Most people don’t advertise their past unless there’s something remarkable about it. And if there are skeletons in the closet, we certainly don’t want them to get out. But Matthew begins his presentation of the Christmas story with a stunning family tree that deepens our understanding of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish. This message examines how Jesus fulfills the promises to Abraham and David and has the grace to transform those whom the world would hide and exclude.
When people claim to speak for God or someone brings us a word from the Lord, how are we to respond? Is there anything we can do to evaluate whether it’s truly God speaking? Or should we just be more open and not quench the Holy Spirit? This message looks at Paul’s instructions for evaluating prophets and prophecy.
Through the internet and the ease of international travel, we’re closer to one another than we’ve ever been. And yet, at the same time, we’re experiencing more and more division. It’s ironic that one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments, the Great Wall of China, is a barrier designed to separate people. And whether in politics, religion, morality or race, we see growing tensions more than we do the reduction of them. This message looks at what God is doing to heal our divisions. And in so doing, it digs into a passage that teaches us about the role of apostles and prophets in God’s plan for the world.
Discerning God’s will can be difficult. And even when God speaks, the voice of comfort can drown Him out. Today’s message looks at a prophet who declared God’s will to the apostle Paul and how the people around him struggled to accept it. It helps us to understand the nature of New Testament prophecy and how we can discern and pursue the will of God.
The Day of Pentecost saw the birth of the church and the transformation of God’s people by the Holy Spirit. But it was a strange event. Luke records rushing wind and fire and the onlookers wondered whether the disciples were drunk. This message looks at what we can learn from what happened at Pentecost.
Today, people claim to get messages from the Lord. People will share things as if God is speaking through them. What do you do when someone gives you a prophecy? Is there a way of discerning whether the message is really from God? Today, we begin a series on prophecy by looking at some ground rules Moses laid down for discerning and dealing with prophets and prophecy.
We live in a time where good news is rare. The timeless gospel message is good news. Christians sometimes forget how good the good news really is. How do we best share this good news in an age of spiritual barrenness? We’ll investigate an Old Testament story to learn pointers on how to extend a kind of love that “stoops.”
Productivity experts tell us to begin with the end in mind. But as we consider the kind of legacy we hope to leave behind, many of the things that we worry about will matter very little. And other things will take on a totally different significance. This message looks at the end of a great king’s life and considers what we can learn from what was remembered and what wasn’t remembered about him.
We often make cost benefit calculations about our obedience to God. We say things like, “I don’t think it’ll make that much difference anyway,” or “I did everything God wanted and it still didn’t work out.” This message looks at a person who was extraordinarily faithful and yet it didn’t seem to ‘work.’ It didn’t seem to change much. His life challenges us to reconsider why we do what we do.
Many people ‘like Jesus’ and believe in Him, to an extent. But they never seem to make any progress in following Jesus into the life that He calls us to. This message looks at a pivotal event in the revival that took place under King Josiah and the steps we need to take to avoid straddling the fence in our relationship with God.
Most people have a sense that they need something for God to revive them. But it’s just not clear what that something is. Today’s passage looks at the heart of a revival that began under a king named Josiah. From him we learn that it’s the impact of God’s Word, and in particular the attitude with which we respond to it, that brings the grace that we need to see God’s revival in our lives.
Is there a connection between the faith of the people and the condition of the church building where they worship? What value should the church place on its buildings? Should we just worry about the people and forget about the bricks? This message looks at the place of buildings in the plan of God and the revival of His people and corrects the misconceptions people have both sides of this topic.
People often wait until they hit rock bottom before they change. But at that point, the loss is great and some of the damage irreversible. This message looks at a group of people who were desperate enough to start over and some of the things that helped them when it seemed that there was no way forward.
We’d all love to attend the perfect church, but it’s hard to find one. Is there anything that regular people like you and me can do to make the church all that it can be? This message looks at how average Christians can partner with God in making the church extraordinary
The Centurion was generally hated by the Jewish people. He was a professional soldier who is said to love the God of Israel and the Jewish people. He built a synagogue in Capernaum with his own resources because of that love. The leaders of the Jewish people overcame their prejudice because of his faith in the God of Israel.
It seems that every few years, another person is making another prediction about the end of the world or the return of Jesus. What does the Bible really teach about Jesus’ return and why is there so much confusion? This message looks at what God wants us to know about the end and how to prepare for it.
The death of a loved one is one of life’s most painful experiences. And facing the reality of our own mortality can bring out fears and concerns. But the Bible declares a certain hope rooted in Jesus’ own death and resurrection. This message looks at the Christian hope and clears up confusion about Jesus’ return and popular theories about the rapture.
It’s been said that most cultures and religions either deify sex or demonize it. Sex is either seen as a god or a taboo. But the Bible sees it as neither. Instead, it places it within a framework of sacrificial love, modeled by God Himself. This message looks at love as God designed it and helps bring God into focus in our relationships.
Canadians are fiercely private. Individualism reigns. But Christian fellowship is one of the primary means God has given for our growth. This message looks at what fellowship can accomplish in our lives and how we can overcome the obstacles that keep us from it.
