United Church Podcast

On Foster Care Sunday, we welcomed WinShape Homes to share about the importance of foster care. We also heard moving testimonies from foster and adoption parents, showing the impact of opening their homes to children in need. James 1:27 reminds us to "look after orphans and widows in their distress," encouraging us to live out this call to care for the vulnerable. Interested in learning more? Join...

Hebrews 10:23-25 emphasizes the importance of holding onto hope and encouraging one another in love and good deeds, especially during times of societal upheaval. Unfortunately, the growing trend of isolation among Americans can lead to a loss of community and faith. During challenging times, the solution is to gather more frequently rather than retreat into solitude. Tune in as Pastor Doug reminds...

Churches want to grow, to meet people far from God and introduce them to Jesus; to help them take first steps and next steps in practicing Jesus’ way of life; to invite them to participate in our common work of helping each other grow healthy and mature so we can do the work that God has given us to do as his people and his partners. This church wants to grow. You want to grow, healthy and whole....

Duplicity is defined as deceptive, double-dealing, funny business, or fraud. At its core, duplicity is failing to be who we say we are. We need to be keenly aware of the dangers of duplicity. Though this may seem aimed more at those of you who follow Jesus, if you are not a Christian, there is something helpful for you, too. You want to be known as a person who is trustworthy and deals honestly wi...

Your heart desires to share your person and possessions and love people freely. After all, Jesus said, “​It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). If Jesus has changed your life, I believe you aspire to be like Him and live by His words. But here is our reality: Our culture has groomed us to keep instead of release. We intuitively know that there is little satisfaction beyond a cer...

Luke tells us that Peter and John showed extraordinary courage under fire during the interrogation in Acts 4:29-31. Boldly, they told the religious leaders that there was no salvation apart from Jesus. Peter sharing Jesus’ resurrection caused issues for the Sadducees. They did not believe in a resurrection of any kind and certainly could not ascribe to a resurrected Messiah, especially that Messia...

We're continuing our sermon series on The Jesus Revolution! The last time we were in Acts, we saw that the tone of Luke’s record shifts. Until this point in Acts four, there had been no resistance to Jesus’ people. Indeed, the picture is of the general acceptance and favor given to them by the people.  Yet, in chapter four, the picture changes. The political leaders, posing as religious figures, t...

How can we, in our own contexts, prioritise the well-being of others?  The question is born of what I believe is your deep desire: to put others before yourself. I believe that beneath many layers of cultural sediment, our deepest desire is to regard others' interests over our own, particularly if we practice the way of Jesus. Our issue in activating that desire is that our host culture taught us...

The vocational calling of all of God’s people is to represent Him in this world as He brings the kingdom fully to fruition. We are integral to God’s plan to reconcile all things to Himself, and get as many people as possible back to Him.  If you practise the way of Jesus, I believe you want to accept this mandate. You want to see your one more come to know God’s love. You want to invite them to me...

Life is simply too busy to serve. Consider a typical week: juggling work deadlines, family responsibilities, and social commitments.  By the time the weekend arrives, the thought of adding one more task, like serving at church, can feel overwhelming. It's easy to feel like there's no room left to give  And yet an undeniable truth calls to us—Serving is Essential to The Way of Jesus. I understand t...