Sermons by Sheila Thomson
Have you ever had to compete for someone’s attention or affection? You are together, but it feels like they are a million miles away. They may even look like they are listening to you but you sense that they are somewhere else. It’s easy to do these days. Watch people in a restaurant surrounded by TV screens and it is hard to keep your focus on the people you are with! Our hearts have a tendency to be captivated by something. Sometimes these affections or distractions can be all consuming and it can feel like a battleground in our hearts and minds. We’re going to talk about the root of such things in a 4-part series called “gods AT WAR.” Join us for this discussion. It might make all the difference between a well balanced life, and one that can feel out of control.
If you’re like a lot of people, you love a good celebration. Canada Day. The 4th of July. Easter. Christmas. Your wedding anniversary. Your birthday! Those are days that we typically stop to acknowledge something important. We break from routine. We take time out. We remember. One memory and aging expert says that when we overextend ourselves – always having too much to do – it makes it harder to concentrate and remember. What are some of the things that we can’t afford to forget… because if we do, it can change our lives? In fact, we can easily become discouraged. Getting up in the morning can get harder. You might start to wonder when was the last time you actually felt good about anything. We’ll talk about how rest allows us to remember… and get back on track.
In the church calendar, this Sunday is known as Pentecost Sunday where we remember the day of Pentecost. In this message, we learn about the importance of receiving God’s power in order to fulfill God’s mission.
They say it takes at least three years for people to get to know each other well. The assumption is that by the third year, you’ve gone through a lot of different experiences together, both good and bad. You’ve probably faced obstacles, seen each other under stress, and had disagreements. People open up to each other at their own pace, and some might even say you can never really truly know someone – just when you think you do, something unexpected happens. In the Gospel of Mark, there is a recurring theme – Jesus’ identity. His identity is affirmed in some cases, concealed in others, and revealed under extraordinary circumstances. Why is it important to understand who Jesus is, why he came to earth, and what he did for us? The Gospel of Mark puts our faith under a microscope and challenges us to evaluate, or even to re-evaluate, our understanding of Who is Jesus. Take this journey with us.
There is a lot of talk and focus on mental health issues these days, with advertisements and company sponsorships encouraging people to speak up and seek the help they need. We are hearing more stories of deep struggles as people are coming forward to share their experiences. This is backed up by statistics saying that one in five Canadians will suffer with mental health issues in their lifetime. Being a person of faith does not exempt us from the conversation. And it does not exempt us from facing deep challenges in our own lives. What it can do is drive us to the bible to see what God says about things – things like our inner self, our thoughts and emotions. This month we will look to God’s word for comfort and solutions to some of life’s most challenging questions.
Have you ever heard a person in business, in sports, or even in everyday life, describe a situation as a ‘game changer’? It’s something that happens, often unexpectedly, that totally changes the outcome of a situation and causes you to see it in a new light. You could be working on a project and encountering obstacles that seem insurmountable, when someone from outside the team comes up with an idea that gives new hope for a successful resolution. Or it’s a nail biting playoff series and it looks like your favourite team is about to lose, when a player makes a move that gives your team the edge. You may be reading a story and the author introduces a new character that takes the plot in an exciting new direction. The idea of “grace” in the Bible can be like that. Understanding what God means by His free and unmerited favour towards us can have implications that are so profound, that when embraced, it’s a game changer in your life.
Grace Changes Everything is a 12 part teaching series through the book of Galatians. Over the summer, we’ll be walking through this incredible book full of explanations and evidence for God’s grace. We hope that this series will help each of us see and live our lives in a fresh new way.