Sermons Messy Relationships Stephen Bedard, September 26, 2021December 20, 2021 Acts 15:36-41 Introduction I want you do something. Without look around the room, I want you to think back. Is there any person who is a part of this church that has disappointed you? Is there anyone who said or did something that really bothered you? Has there ever been… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Does Everyone Really Believe in God? Stephen Bedard, July 26, 2017October 30, 2021 Is it true that there are no real atheists? Does everyone really believe in God but then some choose to reject that belief as an act of rebellion? This is idea is held by many. It is a foundational part of presuppositional apologetics. There is no need to give evidence… Continue Reading
Leadership and Ministry Blog Donald Trump Has Been Elected … Now What? Stephen Bedard, November 9, 2016May 20, 2020 I have witnessed a sense of shock this morning, perhaps from both Trump and Clinton supporters, that Donald Trump has been elected as the next president of the United States. There is much that I would want to say about this but I won’t. I do want to address Christians… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Pauline Christology Stephen Bedard, August 9, 2016April 18, 2019 Was Jesus divine? Was the divinity of Jesus a later invention of the church? What did Paul, our earliest Christian writer, say about Jesus? I can think of no better resource to answer these questions than Gordon Fee’s Pauline Christology. I have read Fee’s earlier book, God’s Empowering Presence, where… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Do Acts 9:27 and Acts 22:9 Contradict Each Other? Stephen Bedard, May 29, 2016July 16, 2020 Luke records Paul’s conversion three times in the book of Acts. First in the third person in chapter 9 and then twice in the first person in Acts 22 and 26. The problem is that at first glance, Luke seems to contradict himself. Acts 9 says that those with Paul… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog The Key to Understanding Romans Stephen Bedard, October 16, 2015April 29, 2019 One of the things I try to get across to my Bible students is that the authors did not sit down to intentionally write the Bible. This is especially true when it comes to Paul’s letters. Paul wrote his letters to specific churches going through certain challenges. While the principles apply… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog What are Apostles? Stephen Bedard, October 3, 2015September 11, 2019 The New Testament speaks a lot about apostles. But what are they? A related question would be, are there apostles today? Let us take a look. Apostles in the New Testament What are apostles? The word literally means ‘sent out ones.’ But who are these people? Some might say that… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog You Cannot Argue Someone to Jesus (Except When You Can) Stephen Bedard, October 1, 2015July 29, 2019 Probably one of the most common critiques of apologetics is that you cannot argue someone to Jesus/Heaven/Salvation etc. That is an easy assertion to make but is it true? Examine this passage: “After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: Philemon Stephen Bedard, March 8, 2015September 21, 2019 A devotion based on Philemon 1:21. Philemon is a wonderful letter that is unfortunately not read enough. The basic story is that Onesimus, a slave of Philemon, ran away and ended up meeting the Apostle Paul. Onesimus became a Christian and Paul sent him back with this letter requesting that… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Praying with Paul Stephen Bedard, February 21, 2015July 22, 2019 Prayer is one of the most important activities for a Christian. But how do we pray? Prayer is one of the most misunderstood things in the Church. If we are going to learn, we need to turn to the Bible. Thankfully, D.A. Carson presents us a resource with his Praying… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: 1 Timothy Stephen Bedard, February 15, 2015July 17, 2020 A devotion based on 1 Timothy 2:1-2. Paul lived in the Roman Empire which included something called the Pax Romana or Roman peace. This was a double-edged sword (pun intended). On one hand, some nations enjoyed peace for the first time in centuries because of the Roman presence. However, if… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: 2 Thessalonians Stephen Bedard, February 8, 2015August 5, 2019 A devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:3. A thanksgiving was a normal part of an ancient letter. Paul took what was a routine section of a letter and infused it with meaning. When Paul says “Thank God,” he is not just being polite, he is really thanking God. He had… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: 1 Thessalonians Stephen Bedard, February 1, 2015September 24, 2019 A devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 4:14. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is dealing with a problem that is hard for us to imagine in our modern context. Christians in the early church thought that Jesus would return within a few years, if not within a few months. When that began… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: Colossians Stephen Bedard, January 27, 2015September 2, 2019 A devotion based on Colossians 4:3. Paul was a super-Christian. He was so close to Jesus that whenever he wanted something he just needed to call in a favour. Paul was so powerful that his relationship with other Christians was always just one-way. None of that is true. Paul experienced… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: Philippians Stephen Bedard, January 18, 2015June 7, 2019 A devotion based on Philippians 1:12-13. Paul had a rough life. A number of times in his life he went through some very difficult circumstances. Beatings, imprisonment, you name it, Paul had it. Philippians is one of the prison epistles, that is it was a letter that he wrote from… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: Ephesians Stephen Bedard, January 11, 2015December 7, 2019 A devotion based on Ephesians 2:8-9. A key part of Paul’s theology is salvation of grace. This was very personal to Paul. As a Pharisee, Paul worked hard to fulfill the commandments of both the written and oral law. When Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul was… Continue Reading
Devotions: Galatians Stephen Bedard, January 4, 2015 A devotion based on Galatians 1:6-7. These verses are key to the entire letter to the Galatians. Paul was upset the Galatians were considering abandoning the true Gospel of God. The Gospel that Paul preached was that people can become Christians through the grace of God, apart from any rules… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: 2 Corinthians Stephen Bedard, December 28, 2014June 21, 2019 A devotion based on 2 Corinthians 12:10. The Corinthian church was one that prided itself on its spiritual strength. They had spiritual gifts in abundance and this put them in a position of power. Paul had a lot of work to do to correct them. To do this he shared… Continue Reading
Devotions: 1 Corinthians Stephen Bedard, December 21, 2014 A devotion based on 1 Corinthians 15:17. In this chapter, Paul is providing an extended treatment on the resurrection, both of Jesus and of believers at the return of Jesus. The reason for this is that the Corinthians saw themselves as so spiritual that they could not imagine another level…. Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: Romans Stephen Bedard, December 14, 2014April 26, 2019 A devotion based on Romans 8:15. In this passage, Paul is describing the identity of the Christian. One of the things essential for the Christian is the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not an idle entity. According to Paul, one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Devotions: Acts Stephen Bedard, December 7, 2014June 25, 2019 A devotion based on Acts 16:30. In this story, God releases Paul and Silas from jail in the city of Philippi. When the jailer discovered what had happened, he was prepared to commit suicide as he knew the punishment he would face from his superiors. He was surprised, therefore, to… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Was Jesus Adopted as the Son of God? Stephen Bedard, November 25, 2014July 16, 2019 Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. But what does that mean? Does that mean that Jesus has always been the Son of God or that God really liked Jesus and adopted him as the Son of God? One of the key verses in this discussion is: “[Jesus]… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog What Does “Unequally Yoked” Mean? Stephen Bedard, October 14, 2014April 18, 2019 We should interpret the Bible by what we read. However, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is an example of a passage that others have interpreted for us before we ever read open the Bible. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (2 Cor 6:14) Many Christians read this a passage as a… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Just Do It Stephen Bedard, February 6, 2014August 23, 2019 The third part of my series on 1 John. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog The Church as a Thinking Community Stephen Bedard, April 6, 2013December 4, 2019 “I pray also 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 the saints” (Ephesians 1:18 NIV) I have been enjoying going through Klyne Snodgrass’ commentary on Ephesians in… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Seeing is Believing Stephen Bedard, March 29, 2013December 28, 2020 A number of years ago, I had the privilege of being able to speak at a conference in Belgium on the resurrection. One of the speakers was Gerd Ludemann.[i] Although I knew I had some different opinions than Ludemann, I was eager to learn from such a well-known scholar. Ludemann… Continue Reading
Sermons A Vision For a Healthy Church Stephen Bedard, November 25, 2012December 28, 2019 This is my final sermon a pastor of First Baptist Church Meaford. Romans 15 Introduction The time has come for my last message to the church. I wanted to share something that would be helpful for the church as you look to the future and at the same time remain… Continue Reading
Sermons How to Disagree Stephen Bedard, November 23, 2012December 31, 2019 Romans 14 Introduction In John 17, Jesus prays a prayer for the future church, a prayer that is aimed at us. In his prayer, Jesus prays for something very specific. It is not for beautiful buildings or healthy budgets. Jesus prays that the church would be one as the Father… Continue Reading
Sermons I Can See Clearly Now Stephen Bedard, November 5, 2012December 31, 2019 Romans 13 Introduction There are a number of moments in my life that were turning points. One of them was when I got my eyes checked for the first time. After being encouraged to get my eyes checked by a high school teacher, I finally went to an optometrist. I… Continue Reading
Sermons The Power of Love Stephen Bedard, October 22, 2012January 1, 2020 Romans 12 Introduction There are many things that people of different religions and philosophies disagree on but there is one thing that almost everyone agrees on: the importance of love. It doesn’t matter of you are a Christian or an atheist or any other belief system, people instinctively know that… Continue Reading
Sermons Knowing Our Place Stephen Bedard, October 14, 2012July 24, 2020 Romans 11 Introduction Know your place! Have you ever heard someone say such a thing? Such a concept could be terribly abused. In more innocent forms, it could be used by parents to try and control their children. In harsher forms, it could be used to promote racism or sexism. … Continue Reading
Sermons Preach the Gospel Stephen Bedard, October 8, 2012September 12, 2019 Romans 10 Introduction Pastors are well aware that there are certain subjects that congregations do not like to hear sermons on. One of those topics is that of hell. The entire concept of hell is extremely unpleasant and few people want to hear about it. That does not mean it… Continue Reading
Sermons Let God Be God Stephen Bedard, October 2, 2012January 4, 2020 Romans 9 Introduction It is very interesting for me to see the change in perspective from being a son to being a father. This is especially true with regard to ideas of fairness. Now things were a bit different for me growing up as an only child. There never were… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Romans 9 and the Jesus Myth Stephen Bedard, September 24, 2012January 10, 2020 There are a number of different versions of the Jesus myth theory. However, for any of them to work, they need to deal with Paul. Many mythicists claim that Paul never speaks of the earthly historical Jesus but rather always speaks of a glorified Christ. The thought is that Paul… Continue Reading
Sermons Abundance of Blessings Stephen Bedard, September 23, 2012January 10, 2020 Romans 8 Introduction What is Christianity all about? Is Christianity all about bad news or about good news? I have seen descriptions of churches that were completely about what they were against and not at all about what they are for. It is easy to tear things down and much… Continue Reading
Sermons Trapped Stephen Bedard, September 9, 2012January 11, 2020 Romans 7 Introduction Look at your life. Is it the way you want it to be? I do not mean do you have the possessions you want or have you accomplished what you want. I mean, how is your inner self? Are you the kind of person that you want… Continue Reading
Sermons Being a Slave Stephen Bedard, August 26, 2012January 24, 2020 Romans 6:15-23 Introduction How do you understand your relationship with God? Do you see yourself primarily as a worshipper? That would mean that your main role would be to praise God. Do you see yourself as a follower? That would mean that you try to figure out the rules and… Continue Reading
Sermons Living in Grace Land Stephen Bedard, August 20, 2012January 31, 2020 Romans 6:1-14 Introduction I believe that there is one question that is essential for all of us to ask: So what? You say you love your children? So, what does that look like in reality? You say that you care about the poor? So what does that look like in… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Did the Church Make Up the Words of Jesus? Stephen Bedard, August 18, 2012January 14, 2020 What do we do with those red letters in the Bible? Did Jesus really say those words? Or did the church just make up sayings related to the issue of the day and place them in the mouth of Jesus? New Testament scholar Birger Gerhardsson puts this question into perspective… Continue Reading
Sermons Two Men and a Sin Baby Stephen Bedard, August 12, 2012February 3, 2020 Romans 5:12-21 Introduction Why do things happen to us? Why do we experience some good things and some bad things? In our society, we pride ourselves in personal autonomy. We want to believe that things are within our control. Do you want to get ahead in life? Roll up your… Continue Reading
Sermons Peace and Joy Stephen Bedard, August 6, 2012February 5, 2020 Romans 5:1-11 Introduction I like it when things make sense. I enjoy it when things are logical and reasonable. This is the challenge of being a parent. Amanda and I look at some of the bad things our kids do and instead of getting mad, we look at each other… Continue Reading
Sermons Father Abraham Stephen Bedard, July 29, 2012February 15, 2020 Romans 4 Introduction I find family resemblances to be very fascinating. Physically, I do not look much like my dad. However, I am now at the age that my dad was when I have some of my earliest memories. I find myself looking in the mirror and trying to see… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog How to Share Your Faith Apologetically Stephen Bedard, July 17, 2012April 8, 2020 I recently saw a question about apologetic related resources for a clear Gospel presentation. My immediate reaction was: How do you have one Gospel presentation that fits everyone from the atheist to the Muslim to the nominal Christian? I know there are evangelism programs out there that are designed as… Continue Reading
Sermons A Gospel of Hope and Power Stephen Bedard, April 30, 2012July 16, 2020 Romans 1:8-17 Introduction What is it that you are really passionate about? For many people, it would be family. We love our spouse, our children and grand children. Nothing makes us happier than to be with them and to see them enjoying life. For other people, it is their career. … Continue Reading
Sermons Miracle of the Incarnation Stephen Bedard, April 24, 2012June 9, 2020 Romans 1:1-7 Introduction What is it that is essential for us to get right? Do we need to get the style of our worship music right? Do we need to get the balance of liturgy and spontaneity exact? What about the architecture of our churches or the translation of our… Continue Reading
Sermons Dead Faith Stephen Bedard, February 12, 2012April 18, 2019 James 2:14-26 Introduction One of the distinctives of Christianity is that we believe that salvation is by faith alone. There is no religious ritual or level of good deeds that will bring about our salvation. The thief who died on the cross hours after meeting Jesus for the first time… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Righteous Reckoning: Paul vs. James on Genesis 15:6 Stephen Bedard, June 25, 2010June 25, 2022 In our house we ask our children to share by giving, they respond by redefining sharing as taking. In the same way, we see reinterpretations of Scripture that look like contradictions. Genesis 15:6 says “And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Paul cites… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Top Ten Problems With the Jesus Myth Theory Stephen Bedard, April 1, 2009June 12, 2021 As I sit here watching the documentary on Tom Harpur’s Pagan Christ, I find myself reminded of all the problems that I see in the Jesus myth theory. I will share my top ten problems with this theory. This is not a detailed analysis but rather my opportunity to vent… Continue Reading