Posts from February 2024

Saved by Grace for Good Works

Dear LifeSpring Family, I was so encouraged this past Sunday at our Volunteers Appreciation Celebration.  I, like many of you, have been blessed by the faithfulness of Perry and Catherine to our LifeSpring family. It reminded me of the verses found in Ephesians 2:8-10.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship,…

Volunteer Appreciation: Obedience over Understanding

Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” Mark 11:1-3 This has always been a strange passage to me. Jesus instructs his disciples to steal a colt. He instructs them…

Same Old, Same Old

So, I realize that I’m a little biased… but Abby’s sermon was brilliant!! If you haven’t had a chance to take it in yet, I highly recommend it. (Apologies to literally all of our KidzHarbour leaders who have already heard me pass along this exact same recommendation, haha) As Abby gave an overview of the Israelites’ Exodus out of Egypt and much of their time in the wilderness, she dropped countless gems along the way. I’ve been ruminating on many…

Listen and Pray

Last weekend, I had a chance to speak at MLCF and had a great time worshipping with the Lifespring family in Mississauga. I spoke on John 6:1-13, which is a passage I’ve spoken on before but I think has special significance for our theme of Patient Endurance this year. The theme of Patient Endurance seems to already be resonating with many people that I’ve spoken to, even though we’re only eight weeks in to the year. Maybe you’ve had an…

Impatient Giving Up

The children of Israel were certainly not a “model nation”. Whether in dealing with the struggles of life in the wilderness, their behavior in the absence of their leader, or facing their odds of survival in Canaan, the Israelites showed time and time again that they were prone to impatiently giving up when the going got tough. Their shortcomings, however, can teach us a lot about how to patiently endure. As we look at Israel’s time in the wilderness, a…

Moving Forward

One of the things God has been speaking to me after my January fast was the importance of moving forward. Moving forward is a natural process in the journey of life, and I would like to suggest to you that it is how we are designed as humans. Take a look at your feet. If they are crossed, position them flat on the ground. Tell me which direction they are pointing? For most people, their feet are pointed straight. Our…

Receiving with an Open Hand

One of the greatest temptations this church will face is the challenge of complacency. We have seen the favour of God over this church family and our lives, and we are doing OK. But OK can be a dangerous place to be in. 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No…

Patient Endurance – Luke Chapter One

Dear LifeSpring Family, The books of Luke and Acts are unique in that they are only books in the New Testament written by a Gentile, one of us.  Assuming that the Apostle Paul did not write the book of Hebrews, as it is not conclusive on who wrote Hebrews, Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other human writer did.  Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary showed us patient endurance in their journey of unbelievable miraculous experiences with God and the angel Gabriel. As…

Feeling Like a Plastic Bag?

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag? Drifting through the wind…  wanting to start again? Yes, yes those are Katy Perry lyrics… and before you think you’ve opened the wrong email or that you somehow clicked the wrong link I want you to seriously consider this idea.  Do you ever feel like you’re just kind of floating around? Like you’ve lost your footing and rather than falling you somehow managed to drift away? That’s how I was feeling on…

This Little Light of Mine

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5 Some time ago, I worked on memorizing the…

Patient Endurance: Little Faith

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Mark 1:35-37  The Scriptures reveal a glimpse into Jesus’ life. He was one that got up early to go and pray. It is interesting that Jesus spent much time in prayer in the morning and throughout…

Inner Life

Lately, I’ve been quite interested in ballet dancers. There’s a group of them from a studio in Arizona that have gotten quite popular on YouTube, and for good reason. They have impeccable technique, tremendous strength, and win many competitions, but they are just kids. We admire their talent but often forget that they have been training in ballet for most of their lives. The videos we see are just their highlights and leave out the hours and years they’ve spent…