Author: Admin

It’s been said that being close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Being close to the truth, but still missing it is still getting things wrong and missing the mark. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul says to the early church that if they want to follow the law and all its rules and regulations, then they need to keep the law perfectly — if they fail at just one point they’re guilty of breaking the whole law! That is a sobering message.

Peter is close to understanding who Jesus is — he even calls Him the Messiah — but he still misses the mark. Peter calls Jesus the Messiah, and then in the next moment rebukes Jesus for getting things wrong after Jesus tells them that He’s going to die! How could Peter be so close and yet still so far away?! How could he acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, but then say Jesus doesn’t know what He’s talking about?! That is a sobering warning for us as well.

Jesus came to serve God, not people. He came to fulfill the plan that was established before creation, and no one could turn Him aside or give Him another direction. Jesus was solely fixed on seeing this plan through to the end, and nothing would keep Him from honouring God. The disciples thought they understood who Jesus was and what He was about, but they would only fully know after His ascension just what He had come to accomplish. Until then they were only close to the truth.

We now have the full picture, the complete story of salvation, and yet still we can miss the mark. The good news is that we can enjoy grace, forgiveness, and restoration. Jesus came to serve and honour God, and complete the plan of redemption, and through His victory He’s made a way for us to have eternal life and life more abundantly now. We may still mess up, but praise be to God that Jesus didn’t, for it’s only by Him and through Him that we receive grace.

This Sunday at our weekly gathering we’ll be looking at Mark 8:27-33. Read all of Mark 8 before you come on Sunday — trust me, it’ll be good for you! Our service starts at 6pm — hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Pastor Mike

It was too nice a day to start off in front of the computer so I took a walk instead, and I’m so thankful that I did. It seems as the nice weather returns it’s not only animals that come out of hibernation, or birds that return from down south! As I walked through our neighbourhood I saw people out gardening and cleaning up their yards. People sitting on their front porch with friends, enjoying a coffee and some fresh air, and probably having a good conversation. There were people out walking their dogs, taking their time, allowing the dog to meander and sniff every scent. No one seemed to be in a rush. No one seemed hurried to get past this part of the day. Each person seemed to be at peace.

Along the way I stopped to talk with a few people that are connected to The Centre. They were wondering when our next BBQ was going to be — another sure sign of Spring! As we chatted and got caught up they let me know what was happening in their part of the neighbourhood, and they told me that some of the rougher elements of the community had moved out. They felt more secure and safe, and were happy that the kids in the area wouldn’t have to hear and see everything that goes along with places like that. Again, there was a sense of peace and joy, and being happy in the moment.

I know that not everyday will be like this. I know that there will be struggles and times of frustration that come our way, both individually and for The Centre. I know that people we love will move away. Others we love will get sick and suffer. Others will face family issues and breakdowns. People will lose their jobs. People we love will pass away.

But right now, things are good. Let’s enjoy this time. Thank God for the grace He gives us, and remember that all good gifts come from Him. Psalm 84 would be good to read right now!

Just a reminder that this Sunday evening we’re blessed to have Darin Martin come and lead us in story and song. This will be a great night to invite friends out (although every Sunday is a good time to do that!). You can check out some of his music at http://darinmartinmusic.com. Hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Pastor Mike

“Just follow your heart.”

This could be some of the worst advice we could ever give or receive. On the surface it seems quite nice and good, and I’m sure the purpose behind it is to bring peace and contentment. “Follow your heart.” “Do what you think is best, what makes you feel good.” We want to encourage and empower people, give them the freedom to be their own boss, the author of their own story.

The problem with this statement is that it assumes that at the root our hearts are good, that given the choice we will always choose the right path to take. But that just isn’t the case. In fact, Jesus, the one who has created us and knows us perfectly, who also knows the state of His creation, said that our main problem is actually a heart issue. In Mark 7 Jesus is talking with the disciples about what makes a person clean or unclean — they were just arguing with the Pharisees about this — and Jesus tells them, “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come.” It’s out of our hearts, our sinful nature, that we say or think things that are harmful. It’s our actions that originate from within us that are what alienate us from God. This is what defiles us and makes us unclean. This is what stands between us and God.

Thankfully there is a better way, the only way. Jesus Christ, through His sacrifice, has made a way for us to be redeemed and reunited with God. By His shed blood on the cross we can be set free and forgiven of our sins. All He asks is that we trust and follow Him. And that is the best advice that we could ever give:

“Just follow Jesus.”

I hope that you’ll be able to join us this coming Sunday at our weekly gathering as we look at this passage (Mark 7:1-23) more in depth. If you are coming out be sure to read it over a few times before Sunday.

Coming up two Sundays from now (May 6th) we are going to have a special night of music and stories from a friend of The Centre, Darin Martin. Darin is a worship pastor from Hamilton, Ontario who has also done youth ministry, church planting, as well as music ministry. It will be a wonderful night of celebrating our God!  I hope you can make it out!

Blessings,

Pastor Mike

“You can’t see the forest for the trees.”

In Mark’s gospel, this is what is beginning to happen to the disciples, and if we’re honest in our evaluation of ourselves, this is where we often end up. Basically what this saying means is that we get fixated on the little details and fail to see the big picture — we see the trees, but we can’t see the forest.

Jesus has just demonstrated repeatedly to the disciples His divine power and authority (calming the storm, raising the dead, feeding the 5000, etc…), has shown them that if they put their trust in Him that they can continue on what He’s been doing (Mark 6:6-13), and yet they still don’t fully grasp who He is and what He’s about (see Mark 6:45-52). As it will be shown through the rest of the gospel, the disciples have their own thoughts about who Jesus should be and what He should do, and where they think they fit in. They’re focusing on their own ideas, their own individual trees, instead of seeing the forest that God has planted and is planting.

This is still a danger for us today. We can have thoughts and ideas of what God should be doing, our own “pet projects”, and fail to see where God is actually working and the direction He is going. We can get fixated on one particular thing and miss all the rest of what God is doing. I pray that I never see The Centre Community Church as God’s main work in Lindsay, but rather see it as just one tree in a forest that He is planting here in (our) His town.

Are there things in your life that you have fixated upon that have taken your eyes off of Jesus? Are you finding it hard to see the forest for the trees? Pray that God would expand your vision so that you can see and experience more of what He is doing all around you!

This Sunday we will be continuing this theme as we look at Mark 6:45-56. If you haven’t yet read through all of Mark, sit down sometime this week and read from the beginning up to chapter 7. I know that as you do you’ll be able to see more of the forest that Jesus planted. Hope you have a blessed week, and we’ll hope to see you on Sunday as we gather together as His people.

Pastor Mike

To begin this week I’d like to say thank you to all the volunteers who served refreshments at the Good Friday service, as well as those who braved the chilly wind and helped with our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Both events were very well received. I’m looking forward to following up this week with the families who were out Sunday morning, and seeing how the rest of their Easter turned out. There’s always an opportunity in every conversation that we have.

In saying that, at times it seems like an overwhelming task doing what we’re doing; planting a church, finding ways to care for the South End and then doing them, coming alongside people who are in crisis or in need or simply need a friend. There is always more to be done, more people to be cared for, more people who need to hear about the love of Jesus. It’d be easy to say, “If only we had more people/money/events/time in order to reach them!” But when our focus is on what we don’t have we generally fail to see what we do have. This is what happened with the disciples when they were faced with what seemed like an impossible task — how to feed over 5000 people on short notice! They looked at the task and said there’s no way. They looked at the people and said it’s not possible. They looked at the setting sun and said there’s no time. The only time they spoke to Jesus was to say it was impossible, there was no way! That’s when Jesus told them to look at what they did have — five loaves of bread and two fish — and that was enough. Jesus multiplied what little they had so that there was an abundance, more than enough for everyone to be satisfied!

Jesus + a little = more than we could ever ask for!

That is the equation that we need to have central in our lives. If we try to do everything on our own, we’ll fall short. If we wait until we have all that we think we need in place, we may miss our opportunity. If we try to go forward without Jesus we won’t get to where we need to be. We need to look to Jesus and trust that we He’s asking us to do is possible through Him, but only through Him. There is no other way.

Our gathering this Sunday is at our regular time of 6pm. There will be prayer before the service at 4:30, and this week we’ll be celebrating communion. Hope you can join us.

Pastor Mike

It is incredible that we’re already at Easter and next week is April! Where does the time go?! I’m sure the disciples felt the same way when they were with Jesus. It would have been a whirlwind of activity and excitement, hard to slow down and catch their breath. As He led and taught them, Jesus gave them opportunities to demonstrate their newfound gifts and knowledge (read Mark 6:1-13, Matthew 10, and Luke 9:1-6). Like a good teacher He offered them a variety of chances to put what they’d learned to the test, and to learn firsthand what it meant to serve and be a blessing to others. And as they went they were amazed at what happened! People were healed and set free, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God was shared! They were being the hands and feet of Jesus.

This holds true for us still today. What we learn and what we’re given, we’re not meant to keep to ourselves. We are called to put these gifts, talents, blessings to use in serving God and serving others. We are called to care for others, encourage others, and point them towards Jesus who is the only one who can save them. Jesus has prepared the way for us — He did this through the cross, His sacrifice and resurrection — and now He has called us to follow His example and go forward into all the world sharing the love and grace He freely gives. But we don’t do this on our own. We are a part of the Body of Christ (His church), we have His Spirit within us, and the promise from Jesus that He will never leave us or forsake us. So let us go forward together, boldly loving and caring for others in Jesus’ name!

Our gathering this Sunday is at the regular time of 6pm with prayer before the service starting at 4:30. We’d love to have you join with us and celebrate the Risen King!

Pastor Mike

So much of our lives run on schedules. From work and school, to appointments, to holidays, to having your vehicle serviced — pretty much everything we do is subject to time. And I often hear people say that there just isn’t enough time to get everything done in a day. We are bound to time. Even if we’d like to be free from it, it’s virtually impossible in our culture.

But this isn’t a new thing. Even in Jesus’ day people had their own schedules and agendas to keep, and often for a very good reason. In the story of Jairus’ daughter in Mark 6:21-43, Jairus comes to Jesus begging Him to help his sick daughter. Jairus has a schedule to keep in order for his daughter to survive. Jesus goes with the him, but along the way gets sidetracked by another woman who is in need. While Jesus is helping her one of Jairus’ servants comes to let them know that his daughter has died, and that they don’t need to trouble Jesus any longer. Jesus hears them, and says these words to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Jesus is letting Jairus, and the others, know that He’s not controlled by time or our schedules — He is the author of time, just like He’s the creator of the winds and waves, and the spiritual realm. When we put our trust in Him, we trust that His timing and schedule is better than anything we could come up with.

I won’t spoil the rest of the story for you — you should read it yourself! — but I will let you know that Jesus once again demonstrates that He is God, and that there’s nothing that stands outside of His control. And if He’s all powerful then there’s no where I’d rather be than standing next to Him.

Just a reminder that our weekly gathering starts at 6pm on Sunday, and we have a prayer time before the service from 4:30-5:30. Hope to see you then!

Pastor Mike

Do you ever feel like things go from bad to worse, like you’ve just weathered one storm when another one blows up right after it? After facing the craziness and chaos of the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus faces a storm of another kind. He and His disciples have just landed on shore when they are met by a man who is simply out of control. The man’s family and friends had tried to subdue and control him but nothing worked, and so now he’s left to roam endlessly and recklessly among the tombs. When the man sees Jesus approach he runs to him.

Jesus is exhausted. He’s just spent an eventful trip coming across the lake, coming to a place He’d hoped to get away from the craziness of the crowds, but now He’s faced with yet another unpredictable storm. However, instead of dismissing the man and casting him aside, Jesus engages with him and heals him. Jesus takes what is broken and makes it whole; He takes what has been cast aside and returns it to it’s rightful place. Jesus brings stability and peace into the midst of chaos.

I know that each of us will face storms, or is facing storms in your life right now. Know that God understands and knows how all things fit together, that He has a plan and a purpose for you. It may not make sense at first, but it will become clear in His time. That man that Jesus healed, the demoniac from the Gerasenes, went on into the region of the Decapolis, a Gentile region, preparing the way for the Gospel that would be preached shortly after Christ was raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven. The man went from a chaotic, dangerous man to one who brought peace and calm and stability. Let Jesus do the same for you.

We will gather once again this Sunday at 6pm. If you’d like to join us for prayer before the service, a group meets downstairs from 4:30-5:30.

Pastor Mike

In his book, Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis said that there are only three responses to who Jesus claimed to be: he was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. He either was lying about everything, putting on a magic show, and fooling everyone around Him. Or He was deranged, and simply believed that He was God’s son, as many people since Him have claimed to be. Or He was telling the truth, and honestly demonstrating who He was through His actions and words.  The point that Lewis was making was that you cannot respond to Jesus by saying, “I like some of His teachings, but not all of them.” If Jesus was who He said He was, then we’re not able to pick and choose what we like or don’t like, or how we follow Him — we’re not given that option. We either accept Him as Lord and follow Him, or we deny who He was and face the consequence.

The Gospel of Mark is an explanation of who Jesus is as a human while also being a defense of His claims of divinity, and in Mark 4:35-41 we see this most clearly for the first time. This is the account of Jesus and His disciples, as well as others, as they cross over the Sea of Galilee and travel into the midst of a crazy storm. Everyone is afraid that they’re going to capsize and drown except Jesus because He’s asleep! They wake Him, crying out to Him to save them. He gets up, and calms the storm. It is at this point in His earthly ministry that those around Him, especially His disciples, come face to face with the reality that Jesus is not just a good teacher, a miracle worker, or a social activist — He is much more than that. And they were terrified.

This Sunday we will look at this passage, one that I love dearly, and my prayer is that all of us will have a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. I hope that you’ll be able to join us as we gather at 6pm.

Pastor Mike