ConnectCalgary

Most people are skeptical of the spiritual world. Angels and devils are the stuff of fairly tales, right? But the Bible presents the spiritual world as very, very real; perhaps even more real than the physical world. In fact, the scripture seems to indicate that most of the problems we face are primarily spiritual in nature. Is it rational to believe in such a thing? How can we see the unseen worl...

Gratitude is an important part of life; counting your blessings is a healthy exercise. But most people make a critical mistake when they say "Thank you," robbing their gratitude of its full value. What is this mistake, and how do we avoid it? Pastor Dan uses the story of Jesus and the healing of ten lepers to illustrate what we often get wrong when we say "Thank you."

You may know her as the girl on the front row dancing her heart out each Sunday, but do you know why she's so joyful? Just a couple years ago Shanna Wimbush was a leader in Calgary's New Age movement - then she met Jesus. She sat down to share her story and it is one of the most POWERFUL testimonies you're ever going to hear!

What's the most important thing about you? You might point to some triumph: work, marriage, a hobby. Or you might speak of a trauma: abuse, disability, divorce or depression. In today's message, the Apostle Paul tells us how he used to think of himself in these terms, but after his encounter with Christ, he came to realize that Jesus is truer than any triumph or tragedy in life.

The Bible is a big book, and Christianity is an ancient faith. It can be hard to understand even for people who have been studying it for quite a while. But what if we could summarize all of Christianity in just 4 words? What if these 4 words could could distill down what it means to be a follower of Jesus? Could these 4 words be the key to unlocking your relationship with God? Join us for this we...

Darcyl Slupski is the kids coordinator at Connect Church and she is one of the bubbliest people you will ever meet. In this podcast, we take 20 minutes to get to know her better!

Church is the people of God living out the mission of God. But sometimes we can believe the lie that we aren't talented enough or learned enough or spiritual enough to really make a difference. In this week's message, pastor Dan does his best to convince you that you have more to offer the world than you think you do!

For too many of us, the one hour a week that we call "church" has little to no bearing on the other 166 hours of our week. Consequently, church is something we sleep through or skip altogether. But maybe the reason we find church services so boring is that we don't understand their purpose. If we did, perhaps every gathering would be infused with a power we never sensed before. In today's message,...

Each year we give 5 of our Dream Teamers 5 minutes to share their story on Sunday morning. These aren't professional pastors, they are just amazing humans with something worthwhile to say. Join us as Kim Roman, Jack Landman, Samantha Lodovica, Tyler Sutherland, and Simone Ramkissoon discuss how to find God during life's ups and downs!

When we think of church, we usually think of a building, a street address. We think of church as a place we go on Sundays. But according to the Bible, God's house is far more interesting than four walls and a roof. His house is different ages, different hair colors, different genders, different nationalities... As we kick off our new series, Church: DEFINED, the first thing we learn about church i...

It's one of the church's great ironies: we focus on Jesus but forget the world he came to save. In this week's message, pastor Dan challenges us not to forget our mission as spiritual paramedics to a wounded world.

Pastor Dan is missing a toe due to an accident he had when he was 20 years old. He will be the first to tell you that a body isn't whole if it's missing any of it's parts. As Christians, we are all a part of the body of Christ. And just as our bodies are not whole if any part is missing, the body of Christ cannot be whole if any of us are missing. Join us for an unexpected and intriguing look at w...

Our relationship with other people is marked by highs and lows. Sometimes, our relationships feel close and loving; other times they feel distant and deflated. Because this is how our earthly relationships function, we assume a relationship with God will be the same. We believe God will love us when we do good, and become angry with us when we don't. In this week's message, Pastor Dan uses a simpl...

We live in a world that is obsessed with the spotlight. Everyone wants to be seen; everyone wants to be noticed. Ironically, although everybody wants in the spotlight, nobody handles it particularly well when they are standing center stage. Maybe that's because we aren't the ones who are meant to be in the spotlight, we are meant to be the ones who control the spotlight. We aren't the stars of thi...

Everyone walks around covered in labels. Some of these descriptions we wear proudly; others we desperately try to hide. Some of these labels come from those around us; some we put on ourselves. But is it possible that these labels were never meant to define us? That God has a better set of labels for us in Christ - labels that have the power to change the way we see ourselves? This week's message...

What does it really mean to follow Jesus? How do I know if I am on the right path? Why is everyone else on this journey moving faster than me? Amber Sweaza shares personal and Biblical insights that you do not want to miss!

On Father's Day, we invited 4 of our favourite dads to share with us lessons they are learning from their kids. It's a funny, real and sometimes raw look at what it means to be a dad in 2019!

Some of us are a little too fluent in sarcasm. Or gossip, Or negativity. Or cursing. And yet, one of Jesus' most-overlooked teachings is that "On judgment day, you will have to give an account of every careless word you say. Your words will either acquit or condemn you." What's that all about? I thought we were saved by grace? And can Jesus really expect us to completely control our mouth? Pastor...

Many people believe we live in an atheistic world that assumes all religions are wrong. On the contrary, we live in a pluralistic world that assumes all religions are right. So Jesus' words in John 10 are incredibly offensive ("I am the [only] way... No one comes to the Father except through me.") How do we make sense of this statement? What does it mean for sincere followers of other faiths? Past...

The world is quick to place unhealthy expectations on moms (and on women in general). But is it possible the church is guilty of the same thing? Maybe it's time for rebel mom's to step up - those who refuse to conform to anyone's standard, except the standard of grace given by Jesus!

In John 15, Jesus talks about vines, branches, fruitfulness and cutting off branches that aren't. What does all this mean, and how does it tie in to the circumstances you've been going through lately? Join us for this week's discussion to find out!

We've all heard the phrase "to go the second mile." What you might not realize is that Jesus was the first person to say these words. But why would they qualify as "Things I Wish Jesus Never Said"? The reason is not because going the second mile is hard or inconvenient (which it is). It is because of what Jesus guaranteed us would happen if we go the second mile: Nothing! In the end, Jesus' call t...

Everybody has obstacles in their way - people and things that prevent us from getting to where we need to go in life. Often, the only thing we need to overcome them is time and persistence. But what about life's biggest roadblocks? What do you do when you don't know what to do? Easter is the story of Jesus removing every roadblock in your life - even the ones you didn't realize were holding you ba...

Most people approach faith with either their head or their heart. They accept Jesus (or reject him) based on intellect or emotions. But faith is more than a belief and it is more than a feeling. In fact, when Jesus wanted his followers to commemorate his resurrection, he didn't give a creed to memorize, or a song to sing - he gave a meal to eat. For thousands of years, Christians have found that t...

Why would anybody follow God? As Jonah chapter 4 makes clear - it's not because God simply gives us whatever we want. In fact, God often chooses not to give us those things we think He should. But maybe God doesn't exist for us - maybe we exist for God's purposes. Perhaps following God doesn't give us BLESSING, but it does give us PURPOSE. Join us for a discussion of what it means to surrender you...