Sunrise Community Church: Recent Episodes
Sunrise Community Church
In this message we will reflect on how we are to live as followers of Jesus in this world that is not ultimately our home. This how is fleshed out in our Vision statement and speaks to three different but important aspects of the Christian life. To this end we will survey and explore Peters first epistle which speaks to Christians in his day living in an inhospitable world. In the midst of difficult surroundings we are called to pursue Jesus in community on mission for Christ and this because of what is already true of us through Jesus.
In this message we are focusing again on the mission to which God has called us, and indeed all of his people. That mission is to point others to Jesus but proclaiming the good news that, through him God has done for us what we can never do for ourselves. Through Jesus death in our place we receive forgiveness and righteousness and life. Now, as those who have been redeemed, we have the joy and privilege of pointing others to Jesus and this incredible good news!
Here, having addressed our need for justification, the way of justification and the results of justification, Paul helps us step back and survey the big picture of redemptive history. The picture Paul paints helps us to see two human communities one that is in Adam and another, having received Gods gift of grace is now in Christ. This new identity is or can be ours through Gods abundant grace.
How can we be certain about the future? How can we have assurance of our salvation? Those are the questions to which Paul responds in these three verses. Paul points back to what has already happened in Jesus as evidence of the certainty of what lies ahead. Because of what God has already done through the cross of Jesus in the past, we can have absolute confidence that He will complete in the future what He has already started. Grasping this reality will fill us with peace and move us to passionately worship God with our lives.
In these verses Paul points to the death of Jesus for helpless, ungodly sinners as a demonstration of the amazing love of God love that far surpasses the greatest human love we can imagine. Not only that. It also stands as proof that the hope we have as those who have been justified, will not let us down.
In these verses we encounter a word that is radically counter-cultural. Suffering is not something to avoid or deny or something from which we should seek to numb ourselves. Rather, in light of our hope in Christ, we are to glory in them, knowing that through them God is at work in us and that in the end, we will know the sheer glory that will be ours through Christ. That future hope transforms our response in the midst of suffering in the present.
At this point in his letter to the Roman church, having expounded both the need for justification and the way of justification, Paul begins to explain the marvellous results of glorification. Those who have put their faith in Jesus, now live in a whole new and radically different reality as Gods redeemed children.
Having contended that justification is a gift of grace received through faith, Paul points to the ancestor of the Jews, Abraham, to demonstrate this truth. Contrary to what some believed, Abraham was credited as righteous apart from circumcision and from works of the Law, but rather on the basis of faith. This reality highlights the fact that subsequently he is the father of all who share in his faith, both Jew and Gentile, united as one people of God at the foot of the cross.
In the previous paragraph, Paul asserted that in the coming of Jesus, something has happened that changes everything! Though all of humanity stands guilty before the holy God against whom we have sinned, redemption has come through Jesus. Paul will tell us that Christ died in our place as a sacrifice of atonement. Here in these following verse Paul makes it clear that this redemption is not achieved by us but for us. And, Paul contends, it is appropriated, not by anything we do but by faith alone.
Having laid out the problem the universal problem of sin that impacts every person alike Paul shifts his focus to Gods initiative to set things right through the cross. Through Jesus the penalty for sin has been paid, the punishment for sin has been borne and a whole new status has been bestowed on all who put their faith in Jesus. Here we encounter the very heart of the gospel!
Here Paul comes to the conclusion of the first major section of Romans in which he has been arguing for the universal problem of sin. The argument leaves all of us standing in the prisoners dock before God, exposed as guilty and without excuse in silence. But though that is where this part of Pauls letter concludes, this is not where we are left. In Jesus and through his work on the cross, the power of the gospel breaks in and sets free all who put their faith in him.
As Paul nears the close of the first major part of his letter his case for the universal problem of sin for both Gentile and Jews he deals with a couple more anticipated objections. Though when it comes to Gods judgment upon sin, Jews have no advantage over Gentiles, that does not mean they have not had a privileged role in salvation history. They have! And their unfaithfulness in no way impacts Gods faithfulness. He remains faithful always!
Here Paul continues his argument for the universal problem of sin, specifically how it is also a problem for Jews and not only Gentiles. In these verses he tackles two objections that he knows his Jewish listeners will raise their possession of the Law and their being marked with the sign of the covenant circumcision. Paul demonstrates once more that it is obedience that matters and on those grounds, all of humanity stands in trouble. It is this reality, however, that makes the gospel truly remarkable and glorious news for all who believe!
As we move into Romans 2, we come to a really difficult text to understand in light of what we think we already know. Is Paul saying what he seems to be saying that we will each be judged on the basis of what we do? Understanding what Paul is, and isnt saying, requires that we grasp the context into which he writes and his larger argument at this point in his letter. Far from arguing for a works based salvation, Paul is demonstrating that all alike are disadvantaged by sin.
In this text Paul paints a picture of humanity in its rejection of God and of what is true. To be sure, the picture is dark and disheartening. Society disintegrates. Community breakdown. Freedom from Gods way leads not to joy but devastation. But even in this dark text there is a glimmer of hope. God has planted within each person a recognition of the wrongness of sin, and as Paul will go on to assert later in this letter, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. As dark as this text is, in Jesus there is hope and light!
In these verses we encounter words that are both profoundly controversial and deeply relevant in our current cultural moment. Here Paul speaks about homosexuality and his words here reflect the same message as every other Biblical text on this topic, namely that homosexual activity is sinful. But what we will see as we explore these words in the context of Pauls larger argument is that, though they speak of homosexuality, they are not ultimately about homosexuality. Paul here is speaking about the universal problem of sin that we each face and he illustrates how our lives go wrong, when reject what is true. But God in his great grace, does not abandon us in our sin but invites each and everyone one of us to come to Him to find forgiveness and true life.
These verses bring us face to face with a topic we do not want to think about the wrath of God. Paul says that "the wrath of God being revealed. What does that mean and why is this the case? In these verses Paul explains to readers the story of humanitys rebellion against God and our sin, by three distinct steps; first, the suppression of truth; second, the rejection of God; and third, the replacement of God with idolatry. The consequence is the revealing of Gods wrath, however, there is good news and a way to be rescued from the wrath of God.
Here we come to the central theme of the letter to the Romans. Paul declares that he is not ashamed of good news for it is the good news that brings salvation to all who believe. The good news is an announcement of a fact, of something that has happened that transforms lives. And though it offends, it is ultimately good news amazing news! For all who believe it and put their trust in Jesus will be saved!
This is an amazing story about a remarkable event but it is far more than just that. It is a story that shines a bright light on the identity and mission of Jesus. He is the conqueror of death and the giver of life. This story helps us to see that faith in Jesus changes everything. In him our enemy death is defeated and the power of God is present in us, empowering us to live as his redeemed. Let this familiar story fill you with a new sense of wonder this Easter.
As we reflect on the events of Good Friday we are confronted with the deep shame that Jesus endured. Mocked and insulted, he could have saved himself but instead, Jesus chose to endure the shame and humiliation, along with the physical agony, in order to accomplish redemption for all who repent and believe.
In these verses, we continue to move into Pauls letter to the believers in Rome and what we recognize is his deep commitment to and passion for the life of faith. Paul is firmly fixed to the life of faith in Jesus. It is at the centre of his life and drives all that he does as a follower of Jesus and an apostle. Though Pauls calling was, in some ways, unique to him, yet he is an example for each of us who have surrendered our lives to Christ as well. May Christ so shape us that we too are firmly fixed to the life of faith.
As we begin our study of the New Testament letter of Romans, there is much background information for us to understand about this document, if we hope to rightly understand the text. To that end, in this message we will spend most of our time exploring the key contextual questions we face like who wrote it, to whom was it written, when, and also why? Answers to these questions will leave us prepared to walk through the opening verses and into this important letter.
In this passage we come to the conclusion of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. What we are confronted with is a story that highlights a vital truth that though we are not saved by our obedience, obedience to Christ is essential to the Christian life. Here we see Jesus call for each of us to fully surrender our lives to him, the one who has first given his life for ours.
Dr. Tyran Laws, a professor at Prairie College in Three Hills, AB was our guest speaker.
Here we come to what is an incredibly sobering text a word of warning spoken by Jesus to each one of us. Jesus speaks of the very real danger of being self-deceived of thinking that we are among the redeemed when, in fact, we are not. On the day of judgment Jesus says there will be many who, to their surprise, find themselves on the outside. This sobering text is not aimed at instilling fear or anxiety in us as readers but in calling us to do what the scriptures say to test ourselves. As we discover, there is a way to have assurance.
As Jesus is moving towards the conclusion of his Sermon on the Mount, he issues a warning. Watch out! He calls his listeners and us, to watch out for false prophets. A very real danger that we face is that of being led astray by those who purport to speak on behalf of God but who in fact do not. We need to be alert and aware, and we need to discern carefully and wisely so that we avoid this serious pitfall.
The events we celebrate at Christmas are far bigger than we typically imagine. It is about far more than a story about Mary and Joseph, shepherds and wisemen, angels and a star. It is even bigger than just the story of the incarnation, though that in itself is remarkable. The events of Christmas are part of the larger story of Gods work to restore his ruined creation and bring blessing to all people. And what is truly remarkable is that God has invited us into that story to experience his work of restoration in our own lives and then to live as agents of his redemptive work in this world proclaiming and manifesting his blessing to all people.
At this point Jesus sermon is essentially complete. In this paragraph, and the ones that follow, Jesus is bringing things to a close, but that hardly means these words are unimportant. Quite the opposite. Here Jesus challenges all of his listeners to action. Having heard all that he has taught, we face the vital question regarding how we will respond, or if we will respond. His words call us to embrace what he has said and to bow in surrender before him, believing the good news and living a life shaped by that good news.
Here we come to what has been known for centuries as the "golden rule. Jesus calls us to do to others what we would have them do to us. This means far more than not doing what will harm or bother others. It means having "self-interest" shape how we engage with others, doing good to them. And remarkably, Jesus asserts that this ethic summarizes all that God has revealed to us through the Old Testament too. His desire is that our treatment of others would reflect his character and how he has treated us, with true love and grace.
In these verses we encounter an amazing promise but one we must be careful to not misunderstand. What Jesus wants us to see is that God is a good Father who delights in giving good gifts to us but perhaps not the kind of gifts we tend to think of. In light of this promise, we are invited to persistently cry out to Him, trusting that He will respond out of His great goodness.
In this message we explore a single verse found only in the gospel of Matthew. It has the character of a proverb but presents us with some difficult questions. A careful examination, however, will reveal to us Christs call for the gospelized to exercise discernment as they live as ambassadors of the in-breaking kingdom of God.
Here we come to an often quoted but frequently misunderstood part of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. What exactly does Jesus mean when he tells us, Do not judge? The answer to this question might surprise you. Here we find a call to deep and honest engagement in the lives of other believers but an engagement characterized by humility, grace and gentleness, and an engagement that is preceded by an honest self-introspection and reckoning with our own sin. Here is an invitation into relationships that Christ will use to transform our lives for his glory.
In this passage we continue to explore what Jesus began speaking about in the previous text, how the gospelized relate to or live in this world. Though we have real physical needs, Jesus calls us to trust in our Heavenly Father who loves us, knows our needs and will meet them. We ought not to let concern about these things monopolize our hearts but rather seek first His kingdom and righteousness, pouring out our lives for Him without worry about lesser things.
In our return to the Sermon on the Mount we come to a new section that speaks to how disciples of Jesus are to live in the world. What Jesus makes clear with three different illustrations is that our lives will inevitably follow our hearts. What we treasure, what we focus on will shape our lives and reveal who or what we serve. Everyone serves somebody. This is unavoidable. As those in whom the gospel has taken root, our prayer will be, "Lord, transform my affections so that by his work in our lives, we treasure Christ, fix our eyes on Christ and serve Christ and all lesser things fall away.
This Thanksgiving weekend we will explore Psalm 107, a thanksgiving psalm. We will discover that the psalmist leads us to reflect on four pictures of human distress but he does not leave us there. He draws our eyes to the character and activity of God. Though we are not promised a life without any difficulty, we are reminded that God is good and that his love is unfailing. He is a God who saves all who cry out to Him! The psalmist will conclude by urging us to ponder this marvellous reality.
In this message we examine the mission that Christ has given us as his people Making Him Known. As we will discover in Peters first epistle, making Christ known is a natural by-product of our identity as Jesus disciples, individually and corporately as the church, as we live out our lives before a watching world. Though we are not to be of the world, we are called to live out lives as Jesus disciples so that others will take notice of our joy in Christ and our lives which are being transformed by Jesus. Our goal and aim is to see many others join us in living for and giving glory to God!
As Christians we are all called to live a life on mission for Jesus, pointing others to him. How can we grow in boldness in this kind of life? The answer is not found in trying to psych ourselves up or looking within but rather in looking to Jesus. The boldness we need comes from Jesus. Like his earliest disciples, we can come to him in prayer and ask for this boldness and filling of his Spirit so that we can live boldly on mission, reaching out to the lost around us.
In this message we explore the second part of our vision statement that speaks to Gods desire for us to grow CLOSER in Relationships with One Another. As we dig into this text what will become clear is that obedience to what Christ calls us to do, necessitates relationships with one another. Our lives as disciples of Jesus are not , by Gods design, solitary. We need one another. Through Jesus we are brought into fellowship with God but also into fellowship with His people. Youll be challenged to lean more intentionally into community together with others, together following Jesus.
This message is the first in our fall series on our Vision and Mission, and focuses on our desire to grow DEEPER in Intimacy with Jesus. In the passage we explore, Jesus tenderly invites all who are tired and burdened to come to him with the promise of rest. We are invited into an intimate, daily walk in step with him, in which we learn to be increasingly attentive to him and increasingly indifferent to those things that would distract us from him. All are invited to this intimate walk. Jesus still speaks this invitation today Come to me.
In this message we explore a story that is likely familiar to many of us, the story of Jesus feeding of the 5000. As we will see, it is ultimately a story about the identity and the mission of Jesus but there is another detail to which I want to draw our attention. A little boy shows up and gives his lunch to Jesus and Jesus performs an amazing miracle. This small detail proves to be an invitation to each one of us. We are invited into a bigger story, the story of what Jesus is doing in this world.
We appologize for the technical issues with this recording. Please fast forward to about 10:06 for the sound to come back on.
In this message we explore the fifth petition of the Lords Prayer and the rider that follows in vv.1415. This petition raises a pressing question Is Gods forgiveness of our sins contingent upon us first forgiving the sins of others? What we discover in this message is both the necessity of our forgiveness of others as well as the power of the gospel to produce that forgiveness, all of which is the fruit of Gods generous and prior forgiveness of our debt.
Here the Lords prayer shifts as Jesus continues teaching us what gospelized prayer looks like. He leads us from praying about Gods name, Gods kingdom and Gods will, to our daily bread. Here we discover the goodness of Gods creation and the legitimacy of our daily needs in this life but we are also challenged with several important implications for our lives as those in whom the gospel is at work.
Here Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for the coming of Gods kingdom but what exactly does that mean? In this message we will explore the idea of kingdoms in general and the specifics of what Gods first-century people understood and were expecting when it came to the kingdom of God. We will also reflect on other kingdoms that stand as rivals to the kingdom of God. With each of these things delineated we will turn our attention to what it looks like to pray this prayer sincerely and honestly, in our own lives and in the world God has created.
As we continue to explore the Lords Prayer, we notice here that the very first petition fixes our eyes on Gods name, on who God is as revealed to us in the pages of scriptures. Jesus teaches us to pray, hallowed be your name on earth as it is in heaven. We are invited to cry out to God to do what only he can do making his name known and revered on all the earth. This is the deepest passion of Gods heart and it becomes that for each of us too, as we are transformed by the power of the gospel.
Here Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray, providing them and us with a model of gospelized prayer. Though short, just 57 words that can be recited in less than 20 seconds, there is nothing small or insignificant about this prayer. It covers every aspect of our lives and engages us in a cosmic act, calling on God, our Father, to bring heaven down to earth.
In these few verses Jesus speaks about what has become an often ignored and rarely practiced discipline fasting. Once again Jesus is helping us look deeply within to our motives as he warns us not to practice our righteousness in unrighteous ways. But we also do well to think past just the call to let Jesus gospelize our motives to contemplating this spiritual discipline in its own right reflecting on its purpose and its benefit in our lives. It can serve as a wonderful means of grace by which Jesus transforms our lives.
Here Jesus continues to teach his disciples that they are to be careful that they do not practice their righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. He first illustrated this truth by speaking about giving to the poor. In this passage Jesus illustrates this same truth by speaking about prayer. Prayer is not a performance, nor is it a tool by which we seek to manipulate God. Rather it is an instrument by which we enter into intimate personal fellowship with God who is over all things, who made us, and who loves us.
Here we come to what might be the most challenging and most counter-cultural words Jesus speaks in his Sermon on the Mount. He declares that the gospelized are not to resist an evil person. Rather they are to turn the other cheek, surrender more than demanded in court, go the extra mile and give to the one who asks. What we will discover is that at the heart of Jesus command is the principle of love, putting the good of the other ahead of self. Only the power of the gospel can shape us to be the kind of people Jesus calls us to be.
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus broaches the topic of sex, illustrating how the gospel of the kingdom impacts the lives of his disciples in this area of human experience. Far from being prudish about sex, we discover in this message the goodness of this gift but also the important reasons for the boundaries God has placed around sex. Jesus calls us to take drastic measures to root sexual sin out of our lives, but we are also reminded of the drastic measures he went to, to bring us forgiveness and freedom.
In this message we take a birds eye view of the next six parts of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Before we wade into the details ahead, we need to understand what this is what Jesus is doing. What we will discover is that Jesus is not giving us a new set of rules but showing us that God wants us to delight ourselves in him. He wants our hearts!
In this text we encounter words on the lips of Jesus that will likely surprise us even trouble us. He speaks about the Old Testament and its continuing role in the life of Christian faith. The key to understanding what exactly he is saying comes in the fact that Jesus fulfills all that we find in Gods written and revealed Word. When we grasp what Jesus is saying, we will be deeply encouraged and inspired as we follow Him as His disciples.
As we move from the Beatitudes with which the Sermon on the Mount begins into the sermon proper, we encounter an astounding claim on the lips of Jesus. He asserts something remarkable about the identity and vital role of his people in this dark and decaying world. As those changed by the good news, we engage in the world, influencing it for good and for God.
In this message we look at the eighth and final Beatitude with which Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps the most difficult of the eight to hear, Jesus asserts that those who are persecuted on account of Him are blessed. The hard truth that we are here confronted with is that following Jesus in a life of discipleship will mean opposition and pain but we are also reminded of the great, unshakable joy that awaits us. The promise of Jesus is that those who are persecuted on account of Him are also those who receive the kingdom of heaven.
As we approach Christmas, we want to take a close look at Mary, the young woman through whom Jesus came into the world. What we see in her is a wonderful example of surrendering to God, but more than that, we are pointed to the one she bore who came to redeem us from our sin and to empower us to live lives surrendered to Him too.
With the seventh Beatitude Jesus speaks to the dignified calling of the gospelized. Those who have heard and believed the good news are invited to participate in the divine work of making peace in a world that is broken and full of anger and division and violence. It is costly work and involves a cross but it leaves us looking like our Father in Heaven. That is the glorious promise.
In this message we explore Jesus fifth Beatitude which centres on mercy. We encounter a number of important questions. What is mercy and why is mericifulness a mark of those in whom the gospel has taken root? Perhaps the most pressing question concerns what may sound like we earn mercy by first being merciful. Is that what Jesus is saying?
Here we come to the fourth Beatitude with which Jesus opens his Sermon on the Mount. Jesus speaks about a desperate craving that is produced in people when they hear and believe the gospel. They will begin hungering and thirsting for the healing and restoration of every broken relationship, between people and God, between people and other people, and even between people and the created realm. This hunger is for nothing less than the Shalom which God desires for the whole of His creation.
With the third Beatitude, Jesus challenges almost everything we assume about the way things work in the world. He pronounces as blessed those who are meek and promises that they are the ones who inherit the earth. When we look around it seems otherwise, that the strong and powerful get what they want. But meekness proves to be something quite different than what we might expect. It proves to be Gods means of changing everything!
In this message we move from the first beatitude to the second, seeking to understand what Jesus is saying with this jarring paradox "Blessed are those who mourn. What we will discover is that, contrary to our initial sense of bewilderment, what Jesus says here makes perfect sense. When the gospel takes hold of us, our hearts will ache because things in both our own lives and this world are not the way they are supposed to be. Yet we will also experience the comfort promised because of what God in Christ has done, is doing and will one day bring to completion.
In this message we take a step back from our overview of the beatitudes as a unit and zoom in on the first of them. Here we encounter the essential beginning of all that will follow, in both the beatitudes and in the sermon as a whole. If we miss this, we will be off track the rest of the way.
In this message we explore as a whole the beatitudes with which Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount. What Jesus says here will radically challenge how we as humans have naturally come to think. His words will expose the fact that our thinking is out of sync with what is true. His coming means Gods kingdom has broken into this world. When we believe that good news, our thinking and our lives will be radically changed.
In this second introductory message to our series on Jesus Sermon on the Mount we ask the question, What is this? What exactly is the Sermon on the Mount and how are we to approach it? How are we to understand it? In answering that question, we review some of the approaches taken throughout church history before focusing our attention on the crucial context of the sermon Jesus announcement of good news! It is his announcement of good news that provides us with the vital foundation for all that Jesus will teach us within these three chapters.
In this message we explore the passage that precedes Jesus Sermon on the Mount as we prepare to enter into our study of that famous sermon. Jesus has a lot to say to us but first, we need to get our bearings. To that end, we need to recognize how his coming fulfilled prophecy and then listen to what he proclaimed and demonstrated the kingdom of heaven invading this world. This good news provides the crucial context for all that he will teach in the coming chapters of Matthews gospel.
Once more Yahweh confronts his people for their rejection of Him and their unfaithfulness to the covenant. Yet, even as he warns of coming judgment, what we see is the amazing patience and persistent grace of God as he still invites them to turn to Him. The heart of God is that all would repent and walk in fellowship with him before it is too late.
In this passage Yahweh continues to call Israel on their unfaithfulness to the covenant and challenges them on their perspective. He is not absent, nor indifferent to them or their lives. In fact, soon he will send his messenger to them. The announcement of his coming serves as both a warning and a great word of encouragement. The messenger is coming to purify them and lead them into right worship, but his coming serves also as a warning to their current indifference to Yahweh.
In this third part of Malachis message, he addresses the issue of marriage and two ways in which Gods people are violating Gods instructions with regards to marriage. Marriage is his creation and serves his purpose when we obey his design. To that end, he calls his people to faithfulness to him through faithfulness in marriage. And in so doing, we grow to reflect his faithfulness to us, for he is the faithful one.
Having asserted his continued love for his people, the Lord calls his people to account for the dishonour they are showing him. Their worship has become perfunctory a going through the motions but with no devotion or true worship. God desires their hearts and ours! He longs for us to see His greatness, to delight ourselves in him and truly worship him, and thereby magnify his greatness before the nations.
In this message we step into the post-exilic world of Israel, a period of disillusionment and doubt. Where is God? Why is life so disappointing? These are the questions in the hearts of Gods people. Gods first word to them is that he loves them still. These opening verses are a call to faith, for them and for us.
Here as Paul wraps up his letter to a church he planted and deeply loves, his final greetings take us down to the bedrock of the Gospel grace. Our identity is rooted in Jesus and what he has done and our hope is only in Jesus as well. Because of Jesus and the cross, we stand in and walk in and live in grace. This is the bedrock on which to live!
Here Paul continues to express his gratitude to the Philippians for their financial gift, careful to express that, though he is grateful for their gift, their generous and sacrificial giving are evidence of their spiritual progress and health. In fact, using language from the Old Testament sacrificial system, Paul affirms that their generous and sacrificial giving are at act of worship, an aroma pleasing to God. Such is try for our lives too when we pour ourselves out for the sake of Christ and his gospel ministry. We are living lives of worship, pleasing to God.
June 12 we celebrated with a baptism and membership morning, baptizing 3 and welcoming those 3 as well as an additional 2 people into membership here at Sunrise.
In these few verses the apostle Paul begins to express his thanks to the Philippians for their financial gift but it is not quite so straightforward. He is careful to ensure that they dont receive the wrong message and he points them to Jesus as the one in whom both he and they can find true contentment.
Here Paul is preparing to wrap up his letter to this church he planted about a dozen years earlier. He has spoken at length to the two major issues they are facing. Now he gives his final exhortations. As they live in the midst of a pagan and lost city, they are to be both diligent and discerning in what think about, filling their minds with what is good. Furthermore, they are to put what theyve learned into practice. Christianity is about both our heads and our hands, what we think and what we do. And he promises these believers that they do not walk this journey along but that God himself will be with them.
At this point in his letter, the Apostle Paul begins to give some final exhortations to the church in Philippi. Here he gives several commands about the attitudes and behaviours the Philippian believers are to exhibit in their lives and relationships. They are to live lives characterized by joy and gentleness and an absence of anxiety. But how? The key lies in Christ, in his nearness to the Philippians, even as they face difficulties and suffering. For our lives as well, these virtues are not dependent upon our circumstances but upon the nearness of Christ.
All that Paul has been contending to this point in his letter, is here applied to a very specific situation in the church in Philippi. Two members of the church who have laboured for the gospel, are not unified. Here is where the rubber meets the road. The church is called to stand together for the advance of the gospel. Real practically, that means these two individuals are called to stand together for the gospel. Doing so will require humility and open-handedness for the sake of mission.
As we once more celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus, lets take a close look at the way Mark shares this crucial part of the Jesus story. As we discover, he leaves us wanting more and asking the question, What happens next? He does so intentionally because the story isnt finished. Each one of us stands before an empty grave with a choice about how we will respond. Easter Sunday is not just something we remember and celebrate; it is something that invites us into Gods grand story we each have a role to play!
In these verses the Apostle Paul points his readers to the future ask the determining factor for their lives in the present. Because of who they are through faith in Jesus and because of what the future entails, their lives in the present and ours are to be profoundly impacted. Even when we walk through suffering and difficulty, it is the future that shapes both our perspective and our response.
The apostle Paul once more gets autobiographical, describing for his readers his passionate pursuit of knowing Christ more both now but ultimately and most fully when this life is over. His desire is that the Philippians and us would follow his example and live our lives very intentionally, aiming wholeheartedly at knowing Jesus.
With these two verses we jump into the middle of Pauls flow of thought, highlighting what is the ultimate goal of the Christian life, namely, knowing Christ. It is intimate fellowship with Christ that Paul has in mind, not merely head knowledge, and certainly not using Christ to get something from him. It is knowing Christ that is of surpassing worth and lies at the heart of Christian faith. And as we discover, knowing Christ means experiencing his power in our lives now and suffering like Christ as we serve him and seek to advance the gospel, being conformed increasingly into his likeness.
As Paul carries on from his warning of the Philippian church about a corruption of the gospel, he shares autobiographically about his stellar pedigree and credentials. Yet, he quickly goes on to declare all that he previously valued and garbage. The spiritual balance sheet flips. The good news hes discovered is that the righteousness he desperately needs is a righteousness he receives as a gracious gift from God. So to for each of us who put our faith in Christ.
There is a lot going on in these few verses. Paul begins by calling the Philippians once more to rejoice, a recurrent theme throughout this letter so far. But we are surprised jarred by what we encounter next, a denunciation of false teachers that is completely unexpected. Though it comes without warning, this change of tone makes perfect sense in light of both the grave danger a false gospel presents and Pauls passion to see the Philippians contending together as one for the gospel the true gospel.
Here we come to what looks, for the most part, like a pretty mundane passage about travel plans for Paul and a couple of his colleagues . However, when we dig a bit deeper, we discover that there is more going on here than we might first perceive. What drives even these travel plans is Pauls deep longing to see the Philippian believers stand as one for the gospel in Philippi, shining like stars in the darkness. Through this passage we as the church today are likewise challenged to embrace this call, to follow the examples laid out here, and live for the sake of gospel ministry.
In this passage, Paul urges the Philippian believers to get on with obedience to what hes been writing over the last several paragraphs, namely, standing as one. This is text is not about how to be saved but rather about how saved people live, and about how together they have a vital role to play in the midst of the environment in which they find themselves. Failure to live as a community with the mindset of Jesus will hinder their ability to fulfill their calling in Philippi. So, in light of what Christ has done and in light of who they are in Christ, now they are to get on with being the people of Christ where they are.
Here Paul challenges the thinking of the Philippian believers, but what becomes clear is that what Paul is aiming for is the transformation of their behaviour, specifically how they relate to one another. Before he is our example, Christ is our saviour, but here we see that he is indeed both. As those who are saved through his humble, sacrificial death in our place, we are to humbly and sacrificially love one another. Here is a word that reminds us that a life of discipleship is necessarily lived in community and is a life of being conformed into the image of Jesus.
There is much in the Christmas story that does not make much sense from a human perspective. Our familiarity can cause us to gloss over and miss the oddities, but they are there. Those who come out greater are not those of high status the great ones. Rather we see God working through and making himself know to the lowly, and we see that God comes in the person of His son, in the most humble of circumstances. This is not the story you or I would have dreamt up, but it is how God determined to bring about redemption. In ways that the world would deem foolish, God came to set us free from sin and death, based not on our greatness or status, but solely upon our humble reception of his gift of grace and his invitation to follow him in a life that will also not make sense to a watching world.
In these verses, Paul makes a strong appeal to the Philippians regarding one of the things that he has just previously mentioned their oneness in Christ. Internal tensions within the church community are threatening their unity and subsequently their ability to strive together as one for the advance of the gospel in their city. Paul calls them to abandon the attitudes that lie at the root of their internal strife and to embrace those that will serve to foster unity and togetherness for the gospel. Embracing this Christlike attitude will not only lead to unity but also joy for Paul and for them and the glory of God.
Here Pauls attention shifts from preliminary matters and his own situation to what is happening on the ground in Philippi. Internal tension and external opposition threaten the church. In the face of those realities, Pauls call is clear they are to live as faithful citizens of heaven, even as they live as Roman citizens in Philippi. Its their heavenly citizenship that is to shape their lives, both in regards to their relationships with one another and in how they respond to the opposition of those in their city who are aligned against them. Even their suffering will prove to be evidence of their salvation that they belong to Christ.
In this passage, Pauls focus shifts from the the past to the future. He anticipates that soon he will stand before Caesar, with his life in the balance. His words here give us a window into his heart of his single-minded devotion to Jesus. If he is to go on living, he will live for the exaltation of Jesus, and if his life comes to an end, he will glory in being with Jesus. Its a win-win no matter what. This affection for Christ shapes everything in Paul, in life and in death. May our hearts likewise be captured by the greatness of Christ that we too would exalt in Christ!
Having walked through the preliminaries of this letter, we now move into the body where Paul makes clear what the one thing that is most important the advance of the gospel. The spreading of the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ is what causes Paul to rejoice, even in the midst of less than ideal circumstances, and it is what shapes his life. The question we each face is, does this one most important thing also shape our lives as disciples of Christ?
In this message we explore the second part of a two part prayer report from Paul. In the first part he shared with the Philippians about his prayer of thanks to God for them, for what God has done, is doing and will yet bring to completion. Here he shifts his focus to his prayer of intercession for his brother and sisters, praying that they would grow in Christ through the power of Christ for the glory of God. What we will discover is that Christian growth for the glory of God is our aim, not in order to be saved but as those who have been saved.
Not a sermon proper, in this recording Pastor Dennis lays the groundwork for a congregational conversation about what it means for us to follow Jesus faithfully in this season of Covid-19. He begins by unpacking Jesus words in Mark 8:34 in which Jesus highlights what a call to discipleship means. A variety of other Biblical truths are subsequently highlighted, followed by some guidelines to shape our dialogue as a church.
In this message we explore the first of two parts of Pauls prayer report for the Philippians. He shares that he regularly, joyfully expresses his thanksgiving to God for the Philippians because of their partnership in the gospel. Through their faith in Jesus, they are with Paul in relationship with Christ and on mission for Christ living in and making known the affection of Christ. Paul's reflexive response to this reality is joyful gratitude to God. May it be ours as well.
This is how the story of the Philippian church began with a vision of a man from Europe begging that Paul and his companions Come over and help us. In this message we lay the foundation for a series of messages from the book of Philippians, exploring the city, the church, and the circumstances of both Paul and those to whom he wrote. And we explore the opening couple verses which introduce us to some of the central themes of the letter. In this series we will join the Philippians in receiving this important word from Jesus.
There are various virtues that are to characterize the lives of Christians, and one of them is gratitude. We are reminded of that fact again, here in Pauls letter to the church at Colossae. Christ has established peace between them and God and between them and one another. The message of his love and the atonement accomplished on the cross are radically good news for those whose faith is in Jesus, and now believers have the great joy and privilege of living the entirety of their lives for the glory of Christ. The result? Our lives increasingly radiating thankfulness to God in Christ before a watching world.
Our vision is to grow in boldness as followers of Christ as we strive to reach out with the good news of Jesus. But where does this boldness come from? Is it an innate quality we have? Is it something we find within ourselves? Or does this boldness come from somewhere else, outside of us? In this message we will discover that the boldness we need and desire, comes from a source beyond us. It comes from Jesus and by his Spirit so we are invited to pray, an acknowledgement of our own helplessness and need for Jesus to provide what we need. He is the source.
In this message we consider the second part of our Vision statement our desire to grow CLOSER in Relationships with One Another. Coming to faith in Jesus introduces massive changes to our lives, and one of those changes involves the fact that we become members of the people of God, both universally but also locally. In fact, as we will see in this passage, faith in Jesus means that our life is no longer our own. We are to live fully surrendered to Jesus and to recognize that we also belong to one another. The call to Christ is a call into community with one another a community where we love and care and serve one another as the people of God.
In this message we explore the first part of our Vision that we want to become a community of people who are growing in our relationships with Jesus Christ knowing him and loving him more deeply and growing in our obedience to him. In this passage we recognize Gods call for the Colossians to live lives worthy of him and that please him. This can feel like an overwhelming weight to each one of us. But what becomes obvious as we explore this text is that the Christian life is not a matter of our efforts and straining. The good news is that God is the one who both rescues us and empowers us, transforming our lives for his glory.
As we focus on our Mission Making Jesus Known we are turning to explore Jesus final words to his disciples as found in Matthews gospel. Though very familiar to many of us, there is a lot for us to think deeply about in these final words. Christ has commissioned us to a vital task and here provides some critical words about how and what we are to do as we embrace his call to make disciples.
With an exploration of this psalm, we conclude this series of messages from the Psalter. The first of a collection of five psalms. this prayer begins and ends with a call to praise the Lord, and between those two calls, we find an important warning and a wonderful reminder of what God is like. As we behold the glory of Gods love and compassion and faithfulness, indeed our hearts are moved to worship and praise. This is the end for which we were created, to know and delight ourselves in Gods glory!
We all have difficult days where we find ourselves distressed. What are we to do? In Psalm 4 we learn how we can come to God in our distress. But we learn more. We also see how crying out to God, remembering who he is, can move us from despair to confident hope, even while our outward circumstances may remain as they were. Our security is ultimately found in God alone, and because we are securely in his grip, we can rest in peace.
This song of ascent begins in the depths, the place of desperation, but leads us up to higher ground, a place of hope. In it we encounter the gospel proclaimed loud and clear! Here we learn to pray with Gods people through the centuries, in the midst of our desperation with great confidence grounded in who God is and what he is like. Indeed, in him we have hope!
Every single person seeks joy God made us to do so. The problem is not that we seek joy but that too often we seek it in wrong ways. In this psalm we are invited to join the psalmist, and the people of God through the centuries, in praying for joy rooted in God. What we discover is that, even in the midst of tears, we can call out to God expectantly, knowing that one day we will know the fullness of joy because God is for our joy and will one day wipe every tear away.
This is the first of fifteen psalms of ascent, a collection of songs sung by Jewish pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem to celebrate the three major feasts each year. It is a harsh psalm, reminding them and us that we live in hostile territory surrounded by lies and violence. We are reminded also that we are on a journey into the presence of God, walking in the way of faith, and inviting others to join us as we go.
In this psalm of David we are instructed in true confession. Our eyes are opened to both the seriousness of sin but also the glorious mercy and grace of God, and the joy that awaits all who respond in true confession. Stepping into the light, honestly and vulnerably owning our sin, brings the greatest of joys for in doing so, we receive the forgiveness of God through Jesus.
In this message we unpack these two psalms that, together, provide us with a prayer prayed in darkness. Every one of us experiences dark times, times of distress and feelings of depression. Here we are reminded of that universal fact but we are also equipped to walk through such times. You will not find here any quick fix or scheme by which to avoid such times but you can find hope as our eyes are drawn to God who is faithful even when He seems absent.
In this prayer we are confronted with some significant theological truths about God and our lives lived before him. What is true about God has a profound impact on our lives and we are left with a choice about how we will respond. The best response, the only ultimately logical response, is to, like David, fully surrender ourselves to God. In this psalm we learn what that looks like and how to pray to that end.
In this psalm we are invited into a joyous celebration that grows and swells to include all of humanity and even inanimate creation itself. The reason for this exuberant praise is rooted in Gods coming and in the victory he has accomplished. In first seeing and then receiving this glorious gift of salvation which God has achieved for us, our hearts will be moved to joyous, exuberant praise.
This psalm declares that God gives his people security but we must be careful to read this prayer rightly. A superficial reading will lead us to wrong conclusions and risk pulling us away from God. But when we understand it rightly, it will instill within us great confidence and courage because we will know that we are securely held in the hands of God, come what may.
In this psalm we encounter the psalmist David suffering deeply. His suffering is physical, psychological and social. It is the result of both Davids sin before God as well as the sin of others, his friends who have abandoned him and his enemies who are "kicking him while he is down. In this prayer of David who, in the midst of his great suffering, cries out to God with faith rooted in His character as a God of mercy in whom alone salvation is found. And as we pray with David, we discover that salvation comes through suffering not ours but through the suffering of Jesus who suffered for us to bring us salvation. May we all join David in waiting upon God for his gift of salvation.
In this psalm we encounter part 2 of a two part introduction to the Psalter. Whereas Psalm 1 focused our attention on the choice between two ways that each individual faces, Psalm 2 takes a step back to help us see things from a cosmic, global perspective. What becomes clear is that human rebellion against I AM is both futile and foolish, and in the midst of words of warning, we discover a powerful and gracious invitation to surrender to God and thereby find refuge in Him.
As we begin a series of messages from the book of Psalms, we begin with an exploration of the first Psalm, Psalm 1, which serves as an introduction to the Psalter. For centuries this book has been central in the prayer life of Gods people and the first Psalm prepares us to pray by alerting us to the fact that we are each confronted with a choice between two radically different ways of walking through life. We discover that we all live before the God who has revealed himself to humanity and we must choose whether to live in light of Him and his self-revelation or to reject him and live according to our own agenda. What will become clear is that it is only through faith in Jesus, the one and only righteous one, that we enter into the Way of life with God, the way that gives us hope and a glorious future.
You, God, are my God,earnestly I seek you;I thirst for you,my whole being longs for you,in a dry and parched landwhere there is no water.
2I have seen you in the sanctuaryand beheld your power and your glory.3Because your love is better than life,my lips will glorify you.4I will praise you as long as I live,and in your name I will lift up my hands.5I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:1-5
"...these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
In this final message in our series on Gods Good Design for Gender and Sexuality, we ask some important questions and consider some of the ways in which people, both outside and inside the church, think about and approach sexuality. The key truth that we discover is that the way forward is rooted, not in a focus on rule-keeping but rather on Jesus who loves us and has given himself for us. Learning to walk in obedience sexually arises from walking intimately with Jesus who invites each of us to come to him as we are to find rest and hope.
In this message we turn our attention to issues of gender dysphoria and transgenderism. Though we do not encounter these terms in the Bible, the scriptures do have something important to say as we consider this complex topic. We all experience sexual brokenness and for some, this is an experience of painful incongruence between their body and their sense of who they are. But the answer to this brokenness will only be found through surrender to Jesus. The good news is that, through repentance and faith, we are made new new creations in Christ and find our true identity in him.There is great hope in Jesus for every person who is sexually broken and there is a great need for the church to live as a gracious, redemptive people in this historic moment.