Author: Admin

One of the things that I tried to get across to my youth when I was a youth pastor was that no matter what story you look at in the Bible the hero is always God. Regardless of what part of Scripture you are looking at, from Abraham to Moses to Joshua to David and all through the New Testament, He is the one who is to receive all of the glory and praise and honour because He is at the centre of everything. And it’s no different in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The Father, who represents our Heavenly Father, is the hero in the story. He is the generous giver, He is the one full of grace and love, He is patient and kind, and full of joy. He also has the strength to not use His power to control His sons, but to allow them their freedom.

While we are not God, nor will we ever be, we are still called to play the role of the Father in how we act towards others. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, sums it up this way:

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-21.

And when we fall short of doing everything in this list, there is grace, forgiveness, and restoration — all we need to do is come home and receive it. Our gathering is at 6pm on Sunday, hope to see you there.

Pastor Mike

Men are notoriously bad at asking for directions when they’re lost — I can say that because I am one!  We make up excuses like we’re not really lost, just taking the scenic route!  Or, it’s not the destination that’s important, but how you get there!  Whatever way you spin it, not knowing where you are is the same as being lost.  And for someone who doesn’t even know that they’re lost, it’s that much harder to tell them that they’re going the wrong way.

In Luke 15, in the story of The Prodigal Son, most people focus on the lostness of the first son, how he turned his back on home and went off on his own. They rightly point out how he lost everything before he finally came to his senses and returned home. But there’s another son in the story who I believe is even more lost than the one who ran away, the older brother. He’s the one who stayed home when the younger brother took off; he’s the one who continued to work and do what was asked of him while the other left not caring what would happen; he’s the one who never abused his authority but always followed the rules. And yet if you pay close attention to the end of the parable, it’s clear to see that the older brother is on the outside of the celebration looking in, but certainly not wanting to go in. He is standing outside of fellowship with his father, and for that reason alone should be considered lost.

How do you give directions to someone who doesn’t believe that they’re lost? That’s a great question, and one that we’ll address this Sunday as we continue our look at the parable of The Prodigal Son(s). Our gathering starts at 6pm — hope to see you there.

Pastor Mike

I love going home to my “old stomping grounds”, as my parents like to say. It’s wonderful to go and see familiar, friendly places, and even to smell the difference in the air. But most importantly I love the reception that I get — it is always a warm, loving embrace and the words, “I’m so glad you’re home!” I know that this isn’t the norm for many people, and I do feel blessed having grown up in a loving home with two parents who were always there for me. It wasn’t perfect, but it was genuine and full of love.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable about a son returning home and the reception he receives. It’s a familiar story, and one that many people know, even those who aren’t followers of Christ. Even though the son had basically run away turning his  back on his family, He was still welcomed home warmly by his father, much to the displeasure of the older brother who had stayed home. And because it is so familiar it is easy to quickly skim over it, but in doing so we miss out on so much of what God is trying to teach us. This parable is a wonderful picture of the Gospel, and so it is good for us to slow down, take it all in, and allow the message of forgiveness, grace, and love to fill our whole vision. For that reason we’re going to use the next three weeks to look at the story, each week focusing on a different character in the story — first the prodigal son, second the older brother, and finally the Father. To help you prepare for this series read over Luke 15 a few times. Read it slowly and thoughtfully, meditating on the message Jesus is sharing with us, and come prepared on Sunday to enter into the story. Our gathering begins at 6pm.

Pastor Mike

Over the last four weeks we’ve been looking at Basics for Believers: some basic building blocks for the Christian life. We’ve looked at our new identity in Christ, reading and studying the Bible, worship, and prayer. Each of these things are important in the life of a Christian, and in each area we need to be growing and maturing, and experiencing God’s grace in increasing measure. One additional area that is important for Christian growth and maturity is fellowship, which is basically living the Christian life in community. As a Christian you are called into the family of God (Galatians 3:23-4:7), you are called into the church which is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:15-18 ), and you are called to play a role there (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12). The only way that we can grow and mature as Christians is by living out what we are called to be, to practice what we have been taught. And the best way for us to do this is in community, to learn from and encourage each other, to spur each other on to love and good deeds. This is why we need to continue meeting together on a regular basis, and not just on Sundays! We need to gather together to serve each other, and serve alongside each other, and to share what God is doing in our lives. We need to celebrate our new life in Christ. To that end, as a church body we’re getting together this week to meet in small groups, to gather together to eat, and to join with other brothers and sisters in Christ to celebrate what God is doing in our partner churches in the area. I hope you’ll be able to join with us.

Pastor Mike

On Sunday we will be continuing our series, Basics for Believers. One of the basics of life that each person needs to master, or at least be competent in, is communication. If a person is unable to communicate, that is being able to get their point across or hear and understand someone else’s point of view, getting through life will be difficult. I’ve known adults who are functionally illiterate and for them getting through life is a constant struggle. For Christians, communication with God is essential for our growth and understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. If our prayer life is not good, it is hard for us to grow spiritually — we may be able to grow in Biblical knowledge, but understanding the heart of God really comes through communication with God, and this happens through prayer. The good news about prayer is that there are many different ways in which to pray — it is not a one size fits all. The main thing is that we do pray, and we continue to grow in our prayer life. I hope that you’re able to join us this Sunday as we look at the why and how of prayer, and hopefully learn how to be more effective in our prayer life. Our gathering starts at 6pm, and we do have prayer before the service from 4:30-5:30 and all are welcome.

Pastor Mike

Have you ever purchased something that needed some assembly once you got it home? I remember one Father’s Day getting a new BBQ that needed a lot of assembling! It seemed as if they tried to pack the BBQ in as many pieces as humanly possible! Thankfully, instructions were included in the packaging because if there weren’t any I would never be able to figure out how things went together. Following the instructions was still tricky, and I did have to backtrack once or twice, but after a few hours of struggling we were all set up and enjoying some wonderful homemade burgers.

For a new Christian it can seem like there is so much to learn and understand, and they’re right! There is always something new to learn, or an issue to work on in our lives as we try to faithfully follow Jesus. This is one of the reasons why God gave us the Bible. The Bible, God’s word to us, explains who we are (God’s workmanship, created by Him and for Him – see Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:10), why we are here (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 12, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21), and where we are going (John 14:1-6, Revelation 21:1-8). It also gives instructions on how we are to live, and what to expect as followers of Jesus. This is why it is so important as Christians to read and know the Bible. If we don’t grow in our knowledge of God, how can we expect to mature as Christians?

Now I should be clear that the Bible is much more than just an instruction booklet on how to be a Christian. The Bible, in fact, isn’t about us at all — it’s about God. This is His story, He is the hero; we are just characters, bit players in this drama. The Bible is all about Him. But because He has invited us to play a role, we need to know where we fit in. It’s important for us to not think of ourselves more highly than we should, and remember that He is God and we are not.

Come out on Sunday with your questions. Invite someone else who may be wondering what following Jesus is all about. Our gathering starts at 6pm – hope to see you there.

Pastor Mike

I want you to think back to the first job you had. Perhaps it was working in a fast-food restaurant, or maybe working in a shop. Think about how you felt walking into that workplace for the first time. I’m sure you felt some butterflies, and likely had some anxious thoughts run through your mind: What if I make a mistake? What if nobody likes me? Can they fire me on my first shift?! But I’m sure there was also some excitement and anticipation as you put on the uniform for the first time, walked through the door that said “Staff Only”, and finally got to see how a Big Mac was put together! You had become one of the team! From now on whenever someone asked you, “What do you do?” you had a response ready.

In a much grander way this is what it is like when we come into God’s family, when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and become co-heirs with Him. But we don’t just put on a uniform and start working behind the scenes. We actually become a “new creation” as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “The old has gone, the new is here!” We are made new in Christ, but are continuing to be made new through the work of Holy Spirit. Sound confusing? That’s okay, you’re not alone! To help bring greater understanding to this reality of “new – being made new” we’re going to start a five week series called “Basics for New Believers: What does it mean to follow Jesus?” The first week we’re going to tackle our new identity as a Christ follower: we don’t just put on a jersey and become part of the team, we’re remade! The next four weeks we’ll look at how we live as Christians, why and how we read the Bible, prayer and fasting, and how we worship with our whole lives. I hope you’ll be able to join us on this journey, and invite others along who you think would benefit. As always, our gatherings take place Sundays at 6 pm.

Pastor Mike