The Centre Community Church

Author: Admin

Lessons I’ve Learned: the Body of Christ

Why do we get together on Sundays and go to church? Is it simply tradition? Is it to fill the time because we have so much free time? Is it a social gathering put together for our benefit? Do we go to church to please others? Do we go to obey God? What’s in it for us?

As we wind down our summer series, Lessons I’ve Learned through Scripture, I wanted to look at a two things we’ll be looking at in more detail this fall — the church, and the Bible. Both are core to our lives as followers of Christ, but both can fall into the realm of religion: following rules instead of following God. This Sunday I want to focus on the joy of coming together as the Body of Christ, and recognizing that as we come together our primary focus is on God, but our secondary focus is on others, not ourselves. I hope that you’ll be able to join us this Sunday. In order to prepare for this Sunday I’d encourage you to read Psalm 122 and Hebrews 10.

Pastor Mike

23/08/2016
Things I’ve Learned: God is Here, There, and Everywhere

I remember going grocery shopping with my mom when I was little. We went to the A&P in the Parry Sound Mall — a huge place for tiny legs. One time as we were walking through the mall to get to the store I stopped to look at something, and when I turned back to the spot where I’d left my mom she wasn’t there. Now, in all likelihood, she was probably only 5 feet from the spot I was looking, but I couldn’t see her, and so I did what any rational child would do, I ran! I ran back the way we’d come, hoping that around each corner I’d see her. I ran out of the mall, into the parking lot, and she wasn’t there! I couldn’t even find our car. I made my way back to the mall, sobbing, but instead of going inside I found a place by the entrance between two mailboxes and wedged myself in. After what seemed like forever (likely less than 2 minutes) my mom found me, hugged me, and wiped away my tears as her own tears fell on to me.

It’s no fun feeling alone in this big, wide world — there’s lots of scary things out there. I believe that’s why God reminds us in Psalm 139 that we’re not alone, we’re never alone. As long as He is God and we’re His creation, He knows where we are and how we’re doing (read it and see for yourself). Jesus continues this promise to those who follow Him telling them that He would never leave or forsake them. And with this promise we have God’s Spirit active and alive inside us! There truly is no where we can go without Him! On Sunday at our gathering we’ll learn more and celebrate this. If you know of someone in your life who is feeling lost and alone, this would be a great Sunday to invite them out.

Pastor Mike

17/08/2016
Living In the Kingdom/Living Out the Kingdom: Connection to God

For the past five years I’ve spent a week at Camp Widjiitiwin (www.mycamp.ca) either as the camp pastor, or bringing youth up from Hamilton’s inner city. It’s always been a wonderful time of ministry, but incredibly tiring! One thing about Camp Widjiitiwin is that the cell reception is spotty at best! There are very few spots on the camp ground where you can get a clear signal so staying in contact with the outside world is tough to do. Sometimes parents would get frustrated because they hadn’t heard from me, or seen many pictures of their child having fun doing camp things. Without a clear signal, or a strong connection, it’s hard to stay connected.

Jesus was perfectly in contact with His Heavenly Father while He was on earth. Jesus was perfectly in tune with who God was and what He wanted Jesus to do. In John 5:16-30, Jesus says that He only does what He sees His Father doing, and that He can do nothing apart from God. As we’re called to follow Jesus, and continue His work of serving others, calling them to repentance and pointing them to God, we need to follow Jesus’ example of being connected to God. Without this connection it will be hard to know what we’re to do, and how we’re to do it. Come out this Sunday evening as we look at how we can keep this connection strong.

Pastor Mike

18/05/2016
Living In the Kingdom/Living Out the Kingdom: Bringing Wholeness

We live in a throw away culture. If something’s broken, we pitch it and get a new one. Very rarely will we take the time, effort and money to fix something because it simply isn’t cost effective. A few years ago the battery on our portable phone died and so we looked into getting a replacement battery — the battery alone cost more than it would to buy a whole new phone! We live in a crazy generation!

Even people can sometimes be seen as too far gone, too broken, too much work, not worth the effort. I thank God that He doesn’t view us this way! That even when we were His enemies Jesus came to rescue us, and Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for us while we were still sinners, completely opposed to Him! Just take a look at Romans 5:1-11.

On Sunday we’re going to be looking at John 5:1-14 — the healing at the pool. Jesus saves us not because we earn it, or deserve it, but because of His great love for us. However, we still need to respond, and there is a warning in this passage about failing to respond. There’s much contained in these few verses and we’ll only be able to scratch the surface!

11/05/2016
Living In the Kingdom/Living Out the Kingdom: Acceptance and Grace

As Christians we are called to go to all areas of the world to share about Jesus, but that doesn’t mean that we always have to go far. In fact, very few people are called to far, to the ends of the earth. Most Christians are called to stay where they are, be a blessing where they are, and share Christ where they are. And this can prove to be more difficult than going overseas as a missionary because here everyone knows who you are. They know your past, your family, perhaps even how you’ve messed up before. They’ve seen you around, and now you’re called to bless them in the name of Jesus.

But it doesn’t have to be difficult. Many times all it takes to become a blessing and be given an opportunity to share is to simply be open to a conversation. Greet people. Smile. Hold the door open. Keep your head up as you walk, and say hi! Think big, but start small.

On Sunday we’re going to be looking at John 4, the story of Jesus meeting with the Samaritan woman. Through a conversation a whole town hears about God’s kingdom and is changed forever. It’s simple. It’s profound. It’s what we’re called to do.

01/05/2016
Living In the Kingdom/Living Out the Kingdom: New Life

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells the people that as followers of Jesus they are to “take off” their old habits and ways of doing things, and instead “put on” their new self which is created to be like God (read all of Ephesians 4 to get the whole picture). I think too often we try to fit God into our life instead of the other way around. We add “Christian” things to our weekly routine, or change the radio station or what we watch on TV, but we retain much of the same attitude that we had before. And so what we are left with is a person who is divided, who is trying to live in two different kingdoms. Jesus called people like this “white-washed tombs” among other things (read Matthew 23).

Jesus says that we are to be born again. We are to be made new, a new creation in Him (2 Cor 5:17). This does mean that outwardly we will act differently than before we knew and followed Christ, but it also means that inwardly we will think differently as well. This is what Jesus was teaching Nicodemus in John 3:1-21, and it is what we’ll be looking at this Sunday. I hope that you’ll be able to join us.

20/04/2016
Living In the Kingdom/Living Out the Kingdom: Honouring God

Every person likely has something special that they hold dear. It might be a picture of a loved one, a family heirloom that’s been passed down from generation to generation, or perhaps something that reminds them of a special memory. Whatever it might be, if that item were broken or went missing there would likely be a sense of loss and profound sadness. The connection to the past, or a special person, would be damaged.

In John 2:13-25, we read of Jesus’ actions towards the money changers and those selling animals in the temple courtyard. His response is strong and direct, and makes it very clear how He feels about the temple, the place where all people were supposed to be able to worship and celebrate God. Jesus had a perfect connection with His heavenly Father, and He knew how the actions of those in the market place offended Him.

On Sunday we’re going to look at this passage and hopefully see how Jesus’ response in the temple should also be our response when it comes to issues that bring offence to God and His name.

April 13, 2016

15/04/2016
Living In the Kingdom/Living Out the Kingdom: Joy!

I came across a great quote that sums up well what it means to follow Jesus. It is a bit wordy, so you may want to read it out loud to yourself a few times! “As a disciple of Jesus I am with him, by choice and by grace, learning from him how to live in the kingdom of God. . . . I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live my life if he were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner that he did all that he did. . . . I need to be able to lead my life as he would lead it if he were I.” (Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, p. 283-4).

We have just finished our look at The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ explanation of what it means to live in the Kingdom. Now we’re going to see what a Kingdom life lived out looks like, and what better way to look at a Kingdom life than to look at the life of Jesus. For the next few months we’re going to look at the gospel of John, learning about attributes of a Kingdom life, and how we are to live today.

This Sunday we’ll begin our journey looking at John 2:1-11, Jesus’ first recorded miracle. The life of a follower of Jesus is meant to be one punctuated by joy. We are to be a people who celebrate and rejoice! Come out this Sunday and celebrate with us the new life we have through Him.

April 6, 2016

06/04/2016