Hamilton is home to a lot of very strange characters, and they cause us to ask the right questions.
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Show & Tell: Letting Our Light Shine with Kids
Show & Tell: Letting Our Light Shine with Kids
This Little Light of Mine
Deuteronomy 6
Kathryn Smith
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Kathryn Smith shares some very practical, hands on wisdom, about how to live, share and own our faith with kids. Whether you have children or not, it's our job to let our light shine with the kids in our life, and so this may be a relevant word for you!
The Kingdom of God is Like a Man, Dancing in His Underwear on the Side of a Hill (Fight or Flight)
The Kingdom of God is Like a Man, Dancing in His Underwear on the Side of a Hill (Fight or Flight)
This Little Light of Mine
John 9
Kevin Makins
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How can we be witnesses to God's grace without hiding it away or being annoying and pushy?
What does it look like to be people who are Still Waters?
SPOILER ALERT! Don't watch this video until you hear Kevin mention a video near the end of the sermon.
Also, don't click on this until the end of the sermon... but this happened at the end of the gathering:
https://www.facebook.com/davehamilton100/videos/10153360054332315/
Good News Boiled Down
Good News Boiled Down
This Little Light of Mine
Mark 12, 2 Corinthians 5
Kevin Makins
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How did such a simple message get so complicated?
We also interview our friend Sue, who shares about her journey of learning to follow Jesus, and what it was like when people would try to "evangelize" her before she was going to church. Her reflections are so good and so fresh.
Evangelism for Normal People
Evangelism for Normal People
This Little Light of Mine
John 1
John Bowen
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Professor at Wycliffe Seminary, and co-ordinator of the Institute for Evangelism, brings a good word about good news to Eucharist!
John shares very practical, gracious reflections on the need to use our words and our deeds to welcome people into where Jesus dwells.
You Have Nothing to be Embarrassed About
You Have Nothing to be Embarrassed About
This Little Light of Mine
Matthew 28, Romans 1
Kevin Makins & Eucharist Church
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Why is it so awkward and uncomfortable to talk about our faith? Especially with those who are not Christians!
In this very interactive sermon we share reflections on this awkwardness, and what it might look like for us to own our faith in a genuine way.
ALSO it includes the tightest 5 minute comedy set by Eucharist Comedian-in-Residence (ok, he just is a part of the church and hilarious) Zak McDonald. It's seriously very funny and very good.
Everyone is getting into it!
Two Kinds of Safe
2015.05.31 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
Two Kinds of Safe
Acts 7-8, 1
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Anyone have a story about a time where someone was hurt by a person who claimed to be a Christian? Where a congregation was prejudice, controlling or judgemental?
… Thought so.
In a time where SO many people have been hurt by people claiming to be Christians, it’s refreshing and encouraging to see so many communities valuing the idea of “safe church”
But there is another question worth asking: should the church be safe?
This week we also dedicated Aaron and Cath’s baby Georgia, so if you hear references to families that are joining us, or some general baby-talk, that’s why!
The text:
Acts 9:1-5
That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
The Ethiopian Eunuch, or, "What Is To Prevent Me From Being Baptized?"
2015.04.19 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
The Ethiopian Eunuch, or, “What Is To Prevent Me From Being Baptized?”
Acts 8, Leviticus 21, Deuteronomy 23
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The very cool story about how the Spirit used a wealthy, powerful, gender/sexual minority foreigner to shape God’s people forever!
Also some updates on our current building, and the next steps for finding a more settled location to gather on Sundays.
The text:
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
The water was COLD.
“Touch the waters, and remember your baptism!”
Come and See
2015.01.18 - Justin Eisinga - The Church Calendar
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Justin tells the story of Jesus calling the disciples, and how he meets them in the midst of their skepticism!
Also, this sermon resulted in a bunch of people from our congregation telling stories of how God has made himself known in the most unexpected places. It’s really good.
The text:
John 1:43-51 43
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
"Who Are You?"
2014.12.14 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
We return to John the Baptist this week and look at his answer to a very peculiar question: who are you?
Which is a question we all need to answer. Who am I? And what makes ME… me?!
What (or who) defines our identity?
The text, John 1:6-8, 19-28:
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
COLOSSIANS REMIXED - SLAVERY REMIXED / ADVENT PEACE
2013.12.15 - COLOSSIANS REMIXED - Cindy Stover
EVANGELISM REMIXED / ADVENT JOY
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Cindy talks about one of the most important, and potentially uncomfortable, aspects of the Christian faith: talking about it.
The text:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Targum written and read by Katherine McLean