Understanding how obedience, submission, wisdom, and authority work in this broken world is critical if we are to live the faithful Christian lives we are called to. Following Christ means we must be willing to break the “rules” for a higher loyalty and authority. But that must be done with wisdom, grace, and with a mature understanding of the consequences and rewards.
There is a humility inherent to prayer that we often don’t consider until our expectations, hopes, and plans are put up against God’s gracious and perfect provision. I want to look at three types of humility we need to cultivate to live as contented and joyful children of the Father.
God be glorified for the life and witness of Jack Correll and I pray God will raise up such examples in every generation and church to shepherd the people of God until Jesus returns.
Providence addresses the question of why, and to what end and purpose does God work His power and rule over everything? Providence is about the purposeful sovereignty of God.
In God’s design for our lives, salvation in Christ is never about getting in the door then getting comfortable. So, having younger friends whom you are bringing along in the Lord is part of Christian maturity and necessary for a healthy church family.
In the last post we can think about a Frodo and Gandalf type of friendship, and now let’s look at Frodo and Sam. With this relationship in mind, the best example of friendship I know in the Bible is between David and Jonathan.
Happy New Year to you all! Usually this time of year I do a year-end-wrap-up post of some kind summarizing some of the content I appreciated over the past year. This year, I want to share with you my “2022 Book of the Year.”
In a three-part series, I would like to encourage you from God’s Word to consider how you might make good friends, or, more specifically, with whom you might make good friends.
The following is an adaptation of the message I delivered that evening in the shadow of the cross.
We’re home! The Sarlos and Zappacostas have returned, and we are thankful for God’s blessing in travel, health, and safety. Thank you to all of you who prayed and supported us. You were there with us in the Spirit of God.
I want to suggest that the Bible does not see suffering as something that interrupts our ministry as servants of Christ, but rather, suffering is itself a type of ministry; one that the Church and our world desperately need to witness. I want to call all of us to prepare and lean into a ministry of suffering.
In last Sunday’s text, Jesus teaches two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus, “starting with Moses and all the prophets”, about how the Jewish scriptures, what we know as the Old Testament, testify to Him. Meaning, that Jesus told these disciples how the Bible points to his life.
Below is an infographic I made comparing the different types and manifestations of anger.
The Gospel has not changed, but through some conversations with family and friends, I came to see one aspect of the gospel message that I had missed in my summary.
The God of scripture is one who is intimately involved in this world and invites us to see his sovereign hand of providence in every sunrise and beat of our hearts. The Bible reveals a God on whom we must depend for every detail of life.
I would like to share a few of the prophesies that Jesus fulfills and outline the different ways Jesus can and does fulfill the expectations of the Old Testament.
I wanted to share some of the things that I found helpful in 2021 with the prayer it could bless you in 2022.
Some of the oddest characters in all the Bible have to be the Wise Men from the East who come to visit the infant Jesus. But what do their three gifts mean for us today?
From the Question Jar: Were the Old Testament saints "Christians"? How should we understand God's work to save people before and after Christ?
It's that time of year again. The Halloween decorations are taken down and Christmas decorations begin to fill the aisles of Canadian Tire and Dollarama; and the word “Joy” begins to appear again on festive décor all over.
Here are some things we can put in place to help us maintain the growth that happened at camp and keep our eyes focussed on Jesus in the usual things of school, family, friends, and life.
From the Shores of Sugar Lake
Greetings all! The blog has been a little quiet over the last few weeks, but here is a special edition coming to you live from Walford Station, ON.
Last week, our dear Joey Summers went home to be with the LORD after 104 years of life. She will be missed by many who treasured her warm smile, passionate worship, consistent presence, and welcoming heart.
Do you have questions about God, the Bible, Christian Worldview, or life in general? Submit your questions below so we can grow in God's Word together!
I came across a verse not long ago that jumped off the page at me. I wrote it down on a sticky note and popped it in my pocket to read again later in the day. That verse was Psalm 90:12,
There is a fear of God that can drive us outside of God’s will. As we read through the Bible, it does not take the people of God long to swing the pendulum in the wrong direction.
This Sunday, I will be preaching on Luke 12:1-12. In this passage, Jesus teaches his disciples about fear in light of growing opposition from the Pharisees and the threat of violent crowds pressing in to hear and see him. Jesus tells us, what and who we should and should not fear.
I had the privilege of teaching in our Sunday School this past week to some of the families and children of our Church. In Sunday School, they are working through the miracles of Jesus during his earthly ministry.
The blessings of preaching through a book of the Bible verse by verse are many.
I have always loved a good cliff-hanger. That moment when your favourite TV show or book gets to the last minutes or pages and suddenly,
I said in my last sermon that March 2020 was the first time, by my knowledge, that Bethel had cancelled a church service in its 100-year history
I have the privilege of serving the church daily, which means I have had to take a lot of time in the past year to think about “church”.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
I have always been one to count down to Christmas. As a kid I would embody the words of the Christmas song, “Tiny tots with their eyes all a-glow will find it hard to sleep tonight.”
This past Sunday marked the first Sunday of the Advent season. Advent means “arrival” and it is the time of year we remember and celebrate the coming of Jesus
At our Church we are working through the book of Jonah in our Sunday morning sermons and in small groups. Jonah is a small book in comparison
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness“. – 2 Timothy 3:16
Thanksgiving is often a mixed bag. On a normal thanksgiving Monday, some of you have the responsibility of becoming world-class chefs
I am a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier’s BBA program and one of the classic first-year projects for people who wanted to be super involved was the pitch competition.
Welcome to the third instalment of our exploration of the book of Job
This week’s instalment of the Job series is tackling a big fish, “Bad things happen to bad people”.
I have a confession to make: I am a forgetful person. I have more single gloves than pairs. I forget birthdays, meetings, to-do list items
"But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavoured the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face-to-face...
Good morning friends. As things ramp up for the launch of our fall ministries, I will be not be writing a formal blog post this week.
Last week, I introduced a new series that will take us through the book of Job. The issue is, we don’t know who to trust among Job’s friends
There are certain books throughout of a Bible-in-a-Year plan that tend to bog down the momentum. If you persevere through Leviticus
In Luke chapter 7, we encounter our last lesson from the life of John the Baptizer. From his prison cell in Herod’s palace
Over the course of this “stay-at-home” season, Esther and I worked through a virtual marriage retreat
Over the past few months, Esther and I have been doing a virtual marriage retreat
Esther and I bought our house in May 2019, and one of the things that came with it was a 10×10 garden
This Sunday we arrived at Luke 6:20-29, which is the start of the “Sermon on the Plain”. In this passage
And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…
Luke 6:13 ESV
This is the second instalment of an on-going series on some of the hymns I love. Rock of Ages
Around this time of year, we are used to seeing headlines in magazines like “Get Beach Ready” and “The Perfect Swimsuit Diet“
As of Friday, June 12, 2020, houses of worship in the region of Algoma can open for worship up to 30% of their capacity
In light of what is going on in the United States and around the world right now, I feel it is appropriate to change the direction
It is a tremendous understatement to say the Covid-19 pandemic has occupied much of our cultural conversation
This week’s blog will be the first instalment of an ongoing series reflecting on some of the hymns that I love. If the term “hymn”
This past Sunday was Mother’s Day, and I had the privilege of preaching to moms about moms from the Bible
As I am writing this, it has been over 50 days since the people of Bethel Bible Chapel have gathered for worship
In a world saturated with opinions, fake news, rants, and data why add to the pile? A question worth answering.