Christian Living

A Fresh Start

Chris

It is January 1st. Happy New Year! Whether you stayed up to watch a ball drop or two, or you went to bed early because you aren’t much of a night owl, you woke up to the first day of 2014.

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Today isn’t too much different from yesterday, though. The sun still rose in the East and will set in the West. The bills you had to pay are still waiting for you. Your job still needs to be done, even if you get to enjoy a day off today.

When we get to New Year’s we talk a lot about starting over, starting fresh. We look forward to all of the good that is coming during the next twelve months while we try to forget all of the difficult trials of those past. But January 1st isn’t as magical as we would all like to be.

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Christian Living

Don’t Let Christmas Redefine Your Joy

Chris

Christmas is the season of many things. At our church we are looking at four aspects of life that Christmas promises and guarantees for us. They are familiar words that you see all over the place at Christmas. One of those aspects of life is Joy.

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At Christmas we talk a lot about joy. Joy is in our songs and cards. We plan and attend parties for work, parties with family and parties at church. Sometimes we do it all over again a week later for New Year’s. But is this what joy is all about? Presents, twinkling lights, eggnog, cookies and taking a breather from real life? What happens when real life reappears on January 2nd?

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Church Life

Which Kind of “T.P.” Describes Your Church?

Chris

Disclaimer: If you are squeamish or believe that every picture or message about God and the church must be proper and finely tuned, do NOT read this post.  Read at your own risk.

Have you ever had one of those “Eureka!” moments that you felt like you couldn’t share with anyone? That happened to me today. One crazy thought led to a series of truths that are so, well, true.

They are truths about the church. Not the “big C”, Church, the living body of Jesus Christ where He is the head and all the pieces are being brought together and shaped into a living temple of the Holy Spirit. I’m talking about the church, the local assembly of believers that joins in a building to worship, pray, serve, and preach the Gospel.

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Oh, and there’s one more thing you need to know up front. These truths are inspired by T.P. That’s code for toilet paper. Yeah, I know your mind is racing at top speed thinking about things it shouldn’t, so let’s jump to the good stuff.

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Bible, Ministry

New Christmas Bible Study: “The Babe is the Lamb”

Chris

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It’s November, which means that it is time for a new Christmas-themed Bible study. It is written as three sessions, for use leading up to Christmas. This study was originally used for a midweek Bible study. You could also use it as a small group discussion starter or a personal study.

To view the study, you can use the embedded reader below, or download an Adobe PDF file from issuu.com or scribd.com.

About this Study

Why did Jesus have to come? What purpose was there in God taking on flesh? As it is often said, Jesus was born to die. Understanding the coming of Jesus to Earth comes from an understanding of His sacrifice.

Jesus is called “the Lamb of God” at the opening of His ministry and again in the Book of Revelation. Learn why a sacrifice was required and what Jesus accomplished as God’s perfect Lamb.

Christian Living

The God of Your Tragedy (Audio)

Chris

Our little city of Campbellton, New Brunswick, has found its way into the news. The story of two young boys’ death is known around the world. Its sorrow has touched so many. We pray that God would comfort family and friends in such a difficult time.

Times of tragedy and sadness often leave us wondering and questioning. But there is hope in the God who promises to never leave us. He welcomes us in these times and wants to impart His power into into our lives. God wants to be the God of our bad days as well as our good days. He wants to be the God of our tragedy.

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[audio http://gatewaycampbellton.com/audio/2013-0811.mp3]
Ministry

Are You Afraid to be Known as a “Small Church Pastor”?

Chris

As pastors we joke about those awkward encounters at annual conventions and conferences where we are asked how our church is doing. If the question comes from someone we know, someone we relate with, it is an easy question. But if it comes from a pastor or leader we are meeting for the first time, it is a way to evaluate the future of your new friendship.

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We could talk with a lot of superlatives about how great our worship times have been, how powerful our prayer services are, and how anointed we have felt in the pulpit. But most of the time the real answer people want to know is better related to the question, “So, how many people are in your church?” If you are like me, you do not want to answer that question. It is a terrible question. The size of a congregation puts thoughts into a person’s head about ability, value and sanity.

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