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Sunday Messages from Transformation Church in Thunder Bay, ON Canada
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Josh De Jong Last week, during our Sunday sermon, we closed the Old Testament and opened up the New Testament. We saw that on the first page of the New Testament, Jesus is said to be a descendant of Abraham and a descendant of David. God is faithful. He keeps his promises. Enter Jesus Son of God and Son of Man who would make Abraham's family a blessing to the nations. Here is the One with an eternal throne and kingdom. What's more, recall that long-standing desire of God's: that the family of Abraham would be a kingdom of priests? This week, we learn how that becomes a reality. There are a cou
Mary Kirkpatrick - We've talked about several agreements or covenants that God has made with people and now there's a long period without a big agreement. In the meantime, the story of Jonah gives us a bit of a checkup on how it's going. God told Abraham that his children would be a blessing to the whole world! How is that working out? I encourage you to read the story of Jonah in the Bible. It is a short story with lots of drama, one of the easiest to read but not necessarily one of the easiest to put into practice! Most of us have probably heard the story in some fashion, but you might be su
Abraham's family, the people of Israel, reach the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. They begin to settle the land. God raises up judges among them, rulers that are supposed to help the people focus on God as their King. Nevertheless, sin runs rampant, and by the end of Judges the peole are in a moral quagmire. "In those days, Israel had no king. All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." (Judges 21:25) The people look at the nations around them, notice that they have kings, and request to Judge Samuel that they have a king. Samuel is displeaded with their request. God was th
Sermon: Lauren Hiebert for the Kid's Service.
This week, we wrap up 1 John. We will be studying Chapter 5:13-21. As John closes this book, he once again affirms how close the family of God is, to the Father. So close, in fact, that we are in Him. We don't need to be led astray by everything that is false and a lie. We are in Him, who is Truth. "He is the true God and eternal life." (1 John 5:20) It seems as John wraps up, he wants us to know this: "In God's family, we live close to Jesus, free from sin's clutches, free from lies, fully alive, safe and sound in Jesus. Jesus is Truth and Jesus is eternal life." In verses 13-17, we see this
A mentor of mine always used to say, "You can't argue with a man's testimony." The idea was this: you can try to convince someone about something, arguing intellectually, but a testimony moves outside of intellectual argument and says, "This happened to me. I give evidence of it!" This is why we all love it when testimonies are shared at church. Testimonies move us beyond the theoretical to the experiential. These testimonies are "eyewitness" accounts. Is it surprising to hear that God has a testimony? This week, we will be studying 1 John 5:1-12. John starts out by telling us about the family
This week, we take a look at 1 John 4:7-21. Hannah Chun is preaching. In this passage, John brings us to the very foundation of the Christian life: love. John says something remarkable. He doesn't simply tell us that God loves. He tells us that God is love. Love is not just something God does from time to time; it is who He is. Everything that God does flows from His loving character. As I've reflected on this passage throughout the week, I would offer this summary statement:Those who know the love of God become people who love like God.John reminds us that God showed His love by sending His S
This week, we will look at 1 John 4:1-6. In this passage John addresses the false ideas that some people had about who Jesus was. John warns his readers that we should not just accept without discernment what people say about Jesus. It's easy to think that because someone talks about Jesus, they must be a believer. We need to be more discerning than that. The fact is, there is a spirit of AntiChrist in the world, and it is at work to sow confusion and disinformation about our faith. If this spirit can cause Christians to become confused in their thinking, it will lead people away from the fait
To know God is to know love. To know love is to live a life filled with love. - Knowing Love This week, we take a look at 1 John 3:11-24. It may surprise you how binary John is about hate and love. He reminds us of the story about Cain. "Cain," he says, "belonged to the evil one and killed his brother." Notice the wording. Cain belonged to the evil one. As I've pondered this throughout the week, I would offer you a summary statement of what John is telling us in this passage. There are two powers to belong to. We all belong to one or the other. To belong to the evil one results in killing, mur
We continue on with our study of 1 John with chapter 2:28 through 3:10. Last week, we learned about the antichrists who had been in the church community, but had left, claiming that they had a superior revelation of who Jesus was. This week John would have us know this: "Children of God will act like their Father." Like Father, like Son. Like Father, like daughter. The antichrists did not act like Jesus.John gives us tests, allowing us to test consistency. For those of us who are new to the faith and for those of us who have been long time followers of Jesus these tests are convicting and refr
This coming weekend, we continue on with our study of 1 John with chapter 2, verses 18-27. In this passage, there's a group that has recently left John's church. They were divisive. They were antichrists. They were liars. They claim to know the truth, but their knowledge is based in a lie. John would have us remember the truth. He clearly spells out for us what the truth is. This truth is non-negotiable. John shows us that what we believe really matters. John then encourages his people to go back to what they've been taught from the very beginning. While the false teachers claim to have the kn
We've been working through the book of 1 John. It seems that as we launch into 1 John: 2:12 -17, John starts off by taking a pause. He's been challenging and admonishing the believers to probe their lives for what's real. Here he wants to reassure and remind in verses 12 to 14. Reflect on this as you read it. I've read it over and over again. Why would John repeat reminders of the faith to the three different categories of people? Why would he repeat all the categories twice? It seems to me that for John to do this twice means this is the pinnacle of what matters, the great reminder of what gi
The world that has become so good at creating something that'ssoclose to authentic.We now carefully scan our emails for "The fake" before we click on it. We study images to see if we can detect AI, and now we have to think about the future with deepfakes. We crave authenticity. John says authenticity is the only way to have relationship with God.Jesus is completely authentic. John provides us with the ability to do a test, a litmus test on our lives. This test provides us with the ability to know if we have a relationship with God, or not. We find his test given to us in 1 John 2:3-11. The res
This weekend we launch into our study of 1st John. - John is an elder by now. He's in his 80s or 90s. He's seen life. John's letter is written to a congregation in the first century. Some false teachers have caused chaos. They have taught things about God that aren't true. John wants His congregation toknow that they know,to have clarity and truth about who God is, and how we relate to him. Of course, God in his divine plan knew that we also would need such a letter. In our chaotic world where so many things have become subjective we need something to base our lives on. We need to know that we
God provided miraculous bread every morning for the people of Israel in their desert wanderings, which gave them temporary relief from hunger and temporary life. Now God has given us Living Bread from heaven that gives permanent relief from hunger and permanent, eternal life. Jesus invites us to come and participate in His life, and receive His lifegiving presence, receiving the Spirit of life and receiving daily manna, fellowshipping with Him and drawing on Him for the abundant life that He said that He came to give. Jn 6.35Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never
Easter Sunday radiates with light, as God, who is the light of the world shatters the darkness of death. It is this weekend that we ponder the fact that Almighty God humbled Himself to death as a common criminal upon a cross. It is this weekend that we realize that the risen Jesus left behind His grave clothes and commissioned His disciples to take the message to the world. Jesus is alive!
This Sunday we consider our eighth and final Core Value: We pray because we need God. - This final Core Value could be compared to the final goal of the game. It is the winning score. It is the goal that wins the game. Our passage is Matthew 6:5-14. We've all read this many times. As a matter of fact, my mother-in-law, Alice Marie, preached a sermon on this about a year ago here at Transformation Church. This week, I'm inviting us to re-examine this passage again as we consider our Core Value:We pray because we need God. In preparation, perhaps ask yourself some of the following questions: - D
Our seventh Core Value: We love God by wholeheartedly helping those around us. - This coming Sunday we consider our seventh Core Value:We love God by wholeheartedly helping those around us. Our passage is Luke 10:25-37 This is the famous story that Jesus tells, often titled "The Good Samaritan." It takes some work to understand the context in which Jesus answers the lawyer who tests him with the question, "Who is my neighbor?" I will do my best to bring this to the forefront, because that is where we find the shock value of Jesus' story of neighborly love. For starters, it will help us to know
Our sixth Core Value: With Christ-like humility, we build others up. - This Sunday we consider our sixth Core Value: With Christ-like humility, we build others up. Our passage is Philippians 2:1-11. Paul encourages the Philippian church to be a radical community of others-centered people, not motivated by getting ahead or wrangling their way to the top. He then sets a picture of Jesus as the ultimate one at the top, who leaves it all for the sake of others. I'd highly encourage you to read Philippians chapter 1 to set some context for what Paul is saying. Notice in chapter 1 the teachers who a
Adult and Teen Challenge Addiction Recovery Centre - Special Service Sunday March 8thAdult and Teen Challenge Addiction Recovery Centre Join us this Sunday, March 8th for a special service at Transformation Church with Adult and Teen Challenge. Two Bay Adult and Teen Challenge students will share their testimonies. Katie will share a ministry update and Tim will share a sermon. We will take up a special offering for this ministry, so if it's in your heart to bless them, you can come prepared.
Our fifth core value is: We will be reliable as we practice honesty with God, ourselves, and others. - This week we will have the opportunity to look Luke 15:11-31. This story is famously titled "The Prodigal Son." Read all of Luke 15. Notice why Jesus tells this story. Read the story in terms of reliability and honesty. The older brother prides himself in his reliability. He does all the right things and carefully cares for the farm, but when the father throws a feast, for the younger son, who has been unreliable, the reliable older son is deeply angered and refuses to participate. In a stran
Our fourth core value - Our love for each other will prove to the world that we are Jesus' disciples. This core value is from John 13:35. To better appreciate John 13:35, it would be good to read all of chapter 13. If you are like me, you've heard this story many times, and the impact of what Jesus is doing barely resonates on us. Why is this? Familiarity? A lack of understanding feet washing? As you read: Noticewhothe text says Jesus isNoticewhatJesus knowsNoticethe powerJesusis able to wield.Noticewhosefeet Jesus washes. This story should move us deeply. This is a love like none other. Final
This week we look at our third core value - It is:We seek authentic community as the family of God. Our text for this is Acts 2:42-47. If you'd really like to take a deep dive, I would recommend that you read Acts 1 to 6. This is the story of the explosive beginning of the church. Try reading Acts chapter 2:42 to 47 as if you were there, as if this early church existed at Transformation Church today.You will find in this short passage the most authentic community you have ever heard of. We are told that the early believers "devoted themselves to the apostles'teachingand tofellowship, to thebre
This week we look at the next core value. - It is:We obey God's Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our text for this is Philippians 2:12-18. As you read the passage, do you find the core value? What is God's Word? Why would grumbling and complaining be so at odds with the way of Jesus? Paul tells us that when we stop murmuring and arguing, we will be blameless and innocent children of God, perfect, able to shine as bright lights into a world that is crooked and twisted. How is it possible that to stop grumbling and disputing makes us blameless, innocent children of God?
