St. Paul's Leaskdale Weekly Sermons

2 Samuel 24:18-25 - David had at least 2 colossal fails in his life. This story is the aftermath of his second failure. The short story is that God called David to make a sacrifice, and David, wisely, decided he wouldn't cheap out; he'd pay full price. God accepted David's sacrifice and ended the plague. Better still, God used the site of David's sacrifice as the place where heaven would come to e...

1 Samuel 23:14-18 - Using the life of David, we're taking four weeks to look at four essential practices that Christians have devoted themselves to for two thousand years: Gather, Grow, Give and Go. These practices are what Jesus has always called his church to do. This week we're talking about growing … together.

1 Samuel 17:32-53 - This Sunday, we begin a 4-week series on the Vision of St. Paul's. Using the life of David, we're going to look at 4 essential practices that Christians have devoted themselves to for 2000 years. Gather, Grow, Give and Go. These practices are what Jesus has always called his church to do, and we are no exception. Today we look at the essential practice of gathering.

Colossians 4:2-9 - Paul's brief letter to these believers finishes with a call to pray. God wants to hear from us! And, for those of us who can fall into a rut with praying or fall out of praying altogether, he offers good direction. Devote yourself to this, which means prioritizing it and putting your conversation with God at the top of your day's activities. Keep your eyes open! Find the good st...

Colossians 3:18-4:1 - As Paul brings his letter to a close, he takes the time to talk about how the truth of Jesus as Master and King plays out in our everyday relationships. Wives and husbands, kids and parents, employees and employers. The consistent point he makes throughout is how Jesus makes all the difference in the world as we care for each other and show kindness to the people closest to u...

Colossians 3:12-17-Sometimes Christianity gets known for the things we don't do. That's part of the story, but not the biggest (or best) part of the story. Paul lays out the Christian code of conduct in this passage. How do we be us? How do we deal with each other? What are the markers of a genuine Christian community? Not surprisingly, all of who we are called to be finds its root in who God is a...

Colossians 3:5-11 - The Colossian believers were figuring out what needed to stay and what needed to go in their lives. Paul, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, picked out two areas that needed special attention: sex and speech. These things reveal who we are at the deepest level. Thankfully, it isn't a matter of nitpicking and navel-gazing; the right way to find health and freedom in these are...

Colossians 2:20-3:4 - The believers in Colosse were struggling. We can't avoid it; we bring religious baggage with us when we come to trust Jesus. In our day it's more likely that people go to church and think God should be chill and adjust to their thinking and preferences.  2000 years ago it was the opposite; people brought rules and restrictions, believing that God (or the gods) needed to be pl...

Colossians 2:13-19 - Humans have a problem that we can't save ourselves from—not through secular programs or religious systems. The good news of Jesus is that on the cross, Jesus dealt with it all. In him we are alive, forgiven, and free!

Colossians 2:8-12 - The Colossian Christians were in danger of losing their freedom in Jesus because of teaching that told them they needed to supplement faith in Jesus with religion or spiritual experiences. Paul warns them not to get tricked by this, because Jesus is more than enough.

Colossians 2:1-7 - The way forward for the first Christians had its bumps and tumbles. Not everyone who claimed to be a teacher had their story straight, and some were downright deceptive and wrong. One of the reasons Paul wrote this letter was to speak directly to the false teaching that was being introduced. They say that the best way to learn what a counterfeit bill is to handle a genuine bill...

Colossians 1:24-29 - Suffering is the hardest thing for human beings. Why do we have to go through so much pain? One might think that getting on God's 'team' would mean you wouldn't suffer anymore or at least you'd suffer less. That's not the case. Jesus suffered, and he was very clear that his followers would suffer too. What is more important is the second truth, which is that Christians' suffer...

Colossians 1:21-23 - Last week, Paul went into great detail about Jesus, how sovereign and supreme he is and all that he did in pursuit of us. This week, we, Christians, enter the story. Paul only uses 2 words to describe our side of the story: alienated and reconciled. Again, Jesus did all the heavy lifting on the reconciliation side! And that, Paul explains, is the Good News, the Gospel.

Colossians 1:15-20 - In his letter to the Colossians, Paul quickly gets down to 'majoring on the majors'. Not surprisingly, the Major of all majors is Jesus. Instead of talking about Jesus' powerful miracles or profound teachings, Paul backs the story all the way to the beginning, Creation. Jesus is the One through whom and for whom creation came into being. He holds it together, and he pulls out...

Colossians 1:9-14 - Paul continues his message of hope by telling the Colossians what he's praying for them. He doesn't pray that they'll be healthy or wealthy or have an easier go of it. What he wants most for them, and so what he asks God for them, is that they would know God's will, that they would live a life worthy of Jesus and that they would have God's strength for staying in the game for t...

Colossians 1:1-8 - The church in Colossae faced cultural pressures that challenged their hope in Jesus. When Paul heard about this from prison, he wrote this hope-filled letter to encourage these new believers that Jesus is all they need. Gospel hope is true, certain, life-changing, and unstoppable.

Acts 28:30-31-At various points in the Church's history, Christians realized they were at a crossroads. Decisions had to be made, new opportunities considered and familiar surroundings left to meet fresh challenges. St. Paul's Leaskdale has its own stories of crossroads, none bigger than leaving the site it had enjoyed for 144 years, buying 100 acres and building a new structure in which to worshi...

Revelation 22:12-21 - The Bible ends with an exchange between lovers: the Groom, Jesus, saying that he's coming soon, and the Spirit and the Bride - believers worldwide- saying "We can hardly wait!". The whole Story of the Bible has been a romance! The longing of God's heart brought to fulfillment. The longing of our hearts finally satisfied. The 'special sauce' that makes all this come together i...

1 Corinthians 13 - In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul writes a lot about the Holy Spirit and his gifts to the church. The main thing he wants to talk about is love. Love, not gifting, is the benchmark for spiritual maturity. Love is a way of life, not an emotional experience. And love is our future. It's permanent!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Paul wrote to the church in Corinth so they could understand some basic stuff like leadership, sex, married life and self-discipline. As part of 'basic training', he also taught about spiritual things. How does the Holy Spirit help us sort out the spiritual realities of life? Not surprisingly, Jesus is at the very centre of the conversation. There's more!

Galatians 5:16-26 - The Holy Spirit caught everyone off guard, both the convinced and the curious. The early Church was thrilled by stories of healings and rescues. Over time, as they paid attention to what was going on in each other's lives, they realized that they were each becoming more like Jesus! They attributed that to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was on them for powerful deeds and words, and...

Acts 2:1-21 - The long-awaited gift of God's Spirit given to ordinary women and men finally touched down! A few unlikely believers huddled together in an upstairs room were the first recipients. This story unlocks the plan that the Spirit of Jesus has for us all.

Luke 4:14-21 - Jesus announced that the Spirit of the Lord was on him to proclaim the good news. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for his mission. And Jesus gives us the same Spirit for the same mission.

Joel 2:28-32 - This week, we begin a seven-week study on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit shows up in the first verses of the Bible, "hovering over the waters," in the last verses of the Bible: "The Spirit and the Bride say 'Come'". The Spirit shows up in many of the verses in between as well. And yet the Holy Spirit feels elusive, unpredictable and mysterious. Today, we ent...

Mark 16:1-8 - The story of Jesus' Resurrection means the rest of the Bible makes sense. That morning, Jesus redeemed every story from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden forward. You might be surprised how understated the event is, particularly in Mark's biography. But even in Mark, the hope, the grace and our future face-to-face with Jesus is strong and secure.