Answering The Big Questions
Reasons to Believe: 2. Answering the Big Questions Romans 1:18-25 (NLT) But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the…
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Window Dedication Service
What do these stones mean? As I was thinking about this dedication service this morning, and it’s significance in the life of our church, the passage of scripture that came to my mind was Joshua 3. This is where the people of Israel, after wandering in the desert for 40 years, are finally about to…
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Come to the Banquet
Communion Service January 1, 2023 This morning, on this first day of 2023, I thought we would do something a little different. Today we’re going to be sharing in the Lord’s Supper, as we always do on the 1st Sunday of the month. But instead of just tacking Communion on at the end of the…
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Recognizing God’s Voice
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers But whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree…
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Growing Spiritually
Ephesians 4:14-16 Introduction Too often churches are short sighted as to what their goals are. Some have a focus on evangelism and that is good. But what they sometimes mean is that they want to just get people to a point of salvation. They want people to pray a certain prayer, get baptized and identify…
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Worshiping God in Jesus Christ
Romans 12:1-2 Introduction Few issues get Christians as worked up as their personal preferences when it comes to worship. There is a reason why people call it the worship wars. There is your side, there are the people who are worn, and there is a battle to be won. We often think of worship as…
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Sharing God’s Saving Love
Romans 10:14-15 Introduction If I asked you to at some point today approach a random stranger and share with them the gospel, how would you react? You might respond by saying that you are shy and don’t talk to strangers. Fine, go and share the gospel with a close friend or family member that you…
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Wearing Our Sunday Best
Colossians 3:12-17 Introduction There are are many ways we could look at the evolution of the western church over the past number of decades. It could be changes in attendance, it could be changes in architecture, it could be changes in technology, or it could be changes in music. Imagine using a time machine to…
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Surprised By Joy
Zephaniah 3:14-20 Introduction I remember in university the challenge of picking courses because certain courses had required prerequisites. You couldn’t just jump into a course, you had to look what courses you needed to have already have. The idea was that one course prepared the way for the other courses because one curriculum was built…
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Real Peace
Malachi 3:1-4 Introduction When we think of Christmas, one of the themes that often comes to mind is that of peace. If you think about a nativity scene, the calm animals, the reverent visitors, the serene parents and of course the sleeping baby, all of it looks so peaceful. And that is what we consider…
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Emerging Hope
Jeremiah 33:14-16 Introduction One of the most difficult things to hold onto, depending upon your circumstances, is hope. In fact, we may be afraid to even try to hope. I recently came across this statement in Psychology Today about the danger of hope: “The emotion of hope pertains to that which hasn’t yet transpired. So…
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Becoming Complete
Hebrews 13:20-21 Introduction One of the things that really bothers me is when something important is missing. This could be putting together a complex puzzle and after dedicating all that time, you get to the end and find that there are one or two pieces missing. I still enjoying making model airplanes and it is…
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Where Grace Leads
Romans 3:21-31 Introduction While many people celebrate Halloween on October 31, that day is significant for protestant Christians for another reason. It was October 31 in 1517, that a monk named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, in modern Germany. Although Luther was a Roman Catholic, he…
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Pray in This Way
Matthew 6:5-15 Introduction There is one passage of Scripture that I have heard more than any other and it is not even close. It is not the 23rd Psalm and it is not the Ten Commandments. The one passage that I have heard more than any other is the Lord’s Prayer. Not only did the…
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The Ways to Jesus
Acts 16:11-40 Introduction How does one become a Christian? That seems to be a fairly reasonable question. If we claim to be Christians, then we better know how one becomes a Christian. I don’t think that I’m straying into heresy by saying the way to Christianity is through Jesus. There are those who believe there…
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Where is the Spirit Calling Us?
Acts 16:6-10 Introduction How many of you like to go on long car rides? This can be especially nice at this time of the year when the leaves are changing and before the snow comes and everyone forgets how to drive. There are a couple of ways you can choose to do one of these…
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Full Dedication
Acts 16:1-5 Introduction How committed are you to the Church? I don’t mean specifically Queen Street Baptist Church, although there is overlap with what I’m talking about. I mean more specifically, how committed are you to being the Church? When I have talked to Christians of older generations about commitment, the response was usually somethings…
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Messy Relationships
Acts 15:36-41 Introduction I want you do something. Without look around the room, I want you to think back. Is there any person who is a part of this church that has disappointed you? Is there anyone who said or did something that really bothered you? Has there ever been a time when you saw…
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The Acts of the Holy Spirit
Acts 15:22-35 Introduction When you are reading a story, one of the important steps for understanding is identifying the major characters. This is true whether you are reading William Shakespeare or reading a Superman comic book. It is also true when reading history. I have an interest in reading both ancient history and the history…
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Agreeing When We Disagree
Acts 15:1-21 Introduction When you think of the different events put on by the church, what is your favourite? Is it the worship service? Bible studies and prayer meetings? Potlucks and other meals? Where do business meetings fit into the ranking? When I was just starting in ministry, I was warned about how bad church…
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What Should You Expect?
Acts 14:8-20 Introduction Most likely, you have expectations for any situation you are facing. You may not know all the details and your expectations may be wrong, but you do have expectations. At a previous church, one where I was expected to wear a suit and tie to each service, I snuck out during a…
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A Jesus Like Us
Hebrews 2:10-18 Introduction A few weeks ago, I reminded you of the way that God chose to communicate with us. God didn’t just send another teacher or prophet, God sent his Son. Not a half-god but the exact reflection of God’s glory. In some mysterious way, when God was sending his Son, he was sending…
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The Greatness of Christ
Hebrews 1:1-4 Introduction Why are you here? Seriously, what are you doing here? More specifically, for those who identify as Christians, why do you bother? Why would you want to be a Christian? Why would you want to follow Christ? Those might seem like strange questions but they are important. For many people, the answers…
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The Ups and Downs of Sharing Faith
Acts 13:44-52 Introduction It was approximately thirty years ago. I had just come out of a period of atheism while a student at Brock University. I had come to believe in a God but I had no idea what religion I should follow. Christianity seemed too obvious, being the most common religion in Canada and…
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Learning From History
Acts 13:13-43 Introduction One of my favourite things is studying history. In another life, I could have seen myself as a history teacher rather than a pastor. I like history because it is interesting and often entertaining. But I love history because it is relevant to today. Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the…
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Called By God
Acts 13:1-12 Introduction A few months ago, it was the twenty years ago that I was ordained. It was at Queensway Baptist Church in Brantford, and it took place on mystery last Sunday there before starting at a new church. It was a meaningful service but it really was one step in a long process…
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When Life is Not Fair
Acts 12:1-19 Introduction It does not take us long before we discover that life is not fair. Children at a young age complain that things are not fair. They sense a disconnect when someone gets something good that they didn’t get or if they get punished and someone else doesn’t. It just isn’t fair! As…
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The Church Being the Church
Acts 11:27-30 Introduction What is the question that the world is asking about the church? Believe it or not, the main question is not about which church is the true church. People are not lying awake at night wondering of the Anglicans or the Pentecostals or the Baptists have a corner on the truth. That…
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Do Not Be Afraid
Matthew 28:1-10 A Frightening Morning I want you to imagine that first Easter morning, specifically from the perspective of the women. Perhaps you think of an early morning stroll through a garden with a few friends. That was not really what was happening. It was very early in the morning, so early that it was…
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An Unexpected Christian
Acts 9:1-20 Introduction I want you to think about the person you would most be surprised to become a Christian. It could be someone famous, perhaps a musician or an actor or a politician. Maybe it was someone who is a known criminal or is had had a particularly immoral life. Maybe it is someone…
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Here I Am, Send Someone Else
Exodus 3:1-15 Introduction Have you ever had an opportunity come your way that totally scared you? While you valued the opportunity, the task seemed beyond your abilities. When I think about these feelings, I automatically think about the anticipation of my basic training for the army. I did not have much time to process what…
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Enabling Faith
Acts 8:26-40 Introduction I have often felt like the story of the Ethiopian eunuch is one of the strangest in Acts. It’s not the picture of Philip running alongside the horse drawn chariot, listening to what the man was reading. Nor is it the way the Holy Spirit takes Philip away immediately after, making it…
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The Church Scattered
The Church scattered February 7, 2021 QSBC Acts 8:1-8 Introduction Back when I was in my mid-20s, I went on my first mission trip. It was with the organization Operation Mobilization. I was pretty excited to go overseas and preach the gospel. And I as feeling a bit overconfident as well, if I am honest.…
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Filled With the Holy Spirit
Acts 7:54-60 Introduction Have you ever thought about what it will be like when you die? I don’t mean passing into the afterlife but in the hours and minutes leading up to it. I know that sounds morbid and yet it is something we will all experience. I have spent time with a lot of…
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Resisting the Holy Spirit
Acts 7:51-53 Introduction Have you ever been having a conversation with someone and you realize that you have come to a crossroads? You can see the next thing that you plan to say in your mind. You know that if you say that, there is no going back. Not only will it change the direction…
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Let God Out of That Box
Acts 7:44-50 Introduction Many years ago, I was at a revival service here in St Catharines and I heard something that I have never forgotten. Interestingly, it was in his sermon but in his appeal for the offering. As he was asking people to dig deep into their wallets, he told us that God was…
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Welcoming the Outsider
Matthew 2:1-12 Introduction You may think that Christmas is over but it is not. As the song says, there are twelve days of Christmas, starting on December 25 and ending on January 6. So Merry Christmas! When I think of Christmas, I often think of nativity sets. Each of us might be drawn to different…
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A Weary World Rejoices
This service is brought to us by Canadian Baptist Ministries. A Weary World Rejoices from CBM on Vimeo. Our special music is brought to us by Grace Notes.
Jesus: The Joy-Giver
Hebrews 12:1-2 Introduction Throughout this season of Advent, we have looked at Jesus as our Hope-Giver, Peace-Giver and Love-Giver. We now come to Jesus as our Joy-Giver. It is not difficult to find the concept of joy in the Christmas story. When the pregnant Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the…
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Jesus: The Peace-Giver
Introduction Last week, we looked at how in our dark times, our world is in desperate need of hope. We also saw that Jesus came as the hope-giver. That is Good News. What else do we need in these turbulent times? It just so happens that the second Sunday of Advent is that of peace.…
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Jesus: the Hope-Giver
Introduction This is the first Sunday of Advent. It is a time when each week we light a candle, bringing light out of the darkness and we reflect on what it meant for Jesus to arrive in our world. This is also the first Advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. If ever there was a time…
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