Jubilee Sermons: Recent Episodes
Jubilee
We are a church in Maple Ridge, Canada who love Jesus and are excited to make Him famous. These are our sermons from Sunday gathering, so you can keep up with any messages you may have missed, or to pass them on if they impacted you.
Passage: Matthew 14:22-32. It's likely our last official sermon. What should we say? What's important to remind each other? How about: Do not be afraid. A common Bible refrain. Yes, sometimes we end up in scary unknowns. Sometimes Jesus leads us there himself. But we are not to fear. This is the journey of faith and the choice we have to trust and follow, especially when it's hard!
Disclaimer: this sermon has borrowed heavily from material in "Three Levels of Faith" a very great message by John Mark Comer.
Passage: Luke 24:13-35. As Jubilee continues to take steps toward our final commissioning, we resonate with disciples on Emmaus Road. Feeling as if all is lost, with many questions, we desire the presence of Jesus to illuminate our way and reorient us to His purposes and big story.
This is the difficult public announcement that Jubilee will be taking steps over the coming months to close our church community. We are grieving but choosing to follow Jesus in the midst of it all!
Passage: Genesis 22:1-18. Following our sad news that Jubilee will be taking steps to close in the coming months, Jonathan led us in remembering the unchanging character of God, demonstrated in the stories of people like Abraham who trusted even when he couldn't understand.
Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6. What if Trust is what this is all about? The case can be made that this is our part in the thru-story of God's activity: learning to trust. Wisdom will counsel us that things will be better if we choose this road! But why doesn't my road look very straight?
Passage: Ephesians 4:1-6. It really isn't enough for someone to believe that God loves them and has imparted every spiritual blessing possible. There eventually comes the moment when people might ask, yes but does it change your life? And the answer is that it should. It is fitting. It makes sense. This kind of earth shattering news (that Jesus came to change everything) must eventually result in resounding life transformation.
This is part of the Beautiful Resistance sermon series on Ephesians.
Passage: Ephesians 3:1-11. If you know what our mission is, then don't be surprised that things are hard for us. Not because we're trying to be controversial, but because grace runs counter to the world's philosophy. As Christians, we've been entrusted with a message of hope and there will be resistance.
This message is part of our Beautiful Resistance series on Ephesians.
Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22. How many ways do we need to hear the Good News? Answer: a lot of ways. Paul challenges us to remember the things that used to divide us and then rejoice that Jesus has removed the barriers. Jesus brings in the outsiders and then we join Him in proclaiming this radical welcome. And, of course, don't forget we become part of the never-ending building project!
This message is part of our Beautiful Resistance sermon series on Ephesians.
Passage: Hebrews 11. Ever wonder if what you're doing matters? Are you seeing fruit? Do you struggle with understanding God's purposes? With characteristic authenticity, Madi shares about her big lessons from her recent YWAM DTS experience. We can't help but hear our own questions and learn along with her!
Passage: Ephesians 2:4-10. Grace. A name for a girl and also a thought that changed the world (says Bono). We're allowing the vast beautiful implications of God's lavish grace to wash over us. God didn't just save us for niceness but so we could become something world-changing!
This is part of our Beautiful Resistance sermon series on the book of Ephesians.
Passage: Ephesians 1:22-23. It's Easter Sunday and we couldn't think of more fitting celebration message than that Jesus has changed everything by rising from death. There is nothing He doesn't rule over, fill or transform in His redemption plan for all humanity! What joyous Good News!
Passage: Ephesians 1:15-21. Paul prays a long run-on prayer... and Jon preaches his longest sermon ever. Fitting. There is so much packed in to this prayer that teaches us both how we can form our prayers and also what kind of stuff Paul would pray for people immersed in an anti-Christ culture. Turn on the lights and have an apocalypse!
This message is part of our Beautiful Resistance sermon series.
Passage: Ephesians 1:11-14. In part three of our mini series on the incredible spiritual blessings available to all Christians, we are reminded again of our kingdom wealth. We have access to exactly what we need at every moment. The covenant language of inheritance applies to us and of course, the wild implications of the Spirit alive in us!
This is part of our Beautiful Resistance sermon series of Ephesians.
Passage: Ephesians 1:7-10. Welcome to part 2 of our mini series. We're breaking down one of the longest run-on sentences in ancient literature. It's an exclamation of praise for all our incredible spiritual blessings. Today we tackle redemption and revelation and see it all neatly summarized in Jesus. We are richer than we think!
This is part of our Beautiful Resistance series on the book of Ephesians.
Passage: Ephesians 1:3-7. Paul's opening run-on sentence was just too good to lump into one sermon, so we made it three. Christians are spiritual billionaires (according to Paul) with access to every spiritual blessing imaginable. So what are some of these blessings and what difference do they make in our day-to-day lives?
Part of The Beautiful Resistance sermon series.
Passage: Ephesians 1:1-3. We're starting a new sermon series on the book of Ephesians. A letter about identity and formation. A how-to for the new Christian on what it means to follow Jesus in a world that doesn't know Him. And, as always, we should understand who and why Paul writes this letter. Once we do, we'll see how it speaks to us more than 2,000 years later.
Part of our Beautiful Resistance sermon series.
Passage: Psalm 84. At some point, we all experience the sense that something is missing. Even those who know Jesus and have been satisfied on some level. That's because we are creatures of longing. Made for something complete. Something else.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. We could try a lot of things to change our lives. And we do. But self-help and will power only go so far. They'll shift little stuff, but how on earth will we change the big stuff. As in, becoming like Jesus. For this, we'll need outside help. Someone who stands alongside. With and in us. Accessing the full power of the godhead. The Holy Spirit.
This is part of our ongoing Practicing the Way sermon series.
With credits to John Mark Comer and Bridgetown Church.
Passage: 1 John 1:7. As a culture, we are lonely. Alone. We think we're connected by technology but feel more alone than ever. But this idea of community feels so hard in real life. How do we do it? Why? And what does Jesus think about all this?
Part of our Practicing the Way series on How We Change.
Credits to Bridgetown Church and John Mark Comer.
Passage: Mark 1:14-15. New Year's resolutions abound and we want a silver bullet solution to our problem. Our problem being that we want to change but don't know how. Shifting the direction of our loves, not just our minds, might be a starting point!
This is part of our ongoing Practicing the Way sermon series.
With credits to John Mark Comer and Bridgetown Church.
Passage: Matthew 1:18-27. What kind of season is this for you? Difficult? Beautiful? The Christmas story holds something for us all, if we are willing to take a piece and taste and see. There is a miracle here for all of us!
Passage: James 5:7-11. This is a story about waiting, so why do we have such a tough time with this? A wise Bible writer will counsel us on how to develop patience. A few good analogies and some encouragement for those who are feeling the long road.
This is the second message in our Advent series (but third advent)
Passage: Matthew 3:1-12. John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness. What does this have to do with Christmas? Advent means anticipation and we prepare our hearts. This message is a how-to.
This is our first sermon in the Advent series (but second advent).
Passage: 1 John 4:16-17. We want to be invitational... but do we even like people? Do we know what community looks like? It's possible Jesus was laying out a life worth imitating when he was here living in community!
Passage: Hebrews 12:1-3. A famous piece of the Bible. But what does it mean? How do we become these people who finish with endurance? Maybe the running picture can help us get a handle on the disciplined life of a Jesus-follower.
Passage: Luke 5:1-11. Jesus is calling His followers to mission. But what if it's both easier and harder than we think. Mmmmaybe like fishing?
Passage: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. Maybe we're all stunned or experiencing PTSD, but it seems like Church has changed. Maybe how we see Church has changed. This message is a call to intention and commitment. Maybe the Church could do with some of that intense focus the armed forces shows toward mission. And what a mission we have!
Passage: Philippians 4:11-13. We're all searching for that elusive feeling of being content. But can you keep it when you find it? How do we lay hold of it permanently?
There is a secret. And I'll spill the beans. But it won't be enough. You'll have to apply it.
Passage: Matthew 7:7-8. What happens when you combine an infectious love for the Good News of Jesus with a genuine person? Overflow. Maybe you're jaded by talk of evangelism or maybe you've been the target, but either way, this message is a refreshing invitation to live and share Good News with everyone around us. We can do this.
This message is part of the Church Life series.
Passage: Jeremiah 17:5-8. We have a choice. Even in the drought and the challenge of this season. Even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard. You can still choose trust. You choice leads to curse or to blessing. The road of trusting Jesus leads us to a full and flourishing life. To vibrant never-fail-fruit bearing.
This is part of our September Church Life Series.
Passage: Romans 8:28. God is working all things for my good. Thank you evangelical Christianity for making this verse into a trite and annoying slogan. Is there more to it? Can we take it down and unpack it? Maybe there is something beautiful to discover in the great hope that God is always working for His eternal purposes and glory in us.
Passage: Luke 7:18-23. If you've been around awhile, then you've probably experienced disappointment. And let's not get started about the last two years... definitely disappointing. So we can take encouragement that a famous Bible character came to Jesus with his disappointment and maybe, just maybe, Jesus has a response for ours too.
This sermon is part of the Summer Baggage Series.
Passage: Matthew 11:28-30. One of the ways we push back against our heaviness and weariness is to worship. This is the call and invitation of Jesus to come. Connection with God in worship brings refreshing and vitality. We can choose this!
Passage: Matthew 11:28-30. Most of us are still feeling worn out. Burdened. There is a lot going on in the world. A lot to weigh us down. This summer we are unpacking some of our burdens and looking at what Jesus offers us in exchange.
This message is part of the Summer Baggage series.
Passage: Genesis 1:27. There's a lot our world is concerned about. Most of our issues are connected to this one question: What makes us human? And What makes us valued? In our Better Way series, our goal is to question the story our culture is peddling. To remind each other that Christians believe everyone matters because of one commonality. You should listen to find out.
Passage: 1 Corinthians 7. Our Better Way series seeks to poke a stick at the story culture sells about all sorts of things. Today we unpack marriage and singleness. Which one is better? How can we live out a life of holiness and devotion to Jesus? It turns out, Paul was talking about all this stuff a long time ago, to people just like us.
Passage: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Where did you learn what you believe about sex? Netflix. News. Social media. Psychologists. Politicians. TikTok.
Today, Pastor Jon dives into the taboo subject of sex and God's heart for us in our sexuality. Will this message offend you? Maybe. But how many sermons have you heard on the topic of sex? Should the Church be talking about all this stuff? Yes, without doubt.
Passage: Matthew 18-23-35. Forgive. This is what we're supposed to do. We know that. Everyone knows that. But why? And how much? And have you seen this world? What are the parameters? Please explain.
Part of the Practicing the Way Series.
Passage: 1 Corinthians 9:23-27. Why are we doing all this stuff? Maybe we forget. Maybe we get confused. Maybe other reasons start to drown out the one thing, the one reason we began this Jesus-pursuit. I'd venture to say, it was love.
Passage: Matthew 6:33. Why are we here? How do we find happiness? Yes we all want to know. With disarming humour and humility, Madeleine leads us to Jesus as the source of fulfillment as the embodiment of the Kingdom here and coming.
Passage: 2 Timothy 2:8-9. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead. This in itself is pretty wild, but even crazier is the idea that this resurrection life spills over into our whole existence. So what are these resurrection people like?
Passage: Psalm 118:21-29. Jesus enters Jerusalem and everyone is waving branches and shouting Hosanna. Why? What on earth does this mean? And what does hosanna have to do with me?
Passage: 1 Corinthians 12. How does Church even work? How is it meant to be? What's my part? Springing from Paul's illustrations, we see that finding our place and participating is a beautiful expression of practicing the way.
Passage: Colossians 3:9-21 . Guest preacher Tim challenges us giving and generosity. But where does it start? How do we approach this subject without getting bogged down in stereotypes and pressure tactics? We're part of an eternal Kingdom and this causes us to abound.
Passage: 1 John 2: 15-17. Are we supposed to love the world or not? What about TickTok? Or Baby Shark? And what does John mean when he uses the word "world"? How on earth can we stand up to the constant barrage and clamour of a system opposed to God? WARNING: this message will challenge you.
This message is based on the book Live No Lies by John Mark Comer and is part three of three.
Passage: Galatians 5:13, 16-17. We want what we want. And what do we do about that? Should we restrain our desires, or give in? How are we meant to live so we end up the most happy? Jesus and New Testament writers counsel us to use our freedom for restraint. Warning: a part of you won't like this message at all.
This message is based on the book Live No Lies by John Mark Comer and is part two of three.
Passage: John 8:32. Red cape. Twin horns. Pitchfork. Is there really a devil? If so, what's he doing and how does it affect me? And maybe most importantly, how do we resist his schemes? As we imitate Jesus, we learn some apprenticeship practices for spiritual warfare.
This message is based on the book Live No Lies by John Mark Comer and is part one of three.
Passage: Acts 2. Have you ever wondered what is 'Church' exactly? What is it supposed to be... or mean? Is it a building? An organization? A charity? A people? We're wrestling all this and more as we talk about why Church is important.
Passage: Matthew 6:9-13. What words come to mind when you think about prayer? Maybe a variety of things - not all Sunday School answers. Overall, prayer is one of those areas that followers of Jesus struggle with. There is tremendous vitality in learning from Jesus about prayer!
Passage: John 13:34-35. Our new series focuses us on what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Many of us wrestle with the real world application of our faith in daily life. Practicing the Way of Jesus means practicing a commitment of love to those around us.
Passage: Micah 4:6-5:6. Hundreds of years before hand, prophetic promises put Bethlehem on the map in the Messianic story. And for us, today, we see that in the midst of hardships, waiting, and small beginnings, God is at work.
Passage: Zephaniah 3:16-18. Joy can be so elusive. Especially when we're supposed to have it... like at Christmas time. But what would it mean to us that God sings? Exuberant. Jubilant. With joy. Over us. Yes, hard to believe.
Passage: Luke 3:1-6. Sometimes we need a wake up call. Prophet words should do this to us. Wake us. And John the Baptist is one of those. Will we heed to the call to prepare our hearts this Christmas season?
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Why are we here? What are we supposed to be doing? If we don't have an answer to these questions, it's easy to lose heart. But what if the call to follow Jesus is also a call to live intentional meaningful lives. Full of heart. Find out what kind of people we were made to be.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. Ever feel like this world and its problems are wearing thin? It groans and we do for something more. Guest preacher Tim reminds us that this deep longing in us is reminding us of a better world to come. We have hope!
Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18. Things might feel hard. Overwhelming. Pressure inside and out. There is encouragement for you and me in Paul's letter. He doesn't say that our trials don't matter, but he does challenge us to shift perspectives. And then... everything changes.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. Do you ever feel weak? Join the crowd. Something about Paul's message is reassuring for those of us who feel this way. It's okay. Because this is how God shows His glory and power... in our weakness.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. Today, Pastor Jon opens up about his own recent struggles in what he terms 'losing heart'. Maybe it isn't just him. Maybe many of us feel the weight of the last year and a half with a kind of worn-out exhaustion. With his trademark honesty, Pastor Jon invites us to journey together to find our why again.
Passage: Hebrews 12:28-29. Yes, it's Thanksgiving. But that doesn't make you grateful. Sometimes we need to hear a reason again. A good reason for why we choose gratitude. Some reasons are here and now, and some are still to come. Those kind are unshakeable.
Passage: Mark 4:35-41. Fear is a big deal right now. Everyone's dealing with it on some level. And Jesus asks His followers: Why are you so afraid? It's an important question. Especially if it feels like we're following God and we still end up in the storm. Maybe you need to realize, like they did, that Jesus is right here with you.
Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16. Lots of division right now. Lots of people at odds. So what is Church supposed to be about. We believe and value a journey toward maturity together that happens only because of Jesus.
Passage: 1 Peter 2: 9-10. What if there was a message so incredible that it changed everything? For you. For others. For our church. This is what we believe. We are ambassadors of an appeal unlike anything you've ever heard.
Passage: Psalm 42. There's a lot to get us down. If you're human, this happens. We get down. But we were made to pursue and find God. So how do we live in this world? How do we quench our thirst for meaning? What do we do with the heaviness? Psalmists can relate.
Passage: Psalm 62. Vaccine passports. Feeling afraid, yet? Or maybe you're afraid of the pandemic? Either way, this message is for you. A rock. A refuge. A resting place. This is what we need. This is what He is.
Passage: Psalm 145. What makes us praise or worship? What changes our perspective? Seeing Him. Guest preacher David Hildebrandt encourages us to encounter this Jesus whose Kingdom we participate in. His grace and love draws us to praise!
Passage: Psalm 72 (ESV). What kind of King is Jesus? How does He measure up to our hopes and dreams for a king and leader? Even in a David song, we hear the prophetic echoes of the true anointed King to come.
Passage: Psalm 84. We are reminded of our deep human longing for connection with the Living God. The Psalmist brings us back to the journey of pilgrimage where the journey is worship. If only we could believe, deep down, that He is better!
Passage: Psalm 25. Do you trust me? It's what someone says right before they do something crazy or you are required to put your confidence in them. But should you? Our Psalmist David declares his trust in Yahweh and follows it up with a Psalm that all humans can connect with.
Passage: Psalm 139. Asking God to search you seems scary if you don't know Him. But the invitation is to know Him. To be searched and known by a good God who loves you. Jubilee Elder Brian unpacks, with humour and honesty, what it means to trust our good God.
Passage: John 17:1-5. It's father's day and Jesus is praying to His Father. So it fits. He's asking for glory and explaining eternal life. What a prayer! This heavenly Father is knowable, in fact, this is what eternity is all about!
Passage: John 16:16-33. Now Jesus is speaking clearly... so why is it still hard to understand? Does he mean now, or then, or now and then? Ben with trademark honesty, unpacks Jesus final encouragement. Our hope is in a joy for now, and a joy to come.
Passage: John 16:1-15. Weird that Jesus needs to leave. Why not stay? Why not start the Kingdom with a king here? Someone we can see. And what's all this about leaving being better? Jesus explain. Or someone explain...
Passage: John 15:18-16:4. Do we know what it feels like to be hated? Why would the world hate us, anyway? And if they did, how would we respond. Thankfully, we have some examples to go from.
Passage: John 15:9-17. Jesus calls us friends. What does it mean to obey from love? Can we? Will we? Maybe this is where we find the joy we're looking for.
Passage: John 15:1-8. Jesus is telling his followers how to make it in this world. Ben brings home the challenge for us to abide in Jesus. This is the way we grow to become fruit bearing followers.
Passage: John 14:15-31. Today is almost like two mini sermons. One is about how we didn't get left alone. Jesus send His very Spirit to stand alongside us, to dwell with and in us. And then there is all this love and obedience and commands talk. They are connected, and so is this Spirit meant to enable us to live it all.
Passage: John 14:7-14. What is God really like? Is He angry, judgmental, vindictive? Jesus makes the claim that we can know exactly what God is like by looking at Him. If we believe this, our lives will be transformed to action.
Passage: John 14:1-7. Jesus is talking weird again. At least Thomas will ask the question. And for us, weighed down and uncertain, the claim of Jesus to being the way and truth and life, resonates.
Passage: John 13:18-32. People fail Jesus. Judas, Peter, and of course, us. Jesus commands his disciples and us, to love. He showed us by loving everyone, even those who failed him. And He calls His followers to the same kind of extravagant love.
Passage: John 13:1-17. As we begin a new series called "A Few Last Things", we find Jesus in the upper room with his disciples. It's hard to find a modern equivalent to the discomfort of experiencing footwashing, but we'll try our best. The challenge rings out across the ages: a call to radical humility!
Passage: John 20:24-29. The resurrection story of Thomas gives us great comfort. He struggled, encountered Jesus and moved to belief. And this is our journey as well. A doubter turned willing! Oh, let this also be our story!
Guest preacher Rob Thiessen unpacks the Triumphal entry as a timely reminder that although things are uncomfortable, usually we don't understand all that God is doing in the moment.
Feel free to join in on our Family Meeting. We're talking about steps we're taking toward being our own grown-up church now that the term "Church-Plant" doesn't seem to fit. We're talking about membership and what it means in the Jubilee context.
This is Part 2 to the January 19, 2020 podcast on Membership.
Passage: Ruth chapter 4. We're a lot like these Bible people. Ordinary. Needy. And like them we'll need a redeemer. Someone willing to pay what's needed. These are the lessons Ruth holds for us. And a reminder we can't always see what He's doing. This faithful God, always at work, through the generations.
Passage: Ruth 1:6-22. Life can be hard. Especially right now. It's hard to see in the moment what God is doing. Our hope is in His faithfulness to be working out His plans and purposes all the time.
We apologize that part 1 in the sermon series was not recorded due to a technical error.
Passage: John 17:3. "You deserve to be happy" they all say. Everyone. All over. Somehow we've bought into the story that we all deserve to be happy. But what if this belief is driving us to despair and unhappiness? What if there's more to our lives? What does Jesus say about our life purpose?
Passage: Ephesians 4:15-21.Think you can isolate and still grow as a Christian? Think again. We hear the case for why decapitated and amputated things die. Trust me, it's compelling!
Passage: Luke 9:23. People often come to faith because they heard God is here to help make everything better. Many of us believe (or at least secretly hope) that this includes a long life of health and wealth. But what about when things are hard? What about in the challenge? What does Jesus say about all this?
Passage: James 5:7-11. Maybe you were told things move quickly for Christians. Maybe things even did for awhile... but what about when things slow down? What happens in the waiting? Maybe waiting is more Christian than we'd like to admit. It would help to know what to expect.
Passage: Philippians 2:3-7. Real people just like us. That's who's in the nativity story. People who doubted and struggled... and were willing. There's joy in obedience!
Warning: This podcast contains video segments that may seem really weird without the video!
Passage: John 3:16-17. It's hard to understand why shepherds would be the first to be invited to the manger scene. Until maybe, we begin to grasp just how much God loves us just as we are. This invitation changes everything! A God who loves! A God who gave!
Warning: This podcast contains video segments that may seem really weird without the video!
Passage: Ephesians 2:18-20. Maybe you've ever felt like an outside, or a stranger. Maybe your current reality makes you feel alone and separated. During our second Sunday of advent we hear about foreigners in the nativity story. Grace welcomes them and us!
Warning: this podcast contains audio sections of video that will not be as exciting without the video.
Philippians 4:10-20. Whaaaaat? Seriously? Someone is claiming to know the secret to being content in every circumstance. Get out! Impossible... but... what if it were true? You're really, really going to want to hear this!
Passage: Philippians 4:4-9. New restrictions. Mounting cases. More isolation. How do we experience joy? Paul's letter has a formula... not quite, but pretty close. If you're desperate enough, you might find the answers you seek.
Passage: Philippians 3:15-16. Maturity isn't perfection. In fact, it's willing to admit you don't know everything. But maturity is a goal for every Christian. To get to completeness. What does that look like?
Philippians 3:12-14. Is the Christian life really just about going as hard as we can? Is it about striving to the breaking point? Or possibly an invitation to live the resurrection life. A journey to being whole.
Passage: Philippians 3:7-11. In economics, something can happen to change everything. And for Paul, this is what happened. His profit-loss sheet radically transformed. His challenge is for us to reorient our lives around this new economy: knowing Jesus.
Passage: Philippians 3:1-7. If you were giving Christians a warning about who to watch out for, what would you say? Who should we watch out for? How do we recognize "true" Christians? You'd be surprised.
Passage: 1 Peter 1:17-23. So we have the foundation but what do we do now. Peter challenges us to live as foreigners in reverent fear and to love. But of course, this is impossible to do well, isn't it?
Passage: 1 Peter 1:8-9. What is this Christianity thing all about? What do we do? What are we like? Peter paints a beautiful picture of a people who love, believe in and are inexpressibly and gloriously filled with joy, in Jesus.
Passage: 1 Peter 1:4-8. In this strange time of fear, isn't it good to know we're protected! The protection isn't a talisman but a life of faith - we live it out through the trials and griefs. Of course, the good news is that these are only temporary, and for a purpose: glory!
Passage: 1 Peter 1:3-4. Things are changing. We get upended. Then what? What does it mean to be the Church. Who are we and what is our hope and security? Our building? Our worship leader? We were born into a Living Hope and an Eternal Inheritance.
Passage: Philippians 2:19-30. Most of our lives feel like this part of Paul's letter: everyday ordinary. But there is stuff to learn. In the hellos and goodbyes. It's often in the little things we learn what matters most.
Passage: Philippians 2:12-18. Nobody really likes grumblers, and yet, we're a world of them! And of course, Paul's giving instructions about everything. Don't grumble? What kind of command is this? And what does it have to do with being saved?
Passage: Philippians 2:5-11. What should Christians be like? Like Jesus. That's why Paul starts with Jesus. His example. His life. His death. And of course the humility leads to glory... God's!
Passage: Philippians 2:1-4. All those Bible conditionals start to read like a formula. But is this what Paul is saying? Or maybe what we do flows from who we are. Changed. And this leads us to living in unity and humility together.
Passage: Phil 1:19-26. Stay or go. Aren't we all longing on some level for heaven? Don't we want all this struggle to be over? Paul encourages the Philippians and us with a win-win no matter how you slice it.
Passage: Philippians 1:15-18. If we're honest, we're a mixture of motives and feelings. So we're reassured by Paul's perspective on all this. With clarity and confidence, Paul assures us about what matters most and the joy we find there.
Passage: Philippians 1:12-14. So much happens to us in life. It's hard to make sense of it all. If you could, though, if you could see it differently, would you want to? This is Paul's encouragement to some Christians in ancient Greece, and to us today.
Passage: Philippians 1:9-11. Lots of love. Check. Know what's right. Check. Don't mess up. Um... check. But really, how on earth are we going to do all this? Good thing it's Paul's prayer and not his to-do list (spoiler alert: filled with Jesus to the glory of the Gardener, is how).
Passage: Philippians 1:1-8. In our series opener, we are challenged to find that a letter written almost two thousand years ago can speak into our human need to find joy and experience the good news of the Kingdom with friends.
Passage: Jeremiah 17:5-8. Some choices are challenging or confusing, but some are stark and blatant. The picture of living in blessing or curse, desert shrub or flourishing tree, is more on the blatant side. We'll see a compelling invitation to trust Jesus, and become His no-fear-never-fail fruit bearers.
Passage: Romans 5:1-5. Anyone else struggling with the job? Maybe your role? Feeling like a failure while you try to adapt to new normals? Maybe COVID is helping us uncover another counterfeit: our sense of worth. This morning we're challenged to realize that if our worth is wrapped in anything but Jesus, it's going to be shaky!
Do we need people? Maybe too much sometimes. Isn't Jesus enough? Sort of. Maybe COVID has exposed your people desperation or maybe "just Jesus" has always been exactly enough for the introverts among us. Either way, you'll be challenged!
Passage: James 4:13-17. Just try making plans... you can't. COVID has seen to the shaking of our great and small plans. So this seems like a good time to reassess. How do we move forward? In what do we hope? Join Ben as he unpacks a healthy perspective on planning, in Jesus.
Passage: Matthew 11:28-30. As we celebrate our mothers, we all relate to the common mom-struggle with control. The loss of it and the need for it as well as the illusion of it. As with other things in our COVID experience, we feel our control shaken and exposed. What is Jesus offering? Something real.
Passage: John 10:10. Would I really settle for a fake? Maybe, sometimes. But not when it matters. Not if my life depended on it. And it does. Real, lasting, abundant life is on the line. Why do I turn to counterfeit comfort, when Jesus offers life!
Passage: Ephesians 6:5-19. Are you feeling restricted? As if your freedom has been taken? Ben addresses the Biblical encouragement that inside transformation means we can be free no matter how restricted we are. We all want that kind of freedom that can never be taken from us. Real freedom.
Passage: Matthew 7:24-27. In our new series, Counterfeit Gods, we're grappling with what we believe, what we trust and the gods we worship. Of course, today it's all about location. Where we're building our life-houses. What foundation do they sit on? How shaken are we in the Coronavirus storm? Jesus has encouraging words.
Passage: John 19:38-20:19. We feel grief and loss. We're frayed. Maybe the isolation is getting to you. What does the death and alleged resurrection of a rabbi 2000 years ago, have to say into our situation on this particular COVID restricted Easter Sunday? You'd be surprised...
Please note: there is a dramatic scene during this sermon which is easier to understand when watched live.
Passage: John 12:12-19. King. Say the word and we all picture something. Mostly we picture human kings. Palm Sunday is the celebration of a King. But Jesus came as a different kind of King. With their world in chaos, what did this mean for them? With our world in chaos, what does this mean for us?
Passage: Chapter Exodus 14. We're afraid. This fear thing is common to all humans and we struggle to know what to do. Our story challenges us to trust in this good and faithful God Yahweh, who acts for His glory. Of course, learning to trust will be a process.
Passage: Exodus 13:17-22. The Coronavirus has changed everything. Where is God? What's happening? Does God know about all this? Our Exodus story reminds us that God is leading, even on longer, desert roads in order that He might upend our expectations and have our hearts. He is with us. And He will get the glory!
Passage: Exodus 11, Exodus 12:1-12, 21-23, 29-40. Part one of Passover, or the plague of the firstborn, leaves us with questions. Why death? Why firstborns? Why bloody doorways? And of course, justice and a promise-keeping God will answer that redemption is available for all who stand under the blood of the true and better Lamb.
We apologize there was a recording error and Part 2 of this sermon was not recorded.
Passage: Exodus chapter 8-10. We're taking on the epic story of the plagues... all at once. In broad strokes, we see Yahweh as a God of power, judgment and mercy too. We're grappling with our questions and God's character.
As we explore "stuff" in Christianity, Brian opens us to the wonder in the height and width and depth of Glory. How do we engage it and experience Jesus in Glory in the here and now?
Passage: Exodus 7:1-24. Do we heed warnings? Or do we as humans struggle to believe them. God is all about the warning. He tells everyone what He's about to do and then does it. We're left with how to respond. Will we harden our hearts or will we trust and believe?
Passage: Exodus 6:1-13. What do we believe about God when things don't go our way? Is God still good? God's response to Moses is that He is Yahweh and He is at work. He is the God-who-keeps-His-promises. And we can know Him.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. Another sermon on giving. Blah, blah, blah. Haven't we heard this all already? If the church out for more money, then why are we talking about cookies? Cookies and rich happy farmers. This is one you gotta hear!
Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12. Words we like, words we don't. Not sure where you land on 'membership'. We're grappling hard concepts and coming out the other side to find the depth and beauty in belonging to and beautifying the Bride of Jesus.
Passage: Ephesians 3:14-21. Maybe what we need isn't more resolutions that depend on us and our abilities, but more prayer-resolutions. Maybe what we need is power - power to strengthen us, power to grasp and know love. His power working within us for His glory.
A Christmas sermon on hate? Weird... or very good. Ben challenges us as we grapple with the big and small ways hate works its way in our hearts. And as usual, we are left with the antidote, in this case, love. And the greatest love: Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Passage: Psalm 126:1-3. Are you having trouble finding joy? Experiencing it in your everyday life? Maybe the problem is discontent. It's pretty common. Pretty human. So we're talking about it. How do we get free and where is the joy?
Passage: John 16:33. Let's be honest: we're worried a lot. There is a lot to be anxious about too. But no one wants to live like this. We're exploring where to find and how to get the peace we're looking for... or is it who we're looking for.
Passage: Hebrews 6:19. We also struggle in big or small ways with hopelessness in some area (or many) of our lives. If this is a poison working to kill us, then hope is the antidote. What is it really? And where do we get it?
Passage: Exodus chapter 5. If you've ever tried to obey and follow God, it's possible that you expected things to go well. What do we do when things get worse? Not because we were bad, but because we were obedient. Join Moses in asking the hard questions.
Passage: Exodus 4:18-31. There's some hard stuff in the Bible. Stuff we don't like. Stuff we don't understand. We could ignore it, or change it, or talk about it. Today we'll wrestle some challenging things from Exodus, and in the end, be reminded of a God who came and rescued.
Passage: Exodus 4:1-17. We all have obstacles to obedience so it's always nice to hear them said first by one of the greatest prophets ever. In Moses, we hear our own obstacles and God's patient responses as God calls us to step out to follow.
Passage: Exodus chapter 3. Gods, gods, gods. All over the place. What is this burning bush God like? The God of the Hebrews. Who reveals Himself as compassionate, personal and a promise keeping God.
Passage: Exodus 2:11-25. What happens when we make big plans in life and then everything goes off the rails? How do we cope? What do we do? And where is God? The life of Moses helps us wrestle and answer some of these kinds of questions.
Passage: John 14. Like the disciples, we struggle with what it means to be in this world without a physical visible Jesus. And like the disciples we can take hope and comfort from the reassurance of Jesus about a place for us.
Passage: Exodus 2:1-10. Things are bad. It's a dangerous world out there. And like us, Moses is born into it. But God has a plan for him, and for us. And we're going to learn to be grateful in the ups and downs.
Passage: Exodus chapter 1. As we open our series on the book of Exodus, we dive in to a bit of background and foundations. But when we step inside, we see all the same questions we deal with in our day to day. God, do you see? Suffering and silence.
This is going to be a good study.
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:3. In the last instalment of our Church Life series, we're diving into the last of the three of Paul's remembrances of the Thessalonian Church. We too long to be people who endure and who are strangely and inexplicably marked by hope.
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:3. What does love have to do with sacrifice? How does this mark the Church? Should we have to do things we don't want to?
Note: we apologize the recording was started late and is missing the introduction and first main idea.
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3. Work. Faith. Both words to stress us out. Unless maybe somehow we are called to be work people and faith people. And maybe, just maybe this is all a work that we trust God to do.
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3. Kickoff Sunday means church stuff. Maybe a little guilt and program pushing. But what are we doing exactly? Is our task vague and impossible? Paul's gratitude is maybe what we're looking for. A Church called to work by faith, labour from love and endure in hope.
Passage: Proverbs 28:4. There is a joy and richness to choosing a life of tender hearted connection to Jesus and others. This kind of new creation life will bear fruit in all sorts of unexpected ways.
Passage: various Proverbs. Most of us don't love discipline. It usually brings up a bunch of negative associations. And yet, wisdom tells us this is something we should learn to love. How does discipline find its way into our personal, internal and parenting lives?
Passage: Proverbs 9. Solomon lays out two life partner options for us. Wisdom and Folly. Both have a certain appeal for different reasons, but which will you choose? And how will this change your life?
Passage: Proverbs 6:20-35. Don't commit adultery; it will burn you. Good wisdom for life but does it apply to more of us than we realize? How are we all struggling with adultery and how does Jesus help?
Passage: Proverbs 12:10. What a weird proverb about taking care of your animals... unless it means something bigger. We are being challenged that the righteous are kind in all areas of life, and this challenge calls us again to Christ.
Passage: Proverbs 27:5-6. Most of us don't take correction well. We don't give feedback or receive it without serious reservations. But wisdom tells us this is the way we grow and we need to learn to value it.
Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6. We're talking about if and how the book of Proverbs fits into the rest of the Bible. How should we read it? And of course, learning that learning to trust and submit to the Lord is good wisdom for our lives.
Passage: Colossians 4:7-18. As Paul ends his letter with hellos and goodbyes, we hear the reminder that he is writing to and for people just like us. Ordinary men and women who have been, and are being, changed by Jesus. And he tells them to read the letter... so we do. Warning: it will change you!
Passage: Colossians 4:2-6. Paul is getting to the end of his letter. So much he's covered about Jesus alone and what a life like this looks like. Now we're down to the everyday mission and what it looks like. Daily lives prayerfully expectant of open doors for God to move. And it's us He's using. So step in and step out!
Passage: Colossians 3:17-4:1. When we follow Jesus, we find nothing stays the same. As the lordship of Jesus begins transforming us, we see all our relationships affected. Paul will challenge each of us to submit ourselves to His transforming power and allow it to change us in the everyday.
Passage: Colossians 3:15-17. As humans, we like to hold on, so we are challenged by Paul to let. To let peace rule. To let the word dwell. In everything (yes that means everything), in gratitude.
Passage: Colossians 3:12-14. Last week, we talked about the clothes we're giving away, and this week Paul details the kind of wardrobe that identifies Christians. As we embrace the Christ-life, we become known as people of love.
Passage: Colossians 3:5-11. We are challenged to deal with sin in our lives as we live out our new Kingdom lives. Paul is naming names, but also painting a picture of our new Jesus wardrobe.
Passage: 1 Samuel 17. We are challenged by David's faithfulness to where God has placed him. We are challenged to trust a God who is faithful. Despite our circumstances and the various perspectives we might bring, God is at work, multiplying His glory through willing vessels.
Passage: Colossians 3:1-4. As our Colossians letter turns personal, Paul challenges us that everything in our lives flow from a new perspective, from which we set our hearts and minds. We live like this because we died and our lives were hidden with Jesus.
Passage: Colossians 2:9-10 NRSV. Adding anything to Jesus is a subtraction. But there are lots of ways we try anyway, and especially in religion. And in this, we have a lot to learn from the letter to the Colossians.
Passage: Luke 24:33-53. As we close our exploration of Luke's account, we see that as we respond to risen Jesus, we are transformed into worshipful witnesses. There are things we don't know, things we think we know, and there is Jesus. So kind and gentle to lead us to the Father.
Passage: Luke 23:50-24:12. People struggle to believe Jesus died and rose again. And this makes sense because it is the most outrageous claim of the life of Jesus. If it's a hoax, everything in Christianity falls apart. But if true, utterly transforms our world forever! Come and believe!
Passage: Luke 22:62-23:49. The cross is a necklace ornament but also a form of Roman capital punishment. Why does it matter? Why is it important? Why is it so beautiful to us? We follow the last hours of Jesus to death in discovery of a life-changing reality.
Passage: Luke 22:31-62. We all need a Saviour. If we're honest, we'll admit we've made a mess of things. Our lives, our relationships and the world. We need someone to rescue us from the pit we're in. A good and compassionate Saviour who can rescue us and make everything new. Jesus is the Saviour we need.
Passage: Luke 22:24-30. We all wrestle with the need or desire to be recognized. We feel we deserve it. It's our right. But how do we live in light of the challenge of Jesus to embrace greatness through humility.
Passage: Luke 22:1-23. Judas is betraying Jesus and Jesus is giving communion. A powerful and enduring sacrament reminding us of our surrender to His will and way.
Passage: Luke 21:4-37. We grapple with the things Jesus said, and the things we believe about His return. What do we need to know? How do we prepare? What should we be doing?
Passage: Luke 20:27-21:4. We hide in lots of ways. In words and religion and of course, just being disconnected. The invitation of Jesus is to bring our whole hearts to this better Saviour.
Passage: Luke 20:19-26. The wrestle of how to live in this world and not of it, isn't a new one. We listen to Jesus throw down the gauntlet to those trying to trap him. And we are challenged to understand how we respond to His call to give God what belongs to Him... everything.
Passage: Isaiah 48:17. In this last instalment of the Things We Don't Believe series, we are challenged to grapple with how God leads us and our struggle to let Him. With trademark openness and vulnerability, Lauren leads us on the journey to follow this God we love.
Passage: Luke 20:1-18. Jesus responds to his detractors with a story-answer. It speaks to them then, and to us now, and to all humanity forever. What a story! Because we were all made to produce the fruit that God is looking for, we have lots to learn as Jesus teaches in the temple.
Passage: Luke 19:41-48. Is Jesus emotional? The answer is yes. He was human and felt what we feel. He cares about things that make him feel sad or angry. Like what? And how does this change our lives?
Passage: Luke 19: 28-40. Jesus isn't a king like the one we imagine. He is true and better. But this also means we'll have to let go of our expectations to take His hand. Can we trust like He does? Can we follow this humble and confident King?
Passage: Luke 19:11-27. As we step back into our Luke series, we're challenged by the parable Jesus tells. Clearly, we are called to be about the King's business until He returns. But what is His business? What did He give us to do this with? And what's up with the slaying enemies part.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:19. We have so many misconceptions about what it is to be a missionary. But what if we're all called to be missionaries? What would change? How would we live?
Passage: James 4. Our words matter. So hard to actually admit. Too much riding on it. Too many ways we've failed. But the Bible tells us this is so, and also that Jesus is redeeming even our failures to say a Word of Life to this world.
Passage: James 4:16-17. We're starting a series looking at Christian things we'd agree to in principle but have a hard time living out. The power of prayer is a good place to start. Many of us struggle with the concept of prayer for different reasons, and many give up. But prayer is powerful and we must learn to become people of prayer.
Passage: Isaiah 9:6-7. In our last advent instalment, we are challenged to see this Christmas baby as the Mighty God. God has always been mighty - rescuing His people - and in Jesus, rescuing the whole world. As His Spirit comes to live in us, we also become the Mighty of God.
Passage: Isaiah 9:6-7. How has God revealed Himself in Jesus? Why the name Father? How is Jesus the Everlasting Father? And what does it mean for us, today? Tim brings a challenge to surrender and celebration of the joy of the benefits of our adoption.
Passage: Isaiah 9:6-7. We're deeply impacted by what God calls Himself. The names He reveals Himself through. Today we're challenged to submit to the Prince, and to His rule of peace. The way of Jesus is the way of peace.
Passage: Isaiah 9:6. We all have things we picture when we hear the words counselor and wonderful. Put them together and we've got a great psychologist. But God came to be know for who He is. It bears looking into what He means when He says His name is Wonderful Counselor.
Passage: Colossians 2:8-15. As Paul cautions the Colossians not to add to the message of Jesus, we are challenged not to live in dead religion but to share in the victory and triumph of Jesus. He obliterated the record against us and set us free, so why would we go back to the captive life.
Passage: Colossians 2:6-7. As Paul lays out the journey of maturity in a summary sentence, he leaves us with oxymoron images of walking trees, buildings, documents, all soaked with an overflow of gratitude. We grow to maturity centered in Jesus.
Passage: Colossians 2:1-5.We struggle with disappointment, and we long for things to come easy and quickly. Paul challenges the church that our encouragement and confidence comes from uniting our hearts in knowing Jesus. This is the real treasure.
Passage: Colossians 1:24-29. Growing to maturity is a bit like cooking. We need the right blend of ingredients, spices and a lot of mixing and some baking in the furnace of life. Our journey to maturity is this way - centered around the empowering presence and grace of Jesus.
Passage: Colossians 1:21-23. The message of Jesus, the reconciler of all things, is made personal as Paul challenges the Colossians. We were hostile aliens until Jesus reconciled us and now we count on His promise to present us as holy - established on the rock that is Jesus.
Passage: Colossians 1:15-20. As we explore this early church hymn, which Paul inserts into his letter to encourage the Colossians, we are challenged that Jesus is unrivalled as the first place winner. The risen reconciling preeminent Saviour.
Passage: Colossians 1:9-14. We wrestle like Colossians with what it takes to please and walk worthy of God. We spend so much time in silly walks that Paul's prayer seems especially relevant to our situation.
Colossians 1:1-8. Paul's letter to the Colossians seems to hold a lot of similarities to our situation and speaks through the ages into our struggle today. The wrestle to add to the Good News of just-Jesus is our wrestle.
Passage: Philippians 4:4. In our last instalment of our series, we are challenged to see our return to joy as a discipline of the Christian life.
Passage: Philippians 2:1-11. We are deeply challenged that service is not just an event but a lifestyle we are meant to embrace. But we can't do it alone, so the discipline of service drives us to deeper relationship with Jesus.
Passage: Isaiah 30:15. As we embark on a series on Spiritual Disciplines, Jonathan challenges us that we struggle with rest because we don't trust God. And so learning the discipline of rest is a practical reminder that God is in control.
Passage: Nehemiah As our friend and guest Reg illuminates the story of Nehemiah, we are challenged to see and hear God in the struggle of life. God is always at work!
Passage: Jeremiah As Andrew embarks on the ambitious task of preaching on Jeremiah, we are challenged to leave behind the old to embrace what God is doing.
Passage: The story of Elijah Andrew takes us on a drop in journey of the life of Elijah only to find that God is meeting us in our discouragement and doing as much in those moments as the mountaintop success stories.
Passage: David and Goliath Brian walks us through the story of David and Goliath in relationship to our own journey of battling the giants in our lives with the stones of grace.
Passage: Judges 6-7 As we step into the story of Gideon, we see our own wrestles and struggles, and also the ability of God to do all He purposes with weak but willing people.
Passage: Joshua 11:1-9 As we zoom in on a little story in the Big Story, we are challenged that God is looking for something in particular: people who will trust Him with their whole lives.
Passage: Exodus 32 Although parts of the Old Testament are hard to understand, we take hope that Jesus saves us from our idolatry and calls us to new life.
Passage: Genesis 11:1-9 In part 1 of our summer sermon series we explore the Big Story through the everyday moments and some of our favourite stories in history. Jonathan opens the tower of Babel and connects it to our own story and the coming of the Spirit.
Passage: Genesis 1:26-28 In the last of our four part series, we grapple the devastating news that the world God made has been damaged by sin - along with us. The good news of course is that Jesus has the last word on all this and has and is making all things new.
Passage: Genesis 1:26-28 In part three of our series, we explore the challenging topic of gender as a gift from God. Wrestling with us, Andrew calls us out from behind our walls to converse together about what we believe about gender and our God-image. Warning: there is hard-hitting material covered in this podcast
Passage: Genesis 1:26-28 In part two of our four part series, we explore who we are and why we matter. As valued image-bearers of God there are implications for our lives as we relate to one another.
Passage: Genesis 1:26-28 As we embark on our June series, Imago Dei, we grapple the questions of who are we as humans in light of the big God story. Who is God and can we know Him?
Passage: Luke 19:1-10 A Sunday School favourite story of little man Zacchaeus offers us a window into our own small lives and the challenge to embrace the wide open lavish love of God.
Passage: Luke 18:35-43 As the blind man cries out to Jesus, we hear our own heart cry of desperation to encounter the loving Jesus who alone can save us. Note: this podcast includes a response song
Passage: Luke 18:18-34 As Jesus confronts the rich young ruler, we are faced with the reality that God wants our whole hearts, and happily the incredible gift of Jesus to make the impossible possible.
Passage: Luke 18:15-17 As Jesus continues to challenge his disciples and us that the Kingdom is for everyone, we explore the welcome of Jesus toward children as a statement about the least invited and our role in that invitation.
Passage: Luke 18:8-14 It's easy to think and live like we're the ones making it all right, but Jesus challenges us to find our confidence in Him, not in our works.
Passage: Luke 18:1-8 Understanding prayer can be challenging, but Jesus tells a story to help us understand. We explore the parable of the persistent widow and see how we can trust God because he is better than what we know.
Passage: Luke 17:20-37 Discussions on end of the world fill many of us with fear, but Jesus lets us know the coming Kingdom is something we can walk into with confidence as we follow Him.
Passage: John 21:1-14 As risen Jesus reveals himself and makes breakfast for his disciples, we also are challenged to recognize and respond to Him.
Passage: Luke 17:11-20 We are invited to bring our broken lives to lay before Jesus and climb with him to the place of gratitude.
Passage: Isaiah 61:1-3 As we celebrate a second birthday for Jubilee, we explore what it means to be people who live and embrace the mission of Jesus.
Passage: Luke 17:1-10 As we surrender and follow Jesus, we become people of humility. Learning how to manage ourselves, do conflict, trust more, and to serve with gratitude.
Passage: Luke 16:14-31 We dive into a challenging passage to grapple with Jesus confrontation with the Pharisees over their justification in the Law and failure to respond to a Saviour.
Passage: Luke 16:1-15 With gentleness and humour, Ben takes us through one of Jesus' most hard to understand parables on money.
Passage: Luke 15 Connecting us with his own piloting parables, Andrew takes us through the Lost and Found parables of Jesus.
Passage: Luke 14:25-35 We tackle one of the most challenging things Jesus says. Through it all, we see that following Jesus means loving Him more than anything else and living for Him.
Passage: Luke 14:1-24 The challenge of Jesus to the Pharisee extends to us, that the Kingdom of God comes subversively undermining religion with the Good News.
As we move from being Sunday people to everyday Christians, we are becoming people who love Jesus more than anything.
Passage: 2 Cor 5:17-19 In part three of our series, From Sunday to Everyday, we're looking at how we become people who live and embody the mission of God.
In our January sermon series, From Sunday to Everyday, we're exploring the challenge of moving our Jubilee values from Sunday morning into our everyday lives.
In our January sermon series, From Sunday to Everyday, we are exploring our Jubilee values and how they are understood and applied in terms of our whole lives. The Good News message of the Kingdom changes everything!
God is in the business of bringing joy and life to barren places and barren people. These are the unexpected people God uses to bring His Kingdom, an old barren woman and a virgin girl.
Passage: Luke 2:1-13 God shows up in the nativity story in some unexpected places. Jesus brings peace in unexpected places.
Passage: John 1:1-13 As we are challenged by our own Christmas expectations, we see that God often shows up in the unexpected, wanting us to recognize and receive Him.
Passage: Luke 13:31-35 Unlike Henny Penny, Jesus wants to gather us under his saving wings, but we are not always willing.
Passage: Luke 13:22-30 Today we join in a burning question of our day, will only a few be saved? We hear Jesus personalize the challenge and invite us to respond.
Passage: Luke 13:18-21 As we explore the simple parables of Jesus, we see both a vision of the Kingdom of God in perfection and yet something we don't see in fullness yet.
Passage: Luke 13:10-17 As Jesus heals on the Sabbath, we find that Jesus enters our bent world and speaks into it and frees us to stand tall regardless of what happens to tall people.
Passage: Luke 13:5-9 The idea of God seeking fruit and us giving account can seem scary, especially when we realize how challenging it is to grow fruit. But by responding to Jesus, the patient gardener, we see world-changing fruit growing by His Spirit.
Passage: Luke 13:1-3 Tim brings us the challenge of walking before God without living in comparison with others.
Passage: Luke 12:49-59 As we continue in Jesus message in Luke, we find more controversial and difficult to understand language. In context, we hear Jesus calls us to lives of costly, radical following.
Passage: Luke 12:35-48 We are challenged by Jesus that Kingdom Christians live fully awake, on target and in the Spirit. For this we'll be accountable at the end of all things.
Passage: Luke 12:13-34 The Kingdom confronts and challenges our presets on money and generousity. Stingy living is about fear, Jesus calls us to trust God, and live in generous Kingdom investment.
Passage: John 15:18-27 We proclaim from a place of identity in the person and work of Jesus. Proclamation extends to our practical and demonstrative love for other. We end this message series with a foot washing.
Passage: John 15:12-17 As we explore Jesus words in the upper room, we are confronted by love as the example, invitation and lasting fruit. We cannot be Christians without it.
Passage: John 15:8-11 We are challenged by the words of Jesus that being a Christian means transformation into joyful fruit bearers.
Passage: John 15:1-7 As we explore the Upper Room Discourse, we find that Jesus makes it very clear that being a Christian means abiding in the presence of Jesus.
Passage: Psalm 136 Today as we share the most repetitive Psalm ever, we are challenged to see that God's love in action awakens us to worship Him in gratitude.
Passage: Psalm 139 The definitive human question is, who are we? We grapple with who we are, God's power and presence, and the definitive work of Christ at the cross, as we see ourselves reimagined in Kingdom light.
Passage: Psalm 40 God saved us out of the mire, transforming us daily to be wonders of His glory and grace. *we apologize the podcast starts a few minutes into the message
Passage: Psalm 46 We are challenged to let go of our fear, still our hearts and encounter our faithful God.
Passage: Psalm 72 As we move into our summer Psalm series, we celebrate Canada Day and the Psalm on which our name was founded. But the revival we need in Canada is a turning of our hearts to Jesus, to His rule and reign.
Passage: Luke 12:1-12 In part 2 of our discussion on hypocrisy, we find that the only cure for our symptomatic hypocrisy (rooted in fear) is to welcome the work of the Holy Spirit.
Passage: Luke 11:37-54 As Jesus goes after the Pharisees and Lawyers, we are challenged to deconstruct our compartmentalized lives which restrict us and others from experiencing God's abundant life.
Passage: Luke 11:27-36 It's a struggle to trust. Leaving our natural skepticism behind and embracing a life of wide open wonder and faith is the call of Jesus.
As we celebrate Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are challenged to live our lives continually in and by his power. Stopping our own efforts, waiting and being filled is the calling.
Passage: Luke 11:14-26 We are confronted by the reality of an ongoing spiritual battle, but Jesus is stronger and has given us the victory.
Passage: Luke 11:5-13 In this message we are challenged to the point of discomfort by the teaching of Jesus on prayer. Christians are invited to pray shamelessly and persistently in child-like expectancy.
Passage: Luke 10:38-42 The good news of Jesus breaks boundaries and invites us to undivided pursuit.
Passage: Luke 11:1-4 Jesus teaches us and the first disciples to pray with an example. We are challenged to align ourselves with our good Father and His Kingdom as we pour out our hearts before Him.
Passage: Luke 10:25-37 We are challenged to rethink the implications of the well-known parable of the good Samaritan in a new light. We are rescued by a compassionate Saviour and called to the same.
Passage: Colossians 2:9-15 (NIV) As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we realize the incredible blessings available to us because of Jesus. Because He rose, we can be filled to all fullness.
Passage: Luke 10:1-24 As Jesus sends out the disciples we grapple with what causes God to rejoice and consequently what we are called to rejoice in.
Passage: Luke 8:40-56 Returning to an earlier part of the Luke account, we are challenged that hope comes in our realization that we need Jesus, who knows and restores.
Passage: Luke 9:49-60 Pastor Jonathan compares the Kingdom life to marriage in that both are about beauty and hard work.
Passage: 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Guest preacher Matt tackles the difficult topic of managing our money. Using a Kingdom view of finances, we are challenged to enjoy what God has given us while stewarding our resources for the Kingdom.
Passage: Luke 9:18-36 We are encouraged and challenged by the story of Jesus' transfiguration. We experience the glory of God to move us to mission. Sleepyheads beware!
Passage: Luke 9:18-36 Following Jesus in real life is both harder and easier than it seems.
Luke 9:11-17 As Jesus multiplies bread and fish to feed the five thousand, we hear the promise of Jesus that he alone is able to satisfy the deepest need of every heart.
Passage: Luke 9:1-9 As we continue in our Luke: For Everyone series, Ben challenges us with the sending of the twelve that Jesus is using our weakness, failure and success for His strength and glory.
Passage: Ephesians 4:15-16 Pastor Jonathan blends stories from his time in Haiti with a challenge to the Church to move forward into becoming the functional Body of Christ.
As we grapple with what it means to be the Church, Brian challenges us to become a people and community shaped by grace.
Passage: John 1:43-49 In the opening message of our Bricks & Mortar series, we are challenged that as followers of Jesus we must become compelled to be invitational people.
Passage: Luke 2:1-20 We are challenged by the most widely known Christmas narrative, that real love is meant to be experienced and then shared.
Passage: Luke 1:56-80 We wrestle our joy questions: Where, Why and How, to come to understand that our joy is in God, who gives it, because it's who He is.
Luke 1:26-38 Guest preacher Mark Burch from our C2C Network challenges us with both the implications of Jesus' Kingdom here and coming and the example of Mary's obedience and surrender to God's call and purpose.
Luke 1:5-26 We are challenged that because of the character of God, we are never without hope. We hope because God sees. We trust because God is able. We believe because God will act.
Passage: Luke 8-26-39 We are challenged in our Luke series that meeting Jesus always provokes response. Meeting Jesus reveals the future, reveals our humanity, reveals our standing and reveals God's heart to save.
Passage: Luke 8:22-25 As we grapple with circumstances in our lives we are challenged that everywhere Jesus leads us is an opportunity to trust Him. We are invited to follow, through storms, for His glory.
Passage: Luke 8:4-16 Pastor Jonathan explores the parable of the four soils. The story of our hearts is a well tended garden that bears one hundred fold fruit.
Passage: Luke 8:1-3 As we explore the book of Luke, we explore who is Jesus and what is he about. We are invited to proclaim and practice the Kingdom, like Jesus.
Passage: Luke 7:36-50 In Luke's account of the sinful woman washing Jesus' feet, we're challenged that the more clearly we see ourselves in light of grace, the more we love Jesus and others.
Passage: Luke 7:24-35 In our Thanksgiving message, we see that to fully enjoy a life of gratitude, Jesus must be first. Expectation, ambition, and discontent can each hold us back from thanksgiving.
Passage: Luke 7:18-25 Pastor Jonathan returns to our Luke series with the story of John the Baptist in prison. We're learning that to follow Jesus, we must learn to let go of our expectations and faithfully trust Him.
Our worship guy, Ben King, trades places with Pastor Jonathan to bring us the last message in our Church Life series. Ben challenges us that God has called us all to lives of joyful generosity, which happens in response to what Jesus has done.
Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-5 Pastor Jonathan challenges us that community is created as we surrender to a building process that involves a lot of mess, grace and sacrifice.
Passage: Jeremiah 17:8-9 In the second message of our church life series, and as we step into re-launch, we are challenged that Jubilee living means experiencing the free life in Jesus, and proclaiming it to a lost world.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 Pastor Jonathan opens our September sermon series on Church Life with a challenge that we are called as the Church to engage on mission with Jesus with the same intentionality as going to war.
Passage: John 6:35 Guest preacher Chris Douglas challenges our hearts in experiencing the claim of Jesus that He is the bread of life.
Passage: John 15:1-11 Abiding in Jesus is our connection to a productive, fulfilling and joy-filled life.
Passage: John 10:11-18 Jesus chooses the sheep-shepherd metaphor to challenge us to trust Him as Saviour and Lord and it will be the best decision we ever make.
Passage: John 11:21-24 We are challenged by the story of Lazarus as Jesus confronts Martha. Today we grapple with the claim that only Jesus can raise us from death and bring us into full life.
Passage: John 14:6 This morning Brian Headley brings us the challenge and the beauty in the claim of Jesus to be the way, the truth and the life.
Passage: John 10:7-10 It's only through Jesus that we can be saved and find real and lasting life.
Passage: John 8:48-59 Diving into our new summer series, Pastor Jonathan teaches on the claim of Jesus to be the Great I Am: who was, and is, and is to come.
Passage: John 8:12 In this new summer series, we are exploring the claims of Jesus in the book of John. Today we hear Jesus claim to be the light of the world and talk about how we shine because He shines in us.
Passage: Ephesians 3:14-21 The dad question is: am I strong enough? The answer is the strength to be great comes from God's power at work within us.
Passage: Luke 7:1-10 Because Jesus has all authority, we ask boldly, trusting Him with the answers. From our centurion we learn to submit to authority, to sail with amazing faith, and to pray impudent prayer.
Passage: Luke 6:43-49 Guest preacher Chris Douglas from the C2C network brings us the challenge of fruitfulness and foundations and completes part 4 of Jesus' sermon.
Passage: Luke 6:37-42 We are challenged that the metrics we use in relationship with other is our capacity to receive, which should drive us to Jesus to learn Kingdom metrics.
Passage: Luke 6:20-26 We explore the subversive challenge in the teachings of Jesus, that being eternity minded Kingdom citizens means living inside-outside upside-down.
Passage: Proverbs 31:10-31 A woman who fears the Lord will always have the greatest amount of Hope and Joy in all circumstances of life.
Passage: Luke 6:12-18 We are challenged again in our series, that ordering our lives after Jesus' example leads to jubilee living.
Passage: Luke 6:1-11 Continuing in our Luke sermon series, Jesus calls us to singular focused lives of love in pursuit of of the Kingdom.
Passage: Luke 5:27-39 Jesus describes and demonstrates a Kingdom that radically reorients us. This Kingdom makes clean, is celebration, and means change.
Passage: Luke 5:12-26 Lay preacher Brian Headley takes us on the journey of surprise with Jesus and unpacks the gifts of Jesus for our journey.
Passage: Luke 5:1-11 We've introduced our series covering the Gospel of Luke. In today's passage we are invited to new life with Jesus. Just like Peter, we are invited to faith, reminded this is not about us, and invited into mission.
Passage: Luke 24:13-35 When we see Jesus clearly, everything changes. Jesus draws near, Jesus reorients us and Jesus changes us.
Passage: Luke 19:28-40 Jesus is at the heart of Jubilee. Jesus is our strategy, our Saviour, and our shout.
Passage: Luke 19:1-10 We are talking about our Jubilee values. Guest preacher Bill Hogg challenges us to make our values into practical application by becoming people who care about the lost.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 3:18 We are talking about our Jubilee community values. We expect our community to thrive as we learn to follow together.
Passage: Luke 4:18-19 We are talking about our Jubilee community values. We believe our community will grow as lost people find hope in Jesus.
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 We create community when we accept others, and invite them into reconciled relationship with God and others. Belong, believe, and become.