Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
John 17:1-11 Introduction In the beginning… was the militia, and then the navy, and then the air force. Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Three separate organizations, although cooperating together for the defence of Canada. In1968, all three were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. As we go through modernization … Read More “Answering Jesus’ Prayer” »
John 9:1-41 Introduction I want to talk to you about someone. This person lived approximately two thousand years ago. It was prophesied that he would suffer. He was betrayed by those closest to him. He was cruelly pierced and executed by the Romans. Even in death, he changed the trajectory of the world. His initials … Read More “From the Why to the What” »
John 1:43-51 Introduction If someone asked you to share your faith journey, how would you respond? Where would you begin? Would it be a simple story or a long and winding story? For some people, their story is that they grew up in the church, always believed, came to the point that they wanted to … Read More “A Journey of Faith” »
John 15:1-8 Introduction We have been going through the seven I Am statements of Jesus from the Gospel of John and we have no arrived at our final message in this series. Before we get to that, I want you to think about what Jesus has said about who he is and what he does. … Read More “I Am the Vine” »
John 14:5-14 Introduction A number of years ago I read a book that talked about some of the darkest moments in history. He referred specifically to the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Holocaust. He actually saw all three of these things as sins of the church, even though the Holocaust was not directly connected to … Read More “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” »
John 11:17-26 Introduction Do you remember when it dawned on you that your life on this planet was limited? This sort of happens in two waves. One is when as a child that we realize that we all must die. It can feel like a cruel joke. We are given these minds that can understand … Read More “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” »
John 10:11-18 Introduction I want you to think about different bosses that you have had at various jobs over the years. What made one an effective boss and others less effective? There are various aspects of leadership that would affect this but there is one in particular that I am thinking of and that is … Read More “I Am the Good Shepherd” »
John 10:1-10 Introduction One of the scariest phone calls I ever received was from my mother, when she awoke to discover someone had broken into the house while she was sleeping. My father had already died and she lived alone. It was a major panic, as at the time I was three hours away and … Read More “I Am the Gate” »
John 8:12 Introduction One of the most common fears, especially for but not limited to children, is fear of the dark. But why is that? I can understand being afraid of snakes or spiders because those are actual things and they can cause harm or at least great discomfort. But darkness isn’t actually a thing. … Read More “I Am the Light of the World” »
John 6:30-40 Introduction When I go to a doctor’s office, whether a family doctor or a specialist, my eyes are often drawn to the wall that displays their degrees and certificates. Have you ever wondered why they do that? Is it because they are trying to show off and hope you will be impressed? Perhaps … Read More “I Am the Bread of Life” »
John 14:8-14 Introduction This morning we begin a new series that looks at what it would mean for us to be a “Mission Edge Church.” You may or may not have heard that term before. If you have not, that is what the next few weeks are about. You may have heard the term “missional” … Read More “Mission Edge Churches” »
John 20:1-11 Introduction If someone was to ask you what the scariest thing to you is, what would you answer? Would it be snakes, spiders, the dark, heights? While heights would be near the TOP of my list, there is one thing that is scarier than all of those things: hope. That might surprise you … Read More “Blessed Are Those Who Hope Still” »
John 11:1-45 Introduction Do you remember your first experience with death? You may have had some vague sense that death was a thing but at a certain point, death became real. I’m not talking about the death of a beloved pet or animal, not that I’m trying to diminish the pain of such a loss. … Read More “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn” »
John 3:1-17 Introduction I find it intriguing that there are certain words that can have opposing connotations depending on the context and the individual perspective. One of those words is curiosity. Is it a good thing to be curious? You might have a grandchild who seems to be curious, that is they are motivated to … Read More “Blessed Are the Curious” »
John 4:19-24 Introduction Change for churches is generally difficult but changes in worship style are some of the most controversial issues. Imagine if we announced that we were going to stop singing all traditional hymns. Whether we decided to replace them with only singing Psalms, as some churches do, or only singing songs that are … Read More “Worship the Right Way” »
John 1:3-5 Introduction Last week, we saw that John is describing the appearing of Jesus very much in the context of Genesis 1 and creation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning the Word was with God and the Word was God. All of this reshapes how we see … Read More “Let There Be Light” »
John 1:1-3 Introduction How does your family deal with Christmas decorations? Are you a family that decorates as soon as possible or as late as possible? In homes that I have lived in, we have had the tree up as early as the beginning November and as late as December 20-something. We will not debate … Read More “In the Beginning” »
John 13:34-35 Introduction I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to tradition. On one hand, I really love tradition. It may be connected with my appreciation for history, including church history. There is so much that we can learn from the past and tradition is an excellent way of passing on those lessons. Not … Read More “Jesus: The Love-Giver” »
A devotion based on 3 John 1:3. John was not just a theologian, he was a pastor. As much as he liked to talk about God, he also was very interested in what was happening with people. This letter was written to a church. Churches were not like today, large congregations with their own buildings. … Read More “Devotions: 3 John” »
A devotion based on John 3:3. You must be born again. What does that mean? That phrase has been misunderstood ever since Jesus first uttered them two thousand years ago. Nicodemus, who was a trained theologian living in Jesus’ culture and speaking Jesus’ language, had no idea what it meant. He dismissed it with a hyper-literal … Read More “Devotions: John” »
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 for ours only but also … Read More “Just Do It” »
I have decided to start a series on 1 John which happens to be one of my favourite books in the Bible. There is so much in this book that is helpful, both for understanding theology and for living the Christian life. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have … Read More “Faith So Real You Can Touch It” »
John 1:1-13 Introduction One of the things that I find very interesting is the near universal fear of darkness, at least at some point in our life. We do not teach children to fear darkness, they figure it out on their own. My children will ask to have their light left on or their door … Read More “You Light Up My Life” »
