Category: This Week at The Centre

In many respects September is the starting point for our year, not January. This is the time when kids go back to school, when vacation time ends, and there is a return to a somewhat normal schedule. It is a time of new beginnings, second chances, fresh starts. There is the anticipation of learning and discovering new things, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. There is also a hope and promise that things can be different this year if last year didn’t go as well as hoped. In a lot of ways, this sounds like the Christian life, except our new starts are every morning! Each day begins with the hope and promise that God is God, that He has not abandoned or forsaken us — He is still on His throne, ruling over all (Lamentations 3:22-23; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5 and Psalm 118:6). Each day begins with us still adopted as His children with all the privileges and rights of an heir (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:1-7)! We are invited each day to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). We get to participate with Him in caring for the world He created. It is a wonderful adventure, and one that does not grow old.

I encourage each of you to invite others to come along in this adventure, and this season is a perfect time to do just that. Strike up a conversation with a neighbour or stranger, invite people over for a BBQ while the weather is still nice, say hi to people on the playground. Spread joy, peace and love, and share with other brothers and sisters in Christ the adventure that you’re having.

Pastor Mike

“Whoever is not against us is for us.” This past Sunday in the message we talked about unity in the body of Christ. Unity is a big and important topic in the church, so much so that Jesus prayed for all believers that we were to be unified (see John 17:20-26). However, being unified doesn’t mean being identical, and I think this is where we can often get tripped up.

In Mark 9:38-41 the disciples come to Jesus because they hear and see someone doing their job — casting out a demon in Jesus’ name — and they don’t like it. The main reason why they’re upset is because they still don’t fully understand why Jesus has come. In the section just before (Mark 9:30-37) we see the disciples arguing over who was the greatest among them! They are still concerned about power, control, and being first! And so when they see someone else doing what they’ve been charged to do they feel like someone is cutting in on their territory, and they stop him. When they tell Jesus they were likely expecting Him to say, “Good Job!” but He doesn’t. Instead, Jesus says, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

As followers of Jesus, we’re called, just like the disciples were called, to care for others and serve them, and to give up power, not hold on to it. We’re called to work alongside others who are also following Jesus, even if they’re not exactly like us. This takes humility and patience because, as I’m sure you already know, we’re all not alike! We will do things differently, emphasize one thing over another, or approach a problem from a different angle. In these instances in which you see someone else doing something differently than you would, pray and seek the Spirit’s guidance, ask for humility, and then go and help your brother or sister serve God and others.

This is just a part of what we’ll be talking about on Sunday at our weekly gathering. I hope that you’ll be able to join us — our service starts at 6pm. And don’t worry, we’ll be done long before the fireworks start!!

Blessings,

Pastor Mike

“ . . . whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it.”

“ . . . the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

“ . . . love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . .”

“ . . . whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

In our culture, the individual is supreme. Every person is master of their own destiny, and in charge of their own life. We’re told to only do something if it brings us joy. We’re told to follow our heart, and be whatever we want to be. We’re told that no one can tell us how to our life (there’s irony there if you look for it!). We’re told over and over again that we are at the centre, and our happiness and satisfaction comes first.

Jesus and the Gospel say the exact opposite. God comes first, others second, and then the individual third. We’re to be servants, not rulers. We’re to be givers, not consumers. We’re to be sacrifices, not gods. And yes, in the wisdom of the world this doesn’t make sense. It shouldn’t work. According to our culture following Jesus should only bring us frustration and pain and a life of unmet needs and desires. But that simply isn’t the case. In and through Christ we find our true purpose, we find real life, and we find deep satisfaction in Him that is lasting, not here today and gone tomorrow. It is only through faith in Jesus that we can have peace and joy.

On Sunday we gather to celebrate this new life we have through Christ. I hope you’ll be able to join with us! Our gathering starts at 6pm.

Blessings,

Pastor Mike

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