1 John 2, part 1

Last Sunday, we moved into the first couple of verses of chapter two of first John. They helped form the complete thought about living in the truth, and the sacrifice of Jesus for us when we fall out of line with the truth (into error or sin).

As we move further into chapter two, we will be looking at how we can be certain that we know God. In the Bible, there are two kinds of "knowing": the understanding of facts and direct personal experience. We can "know" God, as in, have an understanding that He is the Creator and that we are accountable to Him, but that doesn't mean that we have experienced Him personally. The Christian is expected to have experience with God. John uses "to know" 23 times in his letter. This very important concept is the hinge on which his whole treatise to Christians turns.

"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD..." ~Hosea 6:3

1 John 1

John lays out the importance of truth in the first chapter of 1 John. We cannot proceed in our Christian experience without having the foundation of truth. And this permeates how we live, how we treat others, how we view God, and what kind of teaching we are willing to accept from someone claiming to have spiritual authority. John reassures his readers that because he was an eye witness of Jesus Christ, we can truth what he is saying. It is in line with what Christ said, did and taught. It is the truth, and we can measure ourselves and other teaching against that standard.

Journey through the Bible: 1 John

Although this letter is near the "back" of the Bible, and not great in length or size compared to a couple of its closer neighbours (Hebrews or Revelation), the book of first John is a gem for the Christian. It has such words of comfort and exhortation, masterfully blended together. We find it both challenging and reassuring at once, in reading it through.

The apostle John wrote his gospel to give the readers a knowledge of the God-nature of the man Jesus Christ, that they would believe and be saved. In his first letter, he writes to the follower of Christ to give them knowledge or reassurance that they are, in fact, in the faith and walking with God. It is a sort of self-examination for the professing Christian. You will no doubt be blessed by our journey through this book!

Guest Teacher This Sunday

This Sunday we will have the blessing of having Paul Buckner share the Word with us. Paul and his wife Sheryl are from Calgary and have come several times to Edmonton over the past few years, and it is always an encouragement when they do. Come with a hungry heart and enjoy fellowship this weekend. We will resume our study through the Bible next Sunday, moving into the book of 1 John!

2 Peter 3, part 2

This Sunday we will be finishing the letter of 2 Peter! These closing verses are both a strong warning and encouragement. First, the warning against mishandling passages that are difficult to understand. Then, the encouragement to grow in knowing Jesus and to stay the course as we await His return. We all need to be reminded of that, and to keep in view that heaven is our home. How we live here and now greatly impacts our there and then.

2 Peter 2

This Sunday we will be covering just a few verses, but the topic is anything but small! Peter gives strong warnings to his readers about the plague of false teachers. Like the false prophets of the Old Testament, seeking to please the people for their own gain and to the hearers' demise, false teachers are not out to please God. Most of the New Testament was penned to address false teachings themselves. Only through abiding in God's Word and learning to rightly divide it can we grow and mature as Christians, and avoid the dangers of bad doctrine.

Journey Through the Bible: 2 Peter

As we are rapidly approaching the end of the New Testament, we encounter 2 Peter. This little epistle almost reads like an ancient prophet, heavy with warnings about false prophets. However, it is also filled with encouragement. There is treasure in each passage, from the first verse to the last.

Journey Through the Bible: 1 Peter

As we journey through the New Testament we now come to the letters of Peter and John. We will travel first through 1 Peter. This letter is full of encouragement to persevere in the face of injustice and a practical treatise on how to live, as Jesus said, being in this world but not of it. We pray that all our hearts will be strengthened to walk the narrow way that Christ has laid out for us as we live our lives as witnesses of Him.

James 3, part 2

After the strong instruction on the power of the tongue in the first half of chapter 3, James focuses on wisdom in the latter half. Specifically, he differentiates between two sources of wisdom: earthly and heavenly. Obviously there is a superior wisdom, but the alternative carries a heavy description. We ned God's Word to fill our hearts and minds, as it directs us in every area of our lives, personal and practical, public and private.

James 1, part 2

Last Sunday we covered the first half of the first chapter in James. This Sunday, we will finish the chapter. It will only be about 10 verses, but James is such a concentrated and potent book. Many well-known and key scriptures will be discussed, with hardly any breathing room in between!

James 1, part 1

Last Sunday we overviewed the book of James, and we highlighted some key verses in each chapter. This week we are diving right in to this doctrinally dense book with the bulk of the first chapter. So much is here that we will not finish the first chapter this week, but we will be covering some major (and well-known) scriptures. Be prepared to be challenged and encouraged!

Journey through the Bible: James

We will be sharing in communion this Sunday as well as a meal & fellowship after service. This Sunday we are also starting a new book in our journey through the New Testament.

The letter of James may be short, at only five chapters, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in potency. James, the brother of our Lord Jesus, was not one to soft-pedal anything. His letter is very direct, and we would be wise to allow God's razor-sharp word of life to pierce our hearts and do its perfect work!

Hebrews 13

This Sunday we are going to be finishing our journey in the book of Hebrews with the thirteenth and final chapter. Like many New Testament epistles, the closing of this letter is filled with short, practical exhortations and reminders, as well as a blessing and greeting. There is much here in these verses to teach, encourage and remind us, but as always in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is right there in the middle, the centre of it all!

Hebrews 12, part 3

This Sunday we are finishing chapter 12 of Hebrews. Looking back at all that the author has already covered, it is plain to see that, for its major doctrinal significance, Hebrews is rather a cautionary book. And in the final part of this chapter we have yet another warning and exhortation. There are so many pitfalls and detours and side-tracks that are on the path of the Christian. Thankfully, the word of God clearly points them out to us, so that we may safely journey to our destination; heaven is our home!

Hebrews 12, part 2

The author of Hebrews has taken great care to build his statements about how much better Jesus is than anyone or anything else in the old covenant. We have been encouraged to live in faith, according to the examples of the many men and women of old who walked with God. 

Now we have seen that Jesus Himself is the one who has begun our story of faith and will complete it. So, how should that cause us to live?  This section of Hebrews is intensely personal for us, as well as practical. 

Hebrews 12, part 1

This Sunday we are covering another famous portion of Scripture, in the opening verses of Hebrews 12. It is really the culmination of Hebrews 11, and gives us the reason for paying attention to all the examples of faith listed in that chapter. There are so many who have gone before us and finished their lives with firm trust in the Lord Jesus; surely we can be encouraged by them to live our lives in the same way!

Also this Sunday, after service we are celebrating baptism and sharing fellowship in a meal afterwards. May the example of those being baptized be an encouragement, just as your presence will be an encouragement for them!