Following Together (Central Baptist Edmonton): Recent Episodes
Central Baptist Edmonton
Weekly messages from Central Baptist, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We are a community aiming to follow Jesus together. Growing in worship. Deepening in community. Moving on mission. More at followingtogether.com.
What if your life is like a seed, full of incredible potential waiting to be unlocked? Jesus offers an invitation to something greater, but it requires sacrifice and a choice. Are you ready to plant your life in Him and embrace the life He’s calling you to?
When God doesn’t act as we expect, how do we respond? As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds had strong reactions—some celebrated, others opposed, and many misunderstood him. Through this moment, we see how our own expectations can shape, and even distort, our view of God. Are we pursuing God for who he truly is, or for what we hope he’ll do for us?
It is challenging to think clearly about our money. We tend to view it as a limited resource that needs to be constantly protected. The Bible, however, paints a much more compelling picture: our money is like a seed that we can chose to hold onto or to plant. It’s a powerful resource with potential that cannot be unlocked until it’s given away. So … what are you doing with your money these days?
The incredible work of Jesus in our lives is not something only to be thankful for privately, but that ought to elicit a response in our lives that the world around us can see. On many occasions throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, we see people respond to his teaching and his work….in a variety of ways. The story of Jesus’ anointing lines up two of these responses side by side, that of Mary and of Judas, and presses us to consider the type of response we often have toward Jesus.
There is almost no better way to find out who someone is than when pressure is applied. Pressure is a great way to find out who you really are vs who you think you are. In our passage, everyone is under pressure but no one more so than Jesus as he faces his impending arrest and death. At this meal meant to honour Jesus, we get a glimpse of who Jesus is under pressure. We find that he cares, he is generous, and he is not rushed.
In John chapter 12, the narrative highlights a dinner, where Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, signifying her love and sacrifice for Him. This act contrasts with Judas Iscariot's selfish motives, showcasing the difference between authentic sacrifice and self-serving actions. The passage invites readers to reflect on their own devotion to Jesus, emphasizing that true followers demonstrate their love through genuine sacrifice, not for personal gain, but in response to what Jesus has already done for them. In conclusion we will discuss who we are in the story, the pharisees or Mary as we respond to Jesus.
Loss and grief are unavoidable in this world. So how do we deal with these experiences, and how do we walk alongside others in difficult times? In the story of Lazarus, Jesus identifies himself as the source of hope and models for us how to grieve well.
What makes a leader truly worth following? During the ancient Jewish festival of Hanukkah, Jesus speaks publicly for the last time. He makes bold claims about himself, and he challenges us to think about who we allow to influence us and how we can lead others well.
Our world is full of beautiful potential and dangerous pitfalls. How can we experience the joy while avoiding the pain? In short, it comes down to leadership. Who are you following and how is it working? Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, and clarifies the difference between good and bad leaders.
In order to live well, we need to see and understand how the world actually works. In this captivating, multi-layered, surprise-ending story, Jesus demonstrates his compassion and reveals why it’s so important to see him for who he really is.
The Gospel of John has held a special place in the heart of the church for thousands of years, drawing millions into a relationship with Jesus and deepening their faith. While its mission is clearly outlined in chapter 20, the richness of the book can’t be fully appreciated by reading it quickly. It’s crafted to slowly reveal its meaning as one listens, reads, thinks deeply, and discusses it with others over time.
Paul envisions a church interconnected like our bodies: each part seeing themselves as part of the whole and necessary for healthy function. To neglect that is to neglect the call God has for you and His church and our responsibility to one another. There is no other way to be His church. In a “me” culture, that can be a hard thing to remember and do. How does God empower us to do that?
The New Testament church was built on God’s blueprint to live as a community of believers, sharing life and relying on one another to further the message of the Gospel and the Kingdom of Jesus. The Holy Spirit also empowered these early believers with spiritual gifts, allowing them to equip and support one another as the unified body of Christ. Today, our call as the church of Christ is no different. We are to live in faith as a community, serving one another and growing together as we follow Jesus.
One of the traps of our modern society is the idea that we can do this life on our own. This idea, however, goes against the most basic truth about what it means to be human. The truth is we are made to be in relationship with God and we are made to be a valuable part of His family, the church. Our passage today encourages us to see that each one of us, though we are many and diverse, form one community and each one of us belongs to all the others.
The biggest things in life often begin with a single, courageous step. Whether you're desiring more in life or wondering where God is calling you, your first step, no matter how small, can lead to extraordinary transformation.
As the apostle Peter walked with the Word (Jesus), he learned to delight in the law of the Lord and courageously stand for Jesus. His example reminds us that thriving in the Kingdom does not mean comfort and ease, but that the Lord offers us His peace, strength and joy in the midst of trials as we listen to Him and do what He says. Let’s follow Jesus together!
I wonder what it would have been like to be Samson's parents. From the beginning, their child was filled with heavenly promise of being a deliverer of the Israelites but as he grew up, they watched him only scrape the surface of what God intended for him and instead lap up for himself destruction. Do you know someone, like Samson, who has chosen to walk away from God's best for them? What are we called to as we wait and wonder if they'll come back?
It can be easy to feel like, as a Christian, we have all this power at our disposal but our actual day to day lifestyle doesn't really need it. The story of Samson reminds us that, despite ourselves, God has called us to stand in the way of death and sin and invites us to live in a way where we can allow, see, and experience God in and through our lives.
We are called to be on mission together -- with God and what he's doing through the Global Body of Christ. God is at work around the world, particularly through the Global Church. As we go on mission whether internationally or within our home communities, we should discern how the Spirit is inviting us to partner with those God is already at work in.
Jesus invites every person into a personal relationship with him, through which we can experience true life. Today’s story is of a Biblical character that walked very closely with Jesus, yet did not open himself up to experiencing the full relationship and thriving life that Jesus was offering. It’s a striking reminder to us that proximity to Jesus does not equal thriving, and that it is never too late to say yes to Jesus…..even today!
There are a number of things in our lives we can procrastinate doing. You can probably wait one more day to do the laundry, fill the gas tank, or to return that library book. And there are realities in our lives that we really should not procrastinate on like prioritizing our spiritual health yet so many of us do. Whether it’s fear, discouragement, confusion or just plain procrastination, God is still calling us to a next. Luckily he knows you and knows what He wants to do in you and all he’s asking is that, like Noah, we trust Him by obeying one warped and splintered board at a time.
All of us who follow Jesus have had a sense that we are to share the good news of Jesus with the world. We want to thrive in this area but are often paralyzed by feeling unequipped for the task. We might think witnessing is for the missionaries and paid staff of the church. In today’s passage, we see through the life of Philip that God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes, and we will see some powerful truths about how to thrive in our witness of Jesus.
Suffering and Hardship can block our connection with God. Yet it is possible to stay connected with God during hard times.
The people of God are to be like a canvas that displays the beauty of God’s mercy and grace. Throughout the history of the people of God though, we see that they continually turn to idolatry. The consequences of their sin leave them oppressed and feeling what it is like to be a people without God. Then God raises up a prophetess judge, a woman on fire for the Lord who calls them to turn their eyes to the Lord and follow Him. Like Israel, we need people like Deborah to fit us for battle and turn our eyes back to the Lord.
We each encounter challenges in life, even if we’re living for God. Sometimes it’s our fault, but sometimes life just happens. This message identifies three powerful lessons and three practices to successfully navigate life’s difficulties.
Jesus calls his followers “salt and light” and challenges them to make a positive impact on the world. This summer, what are your unique opportunities to make it better?
What does it mean to actually follow Jesus? In one his most intense conversations in the gospels, Jesus calls the religious people of his time liars and murderers, and identifies three features that are a part of actually following him.
It is increasingly difficult to know what is true, and to be able to make decisions based on that truth. In today’s passage, Jesus calls himself “the light of the world” and offers his guidance to those who look to him.
As followers of Jesus, when it comes to healthy sexuality, how do we know the truth, live the truth and carry the truth with grace in a society where many are offended by Christian beliefs?
In today’s passage, we'll see how an ancient Jewish festival celebrating God's provision and the anticipation of the Holy Spirit connects to our lives today. By examining three aspects of this story, we'll learn how to journey towards lasting fulfillment through surrendering to Jesus, embracing his teachings, and experiencing the Holy Spirit.
Jesus makes it obvious throughout this chapter and in this passage that only he can fulfill our deepest longings and that temporary solutions are only that: temporary. But why do we keep seeking for long term satisfaction in short term solutions? If He is the bread of life, why is it so much easier to want other things?
Jesus Knows the people are following him because of his miraculous provision rather than because of who he is as a provider. His miracles have been intended to reveal that true satisfaction can only be found in him, but now Jesus will describe to those who seek him HOW to receive this satisfaction. It's a shocking teaching that causes many of Jesus' followers to turn away.
The crowds have caught up to Jesus and His disciples. They have participated in a great miracle and they are clamouring for more. More of what though? They seek Jesus for temporary benefits and in this passage again, Jesus turns them towards seeking the Bread that will satisfy them eternally. Himself
Two of Jesus’ most well-known miracles probe into the deeper questions of our lives. How do we get real food, the kind that satisfies not just our stomachs, but our souls? And how do we get lasting satisfaction, the kind that doesn’t disappear by the next morning?
Our society has a lot to say about mental health. What is really going on in our world, what does the Bible have to say, and how can we as followers of Jesus respond in helpful ways?
We all need help in various ways, but often we don’t want anyone to tell us what to do. In today’s passage, Jesus identifies himself as the singular answer to life’s ultimate questions. How will we respond to his claims?
We all need some kind of healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. But how do we get it? The strategies we try often don’t work, or at least they don’t work long-term. In this story of Jesus healing a disabled man, we see three significant truths about finding healing, and we get a taste of God’s long term plans to make everything new.
Imagine if we had everything we needed right now. I know that's hard to believe because we're wired to look for and even expect something better - a better version of you, of what you have and for what God could do. We're wonder-seeking people but that could lead us to making wonder-filled mistakes and miss God who is here right now. In this passage, we read that Jesus meets us there and teaches us a better way.
In the Gospel accounts, Jesus is generous in displaying the power of God over the natural world through signs and wonders. Often we can become obsessed with seeing the miraculous or we long for miracles for our own benefit. In our passage today, we will see that Jesus uses signs and wonders to encourage us toward a proper response and that is faith.
In today’s passage, we find Jesus returning to the place he performed his first miracle and facing the reality that the people were looking for to place their faith in a king that would continue to exert such miraculous power. Jesus speaks into this false understanding of faith, using another miracle to challenge people to believe in who he is, rather than in what he can do.
Our lives are formed by the choices we make. So, do you know how to make great decisions? If you want to have an awesome life, you've got to get wisdom. But it doesn't happen automatically.
Jesus’ resurrection is unremarkable to believers and unreasonable to skeptics. Yet it is at the heart of Christianity, impacting more people than any other movement in history. On this Easter Sunday we’ll try to see it with fresh vision and answer some very basic questions. Does belief in the resurrection matter? Is it reasonable? Is it helpful?
There are so many things that we strive after in life, thinking that they will quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger, but they don’t work. In the story of the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, we see the truth that only Jesus can satisfy, and that our souls will keep longing and our bodies keep striving until we have the courage to listen to him and invite him to be our King.
Internal competition severely limits the potential of any group or team and it’s no different in the Kingdom. In today’s passage, John the Baptist’s response to his eager followers provides the key to avoiding competition within the family of Christ.
In this account, the rabbi Nicodemus approaches a "new teacher", seeking a deeper understanding of the signs of God. To his surprise, he is presented with a completely new way of knowing God, found through a relationship with God's son, Jesus. To accept this invitation to a relationship with Jesus, Nicodemus must wrestle through his view of God's love and grace for himself and the world.
The teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus under the cover of night to start a dialogue. Nicodemus has been moved by the signs that Jesus has already done and his curiosity brings him into a conversation that will forever change his beliefs and the course of his life. Nicodemus now has to grapple with the choice to believe or not. As we enter into this conversation, we too are invited to repent from walking in the darkness and step into the light of the Truth that is Jesus.
Are you stressed about money? How do we move towards thriving in the areas of finances? In the middle of a long talk about money, Jesus tells us to stop worrying, and invites us into practices that we can choose and God can use to transform our lives for the better.
In the well-known story of Jesus flipping tables in the temple lobby, we are challenged to rethink our softened view of Jesus and to consider where he may want to flip some tables in our churches or our personal lives. As we dig into this significant moment in the Gospel of John, we’ll get a glimpse of the truth that Jesus will do more than clean the temple; he will completely replace it.
In the first few verses of John 2 we get the first of seven signs in the Gospel of John. It happens while Jesus was at a wedding in Cana and it's not by chance it happens in this setting. It's here we get a glimpse of who Jesus is and, in light of Him and what happens here, a glimpse of who God is. What do we learn about God? We learn that He takes great joy in being with us, He is always revealing Himself, and He is generous.
Where are you at in life? And how did you get to that point? For better or worse, there are three things that are so powerful in forming our lives: (1) the influence of other people, (2) the experiences we go through, and (3) the decisions we make. In today’s text we’ll see that these three things are right at the core of how following Jesus works.
Relationships are the best and hardest parts of our lives. How do we pursue thriving in this area? The Bible teaches that every person is made in the image of God, every person has been broken by sin, and every person is a potential recipient of Jesus’ forgiveness, redemption and transformation. If this is true, then how should we see and relate to others? How might this change how we see ourselves, our family, our friends, our coworkers, our classmates, our neighbors, or even our enemies?
Like road rules that guide drivers, Scripture tells us three, undeniable truths about how we are meant to understand and see each other that can guide and help us thrive in the varying relationships we find ourselves in.
God desires relationship with every person. Yet sin has entered our relationships - first with God, then with others - leaving them unraveled and broken. God's response to these unraveling relationships was to offer the life of His Son, so that our relationship with God could be restored. How will we choose to respond to this amazing offer? How should it impact the way we walk in relationship with others?
The reason you’re not thriving is because you’re still trying to. While this sounds counterintuitive, it is one way of summarizing the Biblical gospel. As we continue in our study through John, we’ll open up the story of John the Baptist. He's the first “witness” that the author invites up to the witness box, and his testimony will challenge us to take the leap and surrender to Jesus.
The first few verses in John are packed with theological beauty and depth that will echo and expand through the remainder of his Gospel. Before beginning the historic account of Jesus’ life, John clarifies the biggest truths—that Jesus is truly God, that he is the “true light” our world desperately needs, and that he became a human to bridge the relational gap between God and people. But John also foreshadows the rejection and suffering of Jesus which (plot twist) will become the very path through which God will offer salvation to his enemies and show his glory to the world.
John’s Gospel has been dearly loved by the church for thousands of years, and responsible for millions of believers turning to Jesus and growing in him. While its purpose is stated clearly in chapter 20, the book cannot be understood fully by reading it quickly one time. Instead, it has been structured intentionally to slowly reveal its secrets as a person hears it, reads it, ponders it, and discusses it with others over the course of a lifetime.
How intentional are you with your life? Psalm 1 entices the reader by stating that the blessed life is a possibility, but it challenges us to consider carefully where we get our information, how we make our decisions, and who we spend significant time with. The passage also holds significant clues about how to turn our lives in a better direction towards more purposeful living.
A new year is a reminder for all of us that God is always doing a new thing and a new year is an opportunity to experience Him in new ways. The problem is that, often, we carry old problems, hurts, disappointments, loss and even heartache into the new year. This passage reminds us that God enters into our reality and is working His plan in us, is active even when we don’t see it, and He will use our story for His glory, our good and other’s good.
The great and glorious truths of the gospel are not meant to be kept a secret. But how do we go about sharing these truths in a society that often seems hostile to the Christian message and the story of Jesus? As Paul closes out his letter to the Colossians, he lays a beautiful groundwork explaining in the simplest terms how ordinary followers of Jesus can work together with God in sharing his good news.
This week's sermon comes from Colossiasn 3:12-4:1. As we continue in chapter 3 of Colossians, Paul moves from choosing to leave our old life behind in verses 1-11 to choosing to put on the new self in verses 12-4:1. Paul gives us the motive, lays out the blueprint, and provides us the opportunity to be transformed but it's up to us to choose the new life.
As apprentices of Jesus, there are things that we have put off or rid ourselves of. Things that didn’t fit from the old man. Now as we continue on in our passage today, Paul is saying there are things that we ought to put on as followers of Jesus. Now as the new man, we have a new uniform and we are to wear it in our daily lives.
This week's sermon comes from Colossians 3:12-4:1. Paul continues his writing to the Colossians with a call to be clothed in the characteristics of Jesus - a type of wardrobe that is utterly different from the one we have been instructed to ‘put off’ in the preceding verses. The clothing of Christ requires a different posture altogether from our natural, human tendencies. Clothing yourself in the nature of Jesus requires you to become small. Paul shows us how this move to become small actually magnifies Christ as it lifts others up.
Often in our lives, we say we want change, but don’t make any changes. Where might this be true for you? Where are the areas where you’ve decided to change but haven’t changed? In today’s passage, Paul urges followers of Jesus to simply and aggressively live in a way that lines up with who we already are.
What matters most to you, and what gets the majority of your attention and effort? In this passage, Paul urgency the Colossians to remain in Jesus and reject counterfeit “saviours.” He celebrates that Jesus has done what is necessary for us, and calls us to life our full lives in Jesus, remembering that only he has the power to truly solve our problems.
This week's Scripture is Colossians 1:24-2:5. With anxiety on the rise and religious practice on the decline in society, there are a lot of reasons for someone’s faith to feel fragile – almost vulnerable to the idea that Jesus isn’t sufficient for modern issues and problems we’re facing. What do we do to keep thriving, keep apprenticing, and not drift from Jesus in the midst of our worry, false ideas, and cultural values so often opposed the Jesus-based life? Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, addresses similar concerns with the call to stay firm and fix our eyes on Jesus. By focusing on Jesus - that He is our hope, He is in us, and He is enough - we will have an unshakeable foundation and can guard from drifting into grave spiritual sickness before it happens.
This week's Scripture is Colossians 1:24-2:5. Jesus is at work in our world. Jesus is at work in us and through us to bring us to maturity. In this passage Paul is giving the Colossians a picture of how much Jesus cares for each of them and he is modeling how Jesus invites us into the work he is doing. The struggle that Paul faces is for the Body of Christ so that we will all be conformed to the image of Christ. Jesus invites us into this work.
This week's message is from Colossians 1:24-2:5. Paul writes his letter to the Colossians to encourage them to be sure that they have a correct picture of Jesus and are not being swayed with alternative views of who Jesus is or what it means to follow him. In particular, Paul clarifies that just as suffering was a significant part of Jesus' life on earth, it is often also a part of the lives of those who follow him. As his disciples, we should not run from the challenges that come from following Jesus, but should actually view them as a part of a thriving life and faith, seeing them as stepping stones to becoming fully mature in Christ.
Deep in our souls, we feel that history and our universe has a purpose, that it’s going somewhere, that life must have a deep meaning. But we struggle to put our finger on it, and so often we live in ways that make our lives more empty. Until we understand and align ourselves with the true reason and purpose of the cosmos, we will never experience the thriving that our hearts long for. Spoiler alert: Jesus is the key to all of this.
As we try to run after the “good life,” how do we know that we’re going in the right direction? It certainly is possible to go wrong way and not know it for a while. As we step into Colossians, we’ll see that, for Paul, the answer comes by growing in our knowledge, friendship and obedience to the real Jesus. When we spend time with the authentic, we will increasingly and naturally recognize and reject the counterfeit.
Sermon from Sunday, October 29th. This week's sermon is from Colossians 3:12-17. Whose advice are you following these days? Who is teaching you how to live? We ALL learn how to live from other people, whether intentionally or not. Jesus offers himself to us as the master-teacher on this topic, and he invites us to apprentice with him in real life.
This week's sermon is from Romans 12:3-18. Thriving in life flows directly from healthily relationships with God and others. But how do we build that connection? The church, when it is working as it should, is the answer. The “body of Christ” is designed by God to be an authentic community defined by humility, service and love.
This week's sermon is from Exodus 20:8-11, as well as Matthew 11:28-30 and Hebrews 10:23-25. Are you busy and tired? We recommend sabbath, the ancient and holy rhythm that brings joy and life. Sabbath helps bring form and substance to our weeks by creating space for the things that matter most, with weekly Christian worship as the highlight. Ultimately, sabbath is a practice that teaches us to trust God, our true provider and protector.
Sermon from Sunday, October 8th. More at followingtogether.com/messages. This week's sermon is from Psalm 136. When we lose sight of gratitude, we risk losing sigh of who God is and who we are in light of Him.
Sermon from Sunday, October 8th. More at followingtogether.com/messages. As we read the Scripture, especially in the Psalms, we see in "ancient times" the people of God (Israel) had patterns of thankfulness that were a regular part of the assembly and everyday life. These patterns aided the congregation to focus their minds on God, specifically bringing to mind attributes and actions of God. When spoken to one another, they created a landscape where all could draw from to respond to God in appropriate gratitude.
Sermon from Sunday, October 8th. More at followingtogether.com/messages. Throughout the entire Scriptures, we are reminded of the value of expressing gratitude to God - of being thankful. Psalm 136 lays out a pattern of thanking God first for who He is, then for what He does, next for His rescue, and finally for His continued provision. It's a pattern worth repeating in our own lives. As we look into the New Testament, we see the call to be thankful is furthered by those who follow Jesus. Colossians 3, in particular, reminds us that the same posture of thankfulness expresses by God's people in the Old Testament can also draw us into a deeper experience of Christ's peace today.
Sermon from Sunday, October 1st. This week's message is from John 15:1-17. In John 15, Jesus claims that the only way to live a thriving, fruitful life is by remaining spiritually and relationally connected to him. And he describes very practically how this connection works and what it produces. In this talk, we’ll uncover the main principle and three core truths about remaining in Jesus, and how the practice of daily scripture can form the backbone of our relationship with him.
Sermon from Sunday, September 24th. This week's message comes from 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2. It’s so hard to tell someone they need to change. But it’s so easy to share good news even if the person hearing will need to change because of it. The gospel is God’s comprehensive plan to fix everything, and it will radically transform everyone who believes it for the better. So how to we respond to the gospel and how do we share it as good news?
Sermon from Sunday, September 17th, affirmation Sunday for Connors Hill Site Pastor Tomas Belchior. This week's message is from John 21:1-14. Waiting is a normal, albeit frustrating, human experience, especially when we’re waiting on God to come through. God’s promise is that He hears us and will answer us, but what we do in the waiting is an important piece to encountering God.
Are you thriving in life? Psalm 1 shares the basic biblical principles of how thriving works with clear directives on ways to hinder or deepen the abundance in our lives. Thriving is possible for every person, but it doesn’t come in the way we most commonly pursue it.
This week's message is from John 11:1-44. No matter what we’re going through, there is hope because of Jesus. Any kind of sickness or struggle we're experiencing, whether it’s spiritual, physical, relational, mental, work challenges, family challenges, “just having a bad day" struggles, disappointments, regrets, anything… If we have received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, there is hope. We may not see healing on this side of eternity, but one day everything will be set right. Death will once and for all be swallowed up in victory. This sickness will not end in death!
This week's message comes from Luke 8:26-39. In this passage, Jesus encounters a man whose life has been devastated by spiritual forces. Jesus engages with this man's bondage, demonstrates his power to bring about deliverance, and enables this man's life to be restored. This message reminds us that Jesus is eager to continue his work of deliverance and restoration in our lives today.
Today's message comes from Mark 2:1-12. Mark's story of the paralytic man and his encounter with Jesus is designed to emphasize both Jesus' powerful action and his ultimate authority. While the physical rescue this man experienced was of the most amazing variety, it was actually the spiritual rescue Jesus offered that was the more amazing miracle. That same offer of rescue - of forgiveness of sins and restored relationship with God - is made available to us through Jesus Christ today.
David recognizes his personal relationship with his God. At times such as today we too need a shepherd to walk alongside of us, one who looks after, cares, protects and leads to green pastures, brings peace, restores our soul.
The shepherd metaphor, with all its varied expressions, raises the historical memory of a people shepherded by God. Unique to Psalm 23, however, is the extremely personal expression of God’s care. Nowhere else in the Bible does anyone say, “the Lord is my shepherd.” Herein lies the key to the vibrancy of this psalm
We learn from David it’s the Lord who is our shepherd, it’s to him that David points us to.
Jesus is portrayed in John chapter 10 as our good shepherd,
A shepherd who laid down his life for us 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus unlike other shepherds laid his life down that we might know him. Today that good shepherd is here for us, He is truly the only one who can fully restore our soul, bring us to that quiet place.
This week's Scripture is 2 Chronicles 34:14-33. There is only one mention of Huldah in the Bible. But it is a highly honorable mention. During the reign of King Josiah, Huldah bursts on the scene and just as quickly is gone, but she leaves an indelible mark on history. Her name is carried amongst the great prophets of the Old Testament. There is nothing inherently exceptional about Huldah, except that she is filled with the exceptional Spirit of God. For that, we should take notice.
There are 2 perspectives on Jesus. He is who He says He is, or He is not. Jesus' death and resurrection is the only hope for any of us.
The story of Hannah in 1 Samuel reveals the transformation of a woman plagued with the deepest unmet desire, who finds a way to bring this painful longing to God and place it securely in His hands. Through her trust in God, Hannah's life transforms into one of fulfilled hope, even as her earthly desire remains unmet. From Hannah's story, we get a first hand glimpse of the redemptive arc of salvation, marked by the arrival of Samuel and ultimately foreshadowing Jesus, the perfect son in whom we can place our living hope.
This week's message is from Philippians 1:3-11, brought to us by Dr. Harry Kelm, currently serving as Executive Director for the North American Baptist Conference. In this passage of Paul's letter, we see his heart for his fellow believers which reflects the heart of God and the work of God in our hearts. The community, joy, and love found in believers is evidence of God's continued work in us as we live out the life of faith.
This week, we look at the life of Joseph (from Genesis 39:2-5, 39:7-9, 40:5-8, 41:33-40, 42:1-3, 45:1-5, and 50:17-20) and how that exemplifies faith as described in Hebrews 11:1-3,6. The hope that Joseph had in the promises of God expressed itself in a radical life of faith. This faith kept him trusting in and obedient to God even when circumstances seemed to lead him further from the promise. God's hand was at work the entire time and Joseph's obedience to God helped him become the type of person who could steward the promises of God over His life.
This week's Scripture is Luke 7:36-50. In this story we are confronted with a scene that could be the setup for a good joke. Jesus, a Pharisee, and a prostitute go to a party. But the reality is, in this story we see the holiness of Jesus at work. Jesus’ holiness is on display convicting and restoring a sinful woman while receiving her worship. At the same time His holiness is an affront to the religious spirit of the Pharisee. All in all, we see great hope in the holiness of Jesus.
In 1 Peter 5, Peter provides his concluding reflections upon what it means for followers of Jesus to live as people of hope in the face of difficulty. He encourages his readers to cloth themselves in humility, hand their anxieties over to the Lord, remain alert to Satan's advances, and resist his attacks. Ultimately, Peter encourages followers of Jesus to be people who stand firm in the faith and grace that God provides.
Throughout the world today, Christians face opposition because of the gospel and our allegiance to the name of Jesus. This opposition can range from disinterest and mockery, to outright persecution and martyrdom. Such is the case for the believers that Peter is addressing. Some were experiencing insults and hostility with the possibility of much more. Peter gives them, and us, the proper framework to see the role of suffering in the life of the follower of Jesus.
The fourth chapter of the letter of 1 Peter forces to the centre the question “What are you known for?“. Starting with what a follower of Jesus is NOT known for, Peter identifies the struggle of the earthly world to find purpose in a life not surrendered to God. He moves, then, to a more hopeful description of what a follower of Jesus IS known for, unpacking some of the practical ways that we can live a life for God.
In this week’s passage, we are invited to consider how we should respond when our commitment to Christ causes us to face suffering. We are called to endure mistreatment with Christlike dignity and grace. This passage reminds us that we can do so because of the example of Jesus provided us and the confidence we can have in his authority.
Submission is more than just a Christian virtue. True godly submission is a powerful declaration to the world around us of Jesus’ deep love for humanity. As strangers in the land, Peter is calling us to live in all spheres of our lives in submission, so that we will win the hearts of those far from God. Jesus demonstrated a life of submission by taking on the form of a servant and ultimately giving his life on the cross so that we would be set free.
1 Peter 2:11-12 marks the tipping point of the letter of 1 Peter. Up until now, this letter's primary focus was setting straight WHO we are as those who follow Christ, but from here on out, the letter shifts it's primary focus toward WHAT this means for us and shows us how to live a Christian life of 'not belonging'.
In last week’s message, we explored the living hope that informs how we live our lives as followers of Jesus. This week’s passage invites us to consider specific ways this living hope is meant to influence our lives in the present. Peter reminds us that we are called to live in holiness, reverence, and love.
In last week’s message, we explored the living hope that informs how we live our lives as followers of Jesus. This week’s passage invites us to consider specific ways this living hope is meant to influence our lives in the present. Peter reminds us that we are called to live in holiness, reverence, and love.
The opening section of the letter of 1 Peter is designed to highlight the transformation its readers have experienced when they became Christians and to point forward to the glory that will be the eventual outcome of their faith. In between these past and future realities, believers are reminded of their present reality - the experience of a living hope.
Paul and Tanya Gericke, missionaries to Romania, share about their experiences and how they've seen God's faithfulness in the development of Camp Falcon Rock. Learn more about their ministry at rootsinromania.com. As followers of Jesus, we are to live as people of faith, being confident in our eternal hope and assured of God’s provision, even when we cannot see it.
True hope is founded on Jesus’ historic resurrection, and it includes the return of Jesus, the resurrection of all people and the renewal of all things. Through faith in Jesus Christ, you can find peace in your relationship with God and look forward to participating in God’s promised destiny for creation and humankind. This change in perspective can radically improve your life today.
The last chapter of the Bible reveals with vivid imagery the destiny God has planned for his renewal of all things. Creation and humanity are broken beyond repair, but Jesus’ death and resurrection opened the path to rescue. And now, everyone is invited to receive God’s gift and participate in his promise.
A maturing follower of Jesus generously offers spiritual gifts, time, and money to build the church and meet practical needs. Paul's letter in 2 Corinthians reminds us of the great generosity we have already received from God and sets forward the hope that we would be compelled toward a similar generosity as we follow Jesus as well.
A maturing follower of Jesus practices generosity by offering money, time, and the spiritual gifts they have been given. This week’s passage invites us to live lives of generosity and simplicity rooted in God’s abundance and aimed at making a lasting investment in the lives of others.
A maturing follower of Jesus practices generosity by offering money, time and the spiritual gifts they have been given. Part of God’s sovereign work of caring for the needs of His Body is to give the Body good gifts in order that they would choose to be obedient and care for one another with these gifts. In turn, thanking God as they give generously and thanking God as they receive. This is a beautiful dance of grace that is seen in 2 Corinthians 9.
Do you long to live a life of fulfillment? A life where every moment matters deeply? Scripture teaches that this sort of life can only be found when we stop living on our own (whether through secularism or religion) and receive God’s help into our lives. God desires blessing for us, so he invites us to live for things that last and to invite others to do the same.
How close is heaven, physically and practically, to our daily lives? Scripture continually surprises us as it reveals, through the stories of ordinary people throughout history, that heaven is closer than we think. And Jesus’ teaching and ministry affirms the truth that one day heaven and earth will be united. This truth, if we’re open to it, has the power to impact our lives in countless positive ways.
In eternity, will the existence of believers be just spiritual, or will we have bodies of some kind? And if we will have bodies, what will they be like? In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gives an extensive response to these questions. He clarifies that, yes, eternity will be an “embodied” experience. Though we cannot possibly imagine all that God has in store, Paul teaches that our new bodies will be (1) unimaginably amazing and (2) essential to participate in God’s promises.
The New Testament makes it clear that reconciliation is one of God's top priorities. The book of Colossians reveals that God's reconciliation project encompasses all of Creation, each individual person, and the new community that he has brought together in the church. From a practical standpoint, we participate in the ministry of reconciliation as we CLOTHE ourselves in the virtues of Christ, as we each embrace his peace in our CORE, and as we allow him to transform the CONTENT of our interactions with one another.
God desires to remind us that we are a part of Christ's universal Church, a body of believers that spans time and space but that we remain united to through the Spirit of Christ. Because of this Church reality, Christ is calling us to root ourselves even more deeply in His love, allowing us to grow deeper with one another as well.
What Paul is inviting us into, and ultimately what God has invited us into, is a radically different kind of community and family. Jesus is inviting us to a Rule of Life of reconciliation that sees us, not as supreme individuals who pursue happiness and our own truth at all costs, but a community of newly made people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live righteous lives in relation to Him, and each other. We are a community marked by peace.
The end of Revelation uses powerful imagery to help us imagine what eternity might be like for those who trust Jesus. The images of the bride, the gates, the tree, the river and the Lamb’s book of life take us deep in understanding God’s great love for his people and his great plans for the new heavens and the new earth.
Paul writes that “no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him,” but in the book of Revelation, God gives John a vision of some of the things that he has planned. The picture of the Holy City coming down from heaven is beyond our understanding, yet it reveals many truths about what God has in store for those who love him.
Revelation 20 mentions the millennium six times, but the idea doesn’t show up anywhere else in scripture. What is the millennium? How have various believers understood this passage throughout church history? And as followers of Jesus, what should we take away from this unique passage?
Baptism is the kickstart in our journey as a disciple of Jesus. It is the moment where we consecrate ourselves for Jesus. Baptism is about identifying with the reality of who we are in Christ. A commitment to live up to who we really are and a reminder that we belong to Jesus.
The practice of baptism represents a key step in a follower of Jesus' journey of faith. This practice enables us to express our obedience to Jesus, to identify publicly with him by following his example, and to symbolically express the change he has brought about in our lives.
Scripture consistently highlights the command to be baptized as an important step in the journey for a follower of Jesus. Looking at how baptism works will help us to understand why it matters in the life of a believer.
The Bible’s teaching about eternal punishment is an emotional and unpopular topic to discuss. And to be sure, eternal punishment is not the main message in the Bible. Scripture teaches us of a God who loves us and has taken initiative to love us and be in relationship with us, especially through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, despite not being the main point, eternal punishment is an important and Biblical part of God’s plan to save the world. So what does the Bible teach on this topic, and why might it be important for followers of Jesus to understand it a bit more deeply?
Scripture teaches that God will raise all people back to life and that Jesus will judge each person for what they’ve done. Some will be convicted and punished, and others will be acquitted and rewarded. While judgment can be scary to think about and is not a popular topic, living with an expectation of the final judgment can produce good things in our lives, including the motivation to cry out to God for his mercy, resulting in salvation.
According to the Bible, what happens to us after we die? Will we immediately find ourselves in our final eternal destination? Will our souls “go to sleep” until a later time? Is the Catholic idea of Purgatory a possibility? Or something else?
Why do we all long for the world to be a better place, and will it ever become the place we hope for? Poetically bridging deep theological truths with the challenges of our daily life, the Apostle Paul explains the future of the tensions in our world and calls us to fix our eyes on the coming glory that lies in store for his children and for all creation.
There are some vital disciplines that we as followers of Christ need to have built into our lives. Things like reading and studying the scriptures, prayer, and living in community are just a few. Each one of our lives are structured differently and we all go through different seasons of life, but it is these priorities that will help us to continue to grow more in our relationship with Jesus no matter what comes our way.
Daniel had a rhythm and routine - A RULE OF LIFE - that was life-giving to him and that sustained his devotion to God in the midst of changing circumstances, persecution, and even the threat of death. As followers of Jesus, we too, like Daniel, would do well to identify and nurture the practices and priorities that deepen our relationship with Jesus.
The Old Testament story of Daniel provides us a powerful example of how to prioritize a God-centred approach to life that stands in contrast to "the patterns of this world." As we venture into a new year filled with new possibilities, this message invites us to consider how we will be intentional about knitting spiritual practices into the fabric of our lives in 2023.
As followers of Jesus, how can we prepare for his return? The New Testament is filled with encouragements on how to prepare well. We are called to stay close with Jesus, to be intentional with our thought life, to pursue holiness, to be faithful in Kingdom-building work, to persevere through suffering, and to respond to persecution with witness. Are you ready?
The Christian hope for the future of the planet and humanity is tethered to the Biblical teaching of Jesus’ return. Human effort and ingenuity are not enough to save us. Despite all the best advances in science, medicine, technology and political structures, we won’t be able to achieve paradise on earth. But we hope and believe that Jesus will return and by the strength of God he will set things right in our world. And this hope drives us to begin doing his work today, to begin with his help welcoming his Kingdom of justice, righteousness and peace.
Lord, grant me a taste for silence and solitude so that I might find in my heart the holy place where your Spirit dwells. That I could tell you truthfully how I am feeling and could hear specifically what you have to say to me. Amen.
Silence and solitude are radically counter-cultural practices in our world today. They invite us to explore territory in our relationships with God and ourselves that may seem foreign to us in our fast-paced and noise-filled lives. While it may be challenging to adopt these practices, they enable us to experience God in deeper ways and to discover who we are in him with newfound clarity.
Jesus' ministry changed at the Ascension. The church is the ministry of Jesus on earth post-ascension. We are the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. We are his body and through us we are his arms extended to the world, welcoming them in. But this is a Spiritual work and it is too big for us, thus we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are filled with power to complete His mission, and with hope that he will one day return just as he left.
How reasonable is it to believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Because of the extreme claims Jesus made in his time on earth, there would be significant implications for every person if the resurrection actually happened. This talk examines eight important points about the evidence and eight alternate theories of what might have happened and considers how we should respond to the evidence.
Do you love the church? Are you active in working together with other believers to gather and nurture people to follow Jesus together? The stories of the miraculous catch of fish and Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter close out our study of Jesus resurrection appearances and allow us to reflect on the nature of ministry and the empowerment of Jesus in building up his church.
Jesus was a welcomer. When we read the Bible we get the sense that his eyes were always open for the next person that he could invite into a conversation. The very heart of the Gospel is one of God welcoming and rescuing us not because there was something in it for him, but because he loves us. What about us? Are we welcomers? Hospitality is a basic element of Christian community and a powerful opportunity for mission.
In this message we are setting our focus on a practice that flows from our church's mission priority that says a maturing follower of Jesus "has open eyes and a ready heart to welcome and include others." Scripture teaches that as children of God hospitality should be both who we are as well as what we do.
This message explores "open eyes and a ready heart to welcome and include others" as a distinguishing mark of maturing as a follower of Christ. We are able to create spaces of welcome for others because God has first welcomed us in Christ.
Do you believe in Jesus? In Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances, we see that belief involves both reason and experience, that it’s personal and active and that it requires journeying through our doubts with open hearts. When we are ready respond to Jesus, we receive forgiveness and are able to walk in close relationship with God, empowered by his Holy Spirit for personal transformation and fruitful participation in the mission of God.
The same day Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to and walked with a couple of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. This story challenges us to see that the whole Old Testament is about Jesus, that Jesus’ path of suffering was God’s plan from the beginning, and that the living Jesus desires to apprentice us in our daily lives, teaching us how to live in light of his resurrection.
After his resurrection, Jesus’ first recorded conversation was with Mary Magdalene. This story is full of surprises and gives us many clues about the nature of Jesus’ resurrection and our future resurrection. Most dramatically, it challenges us to realize that the transcendent Son of God, though deserving of our worship, desires and initiates a very deep and personal relationship with each of us.
As we consider our future as Christians, we have to begin by looking back. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the foundation of our hope as followers of Jesus. Though skeptics deny the reality of these events, a mountain of historic evidence confirms they happened. Evidence cannot empirically prove the resurrection, but it does get us to the point of asking the most important questions. How are you responding today to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his immanent return?
We are looking at the spiritual practice of "daily scripture" because we believe that God has called us to be a church family that "Studies and grows in knowing God through scripture and theology." Today we want to answer the questions: why would we want a daily habit of opening our Bibles and how might we develop such a habit?
This message invites followers of Jesus to consider the role of the Bible in our lives and the practices that can aid us in receiving, understanding, knowing, and living according to God's Word.
A maturing follower of Jesus studies and grows in knowing God through scripture and theology.
We're going to talk about what the Bible does (the theology that marks the life of a maturing follower of Jesus) and we're going to talk about about what we do (the discipline that marks the life of a follower of Jesus).
The end of the storyline of the Bible includes three key events: the return of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead and the renewal of all things. As we await Jesus’ arrival, our attitudes and actions reveal much about the condition of our hearts and our relationship with the Lord.
We spend so much of our lives hoping in things that don’t satisfy. Whether it be food, drink, the next series to binge or big holiday plans, time and time again we go after something thinking it will be amazing, and it falls short. Even when it comes to things of faith, we can often hope in the small first tastes of God’s Kingdom rather than focusing on the ultimate hope of an eternity with God. But when our great hope comes into clarity, it drastically changes our perspective and, rather than losing ourselves in heaven, God’s hope engages us more deeply in his purposes for the world we live in each day.
Psalm 126 provides us with a God-centred perspective that can help sustain us as we journey through challenging seasons in life. In this passage, we are encouraged to ponder how God has worked in our lives in the past, to pray for him to work powerfully in the face of our present circumstances, and to participate actively in the unfolding of God’s provision and plan.
We explore the joy expressed by the Psalmist as they arrive in Jerusalem to worship God, how these truths are transformed by the Gospel (tearing of the veil and God's Spirit going out into the world), and connect it to encouraging stories of God's work in university student's lives here in Edmonton.
In Psalm 131, David describes 3 distinct places, and the invitation to each of them that has been extended to us by God: 1. The Place of Trust 2. The Place of Peace 3. The Place of Hope
God has given us the original design for not only what our family should look like, but what our lives should look like.
In this Psalm, David calls the people to remember how God rescued them from certain doom. Recognizing how close they were to their end and how definitive the deliverance causes the people to praise and worship God.
Unity among the people of God is a gift from God (Psalm 133) which bears testimony to the world around us (John 17:23). As followers of Jesus, we are instructed to do all that we can 'to preserve the unity of the Spirit, through the bond of peace'. (Ephesians 4:3)
As Jesus ends his most well-known teaching, he paint a vivid picture of the different sorts of foundations we can build with our lives. No person is exempt from experiencing the storms of life, but there are those who live secure even when the rains come and the flood waters rise. The obvious warning in Jesus’ conclusion is the incredibly serious gravity of our choice about him.
Jesus teaches that there really are only two options in life (following Jesus or rejecting him), but he immediately clarifies that in the real world people aren’t neatly divided into two organized groups. Instead, the visible church includes both true and false Christian leaders and true and false followers of Jesus. Following Jesus on the narrow way requires discernment, and Jesus gives us the keys to discern effectively.
Jesus has spent all this time throughout his Sermon teaching those who follow God how to truly live under God's new Kingdom reign, rather than under the law. He now reveals to us why that really matters - and what's at stake.
In this week’s message, Jesus presents a contrast between two possible directions we might choose for our lives. One direction is attractive because it is “easy,” yet it ultimately leads to destruction. The other direction is hard but actually is the way that leads to life. According to Jesus, these two potential directions are the only options we’re presented with in life. He confronts us with our need to make a choice of which of these ways we will pursue.
Applying the Sermon on the mount is compared by Jesus to a narrow, hard road, but choosing to walk this road by following the way of Jesus is worth the effort.
Nearing the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus summarizes his teaching in one simple sentence—the Golden Rule. This sentence is simple to say but so difficult to live out in our daily lives. So he precedes the sentence by assuring us that if we seek him, he is completely trustworthy to give us every good gift that we need to live for him.
In this passage, Jesus addresses how we assess the spiritual condition of those we encounter in our daily lives. There is a place for paying attention to clues about how others are doing in relation to God. However, we must exercise immense caution in the conclusions that we draw based upon these clues. Jesus challenges us to employ Kingdom measures in assessing the spiritual state of the people in our lives. In this weeks’ message, we see that kingdom measures will cause us to recalibrate our perspective about others in three crucial ways.
Worry is nothing new. Perhaps it’s on the rise in our time, but for Jesus’ listeners, most of whom lived in poverty, worry was a very real issue. Jesus tells his disciples plainly not to worry about everyday life, and he gives many reasons why worrying is not helpful. But he doesn't stop there. In his kindness, he also shares the way to stop.
Regularly in his teaching, Jesus waded into the uncomfortable topic of personal finances. In this passage he challenges his disciples to consider the durability of two different types of treasures, earthly and heavenly. Then he goes deeper, directing us to realize that our treasure-handling really flows from our hearts, that our hearts are directed by the influences and ambitions we pursue, and that these ultimately flow from who we serve. The choice is clear but difficult: will we serve God or money? We can’t have it both ways.
Jesus teaches his followers about the role that fasting can have in our spiritual lives and, even more importantly, the posture we should take when we engage in fasting. Unlike the world around us, our aim should be to please God, rather than to draw the attention of others.
Whose attention and affirmation are we hoping to gain when we engage in “spiritual” activities? In this passage, Jesus uses the practice of fasting as a case study to warn against engaging in spiritual activities for the sake of impressing others. He encourages us to be people of authenticity whose inward motivations and outward actions are oriented to the “Audience of One,” our heavenly Father.
In part 3 of His 3-part lesson, Jesus again warns about practicing our righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If we do, we will have no reward from God. He gives simple instructions about keeping our fasting a secret from others, so that our unseen, all-seeing God will reward us.
Conversation is the lifeblood of any relationship, and it is no different with God. If we want to grow to know him we need to learn to talk with him and listen to him. Jesus continues his teaching by warning against praying like hypocrites (who would rather impress others than know God) and against praying like pagans (who think that great effort is needed to get God’s attention). Instead he teaches us to pray like Christians, authentically and thoughtfully, and he gives us a model prayer to guide and grow us.
Giving to the needy is a good thing but can be practiced in wrong ways. In this short passage, Jesus shows two wrong ways to give and one key strategy to help us practice giving in a way that pleases God.
The life and teachings of Jesus challenge us to reconsider the nature of power and the way to pursue it. Running after entertainment, pleasure, wealth, success, popularity, self-actualization or other things, our world pursues power with “me” as the ultimate goal. Jesus, motivated by love, flips these power-trips by living in a different way, putting others before himself and actively serving others.
Christ's call to love our enemies really begins with a willingness to embrace our own identity as God's children. We are all God's children and are all recipients of His love, whether or not we acknowledge it. Jesus teaches us that we are not called to stand against others, but rather to stand for the arrival God's love, grace, and truth in their lives.
God's desires that his people would stand out as distinct in this world. Loving others in a way that reflects the character of our Father is one key distinguishing marks that's meant to set his people apart from the patterns of this world. In this passage, Jesus challenges our tendency to justify the prejudices and perspectives that keep us from loving those we find difficult to love. He invites us, as those who have been loved with an extraordinary love, to be truly loving toward our neighbours--even those we're not fond of.
How do you respond when you are hurt by another person? Jesus continues to call us deeper towards greater righteousness as he discusses revenge. He invites us to leave retribution in the hands of God and instead to seek a better world by meeting hate with love.
Responding to questions about divorce, Jesus chooses instead to talk about marriage. He reminds his listeners to the original intent and design for marriage, and raises the bar up high for what this commitment means. Yes, Jesus’ concedes, there are some limited situations where divorce is permissible, but it is never God’s best for marriages to end in this way.
Do you speak the plain truth without minimizing or exaggerating? And do you follow through on your word? In Jesus’ time, the religious leaders had developed a complex system related to taking oaths that allowed them to posture their words to their advantage. Each of us are tempted to do the same in our own way, so Jesus teaches us to say yes and mean it.
After addressing murder and anger, Jesus moves on in his sermon to adultery. He identifies the truth that lust is as sinful as adultery, and continues to help us understand that sinful actions begin on the inside in our thoughts and motives and intentions. In light of this, Jesus instructs us to become radically defensive against letting lust fester, so that it will not become something more damaging.
Jesus' teaching in this first antithetical section of the Sermon on the Mount traces murder to its dark lair deeper within the human heart. "Set the bar here," Jesus says, "and you'll not only fulfill all the requirements of the law, but you'll be the salt and light that this world so desperately needs as well. You'll stand out. In a way that matters to me."
In this passage, Jesus invites us to consider the destructive impact that thoughts, words, and actions rooted in anger inevitably have on us and others. He invites us participate in his radical new way characterized by a commitment to love, unity, and reconciliation. He makes this truly possible in each of our hearts through the transforming work of his Holy Spirit.
Jesus reveals the way for us to break out of sinful patterns and live transformed lives. He shows us the way of deliverance from anger, insults and even murder, to become peacemakers.
What was Jesus’ attitude towards the Old Testament? And what is our response to the scriptures as a whole? Did Jesus come to remove all the rules and replace them with the one new rule to just love each other? This passage is the key to understanding Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and it gives us a glimpse into the very foundation of the gospel.
Immediately following Jesus’ picture of the blessed life, he begins to talk about influence. As believers, we are meant to live in stark contrast to the dark and deteriorating world, and to work against evil and for good. He calls us to stay salty and to let our good deeds shine publicly.
When you consider what it means to live “the good life” or “a blessed life” who do you consider? In his opening to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes the culture of the Kingdom of heaven in a way that stands in stark contrast to the values most people hold dear.
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount has been called his "most know and least obeyed teaching." Yet it forms the core of what it truly means to follow Jesus. Have you given your life to Jesus? This sermon forms the most accessible guide for daily, Kingdom life we find in all of Jesus teaching. Have you not yet chosen to follow Jesus? He invites you to listen in on his vision for life and society, and carefully consider your response.
This passage invites us to consider the underlying motives that drive the day-to-day activity with which we busy ourselves. Are there things cause us to be “worried and upset”? If so, what role might these things play in distracting or drawing us away from from the presence of Jesus? Jesus encourages us to focus upon "what is better," which is the pathway to true rest and fulfillment.
Two sisters, Mary and Martha, paired together in Scripture. But when encountering Jesus, they each had very different approaches to their Lord. Both faithful, both concerned with matters of faith, but Mary "chose what is better".
There are so many areas in life where we find ourselves stuck—stuck in the past, stuck worrying about the future, or stuck in the challenges of today. How do we get unstuck? The story of Peter’s miraculous release from prison paints a powerful metaphor of the power of prayer ministry in the church today.
Prayer is meant to be a two-way conversation with God, but many struggle to hear God's voice or even to believe it’s possible. This message explores why hearing God’s voice is so critical, what might be making it difficult, and how to step forward towards a greater experience in listening to God.
Biblical prayer cannot be boiled down into a brief explanation. It is incredibly diverse both in the types of prayers prayed and the various responses from God. This message explores the vast array of Biblical prayers from Genesis to Revelation, and it offers reflections on why people pray along with practical ideas to grow deeper in prayer.
The best way to discover our true priorities is to ask, “What do I do first and most each day?” The tangible choices that we make about how to spend our time reveal what is truly important to us. In the only Biblical story of Jesus’ boyhood, we learn about Jesus’ priorities and about those of his household and spiritual family. As we step into 2022 and into a month of prayer as a church, this passage gives us a beautiful opportunity to consider who we desire to become and what sorts of things we may need to prioritize in order to get there.
In this week’s passage, Zechariah shares Spirit-inspired words about the long-awaited promise God was about to fulfill in Jesus. His story serves as an example for us of how to be open to the movement of God's Spirit and his words provide us important insight into the plan God was unfolding - first through John the Baptist, but ultimately through Jesus.
In this week’s passage, Zechariah shares Spirit-inspired words about the long-awaited promise God was about to fulfill in Jesus. His words provide us important insight into the God plan was unfolding and the distinctive role that God had in mind for John the Baptist to fulfil. This passage also provides us important clues that help us see that, through Jesus, every person has a place of significance within God’s plan.
Is your relationship with God based on his character or your circumstances? Mary provides a beautiful example of responding to the surprises in life with joy and gratitude. She knows God for who he truly is, and so she is able to live her life in worship despite the challenges ahead.
The account of Mary’s conversation with Gabriel reminds us that God’s invitations come in unexpected ways! The story gives us a variety of perspectives on following the call of God in our lives. Are you ready and open for God’s surprises?
Luke’s gospel begins in an uncomfortably familiar place. We learn of Zechariah and Elizabeth, an older couple, faithfully following the Lord, but experiencing disappointment in how their lives have turned out. They’ve longed and prayed for a child, but their prayers have not been answered…yet. This passage speaks into our deep places of difficulty, and invites us to prepare ourselves for God’s new things.
In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul urges his listeners to “eagerly desire” the gifts of the Spirit, and then adds, “especially prophecy.” How can we effectively pursue spiritual gifts with love as our goal, and why does Paul specifically identify prophecy as a gift worth going after?
We must step into the body of Christ and the work of Christ's Church with LOVE. No matter how 'gifted we are', without LOVE, our efforts are useless.
Paul addresses the over-emphasis the Corinthian Christians had on the gifts of the Spirit. Paul argues that love is the key ingredient in church life - if you lose love, you lose everything. He shows, the gifts are useless without love and the gifts are temporary, but love is eternal. Following the example of Jesus, love has to be our motivation, our attitude, our main value, and our most visible characteristic.
God has graced his church with a great variety of spiritual gifts. Every believer has been given abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit to be used in ministry for the building up of the church. Yet when it comes to spiritual gifts, many believers are uninformed, insecure, judgemental, or just simply inactive, and so much fruitful ministry simply never happens. Paul urges us in 1 Corinthians 12 to be informed, correct our attitudes, and get to work.
Are you using your gifts to build the church with a heart of humility and servanthood? So often believers are content to sit back and let others carry the load of ministry. Others step in but are driven by ego rather than a heart of love for the Lord and others. True Christian ministry is founded on humility and unity, is powered by Spirit-enabled people, and is aimed at producing maturity in Christ. All followers of Jesus are called to humbly share in the work of building up the church in love.
Each person has a unique calling in God’s Kingdom. What is yours? The story of Isaiah’s calling from hundreds of years before Christ contains so many pieces that help us understand the journey of growing to understand our calling.
Is there any place in life so humble and powerful as the place of prayer? Prayer is precisely that spot where we admit our need for God and invite his help. It’s the place where we tangibly respond to Paul’s challenge to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Prayer is and must be seen as a critical part of the foundation to our walk with Jesus, because prayer is conversation, and relationships talking.
The enemy of our souls is on the offensive and is out to steal, kill, and destroy. His strategy involves assaulting us with lies that weaken our defenses by causing us to doubt our security in Christ. The shield of faith and helmet of salvation are essential defensive resources that enable us to withstand the enemy’s attack. We outfit ourselves with the sword and shield when we cling in faith to a biblical perspective on God’s work in our lives.
Our faith in Jesus Christ allows us to both fend off the spiritual attack of the enemy, but it allows us to press forward into the challenges of this life as well. The power of this faith in Jesus is that the battle has already been won - Jesus has been victorious and provided our salvation! Surrender yourself to Him in a new way today.
Salvation is available to each of us through faith in Jesus Christ. As we come to God and confess (agree with Him about) our brokenness and need for Him, He restores us to a right relationship with Him. Come to Jesus or recommit your life to Him today. This is where true life is found!
Our world is full of problems that are far bigger than our intelligence or strength, even if we all work together. What is a follower of Jesus to do in the shadow of such overwhelming brokenness? The breastplate and shoes of Ephesians 6 give us a bit of a roadmap. We can experience healthy engagement against this world’s darkness as we mature in godly character, grow as effective witnesses, and trust God with the “heavy lifting.” We are encouraged the live the life, to tell the story, to shine God’s light.
At the front and end of the list of armour, we find God’s truth and God’s word. Beginning in the third chapter of Genesis, there have been voices in our world that have asked, “Did God really say that?” And yet, despite great opposition, the word of God, living in Jesus Christ, revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and spoken to our hearts by the Spirit, is the only clear path we have of knowing who God truly is, responding to him to receive salvation, and growing daily in living the purposes he has for us on earth. What might it look like for you to “put on” the full armour of God, committing more deeply to living in alignment with God’s truth?
When you reflect on your experiences with church and Christian community, what memories come to mind? Scripture never says church is easy, but it teaches that Christian community is essential for growing in Christ, that it’s fruitful to help transform our lives, and that it’s beautiful when we get the right perspective on it. This message explores practical ways to dig into church without minimizing the hard parts.
What’s powering you these days? Where do you go for refreshed strength? In Ephesians 6 Paul pleads with us to “put on” the armour of God, and to be strong in God’s mighty power. God’s strength is necessary and available, but will we put it on and use it for its intended purpose?
Every disciple of Jesus has been enrolled in the “school of Jesus” and called to learn from him. It is important for each one of us as students of Jesus to pay attention to what we’re learning, who we’re learning it from, and what we’re doing with what we’re learning.
No matter WHO you are or WHERE you've been -- Christ's invitation is Fresh...for YOU!! When you truly take that first step of Faith AND Trust His Word --LOOK OUT!! You, too, will change -- forever!!
Change is the beginning of transformation but transformation is so much deeper than change. You can spend so much time trying to change that you never experience transformation. Transformation is what God is wanting for your life.
Some people go through life bearing the burden of stigmas that define how they are viewed by others—and all too often even by themselves. Many times, this leaves individuals feeling excluded and forgotten. This week’s passage tells the story of one woman who carried a burden of suffering and shame for twelve years. However, we see Jesus transforming her story. This message conveys hope to those who presently are suffering in silence and highlights how Jesus sees those who our society tends to stigmatize. It calls the church to be a community of care that reflects the heart of Jesus.
A look at Jesus' healing of the blind man in John 9. We'll see how an encounter with Jesus can completely change everything you thought you knew about yourself and your future. We'll also be challenged to serve as a witness to others of Christ's power in our lives.
We can experience transformation when we embrace the ordinary and when we trust in God. Just like how Jesus changed water into wine and took something ordinary and made it extraordinary, He wants to do the same in our ordinary lives.
The good news of God’s saving grace is that your life is not the sum total of your past. The Bible teaches us that God extended his amazing grace to us through Jesus, and that this grace holds incredible promise, hope, and peace. We all have a past. We have made mistakes. We have messed up. We have had to deal with the consequences of our decisions. We have hurt and been hurt. We have felt the sting of disappointment. The unsettledness of frustration. The pain of brokenness. Still. The promise of the gospel is that your future does not have to follow the path of your past. You do not need to continue in the direction you have been going. Your next step can change everything.
Transformation is the act or process of changing completely. As Christians, we have already experienced a supernatural transformation by accepting Jesus. However, as we look at the life of Peter, we see how God continued a transformative work in his life transforming him from a humble fisherman to the leader of the early church. Like Peter, God sees the potential in each one of us and through the power of the Holy Spirit works to transform us to bring glory to his kingdom.
So you gave your life to Jesus. You trusted him for salvation. He forgave you and freed you from the power of sin in your life. What’s next? In a word: transformation. When we come to Jesus, he changes our lives, and he keeps changing our lives for our whole lives. This transformation requires our cooperation, results in very good things, and gives us a completely different and better perspective on ourselves and others.
How are we to respond to the brokenness and pain in our world? If you asked the Apostle Paul, he may simply respond with one word: “Jesus.” In our own strength we are stuck under the power of sin and headed towards judgement, but through Jesus God has done what we couldn’t do—he has intervened in history to save us and renew all of creation. Now, he invites us to respond to him in faith and to let him transform our lives and our world through the power of his Spirit.
Paul’s final words to the Roman church reveal an incredibly diverse church—men and women, rich and poor, and multiple ethnic groups. In the midst of this Kingdom diversity, however, Paul sternly warns the Romans to be careful of those who would want to take unity too far, plainly telling them to stay away from those who create divisions by teaching things opposed to scripture. Paul lands his letter by giving glory to God for his wise and beautiful gospel plan, reminding each of us of the ongoing work to share the good news of Jesus with all nations.
What’s God’s next step for you? As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Roman church, he takes time to remind them about his personal calling, to share his ministry plans, and to invite their continued partnership in his work. In his words, we can feel the honest tension between his desire for deep fellowship with other believers and his calling from God to continue to pioneer new territory for the Kingdom.
Our world desperately needs hope, and a Bible-believing, Jesus-imitating, Spirit-powered church is precisely the way that God intends to bring it. In the last bit of the main body of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he challenges us to take Christian unity serious, and get to work in the Kingdom-critical priorities of worship, community and mission.
In today’s passage, Paul challenges us to realize that not all thing are worth fighting over for believers. There is a category of things that are “disputable matters,” in which he encourages us to try to understand, but also to give grace to others who understand them differently. However, how do we know what is in this category and what isn’t? And how do we live this out in a complex world? Today’s passage echoes the old saying: “In essentials, unity, In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.”
Do your actions and life choices flow from a deep inner love for God and others? Are you living your daily live with a desire to be ready for the return of Jesus? Are your actions in line with God’s clear commands in scripture? In response to the good news of Jesus Christ, Paul challenges us to recognize that the day of salvation is almost here, to wake up, to get dressed, and to live like the “people of the day” that God has called us to be.
In the introduction of his letter to the Philippian church, Paul reminds them of the depth of community that exists between them, even though they are currently apart. Christ's call to the church today is to lean deeply into authentic community, not just for our own benefit, but to equip us to then go out and share Christ's love with the world around us.
As followers of Jesus, what actions and attitudes should characterize our relationship with the governing authorities? Paul, writing from a historical political situation much more difficult than ours, clarifies three truths about submitting to the government, and provides a jumping off point to discuss civil disobedience.
Paul recognizes that our behaviour must be built upon our belief. The first 11 chapters teach us about the believer’s position in Christ. This salvation which is found in these chapters should transform our Christian life in relation to God and all of humanity. Paul has previously told us that our lives are to be transformed by the renewing of our hearts and minds. These changes that take place inwardly, should then produce changes that are outworked in all of our relationships. We are to practice this love within our Christian family. A Love that is genuine and real, and leads us to be able to practice this even with those who oppose us. This Love should lead us to pursue doing good and help us to run away from doing evil.
As long as our focus remains on ourselves, we will never discover our true identity. Instead, it is when we look to God, when we understand the merciful way that he has loved us in Jesus Christ, that we can begin to understand who we really are. Responding to the good news requires a total renovation of our perspective and results in ongoing transformation of our relationships. This is only possible when we begin to understand our lives in light of what God has done for us, and to live our lives not for ourselves but in service to others.
After spending eight chapters explaining and celebrating the gospel, Paul pauses for three chapters to discuss the role of Israel in God’s plan of salvation. In today’s passage, he lands the discussion, clarifying the realities of Israel concerning the past, the present and the future. While Paul may not answer each question as clearly as we’d like, he provides a sweeping view of salvation history clarifying God’s heart for Israel and the right attitude of non-Jews in response. And, before moving onto the next passage, he rightly pauses to worship God.
How does spreading the gospel “work”? In the midst of his discussion about the spiritual condition of Israel, Paul zooms out to talk about the steps involved with sharing gospel. He reminds us that faith can only grow when people hear the gospel, that God chooses to speak through his followers, and that he stands in a posture of grace even towards those who are indifferent or resistant to him.
Who are you and what is the purpose of your life? We spend our lives searching for happiness, hope and meaning, but time after time we come up short. In the bad times it’s obvious. In the good times it’s more subtle, but still there remains this nagging feeling in our souls that there must be more to life. The story of Jesus’ resurrection offers a perspective worth considering, challenging us with the possibility that fulfillment is available, but only with God’s help.
Throughout Mark, we encounter an emphasis on the fact that, while Jesus’ entire ministry takes place out in the open for all to see, only those who are paying attention with eyes of faith truly grasp what’s going on. Everyone else seems to miss the point. We see this same dynamic playing out as Jesus enters Jerusalem. This passage invites us to pay attention as we journey toward Good Friday and Easter. It challenges us to be counted among those who truly embrace the open secret rather than those who—while seemingly participating fully—are missing the point of who Jesus is and what he’s up to.
In the previous passage, Paul waded through the difficult truth of divine election, celebrating the mercy of God in his decision to bring salvation to the elect. In this passage, Paul speaks to the other true side of salvation—that it is available to all through simple and sincere trust in Jesus. In contrast to the pride that causes so many people to miss God’s gift, Paul reminds us of the truth that Jesus has accomplished all that is necessary for our salvation, and assures us of the simplicity of receiving the good news.
Paul has spent the first eight chapters or Romans explaining and celebrating the beauty of the gospel. Before moving on to a number of chapters of practical application, he pauses in chapters 9-11 to address an important question. If the gospel was promised beforehand through the Holy Scriptures (specifically the Old Testament), and if Israel was God’s chosen nation through whom the gospel was promised, then why have the vast majority of the Jewish people rejected their Messiah?
The world urges us to avoid suffering at all costs. But as followers of Jesus, the one who willingly suffered on the path to victory, how should we view suffering? In one of the most inspiring passages in the Bible, Paul invites us to a gospel perspective on suffering. He lifts our gaze to our future glory, he acknowledges the tension of waiting for it, and all along he reminds us of the faithful love of God poured out through the past work of Jesus and the present ministry of the Holy Spirit.
If those who have received the gospel have been freed by Jesus from the power and destiny of sin, then why do we still struggle with it? And how to do we continue to grow and pursue maturity? In this passage, as Paul responds to these questions, he elaborates on the realities of the new realm we live in as believers and draws our attention to the Holy Spirit as the key to living our new lives.
As the book of Romans has progressed, Paul has helped us see that followers of Jesus are no longer subject to the Law. Instead, through Christ, we have been set free to live for him! This passage constitutes a key transition in Paul’s argument, one that exposes a key tension that must be addressed. Paul gets honest about a battle he faces within himself: the unresolved struggle between his “new self,” which desires to live fully devoted to God, and his sinful “old” nature, which causes him to behave in ways that contradict his commitment to live for God. The struggle Paul describes is one that every follower of Jesus is all too familiar with. In his vulnerability, he invites us to recognize the importance of each one of us honestly facing this struggle in our own lives.
The Biblical account of Jesus’ temptation is like a guidebook for practically pursuing renewal in our lives. Jesus steps away from “normal” life to spend 40 days in the wilderness pressing into God. And in this place of retreat he is confronted by the enemy. His interaction teaches us to recognize common areas of human weakness, the tactics of the accuser, and the keys to advancing in victory as we follow the example of the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Here’s a key question for anyone who claims to follow Jesus—do you actually want to follow him? For those whose answer is “Yes!”, Paul challenges us to keep our eyes on the destination, to cooperate with God’s grace, and to remember who we are. In all of this, his call is to live a life that increasingly matches up with our commitment to Jesus.
After celebrating the beauty of God’s grace and the great hope offered by the gospel, Paul responds to a natural question that arises. If salvation is by grace through faith, empowered by Jesus without any human effort, then does it matter how we live? If the result of sin increasing is grace increasing even more, then why not just go on sinning? Paul’s response is clear, deeply rooted in the story of Jesus, and powerfully practical: morality matters.
Just how great is the love of God that has been poured out on the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Paul reflects on humanity's tragic situation and celebrates the destiny-altering benefits of personally responding to the super-abounding grace of Jesus Christ.
In last week’s sermon, we explored the central message of scripture and the whole history of God’s saving work: "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Romans 3:21-22). As we look to Romans 4, Paul addresses an audience who seem to have questions and doubts about this message. Can it really be true? Is faith in Christ really "enough"? Some of us may have these questions, too. In this passage, Paul helps us see that being in right relationship with God has always only been possible through God’s grace.
When we grow to understand the truth of the gospel, we are freed to respond by faith to God’s invitation and to live in his abundance and purpose. But why is the gospel necessary? And why did Jesus have to die on the cross? And what did Christ’s death accomplish? And if it’s all about faith, do we still need to obey God laws? This key passage in Romans explores these questions and more.
What is God calling us towards for 2021? In the midst of a long, difficult season, we can be tempted to focus on the wrong things or to give up altogether. Acts 2 gives us a clear picture of what church is meant to be, and Romans 14-15 reminds us to stay focused on the most important things.
If we want to be devoted followers of Jesus with fruitful churches, it makes sense to carefully consider the earliest Christians. The book of Acts does just this, chronicling the time from Jesus resurrection, to Pentecost, through the very first stages of the Christian movement. Through Acts, we see that Biblical truth, Holy Spirit power and authentic conversations are all important components of being faithful witnesses for Jesus.
Everyone needs to be rescued, and a rescuer has come for everyone. Exploring the Messianic titles from Isaiah 9, we see clearly a number of the ways that Jesus offers us precisely what we need.
The Gospel of John begins with one of the Bible’s most elaborate and powerful explanations of Jesus’ identity, examining Jesus’ preexistence, his role in creation and redemption, and the nature of the incarnation with what one commentator calls “deceptive simplicity.” This poetic passage mines the depths of the eternal plan of God as revealed in Jesus, and calls each person to believe and find life in Jesus’ name.
The gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as the promised Son of Man, one who radically transforms our expectations about God's plan for humankind. This message identifies key themes arising from Luke 2:1-21 and explores the prominent role that these themes play throughout the entirety of this gospel.
The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as the great servant—the Son of God who came not to rule through power but to show greatness and conquer death through humbly laying down his life. While this may not be the saviour some hoped for, he is the Saviour who is. Jesus is very good news and our example to follow.
The Gospel of Matthew was the most widely-read account of Jesus’ life in the earliest days of the church. Written just a few decades after Jesus’ resurrection, this account of his life contains five lengthy chunks of teaching, emphasizing the truth that Jesus is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, and instructing followers in the ways of living under Jesus’ Kingship. This Gospel specifically invites Jews to receive Jesus as Lord, and it invites everyone to recognize that Israel’s Messiah is the Saviour for all people. Each person who encounters this text is invited to respond by receiving Jesus as King.
What broke our world and how can we fix it? There are many opposing viewpoints—perhaps wealth is distributed unequally, or we need better education, or the oppressors need to be stopped. But the gospel is unflinching in it’s “divine diagnosis” of the human condition. The world is broken because of our sin. Every person guilty, and every person is stuck—enslaved to selfishness and heading towards judgment.
Paul has been talking about different groups of people and their need for the gospel. In this passage, he talks about the Jews, and through them challenges the listener to recognize true faith. Bad religion, Paul points out, is hypocritical, makes people misunderstand God, is human-powered, is all for show, devalues God’s word and expects special treatment.
We think of ourselves as better than others. This is a statistically-proven fact, and consistent with the Bible’s teaching that pride is the first and most basic human sin that we all share. In this passage, Paul continues to explain our need for the gospel by writing to those who think of themselves as better.
There is a gap between what our head knows and what our body does. What is that gap? In a word—worship. The longing and loves in our hearts direct our actions, and so often not in a positive direction. In this passage, Paul begins exploring the desperate need for the Gospel by examining society as a whole. And he identifies the truth that, though the reality of God is evident in creation, people suppress that knowledge and go their own way.
This week’s message extends the introduction to Romans that began with our exploration of the first 7 verses last week. In this passage, Paul articulates the “thesis statement” that provides the focus for the whole book of Romans: the gospel is the power of God to bring about salvation for those who believe. This message explores three important perspectives that will characterize us when we root our lives in the gospel’s dynamic impact.
Romans has been called the “fullest, plainest and grandest statement of the gospel in the New Testament.” As we begin our 27-week journey through the book of Romans, the first seven verses beautifully introduce the Apostle Paul (author) and the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ which Paul has been called to spread.
In a song celebrating the “plenty” of an abundant harvest, David digs deeper, challenging worshippers to recognize the God behind the provision. Expounding on both spiritual and physical blessings, David’s very first words, “Praise awaits you,” are directed not to the worshippers but to God, expressing David’s confidence that God’s people are ready to respond to God’s provision with gratitude and obedience.
Over the last two weeks, we have been investigating what it means to understand the Bible as God's Word to us. That raises the question of how to read and study Scripture in a way that enables us to catch its intended meaning. This message provides a practical framework for understanding and applying what the ancient text of Scripture says to us as followers of Jesus today.
Why do people think the Bible is the word of God? And, if it is, what would that mean for us? This message explores these questions and lands with practical ways to start reading the Bible effectively.
By leaps and bounds, the Bible is the most published, purchased, quoted and read book in all of history. Where did it come from and what impact has it had? This brief fly-over identifies ten significant points about the development of the Bible and a number of key ways that Christianity has influenced the world we live in today.
In this time where our world seems to be unravelling, we may wonder, “What is God up to?” The simple truth is that he’s working on the same plan that’s been unfolding since before time began. This plan is called the Gospel. This message explores facts, evidence and observations about God’s ancient plan to save the world.
This is the last in the series of parables in Matthew 13. It is very similar to the parable of the weeds where the main point is that each of us will face judgement on the day Jesus returns and we stand before God. This parable explains that the net was thrown out to catch all kinds of fish, and this is symbolic of God wanting everyone to be saved, there are no exclusions from the kingdom of heaven. The question is, will we choose to follow Jesus?
Jesus says that following God is a treasure- but a treasure that is hidden- shrouded and sometimes not immediately apparent. But it can be found by grace(!), and we can receive it if we pay all we have- because Jesus paid all he had. Also I will share a story from Hope Mission.
In the ancient world, widows were one of the most vulnerable groups within society. The Bible has a lot to say about how widows were meant to be treated within the community of God's people. In this message, we will investigate Scripture's central teachings on this topic and explore the implications of these teachings for how we relate to vulnerable seniors in our community today.
The Kingdom is at hand but it must be sought in order to be found. Seekers must become hungry and know that what they have now isn't good enough. Facing into the painful reality of vulnerable children in our world will make us hungry and drive us to seek the Kingdom that our Father wants us to find.
Throughout scripture God calls us to care for the poor, the orphan, the widow and the newcomer: those who are vulnerable due to marginalization. At the end of Mark 10 we find one of these wonderful people: a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. Through this story we find out how we can share Jesus’ love and be a microphone to the marginalized.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed or like yeast - what starts small and seems insignificant will grow and have more influence that we ever imagined. God's promise is that His kingdom will prevail and also that our seemingly small acts within the kingdom will have more impact that we think.
In this world, the Kingdom of God emerges/grows in the presence of evil. In this parable of 'the wheat & the weeds', Jesus instructs His followers to resist any preoccupation with evil; either trying to eradicate evil or being distracted/disturbed by evil. Rather, followers of Jesus are to invest in the planting & the fostering of righteousness in the ongoing development of the Kingdom.
In Matthew 13, Jesus shares the parable of sower (the soils). In listening to Him, we have this choice: to live shallow lives, distracted and potentially wrecked by priorities that simply don’t satisfy, or to ready ourselves to really listen, take in the Good News, and invite the Lord to produce His kind of extravagant harvest in our lives. Let’s live good soil kind of lives. Let’s lean in together!
In the last section of his letter, James is primarily concerned with calling the church to pray as individuals, leaders and friends. He reminds us that prayer is the place where we access God’s joy, healing and forgiveness. And he lands with a final, strong word about the urgent and critical nature of God’s mission.
Often it seems like bad people are winning and good people are losing. Through intense language, James challenges the arrogant rich to realize that wealth is not a trustworthy security net. And he lifts the spirits of the humble poor, by reminding them that God is good and that Jesus will return and set things right.
Few of us intentionally attempt to put ourselves in God's place. However, as James explains in this passage, our words can reveal underlying attitudes that basically equate to our putting ourselves in a place that's God's and God's alone. In making his case, James presents two case studies: the first focused on how we speak about people and the second focused on how we speak about plans. James instructs us to remember our place in relation to God and to live accordingly.
The news is filled with images and stories illustrating the destructive cycle of hurt, resentment, hatred and violence. What is the source of the breakdown in relationships and society? With pointed words, James challenges us to look inside, to humble ourselves, to recognize our part, and to return to God.
What drives you, and what is it producing in your life? In the midst of a number of passages about the importance and power of our words, James challenges to to realize that true wisdom requires more than talking. There are many who think they are wise, but in reality they are driven by selfishness and envy, and their lives produce division in relationships. On the other hand, those who are truly wise are driven by humility and spend their lives seeking real and deep peace in their relationships.
As James continues in his discussion about the connection between faith and works, he zeros in on a small but potent aspect of our lives: our words. With vivid imagery and many illustrations, James explores the beautiful and dangerous power of words, and invites us to allow the Holy Spirit to purify our speech.
What do your choices, actions and lifestyle reveal about what’s truly at work in your heart? Does your faith in Jesus bubble up into practical acts of mercy and compassion? James challenges us to recognize that faith without action is like a body without breath. And he encourages us to forget yesterday’s mistakes and step into today’s opportunities to live the life that Jesus has created us to live.
James cautions that showing favouritism when newcomers visit the church is entirely incompatible with faith in Christ. To illustrate this, he argues that we should not discriminate between those who the world sees as "movers-and-shakers" and those it sees as "down-and-outers." This is not how God sees things. We are called to live according to a different standard, one that welcomes the powerful and poor on equal footing.
What kind of fruit is growing in our lives? And what does that say about our hearts? James elaborates on Jesus’ teaching, “A tree is known by its fruit,” by inviting us to look into the mirror and examine ourselves. Specifically, he challenges us to pay attention to our speech, our sin, our compassion and our humility.
In the previous passage, James challenged us to find joy in times of trial by asking God for his perspective and focusing on the good things that God can accomplish. James continues today by reminding us of a number of truths that are easy to forget but critical to remember in times of difficulty.
As James writes his letter, he opens with stunning words: “Consider it pure joy…when you face trials of many kinds.” This is certainly not the typical human response to times of difficulty! In the next few verses James identifies the powerful effect of facing trials with God’s perspective, and how to go about getting his perspective.
Walking through seven key scenes following the resurrection, we see relevant messages for our time. Jesus is alive, personally concerned with us, showing us truth, bringing us peace, and giving up purpose. He is risen, and this news changes everything!
We live in a world characterized by suffering and by brokenness in our relationships with self, others, God, and creation. The narrative of scripture culminates with God setting everything right and inviting his people to dwell in a perfect City of Peace. This promise offers us hope amid today's struggles. But, as citizens of God's kingdom, we also are called to live out the "culture of heaven" in the here-and-now.
What is God doing in difficult times, and what does he ask of us? Near the beginning of the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks extensively to his church. In his words we hear reassurance, challenge, and a loving invitation to humbly return to relationship with him.
As followers of Jesus, we carry a hope that is deeper and longer lasting than any of the difficulties we run into in this world. But will we share it? In his letter to the Romans, Paul encourages his listeners to receive and to share the good news, reminding each of us that a person needs to hear the gospel before they can respond to it.
In uncertain and anxious times, what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? The story of Jesus calming the storm reminds us of the power of the word of God to produce stability that goes deeper than our circumstances. Jesus’ invitation towards faith in the storm invites us into a fresh opportunity to experience Jesus’ power and grow in maturity.
What happens when the grace of God pours out on a community? In the earliest days of the Christian church, we get a picture of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit who draws us together in unity, inspires us together towards generosity and empowers us together for mission.
As humans we make judgments based on what we can see, but so often we get it wrong. While watching the rich and poor give their offerings at the temple, Jesus exposes the inner motives behind outward actions and reveals that generosity is measured not by what is given, but by what is kept back. And, in this framework, a poor widow emerges as the hero of the story.
Jesus investigates the heart of a wealthy young man and discovers that, despite this man’s religious rigour, he loves money more than God. Through this interaction, Jesus invites each of us to consider the allegiances that are most foundational in our lives, and, if we’re willing, to surrender these things in exchange for a much greater reward.
As humans, we seem to have innate tendencies to jockey for position and compete for promotion. Jesus calls out these impulses of the human heart and challenges us to do precisely the opposite! Kingdom living involves being willing to humble ourselves and to prioritize including those who won't help us get ahead--those whom society doesn't celebrate.
Want to “do justice”? Want to know how to start? In perhaps Jesus’ most well-known parable, he identifies the simple path to begin putting things back together in this world (justice) by inviting his followers to be true neighbours. How? See pain. Feel compassion. Meet needs. Without boundaries.
As followers of Jesus, how do we respond to opposition? In particular when we experience tension in our relationships because of our faith in Jesus and alignment with his values, what should we do? In short, Jesus invites us to imitate him—to be kind to those who oppose us, to love our enemies, to actively and prayerfully treat others as we want them to treat us.
Jesus calls his followers to be salt and light in this world. This means counteracting the potential for decay within our society and deeking dispel darkness within our culture. We must avoid the temptation to blend in or hide; instead we are called to live distinctive lives that provide others the chance to recognize God's work and give him glory.
Why is it that as followers of Jesus we continue to face significant difficulties in our lives, often even more so than those who live for themselves? In one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings he offers a word of encouragement and empowerment by simply reminding his followers that things will not always be as they are today, and that God will one day set things right for those who have surrendered their lives to him.
What was it like to be around Jesus, and what does Jesus want for his church? In Jesus’ first teaching, we learn that there is a special place in God’s plan for the poor and the oppressed. Jesus came to speak good news to those who need it and also to demonstrate good news through acts of compassion. And we are challenged to be those who continue on in his way, serving those with real needs in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In one of the hardest hitting justice passages, Isaiah lays out a variety of lessons for us on the nature of spiritual disciplines. Fruitful prayer and fasting are not meant to be ends in themselves, but rather the means for deepening our relationships with God and others, inviting God to transform us into people who are deeply engaged in pursuing justice in our everyday lives.
We each desire our lives to get better in various ways. Will we believe in our society’s path towards the good life, through achievement and accumulation? Or will we trust Jesus that the path towards true life is actually through surrender? The choice is ours, and the stakes are high.
When God invites us into a difficult or unexpected path, how do we respond? Mary responds with beautiful maturity when she receives the news that she'll be the mother of the Messiah. In her famous song she models humility, gratitude and joy, returning worship to God for his goodness in her life.
Using the “shepherd” metaphor, Ezekiel calls out leaders of Israel who had neglected their duty and abused their power to the detriment of the people. He foreshadows the coming of Jesus, the “good shepherd” who would lay down his life for his sheep (John 10:15). This passage has potent implications for everyone who exercises influence over others. As part of God’s “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2:9), we are called to exercise power in a way that reflects the example of our chief shepherd.
Why are so many tired, weary or disillusioned in their faith? When we pursue God in our strength, we miss the whole point of the gospel, and we find ourselves burnt out on religion. Through the prophet Zechariah, we receive an ancient yet fresh call to return to a faith that is focused first on God, and to express our faith through lives that line up with God’s calling—to love our neighbours as ourselves.
As a result of centuries of repeated disobedience, God allows his people to be conquered by Babylon and carried away into exile. Despite living in a foreign land among people with no regard for God, God asks his people to make the most of their situation—to seek the peace and prosperity of their new city, to trust his long-term promises even in the midst of discouragement, and to continue to seek and worship him.
If God is loving, powerful and active in the world, then why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer? Through the oracle and prayer of the prophet Habakkuk at a critical time in the history of Judah, we see these perennial questions take centre stage. And this ancient story shows us the ancient path—how to walk honestly, humbly and faithfully with God through the darkest of times.
In the context of a broken and exiled Israel, Isaiah 61 gives us a detailed view of the promised ministry of the Messiah. He would proclaim God’s truth, he would personally deliver and transform people, and he would anoint and empower others to join him in his mission to restore justice and righteousness to the world.
Isaiah provides a devastating account of the seeds and bitter fruit of injustice. He helps us see injustice as involving our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions. He demonstrates how injustice damages our relationships with God, others, and ourselves. However, he also speaks a word of hope: God is deeply displeased with injustice and has set in motion a plan to set things right.
Amos is a shepherd who hears clearly that God is not pleased with Israel. Through Amos, we see the critical connection between our worship and our lives, and we hear God’s emotional plea for us to return to him with integrity.
When God gave the law to Israel, he invited them to act like him in regard to the needs of the vulnerable. Based on the foundation of love for God and others, Israel’s justice laws include various structures aimed at dignifying the vulnerable and growing a flourishing society. These laws foreshadow Jesus’ invitation to receive his forgiveness and share his blessing with others.
God has a unique plan and purpose for every single person. Through the story of Abraham we get a glimpse of that way that God invites each of us to participate in his blessing and share his abundance with others. Our calling is activated when we respond in obedience, and takes shape over our lives as we continue to follow Jesus through faith.
How can we find hope in the darkest of seasons? By choosing to rejoice in God—by taking our eyes off of our circumstances and placing them instead in God’s goodness, power and love. When we choose to worship with gratitude, hope rises as we trust God and wait for his deliverance.
Genesis 4-11 tells a series of stories exploring the powerful and progressive nature of sin. What began as a single act of disobedience quickly became a world that was filled with wickedness everywhere. Though a thread of hope can be seen, these chapters allow us to reflect and mourn the state of our lives and our world and, if we’re willing, to humble our hearts and admit our need for a Saviour.
Our world is broken. How did it get this way and what can we do about it? As we examine Genesis 3 we discover the root causes of injustice, our contribution to the pain and tension that surrounds us, and a glimmer of God’s hope that was shining even in the earliest days of humanity.
The first chapter of the Bible makes a bold and mysterious claim: that God created humans in his image, in his likeness. What does this mean, and perhaps more importantly, what practical application does it have in our lives today? If our hearts could feel this truth deeply, what would change about our views and our lives?
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible continually speaks to the theme of justice. Justice is not only close to God’s heart; it’s a part of his character that has been built into each one of us. Through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, he models justice-bringing and invites us to join him in his work to restore justice to all of creation.
In the last chapter of the Bible Jesus says, "Behold, I am making all things new." Biblical justice speaks of the idea of things being put back together how they should be, of "setting things right" again. God invites us to encounter his grace and to participate in his work of bringing his Kingdom, a Kingdom of justice.
We can find freedom in the understanding that God has ultimate power. We can live in freedom by trusting God's wisdom above man's. We can experience freedom in knowing that God is present with us.
In this passage, Paul declares that Jesus desires his followers to be truly free. However, he cautions, we can fall prey to the notion that there's a checklist of things we must fulfill in order to make ourselves acceptable to God. Paul urges us to recognize that this "works"-based mindset actually robs us of the freedom God intends for us. He urges us to stand firm in the truth that God's grace is enough. We can't earn it or add to it.
There are so many competing desires in our hearts, so often we try to have the best of both worlds, to experience the blessings of God and the “good things” that this world offers. The reality, however, that it is impossible to serve God and live for ourselves at the same time. In the memorable ending to the book of Joshua, we are invited to get off the fence and make a choice.
We all face battles in life—some big, some small. In the well-known story of the battle of Jericho, we find seven practical lessons for facing our battles today with fresh encouragement, wisdom, strength and hope.
In this story we will see that God is faithful to His Word and He is active today. We will see that we are invited to trust Him, to walk in obedience and to celebrate and declare the amazing things that He is doing.
So often we have a narrow view of the “sort of people” that God would invite into his plans, yet an honest reader would have to admit that the scriptures are peppered with surprises. Rahab’s narrative is one such surprise. Our boxes are broken as we encounter a lying, fearful, Canaanite prostitute stepping out in courageous faith and ultimately being included in the family of God.
We all desire abundant life but so often feel stuck, afraid, unsure or discouraged. On the cusp of entering the Promised Land, God encourages and instructs Joshua with the directives he needs for success. As we listen in, we are exhorted to move ahead and reminded to rely on God’s faithfulness, God’s word and God’s presence in our journey to freedom.
We are all on a journey. No matter what season we are in it is important to pause so we can look back (remember), consider our priorities, and look ahead to how we will choose to walk in those things.
For Jesus, there was no separation between his life and his sense of mission in God’s Kingdom. His mission was expressed in his social life in tangible ways as he avoided self-promotion, pursued relationships with those outside the “in crowd,” and continually pushed conversations deeper.
This passage helps us recognize that “crowdsourcing” our understanding of Jesus can lead us to misinterpret who he is and what he’s up to. Jesus calls us from within the crowd of our culture to truly hear him and respond to him on his own terms.
Through the story of the 12 spies, we see that moving towards God’s promises requires faith. Those who walk by faith are captivated by the opportunities, not the obstacles, and can move ahead with confidence because they trust in God.
The basic call of God on our lives can be stated simply enough: love God and love others. But what does it look like to actually live this out? In one of his most well-known parables, Jesus takes compassion out of its box and invites us to a real-life, ground-level understanding of eternal life.
God was with His people. He travelled with them and continually showed his Presence. We often think of God as being distant. We will look at thread that runs from Genesis 1 to Revelation 21 showing God's Nearness and His character to always fight for the hearts of His people. Then we'll see some practical ways His nearness shows up in the narrative of Israel in Exodus.
The story of the Golden Calf challenges us to recognize the fickleness of our hearts and the pull of our society to be those who create our own gods. But idolatry always leads further: wrong worship becomes wrong living and makes us deserving of God’s judgment. But thanks be to God, through his mercy we see the way to move forward—to confess our brokenness, receive his mercy and follow Jesus.
Do we really want to hear what God has to say? Through the story of the Ten Words (or "commandments"), we gain a clearer perspective on God’s word—his grace towards us, his desire for our continued freedom, and our desperate need for Jesus in the midst of it all.
In a series of short, bold statements, Jesus invites us to recognize that healthy relationships are to be the core concern of his followers. Maintaining and restoring health in our relationships is not for the faint of heart. It requires courageous honesty, unselfish love, and a humble dependency on God’s power.
The problem presented in this passage is it identifies our weakness/inability to satisfy the requirements of an altogether righteous and set apart God on our own. We simply can’t. If it’s up to us, boundaries must be set up, rigid practices must be imposed. Even in that, we will make promises “to do all that is commanded” only to find ourselves missing the mark time and time again. The beauty of this passage is that it sets us up to see our need for Jesus. Without Jesus, we cannot approach the mountain. Without Jesus, we cannot wash our clothes enough times to make us clean enough to fully encounter God.
Each of us has a unique calling in the Kingdom of God that involves other people. Whether formally or informally, we all lead others in some way. In this ancient story we find five practical lessons on godly leadership that can have impact for every follower of Jesus.
Every follower of Jesus who's on the path of freedom will come under Satan's attack at some point. When this occurs, we must withstand the enemy's advances.
Gathering to worship is an important aspect of how we follow Jesus together as a community of faith. This passage invites us to consider some important truths about how we approach God in worship. We are reminded that true worship is active, focused on the Lord, and responsive to God's voice.
Why would a follower of Jesus experience difficult times? Is it a sign we’ve done something wrong or need to change something in our lives? This short story from Exodus challenges us with the truth that God intentionally allows us to go through difficult times so we can receive his provision and grow to trust him more.
Many many times throughout the narrative of Moses and the people of Israel, we’ve been able to easily point to the ways that Jesus is our rescuer. Over and over and over again we’ve been able to see that the story of Moses and the people of Israel point to the fullness of Christ! I want us today to be able to look very specifically and intently at the person of Jesus Christ, to consider carefully who He is as our rescuer, to see how He was able to come and fulfill all that God promised through Moses and how in fact, He is the better Moses.
A month after their Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites once again find something to complain about: the lack of food in the desert. In response to their grumbling, God provides manna, the miracle “bread from heaven” that meets their physical need and points to the future full provision of God through Jesus.
Our tendency is to fill our minds and spend our lives with things that do not last. But if want to grow towards maturity in God, we’ve got to think about the stuff of eternity. When we do, we gain an increasingly clear understanding of God’s mercies and we invite Jesus’ renewing power into our everyday lives.
The story of Simeon and Anna is a beautiful picture of the way that God’s words bring life in the context of community. When young and old, male and female, rich and poor, come together to listen to God and share his words with others, hope emerges into our circumstances as God reveals Jesus to us in a fresh way.
The way the Christmas story "went down" (poverty, no room in the inn, manger crib, smelly shepherds, etc.) often makes us feel that we should have done a better job receiving the King of Kings into our midst. Shouldn't we have prepared a luxurious palace with servants and decor fit for royalty? What if, instead, the Son of God arrived in precisely the way God intended to teach us that real life is not about the "extras"?
Despite his mature faith and old age, Zechariah struggles to believe God when a miracle is promised, and he enters a time of discipline. God uses this time of forced, quiet reflection to grow him deeper in his maturity. When the time is finished Zechariah overflows with a song of praise that impacts his neighbours with the hope of the coming “Sunrise” of God.
Mary is given some very unexpected news - news that wasn't exactly all good news for her in her circumstance. Yet she was humble and invited God to do His will in her life. Her posture of humility allowed her to trust God, even though she didn't understand and allowed her to praise Him, even in extremely unexpected circumstances.
No matter now deep the darkness in our lives or in the world around us, God’s light has power to break in and bring joy, freedom and peace. This is a real and tangible hope that we cannot achieve on our own and we should not keep to ourselves.
Jesus famously called his disciples to a new life by saying, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” and within six months he sent them ahead in pairs to invite people into the Kingdom. Often we feel we don’t have the maturity, intelligence, or courage to speak in a way that God could use, but Paul encourages us to realize that we already have all the resources we need to receive Jesus and share the good news with others.
Often we are slow to praise God when life is good, and reluctant to praise when life is difficult. In the scene just following God’s decisive Red Sea victory, we see what it looks like to turn good moments into praise and difficult moments into opportunities for deeper relationship with God.
You are KNOWN and LOVED by Jesus. His Love for you is not a tool for the journey, it is the point of the journey.
The well-known story of the Red Sea crossing speaks powerfully into our own "holy detours" that we encounter on the journey to freedom. With multiple layers of practical wisdom, this ancient story lays out for us what to expect and how to walk when God invites us onto a longer and more crooked path than we'd choose for ourselves.
The story of deliverance wasn't meant to be a one-time event, a flash in the pan, or merely something that happened in the past. Rather, God intended it to be an ongoing, living reality—a shared experience that would define the community's shared identity from generation to generation. This message explores the implications of this truth for ancient Israel and for us today.
Paul encourages us to invest our money like seeds according to the "principle of blessings." Farmers don't expect a loss--they expect a harvest, and so should we. Not a harvest of more money to spend on our personal wants, but a harvest of spiritual fruit--enriched relationships with God, meeting practical needs, and the growth of the Kingdom beyond us.
The Israelite's exodus from Egypt is an ancient foreshadowing of God’s provision for our salvation and freedom through Jesus Christ. In this passage, Israel is actually delivered from Pharaoh's hand. Just before they leave, the story pauses for God to prepare them to tell and live the story for generations to come.
The ten plagues tell the story of an epic showdown between the forces of good and evil. The journey to freedom is a process that can be lengthy and difficult. Although God has paid for and promised our freedom, victory doesn't come instantly. The key to moving forward with God towards freedom is humility.
God is doing something around us and he invites us to be a part of it. Even if we don’t feel like we have what it takes to participate with Him, when he invites, he equips and provides. And when obstacles come, and surely they will, we can lean in and persevere, knowing his Presence is with us.
As we pursue maturity in Jesus together, the first Psalm invites us to recognize the power of the influences we allow into our lives. Carelessly allowing the council of the ungodly into our lives can lead us down a path where we get stuck. True freedom comes as we learn to delight in God's instruction and, moment by moment, seek to apply it in our lives. A growing relationship with Jesus is the only path to true blessing and prosperity in the ups and downs of life.
Throughout history, God has shown himself to be faithful to his promises. Yet we each live in a broken world and experience oppression. As he works for our deliverance behind the scenes, we are called pray, to fear him and to walk with him on this journey to freedom.
Community is the non-negotiable context of growth—where we can move towards maturity as we authentically invite God and good people into our lives.