Welcome to our Sunday morning service from Willow Park Church Creekside in Lake Country! This message was given by guest speaker Chris Wiens. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church Creekside. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH CREEKSIDE HERE AT: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkcreekside • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpcreekside • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/creekside #willowparkchurchcreekside

"David's relentless pursuit of God’s presence tells us something important. The battle is tough, but the blessing on the other side is worth it." Part of our Ascend series. This message was given by Pastor Glen Madden. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown #willowparkchurchdowntown

This message was given by Pastor Phil Collins. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com #willowparkchurch

"If you’re chasing after everything this world says you need but still feeling empty. The secret isn’t in the more—it’s in the less. Discover how to quiet your heart, let go of control, and find the unshakable peace that only comes from being anchored in Jesus." This message was given by Pastor Glen Madden. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown #willowparkchurchdowntown

The fourth and final part of our "On Your Mark" series. This message was given by Pastor Zac Pearson. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com #willowparkchurch

"A brief telling of how Jesus has walked with me through guilt, shame, and despair opening my heart to his unconditional love." This message was given by Morley Cruikshank. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church Creekside. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH CREEKSIDE HERE AT: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkcreekside • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpcreekside • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/creekside #willowparkchurchcreekside

This message was given by guest speaker our Keanan Sundberg. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown #willowparkchurchdowntown

The third and final instalment of our "On Your Mark" series. This message was given by our guest speaker Lorne Pearson. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com #willowparkchurch

This the final part of our "Jesus Wins" series. This message was given by Pastor Jeremy. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church Creekside. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH CREEKSIDE HERE AT: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkcreekside • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpcreekside • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/creekside #willowparkchurchcreekside

"Discover the countercultural secret to a truly blessed life. In this talk, Pastor Glen explores Psalm 128 and lessons from the life of David, sharing how to find peace, purpose, and lasting joy by waiting well." Part 9 of our "Ascend" series. This message was given by Pastor Glen. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown #willowparkchurchdowntown

Reflection Questions: 1. What are you really eating spiritually? Milk or solid food? 2. Where is God calling you to grow? Ask Him what actions, disciplines, and relationships are helping or will help you grow? Then do them! 3. Ask God and yourself: a) Am I a server or a servant? b) What have I done today that I didn’t do for me? Part 2 of our "On Your Mark" series. This Message was delivered by our guest speaker Pastor Lorne. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com #willowparkchurch

"As we look at Revelation 17-19 we see what happens to a kingdom that is built on deceit, lies and that has already fallen." This message was given by Pastor Jeremy. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church Creekside. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH CREEKSIDE HERE AT: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkcreekside • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpcreekside • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/creekside #willowparkchurchcreekside

"Discover the true value of life beyond material wealth with insights from Psalm 127 and Solomon's wisdom. Learn why a robust inner life is crucial for lasting significance and how it profoundly impacts you and the nurturing of your children." This message was given by Pastor Glen. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown #willowparkchurchdowntown

Our guest speaker for this message was Pastor Lorne. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com #willowparkchurch

"A pilgrimage is not a vacation, it’s a last-ditch effort to get life back on track after an experience of failure. We have all had times when we have failed at something in life, but we have not all been equipped to deal with the wounds of failure. In Psalm 123 the writer gives us a clear remedy for the painful failures in our life. Through the gift of mercy, we discover that vision and purpose treat our woundedness far better than personal success or triumph." This message was given by Pastor Nick. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church Creekside. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH CREEKSIDE HERE AT: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkcreekside • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpcreekside • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/creekside #willowparkchurchcreekside

"For the Jesus follower, we are promised that joy is inevitable. But, what about those times when you feel forgotten, alone and perhaps even let down by God?" This message was given by Pastor Glen as part of our "Ascend" series. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown #willowparkchurchdowntown

This weekend we heard a message from our guest speaker Dr. Michael Pawelke, president of Briercrest College and Seminary. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com #willowparkchurch

"In Revelation 15-16 we are going to look at the only path that finds its way to eternal life and see Jesus final ruling against the Dragon. As the tension of these two kingdoms continue today we are challenged with the Beatitudes" This message was given by Pastor Jeremy as part of our "Jesus Wins" series. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church Creekside. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH CREEKSIDE HERE AT: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkcreekside • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpcreekside • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/creekside

"Using practical steps to anchor our lives in God’s unwavering presence, learn how to live a life that can withstand anything - learn how to live with immovable faith." This message was given by Pastor Glen as part of our "Ascend" series. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH DOWNTOWN HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wpdowntown • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wpdowntown • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com/downtown

"This week we read Revelation 13:11-18 and explore three ways this passage is often read." This message was given by Pastor Phil as part of our "Jesus Wins" series. Like, comment and subscribe to stay updated with the latest content from Willow Park Church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy In this sermon we will look at Revelation 14 and will be challenged to “Re-evaluate”, to look into our lives and ask the question, “In what ways in my personal life that I am being lead by the world or by the Gospel of Jesus.” 

Part of our Ascend series Pastor Nick "A pilgrimage is not a vacation, it’s a last-ditch effort to get life back on track after an experience of failure. We have all had times when we have failed at something in life, but we have not all been equipped to deal with the wounds of failure. In Psalm 123 the writer gives us a clear remedy for the painful failures in our life. Through the gift of mercy, we discover that vision and purpose treat our woundedness far better than personal success or triumph."

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil Revelation 13

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Part of our Ascend series Pastor Jenny "Sometimes we struggle to receive a gift with thankfulness because either the gift doesn’t seem good enough or we don’t feel worthy enough for it. Psalm 124 shows us how to look back on our life, identify the moments God helped us, and mark the trail with gratitude. As we follow Jesus, however, we are called to go beyond “hindsight thanks” and practice looking up with gratitude from the middle of what we’re walking through - whether what we experience feels good or difficult. Both of these practices can be challenging and self-giving, but both also promise freedom and joy as we notice Jesus' presence in our midst and allow him to bring redemptive life and perspective out of whatever we have walked or are walking through."

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Pastor Jeremy

Guest Speaker: Ryan Rainville

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Part of our Ascend series Pastor Glen "In today's message, Pastor Glen draws from the Psalms of Ascent (psalms 120-134) to illustrate the ongoing Journey called "life".  Like pilgrims preparing for a gradual journey to Jerusalem, we must pack wisely for our spiritual pilgrimage, understanding that what we take with us impacts every aspect of our lives."

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen "The Bible talks about us living forever on a new earth, not as angels in a distant heavenly kingdom. Revelation 21 - 22 reveals this new heaven and earth - an eternal promise for those who love Jesus. God living with us. No death, sickness, sin, pain or tears. Everything made new -  joy and life to the full. What an epic vision of our future with God!"

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen "A surprising hero and the ultimate battle between good and evil."

Guest Speaker: Bill Hogg

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jenny

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen "Explore the challenge of living a christian life amidst modern-day temptations. Understand the seduction of Babylon and discover practical steps for maintaining faithfulness and radical holiness"

This message was given by Lorne Pearson

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Pastor Phil Part of our Jesus Wins series

Pastor Glen Part of our Jesus Wins series "Revelation 14 confronts us with a choice that has enormous consequences for our lives. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be disrupters—active in faith—raising a banner that gives hope to those who could ultimately face God's judgement. Will we rally?"

Part of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Pastor Nick Part of our Jesus Wins series

Pastor Phil Part of our Jesus Wins series

Pastor Jeremy Part of our Jesus Wins series

Part 10 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen Explore the cosmic drama of Revelation 12 where a celestial battle unfolds between good and evil. A woman adorned with the sun gives birth to a child destined to rule all nations, threatened by a ferocious dragon. This is the nativity story - the epic tale of Jesus' birth igniting a war with Satan, illustrating the profound spiritual warfare surrounding us. Delve into the true intensity of being part of God's kingdom narrative as we follow our King Jesus.

Pastor Jeremy Part of our Jesus Wins series

Part 9 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen Our everyday cultural symbols, language and practices subtly acknowledge another realm - a spiritual realm. At the same time, the idea of there being a devil, hell and a spiritual war is dismissed as a myth. In Revelation 8-11, there is an unveiling of the spiritual realm's reality - Satan, demons, bottomless pit and then... judgment comes. How should we live our lives in response?

Part 8 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part 8 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen We live in uncertain times! Recent research shows that the levels of anxiety, fear and isolation are at all-time highs. Where do we turn? IS what we are doing working? What does Revelation reveal to us, and how do we respond to what God is saying? There is hope in the promise!

Part 7 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Pastor Glen

Pastor Phil

Part 6 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Doug Wiebe

Part 7 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen Explore the glorious chapter of Revelation 4 that paints a beautiful picture of God's throne and its impact on our everyday perspective.

Part 6 of our Jesus Wins series Keanan Sundberg

Part 4 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Part 5 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Part 3 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Jeremy

Part 5 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Glen "Jesus explains how lukewarm faith makes his stomach turn and then shows us the answer. Jesus calls us to pursue zeal, repent, and, as a result, experience a life-transforming relationship with Him. It's time to awaken to more than the mundane."

Part 4 of our Jesus Wins series Pastor Phil

Jesus Wins Part 2 Pastor Jeremy

Jesus Wins Part 4 Pastor Glen

Jesus Wins Part 3 Pastor Phil

Taking a step out of our revelation series this week, Chris Wiens delivered this message.

Message 3 in our Revelation series Pastor Glen "Uncover how Revelation 2 challenges today's social norms. We dissect the timeless battle between personal values and societal pressures and reveal how returning to our first love can profoundly transform your life. It's a wake-up call to Jesus' followers in a world of noise."

Message 2 in our Revelation Series Pastor Phil

Pastor Jeremy delivered this message.

Often we come to the book of Revelation as separate piece of the Bible and we forget that the bible is a united story from beginning to end focusing on Jesus and the victory won through his blood. Today Pastor Phil reminds us to Wake Up to the reality behind the reality of our world and to stop living in complacency.

Revelation #2 From fleeting earthly promises to eternal fulfillment. Uncover how the reality of the powerful Jesus offers true hope, peace, and joy amidst life's challenges, guiding us from the illusions of now to the promises of the future.

This is a prelude to our new series in Revelation that starts next week - a powerful introduction to a book of hope and encouragement, it beckons us to explore the deeper truth of this letter of Apocalyptic prophesy - an uncovering of our future and present realities.

Our Pray like this series Pastor Jeremy

Is worship a way of life? Is it the songs we sing? What is a sacrifice of praise? Through scripture we uncover that God has a desire and design for our worship. As we uncover this, it helps us understand what worship is, what it means for our lives today and how God has designed it to be a powerful tool & weapon for us! 

Join us for a powerful church service! We celebrate answered prayers, discuss the challenges of wandering from faith, and explore the commitment to reclaim those who've strayed. Dive into the Word with us as we share insights from the Book of James.

How can God be loving when there is so much suffering and evil in the world? Join us for an insightful sermon addressing the profound questions surrounding suffering, evil, and the Christian perspective. In this thought-provoking session, Pastor Glen engages with the poignant words of Stephen Fry, exploring the challenges posed by a world marked by injustice and pain. From a Christian lens, discover a compelling response that delves into the complexities of faith, offering hope and strength in the midst of life's trials.

Check out the latest message in our "Pray like this:" series. Explore the transformative power of forgiveness in this insightful sermon. Discover the depth of God's grace and its impact on our lives and relationships.

Check out the latest message in our "Pray like This:" series from January 21st. Dwell on the profound meaning of "Give us today our daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer. Delve into the significance of communion as a symbol of the Kingdom and discover how prayer intersects with action.

Explore the profound question of 'Who is Jesus?' in this thought-provoking sermon. Uncover the remarkable claims, historical context, and the unique actions that reveal Jesus' identity. A call to reflection and a challenge to consider the authenticity of these claims.

Explore the transformative power of prayer in various life situations based on James 5:12-20.

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at http://willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at http://willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Explore James 5:1-12 as we delve into the charges against super-rich landowners in the Roman Empire. Discover the impact of hoarding, fraud, luxury, and injustice, and the call for patience and perseverance while awaiting the Lord's return, promising ultimate justice. The speaker emphasizes aligning hearts with God's compassion amid economic challenges. Join us in understanding the timeless relevance of James' writings to the early church. CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com

Didn't science do away with the need to believe in God? Should faith be even considered anymore? Can you be intelligent AND believe in God? These questions push toward the ultimate question... Why Jesus? Ref: Gen 1:1; Matt 22:37 CONNECT WITH WILLOW PARK CHURCH HERE: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/willowparkchurch • Facebook: https://facebook.com/willowparkchurch • Website: https://willowparkchurch.com

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Uncover the transformative power of aligning ourselves with the will of God in humility and love in this week's sermon. Join us as Pastor Phil guides us through the importance of resisting gossip and judgment, and the importance of following the spirit's leading. Learn how living by God's principles can bring profound change to our lives and the church community.

Using vivid imagery, scripture, scientific perspectives, and philosophical reasoning, the evidence for the existence of God is clear.

Explore the profound insights from a sermon on The Lord's Prayer - "Kingdom Come." Dive into the transformative message urging us to embody God's Kingdom on Earth. Discover the call to be agents of Heaven, making a tangible impact in our communities through prayer and action.

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Today we start a new journey of prayer in our new series, "Pray Like This," intricately exploring the profound lessons within the Lord's Prayer. Join us in discovering the depth of intimacy, unconditional love, and the revolutionary mission encapsulated in addressing God as "Our Father." Let this series redefine your approach to prayer and inspire a meaningful connection with the Father.

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Join us as we explore the call to draw near to Christ in James 4:1-10. Today we kick off our 21 Days of Prayer and we encourage you to join us in fasting and praying for 3 things in your life these next 3 weeks. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

How do we sensitively and intelligently answer the view of our culture that the Bible is historically unreliable, full of mistakes and contradictions, offensive, outdated and culturally irrelevant?

Join us on a journey of prayer through the month of January. Sign up for a free daily devotional and learn more at willowparkchurch.com/21days

Dive deep into the heart of the Christmas story with this inspiring sermon. Explore the contrasts between worldly values and the humble birth of Jesus. Reflect on the significance of community and God's unwavering commitment to fulfilling promises. Discover how the Christmas message transforms lives through humility and salvation.

Embark on a journey through the essence of Advent in this inspiring sermon titled "God With Us." Dive into the complexities of human nature, the universal quest for lasting joy, and the profound impact of Jesus, who embodies God in human form. Explore the transformative power of God's presence, offering hope, fulfillment, and restoration in our lives.

In this weekend's sermon, Pastor Jenny explores the powerful theme of "Don't Be Afraid," delving into personal anecdotes and biblical narratives. Join us on a journey through the fear of asking for help, the sanctifying nature of encountering God's glory, and the modern struggle to choose comfort over confronting reality. Discover the joy that emanates from God's presence and love, transcending the allure of the therapeutic ethos. Take a moment for self-reflection as we invite God to speak into our lives.

In this insightful sermon Pastor Phil explores the profound biblical passage from Matthew Chapter 2, examining the political dynamics, fear, and spiritual implications surrounding the birth of Jesus. Delve into the parallels between King Herod's tyranny and contemporary leadership, and discover the challenge to prioritize Christ as the true King. Embrace themes of loyalty, devotion, and the call to focus on Jesus in the midst of life's complexities.

Dive into a thought-provoking sermon from Creekside Church on December 10, 2023, where Doug explores the profound significance of Jesus as Savior. Unpack the themes of humility, personal transformation, and the dual role of Jesus as Savior and Lord, offering insights into the hope found in scripture amidst a broken world.

Delve into the profound message of hope and peace in this insightful sermon based on Isaiah 9. Explore the Christmas story through the lens of a God Hero, Jesus, who faced challenges and offers His presence in life's troubles. Experience the transformative Christmas miracle of His abiding grace.

Dive deep into the prophetic words of Isaiah in this insightful podcast episode. Journey through the historical backdrop of Israel's crisis, the anticipation of a miraculous birth, and the transformative promises embedded in the prophecy. Explore the relevance of this ancient text to contemporary challenges and discover the eternal hope it brings.

In this episode, we delve into the sermon on James 1:22, exploring the dynamic relationship between faith and action. Join us as we reflect on the transformative power of biblical teachings and discuss the practical implications for our lives.

Uncover the depth of a 'right Christmas' in this compelling sermon from December 3, 2023. Dive into the stories of personal struggles, compassion-driven outreach, and the transformative power of the holiday season. Explore the connection between Living Nativity, prayer, and the true essence of Christmas. Let this message inspire you to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and meaningful connection during this festive season.

How does prayer work in the middle of real-life struggles? How does it work when we know we are imperfect or don't even desire God? Prayer isn't just an ancient ritual but a dynamic way to connect to God, be healed, and grow.

Embark on a thought-provoking journey with Pastor Lorne in this compelling sermon as he navigates the intricate landscape of our words. Drawing parallels between a suitcase sized nuclear bomb and the timeless significance of our speech, discover the weight our words carry. Uncover the profound link between the heart and language, exploring how our tongues can either uplift or wound. This sermon is an invitation to reflect on the transformative power of speech and offers practical guidance on aligning our words with the values of worship and encouragement.

Description: In this powerful sermon, delve into the heart of the book of James as the pastor challenges the congregation to move beyond a passive faith. Explore the tension between faith and works, as James argues for the inseparable connection between the two. Discover the urgency James imparts to the believers, urging them not to settle for a faith that merely acknowledges beliefs but one that actively transforms lives. Drawing parallels between the challenges faced by the early churches and the contemporary struggles within our own communities, the sermon encourages listeners to be agents of change. Study questions: How does James address the tension between faith and works in this passage? In what ways does the pastor challenge the notion of a "lite" faith and advocate for intentional, transformative action? Reflect on a time when your faith prompted you to engage in compassionate works. How did it impact your spiritual journey? How can the church actively respond to the needs of its members and the community, ensuring that faith is not just professed but demonstrated through action?

Embark on a profound journey of faith as we explore the theological concept of "already but not yet" in this compelling sermon. Unveil the beauty of living in the tension between the realized and anticipated aspects of God's kingdom, drawing parallels with the farmer's patient cultivation of crops. Discover the transformative power of waiting, finding steadfastness in the promises of God. This episode invites you to anchor your hope in the eternal promises of Jesus Christ, offering insights into Christian living, spiritual growth, and the enduring faith that sustains us in the midst of life's challenges. Tune in for a message that encourages and uplifts, providing a unique perspective on the Christian journey. 1. How does the concept of "already but not yet" influence your understanding of living in the Kingdom of God now? 2. Explore the farmer analogy. How can the farmer's approach to waiting for crops teach us about patience and trust in our spiritual journey? 3. Discuss the significance of steadfastness in the Christian walk. How can discipline and obedience contribute to a steadfast faith? 4. Reflect on a current challenge or waiting season in your life. How might the sermon's insights on patience and hope apply to your situation? 5. Consider practical steps to live out the Kingdom life amidst the challenges of the "not yet." What changes can you make in your daily life to align with the sermon's teachings?

The sermon discusses the spiritual gifts of faith and healing within the context of a series on spiritual gifts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of these gifts not being used for personal gain or show but rather to glorify Christ and build up the church. The gift of faith is described as the ability to trust God in all circumstances, putting full trust in His abilities. The gift of healing is seen as a supernatural ability to heal, subject to God's will, not on demand. The sermon encourages believers to pursue these gifts with humility and submission to God, believing in the power of prayer for healing. Questions for Personal or Group Study: What is the difference between saving faith and the spiritual gift of faith, as explained in the sermon? (Refer to Hebrews 11:6) How can we ensure that the spiritual gift of faith is used to glorify Christ rather than for personal gain or show? What is the relationship between the gift of healing and faith? How does faith play a role in healing according to the sermon? (Refer to James 5:14-15) What is the responsibility of the church in seeking and encouraging the use of these spiritual gifts, as discussed in the sermon? How can we balance our desire for spiritual gifts with humility and trust in God's timing and will? Supplementary Bible Verses: Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." James 5:14-15 - "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." Practical Applications for the Church Family: Foster an environment of prayer and faith within the church community, encouraging members to pray for healing and believing in God's power to answer. Seek opportunities for spiritual growth and exploration of spiritual gifts, such as attending events or workshops like "Empower." Emphasize the importance of using spiritual gifts for the common good and the glory of Christ, rather than personal gain or show. Support and pray for those who may have the spiritual gift of healing, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through them in faith. Encourage humility and submission in the pursuit of spiritual gifts, understanding that they are subject to God's will and timing.

The sermon, titled "Grace, Desire and Devotion," delves into James 4:1-10 and explores the themes of worldly desires, conflicts, and the need for divine grace. The speaker emphasizes the exclusivity of the relationship with God, likening it to a marriage where spiritual adultery occurs when our focus shifts from God to worldly desires. The message underscores the significance of God's abundant grace, which empowers believers to resist temptation, draw nearer to God, and receive forgiveness. It concludes with a call to humility before the Lord and the celebration of communion as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and grace. Discussion Questions: In what ways have you experienced conflicts or quarrels in your life due to worldly desires, as mentioned in James 4:1-2? How does the analogy of spiritual adultery help you understand the seriousness of turning away from God's love and grace? How can you personally apply the concept of God's abundant grace in your daily life, especially when facing temptations and distractions? Reflect on the idea of humility before the Lord. What steps can you take to cultivate humility in your relationship with God? How can the practice of celebrating communion remind you of Christ's sacrifice and the forgiveness available through God's grace? Supplementary Bible Verses: Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Romans 5:20 - "But where sin increased, grace increased all the more." 1 Peter 5:5-6 - "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." Practical Applications for the Church Family: Take time this week to reflect on areas in your life where worldly desires may be causing conflicts or distractions from God's love. Seek forgiveness and repentance for any spiritual adultery or drifting away from your relationship with God. Embrace God's grace as a source of strength to resist temptations and draw nearer to Him. Practice humility in your interactions with others, recognizing that God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Participate in communion with a heart of gratitude, remembering Christ's sacrifice and the forgiveness available through His grace.

Sermon Summary: Pastor Phil delivered a sermon on November 5, 2023, emphasizing the importance of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger in the context of accepting and obeying the word of God. He stressed the need to actively listen to God's teachings and apply them to one's life. The sermon highlighted the detrimental effects of anger and quick judgment, calling for a more thoughtful and obedient approach to Scripture. Key Points: Quick to Listen: The sermon began by highlighting the significance of active and attentive listening, especially to God's word. Pastor Phil emphasized that listening is not just about hearing but about understanding and applying the teachings. Slow to Speak: The sermon encouraged individuals to be cautious with their words, avoiding hasty judgments and critical comments. Words have the power to hurt or bless, and Christians should strive to speak words that uplift and encourage. Slow to Anger: Anger can hinder spiritual growth and damage relationships. The sermon stressed the importance of controlling one's temper and practicing patience, even in challenging situations. The Mirror of Scripture: Pastor Phil discussed how the Bible serves as a mirror, revealing our true selves and reflecting God's will for our lives. He emphasized the need to not only look at the mirror (Scripture) but also to act upon it, becoming doers of the word. Questions for Personal or Group Study: What are some practical steps you can take to become a better listener, especially when it comes to God's word? How can you become more intentional about being slow to speak and avoiding hurtful words in your daily interactions? What strategies can you employ to manage and control your anger, ensuring it doesn't negatively impact your relationships and spiritual growth? How can you make the Bible a more active and transformative part of your life, moving from being a hearer of the word to a doer of the word? Supplementary Bible Verses: James 1:19-20: "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (ESV) Proverbs 15:1: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (ESV) Practical Applications for the Church Family: Commit to spending dedicated time each day in prayer and Bible study, actively listening to God's word and seeking to understand its application in your life. Practice a moment of reflection before speaking, especially in times of conflict or disagreement, to ensure your words are constructive and not hurtful. Develop strategies for managing and diffusing anger, such as deep breathing, prayer, or seeking wise counsel from fellow believers. Encourage one another in the church community to become doers of the word, sharing experiences and insights on how Scripture is actively shaping your lives.

Sermon Summary: "The Gifts: Embracing the Five-Fold Gifts" The sermon delves into the understanding and importance of the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Drawing from scriptures like 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4, the speaker emphasizes the significance of the five-fold gifts: Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Teaching, and Shepherding. Each gift has a unique role in the church, from governing and guiding to spreading the gospel, explaining biblical truths, and tending to the flock. The congregation is encouraged to recognize, activate, and empower these gifts within the community, ensuring that the church operates at its full potential. Study Questions: Understanding Spiritual Gifts: How do you understand the concept of spiritual gifts, and how do they differ from natural talents? (Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11) Embracing the Five-Fold Gifts: Which of the five-fold gifts do you resonate with the most, and why? How can you further develop and use this gift in your community? (Reference: Ephesians 4:7-13) The Role of Prophets: How do you perceive the role of prophets in today's church? How can their guidance be beneficial in current societal contexts? (Reference: 1 Corinthians 14:1) Evangelistic Outreach: Reflect on the story of Philip in the sermon. How can you adopt a similar evangelistic approach in your life? (Reference: Acts 8:5-8) The Responsibility of Teaching: Considering the weight of responsibility that comes with teaching, how can one ensure they are teaching in alignment with God's word? (Reference: James 3:1) Practices for the Church Family This Week: Gift Identification: Spend time in prayer and self-reflection to identify which of the five-fold gifts you might possess. Seek feedback from trusted church members or leaders to gain more clarity. Scripture Study: Dedicate time each day to study the scriptures mentioned in the sermon, focusing on understanding the depth and application of spiritual gifts. Community Engagement: If you resonate with the Evangelistic gift, reach out to someone who doesn't know Christ. Share your testimony or simply show them love and kindness. Teaching and Sharing: If you identify with the Teaching gift, consider leading a small group study or sharing a biblical insight with a friend or family member. Prayer for Activation: Organize or participate in a prayer meeting, specifically praying for the activation and boldness of spiritual gifts within the church community.

Sermon Summary: In this sermon, the speaker, Dave, begins by sharing his personal health battle with prostate cancer and lymphoma. He emphasizes the importance of trusting in God rather than relying solely on ourselves or our wealth. Dave discusses the concept of tithing as a way to trust God with our finances. He shares personal stories of how God has provided and blessed him through acts of generosity, illustrating the idea that generosity reflects our trust in God. Dave encourages the congregation to excel in the grace of giving, both in tithes and offerings, and to embrace a culture of generosity despite the materialistic and consumer-oriented culture we live in. He emphasizes that true wealth is measured not just in finances but in the depth of our relationship with God. The sermon underscores the message that we can trust God with our finances, and our giving reflects the depth of that trust. Questions for Personal or Group Study: How does Dave's personal health battle and experiences shape his message about trust and generosity in this sermon? What does the Bible say about tithing, and how is it connected to trusting in God with our finances? (Refer to Malachi 3:10) Can you share a personal story of how trusting God with your finances has led to unexpected blessings or provisions in your life? How do the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things impact our ability to trust God with our finances? (Refer to Mark 4:19) What steps can you take to excel in the grace of giving, both in terms of tithes and offerings, in your personal life or as a church community? Supplementary Bible Verses: Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." Mark 4:19 - "But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." Practical Applications for the Church Family: Embrace a culture of generosity by actively seeking opportunities to give, both financially and in acts of service, within the church and the community. Consider increasing your level of generosity by setting goals for tithing and offering contributions. Reflect on your relationship with material possessions and wealth, seeking to prioritize your trust in God over materialism. Share personal stories of how trusting God with your finances has led to blessings and provisions with fellow church members to encourage and inspire one another. Encourage others to excel in the grace of giving and support them in their journey towards greater generosity.

Sermon Summary: "Do Not Be Deceived" by Pastor Phil Collins Pastor Phil Collins delves into the book of James, emphasizing the dual themes of compassion and admonition. He underscores James' message to two distinct audiences: the wealthy, who are cautioned about the fleeting nature of material wealth and its potential harm, and those enduring hardships for their faith, who are encouraged to persevere. Drawing from James Chapter 5, Pastor Collins highlights the impermanence of worldly riches and the significance of steadfast faith, honesty, and community support. He warns against the deception of worldly philosophies and underscores the unchanging nature of God. The sermon concludes with a call to worship, emphasizing the importance of community, faith, and a close relationship with God. Study Questions: How does James describe the attitudes and actions of the wealthy in James Chapter 5? What warnings does he give them? Supplementary Verse: 1 Timothy 6:10 - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." What encouragement does James offer to those suffering for their faith? How can believers draw strength from the examples of the prophets and Job? Supplementary Verse: Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." How does Pastor Collins contrast worldly philosophies with the Christian faith? Why is recognizing God's unchanging nature important? Supplementary Verse: Malachi 3:6 - "I the LORD do not change." In what ways does the sermon emphasize the importance of community and mutual support among believers? Supplementary Verse: Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together..." How can believers guard against being deceived by worldly views and remain steadfast in their faith? Supplementary Verse: Ephesians 6:11 - "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." Practices for the Church Family This Week: Daily Reflection: Spend a few minutes each day reflecting on the impermanence of material wealth and the eternal value of spiritual riches. Community Support: Reach out to at least one person in the church community who may be going through hardships. Offer a listening ear, prayer, or any form of support. Scripture Study: Dedicate time to study the book of James, focusing on its themes of perseverance, faith, and community. Worship Together: Organize or attend a group worship session, emphasizing the importance of community and mutual encouragement. Guard Against Deception: Be mindful of worldly philosophies that may sway one's faith. Engage in discussions with fellow believers to strengthen understanding and resolve.

Sermon Summary: James, in his pastoral letter, addresses believers, especially the persecuted Christians dispersed throughout the Holy Land and north towards Syria. He emphasizes the value of enduring trials, stating that they mold and shape believers into who God desires them to be. Trials provide an opportunity to seek and receive God’s wisdom generously. James cautions against relying on worldly wisdom and urges believers to immerse themselves in God’s wisdom, listening and discerning his guidance. James emphasizes that every believer, no matter their societal standing, is valuable in God's eyes. He corrects a cultural misinterpretation, ensuring believers know that God does not tempt them. The prevalent cultural belief, influenced by stories of ancient gods like the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian deities, was that gods would often meddle in human affairs, leading them into temptation. James clarifies that temptation arises not from God, but from one’s own desires and the sinful human heart. Using the imagery of conception and birth, he illustrates that entertaining temptation leads to sin, which in turn leads to death. Study Questions: What is the purpose of trials in a believer's life, according to James? (Reference: James 1:2-4) How does James differentiate between God's wisdom and worldly wisdom? Why is it important to seek God's wisdom during trials? How does James address the misconception about God being the source of temptation? Why is this clarification important? Reflect on the cultural influences in your own life. How can one guard against misconceptions or worldly views that might mislead? In what ways can believers actively avoid giving in to temptation, based on James' teachings? Supplementary Bible Verses: James 1:2-4 1 Corinthians 10:13 Matthew 6:13 Genesis 3:12-13 Romans 12:2 Practical Applications for the Church Family: Seek God’s Wisdom: Dedicate time to seek God’s wisdom through prayer, meditation, and Bible study. Affirmation of Value: Regularly remind and affirm each other of their value in God's eyes, irrespective of societal standing. Open Conversations about Temptation: Foster a safe environment where members can openly discuss temptations they face and support each other in overcoming them. Bible Study on Temptation: Organize studies focusing on biblical perspectives on temptation, its sources, and strategies to overcome it. Mind Renewal: Engage in activities that focus on renewing the mind, like scripture memorization, to transform thinking and guard against sinful desires.

Episode Description: Welcome to this episode titled "Embracing Grace in Moments of Discomfort." This sermon invites listeners to contemplate the transformative power of discomfort, a tool often used by God to promote profound spiritual growth. Beyond just a sermon, this episode is a spiritual journey that encourages all of us to witness our personal evolution in Christ through faith and grace. Study Questions: How has discomfort shaped your spiritual journey? Can you recall a time when you felt God's grace most during a challenging period? How does discomfort push you closer or further away from your faith? How can we better equip ourselves to recognize and embrace God's grace during trying times? What Scripture passages come to mind when thinking of grace amidst trials? Dive deep with us into these reflections and discover the beauty of leaning into faith, especially during the moments that challenge us most.

Is Faith Enough? We explore the need for evidence in faith – is there enough evidence to believe, and is there enough evidence in our lives that we are flourishing? Or is it all just words? And why does it matter?!

In this sermon, Pastor James addresses the congregation with a message about humility, wealth, and the eternal perspective of Christians. He starts by emphasizing that Christians, regardless of their circumstances, should view themselves as giants in the kingdom of God. For those facing humble circumstances and trials, James encourages them to take pride in their high position as heirs of God's kingdom.Conversely, for the wealthy, James warns against trusting in their riches and material possessions. He highlights the danger of becoming consumed by wealth and the need to prioritize trust in God over materialism. James also reminds believers that worldly riches are temporary and fleeting, akin to the withering of flowers under the scorching sun.James concludes by encouraging perseverance under trial, assuring that those who endure will receive the Crown of Life promised to those who love God.Key Points:Christians should view themselves as giants in the kingdom of God, regardless of their circumstances.Wealth can be a stumbling block if it leads to trusting in material possessions rather than God.The pursuit of worldly riches is temporary, while an eternal perspective is essential.Perseverance under trial leads to receiving the Crown of Life promised to those who love God.Discussion Questions:How can we cultivate humility and an eternal perspective in our lives, especially if we are blessed with wealth and privilege?What are some common idols or temptations associated with materialism, and how can we guard against them?How do you think James's message applies to our contemporary society, where materialism and wealth are often prioritized?How can we find joy and purpose in enduring trials and difficulties, knowing that they can lead to spiritual growth?What practices can we adopt this week to shift our focus from worldly riches to the eternal rewards promised by God?Supplementary Bible Verses:Matthew 19:23-24: Jesus' teaching on the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.1 Timothy 6:17-19: Paul's advice on how the wealthy should approach their riches with an eternal perspective.Revelation 3:17-18: A reminder that material wealth should not blind us to our spiritual condition.Practical Applications:Reflect on your possessions and wealth, considering how they impact your relationship with God.Practice generosity by giving to those in need and supporting charitable causes.Cultivate humility and gratitude in your daily life, acknowledging that everything comes from God.Spend time in prayer and meditation to develop an eternal perspective and trust in God's promises.Encourage fellow believers to prioritize their relationship with God over worldly wealth and to persevere in faith through trials.

Delivered by Pastor Glen Madden on October 15, 2023, the sermon titled "Temptation and the Starving Soul" delves into the book of James to explore the themes of trials, temptation, and God's gifts. Pastor Glen underscores that trials are a natural part of life, often serving as triggers for temptation. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining unwavering faith during trials and highlights that temptation typically originates from our own desires. Pastor Glen explains how sin progresses from desire to action, habit, addiction, and ultimately, a transformation of character. Yet, he instills hope by reminding the congregation that God is the ultimate source of every good and perfect gift, and His love remains steadfast even in our moments of failure. The sermon calls for a deeper faith in God, an appreciation of His grace, and a resolute resistance to the allure of sin. Discussion Questions: How do trials in life commonly lead to temptation, as described by Pastor Glen in the sermon? What are some common desires that can lead to sin in our lives, and how can we identify and resist them? In what ways can we stand firm in our faith when confronted with trials and temptations? How does acknowledging God as the giver of good gifts impact our perspective when facing life's challenges? Reflect on Romans 5:8, briefly mentioned by Pastor Glen in the sermon. How does this verse reinforce the message of God's unwavering love? Supplementary Bible Verses: James 1:2-3 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." Matthew 26:41 - "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." Practical Applications: Dedicate time to prayer and Bible study to strengthen your faith. Identify specific desires that may lead to sin in your life and develop strategies to resist them. Cultivate gratitude for the good gifts God has bestowed upon you. Seek accountability within your church community to help overcome temptations. Practice confession and repentance when you succumb to sin, remembering that God's love and forgiveness are always available.

Sermon Summary: The sermon delves into the teachings of James, emphasizing the intrinsic relationship between faith and works, and the spiritual and personal development that arises from facing life's trials with joy and steadfastness. The speaker contrasts the cultural narrative of self-reliance and entitlement with the biblical perspective of seeking wisdom during challenges. The sermon underscores the importance of seeking divine wisdom in navigating trials, interpreting challenges through a lens of faith, and recognizing our limitations while relying on God’s power and wisdom. The speaker encourages believers to seek wisdom and revelation in the midst of challenges, rather than solely praying for their removal, and to find joy and maturity through trials, as instructed by James. Study Questions: Faith and Works: Joy in Trials: Seeking Wisdom: Jesus and Trials: Practical Wisdom Application: Practices for Church Family: Prayer for Wisdom: Dedicate a specific time daily or weekly for collective prayer sessions, focusing on seeking wisdom and revelation from God amidst various trials faced by individuals in the church family. Joyful Testimonies: Create a platform (could be a segment during the service or a virtual space) where members can share testimonies of finding joy and learning through trials, to encourage and uplift one another. Wisdom Circles: Form small groups or circles where members can discuss their challenges and collectively seek wisdom through prayer and biblical study, providing support and counsel to each other. Support Systems: Establish support systems or mentorship programs within the church where individuals going through similar trials can be paired to share, support, and navigate through challenges together, applying the wisdom they seek from God. Community Outreach: Engage in community service or outreach programs, embodying the faith and works principle, and providing practical support to those facing trials outside the church family, thereby being a beacon of God’s love and wisdom in the community. Children and Youth Engagement: Implement programs for children and youth that teach them about the biblical perspective on trials and wisdom from an early age, equipping them to navigate challenges in a godly manner as they grow.

Sermon Summary: Pastor Phil emphasizes the importance of seeking divine wisdom, especially amidst trials and life's challenges. He distinguishes between knowledge and wisdom, underscoring that while knowledge is the accumulation of facts, wisdom involves applying knowledge in a spiritually enlightened manner. Biblical figures like Job and Solomon are highlighted as individuals who sought God’s wisdom during adversities. Pastor Phil encourages the congregation to seek wisdom through a relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the manifestation of divine wisdom, and assures that God generously gives wisdom to those who ask. Understanding Wisdom: How does the Bible differentiate between worldly wisdom and divine wisdom? (Reference: 1 Corinthians 1:20-25) Seeking Wisdom in Trials: How can believers seek and apply God’s wisdom during times of trials and tribulations? (Reference: James 1:5) Living Out Wisdom: What does it mean to live out wisdom in our daily lives, and how does this reflect our relationship with God? (Reference: Proverbs 3:5-7) Wisdom and Action: How does the Bible illustrate the relationship between faith, wisdom, and deeds? (Reference: James 2:14-26) Jesus as Wisdom: In what ways does Jesus embody divine wisdom, and how can believers follow His example? (Reference: 1 Corinthians 1:30) Daily Wisdom Seeking: Dedicate time each day to seek wisdom through prayer, asking God for guidance in making decisions and navigating challenges. Scripture Study on Wisdom: Engage in a weekly Bible study focusing on scriptures related to wisdom, understanding its nature, and application in various life scenarios. Sharing Wisdom Stories: Create a platform (maybe a small group or an online forum) where church members can share stories of how they sought and experienced God’s wisdom in their lives. Community Support: Form support groups within the church where members can share their trials and collectively seek God’s wisdom through prayer and discussion. Wisdom in Action: Identify areas within the community where the church can practically apply collective wisdom to address issues or provide support, embodying faith through deeds.

The sermon from Hwy 33 on October 1, 2023, provides a deep dive into the Book of James, emphasizing the themes of faith, trials, and wisdom. The pastor explores the life and humility of James, the brother of Jesus, and his significant role in the early Christian church. The congregation is encouraged to find joy and maturity through their trials and difficulties, as James teaches. The sermon underscores the belief that faith works and that believers can find solace and encouragement in the message of perseverance and divine love, even amidst challenges. Musical worship is interwoven throughout the service, providing a space for reflection and connection with God. Study Questions: Faith Amidst Trials: How does the Book of James encourage believers to find joy in trials, and how can this be applied in your current life situations? (Consider: James 1:2-4) Wisdom and Maturity: How does enduring trials lead to spiritual maturity according to the sermon, and how does this align with other biblical teachings? (Consider: Romans 5:3-5) Humility in Leadership: How did James exemplify humility in his leadership despite his close relationship with Jesus, and how can modern believers emulate this humility in their lives? (Consider: Philippians 2:3-5) Living Faith: How does the sermon define ‘living faith’ and how does this concept challenge or affirm your current understanding and practice of faith? (Consider: James 2:14-17) Engaging in Worship: How does the musical worship in the service enhance the message of the sermon, and how can believers engage in worship in their daily lives? (Consider: Ephesians 5:19-20) Practices for Church Family This Week: Embrace Trials: Actively seek God’s presence and wisdom in the midst of any personal trials, believing that these experiences will produce steadfastness and maturity. Community Support: Reach out to at least one person in the church community who may be going through a difficult time. Offer your support, prayers, and any practical help they might need. Reflective Worship: Spend time in personal or family worship, singing or listening to songs that affirm God’s sovereignty and faithfulness amidst trials. Prayerful Perseverance: Engage in persistent prayer, both individually and collectively, especially for those undergoing trials, believing in God’s faithfulness to answer in His time and way. Study the Book of James: Dedicate time to read and reflect on the Book of James, either individually or in small groups, to gain deeper insights into living out faith amidst trials. Modeling Joy: Practice and model finding joy in trials, sharing testimonies within the church community to encourage and uplift one another in faith. Engage in Humble Service: Identify areas within the church or local community where you can serve humbly, without seeking recognition, emulating the humility of James. Remember, the application of these practices and reflections on the study questions can pave the way for deeper understanding and living out the teachings from the Book of James, as explored in the sermon.

Sermon Summary In the sermon, Pastor Jenny discusses the concept of the "Empowered Life," which is part of a series focusing on "Real Life." She begins with a childhood story about setting fire to her bathroom floor, using it as a metaphor for how people often hide in shame when they make mistakes. She argues that hiding is a temporary solution and that shame can only offer an illusion of power. Jenny then delves into the culture of contempt, where people are quick to judge and condemn others, especially leaders. She warns against settling for contempt instead of seeking true empowerment through the Holy Spirit. She introduces the term "shamedification" to describe how shame can shape our lives. The sermon shifts to the concept of sanctification, or becoming holy, which is not about surface-level cleanliness but about being set apart for God. Jenny emphasizes that holiness is about producing life and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. She also talks about the importance of being mindful of what we consume, both physically and spiritually, as it shapes our worldview and habits. Jenny concludes by encouraging the congregation to face their "bones," or the things that weigh them down, and to seek the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit to bring life where there is decay. Study Questions How does the culture of contempt differ from living an empowered life through the Holy Spirit? (Refer to Galatians 5:22-23 for the fruits of the Spirit) What does sanctification mean to you, and how does it manifest in your daily life? (Refer to Romans 12:1-2 for transformation through renewal) How do your daily habits reflect or contradict your pursuit of holiness? (Refer to Colossians 3:1-2 for setting minds on things above) What are some "bones" in your life that you need to face and bring before God? (Refer to Ezekiel 37:1-14 for the vision of the dry bones) How can the church community help each other in the journey of sanctification? (Refer to Hebrews 10:24-25 for encouraging one another) Practices for the Church Family Accountability Partners: Pair up with someone to discuss your struggles and triumphs in your journey toward sanctification. Mindfulness Audit: Take some time this week to evaluate what you are consuming in terms of media, relationships, and activities. Are they drawing you closer to God or pushing you away? Prayer Circles: Form small groups that meet specifically for the purpose of prayer, focusing on asking the Holy Spirit to empower each member. Scripture Immersion: Commit to reading a chapter of the Bible daily, focusing on passages that speak about the Holy Spirit and sanctification. Community Outreach: As a church, identify a local need and organize a service day, putting the fruits of the Spirit into action.

The sermon focuses on the concept of "Real Life Vision," which stands for Redeemed, Empowered, Active, and Listening and Prayer Life. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the "Redeemed Life" through the lens of the Gospel. The sermon tackles the controversial statement by Jesus, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," and how it clashes with modern-day notions of freedom and pluralism. The sermon argues that all religions and belief systems are exclusive in their own way, but what sets Christianity apart is its unique grace. According to the speaker, Christianity teaches that all are loved by God, all have sinned, and all are separated from God due to that sin. However, forgiveness and new life are available to all through the death of Jesus Christ, and it's a gift, not something one can earn. This grace, the speaker argues, is what makes Christianity unique and inclusive in its own way. Study Questions How does the statement "I am the way, the truth, and the life" challenge modern notions of freedom and pluralism? (John 14:6) What does the sermon say about the concept of "relative truth," and how does it compare to the "absolute truth" presented in the Bible? How does the sermon describe the unique grace in Christianity? How is it different from other religions or belief systems? (Ephesians 2:8-9) What does the sermon mean when it says "the gospel produces the most inclusive community the world has ever known"? (Galatians 3:28) How does understanding that "all are loved by God" impact your view of yourself and others? (John 3:16) Practices for Church Family This Week Reflect on Grace: Spend some time this week reflecting on the unique grace offered by Christianity. How does it affect your daily life? Engage in Dialogue: Have a conversation with someone who holds a different belief system. Try to understand their point of view while also sharing the unique aspects of Christian grace. Study the Word: Dive deeper into the scriptures mentioned in the sermon and the study questions. Try to understand the context and how they apply to your life. Prayer Focus: Spend time in prayer, thanking God for His unique grace and asking for guidance in living a life that reflects that grace to others. Community Outreach: Look for opportunities to demonstrate the inclusive love of Christ in your community. This could be through acts of service, kindness, or simply taking the time to listen to someone else's story.

Welcome to this episode titled "The Scenic Route: Finding God in Life's Detours." In today's sermon, we delve into the life of Joseph from the Bible to understand how God is at work even when our lives take unexpected turns. Whether you're experiencing mistreatment, imprisonment, or feelings of abandonment, this message will encourage you to see God's hand in your life's 'Plan B.' Study Questions: How do you typically react when life doesn't go as planned? Can you relate to Joseph's experiences of mistreatment, imprisonment, and abandonment? Supplementary Bible Verse: James 1:2-4 What are some 'Plan B' moments in your life where you've seen God's hand at work, even if it wasn't clear at the time? Supplementary Bible Verse: Romans 8:28 How can we cultivate a Biblical worldview that centers on God's sovereignty, especially when facing trials? Supplementary Bible Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 Discuss the concept of "holy patience" when waiting for God to act. How does this differ from secular patience? Supplementary Bible Verse: Isaiah 40:31 How can we encourage others who are going through their 'Plan B' moments? Supplementary Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all of its parts are many, they form one body.” – 1 Cor 12:12 In the Christian theological tradition the phrase “the body of Christ” is used in a threefold way:1. The physical body of the 1st century Palestinian Jew Jesus2. The community united to the Messiah Jesus through the Holy Spirit3. The Eucharistic body of Christ made present to the Church in the sacrament of Holy Communion The disunity of the church calls us to repentance, to earnestly strive for unity, and wait upon the Lord to bring healing to his broken body• Scandal of divided church is perhaps the greatest obstacle to Christian witness and evangelismBy this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35  Let us pray that God would breath his life-giving Spirit into the broken body of his Church, so that once again the world be able to look upon us and know that we are his disciples by the way we love one another. 

Understanding Unconditional Love: How does Jesus' unconditional love of us, as described in Romans 5:8, challenge our own attitudes towards others? How can we practice this kind of love in our daily lives? The Bigger Story of Redemption: Reflect on the statement "His story is bigger than the story of sin in our lives." How does the redemption story in Ephesians 2:4-5 inspire you to see beyond your own shortcomings and embrace God's larger narrative? Holiness and Cultural Transformation: Considering 1 Peter 1:15-16 and Romans 12:2, how can we pursue holiness without being conformed to the culture around us? What does it mean to be holy yet engaged in changing the culture? Bringing Jesus to People: In the context of Matthew 28:19-20, what does it mean to "bring Jesus to people" rather than merely bringing people to Jesus? How can you embody this approach in your community? Dining with the Unlikely: Reflecting on Jesus' dining with tax collectors and sinners in Luke 5:29-32, how can you follow His example of eating with people not like you? How does this practice demonstrate belief in Jesus' transformative power?

Embracing the Church: Understanding Our Divine CallingDive deep into the theological significance of the Church, its historical role as a beacon to the world, and our individual callings as members of a royal priesthood. This episode sheds light on the Church's imperfections, its ultimate victory, and how each believer is intricately chosen and sought after by God. As you listen, ponder on these study questions to deepen your understanding: How does the historical context of the Church influence its role in today's society? In what ways do you personally resonate with the concept of being "chosen" by God? How can the Church better embody its calling as a beacon of light in the world? Reflect on a time when you felt the imperfections of the Church. How did it shape your faith journey? How can believers actively embrace their roles as part of the royal priesthood in daily life? Whether you're on a faith journey, seeking spiritual growth, or simply looking for inspiration, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the Church's purpose and your place within it.

The main focus of the sermon is a detailed exploration of a passage from the Bible, emphasizing four key themes: Unity: The speaker emphasizes the importance of unity within the church and the broader Christian community. He uses anecdotes and biblical references to illustrate the strength that comes from unity and the dangers of division. Protection: The sermon highlights the need for spiritual protection in a world filled with challenges and temptations. The speaker emphasizes God's role as a protector and the importance of seeking refuge in Him. Holiness: The speaker discusses the concept of holiness, emphasizing the transformative power of truth and the Word of God. He encourages the congregation to strive for holiness through a close relationship with God and adherence to His teachings. Mission: The sermon concludes with a call to action, urging the congregation to embrace their mission as Christians. The speaker emphasizes the importance of evangelism and discipleship, encouraging the church to be proactive in spreading the Gospel. Study Questions: Unity: How can you contribute to fostering unity within your church community or among fellow believers? What are some practical steps you can take to avoid division and promote a spirit of cooperation? Protection: In what ways do you seek spiritual protection in your daily life? How can you strengthen your relationship with God to ensure that you are shielded from spiritual harm? Holiness: What does holiness mean to you, and how do you strive to achieve it in your life? How can you use the Word of God to guide you in living a holy life? Mission: What is your personal mission as a Christian? How can you actively engage in evangelism and discipleship within your community? What are some specific ways you can share the Gospel with others? Application: Reflecting on the themes of unity, protection, holiness, and mission, how can you apply these principles to your daily life? What changes or commitments are you willing to make to align more closely with these biblical teachings?

Recorded on July 23, 2023. Learn more about our church by clicking here!

Sermon by Phil Collins on July 23, 2023. Learn more about our church by clicking here!

Sermon by Jeremy Crowe on July 16, 2023. Learn more about our church by clicking here!

We have access into the presence of God by the name of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit. Step into his presence today, and experience the power and the joy of prayer. Learn more about our church by clicking here!

Sermon by Nick Toews on July 16, 2023. Learn more about our church by clicking here!

Sermon by Nick Toews on July 9th, 2023. Learn more about our church - click here!

You have a power in you greater than you can imagine. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us, to comfort us, and to guide us into all truth. Because of his presence with us, we can know that we are never alone, and that he will use us to bring light and hope into the world. Learn more about our church! Click here.

Learn more about our church! Click here.

How can I make a difference in the world, and what is hindering me from pursuing the mission that brings joy and fulfillment? Learn more about our church - click here.

Have we let our relationship with Jesus become ‘business as usual’? Or will we let him work on our lives and make us more like him, even if it means our lives getting a little messy? Learn more about our church by clicking here!

Sermon at our Downtown campus, preached on July 2nd, 2023. Learn more about our church by clicking here!

This teaching uncovers the transformative power of understanding God's holiness and our desperate need for salvation. Discover how embracing God as our "Holy Father" brings peace, forgiveness, and radical obedience. Learn more about our church - willowparkchurch.com

Jesus offers to wash our feet and make us clean. Will you let him? Learn more about our church - willowparkchurch.com.

Our ability to serve comes from our security in Christ and our love for others over ourselves. Check out our website to learn more about the church - willowparkchurch.com.

When Jesus meets the woman at the well, he comes with an offer. The offer is one that the woman spiritually longs for and will quench what she has been searching for. To learn more about our church, visit willowparkchurch.com.

You are not alone in your Christian life. You have the Spirit to help you, strengthen you, and guide you to Jesus. Take heart! To learn more about our church, visit willowparkchurch.com.

We're exploring the universal human restlessness for something deeper and more fulfilling. In this sermon, we talk about why superficial pursuits leave us unsatisfied and how an eternal perspective through Jesus gives lasting rest and fulfillment. Visit our website for more info about our church! willowparkchurch.com/downtown

Sermon by Jeremy Crowe at our Creekside location.

Christ-followers and Christian views are quickly becoming more and more unwelcome in our society. The good news about this? This is exactly what Jesus said would happen, and he offers us hope in the midst of it.

We are the branches, and Christ is the vine. But how do we stay connected to him? Listen to this sermon if you want to experience the true life that is found in abiding in Christ. Visit willowparkchurch.com for more info about our church!

Before we move Downtown, we took some time to reflect and remember stories of God's faithfulness to the South. May God bless all that is to come! For more info about our church, visit willowparkchurch.com.

Friendship, with both Christ and others, is a crucial part of our lives because we were created for community. For more info about our church, check out willowparkchurch.com.

Jesus does not merely point the way, he is the Way. Jesus does not just teach us truth, he is the Truth. He does not represent one avenue to life, he is the Life.  For more info about our church, check out willowparkchurch.com.

Jesus is always with us. And by the power of the Spirit within us, we can be in his presence both now and forever. The disciples in John 14 were “stressed out” and afraid about losing Jesus and their relationship with him, their intimacy with him. Jesus responds by telling them that he will not leave them, but will come to them. Have you ever experienced a time when you were afraid of “losing” your relationship and intimacy with Christ? Or a time when you felt you were abandoned by Christ? What comforted you or led you through those moments? How did Christ come to you during those moments? Phil talked about the many rooms that Jesus has prepared for his children. The rooms represent being in the presence of Jesus forever, which is the highest reward and prize. Phil also talked about having an eternal vantage point in regards to thinking about heaven often. How often do you think about your eternity, or about being with Jesus forever? What comes to mind when you think of this? What effect does having an eternal vantage point have on our lives? Jesus isn’t just a way to understand God. He is the way to God. He reveals God to humanity. What is your story of how Jesus revealed himself to you / opened your eyes to know him? One day, Jesus will return and rescue the world from its darkness, brokenness, and injustice, and will bring us into new life, joy, and peace. What does this truth mean to you? What impact does it have on your life on a daily basis? Jesus promises that we will have daily communion with God through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Phil encouraged us to never resist the Holy Spirit, but to live in this world by the power of the Spirit. How can you live by the power of the Spirit this week?

Being a disciple of Jesus involves not just knowing who he is, but also having a personal and transformative experience with him. https://www.youtube.com/live/pgCJLYa44ak?feature=share&t=2475 STUDY QUESTIONS 1)  Phil’s message emphasized the importance of both knowledge and experience in our relationship with Jesus. Knowledge meaning knowing Jesus theologically, and experience meaning encountering him personally. Is this something that you’ve thought about before? Why is it important to have both knowledge and experience? Do you tend to lean on one of these sides more than the other? Why? 2)  John the Baptist considered the meaning of his life to be completely for Christ and to point to Christ, and Phil encouraged us to do the same. What does it mean to live completely for Christ? Why is living for Christ often difficult for us to do? How can we “be sold out for Jesus”, as Phil said? 3)  Phil said, “The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that we have received.” Why are you grateful for the Spirit in your life? What is something that you’d like to experience more of in regards to the Spirit in your life? (Hearing God, spiritual gifts, etc) 4)  When we first become Christians, we have an enthusiasm and joy about sharing the love of Jesus with others. But as we get older, sometimes we can lose that joy and we forget about how exciting it is to introduce someone to Jesus. How can we regain that joy? What are some practical ways that we can share Jesus with someone this week?

God cares deeply about justice, and he wants to partner with us to overcome injustice and fight for those in need within our community by empowering us with the Holy Spirit. https://www.youtube.com/live/f3f_cjpeAOQ?feature=share&t=2349 Study Questions 1)  Jordan centred his message around the questions, “What does justice look like? And why does God care about it?” When you think of justice, what comes to mind? And why do you think God cares about justice in the world? 2)  “Only a Jesus-filled life can help bring about Jesus-like justice to those who suffer.” The Holy Spirit is the one who transforms our hearts and empowers us to do justice, but we often forget our need for Him. Why do we need the Spirit? How can we remind ourselves of our need for the Spirit? 3)  Jesus announced his arrival in Luke 4:18 talking about the hope and the freedom that he was bringing to the world. Jordan talked about how we are partners with Christ in this work in the world, and we do that by sharing the good news of Christ’s love and hope with those around us. Share a story of a time when you have shared the love of Christ with someone around you (through word or deed). What was that experience like for you? What was it like for the other person? 4)  Jordan talked about the importance of feeling instead of looking. Feeling the pain and the brokenness and the burden of the people we’re serving, instead of looking at it and moving on. How can we become people who feel more? What is something in this city that you want to see changed? How can you help be a part of that change?

We are in a constant battle between the darkness and the light. To find the light and live in the light, we must look to Christ - the light of the world. https://www.youtube.com/live/0nfVJShHI7o?feature=share&t=3025 Study Questions 1)  Phil talked about our culture’s interest in mystery tv shows and movies. He said that we watch these shows because we want to see justice come through at the end, and for the story to have a fitting conclusion and solution. He then talked about how Christ is coming again one day to make all things right in this world, and bring justice and judgment. Is this something that you think about often? How do you feel when you think of Christ’s return and judgment? 2)  Christ said in John 12:36, “Put your trust in the light while you still have it, so that you may become children of light.” What does it mean to trust in the light? What does it mean for us to be children of light? How can this truth, that we live in the light, affect our daily lives? 3)  John 12:20-22 is a turning point in John, where Jesus interacts with Greeks and Gentiles. As Phil said, this means that, “Those that were despised or seen as unclean are now welcomed into the Kingdom of God.” What would this have been like for those who were outcasts in society? What does this mean for our culture now? What are some practical ways that we can welcome the “outsider” into our lives and point them to Jesus? 4)  Just as Christ came to die, we too must die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. When we do this, we will find abundant and eternal life. How do we gain abundant life after dying? Or how can Jesus say that we will find life only once we die? What does this mean? And do you find it hard to die to yourself? Why or why not? How can you die to yourself this week? 5)  Jesus is the light of the world, and he came to bring freedom from the darkness. Phil said that in order to live in the light and not in darkness, we must “give our absolute devotion, our hearts, to Jesus.” What might it look like this week to give our devotion to Jesus? How can we increase our devotion to and affection for Jesus?

In our culture, Jesus is seen as a good teacher, a good man, and even someone who was enlightened. While these things are true Jesus is much more than just a good person - He is the light of the world, the redeemer of our brokenness, and God himself. Study Questions 1)  Phil talked about how the world views Jesus. Based on your observation of people in your workplace, family, or community, what do you think are some of the most common views of who Christ is in our culture? 2)  Phil quoted Lucy from Narnia when she says to Aslan, “You seem to get bigger every time I meet you.” What does this quote mean to you, or what comes to your mind after hearing it? Is this a reflection of your own experience with Jesus? 3)  John 1:4-5 says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (or ‘did not grasp it’).” What does it mean that Jesus is the Light? What does light do? How does he bring light into the world? Has there been a time in your life where you’ve experienced the light of Christ overcoming the darkness? 4)  John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name...” Jesus came to the world to free humanity from sin, to satisfy our souls, and to transform us into being sons and daughters of a loving God. What does this verse, this truth mean to you? How important is it to know that you are a beloved child of God? How does this truth affect your daily life? 5)  Phil emphasized how the gospel is foolishness to the world, to those who have not experienced the revelation of Jesus. Alongside praying for those in our lives who don’t know Jesus, how can we share the love and light of Christ with others this week?

Jesus is risen! And he stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. Let him in, and experience his new and abundant life. 1)  Jesus is risen! What stood out to you the most this Easter from the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross, his death, and his resurrection? 2)  Peter and John ran to the tomb to see what had happened to it after the stone had been rolled away. John got there first, but he didn’t go into the tomb. Peter, though, took the step of courage and faith and went inside the tomb. What stands out to you from this? Why didn’t John go into the tomb first? What do you think the significance is of it being Peter who went into the tomb? 3)  Mary was weeping outside the tomb when Jesus came to her. She didn’t recognize him until he said, “Mary,” and then she knew it was him. Pastor Phil also talked about having a moment of revelation, when he suddenly knew that Jesus was alive. Have you had a moment of revelation like this? When did you know in your heart that Jesus was alive and real? 4)  Pastor Phil talked about how Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks, but we have to open the door and let him into our lives. What would it look like for you to “open the door” to Jesus this week - in your work, in your home? Is there an area of your life where you need to let him in and ask for his help, or depend on him, or let him lead you? If you feel comfortable, share that area with the group.

Jesus Meets Our Needs, Not Our Expectations Luke 19:28-31 https://www.youtube.com/live/jTWcuL1iWCw?feature=share&t=2180 Often we place expectations on God that he “fails” to live up to, but that is because our expectations of Him are not accurate to who he is. Jesus comes not to meet our expectations of who he is and what we think we need, but to meet our real needs. STUDY QUESTIONS Anne Laporte says that “Expectations are resentment under construction”. How does this statement apply to the crowds that were beginning to gather in Jerusalem for Passover? Have you ever placed expectations on God that were not met in a way that you hadhoped? Has God ever met a need, rather than an expectation? If so, what was that like? Take some time to discuss verses 39 and 40: 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” What do you think Jesus meant by this exchange? What were the Pharisees trying to accomplish? What was the point that Jesus was making? As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he began to openly weep. What does this signify? Discuss the thought that God offers us his presence and not a parachute. How do you understand this statement? We have heard about “life after death”, but regarding the idea of God’s presence being with us, what does N.T. Wright mean when he says “Life before death”?

The Funeral that became a Party John 11-1-46 Many of us live in the jungle of our pain, confusion, and grief … then we break through into a different perspective - a breakthrough moment Think of a situation where you were waiting for God to act, to intervene. Maybe there’s a situation where you thought it was too late for God to work. If you’re comfortable, share these situations with your small group. v5-6 reminder about God's love - in the darkest hardest times, do you wonder what God is doing? He is doing something remarkable within us during these times! When has God done the most remarkable miracle in your life? The easiest times? (Isn’t it true that God has done the most remarkable things during the times that were the darkest and the hardest? Before Jesus performs a miracle, did you notice how He met both the women in their grief first? How does that impact your thinking about what you are going through at the moment? v21 Phil spoke about the myth that we should not show our emotions to God. This is not true. What would it look like for you to take your circumstances and your pain to the Cross? What would it look like to fully express what you feel to God? v33-36 Jesus was ‘deeply moved in spirit and troubled’ when he saw them weeping. Jesus was broken inside because he identifies with the depth of pain these people are feeling. Jesus wept. Dwell on how much Jesus feels your pain because He loves you so much. v43 ‘Lazarus, come out’ - one day Jesus will speak again and we will be raised from the dead. God will put all things right at the end. Hallelujah! How does knowing the end of the story affect what you’re facing right now?

Passage: John 9 https://www.youtube.com/live/Fdx7sKGdmWw?feature=share&t=3195 We all carry pain. Things that we’ve done, or things that have been done to us - they stick with us and leave their mark. Jesus wants to meet us in those areas of pain and, through a lifelong relationship, heal our souls. 1)  Phil said that, “The desire for God is central for our growth.” What do you think of this statement? What does desire for God look like for you? What does growth in your life look like? 2)  Phil talked about the difference between having religion and having a relationship with God. What do you think the differences are between the two? What does having a relationship with God mean to you? What does it look like on a daily basis for you, personally? 3)  Jesus wants to meet us in our pain and our brokenness. He wants to journey with us, he wants to give us peace, and he wants to heal us. If you’re comfortable, share a time in your life when Jesus met you in your pain, and walked with you through it, and healed you. How did he walk with you? What did it look like? How did you “allow” him to enter into your pain? Or share an area of your life where you need Jesus to meet with you and heal you. 4)  Jesus healed the man born blind physically, but he also healed him emotionally and spiritually. Jesus made him into a new creation when he made mud and rubbed it on the man’s eyes, and this is what he can do for everyone. What does it mean to be a new creation? What does it mean for you that you are no longer what everyone else says about you - that you are a child of God? 5)  What are some ways that can you share the love and redeeming power of Christ with those around you this week?

John 6:16-21 / Matthew 14:22-33  When we’re in the middle of a storm, we can trust that Jesus will meet with us and be with us. He sees your life, he sees the storm, and he will be with you through it all.  General – Time allotment: 10-15 minutes for one or two of these questions.  ● Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.  ● What stood out to you in the sermon?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?  ● What do you want to be different this week in your life?  Sermon Specific  1) Jesus saw the storm that the disciples were in, and he sees the storm that you’re in. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus sees you during the storms of your life? Why do we sometimes find it difficult to believe that Jesus is with us during our storms?  2) Jesus asked the disciples to get into the boat, though he knew that the storm was coming. There are times when we clearly hear from God to take a step of faith, but then we find ourselves in a storm because of that decision. Have you experienced this before? Why do you think God calls us into difficult seasons and situations? Why does obedience to God’s calling on our lives often lead to difficulty?  3) Oftentimes, God seems to wait until the last moment, to “pull through” for us. He does this so that we learn to trust him - trust that he’s with us, trust that he will provide for us, trust that he knows best for us. Have you experienced a time when God provided at the last moment? Or has there been a time when you’ve trusted the Lord, even when it didn’t make sense, even when you’re hurting, and he came through for you?  4) Jesus saw the disciples in the darkness. Whatever darkness you’re in, Jesus sees you, and, as Psalm 139 tells us, there is no place that we could go where God isn’t with us. If you’re comfortable, share a time when Jesus met you in your darkness, and how he comforted you or “shone his light” in your situation. 5) “The more we focus on Jesus, the more our story changes.” Our story changes, because Jesus has the power and love to meet us and redeem the hardest moments of our lives. How can you focus on Jesus more during your season of life? How can you and your community focus on Jesus together

In the midst of uncertainty and fear, Jesus tells us that he is enough for us, and that he can do more than we could ever imagine. Just bring him your little, and he will bring much out of it.  General – Time allotment: 10-15 minutes for one or two of these questions. ● Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met. ● What stood out to you in the sermon? ● What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? ● What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? ● What do you want to be different this week in your life?  Sermon Specific  1) The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand reminded Pastor Phil of the story of David and Goliath. Both stories had circumstances that were seemingly impossible to overcome, but God had other ideas! What are a couple of things that stand out from these stories for you?  2) Through the story of feeding the five thousand, Jesus shows us that we can trust in him to provide for us and to be enough for us, no matter what situation we’re in. If you’re comfortable, share a time when you didn’t see a way through a situation, but God proved that he was enough for you. Share a time when God provided for you more than you could’ve thought possible. How did these times shape your faith?  3) Phil said that oftentimes, “the most remarkable moments in our life come after our deepest pain and disappointments,” because Christ is with us during our toughest times. Is this something you’d agree with? How does it make you feel knowing that Christ allows hard times to happen, but that he also works it together for good?  4) Jesus had compassion on the people who were following him, and he still shows his children compassion. He sees all of our pain, our hardship, our heartbreak, and he cares. How has Jesus had compassion on you? How do you feel knowing that Jesus has compassion on you, that he weeps with you, that he cares for you?

Jesus wants to enter into our lives and change us. He wants us to take up our mat, whatever “our mat” is, and walk with him in his great love for us

Jesus doesn’t want us to follow him because of what he can do for us. He wants us to follow him because of who he is.

God’s Design and Desire for Worship We have been made to worship, and there is no one more worthy of our worship than God. Through His word, God teaches us how to worship and why we should worship.  1) Worship is giving worth and devotion to something through your actions, your words, your priorities and so, essentially your whole your life in many different shapes and forms. Scripture tells us that we were created to give God our worship, love and devotion. Have you thought of worship in this way before? How does this look for you?  2) A key part of worship and praise is thanksgiving. They are often linked together in scripture. We learn from the story of the cleansed lepers (Luke 17:11-19) that God is wanting and waiting for our response to who He is and what He is doing in our lives. Do you practice regular thanksgiving? How does this look in your life? If not, ask God to show you one step you can take towards practicing gratitude and thanksgiving towards him in your daily life.  3) Worship is first our offering to God, not his offering to us, and asks us to worship Him to reverence and awe (Heb. 12:28-29). Have you approached worship in this way in the past or is this a new thought to you?  4) God has designed there to be wonderful benefits for us when we encounter his presence through praise and worship. We experience Joy, peace, hope, renewed strength, faith, courage, unity with our brothers and sisters and we fight back against the enemy. Have you experienced any of these in your past? If so, take time to share and testify examples of how the Lord has met you in worship or strengthened you for something you were facing for example. 5) Singing is a prominent feature of praise and worship in Scripture. It is referenced 400 times in scripture, 50 of which are commands to sing! Zac talked about how singing should be viewed as a spiritual discipline in our lives because of how often it is encouraged in scripture and how it connects the head and the heart in our brain. Do you join in singing during services or even sing on your own? If not, why? Ask God to give you his heart for singing and see if he is asking you to step out of your comfort zone and join in singing to him.

We often settle for a life filled with things that don’t satisfy, but Jesus offers us abundant life. Life and joy that is deep and lasting comes from him, and it’s available to all.  Text: John 2:1-12  1) The book of John is about life. John points out that Jesus is the one who created the world and life (John 1:3). He also writes his book so that we might believe in Jesus and have life in his name (John 19:31). In what ways does Jesus bring life? What do you think it means to have life in Jesus’ name?  2) In Jewish culture, wine represented joy. Phil points out that our culture has lost a sense of deep joy, but Jesus wants to restore the joy that we’ve lost in our lives. What things do we often turn to in order to bring us joy? How has Jesus brought joy into your life? How is the joy Jesus brings different than that of the world?  3) Phil talked about how knowing God isn’t a boring, religious activity - it’s a life-transforming relationship. “When you connect with Jesus, your world changes.” He takes our dirty water and makes it into wine. How has Jesus changed your life? How is he currently changing you or teaching you?  4) “Jesus loves to partner with us to bring change into our lives. He wants to bring abundance of life (new wine) into our lives.” What are some ways that you can partner with Jesus and the Holy Spirit to experience abundant life?

In the second part of this sermon, we learn that persevering in your faith can strengthen someone else in their faith and help them cross the finish line. 1) Being selfless and others-centered is something that Jesus and the bible talk about regularly, but it’s difficult to put into practice. Why does Jesus prioritize loving others so much? What impact does helping and loving others have on you? 2) Phil shared a story of Derek Redmond, an Olympic runner who tore his hamstring halfway through the 400mfinal. As he’s hobbling forward, trying to finish the race, his dad comes alongside him and helps carry him to the finish line. Phil pointed out that our role is to come alongside other Christians, and help them get to the finish line. Share a time when someone has come alongside you and helped you through a difficult time. What impact did that have on you? 3) What are the key practices and habits in your life that help build your own perseverance? And building on the question #2, what are some ways that we can help others to persevere?

Day 21: Let’s Get the Word Out Thank you for joining the journey with me for the past 21 days. I have appreciated hearing from you and enjoyed writing (and speaking) to you daily! I hope that the characters we visited and examples of answered prayer were an encouragement to you. My prayer for you is taken from Ephesians 1:17-19, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Let us gather at the end of these 21 days and tell stories of God's goodness, of answered prayers. Let us speak of our Red Sea moments or finding courage for today. Let's be honest about desperation, numb grief, questions, and doubts… and remind one another of the promise of His presence. Let us gather around the fire of the Spirit burning – our testimonies sparking a flame of faith that will prophesy the possibility of God to others, waging war on darkness. Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6 to, “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” He also asks for prayer, which we can adopt as ours today, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel.” His Spirit is anointing you today. Be intentional about telling your God stories; tell of His goodness and faithfulness over your life and His love and grace surrounding you. Reflect and Respond Ask the Lord what He wants you to take out of this focused season of prayer, and write a prayer of commitment to what He shows you. Meditate on Psalm 34:3, "Join me in spreading the news; together let's get the word out. God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him.” Help us, Lord, to be like Enoch, that our life would be characterised by walking with You and Moses, that we would ask to see your glory. Like Joshua, trust your promises and pray audaciously, and Hannah, whose despair turned to delight. Like Asaph, who found himself in the sanctuary to find the truth, and David, who listened for your guidance. Like Elijah, who travailed, and Elisha, who saw the supernatural army of angels. Like Solomon, who asked for wisdom, and Daniel, who prayed morning, noon and evening. Like Zechariah and Elizabeth, who prayed for decades and who asked honest questions, Like the woman who reached out to touch your robe, Like Philip, give us ears to hear your direction, Like those who prayed for Peter's release, thank you for showing us the importance of praying together. Like Paul and Silas, help us worship in all circumstances, even in our darkest hour. Like the woman who poured perfume, may our sacrifice please you. In your name, we pray. Amen. Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 20: Fragrant Offering As we draw near to the end of our 21 days, we'll focus today on an act of devotion and adoration. We know of God in a blazing but not consumed bush, who asked of Moses, “Do not come any closer....Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” We know of Jesus washing the disciple's worn, dusty feet and that Peter responded, “no, I will not participate in this” (because he knew it was a degrading task). But Jesus, apparently committing a faux pas in His upside-down kingdom way, responded, “If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing”. Another symbol of shoes off, humility and surrender to washing that only Jesus can offer. I want to focus on the account in Luke 7:36-39 of the perfume being poured on Jesus' cracked, dirty feet. At that time, perfume was so rare that everyday women never thought of buying or wearing perfume. It simply wasn't feasible. It cost way too much. So who would be willing to drop the big bucks for fragrance? Women like this one. Some theologians believe the only women who wore perfume were "the women of the streets." The fragrance was a form of advertising. Those who wore perfume were sending a bold and fragrant message - "I'm available . . . for a price." So when this woman broke open the bottle and poured out the valuable cologne, she wasn't just parting with the money she had earned. She was parting with her past, her profession and her livelihood. The perfume not only represented the work she used to do; it also represented what she could use to stir up future business. When she broke the bottle, she burned her bridges. Her act communicated more than any words as she broke the jar, poured it all out, released it and surrendered herself. ‘Jesus, here's my life. It's all yours. I'm holding nothing back.’ She would leave that space; the perfume absorbed into her hands and hair, having broken the religious rules, she walked away a richer person for her act and carrying the fragrance of her act. I wonder if His feet carried the fragrance all the way to the cross, as the nails were hammered. Was there a fragrance? There is a fragrance that is promised as we linger in His presence, and this same fragrance spreads as described in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 in The Message: “'In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation–an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on?” Reflect and Respond Take time to reflect on a poem I wrote on the feet of the One who touched the earth with destination in mind and purpose in His heart. What resonates with you and your walk? The Feet of Jesus The womb of the chosen mother, Trough hay in newborn toes, Kicking. Childhood Passover pilgrimage, Into the cold waters of Jordan, Obeying. The pinnacle of the temple, Temptation to step, Overcoming. Fragrance fills the air, Awash with tears, Receiving. Storm shakes the night, Boat rocks as water holds, Walking. Dove feathers fly, As tables overturn, Stamping. Fastened by nails to Cedar, Splintered agony to death, Loving. Resurrected beach strolls, With grains of sand known, Living. Lord, we want to follow Moses’ example of humility and reverence. We want to shake off the dust and dirt and say “yes’ to the holy. We want to pour out our best, and as we surrender, we know that your presence in us promises that where we stand is sacred, holy ground, and when we move, we carry your fragrance. For your glory, amen. Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Our political leaders face difficult choices and challenges every day. The Bible encou

Perseverance is a gift that the Lord wants to teach us in prayer, because in the fight against the enemy and our own sin, perseverance is power.  1) In his sermon, Phil said that, “Spiritual warfare is the whole of the Christian experience.” What is your response when you hear that statement? Would you agree or disagree? What does spiritual warfare look like for you in your life?  2) We have an enemy who wants to discourage us, weaken us, tempt us, and destroy us. Because of this, we need perseverance to face his tactics, resist them, and overcome them. Have you ever thought of the importance of perseverance in the Christian life? Has there been a time in your life when you’ve had to persevere in prayer before seeing a breakthrough? If yes, share with your group.  3) Perseverance is important for our growing in character. We all have traits that we wish we could change, and perseverance with Christ is how we see change. In fact, God promises that persevering in our character growth and having good character leads to abundant life, resisting the devil, and a reward in heaven. Has there been a time when God has worked on a specific character trait in your life? What did that process look like? Did you have to persevere through it in order to see change?  4) What are some practical ways to encourage and increase perseverance in your relationship with Jesus? Share and brainstorm with the group

Day 19: Freedom Song Today we will focus on Paul and Silas, who have been stripped, beaten and imprisoned for preaching and casting out a demon. Their feet were bound in stocks, and they were guarded by the jailer. Let’s read Acts 16 from verse 25. “About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.” Wow! What a story. I love that in God’s sovereignty that Paul and Silas were imprisoned together. Should we marvel over the fact that they could worship and pray in their worst pain, over the miracle of the earthquake, or that the jailer and his household were saved? Their hindsight knew that they could trust God and their first call was to worship and pray. They knew that God is sovereign. The supernatural timing of the earthquake shook them out of their chains, and the door flew open. Their sacred concert had brought the house down. We read that Paul and Silas stayed. They did not choose their self-preservation and escape; they chose kingdom impact resulting in the salvation of the jailer and his family (at least) and, who knows, maybe even those who were listening? Lord, thank you that You desire to use our circumstances to bring glory to your name. Let our walk with You inspire others to ask the question, “what must i do to be saved?” Thank you that your word says, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. We pray this for our family today. For your glory, amen. Reflect and Respond Are you feeling defeated by your circumstances? Or do you know someone who is? Lift your voice and worship. If that is too hard today, play some worship and ask God to help you join in. Meditate "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18) *written by Paul a year or two after the midnight concert, this was his testimony! Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Pray for Kelowna and Lake Country. "Fruitful in Unity" is our city’s motto; pray that our city would know this as spiritual truth. Pray for our mayors and the city councils for wisdom over decisions and the future of our cities. Pray that the Lord would place Spirit-filled Christians in all decision-making areas in our cities. Pray for ongoing provision and necessary resources for non-profit organizations. Pray for our teachers in Kelowna and Lake Country that they would know God's strength during these days, for protection in their classrooms and creative wisdom as they teach. Pray for any city needs that you are aware of! Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 18: Knock, Knock Do we take these words of Jesus seriously? “For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.” (Matthew 18:20) While personal prayer is essential, praying with others has to be integrated into our lives. Many see breakthroughs as they commit to corporate prayer. The call to corporate prayer is to us all, even us introverts, busy people, and those struggling with insecurities. The theme of scripture is togetherness; we are wired for attachment and created for community. The church was birthed out of a furnace of corporate prayer; they joined together constantly in prayer (Acts 1:14). They devoted themselves to prayer every day! (Acts 2:42) They raised their voices together (Acts 4:24). They prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14) In Acts 12, we read of an answer to corporate prayer. The church is facing a life-threatening crisis, as Herod intends to persecute and eliminate. Peter is imprisoned and probably in the Antonia fortress, overlooking the temple. He is guarded by four squads of four soldiers each, likely on a rotating basis. Luke notes in Acts 12 verse 6 that on the eve of his trial and execution, Peter slept bound with chains between two soldiers. He slept! His faith in his Savior meant he knew that whatever happens to him, his life is safe in Christ. Meanwhile, the church is "earnestly praying to God for him" (vs 5). The Greek word 'ektenes' signifies fervour, earnestness, and perseverance. It was a word that was used in Grecian athletics describing a runner with taut muscles moving at maximum output, straining and stretching to the limit to win the race. Peter is struck in the side by an angel and instructed to get up quickly and get dressed. Peter follows the angel out of prison, out of chains, past the guards, and as they approach the prison gate, it opens by itself. Peter finds himself on the streets of Jerusalem and the angel leaves him dazed. Peter finds himself alone. Realising it's not a vision, Peter thinks, "Now I know without a doubt the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen." (vs11) After his release Peter makes his way to Mary's home, where many are gathered to pray. Rhoda, the house servant, hears Peter knocking and, in her joy, forgets to open the door, running back to the fervent pray-ers saying, “Peter is at the door!” The praying ones respond with, “you're out of your mind.” (vs15) Eventually, the door is answered, the church is astonished and he motions them to be quiet so he can tell about his dramatic escape story. (vs17) I am thinking today of the earnest, fervent prayers rising this season, those we are praying individually and corporately. The prayers that are reaching the heart of the Father, prayers that will break chains, bring freedom and release. Keep going - for His glory! Reflect and Respond Do you struggle with corporate prayer and worship at all? If yes, ask Jesus to show you what the root reasons are. Then, ask Him to speak to these roots. Ask God to give you promises and/or pictures that communicate corporate prayer’s value. Meditate “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests.” (Philippians 2:1-5) “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don't need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don't need you!’… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:21, 27) Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Pray for the churches that you know of in Kelowna and Lake Country. Pray that churc

Day 17: Yes or No? Let's think about the evangelist Philip who was part of a successful ministry among the Samaritans and was confronted by the angel of the Lord in Acts 8:26. “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.'” It was time for a new assignment! Philip got up and went and found himself being introduced to ONE man, the Ethiopian Eunuch, a high court official of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah and invited Philip to sit with him. From here, Philip began with the passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus; the Eunuch understood the word and was baptised as soon as they came to water as they travelled. Church fathers as early as AD 180 mention the Eunuch evangelising his homeland! Then there's Paul. He wanted to minister in the province of Asia and Bithynia – but the Spirit said "No." It is unclear how the Spirit said “no”, but it is likely to have been a direct revelation. It was clearly the intention of God to extend the gospel further into the regions of Greece than would have been done if they had remained in Asia Minor. This prohibition was the means of the first introduction of the gospel into Europe. Have you ever heard a clear “no” when you've asked God to go in a specific direction, then later, see why? By the grace of God, we go! Paul and his group obeyed and went down to Troas, and during the night, Paul had the vision to go to Macedonia instead (Europe). So much fruit was born from listening to his redirection. Both Philip and Paul were obedient to the direction of the Spirit, born from taking time to listen in prayer. These stories remind me of a similar story, our story, also involving Philip an evangelist, in a thriving ministry in the UK. Phil had dreamed of Canada for decades, knowing the Lord would use us all significantly there. Meanwhile, I didn’t want to hear about Canada as I was loving my job, where I lived, my friends, my family. But then one November evening in 2009, as I prayed, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me: “It's time for Canada.” And I knew, without a doubt, that this was God's kingdom purpose and said “yes”! We moved six months later and have been in Kelowna for twelve and a half years, still saying “yes” to God's call in Canada. I hope these examples of direction today encourage you to listen specifically for direction from the Holy Spirit; He wants to guide your steps. “This is what the LORD says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'” (Jeremiah 6:16) Lord, thank you for guiding and directing us when we live a listening life. Your word says, “since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Help us to live by the Spirit for your glory. Amen. Reflect and Respond Read Acts 8:26-40 and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal a truth from this story that you haven't seen before. Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) As Christ-followers, we all need to have the truth of the Gospel at the core of our lives. Pray for a fresh love of the Gospel. Ask the Lord for boldness and courage to share His love. Pray that, as a church, we will see people coming to Christ through all of our ministries. Pray for your three prayer points.

Fear is something that grips all of us. But it is not the way of life that Jesus would have for us. With his help, we can move from fear to faith. Text: Mark 5:21-34 Study questions: 1) Fear is something that we have all experienced, and probably more so in the last couple of years than ever before. Where do you see or experience fear within our culture? What impact does fear have on you or the people around you? 2) “When your fear is great, but your need is greater, that’s when you start to hear the message of the Kingdom of God.” What does this mean for you? Is there a time in your life that comes to mind after reading this? 3) There’s a obvious contrast between Jairus and the woman who bled. Jairus is an esteemed Jewish leader, and the woman is an outcast. And yet they both come to Jesus, because they know that only he can help them. Both Jairus and the woman overcame their fears of losing their place, and being even more isolated, respectively, and stepped into faith in Christ. What’s the main thing that sticks out for you from this story? How can we emulate their step of faith in our lives? 4) Jesus calls the woman his daughter. He gives her an identity and in doing so, he is telling her that she is seen, loved, and known. How often do you think of the fact that you are a son or daughter of Christ? How does it make you feel to know that you are his child?

Day 16: Help My Unbelief Today we read of a confession of faith and a cry for help in Mark chapter 9. We read of a father, desperate and at his wit's end. While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John, the man brought his son to the disciples for deliverance and healing, and the disciples could not help. You can imagine the chaos: frustrated disciples, now arguing, a distraught father, a suffering child and the teachers of the law ridiculing—a battle of kingdoms. The words used by Mark to describe the boy's struggle are descriptive and expressive: foaming, gnashing and destroying. They describe a darkness that is opposed to the image of God in the boy - and the father knows where to find the true Imago Dei. Jesus observes the commotion, gets irritated and rebukes those around, “How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” (vs 19) Jesus and the boy's father talk about how long this has been going on, and the father asks, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” To which Jesus responds, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” The father responds with a confession of faith and a cry for help. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” What is it in our lives that we do not believe God can do anything about? What do we think God will not solve? What do we believe God cannot handle? Where in our hearts have we said to the Lord, “if you can?” We know the outcome, Jesus takes authority over the demon oppressing the child, and the child is set free and healed. This story is one we can identify with, the desperation, the questions and the cry for help. The Lord wants your honesty, your questions and your uncertainty. He can handle all of it, and he'd much rather you question Him than ignore Him. When the chaos settles, and Jesus and the disciples are home, they are still reeling from the day's events and ask, “Why couldn't we drive it out?' Jesus replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.” I have found that there are times in life when the Lord has encouraged a time of fasting, specifically when deliverance, breakthrough or healing is needed. I think of my own family situation where Phil and I committed to prayer and fasting every week for my brother who desperately needed a miracle. Two years later, we saw God answer, in His timing and His way. Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when my trust in You has been overshadowed by doubt and my spiritual walk has strayed. Strengthen me, Lord. I do believe, help my unbelief. Help my unbelief about reconciliation. Help my unbelief when I struggle to forgive. Help my unbelief about healing. Help my unbelief about your direction. In your name, amen. Reflect and Respond Ask the Lord if there is any area where unbelief is present in your life, and ask Him to help your unbelief. Think about the disciples' question, “why couldn't we drive it out?” and Jesus' response. Is the Lord highlighting an area that needs a commitment to fasting? Meditate “And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.” (1 John 5:14-15)

Day 15: Reach Out Jairus was a ruler in the synagogue of Capernaum and a well-known religious leader who came to Jesus, pleading with Him to come and lay His hands on his only daughter, who was near death. His desperation forced him to Jesus' feet in front of everyone. Luke 8:42 describes the scene, the crowds pressing in, and some describe a crushing. In the middle of this scene, we meet another precious one who had been bleeding for 12 years. She knew to touch the edge or fringe of his garment; she did and was immediately healed. Jesus knew that someone had touched him and He responded with acceptance and grace. He called her daughter. He accepted her. He offered her peace and healed her. The word translated "fringe" is a Greek word meaning a "tassel of twisted wool." In Numbers, the Israelites sewed these tassels onto the four corners of their garments, representing God's commandments. The word translated "corner", also "wings", and the prayer shawl was often referred to as "wings of a garment." In his prophecy about the coming Messiah (Jesus), Malachi wrote, “Surely the day is coming .… But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4:1-2) Based on this prophecy, a belief developed among first century Jews that the corner tassels of the Messiah's garment would have healing powers. During this healing, Jairus' daughter died. Jesus overheard this news and offered Jairus these commands and a promise, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." They continued to Jairus' house and arrived at the home of mourning which quickly became mocking when Jesus told them that the little girl was just asleep. We all know the rest of the story, “Talitha Koum; little girl, arise.” She did. Jesus also told her parents to give her something to eat… very important when you have been brought to life! He also told them not to tell anyone. I'm curious to know how easy that would have been. Here we read of two beloved daughters. One suffering as long as the other had been alive. A ceremonially unclean woman and a synagogue ruler's daughter. Both needed Jesus healing, and we see a miracle within a miracle as an act of touch restores both daughters to new life. Lord, thank you that you are the God of miracles. Help us to reach for You for our healing. Thank you that when we are frustrated or desperate, You are not and that you answer in your perfect way. Teach us to look out for those around us who need your touch of healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Amen. Reflect and Respond Can you think of an example from your life when God gave you a promise, and you responded in faith and saw God do something remarkable? Write this down. What do the words ‘do not fear, only believe' mean to you today? Think of a time when you felt like you were at your end. Think of that space and ask God to show you where Jesus was. What was He like? What did He refer to you as?

Day 14: But How? Today we visit Zechariah and Elizabeth, a faithful couple, both “well advanced” in years. A custom took place every six months that priests were chosen by “lot” to burn incense in the temple. Because of the 24,000 priests, the odds were against them, until this moment recorded in Luke 1:15 where Zechariah would’ve picked a God-given straw for this moment in history. I love how God is in the fine details of our story as we surrender to Him. “And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.” The angel assures Zechariah that his prayer has been heard, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.” Zechariah, besides being startled and full of fear, also responds in unbelief, asking, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” Zechariah questioned, “but how?!” his thoughts immediately went to his natural circumstances, resulting in him being made mute by the angel, until the birth of his son, John. This had obviously been a persistent prayer for them both for many years, particularly with the cultural shame that barrenness would bring. It is easy to imagine that when Zechariah was in the temple and the angel appeared, that he was praying for a child, but his response indicates that it might not have been on his current prayer list. I wonder if and when they stopped praying and decided it was too late? It has been noted that as Zechariah stood in the temple, he was far more likely to have been praying for his nation and God’s favour on his people. The point is, whatever Zechariah was praying for that day in the temple, God had taken the decades of prayers that he and Elizabeth had prayed, and their prayers as incense rose and touched heaven. Be encouraged today that no prayers are wasted. Be encouraged. The Lord has heard your prayers, the Lord has seen your tears, the Lord has heard your questions of “‘how long?” He is faithful. Lord, thank you that your word says that You are good to those whose hope is in You, to the one who seeks You; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Teach us to wait quietly, trust, and surrender to your will. Amen. Reflect and Respond Where have you seen God in the fine details of your life in the past few weeks? Ask the Lord to give you fresh faith over the prayers you have prayed for decades.

Day 13: Morning, Noon and Evening Today, we will think about Daniel, a man of God, person of prayer, prophet, dream interpreter and king's advisor in his spare time. Because of the Lord's favour upon him, King Darius put Daniel in charge of the kingdom. Such favour attracted jealousy, resulting in others conspiring to throw him to the lions. We know that Daniel was uncompromising in that He refused to renounce prayer to Yahweh in Babylonian culture. He would not order his prayer life according to the foreign land's culture, customs and expectations. He also boldly went to the king to interpret dreams that others couldn't and saved the lives of his friends. In response to the news that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 70 years, Daniel 9 records his prayer of intercession, one of his most well-known prayers. Verse 3 says, "So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition…" In verses 5-14, Daniel acknowledges that God's punishment is deserved, and in verses 15-16, Daniel repents and asks for forgiveness. Verse 23 describes a messenger from God saying how precious Daniel is, that he is highly esteemed and heard. Where was Daniel's faith, boldness, and uncompromising focus found? How can we become a people who fast, believe and walk in boldness these days? I believe the answer is found in Daniel 6:10, “Three times a day, he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” He most likely prayed morning, noon and evening because that's exactly what King David did (Psalms 55:16-17). We also read of Peter praying three times per day; these times were even referred to as the "hours of prayer" in the New Testament (Acts 2:15, Acts 3:1 and Acts 10:9). In Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, Tyler Staton writes: “Have you ever wondered how the apostles were able to gather their scattered congregations for emergency prayer meetings in a huge city in a world before cell phones? The most likely explanation is that they were already gathering for prayer at set points throughout the day.” Daniel was a man of prayer with a disciplined prayer rhythm. This is not a prescriptive model of prayer but rather a description of what happens when we live in a place of a disciplined prayer rhythm. God worked in Darius’ life, and he acknowledged the miraculous power of God. In verse 26, Darius wrote, “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” The word fear that King Darius used means more than being afraid; it means that everyone should be "amazed, surprised, astonished, filled with wonder, filled with reverence, full of worship" for God. Lord, thank you for offering us many models of prayer throughout scripture, and that Daniel shows us the rhythm of prayer that ultimately brought a decree to everyone throughout the kingdom. Lord, I pray that we would live amazed, surprised, astonished, and filled with wonder, reverence, and worship for you. Amen. Reflect and Respond Ask the Lord how He would like you to order your prayer rhythm. Write a prayer of commitment. Meditate “God said to him, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for, from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words [prayers] were heard.’” (Daniel 10:12)

Day 12: Wise Words Today, we will think about Solomon and his prayer recorded in 2 Chronicles 1:10, “Give me the wisdom and understanding to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?” King Solomon is synonymous with many characteristics; the one we will focus on today is wisdom. Feeling his own inadequacy and sensing his need for divine assistance, he went to God in worship. And God appeared to Solomon in a dream, saying, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this, your great people?” So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!” (1 Kings 3) ​Interestingly enough, Solomon was confronted with a situation immediately after praying for the gift of wisdom. In 1 Kings 3:16-28, two women came to Solomon. These women lived together in the same house, and they both gave birth within days of one another. One of the children died in the night, and its mother exchanged it for the living child while the other mother slept. In the morning, the other mother awoke and recognized that the dead child was not hers, and the argument that ensued was brought to the king for settlement. God’s wisdom is readily available in all situations, challenges and questions we face. In this story,  wisdom was found in understanding the mother’s love. We simply need to ask, as James reminds us, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) And such wisdom is for the sake of others: “...the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere.” (James 3:17) Can you imagine living like this? Lord, We thank you for your wisdom and understanding. You encourage us that getting wisdom is the wisest thing we can do, so we ask for your wisdom to wrap our thoughts and guide our steps. Amen. Reflect and Respond We know that some of Solomons’ decisions were not as wise as they could have been; which areas do you need God’s wisdom? Write a prayer today acknowledging your need for wisdom and understanding over specific decisions and relationships. Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Consider the seniors in your life and thank God for them and all they mean to you and others. Pray for seniors you know who do not have faith in Jesus Christ and pray that God softens their hearts and draws them to salvation. Pray for the seniors' health and well-being in our community. Pray for those who are lonely that God would comfort and provide. Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 11: Eye-opening There's a great story in the Bible about the prophet Elisha who woke one morning and found himself faced with a platoon of horses and chariots; the enemy had surrounded the city. Elisha's servant, panicking, cried, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?" (2 Kings 6:15) Elisha told the servant, “don't be afraid; those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” I'm sure the servant was more than confused at Elisha's counting; the whole army versus two does not equal victory. Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so that he may see.” Elisha interceded on behalf of his friend, and God answered his request. “Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, ‘Strike this army with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.” (2 Kings 6:17-18) One of the most often recounted stories about angels helping believers involves missionary John G. Paton, who ministered in the New Hebrides islands. One evening, John and his wife were surrounded by hostile natives intent on burning the Patons' hut and killing the missionaries. John Paton says he and his wife spent a terror-filled evening desperately praying for God's supernatural deliverance. When daylight came, John says they looked out the window and mysteriously, the hostile natives had disappeared. About a year later, the chief of that tribe was converted to faith in Christ. And John Paton, remembering what had happened that evening, asked the chief why they did not attack them that night. The chief seemed surprised and said it was because of the men surrounding the hut. Perplexed, John said, "There were no men surrounding our hut." The chief insisted, "Oh, yes, there were. We saw hundreds of men in bright, shining garments standing before your hut with swords drawn, ready to protect you. We didn't dare invade." At that moment, John Paton began to understand the delivering power of angels. The chief agreed there was no other possible explanation. Every day, you and I have things that happen in our lives that can only be explained through the presence of angels. Angels are a real power in our world today. The Bible is clear that we are never to substitute the worship of angels for the worship of Jesus Christ, but understanding the reality and the ministry of angels helps us to more fully appreciate how much God loves us and how He is working in our lives every day. Lord, thank you that the scriptures are full of supernatural encounters. Thank you for the prayer of Elisha that we can pray as our own, “O LORD, open his eyes so that he may see.” I pray that you give us eyes to see the wonder and mystery of all that you are doing around us. Amen. Reflect and Respond Think of an overwhelming situation and ask God to show you how He is working. Meditate "I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love, and to know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16–19)

Part of being a Christ-follower means realizing that we’re in a spiritual battle. Too often, though, we forget that we have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy anything good and godly in our lives. Here’s how to recognize his tactics, resist him, and stand firm in your faith. 1)Our culture often portrays the devil as a man dressed in red clothes, with a tail and horns, who just wants to break some rules and have fun. Because of this portrayal, amongst other reasons, the reality of the spiritual battle that we’re in is often overlooked or forgotten. What is your experience with learning or hearing about the spiritual battle within the church? Is it something that you are aware of, or is it a relatively new idea? 2)The enemy, from the beginning, has targeted God’s people. He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy them and all that is good and godly in their lives. And Satan has many goals in targeting us. Phil shared a list of his goals and it included blinding unbelievers to the gospel, causing believers to fall away from the faith, stopping the spread of the gospel, and breaking our fellowship with God, among others. Have you experienced the enemy targeting you with any of these goals? Have you ever thought that you have a “target on your back” because of your faith in Jesus? How does it make you feel? 3)His tactics include lies, temptation, persecution, accusation, guilt, doubt, fear, jealousy, pride, sin, and discouragement, amongst others. What are some of the tactics that you experience in your life? Are these been used regularly against you, or was it during a specific season of life? 4)We have so many reasons to hope and to fight this battle, and we fight it with God. The enemy is a defeated enemy, and our God has won the war. We already have victory in Jesus, and we fight to experience that victory every day. Our weapons include prayer, God’srhemawords to us, his Word, his truth, his presence, community, worship, and more. What weapons have you used in the fight? What do you find most helpful? How important is a community in the fight?

Day 10: Fire and Rain Today we will focus on the ministry of Elijah. If you read 1 Kings chapters 17 and 18, you'll see how God used him. For example, Elijah prayed seven times for rain after a long drought. The book of James also mentions this occasion, and we know from that account that not only did Elijah's prayers bring rain, but they had also stopped the rain three years earlier! Of course, God's will is always for his power and wisdom to be revealed, yet it took Elijah's prayers to fulfil this before the Israelites and king Ahab. This was just one of many displays of power as a result of Elijah's prayers; another is found at the ‘Carmel Corral’, in 1 Kings 18, where there was a competition to prove whose God was better. God's fire fell on the sacrifice, which was previously doused three times in water… just to be sure. Following the fire fall, scripture tells us that Elijah “climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” An unusual posture that describes a birthing position, a prayer that is prevailing and travailing - a co-labouring with God to bring about His purposes.  We have already seen Elijah fed by ravens, restore a child to life, pray for drought, and call down fire and rain. We know His travailing and prevailing prayer was that the people would know God. Christians would pray all night during the civil rights movement  in what was called 'shut-ins.' The sound of prayer from these places was not of words but guttural groans, a sound of labouring, their very being crying 'Oh God.’ Their prayers brought change. I think of parents who are desperately seeking God for their loved ones. It is not a waste of time. God sees your labour and he will bring life. Lord, thank you for your encouragement that the joy of new life is the reward of our labouring in prayer for the salvation of our loved ones, friends, and the world. I pray for those who are tired of travailing, that you would draw near, encourage hearts and renew hope. Amen. Reflect and Respond Write a prayer of thanks for your salvation; thank God for the person who prayed for you. Pray for a lost friend or family member, asking Jesus to leave the 99 and pursue them. Ask that God would give you the heart of Jesus for the lost. Meditate on this verse: “Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again.” (1 Kings 18:37) Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) The first place we start to model our faith is around our children. Take a moment to pray for your children, grandchildren and those in your care. Pray for Tamara, Courtney, Janelle and Kim as they lead the children’s ministry. Ask God to bless the children’s ministry of Willow Park with creativity and strength. Volunteers are always needed; ask the Lord to provide the right people in the right places. Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 9: Prayers of David David cried out to the Lord in every area of his life and in the midst of every emotion he found comfort in his Father in heaven. Below are some of his most powerful prayers to God. The Psalms are full of these prayers. If you are stuck for words or need divine direction, visit the Psalms and pray some of David’s prayers as your own. After all, he was known as a man after God’s heart. Here are some examples: A prayer for help: “Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.” (Psalm 60:5) A prayer for repentance: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:1-2) A prayer for renewed hope: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 43:5) A prayer for safety: “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me - God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. (Psalm 57:1-2) A prayer for mercy: “Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you because you answer me.” (Psalm 86:2-7) The need for direction from God was just as strong for the people of God in the Bible as it is for us, His followers today. David trusted the Lord continually for direction, which is why he went to listen for the Lord’s strategies to fight his enemies. “And David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?’ And the LORD said to David, ‘Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.’” (2 Samuel 5:19, ESV) Eventually, the Philistines returned and David inquired again. This time the Lord gave David a different strategy. “And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, ‘You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.’” (2 Samuel 5:23, ESV) God wants to speak and direct your life; let’s be inquiring of the Lord for our strategies, which might differ from what we have previously known and have trusted. This kind of direction is the outcome of living a listening life. Lord, thank you for your living word that is so rich with emotion. Thank you that you made us to feel and express and know you in all the details of life. Thank you for your word that says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Amen. Reflect and Respond Write your own prayer from one of the verses above. Ask God if He wants to give you a fresh word of direction or strategy today. Read one of David’s most well-known prayers here: 2 Samuel 7:18-29 Prayer Focus “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Pray for our church campuses: South, Creekside, Hwy 33 and Pursuit. Pray that each community will know the blessing of God. Pray that the church will have an evangelistic heart. Pray that each congregation will be renewed with a deep passion for Christ. Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 8: The Sanctuary Today we meet Asaph, the singer, poet, seer and prophet, and Psalm 73 describes him having a moment. Before we get to his moment, it is important to understand that Psalm 73 travels through three stages: orientation, disorientation and reorientation. Orientation begins with, “surely God is good,” and ends with, “it is good to be near God.” Orientation statements express what we believe about God and about life with Him. We then enter Asaph's disorientation, which occurs when our experience of life does not match up to our faith-based expectations. This describes his lament with the 'godless' who seem to have everything going for them - the proud and the arrogant still prospering with health and wealth. Verse 21 describes some serious emotions: “When my heart was grieved, and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.” When our fellowship with God gets challenged, stressed and broken, like Asaph, we can start acting like “senseless animals”. We get anxious and critical, whine more than we worship, complain quicker and despair longer. The psalmist kept his heart pure but struggled with temptation, doubt and fear. He looked around and saw success, affluence, and healthy people and was envious of them. How refreshing to hear the honesty of this prophet poet; his fluency in lament is an important language we can learn from. Asaph found his change of perspective and a new outlook, the capacity to view things through God’s lens, and verse 17 describes where he found it. “I entered the sanctuary; then I understood their final destiny.” It is interesting to notice the preserving effect of the worshipping community. Prayer, worship and the word in the sanctuary, the house of God, helped him appreciate God and eternity in a new way, beyond his everyday life to an eternal perspective. Even though he was full of doubt and questions and almost slipped (vs. 2) he still found himself in the sanctuary. Let that be our practice! It is also important to note that the transformation occurs not in Asaph’s circumstances but in his perception of the circumstances. All of Asaph's feelings and emotions are normal, but how we deal with them is important. In the house of the Lord, his community, Asaph found answers that he did not have before. It was there he knew the conviction of God, found truth and was reminded of who he belonged to, resulting in his words, “Who have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…but as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” (v.28). Asaph’s honest expression of the way in which he viewed life around him was essential to his reorientation, and his perspective only changed through his honesty with God. Our crises and questions are best worked out with God in our community. Our community is essential to our life, a healthy life of faith. Lord, may I enter Your sanctuary and see things from Your perspective. Thank You that “You are good to those who are pure in heart.... It is good to be near You. I have made You my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.” Amen. Reflect and Respond Read Psalm 73. Ask the Lord to highlight verses and use them in prayer. Though our circumstances may not change, our perspective can. Ask the Lord if there are areas in your life where you need to gain His understanding or perspective. A Sabbath Blessing by Pete Greig: “May this day bring Sabbath rest to my heart and my home. May God’s image in me be restored, and my imagination in God be re-storied. May the gravity of material things be lightened, and the relativity of time slow down. May I know grace to embrace my own finite smallness in the arms of God’s infinite greatness. May God’s Word feed me and His Spirit lead me into the week and into the life to come.” Prayer Focus

Day 7: Remember Me  Today we visit the story of Hannah. Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. In 1 Samuel, we read of Peninnah’s taunts towards Hannah for not having children while she easily bore children. Hannah was ridiculed and humiliated and pleaded with God, weeping her words, "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life." (1 Samuel 1:11)  Despite the difficult circumstances she faced, Hannah persistently prayed to God. and verse 10 says, “Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.”  God wants our emotions; He made us emotional beings. In verse 16, Hannah, in her brokenness, declares to Eli, the priest, "I have been praying here out of great anguish and grief.” Is there something you desperately want from God? It is almost inevitable at some point; we will feel the “distress of the soul” described in the Amplified version of this verse. Others describe it as “the wall” or the “dark night of the soul.” It is so easy for us to feel bitterness at the circumstances of life. Embitterment is different than anger because although it involves the same outrage, it also involves feeling helpless to change things. Hannah clearly felt this.  Do we let bitterness eat away and create decay as we hold onto our pain, or do we bring our bitterness, let the Lord bear it, and ultimately take it? To ask the same God who allowed your pain to then take your bitterness away requires setting aside resentment. It means a difficult, faithful acknowledgement of His place as your Creator and faithful provider.  Every year in my devotionals I include Romans 8:26. This story seems fitting of this verse, “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” "Hannah prayed wordless prayers before Eli, and that caused him to ask if she was drunk. But this is the Spirit interceding for us."  After God answered Hannah's prayers and granted her the blessing of her son Samuel (plus five more over time) Hannah recognises God's faithfulness. “There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides You. There is no rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:2) She continued to pray and give thanks, acknowledging from whom her blessings came. As we know, her son, Samuel, became the greatest prophet in Israel's history, maintaining direct communication with God throughout his life.  Lord, thank you for your answers to prayer, which You give when we pour our souls to You. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that You pray on our behalf when we pour out our anguish. You are the God who hears us. Lord, hear our deep prayers today for our lives and those around us. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) Amen.  Reflect and Respond  - Are you discouraged or despairing? Ask the Holy Spirit to join in your prayer for your situation.  -Write a prayer of thanks for your situation, thanking God for His faithfulness and sovereignty. Write out some promises that God has given you for your situation. “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer Focus Pray for our communications, tech, admin and custodial teams here at the church: Communications Director: Ian Richardson Communications Team: Vanessa Dobson, Marissa Price, Jen Peters, Luke Madden Tech Director: Adam Price Tech Team: Dru Carlson, Karl Dobson, Sam Lamb and all of the volunteers Admin and Ministry Coordinators: Cheryl Carlson, Vicki Burger, Des Rypstra, Louisa Wiebe, Michelle Collins, Morley Cruikshank Custodians and Janitors: Percy Lujan, Kurtis Knuth, Brady Welsh Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 6: Audacious Prayer Through Joshua's prayer, we will look at a miracle for which we still have no explanation. In his prayer, Joshua asks God to keep the sun still in the sky. Israel is fighting a battle in which daylight is essential. To be victorious, Joshua boldly goes before the Lord and asks Him to keep the sun and the moon from moving. This impossible prayer is prayed in direct encouragement from God's promise to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.” (Joshua 10:8) Remember that Joshua had seen miracle upon miracle over time, Red Sea deliverance, God's provision of manna, and Jericho's walls coming down. Because of these testimonies and because of the promise, he prayed an audacious prayer. God answers, “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day” (Joshua 10:13), and Israel wins the battle. There are many interpretations of “how” the sun stood still. Lots of rational explanations and scientists have their answers. In writing this, I crawled out of the rabbit hole of research and whether it was a cosmic refraction, an eclipse, the sun stopped shining, a day-long hail storm or a supernatural miracle - what we do know is that God answered and fulfilled his promise to Joshua, “I have given them into your hands.” The same God who went before Joshua is still the same God who fights on our behalf today. Invite Him into your battle today. Ask Him to go before you; ask Him for his strength, power, wisdom, and love to flow through you. Ask Him to do the extreme for you. Steven Furtick writes, “Audacious faith is the raw material that authentic Christianity is made of. It's the stuff that triggers ordinarily level-headed people like you and me to start living with unusual boldness. If we have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform.” My family friend, Barb, in a small Church of England church audaciously prayed for my sake in 1984, and it led to my seemingly impossible healing. Message me ([email protected]) if you’d like to know more of this story! Lord, thank you that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That the same power that stopped the sun, heals our broken bodies, fights our battles and raised Christ from the grave lives in every one of us. I pray that we will live our lives according to this bold truth. Amen. Reflect and Respond If we were to examine our lives right now and consider what seemingly impossible thing we would ask, what would you ask God for? Meditate on this verse and ask the Lord to speak to you.”Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors He would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 7–8) “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer Focus Pray for Pastor Jeremy, Kim and their family (Creekside). Pray for Pastor Jordan, Lis and their family (Hwy 33). Pray for Pastor Curtis, Leslie and their family (Seniors). Pray for Pastors Nick and Jenny Toews and their family (South). Pray for our apprentice pastor Luke Madden and his wife Rachel (Hwy 33). Pray for our apprentice pastor Courtney Vasko and her husband Mike (South). Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 5: Glory to Glory Today I would like to focus on Moses' prayer of five simple words, “Please, show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:18) God answered and hid Moses in a little cleft on Mt. Sinai and covered his view until He stood before him. God removed his hand and allowed Moses to view Him from the back. After this, Moses so greatly resembled God’s brilliance that he had to wear a veil over his face so the Israelites could look at him. The Hebrew word for glory is kabod, meaning abundance, rich or heavy. God’s glory is God’s weightiness in wonderful qualities such as might, beauty, goodness, justice, and honour. Having witnessed all he had of God, Moses wanted more; he wasn’t settling for past experiences, but more than anything else, he wanted God’s presence. The Lord promises him, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (v.14) This is what God promises to you. Moses says, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (v.15) Moses would rather die in the wilderness than to go on without the Lord. We need to be worshippers who declare the same. When Moses had spent time in the Presence of the Lord, “his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord” (34:29) This is the background to Paul’s extraordinary words in 2 Corinthians 3. Paul says that we can enjoy something far greater (though more subtle) than Moses experienced. We can be even bolder than Moses “who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away” (v.13) Paul writes, “Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:16–18) God’s manifest presence, the power of the Holy Spirit within us, makes experiencing kabod possible. When we pray, "Lord, show me your glory," we're actually praying, "Father, reveal to me who you are." And if the Lord does give us a revelation of his glory, it's a revelation of how He wants to be known by us. Paul is telling us, Once you get this revelation of God's glory - of his love, mercy, grace, long-suffering and readiness to forgive - the Holy Spirit will continually open your eyes to more of these aspects of his nature and character. You'll have an ever-increasing revelation of God, in the way He wants to be known to you! Lord, Thank you that we are all created for your glory. I pray as we enter this new season and we contemplate, behold, and commune with You, that we are transformed, resulting in us reflecting You to all we encounter. From glory to glory! Amen. Reflect and Respond When you hear the word “glory”, what do you think? How have you experienced God’s glory? How might you live to glorify Him in your life and work? “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer Focus Pray for our worship director Zac Pearson, his wife, Menoukia and their children. Pray for the worship leaders within your campus community. Pray for our many worship volunteers. Pray for our church network that we may be a worshipping community. That we will know the presence of God inhabiting the praises of His people. Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 4: Fellowship with God We will now spend time in our daily devotionals journeying through scripture and hearing about audacious, bold, quiet and questioning prayers. I hope they encourage you and ignite the flame of prayer in your life. One of the most beautiful gifts of prayer is fellowship with God. We'll begin in the book of Genesis with a man named Enoch. If you have heard of him, your first thought might be, “isn't that the one who God took straight to heaven?” Yes, that's him. Genesis 5:22 states that Enoch, “walked with God.” The word for walk is halak, which indicates communion or intimacy with God, indicating that Enoch had a lifestyle characterised by his devotion to God. Enoch was great-grandfather to Noah who was also described as one who walked with God and lived in the days of wickedness and ungodliness. As described in Genesis 6, this walk wasn't a retreat in the mountains; this was living in the thick of it. He was also a vocal prophet who preached about the coming judgement and the need for repentance (Jude 14-15). To be known for your fellowship with God is an amazing legacy. And, although he's only mentioned a few times in scripture, Enoch made it to the Hebrews 11 hall of faith. “By faith, Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death: 'He could not be found because God had taken him away.' For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5) Our goal is to know him, not simply to know about him. Be encouraged that God desires that you walk in fellowship with Him; “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 1:9) Such fellowship takes place as we respond to a special invitation to dinner, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." (Revelation 3:20) And the great news of such quality fellowship with God is that you will naturally experience fellowship with believers. Those with the richest fellowship with God have the richest fellowship with each other. A unity of the Spirit that comes from shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviours and such fellowship produces our cooperation in God's worship, work, and will being done in the world. Lord, we invite you in. I pray that our walk with You will be characterised by a life of devotion and your favour surrounding us. That our fellowship will result in knowing You more, and our obedience will encourage boldness for You. For your glory, Amen. Reflect and Respond Ask the Lord if there is any area that you are out of step with Him. Write a prayer of commitment to walking with God in these days when ungodliness and distraction surround us. I wonder if Adam talked with Enoch about God walking in the garden with him… “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer Focus Pray for Pastor Glen, Sarah and their children. Pray for the Holy Spirit to anoint Pastor Glen as he teaches the word of God. Pray for wisdom as Pastor Glen as he leads the operational side of the church. Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 3: First Things First As we read through the gospels, we see that prayer was Jesus' habit, His top priority. So whether we pray is not a matter of available time or your capacity, as Jesus had the same 24 hours as us; it was a matter of priority. Jesus often withdrew to lonely, desolate, out-of-the-way places. Love drew Him there in the dark of night and the light of dawn. Is being with the Father your deepest desire? This is about love, not a weekly grading on how much you spend with Jesus. Intimacy and abiding in Him through prayer is where it all begins, and this is how we keep Him as our first love. Let us learn from Jesus. As the disciples witnessed Him praying to His Father, they wanted to know more. Jesus was praying in a certain place and when He finished, one of his disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray…" Luke 11:1, not how to but simply to. They saw the importance and priority of prayer and that Christ's prayer life was the source of His holiness and power. Amazingly, the disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them how to tell a parable, multiply the loaves, heal the sick, walk on water or turn water into wine, but they asked Him to teach them to pray. God calls us to pray alone, with others and for others. As Jesus spent considerable time alone with His Father, Luke 9:28 says, "He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray." Jesus often gathered his closest for prayer and connection. Matthew 18:20 reminds us, “for where two or three gather in my name; there am I with them.” Jesus also prayed when He was baptized, before He chose the Twelve, after Peter’s confession at the Transfiguration as He prepared to face Jerusalem, and when He was in the Garden, even as the guards approached to take Him prisoner—not to mention on the cross itself. We also see Jesus praying regularly for others, "for children, for those who were unwell, for both his current and future followers, and for us today, as He intercedes for us before the Father." In his book, Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer says: “If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus… He offers his apprentices a whole new way to bear the weight of our humanity: with ease. At his side. Like two oxen in a field, tied shoulder to shoulder. With Jesus doing all the heavy lifting. At his pace. Slow, unhurried, present to the moment, full of love and joy and peace. An easy life isn't an option; an easy yoke is.” Holy Spirit, as we set aside these days to pray, help us to follow Jesus' lifestyle of prayer. Please help us commune with You first, focus our attention upon You, help us to recommit our lives every morning and recount your goodness every night. Amen. Reflect and Respond What is your plan to pray alone? Where is your place of private prayer? What is your plan to pray with others? Do you have a small group of friends that you pray with? What people do you pray for by name every day? “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer Focus Pray for Pastor Phil, Michelle and their children. Pray for the Holy Spirit to anoint Pastor Phil as he teaches the word of God. Pray for wisdom as Pastor Phil offers pastoral guidance to people. Pray that God will grow Pastor Phil in his ability to lead the staff and the church. Pray for your three prayer points.

Part of being a Christ-follower means realizing that we’re in a spiritual battle. Too often, though, we forget that we have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy anything good and godly in our lives. Here’s how to recognize his tactics, resist him, and stand firm in your faith. 1) Our culture often portrays the devil as a man dressed in red clothes, with a tail and horns, who just wants to break some rules and have fun. Because of this portrayal, amongst other reasons, the reality of the spiritual battle that we’re in is often overlooked or forgotten. What is your experience with learning or hearing about the spiritual battle within the church? Is it something that you are aware of, or is it a relatively new idea? 2) The enemy, from the beginning, has targeted God’s people. He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy them and all that is good and godly in their lives. And Satan has many goals in targeting us. Phil shared a list of his goals and it included blinding unbelievers to the gospel, to cause believers to fall away from faith, to stop the spread of the gospel, and to break our fellowship with God, among others. Have you experienced the enemy targeting you with any of these goals? Have you ever thought that you have a “target on your back” because of your faith in Jesus? How does it make you feel? 3) His tactics include lies, temptation, persecution, accusation, guilt, doubt, fear, jealousy, pride, sin, discouragement, amongst others. What are some of the tactics that you experience in your life? Are these been used regularly against you, or was it during a specific season of life? 4) We have so many reasons to hope and to fight this battle, and we fight it with God. The enemy is a defeated enemy, and our God has won the war. We already have victory in Jesus, and we fight to experience that victory every day. Our weapons include prayer, God’s rhema words to us, his Word, his truth, his presence, community, worship, and more. What weapons have you used in the fight? What do you find most helpful? How important is community in the fight?

Day 2: My Kingdom Go  Let’s begin day two with the first assignment in scripture, found in Genesis 1, verse 26. “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’”  The Hebrew word translated “rule” here indicates that Adam, Eve and their descendants were God’s managers. We read in Psalm 115:16, “The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.” Here the Hebrew word translated as “given” means “to assign.” God didn’t give away ownership of the earth but assigned humanity the responsibility to govern it. So when Jesus taught his disciples to pray that God’s kingdom would come, this was what He had in mind - the responsibility to be God’s managers on earth. The person who prays "Your kingdom come" is surrendering his will to the reign of God in his life.  The word for kingdom is taken from basileia, the word for king, and simply means "the reign of the king." The king’s domain or all of the territory of His realm.  Let’s think about some examples of praying for His kingdom to come: "Jesus tells us to pray for labourers of the harvest." Didn’t Paul ask for prayer that the Word would spread rapidly (2 Thessalonians 3:1)? Elijah prayed for rain seven times after a seven-year drought (1 Kings 17 and 18). Abraham asked the Lord for mercy over Sodom and Gomorrah. Throughout the Bible God’s children noticed that prayer is their responsibility in connection with the original call of humanity to be managers or stewards on earth. Here are A.W Tozer thoughts on the Lord’s prayer: “What are we praying for? Should we edit that prayer so that it becomes a confrontation? ‘My kingdom go, Lord: Let Thy kingdom come!’ Certainly, His kingdom can never be realised in my life until my own selfish kingdom is deposed. It is when I resign when I am no longer king of my domain, that Jesus Christ will become king of my life.”  If you pray "Your kingdom come," you are inviting the King, Jesus Christ, to move into your life and the lives of others and breathe His Holy Spirit into you and them. You are praying for new and eternal life, "You are praying, “My kingdom go, and your kingdom come." We are Good News people; we have the resurrection breath of God in our lungs and are partnering with and empowered by God.  Lord,  As our youth pastors pray with young people, Your kingdom come.  As our teachers teach in the classroom, Your kingdom come.  As our community leaders make decisions, Your kingdom come.  As parents at home wonder about their bigger purpose, Your kingdom come.  As the grocery store cashier touches the hand of the lonely, Your kingdom come.  As desperation is seen in the eyes of those with those we encounter, Your kingdom come.  As we wash the dishes, vacuum the carpet, empty the garbage, and drink cold tea, In wakeful nights and spinning thoughts.  I pray, Your kingdom come.  On earth, as it is, in heaven. Amen.  Reflect and Respond  - Ask the Lord if there is any area in your life where you need to respond to “my kingdom go.”  - Ask the Lord where He would like you to participate in His kingdom work more actively.  “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  Prayer Focus  - Pray for the upcoming Board retreat on January 20-21st - for wisdom and insight. Pray for God’s direction as the board meets monthly. Pray for the elders as they engage in more prayer initiatives. Pray for ongoing wisdom, as the elders seek to guide the vision of the church. Pray for your three prayer points.

Day 1: Let Us Pray Thank you for joining our journey of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I am anticipating all that God will do in our lives and church community. C. H. Spurgeon once said, “Whenever God determines to do a great work, He first sets His people to pray.” I pray as we journey through the next 21 days that these devotionals will encourage you and your faith journey. Each devotional will start with a thought, then onto a time of reflection and journaling. We have a natural tendency to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember. I have found that journaling is the best antidote to spiritual amnesia. Following our reflection, we will follow prayer points for our Willow Park community and beyond, and of course pray for our three prayer points. As we begin our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, we decide on our three specific prayer requests, three areas that will help us pray with purpose. The Lord is encouraging us to pray bold prayers. He is encouraging us to come before Him in holy anticipation, to be specific - so that we can point the glory directly to God. Prayers for the seemingly impossible. Let’s focus our 21 days on the unseen realm and get our headlines from His word. It’s no coincidence that being watchful and prayerful are coupled by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” When Paul uses the word watchful, he refers to the ancient watchmen on the walls, who saw first and looked out across the horizon. As we enter this focused prayer time, let us see ourselves as His watchmen. In the words of theologian Walter Wink, “History belongs to the intercessors.” That’s us! We are given a unique opportunity to change His-story. We are all familiar with the challenging verse, “Be Still and know that I am God.” But we often stay there. If we continue to read, we find this encouragement: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Tyler Stanton writes, “That’s the destination of this prayer, the promise we become aware of in holy stillness.” Be still. Remember who God is. Remember who you are in Him. Lord, we dedicate the next 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting to You. Help us to focus each day. Speak to us your truths. We are expectant and know You are faithful and will answer. Amen. Reflect and Respond Write down the three areas of focused prayer, keep them in your Bible, post them on your mirror, set them as your screen-saver! Name and commit your three areas before the Lord. Wait on Him and ask for the gift of faith and promises over your three areas of prayer. What does the challenge to “Be still and know that He is God” mean to you? WPC Prayer Focus Ask God to show you your next step to go deeper in prayer. Pray that each of our monthly WillowOne Worship & Prayer gatherings across the network will grow and testify to an abundance of answered prayers. Pray for each community and ministry that a culture of prayer will exist. Pray for the city that churches across the region will hear a call to pray. Pray for your three prayer points.

Sermon notes coming soon! Happy New Year!

Sermon notes coming soon! Merry Christmas!

Sermon notes coming soon! Happy New Year!

Sermon notes coming soon!

Sermon Notes Coming Soon!

Victory over the darkness in our lives doesn’t come through self-help or by force. It comes through a relationship with Jesus, the One who came into the world as a baby to overcome the darkness.  Text: Isaiah 9:1-7  1) Waiting isn’t something that we’re used to in our culture, but Advent is a season of intentional waiting - waiting for the coming of Christ. What are some ways that you can slow down this Advent season as you wait for Christ?  2) Isaiah prophesied that victory over despair, darkness, and oppression would come through a baby, who would also be God. If you were Israel, how would you have responded to this promise, that a baby would be your saviour? Why do you think God sent Jesus to be a lowly baby instead of a “warrior-king”?  3) Just as he will end all darkness and oppression and conflict one day, God promises to come into our own darkness and shine his light through a relationship with Jesus. How has Jesus brought light into your life? Where do you need his light to shine currently?  4) Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost. What are some ways that we can reach out to people who don’t know Jesus this Christmas season?

Jesus is often labelled as just a good teacher of morals. But what if he’s the Saviour that everyone needs? What if he’s the Messiah? How would that affect our daily lives and our eternity?  Text: Mark 8:27-9:1  1) Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?”. In our culture, what are some common beliefs about Jesus?  2) In our lives, we will face many difficulties, trials, and obstacles that will reveal to us our brokenness and the world’s brokenness. In these moments, Phil said, we must remind ourselves of the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Why is this truth so important for us to remember? How has this truth impacted you during difficult seasons of life?  3) Phil said that once we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, everything in our lives should change, because we’re no longer living for ourselves, but for Christ. Do you find it difficult to lay your life down for Jesus? What does laying our lives down look like practically for you? Share a time when Jesus called you to do something that you didn’t want to do or found challenging to do. Once you did what he called you to do, how did you feel?  4) “It’s worth living a life completely devoted to Jesus.” Life will be difficult, but the reward of eternity in his presence is glorious. Is eternity with Jesus something you think about often? If so, how does it encourage you to keep following him now?

Maybe you feel like you have nothing to offer to God. You need to know that nobody and nothing is too small to be used by Jesus, for his glory. Come to him with your scraps, and he will satisfy you, and transform you.  Text: Mark 8:14-21  1) Sometimes, as Christians, we can think that God only uses those that we see on a stage (preachers, worship leaders, etc), and that we need to offer Him big things in order to see a big impact in His kingdom. But Jesus often talks about the small things, like giving two pennies, and having a mustard seed of faith. What are your thoughts about this? Why do we overlook the small things that we can offer God?  2) Remember that Jesus takes these small things and transforms them and uses them for his glory! What is something small that you can do or start doing? Or as Phil asked, “What is in your hand? What desires do you have?”  3) Phil talked about how the disciples became worried and anxious about having no food, even though Jesus just fed thousands with a few loaves and fish. What are some things in your life that you are worried about? How can you bring those things to Jesus and trust him with them?  4) “Make it your whole heart’s desire to know and see Jesus.” We truly find all that we need when we pursue a relationship with Jesus. How can you pursue this relationship this week? What is helpful for you in growing this relationship? What distracts you from growing the relationship?

Healing  Text: Mark 10:46-52  In the New Testament, we see Jesus regularly healing people. Is this something that we can expect to see now?  Sermon Specific  1) In the bible, healing is something that we see regularly - especially in Jesus’ life. What has been your experience with healing and the topic of healing within the church? What has been taught? Is praying for healing something that you’re comfortable with or not? Explain.  2) Phil emphasized the importance of intimacy with Christ during times of illness and pain. Why is this intimacy so important? How have you experienced the closeness of Christ during difficult times? How can we develop intimacy with Christ through pain?  3) God often uses our prayers for non-Christians as a way to introduce them to Christ’s love for them. Is this something you’ve experienced or heard of before? Why do you think praying for healing is a way of showing someone the love of God? Share some ideas about how we can reach out and offer prayer for non-Christians.  4) Phil said that we can ask God the question, “What are You doing in this time of sickness?” Have you ever asked God this question before? What do you believe he said to you?

Outrageous: Questions about the Reach of Love  Text: Luke 10:25-37  The love of Christ is for everyone. This message of love is what Christians get to share, and we share it by the power of the Holy Spirit and by living a life of prayer.  1) The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most popular parables that Jesus ever told. After listening to the sermon, what was something that you hadn’t thought about in relation to the parable? Was there a quote or idea that stood out to you?  2) “God wants to clothe you with the power of the Holy Spirit,” so that we can love him and love the world. Share a time when the Holy Spirit prompted you to love someone that you wouldn’t normally think about loving (giving money or food, praying with someone, etc). Did that experience make you think differently about God’s love for the world?  3) “The most important thing you can do in your life is be a person of prayer.” Phil emphasized that if we want to love people like Jesus did and does, we must be at Jesus’ feet in prayer. How or why does prayer impact our love for people? What are some practical ways that we can become people of prayer?  4) Phil talked about how we were the man lying on the street, beaten and broken, but that Jesus came, lifted us up, and brought us back to life - praise Jesus! This is the kind of love that we are to show to others. How can we share this kind of love with the people around us this week, in word and deed? In our workplaces, families, neighbourhoods?

Identity: What is your name?  Text: Luke 16:19-21  Who am I?  Whether we know it or not, we are all trying to find the answer to this question. Jesus shows us that the only way to know who we truly are is to be in relationship with him. There, we will find our true identity, as his beloved child.  1) Phil’s sermon centered around identity and finding out who you really are. Share a time in your life when you wrestled with the question, “Who am I?”. Why do you think the question, “Who am I?” is an important question to answer?  2) Jesus, in the parable of the poor and rich man, gives the poor man a name - Lazarus. This is the only time he gives a person a name within a parable. What do you think is the significance of this? How does God reveal his compassion and love in naming the poor man?  3) Jesus came to give everyone who struggles and wrestles with sin and pain a new start, even the man called “Legion.” He can take the wreckage of our lives and transform us, and make us a new person, giving us a new name. How does it make you feel to hear that Jesus gives us a new start, a new name? Do you find it difficult to know that God loves you, no matter what your past and present looks like? How has he transformed your heart?  4) Phil said that we overcome the battle inside of our hearts by getting alone with God, being with him, wrestling with him, and asking him to change us. As we do this, God gives us a new identity. How can we spend time alone with God this week? What does your alone time with him look like? How does this alone time with him affect you?

Sermon -- Questions Title: The Sleep of the Innocent  Text: Mark 4:35-41  https://youtu.be/RiB3Kf0gNCc?t=2901  Questions and doubt is a normal part of Christian life, but sometimes, we’re scared to ask the tough questions. When we read the Bible, though, we see that God isn’t afraid of our questions. Instead, he welcomes them, uses them to strengthen our faith, and draw us closer to him.  General – Time allotment: 10-15 minutes for one or two of these questions.  ● Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.  ● What stood out to you in the sermon?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?  ● What do you want to be different this week in your life?  Sermon Specific  1) Sometimes, our culture assumes that Christians believe in God without asking any questions about our faith. How comfortable do you feel about asking questions about Christianity and God? Is it something that has been normalized in your life? If you’re comfortable, share some of the main questions that you’ve had about God or Christianity.  2) Jordan said that belief and faith are not synonymous, and that, all throughout our life, our faith rises and falls like the ocean tide. What do you think about this statement? What’s a time in your life when you felt like your faith was high? When did you feel that your faith was low?  3) Asking questions is a crucial part of our faith in Jesus. What are some ways that we can normalize questions and doubt in our church and community?  4) In those times of doubt and suffering, Jesus says that he is with us, he weeps with us, and suffers with us. Not only that, he suffered for us. How is this encouraging for you? How can we remember this truth during the hardest moments in life?

Study questions coming soon!

Sermon -- Questions  Title: Longing: What are you looking for?  Text: John 20:11-18  Who am I? What am I doing here? All of us are searching for the answer to these two questions, because we feel within us a longing for more. This longing is something that relationships, money, and possessions can’t satisfy. True satisfaction is found only in connecting directly with the Lord Jesus Christ.  https://youtu.be/1115kTe6Wss?t=2769  General  ● Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.  ● What stood out to you in the sermon?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?  ● What do you want to be different this week in your life?  Sermon Specific  ● First question should open the topic, keep it general and connect it with our culture or get people to share a personal story based on the topic.  ● Second question should get people trying to articulate what Christians believe about the sermon topic (whether rightly or wrongly).  ● Third question should get us thinking about how we should live our lives differently.  ● Fourth question can be a technical or challenging theological issue. /  1) Every person is longing for the answer to these questions, “Who am I?”, and “What am I doing here?”. Where does our culture look in order to search for the answers to these questions? How would our culture answer these questions?  2) Phil said, “To find true peace and satisfaction is to connect directly with the Lord Jesus Christ,” meaning that Jesus is the answer to the questions above. Share a time when you knew that Jesus was the answer to your identity and purpose. Why do you believe true peace and satisfaction is found in Jesus?  3) Jesus says that, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:21). How can you make Jesus your treasure everyday? What are some things that you might need to lay down and surrender to Jesus in order for him to be your treasure?  4) Jesus met Mary when she was demon-possessed, broken, and hurting, but he gave her love, dignity, and healing. If you’re comfortable, share a time when Jesus’ love met you at a hard time in your life. How did he heal you / how is he healing you?

Sermon -- Questions  Date: October 9, 2022 (33)  Title: Compassion  Text: Luke 7:44  We can often get so caught up in our own lives that we miss and overlook the needs of those around us. God’s heart, though, is for the poor and the needy, and He wants to show people majesty and mercy in the midst of misery. Will we follow Jesus’ example of love and compassion, and care for the people around us?  https://youtu.be/CQgfudxUYBQ?t=2906  General – Time allotment: 10-15 minutes for one or two of these questions.  ● Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.  ● What stood out to you in the sermon?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?  ● What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?  ● What do you want to be different this week in your life?  Sermon Specific  1) This week’s message focused on the question that Jesus asked Simon: “Do you see this woman?” The meaning of this question has to do with compassion. What comes to mind when you think of the word “compassion”? Is compassion something that our culture values and prioritizes?  2) Phil said, “It can be so easy to stop seeing people.” Or in other words, to stop being there for people who are hurting and in need. Is this something that you notice yourself doing? Why do you think we overlook people in need?  3) Phil said that God shows “Majesty and mercy in the midst of misery”. God’s heart is one of mercy and compassion towards people who are poor and lowly. Is there a time in your life where God has shown you majesty and mercy in the midst of your own misery? What did that look like?  4) In Jesus, we see what true compassion and love looks like, and Jesus tells us to go and be his reflection of love in the world. What are some ways that we can show compassion to people this week? What are some things we could do in order for us to better see people in their pain and need?

Text: 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 In this week's message Pastor Phil takes us through 1 Corinthians 3:9-11. We are all called to build the church with care, in a way that lasts. We are called to worship, to grow, to mature and to reach out. What a privilege it is to join with Jesus in building His Church. Study Questions Have you ever converted from Apple to PC or from Pepsi to Coke? Conversion is a biblical concept that means to change from one way of living to another. Phil reminded us that our conversion fuels our call to build the church. Share your story of conversion (doesn’t have to be dramatic) and how it has shaped your participation in the church. The church has gone through many changes over its long history not just during COVID. Name some of those changes and how did those changes impact the way we share the gospel? How might we change the way we share the gospel after COVID? The answer to hurt is forgiveness. Why is that a hard message to hear? But why is forgiveness such a good foundation for building a life, ministry, and faith? What are some areas in your life that need to be opened up to Christ like forgiveness? One of the major purposes of the church is to worship. What does it mean to worship God? Name a time when you felt like you were worshiping deeply. What helped you to step deeply into worship?

The local church Text: Acts 2 This Sunday pastor Phil reminded us that we need to be a part of the local church because the work of Jesus takes a community. Don Study Questions Individual thinking can lead us to believe that Christianity is just about me and Jesus. But Phil pointed out that kind of think is like calling yourself a firefighter but not being a part of a fire hall. Why is it so tempting to reduce faith to Jesus and me? How can we build a more community and together oriented spirituality? Phil mentioned that there are 30 commandments that cannot be fulfilled without being connected to a local church. One such commandment is to submit to one another in love. In our culture being submissive is not considered a virtue. Why did Jesus command this? How can we tangibly practice this command in our church? COVID continues to have widespread and compounding consequences for the church. How has COVID changed your church experience? What do you think the church needs to learn from this pandemic? What do you think is essential for a local church to be a light in its community? Sometimes the church can be hard to love. What makes church difficult for you? How does the church help sustain you? Above all, Jesus died for his church and the church is his plan for spreading the good news. In what way should this truth shape our attitude towards the local church?

Text: Psalms Pastor Jordan explores the deep meaning of sanctuary. What does it mean to find sanctuary and to be sanctuary? In this sermon we hear God https://youtu.be/wsImESxOhEk?t=2018 Study Questions Life is full of different seasons. Name some major seasons of life that you have gone through and what made them unique? Our faith journey also has different seasons, what are they and what makes them unique? Sanctuary is a major biblical theme but in our modern world sanctuary sometimes feels antiquated (for another time). But Jordan reminded us of several ways we can find sanctuary. Where do you find sanctuary or where do you wish you could find sanctuary? Prayer is supposed to be a place where we can separate from the things going on around us and find sanctuary. But it can be really challenging. What kind of things get in the way of your prayer life? What kind of things encourage your prayer life? Going to the past and finding ancient prayers can be an excellent way of encouraging your prayer life. Does this appeal to you? How would you go about doing it? What happens when you pray through ancient prayers?

Pastor Glen gives us a flyover of our summer series Jesus Code to answer the question that should impact us today. https://youtu.be/iVPmsrhieV8?t=2598 Study Questions Glen reminded us that every culture has implicit rules, that is, rules that don’t need to be spoken because we all know them. Name a time, either at work, with friends, or with in-laws, when you broke an unspoken rule. How does it make you feel when you cross the line? Does our church have any unspoken rules? We must constantly choose to be shaped by the Bible or else we will drift into our culture’s narrative, a narrative in which we don’t belong. What does it look like in your daily life to choose God’s way instead of culture’s way? What practices help cement us in the Bible’s story? The Bible is a six act play and we are in the Fifth act. The acts are, Creation, Fall, Israel, Jesus, Church, and Eternity. We all have a role to play in God’s big narrative. What gifts and talents has God given you? How are you using them to build up the church? There are things that we add to our lives that don’t belong. Name some things that don’t belong in the life of a believer and explain why we include them anyways. What would we have to change to lessen the power of temptation to follow culture?

Jesus is at the center! The lamb of God is the fulfilment of all these covenants and that means we are made alive in Christ. This is the center of our faith, and it should radically change us but we are often held back. But what are those things that hold us back? Why is it so easy to forget what Jesus has done? https://youtu.be/Z1UTPBhj_80?t=1947 Study Questions Why do you think it is so important to see Bible as a single story instead of a bunch of random stories stuck together? In our world there are so many things that promise us change, transformation, and improvement. Name 3 things in your life that have helped you change. What makes the transformation that Jesus brings different than others? Egypt, in the OT, represents a desire to be independent from God. Why do some people wish to be independent from God? What would we point to in our own culture as a symbol of independence from God? Jesus is the lamb of God that completed the whole salvation plan of God. Pick a moment from last week and retell it but with this belief at the center. If this was to be at the core of your convictions, how would you live differently?

Text: 2 Sam 7 Contracts are for a moment, but Covenants are forever. This week Pastor Jordan takes a look at the covenant between God and King David. We see the promise of a king that will rule forever through the line of Melchizedek. A promise that we will one day see a King who will reign and rule with peace, righteousness, and humility https://youtu.be/OCXDsTrcJ7s?t=2630 Study Questions Jordan made it clear that covenants and contracts are not the same thing. Covenants are focused promises that help others instead of protecting yourself. If you were to make a covenant with your family, friends, and/or coworkers what would you promise them? Priests, lineage, and kingdoms sometimes feel like something from a bygone age. Why should we bother talking and learning about this stuff? We have all been in a place where the promises of God feel lost. God made this wonderful covenant with David, but his kingdom descends into chaos and eventually exile. What is it about pain and suffering that makes it feel like God won’t keep his promises? What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s love when we are at our lowest? According to the world what are the qualities of a great leader or king? How does this image of a king/leader compare to Jesus? Why is Jesus such an unexpected king?

Text: Exodus 18:9-12 This week Phil walks us through the promises that God gives Israel (Mosaic Covenant). God promises to give Israel Land, Law, and Blessing but on the condition, they follow Him. https://youtu.be/BaM4J9irBPo?t=2760 Study Questions God promises Israel their own land and that means he is giving them a home. Describe what home mean to you. How can we make the church a “home” experience for our community? When we face tough times, we often ask God, “what are you doing?” What answers have you received and what helped you through the difficult situations? God’s number one objective in the Mosaic covenant is to be known. What does knowing God mean to you? How do we set up our lives to make knowing God our number one priority? We often hear about the promises God makes to others but he alos has promises for us. What are the promises of God in your life? What does God promise us as a community? How do we balance trusting in God’s promises without falling in to the trap of thinking we know exactly what is going to happen?

Text: Gen 12:1-3 In this video Pastor Glen takes a look at Genesis 12:1-3. We see God's loving pursuit and promise for humanity are powerfully displayed in his vow to Abraham. First, he cuts a deal and then commits to fulfilling both ends of the agreement. We bring nothing to this table called "Grace," which is fantastic news for our neighbourhoods, family and lives. https://youtu.be/cDbrI-OI8K8?t=2915 Study Questions Glen reminded us that we all innately know what a 5-star restaurant ought to be like. We just have this sense of perfection in us. Have you ever had a 5-star experience at a business? What made it 5-star? Sarah and Abraham were well past their childbearing years. We have areas or stages in our life when we feel like God cannot use us. What are common reasons people give for why God cannot you use them? Do we ever feel like God cannot use us? God puts his divinity on the line. By making a promise to Abraham and walking through the halved animals God rests the fate of humanity on his own shoulders. If God is willing to do this for Abraham, why do we doubt that he would do it for us? No qualifications needed. Abraham was just a regular Babylonian man living in Ur when God called him. What makes Abraham stand out is that he listened to God, he left family, security, and traveled hundreds of kilometers through dangerous territory. Why is it so difficult to just listen to God and follow? We don’t need any great qualifications to be a Christian and yet it still feels difficult. Why is this?

Text: The Old Testament was written and compiled thousands of years ago but in a culture where only new things are prized is the OT still reliable? Pastor Luke walks us through the reasons why the OT is not only reliable but relevant for us today. https://youtu.be/qoBuIptNz7k?t=2397 Study Questions Our culture has so many questions and so much access to “answers.” What was the last question you googled, and did you get the answer you were looking for? How do you decide between conflicting answers? Trust is a major theme in the Bible and in life because we are continually asked to give trust. God asks us to trust him, science asks us to trust it, the news anchors ask us to trust their reporting, the car salesperson asks us to trust their judgment, and the list could go on and on. Why is trust so important for everyday life and how do you maintain your willingness to trust? Luke gave several good reasons for the reliability of the Old Testament. When you read the Old Testament do you struggle with believing these stories or does it come easily? Luke reminded us that God is bigger than our questions. We may not get all the answers now and God is still trustworthy. What questions do you want answered in

Text: Gen 6-9 Phil walks us through the painful decent of humanity into evil after the fall. But when things are at their bleakest, when the story seems over God makes a covenant. This is one of the first steps of God https://youtu.be/5GxC1pVqGqc Study Questions Phil told the story of his young daughter pretending to read her Bible. We call this keeping up appearances and we do this in all walks of life. Family, work, hobbies, and more. Why do people try to keep up appearances even though their hearts and minds are not in it? Grief always prompts a response. When you are in grief how do you respond? What helps you or hinders your process of grieving? What does God do when he grieves the evil in this world? The reputation of the church is very low these days and that can affect us deeply. But Phil reminded us that when the church is in step with Christ it holds back the evil in this world. Share some reasons why the world is better off with the church than without it. It is easy to blame our circumstances, family, work, and the world around us for the sorry state of our lives. But Phil reminded us that sin has touched every aspect of our being and especially our hearts; that is what we love. Name something about following Jesus that you wished you loved more. Then name a distraction in your life that you wished you loved less. What can you do to shape desires of your heart?

Text: Gen 3 Our world is beautiful, and really messed up. How is it that we be capable of tremendous good and horrendous evil at the same time? What is that about? And, what do I do about it? More importantly what is God doing about it through Jesus? https://youtu.be/cDbrI-OI8K8?t=2915 Study Questions We are hard wired to flourish but often feel like we are withering. What are the signs of flourishing in our lives and what does it look like when we are withering? We start off life trusting the people around us but at some point trust is lost. Name a time when you lost trust in someone. Have you ever lost trust in God? What makes trusting God so difficult? What is sin? Depending how you answer this question it will shape what you think will fix our world. What are some popular ways of defining sin? What does the bible say sin is? God gives Adam and Eve clothes to show his love for them. What has God provided you, that you didn’t deserve, but he gave you anyways because of his abounding love?

Text: Matthew 1:1-17 Jesus never goes out of style or relevancy. Glen walks us through why this is and what it means to say yes to Jesus. Study Questions The genealogy in Matthew was meant to be a trumpet call or a resumé. What is the point of a resumé? If you had to make a resumé for Jesus what would be on it? Name a time when you were in a church that felt like it was thriving? What do you think made that church so successful? Jesus is the centre of our faith and life but it can be so easy to put Jesus on the sidelines. What prevents you from making Jesus the focus? With our sermon series on David ending what ideas, practices, and/or action points did you incorporate into your life? If none why not? What gets in the way of living out what we learn on Sunday?

Text: Psalm 68 Study Questions In many cultures Fatherhood is closely connected to protection. Phil told the story of his dad protecting him with a rake. Tell a story of time when you experienced fatherly protection. Why does it feel so good to be protected? What does being protect say about your worth and value? Orphan is a charged word. When the bible talks about orphans, we shouldn’t picture Annie from the musical. In the ancient world orphans were considered a blight. Wild hooligans who would roam around the city stealing, disrupting, and destroying. But God offers them a home. Who in our society feels like the orphans of the ancient world? The health of our families is directly corelated to the health of our society. How can the church promote healthy family life in a society that seemingly doesn’t want anything from the church? Do you feel like the church is a family? How could we build a closer church family? Phil reminded us that God knows how to give good gifts. What good gifts has God given you? The best gift God gives us is the Holy Spirit. Do you feel like the Holy Spirit is a good gift? Sometimes to feel the goodness of a gift we need a change of heart. What needs to change in us in order to really see God as a good father?

Psalm 16:1-11 We live in a moment of history where it feels like the world is unsteady - metaphorically shaking. Yet, as we look through history, we hear stories of millions of "ordinary" Christians who seem unshakeably steady, even amid insurmountable challenges and crises. How are they so steady and robust? What can we learn from David's life and live an unshakeably steady life? https://youtu.be/C6vW0BcQDdU?t=2030 Study Questions Glen reminded us of the 2nd Law of thermal dynamics, that is the slow but steady break down into chaos of all ordered things. What in your mind does chaos look like or feel like? Tell a story of a time when you encountered chaos. We all search for stability in our lives but often we turn to things that were never designed to last. Why do we find instability so intolerable? What gives you confidence and stability during tough or chaotic times? Jesus commands his followers to seek his kingdom first. But we live in world that makes Jesus a personal or private concern. How do we show our children, friends, and coworkers that we seek Jesus first? Have you experienced the love of God pouring into your heart? Think back to a time when you felt the closest to God. What nourished your walk during that time? What kind of things disrupted your close walk? What would it take for you to feel the immediacy of God’s presence again?

The Power of Pentecost (Hwy33) June 5, 2022 - Pastor Phil Collins Text: Acts 2 What is Pentecost Sunday? What does Pentecost mean? Is the Holy Spirit for everyone? Can I be filled with the Spirit? On this very special day (Pentecost Sunday), Pastor Phil Collins takes a look at Acts 2 and the birth of the evangelistic power of the early church. We see that this is when faith got personal ... and powerful. https://youtu.be/JHj2Z6CDy1Q Study Questions The disciples prayed and waited for the Spirit. Sometimes we struggle waiting for our coffee at the drive through window. Why do you think people struggle with the quite disciplines of prayer and waiting? Have you ever felt like a second-class citizen? Share a time when you felt like you were valued less or treated differently. Passion and purpose are magnetic traits in every avenue of life. The story of the Tanzanian evangelists that Phil shared was inspiring. Should we transplant their methods here? Why or why not? How do we build up our passion and purpose without faking it? The presence of God in our life is the foundation of our faith and practices. At Pentecost the mission and power of God’s kingdom was revealed to the disciples and Jerusalem. Before the disciples were bumbling but after Pentecost, they became powerful champions. How can the church keep God’s presence and relationship at the centre? Phil warned us to avoid religion and embrace presence. What do you think leads to a stagnant religion instead of a living faith?

The Days of Shadow. 1 Chron. 29:10-20 David set’s himself to the task of preparing the materials and paying the cost for God’s temple to be constructed by Solomon. But David does not just give enough, he gives generously, which sparks an avalanche of giving from all of Israel. Living generously changes the world. General What stood out to you in the sermon? What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? What do you want to be different this week in your life? Sermon Specific Have you ever experienced a view that has taken your breath away? Describe the feeling and impact. Revival is similar, it is a peak moment where heaven and earth feel in step. Have you experienced or witnessed revival? Did it lead to life change? Why or why not? Wealth and debt are repeatedly addressed in the Bible. Often paired with these is the call to forgive (e.g. Mat. 18:21-35). Why does Jesus connect wealth, debt, and forgiveness so often? What makes forgiveness so difficult? David set an intimidating example for us. He gave to God an equivalent of around 6 billion dollars in today’s standard. What would have to happen in your own heart, mind, or lifestyle to give that much away? Glen reminded us that our job or business is not our vocation. Our work is to share the gospel and follow Jesus. What obstacles prevent us from taking our calling from God more seriously? Do you think it is easier to live out God’s call if you are a pastor, missionary, or evangelist? Name something you can do this week that reveals your true calling from God to others.

Title: Nevertheless Text: 2 Sam 5:1-15 All the promises are coming together! David is finally made king and one of his first acts is to take Jerusalem a city that had defied conquest for hundreds of years. But God’s purposes cannot be stopped, and he has a purpose for you. https://youtu.be/hZ8X2bQ7hK8 General Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met. What stood out to you in the sermon? What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? What do you want to be different this week in your life? Sermon Specific God fulfils his promise to make David king, but it is the tribes of Israel that approach David and assert his leadership. We often forget that God moves and speaks through his community. Name a time when you experienced the affirmation of your community or name a time when you wish they had affirmed you. David is the only Israelite king to be called a shepherd. A shepherd was meant to care and protect, not dominate, and control. Why do people in power or with power struggle to be good shepherds? Is power corrupting? Have you ever experienced perfect timing in your own life? You took the shot at the perfect moment, you swerved the car just in time, or arrived at work at the opportune time? What makes perfect timing so stressful and yet so satisfying? Do you find God’s timing stressful or peaceful or both at the same time? “Nevertheless” is the pivot point in a sentence and in our lives. Jerusalem was held by the Jebusites for hundreds of years. It was considered unconquerable. Nevertheless, David conquered it because God willed it. Do you have a nevertheless moment in your life when God brought about the unexpected? Do you have an unconquered part of your life that you still wait for the “nevertheless” pivot moment from God?

Text: 1 Sam 18:6-9 In this passage Saul realizes that David has been chosen by God and the envy starts to boil over. Envy is a part of the DNA of our culture, but should it be? Glen preaches on the symptoms and outcomes of living with envy. But Jesus gives us a way out of this deadly sin. https://youtu.be/OFBO0OPiSHg General Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met. What stood out to you in the sermon? What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? What do you want to be different this week in your life? Sermon Specific Glen told the story of going to the doctor because he felt off, which uncovered high blood pressure. Like our physical body our spirit can also “feel off”. What are the warning signs in your life of being spiritually unwell? (e.g., avoiding prayer, feeling disconnected from church life, numbness toward anything spiritual, etc.) Envy has traditionally been called a deadly sin but in what sense does it lead to dying? Gluttony leads to obesity, Anger leads to murder, but what does Envy lead to? Glen cheekily told us to just stop being envious and then pointed out that we cannot. Envy emerges out of what we worship. If you could have anything in the world (money, power, intelligence, success, beauty, family, etc.) what would you choose? How does worship of that thing express itself in our culture? The overly simple way of dealing with envy is to curb our desire to strive and achieve. If there is no comparison, then there is no problem. Here is another way of saying it, “The unaimed arrow never misses.” Is there a proper place for comparison and competition in the church? (Consider 1Cor. 12).

Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-20 The story of Hannah and her search for God bridges the transition from the time of the judges to kingship in Israel. Times of transition are of immense importance because God reveals His purposes within them. https://youtu.be/Zu05RI3brD8 General Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met. What stood out to you in the sermon? What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? What do you want to be different this week in your life? Sermon Specific The period of the judges ends with this pronouncement: everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Name three way in which our culture matches this statement and name three ways in which our culture does not match this statement. Hannah experienced harsh bullying from her rival Peninnah but also from her own internal voice. Both external and internal sources told her she was worthless. Name a time when you experienced harsh treatment from either an external or an internal source that made you feel worthless. How did you find strength and resilience amid this tribulation? Hannah’s husband Elkanah asks her why his love is not enough for her. Our culture often matches Elkanah’s sentiment, but the Bible makes it clear that a spouse is not enough. Why can’t a spouse fulfill us totally and what happens when we put that kind of pressure on one person? Eli is so out of sync with God that he does not recognize earnest prayer when he sees it. Phil stressed that our Canadian church is in danger of following Eli’s example. What leads a church to fall out of sync with Jesus? Praying out of anguish is not a sin but sometimes it feels wrong. What gets in the way of pouring our hearts out before God?

Text: 2 Samuel 9:1-8 How do we live like Jesus in a culture that encourages transactional relationships that only result in a "swipe right" society? As we look at what is commonly agreed to be the "most beautiful human story in the Old Testament," we experience a vivid picture of Jesus' love for us and how we can love like him in a non-transactional way. https://www.willowparkchurch.com/sermon/david-the-king-whose-heart-is-set/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJVJD43iec General 1. Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met. 2. What stood out to you in the sermon? 3. What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? 4. What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? 5. What do you want to be different this week in your life? Sermon Specific 1. Can you think of a “transactional relationship” in your own experience? What are the ways this kind of relationship can be destructive? What other transactional relationships are there in our culture? 2. “Hesed” (The word “kindness” in the passage) - not just an act of kindness, but an action of unconditional love. How can we make this kindness a part of our everyday lives? Discuss ways you can bring hesed to your world. 3. What are the implications for us in everyday life for being invited to sit at the table of the King? What impact should there be on us and others? 4. How does remembering that God is holy and powerful increase our gratitude towards him for what Jesus did on the cross? How is this shown in the story of Mephibosheth?

Part of our current David series - 2 Samuel 6:1-15 "Stories like this in the Bible sometimes cause people to reject God. Do we ignore them or try and explain them away? No - most certainly not! It is better to face them head-on, and by doing so, we discover that we need stories like this in the bible. They point toward a God who is bigger than we can imagine and who can transform the trajectory of our lives."

Easter Sunday Message (Hwy33) April 17, 2022 - Pastor Phil Collins

Good Friday Message (Hwy33) April 15, 2022 - Pastor Phil Collins

Jesus drives out people from God’s temple and Glen reminds us that every space is Jesus’. What does it mean to make space for Jesus and what needs to be driven out of our lives? General Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met. What stood out to you in the sermon? What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging? What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging? What do you want to be different this week in your life? Sermon Specific Historically Jesus and judgment were easily accepted. Why is it so much easier for our culture to accept the gentleness of Jesus rather than the sternness? We have a built-in desire for human flourishing and Jesus’ way hits that target. Glen reminds us that our culture wants this flourishing but without Jesus. What makes following Jesus such a stumbling block in our culture? Glen states that Christianity is supposed to be an adventure, but we have made the kingdom of God into something mundane and boring. What habits and patterns rob our church of this sense of spiritual adventure? The presence of God is meant to be in you, at the centre. But what have we brought into the temple of our life that pushed God to the side? Name a time when a hobby, job, or person drew you away from making God the king.

This is a well-loved Psalm from David that reminds us that God is our shepherd and we are the sheep. When we follow God, he takes care of us and keeps us close together.

Know God and Be Satisfied (33) Mar 27, 2022

The Treasure, The Pearl and the Rich Fool (Creekside) Mar 27, 2022

Tale of two Psalms (33) Mar 20, 2022

Finding Strength in a time of despair (33) Mar 13, 2022

A Heart of Repentance (Creekside) Mar 13, 2022

The Cave - Which Voices are you listening to (33) Mar 6, 2022

The Sign of the King (South) Mar 6, 2022

Seeking God in the Wilderness (Creekside) Mar 6, 2022

The Power of Friendship - David & Jonathan (33) Feb 27, 2022

Jesus is King (South) Feb 27, 2022

Transfiguration Sunday (Creekside) Feb 27, 2022

Sermon notes coming soon!

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In this week's message Pastor Phil explores how we live in an age that is dominated by materialism. Yet true happiness is always found in communion with Christ. Join us next week for the LIVE online experience.

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We are called to be generous. This is an opportunity for us all, because life is short and compared to eternity we don't have much time . We must invest our lives wisely so that when Christ says "well done, good and faithful servant” it will...

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Jesus was invited to the Pharisees house, but it was this woman with her tears and perfume that was so generous. We are generous because of God’s love and His grace. We are a grateful people because He has given us everything! Join us next week for...

Self-control is the final fruit of the Spirit, according to Paul in Galatians 5:23. But how do we develop it? What rules our lives that we need to get under control? We know that God empowers us for transformation through His Holy Spirit. Join us...

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We are so excited for what's to come...

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What is goodness? What does the Bible have to say about it? Is it the selflessness of a mother who dedicates her whole life to raising her children, or the kindness of a friend who would do anything for someone they care about? It could be the...

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Special thanks to Rend Collective for leading us in worship this Sunday. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram! Join us next week for the LIVE online experience.

Special thanks to Rend Collective for leading us in worship this Sunday. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram! Join us next week for the LIVE online experience.

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Join us next week for the LIVE experience where you can interact with our Pastors & other people in our church family at live.willowparkchurch.com!

This week's service was a special joint gathering between Willow Park Church and Metro Community! Join us next week for the LIVE experience where you can interact with our Pastors & other people in our church family at live.willowparkchurch.com!

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Jesus plus... - (Series: Galatians-South) from Willow Park Church on

Jeremy Crowe, the Pastor from Willow Park Creekside joins us today.

God has this. God Is victorious. We can trust in God.

The Battle of Jericho was the ultimate challenge for Joshua. The walls loomed above him in the same way many tensions and troubles stand in our way - finances, family, work, health, or relationships - we strive to overcome them and often struggle...

How to live with divine focus.

The Battle of Jericho was the ultimate challenge for Joshua. The walls loomed above him in the same way many tensions and troubles stand in our way - finances, family, work, health, or relationships - we strive to overcome them and often...

Jesus was facing the greatest challenge of His life - the cross. It was a storm of great ferocity! This week's passage from John is about how we should face storms with Jesus on our side - John 6:16-24.  This may be particularly applicable to...

How to see massive change (impossible even?) happen in our lives, neighbourhoods and city.

Do we choose God or does God choose us? How would you answer? It's an important question to discuss because the implications are huge. It's a controversial topic in the church and so why don't we tackle it head on?

John is like a Scavenger hunt. he leaves us clues along the way. this,as it says at the end, is the second sign. The rest of the signs, like a good treasure hunt, are left for us to decide what is and isn’t a sign. This one leaves us no doubt that it...

"Everything was going great and then..." Ever said that? This week scripture from John 2 introduces us to a family in crisis "The wine has run out! Things were great until now." Crisis? Really? Wine? Hardly seems that important...

Being confident and having high self-worth are celebrated in our culture today. Question is - where do we go to for our confidence and self-worth? Others? Ourselves? Does it last?  This week is all about a man who had high self-worth and was...

This weekend we will be looking at John the Baptist - a devoted and fearless servant of God. I’ve often been inspired by his unwavering devotion.  So much of our battle with fear comes down to this question: Will you trust God? We have to choose to...

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Light is an amazing thing. Where there is light there is growth, where there is light there is sight, where there is light, there...

Bringing peace where there is pain, and deliverance where there is dysfunction.

Satan was challenging Jesus to do miracles, told Jesus he could give him authority if Jesus worshipped him and so on. Why didn't Satan's plan work? Because Jesus knew His identity was given to Him by the Father. Just before this event, Jesus...

1 Timothy 6:6-10 Phil 4:11 Matt 6:19-21 Our culture’s goal when it comes to finances and possessions =  “I just want more than I currently have”. If we follow Jesus we will find that money is not about income and expenditure, it’s about having a...

God gave us time to use wisely and yet it seems to be the area of life which is under the most pressure. How do we cultivate intimate times with God and vital rest so we can live wisely?

Understanding how repentance can bring alignment to our souls.

Being distracted by good things and experiencing FOMO  (Fear Of Missing Out) can keep us away from the very best God has to offer. What is God’s VERY best and how do we align ourselves to it?

Building your life on the right foundation.

How to experience lasting transformation