All Sermons

James 5:13-20 - A life of faith is a life of prayer. It’s also a life lived with others. When we follow Jesus, we belong to Him and to one another as brothers and sisters. As a family, we care for one another in weakness, confess our sins to each other, and gently confront one another.

James 4:6-10 -James knows that the heart of the Christian message is grace. God gives us good that we couldn’t ever deserve. The truth is that we earn and deserve justice and punishment. Thankfully, Jesus took both of those for us and gave us the good he deserved. As powerful as grace is, there is one thing that can re

James 3:1-18 -James is at it again! He has a real concern for the words that Christians use on themselves, with each other and with the world. Our tongues (James' favourite image for our words) can cause such destruction, and they are nearly impossible to control.

James 2:14-26 -James continues to press deep into the muscles and tissues of our faith. Is your faith doing what it was designed to do? Just like you might go to the doctor for a physical check-up, James offers a self-administered faith check-up in this passage. Where do you see signs of life in your faith?

James 1:19-27 - James is direct: angry words, thoughtless words, and religious words don’t have a place in a life of faith. Our words don’t work … but God’s word does! Our job is simply to cooperate with his word.

Empowered Baptism is recognized throughout the Church as the beginning of a ‘God thing.’ John’s baptism was a visible demonstration of the start of a new life — clearing out the junk to prepare for what God was about to do. Jesus’ baptism reveals the true heart of baptism: God’s desire to bless and express His delight. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the start of the Kingdom. Ordinary women and men were now filled with the Spirit of Jesus to continue on the ministry Jesus started.

Luke 3:21-22 -At Jesus’ baptism, the Father said, “You’re my son. I love you. I’m proud of you.” As Christians, our baptism is a sign that we are in Christ, that what is true about him is true about us, and that the Father’s blessing now defines us.

Revelation 21:1-8 - Jesus wins; Jesus has already won; stay faithful to Jesus! This is the message of John’s sometimes confusing book of Revelation. It is full of encouragement and hope for disciples. Jesus, the Lamb, is on the throne. And he is preparing a future for us that includes heaven and so much more!

Acts 21:37–22:22 - Acts 21 finds Paul in Jerusalem, at the Temple, getting beaten for his faith in Jesus. In a wild turn of events, Paul had the opportunity to talk to those who wanted to kill him. What do you say to people who want you dead? Paul told his story—a story of his own self-righteous zeal, of Jesus meeting him in an unmistakable way, and of a kind believer who stood with him. What a great testimony!

Acts 13:16-44 -Paul and Barnabas made their way through the known world, telling everyone they met about Jesus and the Resurrection. In one synagogue, Paul told the Jews their history, but he told it differently than they’d heard it before. He showed how God had often given Israel a second chance. He went on to explain that Jesus was their second, and final, chance. Some of their listeners believed; others hated the message. Nobody likes being told they’re wrong.

Acts 3:1-21 - Now what? The story of Acts is what happens after the death and resurrection of Jesus. God takes ordinary people, fills them with His Spirit, and sends them out into the world. It's a crazy idea! Peter and John transform an everyday visit to the Temple into a medical miracle and preach a compelling message to boot. Hundreds of people come to trust Jesus. Just another day of walking in the Spirit.

John 20:24-29 - All through his ministry, Jesus took time to speak with individuals. Even after the resurrection, he never changed course. John records an interaction with Thomas that speaks to doubt and the struggle it is for each of us to believe.

John 12:9-19 -When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the shouts and cheers of the crowd, there was no mistaking what was happening: the King was back in his rightful place. There were several responses to this long-awaited event: some celebrated, some grumbled, and then… everyone went home. It may have looked anticlimactic, but Jesus wasn’t going anywhere. He had come to do what only the true King of Israel could do.

John 14:1-14 -John’s biography of Jesus slows as he chronicles the week leading up to Jesus’ death. Jesus has a long, careful conversation with the disciples, and today, we listen to the beginning of that conversation. He begins with a strong command: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” He then reinforces it with three unshakable assurances: He is going ahead of them, He has cleared the way to the Father, and He will send supernatural power so they can continue His work.

John 8:48-59 -Jesus’ friend John was very careful to record the things that Jesus said about Himself. As an observant Jew, John knew that there is only one God. From time to time, God sent prophets, ordained priests, and crowned kings so that the people of God had someone to lead them to Him. Everyone knew that these leaders only ever pointed to God; they never claimed any status beyond being messengers. But when Jesus came, He was different. He claimed to be “the Light of the World,” “the Truth that sets you free,” and “the Resurrection and the Life”—all of them ridiculous claims for anyone but God to make. That was exactly His point.

Luke 15:11-32 - Jesus tells a story about a father with two lost sons. The rule-breaking younger son was lost in self-indulgence, and the rule-keeping older son was lost in self-righteousness. The father loved both generously and even recklessly. Both needed to be found. Were they?

John 4:4-26 - Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God had arrived and everyone wondered what that would look like. Would it mean swords and fighting or a political takeover? John records a couple of one-on-one conversations that Jesus had. What an interesting Kingdom! It turns out that each person matters in the Kingdom of God, each woman and each man matter eternally.

John 1:1-14A - The story of the Bible is the Story of Jesus, God’s plan all along was to come as one of us to rescue us from sin and death and to reset us to live radically different lives. Today’s passage offers a different (still true!) beginning to the story of Jesus' life on earth.

Esther 4:10-17 -The story of Esther is surprising—not once is God mentioned. Yet God’s silence is not the same as his absence. He works for good, even through ordinary events and with flawed people.

Ezra 3:10-13 - The book of Ezra tells the story of the return of God’s people from exile. The account details the extra care that was taken by the returnees in doing their best to reproduce what they once had. Very quickly, they got the old altar operational and began to rebuild the temple. Our story is about what they chose to do on the day the foundation of the new temple was in place. There was a party that didn’t feel like a party for everyone, and that’s just honest!

Daniel 6:1-24-The book of Daniel is all about the Sovereignty of God. The God of Israel proves himself sovereign even in faraway Babylon: boys receive foreign favour and are released from having to eat rich and potentially unkosher food. Young men are saved from a fiery furnace, and old man Daniel doesn’t get eaten by a den of hungry lions. God proves he’s not limited by international borders, arrogant kings or wild beasts. All of this points forward to Jesus, who demonstrated his sovereignty (he is God, after all!) in different ways.

Ezekiel 36:22-28- The people of God deserved to be in exile in Babylon. They had betrayed their relationship with God by worshipping idols and committing horrible acts of violence. But instead of giving up on his people, God goes with them into exile. He shows up with a message of hope: he will bring them back, clean them up, and make them new. It was good news for the Israelites, and it’s good news for us today.

Isaiah 6:1-10 - Most of Isaiah’s writings don’t have a timestamp on them, but one event does. The day that he had his most profound encounter with God was shortly after King Uzziah died. King Uzziah would have been on the throne long before Isaiah was born and would have been the only king that Isaiah knew. That’s a big loss. Sometimes, God is able to meet us best when we’re tender from loss or grief.

1 Kings 18:16-39 - Elijah lived at odds with his culture. An evil king (and queen!) wanted him dead, so he went into hiding. After 3 years, God prompted him to set up a showdown: Yahweh vs. Ba’al, good vs. evil, a battle to the death. Sadly, good’s triumph barely left a mark on the life of his country. Thankfully, there was another good vs evil showdown years later, and its impact is still being felt around the world.

After the most successful speaking event in the history of the world -where the entire city repented - Jonah was still despondent. He had hoped for God to punish his enemies, not forgive them. In response, God provided a comforting plant and then a tiny worm to challenge Jonah’s hard heart. We really don’t know how Jonah ultimately responded.

John 21 finds the disciples back at their old tricks! Back home and fishing. After witnessing the greatest event in history, the resurrection of Jesus, they were unsure of what to do next. So, they returned home and resumed fishing, their old profession. But surprisingly, despite being experienced fishermen, they got skunked—zero fish in the boat. Then Jesus appeared, and the beginnings of the early church began to take shape.

Jonah, the reluctant evangelist, gets a second chance! He heads to Nineveh, the wicked city, to proclaim God’s judgment: “Forty days, and Nineveh will be overturned!” To everyone’s amazement, the people of Nineveh didn’t harm Jonah but instead humbled themselves and repented. What a story of mercy! And God, in His mercy, turned away from His fierce anger. What an incredible story of grace!

What do you do when you’re between a rock and a hard place? Jonah the prophet, did what most of us do—he prayed. Even though he was running from God and was prepared to die rather than obey what God had called him to do, when push came to shove, Jonah prayed. Prayer is a powerful thing to do when you want and need your life to change.

Jonah is an example of how not to take the good news of Jesus to people. His actions, heart, and focus were all wrong. But God won’t give up on this failed prophet—he goes after him in love.

Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness happened at the hands of an enemy who wanted to derail him … and who now wants to destroy us. We need to be aware of this enemy’s presence, stay alert to his methods, and learn how to avoid them.

We’re halfway through our study of Jesus’ three temptations. One aspect that often goes unnoticed about this event is His incredible restraint. Such humility! In a situation that might suggest a dramatic "clash of the Titans" with lightning bolts and grandiose speeches, Jesus' response to Satan’s second temptation is remarkably succinct—just one line. Talk about understated! How might humility influence the way you resist temptation?

Temptation is unavoidable. To be human is to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, which is reassuring. For the next three weeks, we’re looking at the story of Jesus's temptation. It is always interesting to notice which temptations the devil uses to try to hook different people. This Sunday, we look at the devil’s attempt to get Jesus to turn stones into bread.

Worship means more than singing but never less. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, reveals scenes in heaven filled with lots of singing! While Revelation isn’t all about singing and dancing, the creatures of heaven and earth sing because Jesus is King, and everything will be made well. It's clear that we are meant to worship and sing even when life is tough.

Acts 2 reminds us that while we can and do worship alone, the best worship happens when we’re together! The Bible offers no picture of the day when heaven comes to earth when we’ll be off on our own as individuals! We’ll stand, kneel, and bow with the millions who have called Jesus LORD. The church got off to such a start; 3,000 people were stirred to trust Jesus, worship together, and then opened their homes to each other! Watch what God does when people worship!

The Bible is often the story of how humans get things wrong. Thankfully, there are exceptions! David dancing before the ark of God is the story of the day—humans (mostly) got it right. This is a bright picture of worship. Worship is when God is honoured, and people come alive.

The world misses out on so much worship! God does amazing things daily, yet we often shrug our shoulders, thank our ‘lucky stars,’ and keep our foot on the pedal. Not Miriam! Miriam understands that worship happens when people notice what God has done, find words (and tambourines), and get up and dance in celebration of God’s good gifts.

Is worship an optional activity for religious people? Why does worship matter? The truth is that we all worship—it’s just a question of who or what we worship. The story of Cain and Abel shows us that who we worship forms our hearts, guides our actions, and determines our lives. Worship really matters!

Paul's letter to the Ephesian church reminds them of how we are made alive in Christ, transformed by His grace into a new creation. We are able to live life with a new purpose and identity as a masterpiece of God's design. Outdoor Christian Educator and guest speaker Ryan Lamoureux will use the monarch butterfly from God's creation to illustrate this transformational process.

Paul finishes his letter to the church in Rome with a list, not exactly best-seller material. His aim wasn't literary acclaim, although his work became influential; instead, he was interested in fostering and fortifying connections. Reflecting on Paul's list may have you thinking about your own list: the people God has used in your life to bring you closer to Him.

Paul never recovered from God including the Gentiles in the salvation invitation. Like some of us, perhaps, he felt like some people should be excluded by virtue of where they were born or how badly they have behaved. More than included, Paul instructs that former ‘outsiders’ should be treated as precious insiders, treated even better than we would treat ourselves. What would it look like if love came to town?

Human beings need reminders about how to get along, and Christians are no exception. We especially need reminders about how to love each other while we disagree. Paul draws the believers' hearts and minds back to what Jesus has done, and that paves the way for loving each other well through conflict.

How do we live with Jesus in a society that opposes him? Paul tells us to wake up to our resurrection hope. When we do that, loving others and rejecting sin in our own lives makes sense.

Romans 12 is the description of what happens when God’s mercy overflows in a church’s life. Lifelong attitudes change, love becomes genuine, mocking enemies are not met with equal and opposite force but, quite the opposite, with peace and gentleness. Be praying even now for how God will speak uniquely to your small group.

All along, we’ve been saying that God’s heart is to see us INCLUDED. That’s why Jesus came, and that’s the subject of Paul’s letter to the Romans. At times, Christians forget God’s radical inclusion of them and go back to the old patterns of competing and comparing. Sadly, that was happening in the Roman Church. Paul has one powerful dose for that sickness.

The resurrection changed everything! The story includes an invitation, a blessing, and a commission for the first witnesses … and for us today.

I love it when people have the gift of communicating clearly. Paul, following Moses in the second half of Deuteronomy 30, does exactly that: communicates clearly. Here’s what it means to become and be a Christian: it means believing the Resurrection and not keeping that good news to yourself! Clear, but not easy! This is something you’ll do for the rest of your life!

The word “predestination” tends to raise the hair on the backs of people’s necks! Nobody likes the idea of God choosing who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out.’ Paul doesn’t really mean to tackle that question in this passage, but he does intend to discuss God’s plan for humanity and how we are included in carrying that plan.

The world is broken and in pain, and so are we. All of us suffer, including (maybe especially) followers of Jesus. But Jesus gives us resources for walking through suffering: a perspective shaped by hope, prayer to process pain and grief, and the promise of his forever, unlimited love.

One of the struggles with Christianity is knowing how it really works. We can feel shame because we do something wrong or we're not doing enough. We re-dedicate ourselves hoping the next time is a charm. Or we think the point of life is to ‘go to heaven and take as many people with us as possible’. Is that what Jesus intended? How can we know what Jesus intends? Romans 8 is a power-packed, super-condensed explanation of how Christianity works.

God asked Isaiah to give the people of Israel a message. Although they won’t listen to Isaiah, God tells him to keep preaching until the land is laid to waste and the people are carried away into exile. God says Israel will ‘look like pine and oak forest with every tree cut down, every tree a stump, a huge field of stumps.’ God continues to speak to Isaiah: ‘BUT there’s a holy seed in those stumps.’

Paul is really getting to the heart of the matter! Many of us who read the Old Testament come away scratching our heads. Why didn’t these people, God’s Chosen People, do what they were told? Why are the early Scriptures so full of failure and frustration? They had everything going for them. God was on their side, yet they experienced failure after failure. Perhaps you identify! Paul looks into the reasons why this happened and the only solution for rescue.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This past Sunday was Membership and Baptism Day at St. Paul's Leaskdale.

One of the modern struggles for those who trust Jesus is what to do with suffering. How can a loving God allow suffering? That question did not trouble Paul in the least. He knew that suffering, at least for now, is a universal human experience. The real question for Paul was: How does the cross of Christ redeem suffering? He dives into that, and, not surprisingly, it gives him one more reason to talk about the fantastic love of God expressed in the death of Jesus.

What does it mean, and what does it look like to ’trust God’? It’s one thing to talk about theories or doctrine; it’s another to actually do it! Enter Abraham and Sarah, two people staring down the barrel of a hopeless situation. Faith may not look like what you think.

We have a problem: sin. It has us trapped. But God has an amazing solution! By grace he justifies us, giving us what we could never earn. The good news of Jesus is that by faith we are included in God’s rescue.

Paul explains the Christian faith by pointing out our sin and God’s wrath, not your typical pitch for someone trying to make a sale! Thankfully, Paul isn’t trying to make a sale; he’s playing for keeps and knows there’s only one right way to do that: “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” With much restraint, Paul gives a summary of how wrong things have gone with humans and how God has responded as a horrified parent. How are you supposed to respond when someone you love tells you to drop dead?

Paul wrote to the small church in Rome even though he’d never met them. They were one church he hadn’t planted. In some ways, the letter is about him making friends. Good friends make us feel included; they let us know that we belong. It wasn’t something that Paul did that included the believers in Rome; it was what Jesus had done and was doing in them through his Spirit that allowed them to belong. The letter begins with Paul telling them just how ‘included’ they were!

The Christmas Story ends with a downer. Dead babies. Few of us know the story, and fewer of us talk about Herod’s killing of the innocents. The message is clear, though: Jesus is on a mission in a world that really knows how to hurt each other. There’s no candy-coated church person experience; we face all the same rotten stuff along with the world. Anyone who tells you differently hasn’t read their Bible. But there is hope. This Baby has something up his sleeve.

The staggering Christian claim is that God became one of us, stooping so low as to be born and, more, born to a poor young woman. It all seems so “un-glorious”. How else could he fully enter our troubles and struggles? He gets us; better than that, he came to set everything right. Merry Christmas, indeed.

Magi, or "the Wisemen” as they’ve come to be known, were invited to the first Christmas. They didn’t get an angel invitation like Mary and Joseph. They were studying and thinking and God was stirring their hearts as they studied. Scholars from far away sound very mystical to us, but the people of Israel weren’t that excited about ‘people from far away.’ Foreigners were just more Gentiles. Amazing! Even at his birth, God was showing his cards, showing us that the whole world would be invited into the Kingdom where Jesus is King.

Matthew introduces Jesus with a genealogy. At first glance, the long list of names seems unrelated to the good news of Jesus. But the people highlighted in this family tree show us that Jesus loves everyone. And that everyone needs Jesus.

One of the interesting pieces is who got invited to the birth of Jesus. It’s a curious shortlist. This week we begin with Joseph, the man who played the role of Jesus’ earthly father. It was not a job he was looking for but he was God’s choice.

Throughout the Bible, God has consistently called his people to be wholehearted and single-minded. At St. Paul’s, we talk about being all-in. The image is of pushing all the poker chips to the middle of the table as if to say, “We’ve found something in Jesus, and we’re betting our whole lives on him!” All in! From time to time, we have to ask ourselves: Is it true? Are we all in? Or are we holding something back? Is something hindering us?

Paul is in chains, but he is still sharing his faith. He creates opportunities to share his faith, takes time for conversations, and is clear about a person’s choice for or against Jesus. Then, the story ends abruptly with a single word of hope: unhindered.

The book of Acts tells us Paul’s testimony three times, which seems a little overcooked! As you read each one, you’ll see that while Paul doesn’t change facts, he does choose to emphasize certain parts of his story depending on who is in the audience. All Christians have a testimony; hearing Paul tell his helps us find words to explain what our LORD has done in our lives.

A fish out of water is a term we use to describe someone in unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings. That’s Paul in Athens. Paul was a Jewish scholar proficient in the Bible and monotheism. Athens was an idol and temple smorgasbord! In this passage, Paul has to figure out how to explain Jesus to a group of people who have never heard of Him before.

Beaten and thrown in prison, Paul and Silas share their faith. They stay close to Jesus, love like Jesus, and are ready to talk about Jesus when the opportunity comes.

We’ve heard great stories of the Holy Spirit at work in exceptional ways. The church in Antioch felt the Spirit prompt them to do something intentional and put a plan together. The plan was to send out two of their number to let the wider world know of the good news of Jesus. Planning is important but executing the plan is at least as important. Having the strength and capacity to carry on with the plan, through thick and thin, is the story we now find ourselves in. Barnabas and Paul show us what it looks like when Christians begin to intentionally share their faith.