The Olive Branch Markham • Audio Podcast

Most of us have a formula for how our life should go — and, in general, it seems to work until it doesn’t! And when it doesn’t we have a few options:
1) We can just keep pounding ourselves against the obstacles in our path
2) We can pull a tantrum and blame others, God, our parents, our boss or anyone else who seems to be in our way
3) Turn to what Jesus said His disciples on the night before His death —on the night He handed His mission to them

This is the final message of a special focus series, “Good News Give Back”. As a response to God’s great sacrifice of love at Easter, we are intentionally challenging ourselves to LOVE, to SERVE and to GIVE.
This week, we’re focusing on what it means to GIVE.

We are in the middle of a special focus series, “Good News Give Back”. As a response to God’s great sacrifice of love at Easter, we are intentionally challenging ourselves to LOVE, to SERVE and to GIVE.
This week, we’re focusing on SERVE.
Get involved! We want to understand that:
• Your time WILL make a difference.
• You can help our community partners accomplish more.
• Your time gives our community partners the resources that will ultimately bring new hope to the people they serve.
• Every hour served makes an impact.

Welcome to Week 1 of Good News Give Back, where for the next 3 weeks, we'll be intentionally engaging in ways to get into action — where we increase our capacity and willingness to be a blessing to those around us.

We come out of Easter thrilled that Jesus made it past the grave. He is who He claimed to be! He’s building a Kingdom that will last forever and overtakes all the kingdoms of this world. He’s the master of quality, the master of time and space, the master of quantity, the master over nature — and even the master over life and death! So here's the question: Where is He in your world?

What do you call a group of people who hate someone who’s innocent, plan for almost 3 years how they’re going to kill him — and then finally pull it off? They're called murderers, even if they are never convicted in a court of law. And that's what happened to Jesus on April 7, 30 A.D. The worst day in history.
But within three days, the absolute worst that humans could do was followed by the best day in history. God effortlessly robbed that grave!

Jesus' intentional journey to Samaria risked the devotion of His followers and the violence of the Samaritans — all to meet one thirsty, but scandalous, woman says it all.
This is the conclusion of a special series based on the incredible, hit show, “The Chosen”. This Sunday’s message is based on Episode 8, from Season 1. Give it a watch!

Jesus shocked everyone when He chose Matthew. Surely, Mary was loaded with issues from her past. But Matthew? The tax collector? He was the guy who had it all... and he left all of it to follow Jesus.

We’re in the middle of a special series based on the incredible, hit show, “The Chosen”. This Sunday’s message is based on Episode 7, from Season 1. Give it a watch!

Jesus treated everyone as image-bearers of God. What did this look like? With great compassion. Times when others would run the other way, or reject you as less than equal and without usefulness, Jesus leans in, sees us, and meets us in our need.

It’s a very human setting: a wedding where the family is about to be humiliated until Jesus steps in and changes 5 stone jars of water into the best wine! Just from this one situation, what Jesus chooses to do, we learn about how deep the love and care of Jesus is when it comes to our concerns.
We’re in the middle of a special series based on the incredible, hit show, “The Chosen”. This Sunday’s message is based on Episode 5, from Season 1. Give it a watch! (For direct links to watch the show, visit: https://www.tob.ca/current-message-series)

At this point in The Chosen, we’re all wondering why Jesus called Simon 'The Rock' and made him the leader of the team. He has all the qualities of a leader, but seems to be going in the wrong direction all the time!
We’re in the middle of a special series based on the incredible, hit show, “The Chosen”. This Sunday’s message is based on Episode 4, from Season 1. Give it a watch! (For direct links to watch the show, visit: https://www.tob.ca/current-message-series)

What are the actual qualities that God is looking to grow in each of us? The kind of qualities that He wants to see fill the Kingdom of God.
We’re in the middle of a special series based on the incredible, hit show, “The Chosen”. This Sunday’s message is based on Episode 3, from Season 1. Give it a watch! (For direct links to watch the show, visit: https://www.tob.ca/current-message-series)

The term Shabbat refers to the Jewish Sabbath: keeping the seventh day to rest and worship God. By Jesus' time it had become a huge weekly burden and Pharisees and Scribes were strictly enforcing Shabbat laws. Sadly, they missed the entire spirit of it, becoming experts in minutiae instead. In the middle of all that, Jesus gave a simple, memorable guideline: The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath! With those words, Jesus and His followers were headed for trouble... really BIG trouble.

At The Olive Branch, we are going to be journeying together in a series of talks based on the show, “The Chosen”. It’ll be an experience that will help you get to know Jesus in a new way — one that we are praying will help you fall in love with Jesus all over again.
Visit www.tob.ca/current-message-series for the schedule (and direct links for where to watch) of when we’ll be discussing the episodes! Today, we will be taking a look at Episode 1 together.

Everyone wants to be valued for who they are — and loved unconditionally.
But here’s our core problem: how is our growth as lovable people? Love attracts; un-love (let’s call it that) repels. The work of the Spirit of God in our hearts is to grow us up as loving people, that is, to develop the FRUIT of the Spirit in us. And all of that fruit, interestingly, are qualities are all outward facing. We need the Holy Spirit to grow us in this way if we want to be the kind of people who aren’t hard to love!

Jesus posted all kinds of warnings around money because, like all powerful things – water, fire and sex – when it gets out of the boundaries it does a lot of damage! ...and there is only one antidote for it.

Every health issue makes it clear that death still has a grip on our world - and we have all had it touch our lives. So it is a legitimate thing to ask God for good health for ourselves and the health of those we love. Some would say that if we ask and have faith then God should heal us… every time! If that happened, then the followers of Jesus would have stellar health records;  better than anyone else in fact. But we all know that’s not the way it is. So... what does that mean?

It’s a safe guess that at the forefront of just about every heart right now is the longing for peace. Jesus called us to love others, even our enemies, and to pursue peace in every arena we are involved in. Is this even possible?

We love comfort and what we are the most familiar with. When something new enters our lives, it can sometimes feel like a threat. But here's the thing; there are so many new things God wants to to give you. You don't necessarily need a new year to start fresh – but if you want God to work… you need to make room.

Thank you for joining our Christmas Eve service! Angels—God’s shining messengers are, by definition, scary and powerful beings—their joy at Christmas was not a sweet little song accompanied by a harp. No, it roared across the sky and split the night with light no one could look at directly. As the angels danced across the sky because THE PLAN WAS ON TO CLEAN UP THE MESS ON EARTH ONCE AND FOR ALL! They knew that sin was finished, done with! They celebrated the kindness, love, grace and joy of a God who would humble himself and offer himself as a baby, God in disguise, who came here for a world filled with broken, selfish people. It’s the best news ever!

When you read the accounts of who was invited to be a part of the amazing story of Jesus’ birth - it’s astounding to find out who accepted and who turned it down. It’s shocking when Magi follow a star for 900 miles (without a car, mind you!) to worship and bring gifts to Jesus — and people just a few miles away, who should know better, don’t even bother to check it out! Heaven has invited everyone into true joy. This deep, pure crystal clear river of joy is open to everyone — no matter how far away they are from God.

The most surprising thing about joy is where you find it. Happiness comes in chunks; it’s a solid; Joy is liquid; It’s usually under the surface. Uncertainty and difficulty sabotages happiness - but not joy. Joy is God’s equal-opportunity gift to everyone. That’s what Mary had - despite the discomfort and difficulty and danger she found herself in. Joy was the steady flow of God’s power and calm to her life and her extraordinary circumstances that made it possible for her to bring the source of joy to everyone — even until today.

Happy 20th Birthday Olive Branch!
At today’s service, we will be celebrating God’s faithfulness to us and we’ll be responding with grateful hearts — listening closely about what God wants to do next.

We all feel the pressures of a very confused world with its messed up value system: pressured to exchange our faith for 'something' it promises. Also, there are the intellectual challenges of faith in a faithless system and holding hope for the future in a world that’s scrambling: the pressure to be unique, the pressure to live for your phone and social media and on and on it goes. This is exactly what Paul was talking about in Romans 12:1-2... How to think in new ways but not conform to the ways of the world. God's promises to us are clearly seen in the first 11 chapters of Romans. And then in Romans 12, He challenges us to make the NEXT MOVE in our journey with Christ.

WHAT you think about.
HOW you think about what you think about.
This seems like a weird topic… but it’s absolutely HUGE when it comes to direction in life. Because here’s how it works: what you expose yourself to, you think about. Then, what you think about is what your mind develops a secret plan to help you get. And HOW you think and WHAT you think about is what you BECOME. Let’s see what the Bible says about this!

In life, we’re all looking for something and hoping to accomplish something and have something to show for the time, resources and effort we’ve invested. What we really believe about what matters, what satisfies the soul, and who our lives are for will determine where we go and where ultimately we drop anchor. So, what are we really hoping for?

t’s late—and how you invest this incredible resource—your time—your life—matters. According to Jesus—and all the prophets who spoke on God’s behalf, the astounding truth is that how we spend our time here shapes what eternity will look like for us—and most certainly for others.
— TOP THINGS TO KNOW —
Operation Christmas Child!
Bless a child from around the world
Pick up a box at the church, or pack your own shoebox by November 12! NEXT WEEK!
More details here: www.tob.ca/branch-out
Got questions about life? You’re invited for conversations at our ALPHA course.
Join us! 5 pm to 8 pm
More info here: tob.ca/alpha
Ways to be a part of the community:
• Life Groups – find your group: tob.ca/life-groups
• Kids Branch — children’s ministries online and in-person! Check out kidsbranch.ca
• Encounter Youth – Friday nights at 6:30 pm
• Young Adults — Sunday nights at 6:30 pm – Get details on Instagram @olivebranch.ya
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 Donate and support the ministry: https://www.tob.ca/give/
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• Need prayer? Email us at prayer@tob.ca
• Need help? Send us a message at branchout@tob.ca
Connect with us
• instagram.com/olivebranchmarkham
• facebook.com/olivebranchmarkham
— WORSHIP —
I Believe
By Jason Ingram, Steffany Frizzell Gretzinger, Amanda Lindsey Cook, Jonathan David Helser, Melissa Helser
© 2021 My Magnolia Music, Be Essential Songs, All Essential Music (Admin by Essential Music Publishing) We Are TIM Music, Wonder Meadow Music (Admin by Capitol CMG Publishing) Bethel Music Publishing
CCLI Song No. 7176941
CCLI License No. 2843855

Jesus speaks very clearly that there will come a time when He will return - and on that day, things will radically change. Peter speaks to the fact that it will be a day that will silence all skeptics and bring justice and life and healing. Jesus, the Hope of the Ages, our Saviour and Lord of all - will set things right. He told us clearly that there would be signs to look for - but to not try to predict it or use our time charting it all out. His calling was to just be ready!

The word 'Church' means gathered people. That’s why the New Testament is filled with one-anothers. Love one another, encourage one another, help one another, pray for one another, comfort one another. There's no other way to interpret this... we need each another. But, honestly? Sometimes, how we actually 'do' Church has little to do with what Jesus had in mind.

How does one *actually* follow Jesus? If Jesus really was perfect, treated everyone with love and led a spotless life, and we're supposed to be like Him — how is this actually even remotely possible? Before Jesus returned to the Father, he said that he'd send someone to help us. He would not leave us alone.⁠

We’d like to think we are self-sufficient; that apart from Him creating us and occasionally stepping in to give us a hand, we really don’t need God. Given the trail of blood through history—it’s quite naïve to think that way. The truth is way more devastating than most would imagine. The damage sin has done to all human kind is profound. We all need to be rescued—and that requires a Rescuer!

Every human has wondered:
What’s wrong with me?
Why do I do what I do?
What’s my destiny?
Why am I even here?
It’s pretty clear that human beings are intricately made, and have immense potential. However, it’s also equally clear, demonstrated through out all of history, that we keep sabotaging ourselves and hurting others. We can be loving and generous and kind—but also be incredibly selfish and mean spirited. What’s our problem?!

We believe that God has shown Himself to us through the world He's created and the way it works, as well as through His interactions with people throughout history. These stories and relationships have led to what we call the Scriptures or Holy Writings. They're basically a record of what God has done, what He's said, and the wisdom He's shared about life and the future. They also tell us about His power that we can tap into and what He hopes we'll do: love Him and love others.

About our new series, “Under the Surface: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters"
At the surface level, most people know that Christians believe in Jesus Christ and that the symbol of the cross has something to do with why. What most don’t know is why—or even care. But under the surface is a massive shift in all the structures of every day reality. Now what we believe about many things doesn’t really matter: about algae, about aliens, about art, about whether you should wear white shoes after Labour Day… However what you believe about ultimate reality, however, is profoundly important. Whether we realize it or not, it affects how we live our lives every day — so, shouldn’t we really examine what we believe is true about these things?

It’s a given that we’ll go through tough times. It’s a fact because the world we live in is seriously broken. There are times where the tough time is as a result of our own choices and actions. But sometimes, we get hurt and life gets hard because we did the right thing. Jesus said that this would happen because our world is not spiritually neutral. More than ever, in our time, we have to decide if the tough stuff will cause us to bail on our faith or will we choose to simply float downstream simply because it’s the easier thing to do.

For all of us, there may be something that is taking center stage and preventing us from walking fully in the purpose God has for our lives. This week, Pastor Jeremiah encourages us through the story of Ezekiel to identify and evict every idol that may be on the throne of our heart.

Who truly occupies the throne of your heart? It’s an essential question because without knowing its answer, we don’t know what is shaping our life — shaping our feelings, thoughts, choices and character. Perhaps we need to challenge misplaced priorities, and invite God to occupy His rightful place. God-centered life starts here.

What is sometimes so hard for us to grasp is how Jesus thinks of us. Sometimes that’s hard to comprehend because of the bruises we have from religious people we’ve known. But that's NOT Jesus. At His core He was gentle. He never walked into a room and stomped on people who were struggling. And that carries an amazing thought: that the One who holds the power to create everything never uses His power to bully.

We’d like to think the little song we learn as kids is true; 'Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me!' That sounds very brave, but it’s simply not true. Words do hurt us! Every one of us has voices from the past...and maybe even the present.
Someone was trying to change us from the outside in and when it seemed like we weren’t cooperating, they lobbed a verbal grenade over the wall. We pretend we are okay now but their voice still reverberates in our soul. Their words hurt and damaged how we feel about ourselves. To recover, to see ourselves through God’s eyes, there are questions we need to ask: Was it true? Was it right? And most of all: what does GOD think?

Our lives could be described as a series of intersections, like the intersection of our lives with the lives of the people who made a difference in our lives, and us them. Jesus’ story as told by the Gospels is really a collection of intersections. The people whose lives intersected with Jesus were changed forever...some for better and some for worse! What is inevitable is that we will go through a number of intersections in our lives. We’ll get clobbered at some of them, broken by others. When God’s grace is allowed into these spaces, what seems like a trainwreck can be completely redemptive!

One of the number one questions about God and his existence in our world goes something like this: If God is good—as Christians describe him—why is there pain and suffering? And that’s a profound question that many people struggle with — to the point that, for some, it derails their faith.
But, this is nothing new; some of the best-known people in the Bible had to wrestle this one down, too. Even Jesus, the Son of God, came face to face with it! The answer He lived out but never actually commented on is astonishing.

The recent pandemic is certainly still affecting us all—and we’re feeling the tremors all through our culture. It has certainly affected what people believe about God, about reality and about themselves. It will take some time to recover from the fear, the anxiety and the uncertainty. We know this: Everything has changed!  It’s during these times we will ask questions we never even thought of before, like, where is God in all of this?

Summer is a season of growth and abundance in nature, and it can also be a time of growth in our faith. We will focus on ways to rejuvenate our faith and deepen our relationship with God. We need to cultivate spiritual disciplines, engage in intentional prayer, and seek God's guidance for our lives. God in His word encourages us to embrace a renewed and refreshed faith - but not to forget what He has done in our lives and what He's going to do!

During the summer we have more opportunities to spend time outdoors and engage with our community. As Jesus followers we are called to be salt and light in all our relationships. In other words, our actions, attitudes, and interactions with people can reflect who we say we are… or not. What kind of influence do you want to have?

In this fast-paced and busy world, we often neglect the importance of rest and its impact on our spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. We will explore the concept of finding rest in God and how it can restore our souls. The Bible highlights God's invitation with practical ways to incorporate these things into our lives... especially during the summer season!

Gratitude seems to be one of those things that should come naturally. But, it doesn’t really. What does seem to come naturally is jealousy, greed, envy, self-pity, and resentment. But, God offers us forgiveness, companionship, grace, what we need to eat, beauty, strength, and Himself - and yet without the discipline of gratitude, we miss all of this. Unchecked over time, we become overly focused on what others have and what we seem to lack — digging ourselves into a hole of self-pity. And if we don't climb out... we'll miss the very goodness of God.

Everyone would like to be truly great. In our world's system, greatness is determined by what people think about you, what the media says about you, about your accomplishments, power, and wealth — and, to be honest, what YOU think of you. However, true greatness is defined very differently by God. Jesus was the greatest man who ever lived, but there's something about living like Him that 'gets us' every time. Something that holds us back, trips us up — and keeps us from the truly great life God has waiting for you and me.

To give, and everyone can, we have to limit what we keep for ourselves. It’s the same as the other parts of our spiritual work-out... if we ignore it, we won’t grow. So, if your goal is to be more like JESUS — to live like Him and love like Him — no matter where you live or how much you have, generosity absolutely, positively, needs to be part of your life.

Cultivate... it means, "to improve or develop by careful attention, training, or study; to devote time and thought to.” Today, we’re going to be talking about cultivating; how to cultivate love, joy, peace and patience. The Bible tells us to go deeper and discover the life-changing power of what is called “Fruit of the Spirit". Now, it won't happen all at once... it will take time, effort, and lots of prayer. Like, if you planted an apple tree in your backyard, would you expect to be baking a pie that night? Probably not! And, like a tree, when you grow by allowing God to change your heart over time, when you give Him permission to pull the weeds and prune the branches, when you intentionally pursue and practice love, joy, peace and patience, you'll be amazed by the harvest… how He will change the world through you!

We all know that communication is extremely important. It’s how one person gets to know another person. Prayer, at its core, is communicating with God. Like every conversation, it involves both talking and listening. But know this: prayer is not magic. There are no brownie points in Heaven for how long or how well you pray. God hears every prayer, however humble, and the requests of 'prayer warriors' are not given higher priority. It doesn't matter where you are or who you're with. GOD HEARS YOU.

New Series: “THE WORK-OUT: Preparing for What You Cannot Do"
News, government, social media, friends, teachers, ads - everyone wants to shape the way we think - knowing that it will influence how we spend, how we live, what we do, what we watch - and ultimately - who we are. What is almost completely missing in this is God’s perspective - the bigger picture of what He’s up to in our world. Without it, we're just making it up as we go. Is that good enough for you? Is that the way you want to live your one and only life?

Happy Mother’s Day!
What we might be seeing in the aftermath of the past three years is something that has been described as ‘languishing'. That is, people who are overwhelmed, under-resourced and overtired. And likely, mothers most of all. It’s one thing getting yourself through a time when everything has changed—and quite another helping your kids through it! God, as YOUR care-giver, HE CARES about you and knows the future — as well as the pressures you are facing right now. So know this: GOD LOVES your children even more than you do and He offers His immense power and understanding to you, in your irreplacable calling as 'MOM'.

We like to be comfortable. We fill our calendar with all kinds of things that meet our needs. They’re not bad things, that is, unless that’s all you're aiming for. The truth is, all these things can consume us and often lead us away from the heart of God. A heart that loves, a heart that makes sacrifices, a heart that serves without reward. A heart that knows this life is not all there is and that we were created for more.

Our mission here at the Olive Branch is “To build a community of people transformed by the Good News of Jesus and committed to having a transforming impact on our world - being Good News wherever we  find ourselves.” It all starts with transformation.
Giving doesn’t just come from our hands - it comes from our heart first. When we give out of a transformed heart, we are giving back to God. Not to earn anything, but out of gratitude for what HE has given us. It's only then we can begin to see the bigger picture. That it's NOT just about us. Surprised? Every soul on this planet matters to God. And here's some more good news. While we're in the process of changing our hearts - we get to join Jesus in HIS mission! Sound a little scary and overwhelming? Sometimes it is… but that's when we can lean into Him - trusting that He already knows the person we will become and what our impact will be. So... are you ready to trust Jesus? Are you ready for a change of heart?

In my heart and yours, there’s a divider. We start out life with only the capacity to receive LOVE - that is, a huge capacity for taking, but almost no ability to give back. Within a few months, we can give back a little - with adorably cute toothless smiles and incoherent babbling. But babies think it's all about them. And it is, for a time. But some people never get over it - no matter how many years they spend on the planet. LOVE doesn’t just pop out of nowhere! The only way the world will get more of it is that if you and I show more LOVE and get better at loving. And that means learning to give back. It's what growing up emotionally and spiritually is all about.

Easter is a special time of excitement and celebration, even for those who don’t believe in Jesus. BUT NOW WHAT? Peter and the disciples were waiting... they didn't know what was next after Jesus' resurrection. Maybe you feel the same way - all the joy and hype around Easter has faded. So, where does God want us to head next?
— TOP THINGS TO KNOW —
Coming up!
Young Adults Worship Night — Sunday, April 23 at 6:30 pm
Ways to be a part of the community:
• Young Adults — Sunday nights at 6:30 pm – Get details on Instagram @olivebranch.ya
• Encounter Youth – Friday nights at 6:30 pm
• Life Groups – find your group: tob.ca/life-groups
• Kids Branch — children’s ministries online and in-person! Check out kidsbranch.ca
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Donate and support the ministry: https://www.tob.ca/give/
-----------------------------------------------------------
• Need prayer? Email us at prayer@tob.ca
• Need help? Send us a message at branchout@tob.ca
Connect with us
• instagram.com/olivebranchmarkham
• facebook.com/olivebranchmarkham
— WORSHIP —
10,000 Reasons
By Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin
© 2011 Atlas Mountain Songs, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI Song No. 6016351
CCLI License No. 2843855

We all love a final twist in a plot where everything seems broken beyond repair… squashed… over… hopeless... and then everything changes. The first clue? A flicker in the dark... a word... a tear... someone clicks. For Jesus? It was two women at a grave mourning; it was a team of guards keeping the Roman seal intact. And then this angel, this powerful being of light who moves a ton of stone like it’s made of styrofoam. And suddenly, everything begins to go into reverse. It was a confusing day in April. It started out with no believers... and ended way differently than anyone ever thought it would.

Looking at Jesus’ life from a distance it does seem like He did things that He knew would create a problem. When He could’ve backed off and saved His own life, but He didn’t. When you look at the big picture, it’s not real surprising that Jesus’ ended up on a cross. It wasn’t a death wish as such, but it was the only way to life... for all of us. To choose a path that you know leads to crucifixion and what looks like failure in the eyes of everyone takes incredible courage.
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Join us on Sunday at 10 am
For our Easter Celebration service
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— WORSHIP —
How Great A King
By Matt Hammitt, Hannah McClure, Paul McClure, Seth Mosley
© CentricSongs, These Tunes Go To 11 (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Matt Hammitt Music, Songs for FCM LLC (Admin. by Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc.) Bethel Music Publishing
CCLI Song No. 7086026
CCLI License No. 2843855

Jesus had a plan for the Kingdom - a kingdom driven by grace, humility and love - led by servants! Increasingly, throughout His ministry, He ran up against a bunch of other dreams. For some, it was the dream of having money and success; but for others, it was a dream for the temple and the Torah to rule the world. For the Romans, it was a dream of a 1,000 year reich - to put it in terms we all understand. For the Zealots, it was a dream of the Roman Empire full of dead Romans. Meaning? When Jesus entered Jerusalem and began the last week of His life, the city was like a powder keg. You could feel the tension in the air. Even His followers had dreams - and the hangers-on had dreams...but in the end, someone's dream wasn’t going to come true.

In the grand cosmic scheme of things, there are a few assumptions that are prevalent across the world:
- There is an after-life
- God lives in a good place and we want to live where he lives during the after-life
- Religions have a system about how to be good so we can also go to that good place
But, what does it actually look like to be good enough? Is this even how it really works?

Jesus was very clear in telling his Disciples that His new over-arching command for his gathered people, his congregation, was 'Love one another as I have loved you'! Those were his marching orders. In doing this—in exposing and turning away from selfishness, self-interest, self-preoccupation and self-preservation—we take a narrow path, especially as we live in a culture that pushes in the opposite direction.

Jesus intended His gathered people to be a life-giving flow of love, life, grace and hope. His point, first, was that His Kingdom would change everything. The old rules, categories, bottles and containers wouldn’t fit any more. His Kingdom wasn't about a set of laws we keep to make God happy and get something from Him. Do you get it? The whole thing was flipped... and Jesus turned the world upside down!

There’s a saying that if we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it. To really understand Jesus’ coming and why He HAD to come to earth, we really need to understand how God’s mission to bless the nations, make all things new started with Abraham, led to creating a nation and a covenant. But as we go along, see Israel’s history, how God led them for hundreds of years and then the hope of the Messiah — then, with the arrival of Jesus… Things really changed with Jesus; which sometimes causes people to ask “Why did God change tactics?” Some even ask “Why does the God of the Old Testament seem so different than Jesus?” And does hold any meaning for us 2,000 years later?

Matthew 16:13-20  Jesus wants His gathered people back—back to their first love, back on mission—to BE the Church...not to DO church! It’s no secret that the Church at large has gotten off track, but why?

So, you ask all these great questions, and then you make some truly great decisions — some stunning moves that get you where you want to go. But the question that underpins the 5 that we’ve been asking is SO WHAT? What is YOUR what? Or worse, do we have the WRONG what? God has given us all this ‘what’ and we need to define it.

Most of the other questions we've talked about, bring immediate results in our lives. But, this question – the one Jesus specifically calls us to – usually has a delayed reaction to it. Eternal results. Legacy results. Loving is a long term thing – and is always about SOMEONE.

Sometimes we hit our 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and we’re still making decisions like a little kid. We’re chasing what catches our eye, we’re retaliating like we’re still inside the chain-link fence around the playground, we’re calling people names, trying to prove we’re better!  We need to ask ourselves: Is this WISE? Am I being responsible, am I thinking clearly, am I making a mature, wise decision? And what will I think of this decision 2 years, 5 years, 10 years from now? Asking yourself, 'is it WISE?' can spare you a lot of pain.

Every once in a while – before we decide, make a move, choose a direction – there is an inner STOP sign in our conscience. Sometimes what we’re planning is clearly outside the lines of God’s plan and will, but we do what WE want to do... and then, as an after-thought we ask God to come in and bless what we’ve done. No decision we make is ever totally irredeemable, but most can’t be unmade... not without a lot of pain. God gave us a conscience for a reason.

Someday, those who follow in our legacy will remember the life we led — some of which may affect them. Most of what we are facing right now will one day be just a story we tell. And the questions we need to ask ourselves are: What story do I want to tell? What story will be retold about me? Do I leave out chapters because they're too embarrassing? Too shameful? The truth is we see events and the decisions we've made as private, stand-alone events — when in fact, they are connected to everything else about our story. The story we write one decision at a time.

We are suckers for our own story lines (and outright lies) as they serve for justifications for what we do and why we’re doing it. When we really want something, despite our best wisdom, we tell bald-faced lies to ourselves; things that if told to us by someone else, we’d laugh in their faces and say, "Give me a break! What do you think I am, stupid? Naïve?” Yet, we all do this! We tell the lie — and believe the lie!  When we’re about to make a decision, the question we really, really need to ask has to be the Integrity Question: Am I being honest with myself? Am I being honest with myself...REALLY?

Today, we are start our new message series, “Before You Jump: Great Questions = Better Decisions”. One at a time, they create our life and write our story. They’re one of God’s most precious gifts — and a single one of them will decide your eternity. We all want to make great decisions and yet, at times, make really bad decisions even when we know better. As we stand on the edge, the brink, of a brand new year, it would be worthwhile to figure out how to make better decisions… and have fewer regrets!

Scripture: Luke 7:30-50, 1 Corinthians 13, Philippians 2:1-11

At some point, most of us have been the divisive person. And we actually felt quite okay about it — because, after all, we were biblical, we were being truthful, we had convictions, we were simply RIGHT. Of course we were! But, maybe we were a little disruptive, difficult, stubborn, proud and rude.

But it is okay to act like that when you're right...right?

Ephesians 4:1-7; John 17

Jesus prayed that the people who believe in Him or claim to belong to Him - would be ONE. Thousands of denominations make it crystal clear that His prayer wasn’t answered. Couldn’t Jesus just mash us all together into a lump of pieces-parts? Like, often we can't even be friends! But, why not?

Do you remember hearing a Bible story about a prophet and a gigantic fish? Yup, you got it - the story of Jonah and the Whale! It's a story of hide and seek... but this wasn't a game. Jonah was running - trying to hide from God, forever. You may think you know how it all ended, but God is not done with the story of Jonah. There's a message in it for us right now. The choices we make and our willingness to listen to God ultimately determines where we land.

Scripture: Matthew 5:33-34

We sometimes do this funny thing when it comes to making promises: it may feel or look like we're making promises to God and others, but in actuality, we are the hidden beneficiary of those commitments; looking for an angle or how a promise will benefit ourselves in some way.

Without a doubt, we know that God's promises are absolutely pure and they never fail. He gave Himself and His very life for us — unconditionally. Maybe it's time for us to peel back the layers of our own promises and look at them truthfully.

There’s a reason why Jesus took such a tough stand on marriage vows. Keeping them, even when life is hard - pays huge dividends. Breaking them or ignoring them, carries an ongoing price tag you may never pay off. Marriage vows are very serious. Really know who you’re making your promises to. Know yourself and decide if you can pay for it - and then make plans to do that. This is never based on how you feel when you’re 'in love’ - cuz trust me, you’re on love drugs! Keeping all the promises you make will take thoughtfulness, the power of God, and the best you can give… but the returns are amazing! It will be the best gift you give to yourself, your spouse, and the legacy you leave behind.

Here’s the question we all have to ask ourselves: Based on your track record, would YOU trust you? If your promise was a plane, would you fly in it? We trust that the airline industry will do all the things necessary to get us safely where we need to go. But there are times, as Jesus made clear, when we make promises and then spend our lives looking for loopholes when it gets inconvenient.

Now, if you want to live with character and integrity – if you want people to believe what you say; if you want to have good, trustworthy friends; if you want to finish well and leave goodness and love behind you; if you want to look forward in eternity to the reward for faithfulness, truthfulness, and self-control, then the trustworthiness of your word is your credit check.

If there is no God, if we all just climbed off a pond and out-lived the other germs, if there is no center line down the highway and morality is "enlightened self-interest", then promises and vows don’t really matter, right? After all, we're just making it up as we go, aren't we?
But... if there is a PromiseKeeper behind it all and if we are made in His image, then everything changes - and our promises and vows really do matter.

I think we would all acknowledge that the last couple of years have been a unique experience for most of us. COVID has up-ended the world and an unknown future is creating all kinds of fears, suspicions and disagreements. It's hard for anyone not to be swayed by the all the negative rhetoric we've been exposed to. It's more contagious than COVID.

As we face a new year in this uncertain time, it's critical to stand firm and remind ourselves of the truths we know to be unshakable.

Most of us, on the day after Christmas, have a MESS to clean up. (Some of us just ignore it and go shopping—Hey, it’s BOXING DAY! And after Christmas, we all need more stuff, right?!) Truth is, the messes after Christmas vary in size and shape. For some it’s just wrapping paper and leftovers; involves bills we need to pay for the presents we gave. For others—it’s emotional; there’s a build-up to Christmas—and then a let-down.

In our greater story, the mess after Christmas involved Herod and the political powers out to kill off any threats to His power. It involved Mary and Joseph resolving the mess that, in Nazareth, still looked like pregnancy out of wedlock—a scandal. What we see, though, is this pattern – that brings hope! God cares about our messes, he knows the future! No weapon formed against you will prosper…He won’t let it happen.

Merry Christmas!

Hope came quietly on the night before Christmas.  Well, quietly compared to the way rescues usually sound.  No one close to Jesus’ entry would’ve ever guessed that the ultimate Saviour and Hero—had come for good—would change everything for good--even though He started small.  As in, about 6 pounds, wet, wrinkled, vulnerable and helpless.

The Night before Christmas ended when Jesus showed up in the morning light!  He delivered what He’d always promised:  HOPE.

My wife, Lori, has an idea for a book—and has been gathering material and thinking about it—planning it—for a long time. It’s about all the pieces—sometimes broken pieces—that make up our lives. And they just look like a shattered glass—or the junkpile from a pottery factory—until you connect the dots. Most of us never find all the dots—but we begin to see a pattern. And that pattern says that God has been creating a magnificent story—drawing a breathtaking picture—with all the dots that make up our lives.

The Bible–pretty much all 1300 or so pages of it—covering thousands of years of history—contains most of those dots. From wanderers to crusty prophets to kings and advisors to Moms and kids—the beautiful story of creation, tragedy, hope, disappointment, failure and forgiveness—and redemption is told. We are not told everything; God still has His secrets. But we know it will all end in triumph!  Better than it ever should.

It’s surprising, in the Christmas story, that there are no flashy entrances. Only ordinary people living unspectacular lives—who choose greatness by choosing to serve. Some of the leading roles are played by people you’d never expect, and some of the most spectacular, bigger-than-life people play almost invisible roles. Only God could gather a cast like this!  And that gives HOPE to unspectacular people like me and you!

In most great stories, hope has been totally extinguished—when something flickers in the corner...a tiny candle of hope appears.  In the great story of God—of which we are a part, the problem was, quite literally NIGHT.  Darkness.  Life and light was being crushed out of existence by the weight of evil, sadness, pain, injustice—and the arrogance and over-confidence of the perpetrators.  And then….a pregnancy…the entrance of HOPE into the darkest story ever!

Toward the end of His mission here—and right before His death, Jesus' disciples—they ones who had laid their lives on the line to follow Him—were still hoping for the kind of greatness held by Herod, Caesar Augustus—and all the other kings and conquerors who have ever lived. Jesus’ shocking revelation was, “That’s your plan—not mine”. Now, which path to greatness are we taking? Our path of our own grand plan, or Jesus’?

Jesus was very clear with those who followed Him that as intimidating and impossible as it seemed—He would leave and they would carry on His mission.  But they weren’t stranded; He told them that He would be with them to the end; that the Holy Spirit who had been with them—would now be in them—and He would give them awesome power. The disciples understood that Jesus’ call, Jesus’ promise, Jesus’ command, and Jesus’ power wasn’t just for them. They took Him seriously, engaged under very difficult circumstances—and they prevailed!  But, the unfortunate part of history for followers of Jesus is that for centuries at a time people simply saw themselves as recipients of truth and grace from God’s servants—instead of servants of God and givers of grace and truth.

Jesus once made the shocking statement, “If you try to save your life—you’ll lose it!” What He said is true; the drive for comfort is always downhill, down-stream.  To make comfort the goal of your life is to sabotage it—sometimes in the most profound of ways.

Our problem is that we are led astray by our dreams of wealth, comfort, success and popularity—and we trade our heritage and calling for stuff that doesn’t last, wears out, gets outdated and fades into obscurity.

And God needs to intervene—do a miracle in our hearts—to launch us from being self-serving consumers—to being servants!

Jeremiah Vijey, TOB's Pastor of Youth and Young Adults, will unpack the love of Jesus that was shown in the middle of one family's grief. What Jesus did for them was amazing, but guess what? The same God is still here and He's showing up in our lives every day! Without a doubt, Jesus is more than able to do miraculous things in our lives right now... but there's a few questions we need to honestly ask ourselves first.

The Church is not a building, an institution, a political movement, or an organization.  It’s people.  The true Church is people who have the Spirit of God living in them and working through them—or at least trying to.  We are flesh and blood people—who have just been through the first pandemic that has every affected every person on the planet—and shut down the world.  Because we’re humans—it has, in fact, affected us.

The mission Jesus started when He rebooted history in 30 AD is still the most important thing going on in this world, because it won’t be over until everything is made new—not just rebooted—but recreated. And most people still don’t know that Jesus made that possible. It’s the Spirit’s transformation of our lives and priorities that makes sense of what Jesus make possible Are you in? Or are you same old, same old?

Some of you would describe your reboot—not in terms of a world-wide phenomena—but in terms of a very personal, very difficult—even shattering experience that you may still be healing from. And now you have to start-over. And you’re ANXIOUS to start over! There are some start-over three really important start-over lessons that I’d like you to meet.

In March 2020, we were handed the mother of all excuses. Know what the excuse is? COVID! It's become our go-to excuse for everything from not showing up, not keeping promises - to being angry, being late, being resentful, being rude, being difficult to get along with and on and on... and on.
If we’re not careful, we could effectively blame COVID for the messes we've actually created... because we're real pros at the blame game, aren't we?

We all know that some websites we visit leave 'cookies' on our devices. In our real-world lives we allow cookies (little bits of info, attitudes and habits) to seep into our hearts - and they shape the people we become…like entitlement, like prejudice, like the culture of complaint mentality, like greed, like the need for attention. When we allow this stuff to rule in our hearts, it thoroughly contaminates our ability to be THANKFUL. There's no better time than Thanksgiving - to rethink, to reboot... to be set free!

There are some things in our lives that should not be shaping our future. Some events of our past we'd be better off without. Reputations... we'd be better off without and wish we could change. If only we could find a way to start over. Can you relate? The truth is, it's impossible to erase our past and the memories that go with it - but the really Good News is that God made a way so we can LIVE FRESH and NEW... a total rewrite!

If you read, or even skim, through the Bible, it is a quick history of the reboot—before that was even a word or a concept. The phrase we are familiar with is "starting over". The fascinating thing about God is that He seems to always engineer a reboot or a start-over for the persons who lead people through them.  In one major season of the redemptive history, He did that with an entire nation. The lesson was a spectacular show of power. The test?  Actually, it was a miserable failure! Most failures are based on three myths—and the assumption that God is as committed to our comfort zone and happiness as we are. Let’s take a look at how we can properly learn the lesson –– and pass the test!

New series, “Reboot: Starting Over in a New Reality"

Disorientation is the one thing we have in common with the 7.7 billion people coming out of this pandemic. We have new words to use, new common experiences to refer to like, “masked", "double-vaxxed", "social distancing”...  As the guard-rails come down and restrictions are dropped life seems more… normal!  Some think, the test is over – lesson learned! But what if COVID was the lesson—and how we act and what we do now is the test?  For 18 months the pandemic changed how we travel, how we shop, how we bank, how we work, how we communicate—and especially—how we relate to people! Where to from here? What lessons have we learned? Good question! Let’s figure out where we are—what’s changed—and what hasn’t!

In Ephesians 4, Paul tells us to not let the sun go down while we’re still angry; that if we let the devil—or the person who hurt us—camp there, it will create huge problems. So, the question is legitimate and really important: “How long will you drag your past into your future and let your bitterness taint and contaminate your life?”

All through the Bible we see stories of ordinary people who were called by God to do extraordinary things. Amazing feats. Acts of courage that seem incomprehensible to us today! But how did they do it? The Bible, simply put, tells us that their obedience, perseverance, boldness and fearless conviction was not something they found in themselves - but that it came straight from God Himself! But what about us?

Whatever you're facing in your life, remember what God has already done for you. Remember God's power, His goodness, His faithfulness and His promises... and no giant will ever be able to stop you!

This past year and a half has given us a lot to be afraid of, hasn't it? People often think that having courage means they have to find some kind of inner resolve to overcome fear or persevere through difficulty. But in GOD'S Kingdom - it's totally different! To have courage, to be bold, to have confidence is NOT about relying on ourselves - it's about remembering GOD'S truths, what HE has already done for you... and remembering HIS promises!

There is a saying that you never really get to know or fully and deeply  experience love for someone unless they’ve hurt you!   And because God is a person—as expressed in Jesus—there will be a time when He will likely hurt you.  Not because He does something selfish or cruel; no, our hurt with God usually has to do with what He doesn’t do, what He doesn’t give us and when we don’t know how close He is—or feel his love.  We think, “He could’ve” …or “He should’ve,” or “If He really loved me, He would’ve!”  And we blame God for our lot in life, our circumstances, our lack of…something!  And if we hold a grudge or carry resentment—then we need to forgive!  To just let it go!