Gracepoint Community Church Surrey: Recent Episodes
Gracepoint Community Church Surrey
God is throwing a lavish party and Heâs invited all people. Jesus tells a parable whereby guests rejected the invitation making all sorts of lame excuses. Jesus shocks the audience with who does get invited instead. Only the needy and those who come...
Why is change in our lives sometimes so s-l-o-w? Why does God not eradicate evil if He is all-powerful? The parable of the wheat and the weeds reminds us of Godâs incredible patience. In the midst of church being a messy place, we can be patient with...
We love stories of finding treasure. Jesus tells two quick parables about treasure-seekers. One who stumbles upon treasure and the other who diligently seeks after it. Both sell everything to claim this treasure. In light of Jesus incredible sacrifice...
What if an outsider came and observed us and asked pertinent questions? What would those findings reveal about what we value and what our strengths and weaknesses are? Today that âoutsider,â Ainsley Kensall, shares her results and how Genesis 1:27 can...
Jesusâ message was a revolutionary one that sought to radically transform our individual lives, our relationships, and society as a whole. Midrashim is the discovery of new interpretations of biblical texts helping us to see Jesusâ words in their...
Waiting. So much of life consists of waiting. We see in todayâs text the song of a waiter. Someone who waited a really long time. Like Simeon, we too can become the people God wants us to during our times of waiting and do the things God tells us to do.
âWhy God?â we wonder as our pain continues. Our text today reminds us that we can be close to God and still be in pain. God sends Zechariah and unexpected messenger with an unexpected message. We need to be ready for Godâs intervention at any time.
Joseph had a life plan. He had goals. God came and messed those up. He faced a dilemma. Will he surrender his plan to Godâs greater plan? We too are called by God and face a choice if we will hear and obey what He is calling us to.
Surprises. On the first Christmas, Mary was surprised as the angel Gabriel appeared to her with an astonishing announcement. This would forever alter her life. We too need to recover a theology of the mystery of God and be ready for God to break into...
The angels came to the shepherds and announced they had good news for everyone. People didnât need to be afraid because of this message of peace was for all people. God offers us His peace today.
The Bible is full of angel encounters. We see them in the life of Jesus as they adore Him in glory and angels show up at His resurrection. And angels were also present at his birth. Angels are messengers sent from God. This Christmas season letâs open...
The battle in this world is real and the church was made to win. We win not by self-reliant strategies but rather through more surrender to the living Christ. We live the naturally supernatural lives by resting in our identity in Christ and moving...
What will bring hope to our region? Some would suggest more programs. Programs as good as they can be, wonât necessarily bring the fullness of Jesus into every sphere of society. Ephesians 5 tells us we are a mosaic of missionaries, each with a unique...
What is the church? An institution? A stadium of spectators? Ephesians 4 presents a picture of the people of God as ones growing in maturity (v. 1-16) and living out this new God-given identity (v. 17-32). We live as missionaries where we live, work...
We are disciples who make disciples. We are to be disciples who do disciple-making where-ever we go. What is our motivation? Ephesians 3 tells us that we are to marinate ourselves in Godâs love and His love will overflow through us.
Ephesians 2 presents us as a people who have been saved. We were dead but Jesus has made us alive (v. 1-7). We were far off from God but He has brought us near (v. 11-18). However, we are not just saved from something, we are saved for something...
Like water in a fish tank where the water permeates everything, Ephesians 1 presents Jesus as the Lord of all. As followers of Jesus we illuminate the fullness of Jesus in a lifestyle of worship and mission where we live, work, study and play.
When we have an interior reality of simple abundance, it will result in an exterior practice of simplicity. Simple living set us free from anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34) as we discover God is enough and we live lives of gratitude in response.
Our culture often splits bodies and souls. This affects how we view sexuality. The religious often repress sexuality whereas the non-religious often reduce it down to just an act of the body. Genesis 1-2 offers a fuller vision of a sexuality that is...
We often think of mission as something we do. We go on a missions trip. But what about if we thought about it more in terms of who we are? We follow the pattern that Jesus modeled and taught in that we retreat with the Father and engage our world...
What do most people do when they have nothing to do? They check their phone. What if we donât have our phones? We become anxious. God invites us into a freeing relationship with Him thatâs not based on demands or noise. God is always watching us and...
We have a hurry problem in our society. And as a result, we have an identity problem. We believe we are what we produce. God calls us to step away in Exodus 20:8-11 and slow down so He can transform us. We donât keep the Sabbath, it keeps us.
Work. The word evokes a variety of negative and positive emotions. Many people find themselves wishing for a âcallingâ to something that that really made a difference. The first person in the Bible who is described as being filled with Godâs spirit is...
We see in the friendship of David and Jonathon a commitment to life with God and one another that was mutually encouraging. Friends help friends grow closer to the Lord (1 Sam. 23:15-18).
The fall is often a frenzy of back to school and childrenâs activities. During this time, how can we live as followers of Jesus with his âeasy yokeâ upon us. Itâs not about more âshouldsâ or âguiltâ for what weâre not doing as much as being...
The last 18 months have been a blur of loss and grief. The temptation now is to rush through what has happened and âreturn to normal.â What is God saying to us at this time? Jesus reminds us (John 12:24) that God is birthing something new right now in...
We all grow spiritually in different ways. Spiritual growth is hand-crafted by God not mass produced. We are Godâs individual workmanship not assembly line appliances. Todayâs Scripture (Luke 10:38-42) shows us a âcontemplativeâ and a âdoerâ. As we...
The unexamined life is not worth living. Yet the world tries to prevent us from looking within. It attempts to seduce us to a surface level spirituality. To experience transformation, we need to look at the iceberg of our spirituality, 90% of which is...
The overarching theme of Philippians is joy. So what do you do if you get to the end of a sermon series like this and you still feel like you can't simply flip a switch in your mind and 'choose joy.' Today we will explore three...
Discontentment. It can eat away at our souls. The Apostle Paul in our text today gives to us the secret to being content. It is something we learn through avoiding comparison (v. 11), being flexible (v. 12) and finding our ultimate confidence in...
Anxiety. Anger. Broken relationships. There are all sorts of things in our world and in our lives that steal our peace. In todayâs passage Paul offers us the cure to experience peace with others (v. 1-3), with God (v. 4-7) and within ourselves (v. 8-9).
In this inspiring section of Scripture, we are encouraged to forget the past, not living by looking through our rearview mirror. We are instead to focus upon the future, reaching for the hope thatâs found in Jesus Christ. As we journey towards Him we...
Religion has to do with achievement, gaining oneâs sense of identity from accomplishments. It is often concerned with external actions. The apostle Paul gives his testimony in this section as he contrasts his former life with a new life found living...
âWant a friend, be a friendâ; so goes the old saying. In our Bible passage today, Paul reveals two friends of his: Timothy and Epaphroditus. He shows the character qualities these men had that made them invaluable to Paul. Likewise, God wants to...
Complaining has become a national past time in our society. And itâs easy to get caught up in it as the pandemic has intensified our emotions. Todayâs Scripture encourages us to conquer complaining with the result being that we will shine like stars...
Let go and let God. If itâs meant to be itâs up to me. How do we balance the tension between those two statements? Todayâs Bible passage reminds us that God changes us as we cooperate with Him. He will do what He promises to do but we need to respond...
We are called to follow Jesus' example of selfless humility and obedience to the Father's mission. Following this common mission together and living out selfless humility will lead to great community.
Adversity can come from circumstances and other people. The Apostle Paul encountered this and he gives us a mindset that conquers. Itâs an attitude filled with confidence in spite of adversity and joy in spite of what other people are saying or doing...
If we are to experience joy during difficult times, it means focusing on the people in our lives. We read in the opening verses in the letter to the church at Philippi, how Paul focused on the good memories with them. He prayed for them and most of...
God loves us with an unfailing love. As people created in His image, our attempts at unfailing love are often messy and complicated at best. Dialing in on the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians as the gold standard, Kim shares from deeply...
Our bodies grow physically from the time we are born until the time we die. Likewise, the Bible presents stages of spiritual growth. We are called infants, children, young adults and parents. We reach maturity as spiritual parents when we are...
Discipleship. Every church says that is their goal. But the Bible doesnât say discipleship is the end goal as much as becoming a disciple-making movement of disciples who make disciples. Our method of relational discipling is described in 2 Timothy...
The church in North America has generally been good at proclaiming the message of Jesus. What we have not been good at is following the methodology of Jesus. Jesus chose intentional investment in a few people as his main strategy. As we follow the...
Jesus is the leader and He calls us to follow. Heâs calling us to follow Him as we shift towards greater relational discipleship. He promises to do a good work in our lives of transforming us to be like Him. This calling also involves us joining Jesus...
Jesus has risen from the dead. So what? The apostle Peter was an eyewitness to the resurrection and he writes in his letter about the life-changing impact of this event. The resurrection brings us both here-and-now and life after death benefits that...
We have questions about God and life: whether about the worldâs brokenness, human sexuality, evil, hell, Covid-19, etc. Jesusâ first disciples also had questions. He promises them a different sort of joy in the midst of their questioning and that some...
It seems like almost every month we hear a new story about a Christian leader who has been living a double life. The effect is always painful and for some it can lead to an enhanced sense of doubt: if this leader was a fraud, was their message as...
The church has often postured itself as "us and them" in regards to family and friends in the LGBTQ+ community. This tends to polarize and create arguments. People are not an issue. Rather than a binary lens of false dichotomy, Romans 1-3...
Why does God not offer more proof of his existence? He seems soâ¦absent. Is believing in God like a 4 year-old believing she has an invisible friend? What if the silence of God is like a thirst in our souls, creating a longing for the transcendent.
When it comes to addressing doubt or tough questions, Christ-followers often retort, âYou just have to have faith for we live by faith not sight.â But is that helpful, or reasonable? Is the Bible anti-facts and evidence? Perhaps, skeptics are right...
Some people suggest the opposite of faith is doubt. But is it? Is doubt the same as unbelief or could some doubt not be dangerous? In Mark 9:14-24 we see a struggling dad who cries out to Jesus. May we do the same in our mix of faith and doubt.
This week of St. Valentine's Day we thought it would be highly appropriate to add a message to our current series on God's plan for our marriages. Join Ron Marshall, who leads our Marriage Mentoring Ministry with his wife Judy, as he holds...
Ever know a church that was bound by rules and regulations that determined who was "in" and who was "out"? These communities tend to be full of grace-less religion, conditional acceptance, and fear. But the alternative of simply...
In our pluralistic society, it seems hard to imagine that an all-loving God would prevent any of his creations from entering heaven, let alone send them to hell, so how do we reconcile this? Do I really need to be saved and what does this even mean?...
Wonder. Questions. Doubts. Are these healthy? Although God wonât abandon us in our doubts, we may end up leaving Him. Doubt gone bad can lead us to unbelief but doubt gone good can lead to worship like in the life of âdoubting Thomas.â
Text your...
âDefund Policeâ is a rallying cry among some in our society. âWe need more law and orderâ others argue. Today weâll examine the Old Testament concepts of âhue and cryâ (Deuteronomy 22:23-27) as well as the Kinsmen-Redeemer (Ruth 4). Weâll see the call...
Doubts. We all have our questions around Godâs existence and absence; the relationship between Christianity and other religions. Uncertainty, weâve all had to live with it these last 10 months and continue to do so. Why does God seem silent during...
This past year has brought a great deal of uncertainty and the future is still unknown. How do we face forward with a resilient faith? In Deuteronomy 31, the people of God are facing an unknown future as they must go on without Moses. God encourages...
This has been a year of division, in everything from the U.S. election to family gatherings to wearing masks. Who do you listen to when opinions and tensions run high? In the first Christmas, Joseph is visited by an angel with an incredulous report...
Click on the link below to join the Virtual Lobby from 3:50 to 4:50 pm PST
https://zoom.us/j/98047159227?pwd=ajIweDh6VGI0TElMazFMZGxhTlVCZz09 Meeting ID: 980 4715 9227 Passcode: together
Can we do what God asks of us? What if itâs too big or...
Where has God been in the year 2020? From destructive wildfires to continual violence to rising Coronavirus deaths; itâs been a chaotic year. The shepherds were terrified the first Christmas. An angel arrives with good news for them and us as we...
Have you been disappointed this year? Perhaps it was your plans, holidays, schooling, work, dreams, etc. that were disrupted. In the first Christmas account, we have Zechariah who was disappointed. An angel arrives with good news that our prayers and...
âIf it bleeds, it leads,â so goes the tagline in media. The leading stories in the news are often fear-driven. We see in the first Christmas story that every character dealt with fear. Indeed this is not too different from our current mental health in...
This week we take the opportunity to celebrate what God has done in people's lives over the past 10 weeks and to revisit what He has been teaching us.
The Bible is a story of sending. From God sending Abraham in Genesis to Jesus sending the 72 in Luke 10, we continually encounter a God who sends out his people. We have a calling in our lives to answer, that which is wrong in our world that we want...
Conflict. Itâs inevitable in relationships. How do you respond to that conflict? In Matthew 5 we are called to be peacemakers (not peacekeepers) and take the initiative in restoring relationships.
Our life stories reveal a theme. Woven into that theme is our life mission. Jesus in his first sermon reveals his life mission about the kingdom. We will consider the calling God has for each of us.
We pray prayers of desperation: help Lord! We sometimes wonder whether that âworks.â We look back on our stories and we see Godâs rescue and weâre grateful for his presence and answers. Then we find ourselves silent in awe staring in the face of Almighty.
Where do you get your identity from? All sorts of lies can build up in our minds over the years. Jesus promises that the truth will set us free and He is that truth. We can be renewed in our minds and lives as we live in that freedom. The message this...
Surrender. Itâs not a term we naturally gravitate towards. We equate it with weakness and losing. But the paradox of surrender is that in giving we gain. When we admit we are powerless over (fill in the blank) we achieve victory.
Are there coincidences in your life? Do you ever look back on your life story and wonder what would have happened if...? And then how does God fit into your choices? Today we look at the story of Joseph and how God took all the turns in Joseph's...
Our lives are filled with noise, speed and interruptions. The Psalmist comes along and invites us to cease striving and to know God. To be set free from our false selves, we will need to listen to the One who created and redeemed us and declares our...
What is your image of God like? The overall message of the Bible is of a God who pursues us. The prophet Zephaniah presents a picture of God who is fierce in His love for us and delights in us.
Shalom. Itâs the times and seasons in our life when we look back and recall scenes of peace and serenity. But in our broken world that shalom has been shattered. But there is a restoring and redeeming work God is doing in each of our stories.
God invites us to engage with Him as we would with a friend (see Exodus 33:11). We look to God for his presence in our lives and He assures us He will go with us. As we journey with God in our stories we reflect His glory. Tomorrow we begin our Journals.
God has us on a journey as our stories intersect with His grand Story. God finds Hagar, like He finds us, in a state of brokenness as He asks her (and us) two soul questions.
Orphans. Strangers and Widows. Itâs the Bibleâs description of all of us. Weâve felt like orphans; fatherless lonely and unprotected. Thereâs been times in our journey where weâve been like the stranger, without a friend or betrayed by a close one...
In this 'new normal' time period God is calling us to fish on the other side of the boat. It means we will have to pivot and innovate seeking God in all we do and responding to His calling for us individually and collectively.
This is the final message of our 1 John series. In it we look forward to second John for the author's insights into the importance of striking a balance in love and truth. Truth without love is brutal and harsh, while love without truth is watery...
As this chapter of 1 John draws to a close there are five eternal truths that God and the author want us to know. God wants us to know that we can know Him in the deepest sense of the word and that we can trust Him with our whole lives.
New life in God through Jesus Christ proclaims this section. We are believers born of God. We are overcomers through Jesus Christ. Then the apostle John gives us three testifiers: water, blood and the Holy Spirit that remind us of our new identity as...
There is a spiritual enemy at work in our world (v. 1-6). However, God is greater and His very nature is love. We love because he first loved us. We cannot live in love and hate others (v. 7-21).
Anger left unchecked can lead to hatred and even murder John writes (v. 11-15). He then contrasts hatred with love by showing that love works itself out in practical demonstrations of compassion. By continually keeping short accounts with God we can...
John encourages his readers to remember who they are and to live accordingly. As apprentices of their heavenly Father, God's children are invited to reflect God to the world.
We can all be deceived in life: financially by some get-rich-quick scheme or spiritually by a charismatic sounding charlatan. This section of Scripture teaches us to be discerning as we put up guardrails against falsities entering our lives. We are to...
Itâs an old command: love one another. Itâs incompatible with an attitude of hatred and unforgiveness. This passage challenges us to grow up in God to love others as we are loved.
God is light and we wander into darkness. God is pure and we are impure. John draws a series of contrasts showing us our need for an atoning Saviour. Our hope is found in our confessing and experiencing His cleansing love.
John opens his gospel by talking about fellowship; our close relationships with one another and with God. An intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ will lead to profound, inexplicable joy.
Hope has a different meaning for the Christ follower. It is no longer simply 'a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.' Christian hope is absolutely certain because it is grounded in the person of Jesus Christ.
As this pandemic prolongs, we will find ourselves in the new normal or next normal or whatever the post-pandemic days get called. How will we endure well? The writer of Hebrews invites us to persevere through looking at a "cloud of...
Our plans have all been altered with this pandemic. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't go the way we had expected or planned or hoped. Yet today's passage reminds us to refocus our thoughts upon God and turn to Him for...
Recent Gallup surveys suggest Canadians are not flourishing during this pandemic. Mental health struggles are on the rise across the country. God's solution to human struggling involves how we clothe ourselves. What are you wearing in this season?
The Coronavirus is a thief. But it cannot steal that which is most valuable to us. Romans 8 outlines some of those very important intangibles that relate to our soul.
The Coronavirus is causing mental languish in all of us. We are here to be good news and to help our community flourish relationally, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.
Why can we trust God in the midst of Covid-19? In the Bible we see a God who is not only sovereign, but also one who suffers with us. The main reason we can trust God is because He Himself has suffered so much. We see this clearly at the Cross of...
Disease. Death. We are surrounded with it now with Covid-19. It affects Christian and non-Christian alike. Like the biblical character Job, we question God in the midst of it. As we navigate this challenge, we find that the mystery of God and His...
There is bad news all around us during this pandemic. But Easter is full of good news that speaks into our fears and hopeless moments. This good news is not an event but rather a person, an alive Jesus Christ.
Prayer will be available following the...
For each of us our anxiety has been spiking during this pandemic. What is the Word from Jesus in the midst of this crisis. Three times He tells us to not be anxious and then tells us why this can be true in our lives. Beyond Covid-19, we look to our...
As we encounter the living Jesus in the midst of our fears and anxieties, He will give us His peace and joy. We look to the cross and resurrection as our hope and we become God's hands and feet and mouthpiece to people in need around us.
God is greater than anything on this earth or in heaven. We cannot begin to fathom how expansive He is. This is a good reminder from the prophet Isaiah in the midst of COVID-19 and anything we are experiencing right now. He promises to give His...
What causes you to stumble? Attacks of appetite, approval or ambition? These three challenges came from the devil against Jesus right after his covenant baptism. Satan tries to attack Jesusâ identity and he does the same against you and I. But when...
What is the source of your identity? John the Baptist begins preaching that One greater than David will come as the new king. This new covenant requires death and baptism symbolizes that death and resurrection. At Jesusâ baptism, the Father declares...
Who is Jesus for you? The five Old Testament Covenants point to their fulfillment in Jesus. He is the new covenant. His favourite title for himself was âSon of Manâ. He identifies with humanity in our role as ruling on Gods behalf. He was often called...
Poor. Widowed. Orphans. Immigrants. This quartet of the vulnerable is repeatedly mentioned by the prophets as our kingdom responsibility. As Godâs covenant children we reflect Godâs covenant love to those in need. Worship without acts of mercy, love...
God meets people where they are at. All Covenants since the Fall (Genesis 3), have been a divine response to human rebellion. The Davidic covenant is no different as the people cry out âGive us a king.â God accommodates and the sign of this covenant...
Perhaps you can relate to Moses who struggled with identity issues (see Exodus 3-4). In fact he asked God to send someone in his place (Exodus 4:13). But God had chosen Moses as a Covenant partner and He commissioned Him as Godâs Kingdom...
What does it mean to be a kingdom operative? Joseph was called as a teenager to rule (Gen. 37), but he needed a lot of breaking by God on the path to humility. Finally he proclaimed ânot I but God.â (Genesis 41:16). Surrender is essential preparation...
How does one get a healthy self-image? Is it propping ourselves up by our accomplishments or embracing Godâs declaration of our identity. God chooses Abraham and establishes a covenant confirmed by blood. The sign of this new covenant is circumcision...
Envy. Murder. The Covenant is broken and sin spreads quickly. More than breaking Godâs rules, Mankind has broken the relationship. In a flood of judgement we see the 2nd covenant, made with Noah. The rainbow is the sign of the covenant and a reminder...
Humans are made in Godâs image (Genesis 1:27). In a covenant relationship we reflect the values and characteristics of our heavenly Father. We see the covenant-making God fashioning the original dirt-man in Genesis 2:7. Our kingdom responsibilities...
The Bible can be an intimidating book: How do we connect the dots? The concepts of covenant and kingdom can be that DNA. They speak to our Relationship with God as Father who gives us our identity and our responsibility as those with kingdom authority.
This morning we wrap up this series on Christmas light, and we are talking specifically about how we can carry this Christmas light with us beyond this season of gifts and stress and holly jolliness.
Isaiah gives the ancient prophecy to those waiting for the coming Messiah. Jesus comes on the scene announcing, with one of 7 great âI Amâ statements in Johnâs gospel, that He is the light of the world.
The days are getting darker and often times it feels like our world is also. John begins his gospel, not by talking about the shepherds or wise men but rather taking a grander perspective. In the midst of our dark world Light has come.
Today we wrap up our ROOTED teaching series with a number of stories and testimonies, as well as a baptism celebration, and cake!
The author calls us to hang onto faith, hope and love in v. 22-25. The foundation for this doing life together is the cross and Christ crashing through the curtain in v. 19-21.
The apostle Paul shared his testimony before King Agrippa in Acts 26. It detailed his life before he encountered the living Jesus and afterwards. We all have a story that intersects with Godâs story. Our story is meant to be shared with others who...
The Christian life is a journey of trust. We can choose to place our security in money, job, etc. or in the unseen God. Todayâs Scripture reminds us that the Father will take care of us.
We may be surprised at the Judgment. The King will recall the little things that we did but that we've forgotten. Then He will invite the "blessed" into His presence. Our job is to prepare for that Final.
Serving. It doesnât have to be big and glamorous. Sometimes small acts done with great love changes us and our world. God has called us to serve and equipped us to do life a lifestyle of serving.
Strongholds. They are formed in our lives from sin done by us or sin done to us. They are sometimes generational running in our family. The good news of the Gospel is that these spiritual strongholds can be demolished as we walk in the Spirit.
Like Jesus, we find ourselves wrestling with our heavenly Father over our life situations. We pray for deliverance but ultimately we trust in Godâs will being done in our lives as we pray the prayer of surrender.
We are to take Godâs revelation to us (Bible, creation, circumstances, other people, etc.) and combine it with praying in the Spirit to hear God speak to us.
We have beliefs about God and ourselves that may or may not be accurate. The Gospel sets us free from these false narratives as we live in Godâs story.
A life worth living is a life rooted in the lordship of Jesus Christ. Itâs a life thatâs growing in faith and is practicing the 7 rhythms of Rooted.
The rooted are able to live flourishing lives because their roots go down deep into Godâs love. Itâs this compelling love of Christ that sustains and strengthens a person. NOTE: Due to technical difficulties the sermon recording from Sunday was lost...
There are two types of people according to Jeremiah. There are those who trust in self who are compared to a scruffy brush in the desert. In contrast when we trust in the Lord we are like a flourishing tree by the stream. In whom or what do you place...
Listen in as our missions teams who went to Mexico and the Ukraine share stories of where they saw God and work and how we can learn to live missionally at home or abroad. It's all about hearing God and doing what He says.
Life is a series of low valleys and high mountaintops. Itâs a continual rhythm of joy and despair. Psalm 42-43 follows this pattern and weâre reminded to crave for a God who meets us any of those moments.
The Bible: Perfect or Imperfect? Why is the Bible full of apparent contradictions? What's up with all the weird laws of the Old Testament? So is the Bible the inerrant, perfect Word of God or is it just an ancient human document riddled with...
God doesnât need our praise but we get to offer it to Him. We praise Him for who He is and what He has done. Psalm 33 exhorts us to praise God and then gives us reasons for why to do so.
Guilt. Shame. Unforgiveness. When we refuse to come clean to God we pay the price as the Psalmist laments. Yet when we do stop trying to hide, we experience peace and freedom
The pilgrims in ancient Israel would recite the fifteen Psalms of Psalm 120-134 as they journeyed to Jerusalem. These Psalms can encourage us as we sing worship songs and journey together in our walk with God.
Creation points to a Creator. Psalm 104 is one of the creation Psalms where the author celebrates Godâs glory in His creation. The result is happiness for those who worship their Creator.
Life gives us many woes but amidst those we can offer our thanksgiving to God. Psalm 107 reminds us of Godâs unfailing love and that we can thank Him for His wonderful deeds.
It sometimes feels like God is absent. In Psalm 77 we have this experience by the Psalmist. Yet he seeks God and reminds himself of Godâs past faithfulness. BCMB Conference Minister Rob Thiessen shares his pastoral heart and insights on this psalm of...
God has taken the initiative with us and created the way for a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Todayâs passage tells us that He has given us his power and promises (v. 3-4) to help us thrive in our relationships as we activate the...
Liars. Hypocrites. Manipulators. We all have our share of difficult people in our lives. Sometimes we are those difficult people. Jesus models for us how to deal with the difficult people in our lives.
Control or connection? Sometimes we feel forced between these two realities in relationships - especially when it comes to parenting. Today we explore God's heart for attachment and how we are called to live that out as Spiritual Parents.
Mercy is getting spared from bad things you deserve. Grace is getting good things that you donât deserve. If we are to love like Jesus we canât limit our love to just those who deserve it. God extends amazing grace to each of us. As we continually...
Marriages are under attack. The problem is not a new one. In Proverbs 5, we read of the risks and destruction of a relationship gone astray. Solomon also advises us to invest passionately in our marriages.
People who are exclusionary in relationships treat others by the law: tit-for-tat. On the other hand Jesus, who understood rejection, treated others by being approachable and inclusive. Todayâs passage shows us that anyone, even this woman with a...
Dana Penner shares a message and hosts a panel of Gracepoint women who have encountered God in different ways. Each relates to God through different images and metaphor. Listen in and see if your image of God isn't expanded.
Todayâs Bible passage encourages us to speak truth with love in relationships. Truth without love is ugly and yet love without truth is spineless. When we overcome our fear of rejection and exercise boldness in relationships we find ourselves in...
This sermon is a part of an annual series that addresses the question: what is the state of Gracepoint Community Church.
In a culture that often mocks Godâs truth, we are called to be like Daniel, people who sometimes have to stand alone and stand up for God and truth. We have seen in the life of Daniel he did this with integrity and tact. He believed in a sovereign God...
The final chapter of the book reminds us to prepare for trouble. Daniel 11 includes dire warnings about the anti-Christ. We can prepare for any calamity by being comforted by Godâs protection (v. 1), living with resurrection hope (v. 2), shining like...
Daniel receives another heavenly vision and engages in conversation with a supernatural being. Though we donât understand the details of this chapter, we can be reminded that prayer, fasting, and humility are weapons of warfare. As we engage in...
In midst of his visions of calamity, Daniel records a model prayer. He prays in solidarity with the people and asks for Godâs mercy.
Daniel receives another disturbing dream from God. This chapter reminds us God knows the future. As we understand Godâs Word through divine assistance, we will better prepare for our difficult futures.
Daniel 7-12 details some prophecies which remind us of Godâs protection and sovereignty. God is involved in warring activity in the spiritual realm and we can be assured of Godâs ultimate victory.
At around 83 years of age, Daniel is promoted to Prime Minister. But some people in the culture are not happy. Because Daniel has lived a life of integrity for the last 66 years, they can find no skeletons in his closet other than his worship of God...
Mene. Tekel. Parsin. Three Aramaic words that caused the king and his party guests to tremble. They warn us that our days are numbered and we have a responsibility how we spend them. We need to have a devoted rather than divided heart.
It was a wild party untilâ¦God decided to crash it. Daniel 5 tells us the story of the same finger that wrote the 10 commandments, wrote on the wall three Aramaic words. God confronts and exposes sin and deals with an unrepentant heart. The challenge...
The sovereign God sends a troubling dream to King Nebuchadnezzar who continues to arrogantly defy God and he is greatly humbled. God may trouble our hearts to get our attention and expose sin. In the end God is always right and we are called to submit...
Danielâs friends faced an ultimate Babylonian test: would they bow down to a 90-foot statue? We face tests of allegiance in our culture. Will we take a stand or just blend in with the crowd? The call of Jesus is to be set apart in a conforming culture.
We sometimes face impossible situations. Daniel faced such a condition when the king threatened to execute him and his friends. Desperate circumstances bring about desperate prayers and God responds. But in standing up for truth, Daniel gives the...
The culture will test our convictions. Daniel faced a 10-day test in Babylon and we will face our own cultural tests. We can choose at those moments to live according to our prior convictions or compromise to how the world attempts to tame us.
The world we live in 2019 is a non-Christian world, sometimes an anti-Christian culture. We need to be prepared to live with the challenges the culture throws at us. The greatest attack of our culture will be the attempt rename us by attacking our...
The world we live in 2019 is a non-Christian world, sometimes an anti-Christian culture. We need to be prepared to live with the challenges the culture throws at us. The greatest attack of our culture will be the attempt rename us by attacking our...
The songwriter calls him âlittle Lord Jesusâ. Indeed this helpless infant in the manger is the Lord. He is the Saviour but also the Lord of the world. If Jesus is indeed Lord of our lives we will surrender every area of our lives to His Lordship.
The songwriter of âO Come O Come Emmanuelâ longs for Godâs presence. The promise of the angel in Matthew 1:23 is that Jesus is and will be with us.
âO Come all Ye faithful, joyful and triumphantâ says the carol. Sometimes we donât feel that we are living those three qualities. Second Timothy 2:13 reminds us that God is Faithful and He invites the weary to experience new life in and through Him...
The songwriter in âO Holy Nightâ wrote âthe weary world rejoicesâ. Weariness is often an emotion we feel at Christmas with its responsibilities and commitments. But the songwriter continues with âbreaks a new and glorious mornâ. The prophet Jeremiah...
The lyrics in âLittle drummer Boyâ tell of a child summoned by the wise men to the nativity. With no gift to bring, he says âI played my best for himâ and Jesusâ response was âHe smiled at me.â We follow the lead of the magi in worshiping Jesus with...
Joy to the World the carol proclaims. The world often offers a joy thatâs based on circumstances. That first Christmas the angels said to the shepherds, âDo not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.â (Luke...
The gospel reshapes the rhythms of our lives. However we donât add the gospel to our already full and busy lives, but rather we live with gospel intention in the whole of our lives. We grow in gospel fluency as the Spirit guides us to live Jesus...
When we embrace the finished work of Christ in our lives, we become part of Godâs family. We are brothers and sister in Christ who are created in Godâs image and recreated as His children. We live as a family on mission serving one another and our world.
The gospel is more than just a set of principles or truths that we affirm. It is Godâs redemptive story. We can view the gospel through two lenses: thematically as Godâs plan for our lives and narratively as Godâs plan for the world. The purpose of...
Every last one of us doesnât believe something about God that is true. This affects our ability to overcome sin. We often think of sin as behaviours but behind every sin is another sin: an attitude of unbelief in some area. We gospel one another when...
The Gospel guides us in what we say but also in how we hear. We partner with the Holy Spirit in real time as we listen well to others. What do they place their trust in? God is present in each personâs story. We listen with Gospel-filtered ears...
Story. Everyone has one and everyoneâs life story deserves to be told. Our individual stories follow the biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption and restoration. In a sense our stories reflect Godâs grand story. In all of our stories, God is...
The Bible is not just a collection of moral tales or historical accounts. It is a Gospel Story: a grand narrative featuring creation, fall, redemption and restoration. As we engage with this grand story we find ourselves in it and Godâs past story...
Gospel. The word means âgood newsâ. Paul says the gospel is centered in Jesusâ life, death and resurrection. But these are not just historical facts, they speak into everyday life. As gospel people we gospel one another bringing good news into every...
'Gospeling' is taking the noun gospel and turning it into a verb whereby we apply the gospel into all areas of our lives. We speak the gospel into our own hearts, and the lives of others such as their jobs, parenting, circumstances, etc.
Sometimes Christians categorize people as believers versus unbelievers but the call of Mark 1:15 is for all people to repent and believe the gospel. We are all unbelievers in some areas of our lives. We all have places of unbelief that Christ calls us...
Our Mexico Mission Team 2018 shares about their gospel experiences in San Quentin this summer.
Mephiboshethâs story in 2 Samuel 9 is in a sense the story of all of us. He was crippled by a fall and weâve been debilitated by the crippling effects of sin. However he was summoned by the king and we too have been called by the King. His story is...
Learning to be ourselves is a life-long process. In a sense we are always in recovery, overcoming the effects of sin upon us. But we can have confidence that God is going to finish that good work that Heâs started in us. He will continually renew and...
How are we living? As spiritual paupers? God proclaims in Ephesians 1:17-18 that He is our Father, we have been adopted as His children. Through Him we have hope because we have received an eternal inheritance that can never bet taken from us. Rick...
We fail and others fail and we often blame ourselves or them. We think those who fail (including ourselves) deserve to be punished. God has a different answer in 1 John 4:10-18. Rick also interviews Tristan Peters about his song, 'The Miserable...
Darkness. Itâs all around us and in us. But the great news of the Gospel is that Jesus has come in with light to drive out the darkness. Peter declares our new identity as Godâs children: we are chosen by God, royalty, and His possession. Interview...
Psalm 139 is a marveling Psalm about Godâs interaction with us. He is always watching over us (v. 1-5). He is present everywhere (v. 6-12). He is so passionately in love with us that He canât leave us alone (v. 13-18). He is there for us when life is...
Our old self, our old way of thinking has us living with certain crippling labels. But as we realize our identity in Christ we adopt new attitudes about who we are. And then we need to be reminded about who we are so we can be who we're called to be.
In our natural state we think that obedience to God will produce righteousness with God but itâs the Father that initiates a love relationship with us through grace that declares our identity as his children. We then obey because we are already righteous.
Too often we are defined by all the wrong things - sometimes it's by the voices around us - other times its by searching within. The story of Gideon is a striking reminder that it is only God who can give us our identity because only God's...
All through life we receive labels from others: some good some not so good. Who or what do we turn to for our core identity? Genesis 1:27 tells us we are image bearers of God but then that identity got distorted in Genesis 3 and weâve been living with...
There are ârulesâ in any and every relationship. Jesus gives us the greatest rule of relationships, the Golden Rule. It is the rocket fuel for every successful relationship. The temptation will be to always look at my needs, my wants, myself in any...
Conflict is inevitable in relationships. We bring our various personality types, values, etc. into every relationship. What is not inevitable is for conflict to remain in those relationships. Having our relationships informed by Jesus means we take...
Jesus challenges us to a radical love, one that He demonstrated himself. He calls us to a sacrificial love, love of those who oppose us. When we are secure in His love for us, we can love anyone and everyone. We do good to those who are against us...
Jesus in this section of the Sermon on the Mount deals with a number of issues that destroy our relationship with God and others. His first area of focus is anger. Jesus goes beyond the law which says âdo not murderâ to the heart: that there is...
We live in a selfie world. Jesus challenges the values that drive the âselfieâ philosophy. We long for greatness but Jesus reminds us the greatest are the servants. Itâs not wrong to be ambitious as long as itâs not pride and self that are driving...
We have high expectations for our kids. Mrs. Zebedee in todayâs text has the same for her sons James and John. She reminds us of a prayerful attitude in coming to Jesus and being not afraid to make the âbig askâ, VP seats. But in the end, she has to...
Unresolved conflict can lead to bitterness and resentment. Jesus shows us the way of freedom in this parable. As we embrace the incredible forgiveness of God through Jesus, we can forgive others. Refusing to do so results in imprisoning ourselves.
Judging others can derail relationships quickly. We judge when we assume the motives of another. Someone we love is acting badly and we say they have a âgood heartâ. Others are acting well and we assume sinister motives. As if we know! Jesus calls us...
Everyone values something. God values relationships. The greatest commandment reminds us that total love for God and oneâs neighbour is the highest calling. Though lesser things vie for our attention, God calls us to excellence in our relationships...
Church. The word evokes such a variety of responses. The church began in Acts 2 and we can see the preoccupations and practices of that early church in verses 41-47.
With Jesus' resurrection comes His command to be Gospel people in a world that does not recognize that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. We are to be Kingdom bringers. Lord let Your Kingdom come in us.
Because the tomb was empty on that first Easter Sunday we can celebrate our risen Lord Jesus and enjoy life to full forevermore.
The book ends with God speaking, reminding the people what He has done (v. 2-13). God reminds the people of his faithfulness with expressions like âI gaveâ and âI didâ. Then Joshua calls for a decision (v. 14-15). Whom will you serve? The Israelites...
An ageing Joshua assembles the people and gives his farewell speech. He reminds the people of what God has done for them and also gives them a warning. His dire words sound a warning for us as to the blessings obedience brings and the grave cost of...
The main point of the cities of refuge was that an innocent person would not be killed. These strategically placed cities gave an asylum for a person who accidentally killed someone, to flee and await a fair trial. Likewise God becomes our person of...
Joshua is a book full of battles. Critics decry the repeated violence in the narrative. What are we to make of the wholesale destruction of the Canaanites? Particularly when we so often read that the Lord commands the annihilation of all the people...
We see Calebâs character in this chapter. Heâs a man of courage and whole-hearted devotion to the Lord. He has no fear of his enemies and says at age 85 that heâs got the same strength that he had at age 40. We learn from Caleb to keep our eyes...
Miracles. In this section we see two incredible miracles: the Lord raining down deadly hail and causing the sun to stand still. Did they actually happen like this or appear to happen? We see in this chapter the interplay between the divine and human...
The Israelites are given a 2nd chance to attack Ai. This one brings victory. After the success they renew their covenant with the Lord (v. 30-35). Victory in the Christian life happens when we keep moving forward after our failures.
Joshua 7 brings a marked change in the book: itâs the first time God is angry with the Israelites. They have a hidden sin in the camp and the result is their defeat at Ai. The ripple effect of Achanâs disobedience affects his entire family. Every...
This well-known story reminds us that the Lord brings victory. The Israelites are given quite an unusual battle plan involving the #7, marching, silence, shouting, trumpets, etc. The ark of the covenant which was previously kept at a distance is now...
The Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan. This miracle parallels the Red Sea crossing and reminds the Jewish people and us of Godâs power. It is designed to embolden Israel in their faith (4:24) and cause them to grow up in obedience. We see in...
Joshua sends two spies into the land and they go meet a colourful character, Rahab. She recognizes Godâs strength and power. She is commended in the New Testament for her faith (but not her occupation). This story reminds us Godâs grace is available...
The Israelites are on the verge of the promised land, ready to enter it. God promises that He will give them this land (v. 2, 11). But they still need to fight the enemies and engage in battle. They will however not be alone as God promises to be with...
After Christmas comes...the Christmas bills. As we turn the calendar this Sunday, we will wrap up our Christmas Uncluttered series by talking about 'Money Uncluttered' based on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Treasure. Christmas is full of talk and expectations around new treasures. That perfect shiny new gift can give us a temporary self-esteem boost but a few days or weeks later, it has lost its lustre. Jesus challenges us in our passage to align our...
Hurt. Relational wounds. Relatives who push buttons. The Christmas season has a way of reviving the relational pain of yesteryear. The result is unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment that can often cling to our souls. Ephesians 4:31-32 invites us...
In Mark 1-2 we see Jesusâ power and authority. He drives out demons, heals people, and offers forgiveness, something only God can do. The result is the people are amazed and astonished by Him (1:27, 2:12). Jesusâ authority in our lives extends to how...
Our hearts desire. At Christmas this desire is intensified as advertising bombards us with all sorts of discontentment messages. How can we find satisfaction for our souls? As we focus upon Christ, we can experience Him as the fulfillment of our...
This is the great promise of the Incarnation: God with us. This amazing miracle that Jesus became a human being, born a simple humble birth in the stable. In contrast our Christmas days are often full of busyness, noise, clutter, and expectations...
We wrap up the series by reminding ourselves that our lives and our church are not about us. Weâve been conditioned in life to think that itâs about us, but todayâs Scripture reminds us that Godâs glory is what we live for.
In our 3 stories in todayâs passage, something of value is lost: the coin, the sheep, the son. The loss warranted an all-out search and there was a great celebration in their find. Jesus tells us this is what our heavenly father is like and we are...
The great news of the gospel is that God has reconciled people to Himself. When we experience this truth for ourselves, we are motivated to share it with others. We do so because we have experienced love, not because of some âought/shouldâ.
Many days it feels like the world is getting darker and deteriorating. Jesus calls us to to be salt and light. Itâs not something we have, itâs who we are. God will use us as people of influence if we donât contaminate our salt and hide our light. We...
The feast in todayâs passage symbolizes Godâs kingdom and reflects His heart for people to commune with Him. He invites us to join Him on this mission as we invest our lives in others for the sake of the kingdom. We will hear their âexcusesâ (v...
If we want Jesus to heal us we have to be honest about our afflictions and we have to obey what He tells us to do.
The church exists to be on mission in the world. Our Mexico Mission Team will share from their experiences with God in San Quentin, MX.
No person is an island. We are meant to do life together with others. God designed the church to be about people, who live in community with one another. This is more than just a âJesus and meâ journey. Itâs a journey with others.
If we are to continue this multiplying movement, the church, that began in Acts 1-2, we will need all hands on deck as each of us give our time, treasure and talents to the calling God issues to each of us to serve. The New Testament calls us not to...
We launch our âwhy are we hereâ series about the church by reminding ourselves of Jesusâ words in Matthew 16:18 that He is building His church. He is the founder and we are called to follow Him. He invites us to be disciple makers who help grow this...
In this brief story we see Philipâs availability to be interrupted and redirected by God. God calls him to go south and there he meets a man from Ethiopia. God uses Philip to explain the prophecy to this man and share the good news of Jesus. We need...
The sower sows the seed which falls on various types of soil in this parable. The soil types represent the differing heart postures we can have towards God. We can have a closed or crowded heart or we can have an open one. Godâs spoken and written...
In Acts 16, Paul is barred from entering Asia and Bithynia. The he receives a vision to go to Macedonia. What do we do when we receive a âclosed doorâ such as in v. 7. And who does God speak to; is hearing from God only for certain spiritual giants...
Jesus is the good Shepherd who protects, cares for and provides for His sheep. As the Shepherd He goes ahead of us. Our role is to listen to His leading and speaking. Though we may be sheep (not the most complimentary comparison) we can recognize His...
The Psalmist encourages us to not harden our hearts when we hear his voice. Certain attitudes can harden our hearts from hearing Godâs voice. Weâve been focusing this summer on listening to God, but how exactly does God direct us? Today we explore...
We explore the connection between abiding in Jesus and listening to Him. Jesus describes himself as the vine and we as the branches. Some branches are fruitful and some are not. Jesus does a pruning work in us to make us more fruitful. As we remain in...
Abrahamâs servant faces a daunting task: to find a bride for his masterâs son Isaac. He prays a very specific ask of the Lord. The Lord answers his prayer. As he marvels at Godâs provision, he repeatedly mentions Godâs leading (v. 27, 48). This...
Paul contrasts the flesh and the Spiritâs work. The outcomes are very different as he lists the works of the flesh in contrast with the fruit of the Spirit. Christians can often have a variety of views about the Holy Spirit but Paul presents the...
We launch of our summer series of âListening to Godâ by looking at Davidâs inquiring of the Lord. When David received the word that the Philistines were attacking Keilah, he could have ignored the attack or he could have rushed in; instead he chooses...
Contentment. Peace. Joy. These words often seem quite elusive in our mental health journey. Both external and internal struggles rob us of the joy we so desperately desire. Jesus teaches us in John 16 that our joy is made complete in Him. And 'in...
Depression is a universal problem and it is an ancient problem. The Bible is full of accounts of depressed and suicidal people: Elijah, Sons of Korah, Jonah, etc. Heman the Ezrahite, the writer of Psalm 88, was another one who lamented his feelings of...
Job practically lost everything in one day. We lose it all over a lifetime. We suffer various little âdeathsâ all through life: graduation, leaving home, moving, job change, divorce, illness, etc. Jobâs story is our story and we need to walk through...
Anxiety. Panic Attacks. Worry. Our minds are filled with constant concerns. These constant concerns can grow and become debilitating to our mental health. God gives us a promise in Proverbs 3:5,6 that he will direct our paths. But we also have a part...
Far too often in the Christian life we are driven by all the things we think we should or shouldn't do. We should be kind. We should pray. We should read our Bibles. And then there are the shouldn'ts. We shouldn't get angry. We...
What resources does the believer specifically have that can aid them to deal with every stressors that are causing them to languish in mind, body, and spirit?
Kim Savage leads a panel of moms/women who have experienced the depths of depression, anxiety, infertility, birth defects, adoption, anger, identity issues and more. Listen in as these women share their experiences from the darkness of the pits to...
This message will focus on Psalm 130 and the depths of depression the Psalmist faces. The encouragement will be to walk alongside others in their depression and mental health challenges. The implication in the Psalm is that we journey alongside others...
Throughout Corinthians Paul defends his apostolic ministry despite the many hardships he has encountered. Here in chapter 12 Paul declares that God's power is perfected in weakness. Paul is therefore able to receive suffering as a gift, seeing it...
We begin our series by debunking some of the myths around mental health. As a community of faith we particularly want to deal with the bad theology that Christians sometimes adopt towards mental illness. We can blame the person, we treat them as if...
Paul lists a number of questions for us leading to a pinnacle point in his book. He asks, âIf God is for us, who can be against us?â (v. 31) Will He not graciously give us all things (v. 32)? Who will bring a charge against us? (v. 33) Who condemns?...
Paul next addresses the issue of disputable matters between Christians. Some of us are âstrongâ Christians and some are âweakâ in various matters. For Roman Christians the issue was eating meat. Paul gives a charter of Christian liberty and mutual...
Do we submit to governments? Always? When is it right for proper civil disobedience when we obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19)? Paul in this section advises the Roman Christians in their attitude towards the emperor. Paul gives a call to submission...
After 11 chapters of theological grappling Paul moves to the ethics of Christian living. He begins by talking about our relationships. We are to worship God rightly by offering him our mind, body and will (v. 1-2). We relate to others in the body of...
Creation is groaning to be released. We experience this in our bodies and in our broken world that longs for redemption. We have a present victory through the Holy Spirit but we also await a future final salvation. Though we groan now, we will some...
Paul spends the first half of Romans 8 describing the liberating work of the Spirit. He sets us free from judgment and self-condemnation. The Spirit exists in hostility to our flesh and our obligation is to live according to the Spirit. The Spirit...
âLaw.â The word is used 23 times in this passage. If we are set free from the law, what is its purpose? Paul explains in this passage the ministry of the law as well as its inability. âI.â This word is used 30 times in the passage. There is a civil...
Paul is perhaps responding to those who having heard what heâs said thus far in Romans, will turn grace into an opportunity to continue sinning. Grace is no license to sin. We are under a new master, Jesus Christ. Baptism is a picture of our new life...
Having explained the benefits of our justification Paul now turns it to the basis for our justification. He does this by contrasting the first and second Adam. Adam plunged us into sin, guilt and ruin. The law is unable to save us. In contrast to...
In Romans 5:1-11 Paul expounds on the last 2 words of chapter 4: âour justificationâ. He gives us all the blessings of our justification: peace with God (v. 1), access to God (v. 2), hope (v. 2), perseverance through suffering (v. 3-4), Godâs love (v...
Paul spells out that we cannot earn righteousness by works. Righteousness can only be credited by God through our faith. He uses the example of Abraham, calling him âfatherâ four times in v. 16-18. He is the father of both the Jews and the Gentiles...
Paul continues in Romans 3, his exposition of the bad news that we are all sinners. To Jews who thought they had some advantage, he affirms that the Jews have been given the Word of God (3:2) but in reality this is no advantage as Paul expounds that...
Paul spells out that we cannot earn righteousness by works. Righteousness can only be credited by God through our faith. He uses the example of Abraham, calling him âfatherâ four times in v. 16-18. He is the father of both the Jews and the Gentiles...
Paul begins this letter by using the word âgospelâ five times. He tells us that the gospel has its origin from God. This gospel is a continuation of the grand narrative of the older Testament. The content of the gospel is Jesus Christ and that He has...
Look forward in 2017 and ask God to pour out His spirit on Gracepoint. May we be a church that follows God and what He's doing in 2017. He is a God who says âI will pour out my Spirit.â Church, will you and I join God in what Heâs already doing?...
Today we light the candle of love. As we come nearer to the holy night when Jesus was born, we contemplate the incredible love that caused Him to come to earth. This one whom John describes as the Creator and who was here âin the beginningâ now takes...
Today we light the candle of joy. Christmas ought to be the happiest time of the year, but instead itâs often filled with stress, deadlines, expectations, and pressures that squeeze the joy out of the season. What do we do when these joy destroyers...
Today we light the candle of peace and look at this ancient prophecy. The prophets spoke of a future hope when Godâs shalom would come to this earth. The ancients waited eagerly for this. Micah predicts that the sleepy town of Bethlehem would produce...
Today we light the candle of hope and look at Paulâs words of hope in Romans 15. He quotes the prophetic words from Isaiah that a son of David will rise up. This is our celebration in the incarnation and this gives us hope. Paul reminds us that the...
Hospitality is a repeated call in the Bible for Christ-followers (i.e. Romans 12:13, 1 Peter 4:9, etc.). We end this series by revisiting the table metaphor as Jesus is eating with his disciples and âtax collectors and sinnersâ. Is our table/timetable...
God has an accusation against his people. He recounts his abundant faithfulness to them by reminding them of his past provision to them. He has been their deliverer, their rescuer. Israel responds asking how they can make atonement. What sacrifice or...
Jesus disciple, John, has an interesting journey. From being a man with the nickname âson of thunderâ to one who writes so passionately about love as in our passage today. Heâs one whoâs encountered Jesus and has had his heart transformed. We too need...
The church is place of community and connection. We are each in important part in the body of Christ. In fact Paul says the weaker members of the body are indispensable. At Gracepoint no one should stand alone and we ought to be experiencing authentic...
This message will contrast how the Pharisee saw the woman (v. 39) with how Jesus saw her (v. 44). She had lived a sinful life, she had a reputation. The Pharisee perceived and treated her accordingly. Jesus on the other hand saw her as an image bearer...
God encourages Jeremiah while he is in exile to buy a piece of land and settle down. He is to seek the shalom of the city. Our city should be better off because the Christians that live here. A Street that has a Christian living on it should be better...
New life and relationship with Christ. John 6:25-35. Jesus invites us to himself as the bread of life. We all crave food and drink and it sustains our life, but only Jesus is the one who gives us life. Sermon will focus on the communion table and...
Jesus encounters the woman at the well, but itâs no accident He meets her. He âhad to go throughâ Samaria (v. 4). Likewise it is no accident that we live where we do. Jesus intentionally and actively engages her, conveying a spirit of acceptance and...
Mexico Team sharing stories during service. What does it look like to love your neighbour in another country, another culture, an impoverished region so far removed from our own?
âWho is my neighbourâ the expert in the law asks Jesus. Jesus responds with the well known story of the Good Samaritan. Love for oneâs neighbour means seeing the needs around us. The Good Samaritan also felt compassion for the bruised man. Perhaps...
We often think of the great commandment solely in terms of loving God completely. But Jesus added to the Shema, adding the imperative of loving oneâs neighbour. That neighbour could be across the pew, across the kitchen table, across the street or...
Prayer as Submission: The disciples faced the temptation to desert Jesus at his greatest hour. Jesus faced the temptation to turn away from His mission. He pleaded with His Father to take the cup of agony away but submitted to His Fatherâs will. At...
Desperate prayer: If there was ever a man who was desperate, it was this renegade prophet who fled God but God pursued him. He found himself facing despair and death. In the midst of the action of these 4 quick chapters, we hear profound prayer and...
Prayer is about God. Daniel confesses not only his own sin but also the sins of the nation. One gets the feeling this is a contrite man. He recognizes Godâs sovereignty that God would do something as the 70 years in captivity is coming to an end. He...
Trusting Prayer: Job was a man who was dealt many hard blows in life. His so-called friends called on him to repent of his sin that was causing his calamity. He refuses to, until chapter 42, when he confesses his small view of God and failure to grasp...
Repentant Prayer: David is commended in Scripture as a man who followed God with all his heart (1 Kings 14:8). Yet this same man was the one who used his power to seduce Bathsheba and cover it up with the murder of Uriah. In this honest Psalm, David...
Bold Praying: Nehemiahâs heart is broken by the condition of his beloved city of Jerusalem. His despair for the broken down walls results in his fasting and praying. He confesses sin and appeals to Godâs character. He asks for specific help from God...
Prayer in Distress: Hezekiah is described as someone who had a close relationship with God (2 Kings 18:5,6), which wasnât true for many of the kings. He and the people of Judah are facing a national crisis with the impending invasion of the Assyrians...
The rhythm of prayer: Elijah rebukes King Ahab and has his showdown with the false prophets of Baal. Elijah pleads with God for the heavenly fire and God shows forth his power. Elijah then prays for rain and it comes. After these dramatic encounters...
Listening Prayer: Samuel is born out of the deep soul anguish prayers of his mother for a child (1 Samuel 1). The boy is brought to the temple where he serves Eli. In being awakened one night, heâs told by the priest Eli that perhaps itâs God...
Negotiating Prayer: Moses bargains with God appealing to his character: that God is just and merciful. He also appeals to God saving face so that He wonât destroy the Israelites. âSo the Lord changed his mindâ v. 14 raises the proverbial question...
Jesus demonstrates in this passage his own security as one who had come from the Father and was returning to the Father. He could wash his disciples feet because His own relationship with God and Himself was secure.
âTherefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.â 1 Timothy 2:8. Anger is the great poison that destroys so many relationships. Men, wounded by others, tend to perpetuate this poison. Paul calls us to...
Conflict is inevitable in relationships. Jesus lays out a clear 3 step process for resolving conflicts that deals directly with the person quickly and forthrightly.
David and Jonathon demonstrate great friendship particularly how they had an unselfish love for one another and looked out for the best interests of one another. They support one another and demonstrate what a covenant relationship looks like among...
God created male and female in His image. We bring gender distinctives into our marriages. Paul calls on husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and for wives to respect their husbands.
When Jacob dies, Josephâs brothers are afraid of his reaction. Will he choose revenge for the wrong they did to him? Will they end up in prison? Joseph weeps upon hearing their message and shows great trust in Godâs sovereign plan and how He turned...
In the short book of 2 John, the aging disciple invites us to walk in truth and grace. These 2 components are essential in all relationships, including successful parenting.
Life is Relationships. On this Mother's Day weekend, we continue our series as we look at Jesus' interaction with his mother in John 2:1-11. Imagine Mary here at the wedding with Jesus. Imagine her 3 years later standing at the foot of the...
Do you suffer from the disease to please? Does your no sometimes mean a yes driven by a compulsion for the approval of others? Join us this Sunday as we continue our series "Life is Relationships" talking about this vital area. Our text...
The call of the 'Shema' (v. 4) is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. When we have a passionate daily walk with God as parents, that will spill over into our relationship with our kids.
Like the ancients who would scale their words by swearing oaths towards or away from Jerusalem, we can scale our words by fudging our yes and no. Empowerment and freedom in relationships happens when we let our yes be a yes, and our no be a no.
We are living in a time of unprecedented opportunity for reaching Muslims. More Muslims have come to faith in Christ in the last 14 years than in the last 14 centuries. God has brought numerous Muslims into our circle of influence in recent weeks...
We are living in a time of unprecedented opportunity for reaching Muslims. More Muslims have come to faith in Christ in the last 14 years than in the last 14 centuries. God has brought numerous Muslims into our circle of influence in recent weeks...
This untamed Jesus is at again, as he confronts the powers who wish to control peopleâs access to God and turn his âhouse of prayerâ into a marketplace.
Life has a pecking order we learn from earliest age. We continually strive to be the king of the hill. Jesusâ disciples, James and John, were the same in asking for the VP positions. Jesus teaches a better way, free of ego. He demonstrates ultimate...
Jesus who is more than just a âgood teacherâ (v. 17), demands our total allegiance. This includes the giving of 100% ownership of our resources. Our obedience to Jesus must include the surrender of our wallets because we canât serve both God and money.
A good root system is essential to health and growth. If what happens below ground is essential to what we see above ground, growing in Christ is the only way we bear fruit
We live in a culture that thinks it knows the way. Surrendering to the way of Jesusâ¦to the kingdom lifeâ¦seems like foolishness. But it is the way of the world that promises something it can never fulfill. Jesus offers life, a promise that only God can...
Jesusâ call to surrender everything is the call to true discipleship. It is not that family and possessions must be abandonedâ¦the question is are you willing and prepared to do so? Being prepared to do so is the sign that one has understood the...
As Jesus makes his turn towards the triumphal entry in Jerusalem, many want to follow him, but not without conditions attached. They want to follow Jesus but arenât fully ready to enter the surrendered life. The call to bury oneâs father was one of...
What does it mean to live significantly and on mission? Is there something out there beyond myself?
What does it mean to surrender our lives to Jesus? Are we willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and surrender our will to Godâs will? Surrendered is all about looking at what it means to live our lives in submission to God.
What does it mean to surrender our lives to Jesus? Are we willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and surrender our will to Godâs will? Surrendered is all about looking at what it means to live our lives in submission to God.
What does it mean to surrender our lives to Jesus? Are we willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and surrender our will to Godâs will? Surrendered is all about looking at what it means to live our lives in submission to God.