The Centre Community Church

Author: Admin

  • He is risen, indeed!

    He is risen, indeed!

    He is risen, indeed! This is a traditional Easter greeting, and one I’ve come to love. It is so simple and yet has such a rich, deep meeting.

    There is hope in the greeting, recognizing that Jesus is not dead but alive! He has conquered the grave, defeating sin and death, and is now living. He has made a way for us to be saved and have a relationship with God so that we can have eternal life. He has made a way for us to have life more abundantly now, becoming spiritually alive in Him! In Jesus we can become new creations — the old is gone, the new has come!

    There is also an emphatic Yes! in this greeting signifying that there is nothing more that needs to be done. It is finished! It is complete! Jesus is victorious! And even though He is coming again one day soon, it isn’t to begin the fight all over once again. When Jesus returns it will be to claim His prize and make all things new. The battle is over! Jesus has won!

    So this Easter I hope that you will greet each brother and sister in Christ with this greeting. “He is risen!” “He is risen, indeed!”

    We will be celebrating this coming Easter at our regular gathering time at 6pm. I hope that you’ll be able to come and join us to worship our risen King Jesus!

    I hope that you have a great week and a fantastic Easter celebrating our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

    Blessings,

    Pastor Mike

  • Jesus’ Entry to Jerusalem

    Jesus’ Entry to Jerusalem

    Very shortly after a professional sports team has won a major championship there is usually a parade through the home city, giving the chance for fans to show their support for their favourite team.  This is actually a practice that goes back centuries, to a time when returning armies would march through their nation’s capitol, bringing in tow all of the spoils of war.

    In Luke 19:28-44, Jesus enters into Jerusalem and it has all of the appearances of a conquering king coming into his new capitol — people are lining the streets, cheering and shouting his praises.  Everything seems as it should be except for two things: Jesus is riding on colt (or a donkey), and He weeps over Jerusalem instead of shouting out his victory.  Both of these things are out of place and are in stark contrast to everything else going on around Jesus.

    Jesus knew that He wasn’t coming to conquer by force, but to submit to those who were already in power.  He also knew that He was coming to offer His life as a sacrifice — He knew that He would soon die.  And so we have this picture of Jesus, riding not on a warhorse but meekly on a donkey, and weeping rather than yelling out in victory.  That victory yell would come five days later when He shouted, “It is finished!”

    This Sunday I hope that you can join with us as we look at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  In order to prepare for this Sunday I’d encourage you to read through Luke 10-19, looking at Jesus’ ministry leading up to the Triumphal entry.

    Pastor Mike

  • Who is the Lord of your life?

    Who is the Lord of your life?

    Every person faces difficult decisions throughout their lives: who to marry, what line of work to pursue, where to live, how many kids to have, when to quit, when to say goodbye to a loved one. We face decisions everyday, but the one that impacts us the most — or should, at least — is who we call “lord”. For whomever we call the lord of our life, that is the one who affects every decision we make. If we put ourselves at the centre, then all our decisions will revolve around what is best for us. If we put our spouse, or family, at the centre of our life, then each decision will be based on what is best for them. If money, or power, or stuff, or hobbies are the focal point of our life, then those things will affect the choices we make.

    If Jesus is the centre of our lives, however, that will change everything. We will no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ, who is in us. The decisions we make will not be determined by what is good for us, but what is good for God and His kingdom. And when we order our lives around honouring and serving God, we will find that those things we once held dear — our stuff, our pastimes, even our families and our own lives — will pale in comparison to the satisfaction of knowing Jesus as our Saviour and King.

    This Sunday we’re starting a new three-week series on Jesus’ final days. This week we will look at Luke 9:51-62 – Jesus sets outs for Jerusalem. Week 2 we will see Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-44). And on Easter Sunday we will celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death, and the new life we can have in and through Him (Luke 24). I hope you’ll be able to make it out and worship our Saviour together.

    Blessings,

    Pastor Mike

  • Who’s your Nineveh?

    Who’s your Nineveh?

    “Who’s your Nineveh?” This was the question that was asked of my last church a number of years back. Essentially, who is the person, or the people you’d rather not talk to? Who are the ones that if you could you’d ignore and pretend you didn’t see? If we are honest with ourselves, there are those that rub us the wrong way and who we find hard to love.

    Jonah struggled with loving the Ninevites. And he hated the fact that God was going to save them. These were the enemies of Israel, God’s chosen people! Why should they be spared?! Why shouldn’t they be found guilty for what they’d done?

    In the final chapter of the book, God makes a plant spring up overnight that gives shade to Jonah from the hot, desert sun. Jonah was extremely grateful for the plant. The next day it withered up and died, and Jonah was once again angry with God, angry enough to die. God confronts Jonah with his attitude saying that the plant is inconsequential compared to the many lives at stake in Nineveh.

    All too often we put our own comfort and desires ahead of God, and what He is calling us to do. Jesus says we are to lay down our lives, pick up our crosses and follow Him no matter where He leads us. We are to love what He loves, hate what He hates, and bring glory to His name in all situations. He loves all He’s created, and therefore so should we. And our actions and attitudes should demonstrate this love.

    On Sunday we’ll be finishing up our quick look at Jonah. Read it over a few times this week in order to prepare for our Gathering at 6 pm. And remember that we have prayer before the service starting at 4:30pm — all are welcome.

    I hope that you all have a wonderful week, and that you experience the love, joy, and peace of knowing Jesus as your Lord and Saviour!

    Blessings,

    Pastor Mike

  • Jonah: Running from God

    Jonah: Running from God

    Have you ever wanted to run away? Perhaps you looked out the window this morning, saw the snow and wanted to take off for warmer weather down south! All kidding aside, there are often times in which we do want to run away and start over: things are tough at home; we have too much work to do, and not enough time; bills are piling up; there’s a hard conversation that you need to have but just don’t want to. Whatever the reason, we’ve each faced a time in our lives in which we’ve thought about leaving for what seems to be greener pastures on the other side of the fence. And perhaps some of you have actually done just that. But there’s one from whom we can never run — God.

    In Psalm 139, David asks the question, “Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?” And the answer is, nowhere. There is no place that we can run to that God cannot find us, in fact, He’s already there! It doesn’t mean we don’t try. We ignore God. We turn our back on God. We fill our lives with other things in order to drown Him out. But He is relentless, and He will “find” us.

    The short book of Jonah in the Old Testament (after Obadiah and before Micah) tells us about one of God’s prophets who wanted desperately to flee from God but couldn’t. It’s a familiar story, but one that has a lot of relevance to us today. We’re going to look at it for the next two weeks at The Centre. Read it over, along with Psalm 139 and John 13:31-38, 18:15-27, 21:15-19. Hope to see you this Sunday at 6 pm. Remember, we’ll have prayer before the service from 4:30-5:30 for all who’d like to come out.

    Hope you have a blessed week in the Lord!
    Pastor Mike

  • Philippians 4:1-9

    Philippians 4:1-9

    I think most people like to give a good first impression when they meet someone new. There’s a story about a gentleman who was going to be late for an interview. He drove quickly into the parking lot, pulled into the first space he saw, but cut off another person who was about to take the space. The other gentleman who was cut off rolled down his window and yelled at the guy who was late, telling him he’d been waiting for that space. The guy who was late smiled, waved, and went inside making the other guy even more angry. He rushed into the office with one minute to spare, grabbed a seat and waited to be called in. When he was finally called in for the interview he walked through the door and saw the man he’d just cut off in the parking lot. First impressions do matter!

    If we are to follow Jesus there should be a few characteristics that people notice when they first meet us. We should be joyful. We are children of the most high God and we need to constantly remember that. What can separate us from His love? Nothing! We should also be gentle with those we meet, whether we are driving, walking, or speaking to someone. Our gentleness should be evident to all! Another characteristic we should look to have is being peaceful. We are called to be peacemakers, people who bring calm and comfort to every situation, who look to build up and encourage rather than criticize and tear down.

    It isn’t always easy to do — we will mess up. But when we do sin we need to remember that we have a Saviour who  will forgive all our sins if we confess them to Him, and trust in Him. And that’s also a good reminder that we too need to be people full of grace.

    This Sunday will be our second last week in Philippians as we look at 4:1-9. I’d encourage you to read it over a few times this week, and examine your life to see where you are doing well and where you are falling short.

    Pastor Mike

  • Philippians 3:12-21

    Philippians 3:12-21

    In high school I was a member of the track team for a few years.  I didn’t like it.  It wasn’t that I couldn’t compete, or didn’t do well, but I hated the solitude.  I hated the fact that everything rested upon my shoulders – if I lost it was all on me.  Some people enjoy the pressure, but not me.  I’m a team player!  I enjoy working with others, partnering with others, and allowing their strengths to compliment my weaknesses and vice versa.  However, being part of a team didn’t mean that I could slack off and give up practicing and honing my skills.  I still had to get better and improve, but I did this for the team, not just for myself.  If I improved, the team improved.

    In the same way we as Christians must continue to become more like Christ (this is called sanctification).  But we do this not for ourselves, but first for Jesus and then for the whole body of Christ because we are all part of the same body (read 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4).  And as we do this we look to one another for encouragement and direction and support.  We do not do this on our own!  If we try to follow Jesus on our own, we go against the body of Christ, and we go against God.

    This Sunday we’ll be looking at Philippians 3:12-21.  Please read over the passage a few times before Sunday so that you’re familiar with it.

    Pastor Mike

  • Philippians: Know the Truth

    Philippians: Know the Truth

    How do you know what is truth? Sometimes it seems like the loudest voice, or the most persuasive person is the one holding the truth card. But simply saying something is true doesn’t make it so. There are numerous examples of this taking place in our culture today.

    So how can we hold on to the truth? By immersing ourselves in truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He also said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). In fact, there are well over 50 references in the New Testament that point to Jesus and His teachings as the truth. If we are to hold on to the truth we must know it, and keep it constantly before us. It isn’t enough to read it once and then put it aside.

    When we know the truth, and always have it before us, then we can test and see what is good and right. There are many competing voices, and people who say they have the truth, but if what they say doesn’t line up with who Jesus is or what He taught, then it most assuredly isn’t the truth.

    And one of the easiest and best ways to keep the truth before us is to keep meeting with other Christians, and encouraging each other. There are a few options each week at The Centre, but we don’t need to limit ourselves to those. Find fellow believers, spur them on, share the truth.

    This week at The Centre:

    Wednesday evening (7-9pm) – women’s gathering at the Kleinhuis’.  This is an informal gathering for any women at The Centre, or friends of The Centre, to come out and get to know others in the church. Amanda will also be sharing a little bit about the video series the women will be starting next week.

    Friday morning (7-8:30am) – men’s bible study at Tim Horton’s on Lindsay St. This week Mike will be leading the group through Proverbs 3.

    Sunday evening (6-7pm) – our weekly gathering at Bethel. We will be continuing our series in the letter to the Philippians looking at 3:1-14. To help prepare for the service, read the whole letter — it’ll only take 15 minutes.

    Next Tuesday (7-9pm) – music practice at Bethel. All are welcome to come.

    Upcoming Events:

    Saturday, February 25th (11am-2pm) – this is a fundraiser for Youth Unlimited, an organization that shares the love of Jesus with youth in Lindsay. There will be lots of great soup from local restaurants, live music, and more soup!

    Have a blessed week!

    Pastor Mike

  • The Body of Christ

    The Body of Christ

    This coming Sunday we will be celebrating our first baptisms at The Centre Community Church! Baptism is a public declaration of the faith a person has in Jesus Christ as their Saviour. It is a symbolic joining with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. It is a public declaration that we are dying to our old way of life, and rising again as a new creation in Christ. This is not something to be done in secret or in a small group but with the whole body of Christ, so that we all can join in the celebration and praise God together!

    As Christians we are all called to be baptized. It is an act of obedience to God, submission to His will, and an act of faith demonstrating that you believe He is who He says He is. If you haven’t been baptized yet and would like to be, please don’t put it off. It is an important step that every Christian is called to take.

    We will also be continuing our series in Philippians this Sunday looking at 2:19-30. This passage is a clear demonstration of how the body of Christ is to work — serving each other, being served by others, and making sure that all are cared for. As I said last week, following Jesus is not a solo sport, it’s a team event! Hope you can make it out this week to cheer on and support the body of Christ, and in turn be supported and encouraged. See you at 6 on Sunday.

    Pastor Mike

  • Philippians: Shine Like Stars

    Philippians: Shine Like Stars

    It’s another grey day. The sun was out briefly this morning, but it seems like forever since we’ve had a full day of sun. Perhaps that’s why it seemed to shine so brightly (that, and the newly fallen snow making everything white!).  When things are dark, light appears brighter. If you were in an arena with all the powerful lights turned on, the light from a flashlight would be lost. But turn the lights off and that flashlight would stand out!

    As Christians we’re called to shine. Jesus encouraged His disciples and followers to be “the light of the world . . . [and] let their light shine before others” (Matt 5:14-16). In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph 5:8). John encourages the early church by telling them “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
    Shining means standing out against the darkness. It means offering an alternative to what’s happening in the world, a better way, the only way to new life. It means shining truth on lies, and offering grace instead of condemnation. By shining like stars we will guide people to Christ, the only one who can save.
    “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-15.
    If you haven’t read through Philippians this week, do so before Sunday. Our gathering starts at 6pm — hope to see you there.
    Pastor Mike