahren talks about our mission to God. We tend (sometimes unintentionally) to build our churches around the idea of what we, as "consumers," can get out of the experience. But what if our main goal in every ministry was to bring glory to God? We often fail to realize that God desires to have us glorifying Him because it is actually the best thing He can do for us.
As members of the Church, many of us may be feeling insecurity in our current cultural context. The Church has diminished in numbers, significance, and reputation recently. There are many past hurts and current controversies that are tied to the Church. But, when we look at scripture, we see that the Church was and is God's chosen instrument to reveal himself to the world. In this week's message, Ahren reminds us that our purpose is to bring glory to God, and challenges us to consider how we can make that our central focus.
When God is in something, we can do it. Often, when God asks us to do something, the task can seem impossible. But all God asks of us is that we faithfully do what is possible for us and leave the impossible up to Him. In particular, Ivan asks us to consider this in light of the work of evangelizing and discipling, and he shares how God called him to do this in his own life.
The Great Commission tells us to "GO."(Matt. 28:16-20) However, if we're honest, we're not going very fast. The imperative to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that he has commanded, sounds incredibly challenging in a cultural context when no one wants to be taught and no-one wants to obey. That being said, the first Christians thrived in an environment like that, and we can too. As we examine the life of the early church, we'll discover that the only way to make teachable obedient disciples is to become true disciples ourselves. List any inner resistance to reaching your friend, and you'll find a discipleship issue with yourself. Will we engage in the process and let him MAKE (poieó/construct) us into "fishers of men"(Matt. 4:19)?
How do we wait well? This week, Vince talks about how to read the book of Revelation in light of our current state of waiting for Christ to return.
Ivan joins us this week to share the story of a man who became a blood donor and ended up saving millions of lives, and he invites us to reflect on our need for a different kind of blood donor to save our lives.
Where is God when we experience "storms" in our lives? Darren shares how he has been like the disciples in Mark 4:35-41, who were so troubled by their earthly situation that they missed seeing that God was in control the whole time, and how he came to experience God's perfect peace in spite of stormy seasons.
Is God enough for us to delight in Him? That is the question Ahren asks this week as he talks about finding true delight in God and how it looks to live that out.
Ruth chapter 3 tells the love story of Ruth and Boaz. While this may not be our typical kind of romance, as Ahren explains, it is a representation of our relationship with God. Like Boaz, Jesus fills the role of kinsman redeemer and we can learn from Ruth how to respond to Him accordingly.
As we celebrate Father's Day, Ahren leads us in a discussion about walking in the Spirit. Looking at Galatians 5:16-25, he talks about how this concept applies both to fathers and to all of us as a church community.
How do we navigate our place in the sovereignty of God? Ahren answers this question in a practical way through the story of Ruth and gives applicable instructions for how to live in this understanding on a daily basis.
In this first part of our journey through the book of Ruth, Ahren talks about the theme of conversion and commitment. Looking at the background of the family in the first chapter, we see the consequences of trying to fix our own problems and what true commitment to God (and others) should look like.
Addressing the idols in your life isn't always easy. This week, Ahren discusses the story of King Josiah recorded in 2 Kings 23 to reveal the wisdom with which Josiah proceeded to remove the idols from his life and how we can follow the example he set.
Diving into 2 Kings, Ahren takes us through the story of Josiah, the boy king who led the restoration of the temple and the revival of faith in Judah. Through the history of Judah and King Josiah, we see the importance of God's Word for protecting us from following idols.
In honour of Mother's Day, Ahren takes us through the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 to answer the question "What makes a great mother?" Hannah's story is a great example not just for mothers but for every individual, of how to live faithfully.
That Jesus was a real person who was crucified is commonly accepted fact. But His resurrection is much more disputed. Resident historian Vince joins us this week to look at the historical context and evidence for Jesus's resurrection and the implications of this significant event throughout history and in our lives today.
As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Ahren shares with us five undisputed facts about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ acclaimed by historians and scholars. In this, we see not only strong evidence of these events, but also a sense of how our lives are to look because of them.
While the rest of our Lent series has been looking at the week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, today Ahren is taking us backwards to Palm Sunday. Examining the significance of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he asks us to consider this question: "Is the cross enough?"
For the fifth week of Lent, we are looking at the trials that Jesus faced before His death. Focusing in on the trial before Annas, Ahren explains how this event mirrors our own behaviours when confronted with the authority of Jesus.
For the fourth week of Lent, Ahren takes us back to the Garden of Gethsemane to look at how Jesus prayed in the time of his greatest distress. In this part of the journey to the cross, we are reminded that we must daily lay down our lives, our plans, and our dreams to pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
For the third week of Lent, Ahren digs into the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, prompting us to consider the quality of our prayer lives. Using Jesus as a model, we see the importance of setting aside a distinct time and place to bring everything before God.
For the second week of Lent, we are asking the question: "Are we devoted to prayer?" To help us answer that, Ahren speaks on what it means to pray according to the Biblical context of Matthew 26:36.
This week, we are kicking off Lent with the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. Looking at the symbolism of this act, Ahren speaks about the importance of humility and vulnerability in our relationships with Christ and one another.
ONE series: bonus episode (part 2). Looking at more biblical examples of conflict within the church, Ahren reminds us about what it looks like to have true love and humility in our interactions with one another.
ONE Series: bonus episode (part 1). Ahren explores scriptural examples of conflict in the church to help us understand how to practically handle division and disagreement, especially as it pertains to the current political climate in Canada.
Ahren wraps up our ONE series this week with a timely message on unity within the body of Christ. Speaking on both our current circumstances and our overall way of life, Ahren reminds us about how God designed us to be interdependent. Without one another, we cannot build the church.
We are happy to have Matt back with us this week to talk about what it means to "walk in the flesh" versus "walking in the Spirit." Looking at Galatians 5:19-21, Matt explains the importance of self-examination and confession as it pertains to our lives and the impact we have on those around us.
This week in the ONE series Ahren talks about the ONE Spirit – the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit, what does He do, and how does that impact the way in which we behave towards other believers?
How do we see the resurrection breaking through to this life? How does what we do here affect what happens in eternity? In part 2 of his "ONE Hope" message, Ahren looks at how the hope we have in Christ's death and resurrection impacts and influences our present lives.
What does heaven look like? This week in the ONE series, Ahren talks about the one hope that all believers share: the hope for salvation and resurrection. Taking a deeper dive into the topic, he looks at what we know about heaven from the few glimpses we are given in scripture.
Following the Christmas story, we will be taking a look at the flight of Jesus' family to Egypt when he was a young child.
For the fourth week of advent, we are looking at the story of the angels and the shepherds in Luke 2:8-15. Deep-diving into this story, Ahren talks about the connection between giving glory to God and receiving His blessings for us.
The theme for week 3 of our advent series is LOVE. This week, Ahren takes us through the story of Mary and the Magnificat (her poem) in Luke 1:26-37 & 46-55, and examines the careful balance between God's sovereignty over our lives and our responsibility to act and respond.
The theme for our second sermon in the advent series is peace. This week, Ahren takes us on a journey to faith alongside the Magi as we look in depth at Matthew 2:1-12
This week, we begin our advent series. To begin, we are exploring the theme of hope. Looking at John 1:1-5 & 14, Matt walks us through a journey of understanding how Christ's light enters into the darkness.
This week in our ONE series, we're looking at the one face that we share. How free to serve God with joy might we be if we could simply trust in Him by faith to deal with our guilt.
This week in our ONE series we look at what it means to share in Jesus' resurrection. How does the resurrection of Jesus that happened in the past and speaks to our future life with God, affect us in the present? What does it mean to live with hope?
This week in our ONE series we look at what it means to share one baptism with other Christians. Paul uses language about our identification with the death of Christ. What does it mean for our old selves to die so that we can experience new life??
This week we look at what it is to be united under one God. Ephesians 4:6 expresses a trinitarian understanding of who God is. Paul describes the Father as being over us, the Son as being through us, and the Spirit as being in us. What does it mean to be united by having a God that connects us so powerfully on these levels?
If we are to have any hope of offering a unified, relevant witness to the world, Christians must recenter themselves on the main and the plain of the scriptures and the gospel. We must find singular purpose, less oriented around meeting our personal, individual needs, and be unified by the singular purpose to be a church that glorifies Christ.
Ephesians 4:1-5
Thanksgiving Sunday: This week we look at the idea of Thanksgiving being more than us just thanking God for the good things he's done for us. It's us saying we want to become those who are not only thankful ourselves, but cause thanksgiving to rise out of others. We don't just want to be thanksgiving towards, we want to be thankscausing.
Join us this week as Vince helps us investigate what it means to have faith. For more information, visit ovv.ca.
This week, Craig takes us through a fresh look at what it means to love each other. We look at the cost of joining Jesus in what we are commanded to do, and the truth that the highest form of what we are called to do is love.
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Join us as Kathleen leads us through a discussion on what the church will look like after covid restrictions end.
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Join us as we look at Ephesians chapter 1 verses 15-19, as Jesus calls us deeper, to a life where we experience all that he has available to us.
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James tells us to look into the law of liberty and persevere, not just forgetting what we see, but being "doers who act". Jake sheds light on this mirror that James is pointing us to, and exhorts us to persevere and act on the beautiful reflection Jesus casts to all people.
What is spiritual death? What are we talking about when we talk about the world, the flesh and the Devil? Join us in Ephesians 2:1-4 as we tackle these things and wrestle with what they imply for us today.
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This week we talk about confession and forgiveness. We recognize our desperate need to completely and honestly take responsibility for our sin, to recognize God as the one against whom we have sinned, and to rely on Him as our just Judge, completely trusting Him for forgiveness and grace apart from all our works. Forgive Us Our Debts, Lord!
This week we'll look at what it means to pray for our practical needs in a mission oriented way. We want to pray less about our fears and desires, and more about what we need to accomplish the tasks God has given us. And in the end we find that our deepest fears of want and lack are not so much the fears about practical things, but fears and doubts about God's love. Our natural needs are often spiritual needs.
This week we speak about the longing we have in our hearts for clarity about God's will for our lives. The desire to obey without angst and the freedom to do the things that God is calling us to with a joyful and worshipful spirit.
What does it mean to live a life that establishes what God wants within yourself and the world around you, over and above establishing what you want? It's his Kingdom not ours, so how do we live that out?
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Everything starts with "Why?". When Jesus teaches us how to pray, the first of the petitions is that God's name be hallowed or elevated. This guiding principle of giving glory to God helps us order our lives and entangle much of life's confusion.
In the introduction to the lord's prayer, Jesus gives us a new paradigm for conversation with God. In calling God, "Our Father", Jesus takes prayer out of an institutional religious mode, and makes it something familial. You're not a part of a bureaucracy. You're part of a family.
This week we’ll be beginning a series on prayer. Before we jump into a study on “The Lord’s Prayer” from Mathew 6, we’ll give this first week to wrestling with some honest questions! -If God already knows everything, what’s the point? -Does prayer work when I’m not sure I believe? -Why is it so hard to focus when I try to pray? -What if I just don’t feel like praying? -What if it doesn’t seem like God is listening? -How can I break out of shame or failure? -Should I ask for what I want or do I have to know God’s will?
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Jesus tells his followers baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - What is that, and why are we doing that? Jake brings clarity to a lesser understood part of Jesus' "departing instructions" to his followers!
In honouring our parents we celebrate the goodness of God we see in them, and we become what we celebrate. So honour your mom, celebrate Jesus, and grow yourself.
Wrestling with Christian Exclusivism:
What do nice inclusive Canadians do with parts of the bible that say that Jesus is the only way(see Mark 16:16)? Unfair? Bigoted? Mean? Or can love be seen in this? If these are questions you wrestle with, either as a believer or as someone investigating Christianity, this will hopefully be of help.
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This week we look at the uncomfortable challenge of being called to reach across space and cultural barriers to tell the story of Jesus.
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Join us as we dive into the second part of a series on Ecclesiastes and join the author on his still very relevant search for a life worth living. Can we find satisfaction in this life? If so, where!?
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Demystifying the great commission - Why the church the reaches out and why we don't need to be jerks about it.
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Finding wonder, belonging and vocation through understanding the intentionality of Jesus' journey to the cross.
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LOSE IT, LEAVE IT, LOWER IT... LIVE 4 HIM!:
Too much attachment to our stuff, our relationships and our pride causes to miss out on the fullness of life Jesus wants us to live. We have to leave our stuff to live for Him.
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Finding Jesus in the Crowd in a world full of many choices. How do we come to see Jesus at the center?
OUR PROBLEMS NEED HIS POWER: We are often bound by sinful patterns, addictions, illnesses, and spiritual oppression that are beyond our strength to cure or endure. Only Jesus has the power to deliver us or sustain us through them.
Lent Reading: Jesus’ Three Years of Ministry: Jesus Demonstrates His Power and Compassion: (Luke 4:14-6:19) • Key Sermon Stories/Text(s): • The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me (Luke 4:16-22) • Healing of a Paralytic (Luke 5:17-26
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The Jesus story happened so long ago. Was He just a super charismatic teacher and leader or was He something more? Luke goes to great lengths to give us His credentials so that we can grow in confidence that Jesus was the Son of God.
Lent Reading: Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry: Credentials of the Son of God (Luke 1-4:13) • Key Sermon Stories/Text(s): • Prophesied, Divine Birth, Educated, Ushered by John, Baptized, Genealogy, Tested • The Temptation Of Jesus (Luke 4:1-13)
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The story of Israel in the Old Testament included being taken away as exiles to a foreign land, and the promise of God to bless all nations through them seemed to be on the ropes. This week Jake, Ahren and Matt took a look at this moment in the story, and hear God's heart speak to His people in exile, in Jeremiah 31. There is something for us in God's words to them, today - in our own kinds of "exile" or rebellion, and in a cultural moment shifting away from allegiance to Christ. God's heart to them speaks volumes to us today. We're inviting you to hear what God may have to say to you through this - in a "podcast-style" sermon.
How does an overarching view of the story of Moses help us to understand the message of the New Testament better? What does it have to say to us about journeying deeper into discipleship?
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Looking at the life of Joseph, how can we understand God's sovereign work through difficult circumstances? Where do our good and bad choices fit in the mix?
This week, we take a closer look at the story of Abraham and Isaac and the very difficult test before Abraham. Is God cruel? Why would he test us and allow very difficult things to come our way? Tune in as we seek to wrestle with these important questions.
This week we delve into Genesis chapter 12, looking at Abraham's story, complete with all his failures and how he, by God's grace, came to be known as a "father of faith". This leads to the very important question: How can you and I grow in our faith?
Why are more churches not challenging lockdown rules? What is the church's role in politics and protest? How can I know what is true and what is a conspiracy theory? What about vaccines? Join us this week, as we tackle these and more trending questions.
No matter how controversial, this week our pastors are in the hot seat, ready to answer what ever questions you throw at them. Tune in to this engaging question and answer period between the public and our pastors.
In a culture where the word love may have lost its meaning, we take take a closer look at the overarching, generous, altruistic love of God. Tune in with us during this third week of Advent.
During this second week of advent, we take a deep look at the peace (shalom) that the prince of peace came to give to us.
During this first week of advent, we dive into Isaiah 7 and 9, and discuss the amazing hope of the Saviour who is given for us.
When doing church looks different than it used to, we continue to discuss the function of the church when our form has changed.
When doing church looks different than it used to, we dive into Proverbs chapter 3 to discuss the value of function over form.
Tune in this week as we take a closer look at how we should live in relation to governing authorities.
In challenging times like this, is hope something you just have to hope for or are there things we can do to set ourselves up for hope? Do relationships have to be strained, or are there things we can do to have deeper and richer friendships than ever?
Is faith a feeling, a vibe, wishful thinking, or could faith be something more substantial? This week we’ll look at Hebrews 11 and discover how faith can be founded on something so much more!
The Spirit Speaks! God has given the church beautiful faculties by which our lives and the life of the church can be guided, but where would we be without the Spirit? While we very much wish God had used the book of Revelation to encode instructions for how a church ought to innovate for Fall 2020 during the Covid-19 crisis, He seems to have omitted those critical instructions. So… we discover, discern, discuss and passionately invite the Spirit to speak into the life of our community… Are we listening?
In the middle of a time of uncertainty, how do we hear from God as a community? This week we reflect on the importance of balance and persistence as we continue to walk into everything that God has for us.
His ways are not our ways… it’s hard to get a snapshot of God’s will for our lives when we’re so used to taking selfies. This week we looked at Romans 12:1 and discussed how offering ourselves as living sacrifices is the best possible path to enjoying true, love-filled, vibrant, holy, luminescent, glorious, eternal life, joyful, radiant LIFE! As we seek God for next steps for our community, we want to lay down our peeves and preferences to get to the heart of what He’s calling us to together.
How can we know the will of God? The months ahead are filled with questions... for us, our vocations, our families and our church. How can we make decisions about the days ahead when we have know idea what the future holds? How do we peer into the fog to find God’s perfect will for our lives?… Or, maybe there’s a better question… how can we become people, more perfectly suited to knowing it? How do we become “know-ers?” We’ll find some answers together in Romans 12.
Why do we do this God-thing when it often seems like the people around us have it so much better than we do?? Join us in Psalm 73 as we meditate with the psalmist on what it is that we really want in our heart of hearts.
What do you need to know about God to become a person who does not run from the battle? Today we look at II Sam 23:9-10, and we discuss how we can fight the battles that we face in this life, in a heroic way with God.
This week, Kathleen leads us through Psalm 27, and shares with us how the Lord used this Psalm to give her hope and strength during a very difficult time in her life. She encourages us to wait on the Lord, and to desire His presence above all else.
This week, we take a look at Psalm 127, and Matthew helps us wrestle with the idea of security, and where true security lies.
Join us this week, as Craig helps us take a closer look at the power of the tongue, and how we can use our words to bless or tear down those around us.
”How Do I Say This?” This week, we’ll look at another layer in Psalm 96. We’ll take some of the unique words from the psalm that describe our mission to share His love and connect the dots to the amazing ways Jesus showed us how to humbly walk it out! Have you ever wondered how to say it?
This incredibly hopeful Psalm has sometimes been called the missionary hymn! In this psalm God is described as good, glorious, splendorous, marvellous, strong and beautiful… so why are we so hesitant to talk about him? What holds you back from “declaring His glory to the nations.
In one of the most difficult moments of David’s life, he shows incredible emotional maturity. In this message, we talk through some important steps on the journey from a place of emotional distress to a feeling of safety and how to get there even when you can’t change your circumstances. How can you go from destress to safety when you can’t change your circumstances?
On this Father's Day, Ahren walks us through I Tim 4:7-10, which compares us to spiritual athletes. Tune in as he encourages to compete in a way that will help us win the game of life.
Jake takes us through the experience of the Psalmist in Psalm 23, following the Lord His Shepherd. Asking the question: what does this look for us today? Jesus still invites each one of us to a new life, with Him as our Shepherd, thousands of years later.
From thankfulness for what God has done, to a reflection on his character and how we fall short, to a confirmation of our security in God's love, ending in a meditation on God's sovereignty. Join us in Psalm 103 for the next part of our journey through the Psalms as we wrestle alongside the original authors with the vagaries and incertitude of life and hear God speak into this moment.
This week in our Psalms Series we’ll be diving into Psalm 29. There are moments(and this might be one of those weeks) when the world seems out of control and powerful unseen forces seem to be conspiring to tear our society apart, Psalm 29 assures us of God’s power over all and His ability to give strength and peace where it’s needed. Please give Psalm 42 a read before Sunday morning… get it rolling around in your heart. We’ll be speaking from The ESV(English Standard Version) if you want to match language.
What do the Psalms call us to ADMIT to God and to ourselves? How do they help us to see things about God that invite us to ADORE Him? What do they show us about life to which we can ASPIRE! (Nod to Tim Keller devotional “The Songs of Jesus” for Admit, Adore, Aspire)!
This week in our Psalms Series we’ll be diving into Psalm 47. Vocation - Vocation - Vocation! Where can I find true meaning? Is it found in being a good person, being good at your work, being true to yourself, being an advocate for someone else?… Could there be ultimate meaning beyond all that? Psalm 47 points us towards our true vocation as “glory givers.” ! Please give Psalm 47 a read before Sunday morning… get it rolling around in your heart. We’ll be speaking from The ESV(English Standard Version) if you want to match language.
What do the Psalms call us to ADMIT to God and to ourselves? How do they help us to see things about God that invite us to ADORE Him? What do they show us about life to which we can ASPIRE! (Nod to Tim Keller devotional “The Songs of Jesus” for Admit, Adore, Aspire)!
In moments of "soul distress," what can we do? While managing our emotions is complex, there are incredibly powerful steps we can take to impact our spiritual trajectory, both in terms of what we are saying to ourselves and what what we do. This week we’ll talk about the “do” part. Even in seemingly hopeless moments, there are tiny steps that can make a HUGE difference. The author of Psalm 42 leads the way.
This week in our Psalms Series we’ll be diving into Psalm 42. Even the most mature among us go through moments of the thirsty-soul… times when we are “downcast”… times when things just don’t seem right. How do we go from downcast to up-lifted? Psalm 42 offers practical suggestions to help us find our way through! Please give Psalm 42 a read before Sunday morning… get it rolling around in your heart. We’ll be speaking from The ESV(English Standard Version) if you want to match language.
What do the Psalms call us to ADMIT to God and to ourselves? How do they help us to see things about God that invite us to ADORE Him? What do they show us about life to which we can ASPIRE! (Nod to Tim Keller devotional “The Songs of Jesus” for Admit, Adore, Aspire)!
What do the psalms call us to ADMIT to God and to ourselves? How do they help us to see things about God that invite us to ADORE Him? What do they show us about life to which we can ASPIRE! (Nod to Tim Keller devotional “The Songs of Jesus” for Admit, Adore, Aspire).
This week we’ll be diving into Psalm 91. “Co-incidentally,” the Talmud (ancient Jewish writing) refers to this incredibly hopeful psalm as the “psalm of plagues.” How can we pray through to a sense of safety in a moment when the world itself seems like it’s almost out to get us? Please give Psalm 91 a read. Get it rolling around in your heart. We’ll be speaking from the ESV (English Standard Version) if you want to match language.
Focusing on James 4:1-10 and 1 John 2:15-17, we will look at what these biblical authors meant when they warned us strongly about "loving the world". What is this call that God has given each of us to love Him above all else? What does that look like? Jake takes us into the invitation of God for each of us to have our treasure not on earth, but in heaven.
Now that the resurrection has happened how are we supposed to live? What are some guiding principles that can guide us forward as we follow Jesus? Join us in our study of 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 as we talk about 4 ways we can position ourselves to walk into everything that God has for us.
Unexpected Joy: Easter offers us emotional whiplash in the most wonderful way. Imagine Jesus’ followers heartbroken over the death of their leader and friend. Now he is ALIVE!!!… walking talking and eating with them again. This is not a fairy story. It is an historical event that so impacted their lives that they fearlessly faced torture and death as they lived to express Jesus love to a world that didn’t understand them. In the end, they changed the world! This fearless way of being human is more than relevant for us as we walk through fearful times of our own.
The peace Jesus brought to the world through this grief filled moment is more than relevant in these difficult times. Please join us as we take some time together reflect, pray and engage with the scriptures.
This Palm Sunday we’ll look at Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem. It was a perplexing time. While rulers scoffed, Jesus fans excitedly celebrated His coming into the city as their King. Jesus' steps revealed His true mission, not to bring political peace that would last a moment, but deep abiding peace that would ultimately set His people free forever! We’ll take a look inside sovereignty to celebrate the true peace that all who are His subjects may enjoy! Where can you find peace in perplexing times?
Who’s directing this crazy show anyway?… Meet The Director. This week we’ll look at the story of the arrest of Jesus in John 18:1-11. We’ll wrestle through tough questions about freedom, sovereignty and control. How do we find faith and trust when the whole world seems out of whack?
Are we prepared to endure? A simple message this week. We never know what life has in store for us… many joys and many hardships. This week we’ll join Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as he prepares to endure the cross. How did He prepare His heart to endure the most painful moments of His life?... How does He prepare us to follow?
How do we deal in times like these?… In what spirit? In the spirit of love for all mankind? In a spirit of fear or anxiety? In the spirit of Christmas??? In the spirit of having a lot of extra toilet paper? God wants us to give you a spirit of Power, Love and of a Sound Mind? Where does the confidence to live that way really come from?… especially when the world around you is going a little nuts! How does it work? Listen in as we wrestles with these questions.
The Bread and The Wine…week #3 of our “Table Talk” series. This week we’ll look at Luke 22:14-15. We’ll celebrate communion together as we take a deep dive into Jesus’ audacious passover celebration. We’ll sit at the table as He invites into HIs new exodus from bondage into the true freedom that can be found through life with Him.
Setting The Table: This is Week 2 of our “Table Talk” series. This week we’ll look at Luke 22:7-13. We'll talk about what it means to cultivate a hospitable space for a life of conversation with Jesus.
Lent is a time of disruption and provides opportunity for self-examination, deconstruction and reorientation to the fact that its all about Jesus. Join us in Luke 22 as we come back to the person and story of Jesus and sit at the table with him and his disciples as he shares with them his parting teachings in these last hours before his death. Today sets the scene and all of creation waits with bated breath as the escalation between the kingdom of Light and Kingdom of Darkness approaches its shocking conclusion.
In this talk, we look in detail at specific spiritual gifts that are described in the bible, that one might categorize as Love Gifts: Adminstiration, Serving, Hospitality and Mercy. Ahren discusses what these gifts look like in action, and helps us identify if we have them, so that we may put them to use for God's glory.
Just a few more questions before we jump into the exploration of specific spiritual gifts: I’m not even a Christian yet… why is this relevant? How do you know your gifts are from God? How can I avoid awkward comparisons? What if they “don’t seem to be working?” What is my part and what is God’s part? How are spiritual gifts different from natural gifts? How can our gifts bring us together? Check out this dynamic talk to hear all about it.
This week, we’ll be looking at Christian character as a vital component to a healthy expression of spiritual gifts in community! Be a gift before you use the gifts!
This week we take a look at the current relevance and effectiveness of the Christian in our society, and we lay a foundation regarding the gifts of the Spirit. Ahren discusses how Jesus, while remaining fully God, didn't operate out of his Godness, so that we can learn to do the things that He did.
Is your New Year's Resolution "worthy of your calling"? Listen in, as Jake shares a great reflection for the new year.
This week we chat about light, life and the end of death… new birth! Do you feel reborn? Do you feel limited, bound, restricted, sick, addicted, indebted or weak. What does it mean to walk in new life when the world seems at times like its in shambles. Can Christianity make you different? Can you actually be more free? Can you live fearlessly. We think that’s what the angels were singing about!
This week we’ll talk about divine condescension. Uncomfortable language, right?! What does it mean that the God of the universe came down. What does it mean that the Creator wore diapers? Phenomenal Cosmic Power… itty-bitty living space? How does that show love? What does it mean for how we relate to Him, how he relates to us, and how we relate to each other?
In 1739, just in time for Christmas, Charles Wesley wrote “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” It's been sung each year on stages, streets and malls in classical, pop, country and every style in between ever since. What is all the “harking” about? Each Advent service, we’ll unpack one stanza and mine it for the rich scriptural and theological treasure contained within. Five Verses, Five Life-Changing Ideas, Five Amazing Reasons To Celebrate The Birth Of Jesus!
This week we’ll explore the idea of reconciliation with God. Is our relationship with Him all that it can be? Are we walking in the joy of it? What holds us back? What separates us? What keeps us from believing He cares? What keeps us from a rich interactive relationship with Him? To what lengths will He go to be reconciled to you? HARK!!!
One of the images most often used to describe what the church ought to be is a body… Jesus’ body in fact? What does it mean for a community of people to be the tangible expression of Jesus’ presence on earth? Is that hubris? Insane? Arrogance? How are we doing at it? Do we represent Jesus fairly? Why would someone want to be a part of us? Do you have to attend church to be part of the body? How can we best describe our interactions. Independent? Dependent? Interdependent? What is our purpose and vocation! Gonna be fun!
Who is Jesus to the Church? CEO? Judge? Administrator? Santa? Bro?
One thing is certain. Jesus is NOT your boyfriend...
He's so much more than that!
Eph 5:21-33
Most Christians started out as skeptics and most of us who grew up in the faith go through significant periods of doubt and wrestling as we try to find an intellectual framework for our experience of knowing Jesus. Whether you’re a skeptic, or a believer wrestling with doubt, you are probably digging into the same questions. Did Jesus exist? Is his story based on myths? Can we trust what was written about him? Did he really claim to be God? Did he really die and come back to life? Who was Jesus? Is he Master or Myth? Come join us at ovv.ca.
Looking in while looking out! There is a weird tension in Christianity. We are called to gather in a holy way to grow in godliness and pray for our world representing its needs to God while at the same time we are supposed to represent Jesus as a relevant answer to our non-christian friends. How do we be both “churchy” and mission oriented at the same time. How do we do that as whole people without being two-faced? How do we REPRESENT?
This week's talk is about understanding our complex relationship with God's beautiful, messy church and its ambitious, risky, insanely audacious and preposterous mission to reveal His glory to the world!
The Bible tells us to love the Lord our God with all of our mind. What does that mean and how can we do that? How do faith and reason relate? Can we be both devoted to Jesus and committed to intellectual integrity? How can worshipping God with our minds change the town of Carleton Place?
"Love the Lord your God… with all your SOUL." You are a person… a fascinating, wonderful, complex, beautiful personality. You have a unique identity. No one is wired exactly like you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, influenced by God’s creative intention and a bit broken by sin too. How do we sort through all that? How do we love God with all that? How do we offer it to Him? Find out in this third part of the series on the Shema.
There is one prayer that Jesus likely prayed twice a day EVERY day! It's called the "Shema", and like everything Jesus did, He did it with a twist. How would understanding what Jesus prayed help you love like Jesus loved?
In this week's talk, we look at what it means to be yoked with Jesus in our work, and how to rest as God intended, as demonstrated by the Lord of the Sabbath.
In this talk, Ahren discusses how to work with passion and intensity, and yet balance that out with sabbath, rest, and time away. He shares about how to make all those things work together so that you can be, over the long-term, a healthy and productive kingdom person.
In this week's talk, Matt shares how our identity is solid in our heavenly Father, through what Jesus has done, and how we are to operate out of this identity and fullness. We are also encouraged to pursue honesty and vulnerability with one another.
This week, we explore walking through suffering with God's help, and clothing ourselves with humility as we seek to fully obey the Lord's will.
This week, we take look at the story of David, Jonathan and Mephibosheth, from 1st and 2nd Samuel, and we get a new sense of God's unearned kindness and favour towards us.
Jake pulls from core text of I Cor 2:1-5, as he shares about the power of the cross in Paul's life, and ours.
In this talk, Jake explains how we are in the story of the bible as Christians, and we all have our part to play. He also discusses what it can look like to commune with God.
In this talk, we discuss spiritual gifts, and we look at the role of home groups and our goal of reaching our community for Christ.
In this talk, we focus in on the unchurched in our area, and we are inspired as we look at Jesus' compassion for the multitudes, and we are challenged as he then empowers his disciples and sends them out to collect this precious harvest.
In this talk, we take a look at some of the barriers to meaningful relationship and community. Ahren encourages us through the scriptures and personal stories, and reminds us of the importance of intentionally meeting together.
In this talk, Jake explains how the Son of God wants to lead us to an abundant and deep joy, and encourages us to make seeking this a top priority.
This mother's day, we take a look at inter-generational community, and how each person is meant to be led by someone further ahead in the journey, and is also called to encourage and be an example for others.
In this talk, we take a close look at listening to the voice of scripture, the prophetic, community and council, theology, and using practicality, reason and knowledge when making decisions.
In this talk, we take a close look at listening to God and discerning within community, when it comes to making hard decisions.
In this talk, we take a look at the problem of pain and suffering in the world, and the hope that Jesus brings.
In this Easter message, Ahren discusses the empty tomb, and its relevance to our lives today.
In this talk, we take a closer look at the triumphal entry, and how Jesus humbly led us in quiet sacrifice.
In this series, we take a look at the last week of Jesus' life in the book of John, and the crucial information that he wanted to convey to his disciples before he was crucified. In this talk, we look at who the Holy Spirit is, and what He does, and how we can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
In this series, we take a look at the last week of Jesus' life in the book of John, and the crucial information that he wanted to convey to his disciples before he was crucified. In this talk, Matt discusses Christ's humility, and how we must recognize who we are before God, and live life humbly towards one another.
In this series, we take a look at the last week of Jesus' life in the book of John, and the crucial information that he wanted to convey to his disciples before he was crucified. In this talk, Jake discusses clinging to our lives versus yielding our lives and following Christ, and how we must strive to maintain a right perspective regarding the rest of God.
In this series, we take a look at the last week of Jesus' life in the book of John, and the crucial information that he wanted to convey to his disciples before he was crucified. In this talk, Ahren shares how our heart-felt worship can leave a beautiful fragrance, that will impact those around us for Christ.
What is required of us to grow spiritually? What are the important parts of our diet that will help us mature? This week in part 6 of the Five Essential Nutrients series, Ahren discusses catalytic circumstances, and how we can become more Christ-like through painful and difficult circumstances.
What is required of us to grow spiritually? What are the important parts of our diet that will help us mature? This week in part 5 of the Five Essential Nutrients series, Ahren discusses serendipitous relationships, and how the people we surround ourselves with our so important to help us become more like Christ.
What is required of us to grow spiritually? What are the important parts of our diet that will help us mature? This week in part 4 of the Five Essential Nutrients series, Ahren discusses spiritual ministry and service and how it forms us into people more closely resembling Christ.
What is required of us to grow spiritually? What are the important parts of our diet that will help us mature? This week in part 3 of the Five Essential Nutrients series, Ahren discusses Personal Spiritual Disciplines and how engaging in them can be a freeing, intimate and joyful experience.
What is required of us to grow spiritually? What are the important parts of our diet that will help us mature? This week in part II of the Five Essential Nutrients series, Ahren discusses Practical Biblical Teaching, and why it is important, and how best to take it in.
Guest speaker Larry Levy from Metro Vineyard Halifax unpacks Romans 12:1-2 for us, and he and 5 other leaders from Halifax share and encourage us in our walk with the Lord.
What does spiritual maturity look like? How do we grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus? Ahren discusses the process of coming to know Christ in a way that is characterized by enduring faith which propels us forward into a radical commitment to imitate Christ in His love, and join Him in His mission.
The book of Jeremiah prophesied, hundreds of years before Jesus came, that God would establish a covenant with His people where they all would know Him, personally (Jer. 31:34). That covenant is available to everyone in Jesus - what are we waiting for?
"for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest"
The Christmas Story is an Epic Glorious Adventure, echoing in many ways the life God calls all of us to. In this abbreviated message, Ahren talks about the bond between people that Christ advocated - seeing everyone as your brother and sister. This Adventure is not meant to be one done alone!
The incredible, supernatural story of Christmas begins focused on a young girl who said "yes" to what God offered. God empowers this "unlikely" hero in the world's eyes to raise the Son of God incarnate!
Ahren talks about the significance of Mary being a human being, like you and I, and the amazing things that God can do as we say "yes", and walk in His empowerment.
Rather than thinking of the Christmas story as fairy tale, we must deal with the claims it has of being an account of real things that happened. This in mind, Ahren teaches on supernatural living. The call of every Christian to walk and adventure, following Jesus - and all that that entails. For Mary, Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, their adventure following God was pretty crazy.
The New Testament is filled with messages of encouragement to persevere and stand firm. What does this actually mean? How do we "Fight the good fight of the faith" (see 1 Tim. 6). Jake unpacks the essence of who we are in Christ, and teaches on not fighting the battle Christ already won against sin and shame, but about fighting the battle for our minds and hearts.
What does it look like to be financially secure? What does the bible have to say about that ? Is it wrong to have money? Ahren shares
What does it mean to have security, despite our circumstances? What does this mean for our jobs and calling? Ahren walks us through the Bible's teaching
Kicking off our new series on Security - Ahren gives us an overview of where we are going in the coming weeks of teaching, and begins with a lesson on finding security in marriage with some "upside down" teachings on relationships from the book of Ephesians.
The Trinity was the first small group - being a Christian means being in community. Ahren talks about our vision for small groups. Click below for more details on Home Churches and small groups currently meeting !
https://ovv.ca/what-we-do/ovvconnect-small-groups
Vince talks about 2 of the inward spiritual disciplines from "Celebration of discipline" by Richard Foster, focussing on Prayer.
There are 3 key feasts that we are invited to in the New Testament. Ahren unpacks the invitation to each of us
The "Expiation" of the cross of Jesus Christ has a lot to do with the guilt and shame many of us carry around each day, and how we deal with sin against us. Ahren explains
What does "Imputed Righteousness" mean for our daily lives? The Cross gives us the free gift not JUST of being made clean from our sin, but to be clothed with the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus Himself. When we answer for our lives before God, we stand on His righteousness and life, not our own. The truth is that if we try to stand on our own righteousness or good deeds, we will fall short. You don't want to do that. You were created for so much more!
Philippians 3:7-9 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
Substitutionary Atonement means that Jesus took our place in taking the punishment that we deserve. Why did this need to happen? Is this fair? What does this mean for how we forgive others, and ourselves?
Why would the cross matter today? "Chirstus Victor" is an important concept in church history, referencing the cross's victory over the powers of darkness. Ahren teaches on what that means for us today, as believers in Christ in a world where spiritual darkness is something we deal with.
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ changed the world. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll take a quick look at the centuries of "terminology" and get right to the heart of how this horrible and wondrous event made the world a better place... why it matters to me and you. This is where spiritual joy, belonging, intimacy, safety, purity, security and peace comes from!
This week, Ahren taught on the revelation of who God is, and the propitiation for sins we find in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - all coming back to: what does this mean for us?
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23-24
God wants to fill you with joy and give you anything you ask in Jesus' name. Does this mean just ending a prayer by saying "in Jesus' name", however? Or is there more being said here?
Jake teaches.
God's Kingdom is among us even if not fully consummated. What does the King desire? Ask of us? What does it look like to submit to His Lordship? This is way more than a theological concept!
Paul prays for the Ephesian church to have the strength to see how big God's love is. Why would it require strength? Do we want to see this, ourselves?
Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
God is everywhere, and we have the beautiful invitation before us to practice his presence.
Stacey shares the amazing parallels from traditional Jewish weddings, and the Marriage of the Lamb with the Church!
What does it mean to have Jesus at the center of our lives? Kathleen shares her own experiences, and some key practices.
Psalm 25: 14 (ESV) The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
Jake teaches us about what it means to fear God, based on the Israelite's experience in Exodus chapter 20 (the giving of the 10 commandments). God doesn't want us to fear Him in a destructive way - He wants to live in relationship with us. Don't miss the invitation of a lifetime.
Psalm 66:16-20 Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
Photo: Apse Mosaic from the Church of San Clemente in Rome
From 2 Samuel 12 - Ahren applies principles for Fathers from David's experience losing a child in infancy to illness. What can we learn from David here? How does this compare to what our culture sees as a father today?
Read 2 Samuel 12:15-22 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+12%3A15-22&version=NLT
Continuing our series on the book of Acts - what was it that "cut to the heart" in Peter's sermon on Pentecost? How does the Holy Spirit similarly convict us today? How do we respond ?
Continuing our series on the book of Acts - we look at the model given by Peter when he stood up and preached on Pentecost. What can we learn from this message about sharing Jesus' story in our culture, today?
Andrea challenges us to think outside of the box and seek God personally, and for OVV as a family; asking how we can partner with what God is already doing, to reach out to our local area.
For Pentecost Sunday, we look at the story in the book of Acts and unpack the different responses in the crowd when the Holy Spirit first fell. How are we responding to Him, today ?
Read Acts chapter 2: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2&version=ESV
Continuing our series on the early church, we look at the amazing impact of women in the book of Acts as leaders, prophets, apostles, home church hosts ... the list goes on.
We believe women can teach men, don't "need to be quiet in church", and should follow the Spirit's gifting and calling on their life, regardless of what that is!
What were the marching orders given to the early church? Ahren teaches us how Jesus instructed and met with the Early Church after His resurrection, and leads us in a prayer asking that we would be empowered to continue the same mission today.
Have you ever had to make a tough decision? Felt unsure about where God was leading you? How do we receive guidance from God?
Ahren takes a look at how Paul made up his mind about a tough decision in Acts 20.
It's worth exploring what Jesus said about the end times, and the bigger picture of your life - whether you believe in Him or not.
Is there more to life than your 100 year existence? Does the bible just basically teach "be good and you'll go to heaven"? Is there hope if you feel like you don't measure up? Is there more to life than this? What about after death?
Jake explores the last chapter of the Bible, what it means about your life after death, and what Jesus' teachings have to do with all of that.
Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus had supernatural compassion when he was trying to get some time alone and rest - and even fed thousands of people with a small amount of food.
Ahren teaches us about the Holy Spirit's love filling our hearts when we've got nothing left, and what it means to act on this, having faith that God can multiply what (seemingly) little we have.
1 Peter 2:5 "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
What does this mean about community and church?
Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Is this for real?
Ahren walks through some of the key points of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. And yes, there is evidence. You can believe Jesus rose from the dead, rationally.
What would this mean about how we live our lives today?
Everyone has things in their life that rob them of peace. How do we enter in to God's reality of peace that "passes understanding"? The peace that had Jesus sleeping in the boat during a storm, while the apostles all freaked out!
Read Phlippians 4:4-7 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A4-7&version=NLT
Read Matthew 8:23-27 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+8%3A23-27&version=NLT
Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Casting out demons and using authority against spiritual darkness was a regular part of Jesus life on earth, and He's commanded us to do the same! How does this look in our lives today as followers of Jesus ?
John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Learning from the story of Jesus leading His disciples, we read from Matthew 16 & 17 and ask: Where is the next step Jesus is leading us, personally?
Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
February 18th, 2018
The Kingdom of God balances what Jesus has done, what is to come, and the current spiritual and physical needs of our world. It is wholistic. And we are daring to ask for it all! Even if it means it challenges our natural emphasis.
Photo of the painting online: http://bit.ly/2DNYga5
Jake spoke about the Parable of the Prodigal Son, inspired by Henri Nouwen's book. We may by and large identify with the Elder Brother or Prodigal Son, as Christians, but our journey is destined towards becoming the Father in this parable. The free expression of love, with "treasures stored in heaven," "imitating God as beloved children".
Read the Parable of the Prodigal Son: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NLT
Other scripture references: Luke 13:20-21 He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
Matthew 6:19-21 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
Jesus spoke often of "The Kingdom of God". Looking a bit deeper at the language used in the prayers and stories in the bible, shows us clearly that they understood "heaven" or "the Kingdom of God" to be in the atmosphere around them. Near to them. Even inside of us!
This Sunday was a great message and interaction seeking to familiarize ourselves with this presence of God around us.
It can be easy to put so much emphasis on the gospel outside of us (God using us to reach the world) and the kingdom to come (the afterlife/heaven) that we miss the Kingdom of God as it's manifested in our lives now. These extremes can leave us without a transformed life or tangible relationship with God.
What did Jesus teach about this? About the day to day? Does the gospel really affect that? Does it change who we are to our family and friends?
Ahren tells us more.
Ahren continues our series about moments of worship in the Christmas story. This week we looked at the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth
Read Luke chapter 1 online: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1
How do we as a community embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit while being safe? What does the Bible Say about this?
Concluding our series on the purpose of the Church, Ahren talks about facilitating an encounter with Jesus for others.
We have been made a necessary part of the equation for God to reconcile others! In being reconciled ourselves, God makes his appeal in/through us to others He calls home. Let him reconcile!
Jake continues teaching through Hebrews 12:1-2 and talks specifically about "laying aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely" as we run our race of faith with endurance. Passages:
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 3:7-13
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
The scriptures speak of salvation in the past, present, and future tense. How does that work? What part does Christian Community play in all of this?
Jake spoke from Hebrews 12:1-2 about the empowerment and hope we have because God's love for us.
You are loved by God. You are valuable. You are an eternal being, called to a greater life and hope than you ever thought possible. How this comes, is through receiving the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and allowing Him to be your Dad, Lord and Friend.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12&version=ESV
Ahren walks us through part of OVV's Vision Statement, teaching from Philippians chapter 2:1-8. The transforming power of God in gathered community. Seeing one another as God sees us, and meeting with Jesus in others, not just "another person".
Philippians 2:1-8 (NLT) Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202
Doug shares a conversation he had with God from his journal, as God spoke to him about Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Ahren leads the congregation in the liturgy (sayings) from Psalm 136, and we give thanks to God together for all that He has done in our lives, with a time of open-sharing.
Doug explains the message of communion, the taking of bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus.
David Ruis shared with us this Sunday about what is going on in Vineyard Canada from the national perspective, and spoke from Mark chapter 8.
Why do we gather together weekly as a church? Why do people lay down their lives to serve the gathered body of Christ?
Ahren starts off a series on The Church by unpacking these questions.
How do you actually pray for healing for someone? Ahren walks us through 5 helpful steps, and we put it in to practice during the service!
Giving generously out of the abundance Christ has given us, as a way of life (not just in finances). What do we do when we feel like we have nothing left to give? What does it mean to give from the heart, not out of compulsion?
Barry spoke at church this week on how the Bible teaches us God will guide us in our life. Is Jesus our Chauffeur? Our Navigator?
Doug teaches how we've all been influenced from wounds in our past, and how Jesus comes and restores us.
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
Paul teaches on the covenant relationship God has with people. What has changed between the Old Testament and New Testament? What hasn't? What is our part in this covenant God has extended us through Jesus?
The Bible teaches us that love is the most important thing. What does this mean for your life, big picture? What does it mean for your every-day life?
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Andrea shares from the book of Philippians on the biblical model given by Paul for us taking risks and trusting God when it's hard.
If God loves us and has the ability to prevent our pain, why does it happen? Why do we suffer? Ahren shares what he feels is the biblical call to responding to suffering.
Psalm 18 was written by David as he was on the run from Saul (the king of Israel at the time - you can read this story in the book of 1 Samuel). In this concluding portion of our series on Psalm 18, we read about David as he exalts and praises God for delivering Him from his adversaries. God is still a deliverer today. What do you need to be set free from, and what can you praise God for already doing in your life?
Psalm 18 was written by David as he was on the run from Saul (the king of Israel at the time - you can read this story in the book of 1 Samuel). We will be looking at this Pslam over a 3-week sermon series. This week we looked at David's journey of understanding God as a God who walks with us, not simply a religious God rewarding the correct behaviour.
Psalm 18 was written by David as he was on the run from Saul (the king of Israel at the time - you can read this story in the book of 1 Samuel). We will be looking at this Pslam over a 3-week sermon series. This week we looked at how God responded to David's cry for help in a desperate place. Are we this honest with God as we struggle in our own lives? How does God respond to us?
Doug spoke this week on Matthew 14:22-33, when Peter cries out to God "Lord, save me!". He shared personal experiences of being in dark places when he felt like all he could do was cry out to God, and looks at how this passage portrays God's character, and how He relates to us in times of struggle.
Ahren and Anna share about the struggle all parents have with perfectionism. What does Jesus say to the perfectionist in all of us that feels like we aren't good enough?
How do our body and spirit connect? If God calls us to life in the full, what does this mean for spirit and body? Ahren walks us through the biblical picture of full life in Jesus.
Who am I when I am born again in Christ? What does it mean if I stumble? How do we become secure in who the bible says we are as sons and daughters of God?
Jake shares his journey learning these things
With the waving of palm branches and filled with hope they celebrated Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and proclaimed him to be King... the one who would set them free from the tyranny of Rome. He had a freedom much richer and deeper in mind... something SO much better!
Doug shares his journey understanding the gospel and learning who Jesus is through his personal experiences. What does it mean that we have died to ourselves, with Christ? What does this mean about the guilt and shame we feel?
Doug shares his journey of growing in faith and his experience seeking understanding in verses like 2 Corinthians 5:14 and 15 which say:
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
We need more of the Spirit in our lives. In conflict, in everything. Ahren talks about how that comes about - and what it means to have more of the Spirit as a whole, rather than approaching it like isolated 'gifts' or 'fruit'.
Heaven and Earth are only 3 feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even shorter - Celtic Saying
How close is God? How does he reveal himself? Vince shared this past Sunday on how God does this, and how we experience it.
"The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne" Revelation 3:21
How do we as Christians "conquer"? Ahren spoke this week on the weapons of spiritual warfare that Christians use in conquering the enemy's strongholds.
Looking at one of our core values - valuing the supernatural, well explained. Christians can get culturally whacky about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ahren discusses the value and practice of walking in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit, without being fake.
For more on our core values, visit: http://ovv.ca/who-we-are/story-beliefs
What does Jesus mean when He tells us to stay awake and to conquer? Why do these phrases seem to carry so much importance in the Bible?
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
What does it mean to be "salt and light" in our culture? How does that look? Simon shares an encouragement from what he is learning and his own experience in the practice of this.
Change is uncomfortable to everyone. Ahren spoke this week about why allowing God to do that is in our best interest, and how the scriptures describe this change God brings in us.
Doug Sprunt unpacks one of OVV's core values distinguishing between a religion, and what Christianity claims to be.
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
What did the coming of the Messiah mean for the ancient Israelite's? What did the prophets say? What does it mean for us, today?
Matthew 13 - The Parable of the Sower. Jake talks about bearing fruit and being honest about a plant ?????
Finding the balance between meeting as a community worshiping together, and going out in to the world to spread the gospel. Something that has been held in tension for centuries in which our community and the church in North America are no different!
Continuing our look at the adventure the Christian life is - what was Jesus' attitude to those who were 'lost'? How did He reach out to them? What is His will for the church living this out today?
Doug shares wisdom in His journey of coming in to relationship with Christ, and how to hear Jesus in relationship with Him.
Why did the disciples love Jesus? Why did they die for Him? This week we take a look at the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
Continuing our series looking at the adventure that Jesus calls us to as His disciples. This week looking at the story of the feeding of the 5,000.
Ahren speaks about Peter's experience stepping out of the boat in faith and walking on the water towards Jesus. Following Jesus versus accepting Him passively, and canon-balling versus wading in to life with Him.
Richard & Terry Long share about how we have power in the name of Jesus when we belong to Him relationally.
Vince takes a look at the life of David and the call God has on his life to be a man after His own heart, and what that means for each of us.
Doug shares about Peter's story and what it means for us to follow Jesus because we love Him - and to follow Him knowing that He sees in us what we can't see in ourselves. Jesus completely transforms.
Ahren speaks on the symbolic model for leadership given in Exodus chapter 17 - and the importance for vulnerability and humility for us as leaders moving forward.
Art and Cyndi Rae, missionaries working to equip leaders and serve church communities in Brazil share with us about their adventures and ministry.
Jake shares on 'mental wars' he experiences regarding the truth about who God is, who He says we are and what the world and the enemy would have to say.
Continuing our series in the book of Matthew asking questions about what Jesus' life really meant - and what life with Him means to us now. This week we looked at Matthew 3:13-17
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly
Jesus used many simple things in life to illustrate the Kingdom of God - this week we look at Matthew chapter 7 and a metaphor Jesus used about a door
We were blessed with a message from Linda Sprunt for Mother's Day this year - discussing the role of a Mother and her journey with the Table of Grace.
Unpacking Matthew 7:24-29 - Jesus' teaching about the foundation you build your 'house' on!
We finish our study on the book of 1 Peter this week with a look at the closing paragraphs in chapter 5 exhorting the Church.
Jay Calder shares a message from Matthew 18 on God's heart for Children and the ministry of Compassion
He is Risen! Taking a look at Peter's experience with the Resurrected Christ in the bible.
A challenge to change from defending exclusive truths that we have heard about, to seeing the inclusive love of Christ in our lives today.
Part 6 in our study on 1 Peter, this week unpacking part of chapter 3 addressing husbands and wives.
Looking at the latter half of 1 Peter Chapter 1 and discussing the role of morality and how the Gospel changes how moral questions can be approached.
Looking at 1 Peter: 1 - unpacking the incredible hope experienced by Peter, and his encouragement about such in this epistle.
Ahren and Jeremy were on the hot seat to answer some of the community's questions this week
Ahren begins our Christmas series with a prayer for the community - that we would all have more life changing encounters while also looking at Zechariah's experience in the bible.
Kate Smith shares a message on the power and love of Jesus walking with us in the hard times.
Do we ask for healing or for comfort in the pain? Ahren unpacks how the Early Church approached this question
Taking a break from the Both And Series for Thanksgiving, Ahren looks to broaden our perspective on expressing and receiving thanks.
Ahren takes a look at Evangelicalism and closes with the importance of being radically Evangelical and Charismatic. We often try to create dichotomy between these two beliefs, and the truth is in both of the radical view points - not in either or, and not in a watered down version of both sides.
Ahren digs in to the dichotomy and friction between Evangelical Christians and those that would consider themselves Charismatic Christians. Beginning this week with a look at what makes Charismatic Christians who they are; next week will look at the other side of this 'scale' and further discuss what it means to be Both And on this matter..
Introducing this new series, Ahren delves in to the importance of being balanced, and gives a preview of some of the topics that will be honed in on in the coming weeks.