City Baptist Church Vancouver

Scripture: Revelation 2:1–7 Summary: Jesus looks at the church in Ephesus and says, “I see your hard work, your endurance, and your commitment to truth.” But then He lovingly exposes the deeper issue: they had left their first love. A church can serve faithfully, stand firmly, and believe rightly, yet still drift from the heart of it all—loving Christ above everything. Key Takeaways: Jesus sees th...

Scripture: Daniel 11-12 Summary: In Daniel 11-12, God pulls back the curtain and reminds us that history is not random, rulers are not ultimate, and tomorrow is not outside His hands. Daniel sees kingdoms rise, evil boast, and dark days come, but over every detail stands the God who declares the end from the beginning. When the future feels uncertain, we do not anchor our souls in headlines, feeli...

Scripture: Daniel 10 Summary: Daniel 10 pulls back the curtain and reminds us that there is more happening than what we can see. Daniel prayed, and from the very first day, God heard him—even though the answer was delayed by a spiritual battle. But before Daniel saw the war, he saw the Lord, because God wanted him to know that the battle is real, but Jesus is greater. So we do not live afraid, dis...

Scripture: Daniel 9:20–27 Summary: God is never early, never late, and never forgets what He promised. In Daniel 9, God gave a prophetic calendar pointing to the coming of the Messiah, reminding us that Jesus’ death was not an accident but the loving plan of God. When the Messiah was “cut off,” He was not dying for His own sin, but for ours, opening the way back to God through grace. So when life...

Scripture: John 1:12; Ephesians 4:23-32 Summary: Before we talk about building a stronger home, we have to ask the most important question: are we part of the family of God? God created every person, but John 1:12 says we become His children when we receive Jesus by faith. And once we belong to Him, He begins to renew our minds, reshape our words, soften our hearts, and teach us to forgive. A Chri...

Scripture: Daniel 9:1-19 Summary: Daniel didn't stumble into powerful prayer by accident - his prayer was born out of God's Word. As he read the promises of God in Jeremiah, his heart was driven to humility, confession, and deep dependence on the Lord. Instead of blaming everyone else, Daniel prayed "we have sinned," showing the kind of brokenness God honors. Real prayer isn'...

Scripture: Daniel 8:1–27 Summary: Daniel 8 reminds us that counterfeit kings may rise with power, pride, and cruelty, but they are always on borrowed time. Earthly kingdoms look strong for a season, yet every one of them falls under the rule of the true King. God showed Daniel that suffering would come, but He also showed that evil would have a limit and His purposes would stand. So when the world...

Scripture: Daniel 7 Summary: What if the strongest proof that God’s Word is true isn’t a clever argument, but fulfilled prophecy right in front of us? Daniel 7 shows kingdoms rising like wild beasts, powerful and terrifying, yet all temporary under God’s authority. In the middle of chaos, the “Ancient of Days” sits calmly on His throne, reminding us that God is never shaken by what shakes us. Then...

Scripture: Daniel 6 Summary: Daniel’s story reminds us that faith is not proven when life is easy, but when pressure comes and obedience costs something. He did not suddenly become courageous in the lions’ den; he simply kept doing what he had always done, trusting God in prayer and refusing to compromise. That is the kind of steady faith God calls us to—a faith built in the quiet places, so it st...

Scripture: Daniel 6:1–10 Summary: Daniel lived in a world that kept changing, but his faith did not. Even when a new kingdom rose, a new ruler took power, and a new law threatened his life, Daniel stayed steady because his walk with God had been built in private long before it was tested in public. That is the challenge for us too: when faith becomes costly, does it still show up? Real courage is...

Scripture: John 20:1–10; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8; Romans 10:9 Summary: The empty tomb is not just a hopeful symbol; it is God’s witness that Jesus truly conquered sin and death. The grave clothes left behind, the many eyewitnesses who saw the risen Christ, and the radically transformed lives of His followers all point to one unshakable truth: Jesus is alive. And because He lives, this is not merely a...

Scripture: Psalm 96 Summary: Psalm 96 reminds us that the Great Commission did not begin in the New Testament. From the beginning, God’s people were called to declare His glory among the nations because He alone is Creator, Savior, Sovereign, and Judge. The good news of salvation is too great to keep private—Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves, and that changes not just our...

Scripture: Daniel 5 (The Writing on the Wall) Summary: Here’s the tension: God had already shown what pride does through Nebuchadnezzar, but Belshazzar ignored it and lived like he was untouchable. And isn’t that us sometimes? We see the warnings, we hear the truth, yet pride convinces us we’re fine—until God writes a wake-up call we can’t ignore. The message is simple and sobering: God weighs eve...

Scripture: Daniel 4 Summary: Daniel 4 reminds us that God knows how to get the attention of proud people, even kings. Nebuchadnezzar had power, success, and a kingdom that looked untouchable, but God showed him that every throne on earth sits under the rule of heaven. Pride always lies to us, making us think we are stronger, wiser, and more in control than we really are, but God in mercy warns bef...

Scripture: Daniel 3 Summary: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show us what real faith looks like: not faith that obeys only when the outcome feels safe, but faith that says, “Our God is able—and even if He does not rescue us the way we want, we still will not bow.” These young men had already settled in their hearts that God alone was worthy of their worship, and that conviction held when the press...

Scripture: Daniel 2:24–49 Summary: Daniel 2 reminds us that God is not nervous about the rise and fall of kingdoms—He rules over them all. Nebuchadnezzar looked powerful, but even the greatest empires are temporary, while God’s kingdom alone will stand forever. Daniel didn’t use the moment to make much of himself; he pointed straight to the God of heaven who reveals mysteries and holds the future....

Scripture: Daniel 2:1–24 Summary: Daniel’s story reminds us that faithfulness to God does not remove us from pressure, but it does anchor us in the middle of it. When everything around him became unstable, Daniel did not panic, perform, or pretend—he prayed, because he knew the God of heaven rules over kings, dreams, and every crisis we face. That is the heartbeat of this passage: the world’s wisd...

Scripture: Daniel 1:8–21 Summary: Daniel’s breakthrough started in the secret place: “Daniel resolved” (purposed) in his heart not to defile himself. Babylon tried to rename him, retrain him, and reshape him, but Daniel drew a clear line: “I can be in this place without this place getting in me.” And notice how he stood—without being rude, loud, or arrogant—he offered a wise alternative and truste...

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6 Summary: In 1 Timothy 6, Paul reminds us that godliness with contentment is great gain, because we brought nothing into this world and we’ll take nothing out. The love of money promises security, but it quietly enslaves the heart; it shifts our trust from the living God to fragile riches. But when you know Christ, you’re already rich—eternally secure, deeply loved, fully pro...

Scripture: Daniel 1:1–7 Summary: Daniel doesn’t open with a “feel-good” story—he opens with siege and loss, and then drops one of the biggest truths in the whole book: “the Lord gave.” Even when God’s people are disciplined and displaced, God hasn’t vanished—He’s ruling, and His sovereignty doesn’t blink when kingdoms rise and fall. Babylon’s strategy is slick: isolate the faithful, indoctrinate t...

Scripture: Colossians 3:12–17 Summary: As we step into a new year, it’s easy to look back and realize some things just don’t fit anymore—and Paul says that’s exactly how the Christian life works. Because you are chosen, holy, and deeply loved in Christ, you don’t “perform” your way into God’s approval; you live from it , putting on the new clothes that match your new identity. So instead of wearin...

Scripture: Colossians 3:10–11 Summary: Paul reminds us that following Jesus isn’t just about putting off old sins—it’s about putting on a whole new identity. When you came to Christ, something decisive happened: the old you was laid down, and a new you was given, one rooted in Christ alone. That identity isn’t fragile or temporary; it’s secure, settled, and continually being renewed into the image...

Scripture: Colossians 3:5–10 Summary: A new year makes us want a fresh start, but Paul says the real “resolution” isn’t try harder—it’s aim higher: set your mind on Christ above, not the earth below (Col. 3:1–2). And then he gets painfully practical: if Jesus is truly above all else, we don’t negotiate with the old life—we mortify it , put it to death (Col. 3:5), because sin will always hijack the...

Scripture: Colossians 3:1–2 (with Titus 2:11–12) Summary: Since you’ve been raised with Christ, Paul says: seek what’s above —not as a head-in-the-clouds escape, but as a heart recalibration where Jesus becomes the center that reshapes your choices, habits, and hopes. So before you set goals for 2026, get honest about 2025: what have you been chasing, what’s been capturing your affection, and what...

Scripture: Matthew 1:18–23 Summary: Christmas is God’s confirmation notice stamped across history— delivered, on time, exactly as promised. Jesus’ birth tells us that God didn’t just create the world and walk away; He stepped into our brokenness to recreate hearts and restore hope. Every prophecy fulfilled reminds us that waiting is never wasted when God is at work, even when heaven feels silent....