Sermons – Kemptville Christian Reformed Church

Be A Blessing!

Last Sunday KCRC joined with hundreds of other churches across North America in celebrating the ministry of Cadetting, a boys’ club movement that brings Christian men to boys in a mentoring relationship where faith and life can be explore and enjoyed together.

This year’s theme is “Be A Blessing”, drawn from 2 Corinthians 9:8.

Which is what we wondered about together during our teaching time in worship on February 10. Which, naturally, makes one think of the mosquito…….. right? Well, the boys sure got the connection. Wondering if you will, too?

You’re invited to share the conversation we had by downloading the podcast.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Flip to 2 Corinthians 9. Then download the podcast and dig in.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Be A Blessing!

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

We’d also love to have you join us live for worship.
We gather each Sunday at 10am.
Don’t worry about getting all gussied up. Just come as you are – we’re a church full of imperfect people.
And we’d be glad to have other imperfect people, like you, along for the ride!

Who Am I? A Saint!

“Hi, I’m Brian and I’m an alcoholic.”
“Oh, stink! I’m such a total loser!”
“Grandpa, watch me – I’m Spiderman!!“

That’s how some people will identify themselves. Maybe at a support group meeting. Maybe in frustration when everything seems to be going wrong. Maybe in the middle of an afternoon of play. They take up a role and own it. They fill in a place and connect with it.

Who are you? What might be three labels that you’d easily slap on yourself to help identify who/what you are?

Here at KCRC we are on a journey through the Bible book of Ephesians. And as we sift through the material, we’re wanting to pay special attention to certain phrases that might help identify who and what we are as people committed to Jesus.

The crazy part is that the very first bit of ID information – right in the very first two verses of the first chapter of Ephesians – identifies believers in Christ as “Saints.”

Wait!!! Aren’t saints like spiritual superheros? If so, that’s certainly not me. I sink when I try to walk on water (except in mid-February, if you know what I mean.)

Join us as we explore this strange teaching.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Flip to Ephesians 1:1-2. Then download the podcast and the study guide and dig in.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Who Am I – A Saint!

And here’s the study guide:

Who Am I – A Saint: The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Who Am I – Baptised

Who are you, anyway? If someone asked, what would you say? Recently I pulled out a copy of my family tree, because it needs updating. Looking at the list of names there I see a long story, dating back to the 1400’s. All those names. And their stories – that’s part of who I am.
As are the places where I’ve lived, and the people with whom I’ve been so fortunate as to live and work and play alongside them. They are part of who I am. There’s way more, of course. As there is to whatever answer you’ll pull together for that question, “Who Am I?”

Over the next few weeks we’re going to take a journey at Kemptville Christian Reformed Church, a journey of seeing our identity as God would see us. We’ll wonder how the Holy Spirit might answer the question about who we are – each of us individually, and all of us collectively.

You’re invited to walk with us as we explore the identity we have as believers in and followers of Jesus. This week’s session is: “Who Am I – Baptised” and takes us to the Jordan River, watching and listening as Jesus is baptised. It’s recorded in Matthew 3. Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Then download the podcast and the study guide and dig in.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Who Am I – Baptised

And here’s the study guide:

Who Am I – Baptised: The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Meeting Jesus… Or Missing Him

So…. do you miss it when God shows up in your neighborhood? Or when he whispers into your ear, your mind, your heart?
You wouldn’t be the first person to do so.
Lots have.
And will.

An Itinerant Preacher: The Work of Christmas

So as we start a new year it’s a good time to wonder about the whispers of the Lord into our lives.
Is it legit to look for them?
And how would they show up?
Or – are we called to just go through the routine movements of faith and let the chips fall where they may?
Or – both?
Welcome to the first KCRC teaching podcast for 2019. Glad you could join us.

This week’s session is: “Meeting Jesus… Or Missing Him.”
We’re exploring the teaching of Luke 2:21-40.
Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Meeting Jesus… Or Missing Him

And here’s the study guide:

Meeting Jesus… Or Missing Him – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Christmas: Yes, But…. Do I Fear Christ?

Welcome to the second in our pre-Christmas teaching series at Kemptville Christian Reformed Church. We’re using this time to try and push aside some of the clutter and jumble that can easily mess with our minds and hearts and get in the way of a true celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Hence the title – Christmas: Yes, but….
The stuff of the season is all well and good. However, does it crowd out Jesus?
We’re just wondering.
Luke 2:7 tells us that Jesus was born in a stable because the hubbub of that particular season in downtown Bethlehem had squeezed his family to the margins.
We don’t want Jesus squeezed to the margins of the season as we celebrate.

RIGHT?

This week’s session is: “Christmas: Yes, but…. Do I FEAR him?”
We’re exploring the teaching of Mark 9:1-10

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Christmas: Yes, but… do I FEAR him?

And here’s the study guide:

Christmas: Yes, but… do I FEAR him? – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Christmas: Yes, but… do I KNOW him?

Hey, all – as if you didn’t know – the freight train of busyness called “The Holiday Season” is coming at us fast and hard. And everyone’s calendar will fill up to overflowing. Peace? Yeah, hardly. Filled season and stress? Maybe that’s more like it.

Which begs the seasonal question – so how much room is there in this season, and in our lives, to get more connected with the person whose birthday we celebrate? Luke 2:7 tells us that Jesus was born in a stable because the hubbub of that particular season in downtown Bethlehem had squeezed his family to the margins.

So, we don’t want to rag on anyone for hosting a party or buying gifts.
No getting all “Grinchy” at KCRC.
Our hearts are NOT three sizes too small.

But we are wondering – Christmas (and think here all the hoopla and stuff of December), it’s all good and everything.
BUT…. what might we be missing in the process? How does all this affect (or not) our connection to the Christ of Christ-mas?

Welcome to the Pre-Christmas teaching series here at Kemptville Christian Reformed Church.
Where you are invited to join us in doing some digging into our festive celebrations and their spiritual health (or not).

This week’s session: “Christmas: Yes, but…. Do I KNOW him?”
We’re exploring the teaching of Philippians 3:1-11.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Christmas: Yes, but… do I KNOW him?

And here’s the study guide:

Christmas: Yes, but… do I KNOW him? – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Sharing The Faith: Translation

Being a follower of Jesus, his lifelong apprentice, is an all-consuming thing. And the longer you are on that path the more you discover that there’s a whole culture which grows up, in time, around that journey.
Which is NOT a bad thing. Not at all.
But it IS something to be very mindful of when it comes to sharing our faith in Jesus with others.

The question is – how much of the culture around us ought be factored into what and how we share Christ? Does the culture of the people whom we seek to reach matter? Or is that irrelevant?

And that question puts the wraps on our Fall teaching series at KCRC, “Sharing The Faith.” To figure out an appropriate answer to the question, we turned to one of history’s all-time Faith-Sharing experts, St. Paul. And draw from his experience of visiting Athens. Did he witness in that multi-cultural, religiously pluralistic society? Well, yes he did. So….. how?

Acts 17:16-34 provide the instruction.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Sharing The Faith: Translation

And here’s the study guide:

Sharing The Faith: Translation – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Sharing The Faith: Appetizers

It’s REALLY easy to overthink things, especially when you REALLY want to do your best at something. And when that happens we easily make things too complicated or confusing.

Sharon and I witnessed that on a recent cooking competition we were watching on TV. One competitor took the required dish and stuffed WAY too much into it. It ended up a confusing mess. Too much going on with his plate.

It happens in cooking. It can happen pretty much anywhere. Including sharing your faith in Jesus. Sometimes you are better off serving just one “bite-sized” portion of good news instead of backing up a truck and unloading everything you’ve learned about the Kingdom of Heaven. Don’t force-feed them a whole banquet. Just offer them an appetizer. Often that goes down better and can be WAY more effective.

We’ll check in on Jesus as he follows this principle. And wonder what that all means for our lives.

Welcome to our Fall teaching series – SHARING THE FAITH.
This week’s installment digs into Luke 10:25-37.
Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Sharing The Faith: Appetizers

And here’s the study guide:

Sharing The Faith: Appetizers – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Sharing The Faith: Motivation

Baseball Fans just enjoyed the pinnacle of their season – the World Series. Ever wonder what sets the players apart on that field from so many other wanna-be baseball players, who end up trapped in the minor leagues, or working day jobs and playing in the beer leagues?

Yes, skill is part of it. There’s the natural athletic ability that one is born with, or not. And then the hours upon hours of practice to hone that ability into a razor sharp skill.

Yet, one can remain in the minors even with all of that.

I was listening to an interview with a sports psychologist recently who fingered this as one of the key factors in athletic success – MOTIVATION.

If you don’t have a strong motivation, lighting a fire in your belly, you aren’t going to succeed.
Period.

That’s true for way more in life than just baseball.
At KCRC we’re working our way through a teaching series that explores why, how, when and with whom we want and need to be sharing our faith in Jesus. It’s called….. “Sharing The Faith” (creative, eh?).

This past Sunday we focused in on MOTIVATION – what lights the fire in our belly to want to share the love and story of Jesus with people that God puts on our life path?

You’re invited to share in the conversation. And hope that you can track with us for the whole series via podcast or live on Sundays.

Our Bible passage was 1 Peter 3:15, and Matthew 28:16-20.
Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Sharing The Faith: Motivation

And here’s the study guide:

Sharing The Faith: Motivation – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”

Sharing The Faith: Attitudes

“Really?” So my friend said to me after going through a sales presentation by an individual. My friend was looking for a particular product, and had wondered if this was the one.

But the salesperson was….. well…… WOW. Not a good “wow.” More like, “Wow, what IS this person doing here? If she’s not excited about this thing, how am I supposed to be?
Her attitude came through in spades. And, no, there was no sale. Surprise.

Attitude – it DOES matter.
I attended an all-candidates meeting recently for the upcoming municipal election. And what interested me equally as much as the content of the various speeches was the attitude that each candidate brought to the table. ‘Cause that attitude will set the stage for what this individual will do when confronted by this or that novel issue in the next few years.

Attitude – That’s the thing we tackle in the first of KCRC’s Fall teaching series, Sharing The Faith.

Yes, we’ll get to thinking about what to say (or not) and when to say it (or not) and how. All that sort of good stuff.
But first – Attitude.
Because attitude shapes everything. It is like the rudder of the ship. How it is pointed affects everything else.

Our Bible passage was 1 Peter 3:8-16.
Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app.
Then download the podcast and the study guide.

Please note – those of you using a mobile device may have to set your browser to “desktop mode” to access the download button (a glitch with our site – sorry about that).

Here’s the podcast……..

Sharing The Faith: Attitudes

And here’s the study guide:

Sharing The Faith: Attitudes – The Study Guide

As always, feel free to pass this stuff around. You can also find this, and other messages online at the KCRC website under the tab “Sermons And Stuff.”