Sermons – Kemptville Christian Reformed Church

Connecting Through Prayer – It’s Essential

We’ve been experimenting with prayer at KCRC – trying to stop regularly (like, say, every hour) to check in with God and see if he’s got something for us to notice, someone for us to connect with, or a word for us. Sometimes you have to stop and wonder – is it REALLY worth all the effort? Is it THAT important?

The June 16 podcast digs into John 6, where we see a bunch of disciples abandon Jesus. Causing him to turn to his 12 closest friends and challenge them – “Are you leaving, too?”
We’ll think about their answer, as well as the experiences of two people who took their words seriously – Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach.
May their experiences and challenges be an inspiration to your spiritual journey!

We’re glad you’ve joined us for this podcast. Hope you can dig in with us for the remainder of the series, “Praying With Jesus” – we’ll be exploring the famous words of the Lord’s Prayer in coming weeks.

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…….. Connecting With God – It’s Essential
And here’s the study guide…….. It’s Essential – 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.”

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!

What Happens When God Speaks To Us: A True Story

We’ve been experimenting with prayer at KCRC – trying to stop regularly (like, say, every hour) to check in with God and see if he’s got something for us to notice, someone for us to connect with, or a word for us. Does it work? And what might happen when/if God actually responds?

Join us for our latest podcast, from June 9, where Janne Ritskes, founder of Tabitha Ministries in Cambodia, shares her personal account of how this played out, real time, in her life over the last 50 years.
Be ready to be challenged, and encouraged to keep exploring your own prayer life and walk of obedient response to God’s promptings. Janne drew from Galatians 5:14 and Isaiah 61:1-5.
Thanks for joining us on the journey!
Hope you can track with us – not just for Janne’s story, but for our entire current teaching series, “Praying With Jesus.”

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……..

What Happens When God Speaks To Us

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.”

Praying With Jesus – Where God Directs Us

Do you believe this stuff really happens? That God actually communicates with us….. really?
If you do, where does he direct us? What’s he calling us toward?

That’s the question from the June 2 podcast – the latest in our series, “Praying With Jesus.”
We’ve heard back from a bunch of you who are doing the 60:60 experiment.
And you’re sharing some common themes of where God seems to be focusing your attention as, hour on the hour, you pause to ask, “Dear God – Is there somewhere you want me to focus? Someone you want me to connect with? A word that you have for me?”
Our bible passage for the podcast is 1 Peter 4:7-11.
Thanks for joining us on the journey!
Hope you can track with us – not just for this teaching, but for the entire series. So, go grab a bible. Find John 15. Then download the podcast and the study guide – and let’s dig in together.

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……..

Praying With Jesus – Where God Directs Us

And here’s the study guide…….
Where God Directs Us – 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.”

Praying With Jesus – How God Connects With Us

Does God really speak to people? Some people might tell you to go see a doctor if you claim to hear from God. Others suggest it is wishful thinking. And some say, “Oh, but it IS real. God DOES talk to people.”
What do YOU think?

Welcome to KCRC’s summer series, “Praying With Jesus.”
And in this podcast we’re considering questions like:
– So, if God speaks to people, how does that happen?
– What’s it look and feel like?
– How do you know if it’s real?
– What if you think it’s God, but you are wrong?
As always, we’re leaning into the Bible and what it has to say about all this.
Our base passage is Acts 10:1-23.

Hope you can track with us – not just for this teaching, but for the entire series. So, go grab a bible. Find John 15. Then download the podcast and the study guide – and join the conversation.

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……..

Praying With Jesus – How God Connects With Us

And here’s the study guide…….
How God Connects With Us – 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.”

Praying With Jesus – Why God Connects With Us

“What does it take to grow in effectively living life as Jesus would live it if he were walking in our shoes today?” – that’s our key question for 2019 here at KCRC. Part of the answer, at least, revolves around the theme of prayer.

And that’s why we are taking time to explore praying. Which assumes, of course, that we are praying people. Or, at least, people interested in praying.
Is that so?
Hopefully, yes. But reality is that most of us have some struggles in praying well, or maybe in praying at all. We wish it would be better – but aren’t really sure how to get from present reality to that zone of being able to pray well.
And that’s why we’ve reached back into the “toolkit” and pulled out the “60:60 EXPERIMENT.”
A bunch of you have asked that we do it again, so – voila!

We’re going to explore a few misconceptions about God and prayer, and then try to get to the truth of who God is, and just why he might want to connect with us, anyway. Our launching point is John 15:1-17.

Hope you can track with us – not just for this teaching, but for the entire series. So, go grab a bible. Find John 15. Then download the podcast and the study guide – and join the conversation.

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……..

Praying With Jesus – Why God Connects With Us

And here’s the study guide…….
Why God Connects With Us – 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.”

Praying With Jesus – Getting Started

Here at KCRC 2019 is a year of exploring what Spiritual Apprenticeship is all about. At the heart of it we want to ask the question – “What does it take to grow in effectiveness living life as Jesus would live if he were walking in our shoes today?”

So…What’s it take to do that well? As we watch the life of Jesus, it’s pretty clear that prayer is a key part of what he does and how he does it. Meaning – perhaps prayer ought be a key part of what we do, and how we do it….. don’t you agree?

We’re going to spend the next while exploring what prayer is all about. And we’re going to keep Jesus, and his prayer role model, always in our sights.

This week we explored a couple of “DON’T-go-here-if-you-want-to-pray-effectively-and-deeply” statements by Jesus. Our key bible passage is Matthew 6:5-8.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Flip to Matthew 6. Then download the podcast and join the conversation.

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……..

Praying With Jesus – Getting Started

And here’s the study guide…….
Getting Started – 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.”

Be A Blessing

BLESS YOU! We all say it after someone sneezes. Any idea what it is we’re saying? What is a “Blessing”? And why would we wish a blessing on someone else? KCRC’s girls club, known as GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting The Saviour), had as their theme this year, “BE A BLESSING”. And what, pray tell, is that??? Join us as we wonder about it, and dig into the meaning of their theme bible verse 2 Corinthians 9:8.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Flip to 2 Corinthians 9:8. Then download the podcast and join the conversation.

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.”

Who Am I? Victorious!

Life is a battle.
Who among us has not muttered that under our breath at one time or another?
We’ve said it, and felt it. And it’s true.
Life IS a battle. But not a battle we need fear. Those who have committed their lives to Jesus, following and trusting him can rest in the assurance that they will win. |
In the end, they will be VICTORIOUS!!
So, that raises some questions – like, “Who is the enemy?” “Are there strategies we need to follow in order to find that victory?” “Do we get spiritual gear and armor to fight the battle?”
And that all is the focus of this, the last of our winter teaching series here at KCRC, “Who Am I?”.
We’re going to dig into Ephesians 6:10-24 helps us understand that.
Who Am I? Victorious!

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Flip to Ephesians 6:10-24. 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 – Victorious!

And here’s the study guide:

Victorious: 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? Suffering!

“Dear God, she is such a good person.
She’s such a good person.
Why does she have to suffer so much?
IT’S NOT FAIR!!”

Ever found yourself saying or praying something like that?
Most of us probably have, somewhere along the way.
Suffering – it’s something that sticks in our throat.
We can’t accept it as normal or right.
We fight against it.
And that’s a good thing to do.
But – the reality is, suffering is all around us. None of us make it through life without some experience of suffering.
In fact, those who ground their spiritual identity in Jesus ought to EXPECT suffering to be part of the deal.
It simply is.
Ephesians 3:1-13 helps us understand that.
The message from March 31 explores how suffering fits into our lives, and how we can keep (or lose) focus in the middle of battling suffering.

Join us as we explore this difficult teaching.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Flip to Ephesians 3:1-13. 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 – Suffering!

And here’s the study guide:

Suffering: 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? Loved!

One thing that virtually everyone wants, needs, craves is…..
Well, it’s something that’s part of our identity as followers and friends of Jesus.
There’s an old song that talks about looking for it in all the wrong places – and coming out of the experience all messed up. Which happens a lot.
It’s….. being loved.
Somewhere, deep inside, we all shrivel up if we don’t have at least some love poured into our lives.
We need it as infants.
We need it as elderly.
And we need it in between.
Ephesians 5:22-33 helps us connect with how God, through Jesus, pours love into our lives in rich ways.
It also helps us understand how to respond to that love from God by expressing and living love to others, beginning at home with our kids and our life partners.
March 3, 2019 – that’s when we examined this bible passage and considered how God’s love looks and feels – both in our lives as we receive it, and as we pass it on.
Hope you can stay to share the conversation.
You’re invited to download the podcast and study guide.

Go ahead and find a bible, either print version or online or app. Then download the podcast, as well as 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? Loved!
Loved – 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.”