Diamond

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Have you ever seen a diamond? They are one of the most beautiful gems in the world. What’s interesting to me is how they’re made. As most of you know, a diamond is created when carbon is subjected to tremendous pressure deep inside the earth. Today, history was made back in 1905 when the largest diamond was found and dug up from the earth in South Africa. The diamond found weighed 3106.75 carats or 621.35g and the value is estimated at 2.6 billion dollars CAD. That’s a lot of money for one diamond. Today I want to take a moment to remind you that to God, you are valued more than anything in this world, so much so that in Romans 5:8 and John 3:16 it says that God gave his life for us. Why would He do such a thing? One word, love. Today, this week, never forget how much you’re worth and that God loves you.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed?

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In anticipation of this week’s message let me ask you a question, have you ever felt overwhelmed? Have you ever felt anxious about finishing that project on time or paying a bill before the deadline, catching your flight when you’re stuck in traffic or waiting for lab results to the point where you can’t seem to handle the pressure anymore? God knows that we all face a very real temptation to worry about things in our lives but the good news is He hasn’t left us alone. Recently Amazon released a list of the most popular passages in some of its bestselling books, such as The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter series, and Pride and Prejudice. Also released, the most highlighted passage in the Holy Bible. Can you guess what it is? Most people including me expect it to be something like John 3:16, Psalm 23, or the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. But, no, it was a less prominent text, but one that’s striking a deep cord in today’s worried world. If you want to find out what it is, have your Bibles ready and listen to the message and I will share it with you. May God bless you as we learn more about Him together and how he helps us when we feel overwhelmed.

Refresh Right

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We’re a wonderful church family here in Oakville that lives by the word of God, represents the faith of Christ, serves our community with love and strives to be a voice of hope. Last week I was fortunate to spend the weekend at Camp Frenda with my family and a group of young adults from across the province. There was a group of young people from our Bronte church family who went as well. We enjoyed getting to know one another, playing games and listening to great speakers like Pastors Liz and Orlando Pule from the Ontario Conference. This is a once a year retreat called Refresh right at the start of every new year that gives young people a chance to get away and spend time reconnecting with God and making new friends in the beautiful setting of the Muskoka’s. One of the things that was said in a talk by Pastor Orlando Pule came in the form of a question, he asked, “Is the community around your church a happier place because you’re there? Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been around, are people happy you’re in their community or do they even know you exist?” This is a great challenge for me and to all of us. My dream is that we keep building on what we accomplished in 2018 and make 2019 a year that makes people even happier that we’re in this community! Please join me as we pray together and allow God to give us His vision and use us to make a positive impact in our community this year. Happy 2019!

First Meeting in 2019

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We’re a wonderful church family here in Oakville that lives by the word of God, represents the faith of Christ, serves our community with love and strives to be a voice of hope. Today is the first time we’re meeting in 2019, and I wonder where this year’s journey will take us. I’m sure this year will be full of wonderful memories but what if we want to grow this year? The Bible says that Jesus, our supreme example, “…grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” What this tells me is that He was a very balanced person who grew intellectually, physically, spiritually and socially. How would you like to grow this year? Do you have a new year resolution that you’re trying to achieve? My prayer is that we all grow as Jesus did. That as we will eventually look back on 2019 it may be a year that we grew in all aspects of our lives. What plans can you make now that will help you start the journey off in a good way? Welcome, and God bless you all as we worship together today.