It is quite alright for Christians to be appropriately annoyed. That is to say, annoyed over the right things in the right way. Motive matters. Method matters. In Acts 16:16-24, the Apostle Paul is “greatly annoyed” by a demon-possessed girl who was being exploited by her handlers. He’s annoyed by the demon. By the men who are abusing this young girl. He’s annoyed by what’s being said. And he’s annoyed by the distraction it all is to the message he’s preaching and the ministry he’s trying to...

"How do I know when God is calling me to something?” It’s a question I get regularly as someone in youth ministry, but it’s not a question unique to the teenage years. It’s something we’ve all been left wondering at one time or another. “What should I do here?” “Do I take that job or not?” “Do we move over there or stay here?” “Is this an open door or a closed door?” As the work of establishing the church continues, Paul and his crew set out on the second missionary journey. This is a pivotal...

It is tough when Christians don’t get along. Tougher still when we see mature, respected Christian leaders not get along. It is comforting (is that the right word?) to know that such discord was happening all the way back at the beginning of the church. Having examples of the flawed nature of the church and her leaders provides us with cover for the same happening today. It doesn’t excuse it, but it does explain it, and it allows us to see that such things are normal in a sin-sick world even...

We’ve pounded the nail for the past two weeks, conflict and crises in the church are inevitable. We’re human. We’re sinful. Perfection awaits, but meanwhile we’re stuck here with the temptations that are common to all. What has been awesome to see in this matter is how the leaders of the church handled a crisis that was threatening to disrupt and derail the gospel mission everywhere. Gripped by the Word, compelled by their compassion for the lost, and respectful of each other, these leaders...

I recently saw a picture of a clever church sign that I think rings true. It said, “Acting like the perfect church is like dressing up for an X-ray.” Despite all of our best efforts, the perfect church does not exist, and as much as we might try, we can’t hide our flaws. As communities of redeemed sinners, conflict and controversy are a given. This has been true for most of us in our personal experience. It has been true throughout church history and it was true of the early church in Acts 15...

If you’ve never been in a church that experienced conflict and controversy, you’re the very definition of a unicorn. Such things, sadly, are a normal part of church life. Whereas some would look at contention in the church as an indication that our faith is bogus and the church a sham, it is, in fact, a legitimizing of who we are and what we’re in this world to do. The first church conflict in history happened in the first church ever established. It was likely just weeks after the events of...

I don’t feel like I hit the ground running most days. There are pressures and challenges, decisions that must be made, aches and pains (betraying my age), and scar tissue from relationships that went badly. I face temptation and too often give in. In a word, I am weak. I am, like every other human being, in need of strength for each day. Some admit it. Others are in denial. We all need to be strengthened to face a world that takes and does not give back in the same proportion. In this...

Vain. Meaningless. Empty. Useless. Futile. That’s the word that the apostles used to describe the worship to which the people in Lystra had devoted themselves. They were so wrapped up in their own ideas, passions and traditions that they missed an obvious work of God that happened right in front of them. Even when they were challenged to see it differently, they doubled down on their own narrative rather than believe the truth. I don’t even need to draw a line from that account to our own...

We continue our study in Acts this Sunday, and we’ll be starting chapter 14 looking at Acts 14:1-7.  Here we find Paul and Barnabas in Iconium preaching the gospel (as usual). Though they continue to face repeated opposition this week’s passage makes a point of letting us know that in light of this, these two apostles spoke with great boldness for the Lord.  This is a very different reality for many of us who, when there is any kind of backlash or hint of negative repercussions to sharing the...

Whenever you see a list of the top reasons for fights between couples, money is always at or near the top. It makes sense. A spender marries a saver and they fight. A spender marries a spender and they fight. When two savers get married, I’m thinking they probably get along just fine as they shop at their favourite thrift store. Because money can be such a flashpoint in our homes, it makes sense that “Handling the Money” needs to be part of our family series. God’s plan for your home to be...

Whenever you see a list of the top reasons for fights between couples, money is always at or near the top. It makes sense. A spender marries a saver and they fight. A spender marries a spender and they fight. When two savers get married, I’m thinking they probably get along just fine as they shop at their favourite thrift store. Because money can be such a flashpoint in our homes, it makes sense that “Handling the Money” needs to be part of our family series. God’s plan for your home to be...

Whenever you see a list of the top reasons for fights between couples, money is always at or near the top. It makes sense. A spender marries a saver and they fight. A spender marries a spender and they fight. When two savers get married, I’m thinking they probably get along just fine as they shop at their favourite thrift store. Because money can be such a flashpoint in our homes, it makes sense that “Handling the Money” needs to be part of our family series. God’s plan for your home to be...

Whenever you see a list of the top reasons for fights between couples, money is always at or near the top. It makes sense. A spender marries a saver and they fight. A spender marries a spender and they fight. When two savers get married, I’m thinking they probably get along just fine as they shop at their favourite thrift store. Because money can be such a flashpoint in our homes, it makes sense that “Handling the Money” needs to be part of our family series. God’s plan for your home to be...

You’ve probably heard this saying before: “Faith over fear.” It’s one of those classic Christian cliches that is undeniably true but can be categorically unhelpful, especially when it’s offered up carelessly in the throes of a challenging season. Our world isn’t helpful in this by the way. Peace and hope don’t get the same kind of attention that fear does. News outlets, social media pages, politicians and more breed fear by stoking the fires of our emotions through picking the worst possible...

Hope for a world in need  The arrival of a newborn baby is cause for celebration. That little bundle of joy brightens days, brings smiles and warms hearts. It is remarkable that though the infant is utterly dependent on the mother, it is the birth of such a helpless child that delivers something to the others that they didn’t have before. Encouragement. Happiness. A sense of fulfillment. Of hope. And promise. There are many births recorded in the Scriptures; each one a strategic moment and a...

I wonder if you think about your relationship with God in this way: that most of the time he is simply putting up with you. That’s pretty much the heart behind the idea of God’s patience or what has often been translated as long suffering. God suffering long over our many frailties and failures, forgiving our continuing sins, dispensing his abundant grace to the undeserving. It is a good reminder for us lest our egos become too inflated and think too highly of ourselves. Humility and...

A couple of significant shifts happen in Acts 13. The book has primarily focused on Peter through chapter 12, but for the rest of Acts it will tell the story of Paul’s missionary journeys. Along with that, the emphasis moves from preaching to Jews in Judea and Galilee to taking the gospel to Gentiles in regions throughout the Roman world. As we look at Acts 13:1-12 this Sunday, we’ll see that the church in Antioch set apart Paul and Barnabas for a specific mission that begins on Barnabas’...

A bad thing happens in the passage we have in front of us this Sunday. A gruesome thing. The wretched King Herod Agrippa dies a horrific death. He is described, in the end, as a man who, “did not give God the glory.” That description fits most people on earth right now, and it begs the question, how do I know if I’m giving God the glory with my life? As we look at Acts 12:20-25 we’ll see what that looks like and pledge ourselves to glorifying God with how we live. Series: The Acts of the...

Pretty much everyone loves a little comedy, right? If that’s you, you’ll appreciate the account of Peter’s deliverance from prison and certain execution in Acts 12:1-19. Peter’s groggy response to the angel and Rhoda’s flightiness provide some comic relief in the midst of a tense situation. Behind it all is a God reassuring his people that everything is fully in control. With darkness all around them, the light of Christ was shining. We’ll examine how that light impacts the life of every...

It was great to get back into the Book of Acts last Sunday after a two-year hiatus. What a challenge these passages are going to be to us each week! As we turn our attention to Acts 11:19-30 this Sunday, we’ll see the character and actions of those who have a steadfast purpose to live for and serve Christ in this life. Often that comes at great cost. If you’d like to work through previous messages in this series, the archive has the previous messages covering Acts 1-10 and last week’s message...

It has been two years since we last heard a message from our multi-year series in the Book of Acts. Well, we’re back to it this Sunday! Finally! As we pick up the action (Acts is a narrative history of the inauguration and spread of the early church), we will be looking at Acts 11:1-18 which is a recap of what happened in chapter 10 when The Apostle Peter received a crazy dream from the Lord and then Gentiles showed up at his door fulfilling the vision he had seen. In the passage this week,...

“Be not like a horse or a mule without understanding.” That’s good advice, don’t you think? That line is found in Psalm 32:9a and is part of a beautiful declaration and prayer of contrition to God with assurances of mercy and forgiveness from the Lord.  And that’s the passage that Pastor Lee Ballantine of Harvest Ayr, Scotland will be bringing to us this Sunday. Come ready to hear a challenging and comforting message from God’s Word, spoken with a charming Irish accent which, without a doubt,...

We will wrap up our 5-message series in the Letter of Jude this Sunday with a look at the closing doxology; two verses of high-impact vertical focus. As we have considered the contemporary trend around deconstruction of the faith—something many have done leading to a rejection of Jesus and his gospel—we will be encouraged and exhorted to look to Christ alone for the building material necessary to construct or reconstruct a life founded on a faith that endures. Jude’s concern has been for a...

Nathan Hooper Message: What did I do to deserve this? Harvest Bible Chapel Text: Luke 18:9-14 October 8, 2023 As grateful Christians, justified by grace,… …we understand what we deserve as the result of our sinfulness.(v. 9-13) If there were only thirty righteous persons in the world, I and my son should make two of them; but if there were but twenty, I and my son would be of the number; and if there were but ten, I and my son would be of the number: and if there were but five, I and my...