On Sunday we are starting a brand new series here at church called Strong Start. We are going to be looking at how can we start off the year well? How can we have a strong start to this year? So often we get behind and struggle we want to look at 4 areas that we can invest in to have the best year possible. We are going to be starting with looking at faith on Sunday. Then we’ll be moving on to friendships, family, and finances. Hope you can join us!
Tag: jesus
I’M ON FIRE!! Now what? Guest Post: Carter Whyte
This past Sunday we talked about what to do in response to when we are thriving in our relationship with God. Oftentimes, we look at the Bible and learn from God what we are to do when we are not doing well, or when things are not going so well. But this past Sunday we took a moment to think:
What were the really exciting moments in my walk with God in 2015?
When was I following God well? Thriving with Him?
The Bible has something to say to us when we reflect on these exciting experiences!
We learn from Paul’s example in Philippians 1:3-11, that moments of thriving with God are opportunities to express thanks, encourage, and re-engage.
We express thanks to God, because when we are thriving, He is working! Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit as our Helper, and we need to give God credit for His help in making us more like Jesus.
Paul also shows us that it is important to encourage one another when we are working hard in serving God. Don’t you find that honest encouragement from someone is refreshing and energizing? Paul encourages the Philippians, and we ought to encourage those around us for their hard work. God supplies what’s needed, but we still have to do our part – don’t forget that, and don’t withhold encouragement from others.
Finally, Paul finishes this passage, praying for the Philippians, that God might grant them greater growth in love – a love that is thoughtful, wise, and action-oriented. Let us be express our excitement when we are being faithful! But don’t forget: there is always more room to grow. And as we pray, and pursue further growth in love, we will grow to become more like Jesus than we are now.
As you consider moments in your 2015 when you were thriving with God – and even as you come to experience more exciting moments following Him in the future – how can you implement what the Bible says into your life?
Respond by expressing your excitement as praise to God! Refresh those around you with encouragement for their hard work. And after a short time of thanks and encouragement, get back on the path of growth, towards becoming more like Jesus.
May your exciting times of thriving with God be to you as a pit stop: a time to celebrate, be re-fueled, and drive better now than ever before in your adventure serving God!
Take time to share with someone this week about moments in your 2015 when you were thriving and excited in your walk with Jesus!
Big Idea: Moments when we are thriving with God are opportunities to express thanks to God, encourage each other, and re-engage in pursuing love.
Teaching Points:
– Think about moments you had following God in 2015 that excited you!
– What do we do when we feel like we are thriving with God?
– God started this successful project in your life, and God is the one who will finish this project.
– We must express thanks to God for how far we have come!
– Yet, don’t ignore the fact that we had to work hard.
– God supplies needs – but we still have to work hard.
– Encourage each other for working hard!
– There is no reason to keep from someone the refreshment that you could have given them through encouragement.
– Re-engage in pursuing further growth in love
– Re-engagement is important, because the day of Christ is coming
– Our end goal is to be faithful to Christ until the end – our death or his return
– Our continued pursuit of love really matters, so keep going!
Adult Discussion Questions:
What moments in 2015 were exciting in how you were following God and He was moving? Do you struggle with giving God the glory when you are doing well? What can you remind yourself of to remember that God deserves all the credit? Who in your life can you encourage this week for their faithfulness to God, and how that may have impacted you? What is the best kind of encouragement you like to receive in these times? How can you take time this week to celebrate moments of thriving, and also push forward towards further growth in thoughtful, wise, active love?
Discussion Questions/ Responses for Young Families
Take time this week after one of your meals together, to share with each other a story from your own life of following God and God being faithful. Give specific encouragement to each other for the hard work, and the faithfulness that each of you may have put in to serving God.
Challenge for the Week: Share with someone a story of when you were thriving with God in 2015.
Christmas at the Movies: Charlie Brown and Gathering and Gratefulness
On Sunday we began by watching a clip of Charlie Brown’s Christmas. This is where Linus tells Charlie brown what Christmas is about. And I think for every Christian there isn’t a real disagreement that Christmas is about Jesus. But how this plays out in our lives there is a lot of diversity, and I think some wasted energy.
So on Sunday I wanted to clearly explain what I think Christmas being about Jesus means. And to do this we thought about what the actual first Christmas was like.
Most likely the first Christmas was full of some anxiety, some stress, mess, and transcendent joy. This is because every birth I’ve been at part of it had some anxiety, stress, mess, and transcendent joy. As a Dad I was quite terrified by everything with the birth of our first son, and this is at a hospital with loads of medical professionals. I couldn’t imagine what Joseph must have been feeling, and the stress to not harm the Son of God as a baby.
But what I’ve also known is that amidst the worry, stress, and excitement there comes a moment of transcendent joy when you hold the newborn baby in your arms. And what has happened in every instance after this, in our world, is that family and friends come over, bring food, and gifts and we celebrate the gift of new life.
And as I was reading the Christmas story, something new hit me. I always thought of how the shepherds and Magi showing up are displays of God’s glory and power. Now though, I see them maybe more of displays of the humanity that God tenderly cares for.
Mary and Joseph were alone without anyone to share the birth with, and God sends shepherds to rejoice with, and Magi to worship and give gifts. And it struck me: the very first thing Jesus did was gather people together to express gratefulness and gratitude at the gift of life.
Before Jesus did any healings, miracles, teaching, or dying and rising again – his very first act is to bring people together to celebrate and be grateful. Because of Jesus’ birth Mary, Joseph, Magi, and Shepherds are drawn together to celebrate and be grateful for the gift of life in their hands.
This is what happened on the very first Christmas, and I think it needs to ground what we believe Christmas is about. Christmas is about gathering together to be grateful for the gifts of life God has given us. When we say Christmas is about Jesus, that’s true. But I wish we would understand how part of what the truth is, is to actually do is to cause us to gather with family and friends with grateful hearts and celebration.
Christmas, if it is about anything, is certainly not about boycotting, arguing, or debating. Christmas is about gathering and celebrating. Christmas is about sharing in the gift of life that is given to us. Christmas is about gathering and being grateful.
So that was the main point on Sunday; Christmas is about gathering and begin grateful. And then we closed with actually practicing this. We gathered for a Christmas meal and shared things we were grateful for. And I think that’s a good practice to do this Christmas.
Sermon Notes:
Big Idea: Christmas is a time to gather and be grateful.
Teaching Points:
- Christmas is about Jesus.
- What is central to Christmas?
- We have a sanitized picture of the birth of Jesus
- God sends people to celebrate and appreciate the new birth
- Jesus’ birth directly caused people to gather, be grateful, and celebrate
- Jesus gathered together diverse people, to appreciate the gifts given to them
- The story isn’t just about what happened back then but what should happen today.
- We should gather friends and family together, and practice being grateful for the gifts God has given us.
Adult Discussion Questions:
What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? What was new? What was funny? What can you be grateful for this Christmas? How has God given you life, strength, hope, or something tangible in the past year? Who can you share your gratefulness with?
Discussion Questions / Responses for Young Families
Today it’s simple – ask your kids what they are most grateful for in life. But beforehand help them to learn the right example by sharing what you appreciate and are grateful for about them.
Challenge for the Week: Gather with people and be grateful
The Meaning of Christmas
On Sunday we are looking at what the meaning of Christmas is. And while I think at first glance that seems pretty clear – it’s about Jesus. I’m not so sure we know how that actually applies to what we live, and what we do.
Lots of Christians around Christmas debate how the meaning of Christmas is Jesus. For some this means fighting consumerism, for others it means being able to say “Merry Christmas”, not “Happy Holidays”, or there are lots of other debates going on.
So while every Christian would agree, that Christmas is about Jesus, what that practically and actually means is quite different depending on what Christian you talk with.
So that’s what I want to clear up on Sunday. I want to clear up what Christmas being about Jesus really means practically for our lives. What we should positively be doing if that statement is true. And it’s something simple, it’s something practical, and like the best simple and practical things – it’s absolutely transformational.
Christmas at the Movies: Grief, John Candy, Christmas, and Hospitality
So on Sunday we opened up a bit of a difficult topic, but a needed one: grief at Christmas.
The truth is that for some people who have experienced loss, whose families are in shambles, or who struggle with debt, Christmas is a really difficult time. While others are celebrating they are seeking to hold it together. And it’s not honestly a topic many people even acknowledge. And this makes it even worse for those who are hurting the feel worse than being ignored, they feel non-existent.
But here is the thing: the first Christmas was coupled with grief too. There is the story in Matthew of violence, and killing initiated by Herod. So the very first Christmas also had times of intense joy for some, and times of intense sadness. But we tend to ignore this part of the story. But if we ignore this part of the story, we tend to ignore those around us with that story. If we don’t acknowledge that the first Christmas had difficulty we don’t acknowledge those with difficult in this Christmas.
So we landed on this main point on Sunday. We cannot ignore the hurting during Christmas. We cannot ignore those struggling with loss, hurt, broken relationships, or deep debt and need. when we ignore the darkness of life, we end up ignoring people trapped in it. But nothing could be further from the meaning of Christmas. Jesus entered the world as light, to bring hope to those in the dark. And we need to do the same.
So we challenged people to actually be like Neal in the end of the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Neal notices that Dell has been hiding his hurt. But he doesn’t ignore him, but invites him into his home and his life – carrying his baggage both metaphorically and literally.
The point isn’t that we lessen the joy we find around Christmas if we are doing well. The point is to invite those struggling into our joy at Christmas. So we closed with this challenge. Reach out to someone this week for whom Christmas might be difficult. Because that’s what Christmas is about, going out to those who are in the dark and hurting and bringing light and love. That’s what Jesus did when he entered our world, may we do that and enter the world’s of those around us.
Sermon Notes:
Big Idea: We can’t ignore the hurting during Christmas.
Teaching Points:
- Christmas isn’t easy for everyone.
- The Christmas story has both Light, and beauty, and transcendence and also death, difficulty, darkness, and grief.
- We, as a culture, avoid grief, death, and difficulty.
- We can’t forget the darkness and hurt in the story.
- When we ignore the darkness of life, we end up ignoring people trapped in it.
- We can’t ignore the hurting because Jesus didn’t ignore these people.
Adult Discussion Questions:
What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? What was new? How do we tend to ignore those with struggles in our culture? How can we support those who are struggling? Are there those that you know that you can support? What can you do to “carry their baggage” into your home like Neal?
Discussion Questions / Responses for Young Families
This week talk to your kids about supporting others during Christmas. Ask them if there is anyone you, as a family should support? Kids often have greater eyes to see this than we might.
Challenge for the Week: Reach out to someone this week for whom Christmas might be difficult.
A Difficult Christmas
On Sunday we are opening up a bit of a difficult topic. We are actually going to talk about grief. I know not a normal “Christmas” topic. But here is the truth, Christmas can be really difficult for some people. And Christmas is also about hospitality, and welcoming others.
So on Sunday I want to talk about how to welcome, include, and gather those who are hurting. A few weeks ago I talked about fully entering into the joy of Christmas. On Sunday I want to take the flip-side and look at welcoming those who are struggling. And to do this I want to watch one of my favorite movies. Well not the whole thing, but a significant portion of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
So that’s where we are going on Sunday, but before we get there, why not spend sometime thinking if there are those who are hurting who you can reach out to this Christmas. Because one of the biggest things we will learn from the movie, is the power of noticing a need.
Christmas at the Movies: Elf, and No Ordinary Baby
[Guest Post Carter Whyte Pastoral Intern]
Last Sunday we learned something crucial about Jesus from Matthew 2:1-12, and in viewing the movie Elf. Buddy the elf was no ordinary guy – he didn’t look like one, act like one, or burp like one. He was truly something special – different than the average church-go-er, for sure! And as we learned on Sunday: In a similar way, Jesus is not just a good man, a great example, or a spiritual friend; He is more than we often treat him to be. Jesus is the eternal and universal King. In Matthew 2:1-12 we see that King Herod and the wise men all treat Jesus like a King: Herod sees him as a threat and tries to kills him; whereas the wise men travelled a far distance in search for Jesus, so that even as a baby they might worship him. A King deserves a king-sized response – a response worthy of a king.
When we forget that Jesus is King, it is hard – if not impossible – to live the Christian life that is modeled for us in the New Testament. The men and women that we read about there speak and live in great confidence and humility: walking into unknown places and threatening situations to share the good news of Jesus, displaying his power, and seeking God’s glory in it all. They lived with great faith and hope because they knew that Jesus was King over all – fully able, fully sovereign, and fully active.
We might not often think of Jesus as being King, but we do often refer to him as “Lord”. We might call him “Lord, Jesus…” in our prayers, or quote verses like Romans 10:9, which says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Though we use the title “Lord” to refer to Jesus, perhaps we forget what that means! And essentially, it means he is King – He owns the place and he makes the rules.
Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” All authority. That’s a lot of authority… in fact, there is nothing left to be distributed between Satan, earthly kings, or us. Jesus has it all.
And this can be the most amazing news we could hear! Jesus has the power to judge, and to forgive. He has the power to create and to destroy; to teach and to correct; to strengthen and to weaken; and he will not be overthrown. We can walk with Jesus into darkness, difficulty and death, and none of these things can separate us from him because he is still and always our King – through death, and eternal life.
In our daily walk, do we have a vision of Jesus that is too small? Or is it king-sized?
Do we tell our neighbours about Jesus the good example? Or boast about knowing and being loved by Jesus the King?
Let’s allow our lives to be impacted by this biblical truth. I think it will dramatically change the way we live our lives and share Jesus with others.
Teaching Points:
- Why was Herod so afraid of Jesus?
- Why did the wise men sacrifice so much for Jesus?
- A: Because Jesus is King!
- Being King means: He owns the place and he makes the rules
- Jesus is more than a good man or a great example
- “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
- A King deserves a king-sized response
- Jesus deserves our eager obedience, our complete allegiance, and our costly worship.
- We can have an incredible life as we serve and trust him because JESUS IS KING.
Adult Discussion Questions:
What are your initial feelings when you hear that Jesus is King today? Do you have any difficulty believing that? How have you experienced his power and Kingship in your life? How do you think you ought to respond to the King with how you live? How do you anticipate this idea – that Jesus is King – affecting your daily journey with him – or the way you share the gospel with others?
Family Discussion Questions:
Share with each other the difficulties and problems that you are facing currently. Remind each other that Jesus is the King – no matter what goes on in our lives. Ask: What hope can we have in our King no matter what the circumstance?
Poetry for the Darkness
Wilderness Prayer:
I am not asking you
To take this wilderness from me,
To remove this place of starkness
Where I come to know
the wildness within me,
where I learn to call the names
of the ravenous beasts
that pace inside me
to finger the brambles
that snake through my veins,
to taste the thirst
that tugs at my tongue
But send me
Tough angels,
Sweet wine,
Strong bread:
Just enough.
- Jan L. Richardson
Christmas at the Movies: Home Alone and Hilarity
GUEST POST: Pastoral Intern Carter Whyte
This week we began our “Christmas at the Movies” series – using classic Christmas movies to help shed new light on Jesus’ coming to earth. The enjoyable viewing of Home Alone served two purposes for this first message in the series: it taught us about our forgetfulness, and it forced us to put the message into action by having fun.
Just like Kevin’s parents forgot him at home when they went away for Christmas, oftentimes Christians forget something very important when we enter this holiday season: Joy!
We read in Luke 2 that when an angel announced Jesus’ birth to nearby shepherds, the angel proclaimed, “I bring you good news that will be great joy to all people.”
How often do we celebrate because of Jesus?
Sometimes Christians become fun-suckers, boring, and somber. We may try to rationalize these attitudes by saying that being serious and focused are important because we have a mission to complete and our days are numbered. But think: If the good news is supposed to bring joy into our lives, can we possibly spread the message of this good news without bringing joy along?
We know that joy is good! Laughter refreshes us! Doing fun things relieves us of the worries we have been carrying around! None of us want to go to work every day when there is absolutely nothing pleasurable about it.
There is a time for sorrow, and mourning, and self-reflection. But there is also a time for joy, and shouting, and self-expression! And Christmas is that kind of time!
Christian maturity should lead to more joy, as a result of a deeper connection with the Spirit that produces joy, and the Jesus that brings joy to the world! So let’s be mature this Christmas and let our lives be filled with joy because of Jesus.
- With still a few weeks until Christmas, why not consider adding in some extra celebrations with your family and the people around you?
- Invite people from work over to have a fondue dinner!
- Do something new and exciting with your spouse!
- Add something new to a traditional Christmas dinner – invite your family into a sing-along, or invite somebody new along! (Or write a poem!)
- Join in with your kids when they are silly, or build a gingerbread house with them this Sunday for the competition in Plattsville!
Don’t forget to have joy and spread joy to others this Christmas!
Sermon Notes:
Big Idea: Don’t forget to bring joy with you this Christmas.
Teaching Points:
- Sometimes it’s easy to forget the most important things
- “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people”
- God is about Joy, and the instigator of Joy
- You don’t win points by being more conservative than God
- Don’t forget to have fun this Christmas.
Adult Discussion Questions:
What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? What was new? What was funny? When have you forgotten something important? What brings you joy at Christmas? How can you spread joy? How can you have fun? What can you do today to bring joy to your family?
Discussion Questions / Responses for Young Families
Ask your kids what is most fun thing to do at Christmas. Then go do it.
Challenge for the Week: To go have fun!
The Book that Almost Wasn’t: Prayer, Healing and Revival – James 5
On Sunday we opened up a favourite passage of mine in James 5. In James 5:13-18 we read this:
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
And here James shares with us some incredibly practical advice about prayer, healing, and sickness. James calls us all to pray if we are hurting, or in joy, that prayer should be our response (verse 13). And then he gives some incredibly practical advice – if you are sick you should call in the elders.
The truth is that sickness has a tendency to isolate and to separate and James knows that in sickness we need others. So he says invite the elders in to pray, anoint, and support someone who is sick. This is because in sickness it can be so difficult at times to pray, so he says rely on the prayers of others. Be anointed a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and it was also thought to be medicinal. So pray for healing, and don’t shy away from those in the healing profession and medicine for help as well.
James says bring in supports to care, love, pray, and anoint and to find God willing to heal.
We also looked at the importance of confession, of the phrase the “name of the Lord” and a few others things. But most importantly, we landed not on more teaching about prayer, or about how to pray. We landed on whether or not we trust in prayer.
Because the truth is, if we know all about it, and even if I challenge people to practice it – if we don’t trust in prayer and in God, it won’t make a difference. So I asked us all to consider this question, “Do you trust in prayer and God to use prayer”. In spite of all the questions, the suffering we see, all the legitimate doubts and difficulties – do you trust in prayer?
Because I believe that prayer is worth trusting in. I believe that prayer actually changes the world. I believe that even in spite of the doubts I have at times, like anyone, that prayer matters.
So we ended with a challenge to prayer, and then ended the service with the only way that seemed appropriate. We invited people forward for prayer. And today if you are struggling in any way, I think today is the day to invite people in your life to pray. Because prayer matters, and prayer changes lives.
Sermon Notes:
Big Idea: Pray. Pray. Pray.
Teaching Points:
- No profound theologian, James’ genius lies in his profound moral earnestness; in his powerfully simple call for repentance for action, and for a consistent Christian lifestyle. Douglass Moo
- Wherever we are at in life prayer is to be part of our life.
- Sickness has a way of separating us.
- Oil was medicinal and a symbol of the Holy Spirit and God’s consecrating.
- To pray in the name of the Lord is to pray and act as his representative and in his authority.
- Do you trust in prayer?
- It is God who is the healer.
- Pray. Pray. Pray.
Adult Discussion Questions:
What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? What was new? What is your view of prayer? When have you seen a prayer answered? What are your questions concerning prayer? Who do you know that needs prayer and support? Who can you confess your sins to? Are you willing to?
Discussion Questions for Young Families
Talk to your kids today about the power of prayer. Ask them what they think prayer is? Ask them who they should be praying for – and then spend time in prayer with them.
Challenge for the Week: To trust in the power of prayer.
{ Andrew Mills } 