City Baptist Church Vancouver

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-23 Summary: Christmas reminds us that Jesus didn’t stay distant—He stepped into our world. He was fully human, born as a real baby who felt hunger, pain, grief, and exhaustion just like we do. Yet He was also fully God, with power over sin, suffering, and even death itself. Because He is both God and man, He understands our pain and has the authority to save us from our sin...

Scripture: Matthew 1:18–25 Summary: Christmas is God stepping into our mess. Matthew tells it straight: Mary is found with child by the Holy Spirit, because salvation doesn’t rise from human effort, it descends from divine mercy. And Joseph, a just man, doesn’t negotiate with God; he obeys, taking Jesus as his own, because God often entrusts kingdom assignments to hearts already surrendered. This...

Scripture: Colossians 1:18-20 Summary: If we’re not careful, we’ll let Jesus be in our life without being over our life. But Paul won’t let us shrink Christ: Jesus is our Savior who rescued us, our Creator who holds everything together, the Head of the Church who directs and defines us, and the Beloved Son in whom the fullness of God truly dwells. Because He is fully God, His cross actually makes...

Scripture: Colossians 1:12–17 Summary: We live in an age where everything tells us to put ourselves at the center—build your brand, chase your comfort, carry your own greatness. But God never designed us to hold the weight of our own glory; he designed us to reflect his. In Colossians 1, Paul reminds us that Jesus must not just be important in our lives but preeminent, first place above everything...

Scripture: Esther 9:1–32; Esther 10:1–3 Summary: In Esther, God turns a death sentence into a day of joy, and his people respond by creating Purim—a yearly rhythm to remember that their “lot” in life isn’t random, it’s ruled by a faithful God. Just like Canada pauses to remember the costly gift of freedom, followers of Jesus are called to intentionally remember the far greater deliverance we’ve re...

Scripture: Esther 8 Summary: When Haman falls, Esther and Mordecai receive honor, but Esther isn’t satisfied with personal safety—she pleads for her people. The unchangeable decree remains, so the king authorizes a counter-decree that empowers the Jews to defend themselves, and hope floods the empire. That picture calls us to gospel urgency: rescued people intercede and act so others can find resc...

Scripture: Esther 7 Summary: Esther steps into the moment with wise, prayer–soaked courage and asks for her life and her people’s, exposing Haman’s wicked plot. God’s hidden hand flips the script: the gallows built for Mordecai become Haman’s end, reminding us that justice may feel delayed but is never denied. Sin kept in the dark tightens its grip, but dragged into the light it starts to die, and...

Summary: Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” is the heartbeat of every believer. While billions still haven’t heard the name of Jesus, God is still working, still calling, and still using ordinary people who live by faith. The same Spirit who empowered the early church is ready to empower us today if we’ll pray, surrender, and give ourselves fully to God’s mission. Our task is...

Scripture: Esther 5–6 Summary: After three days of fasting, Esther steps into risk with a quiet, prayed-up courage, and God opens the king’s heart. Instead of rushing her request, she moves with wisdom, inviting Xerxes and Haman to two banquets while God arranges the unseen details. That same night, the king “just happens” to read how Mordecai once saved his life, and Haman is forced to honor the...

Scripture: Esther 4 Summary: When Mordecai mourns and Esther hesitates, we see our own fear of risk, yet God positions ordinary people for key moments. Mordecai’s charge: “for such a time as this”—pushes Esther from self-preservation to obedience, and her “If I perish, I perish” shows faith that trusts God with the results. They fast, they act, and God moves. Obedience first, understanding later....

Mordecai’s faithfulness looked forgotten, Haman’s evil looked unstoppable, and a roll of the dice set a death date—yet “the lot is cast… but its every decision is from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). God records what others overlook, restrains what evil intends, and turns delays into deliverance. So don’t quit doing what’s right; in Christ, “all things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28). When life feels...

When God seems quiet, Esther 2 shows he’s anything but absent. In a corrupt empire and a messy story, the unseen King is turning hearts and moving pieces to place his Esther where his people need her. Esther didn’t choose her circumstances, but God used them, pointing us to Jesus who redeems our guilt and heals our shame. The same God who ruled in Esther’s day rules ours. Scripture: Esther 2:1-18...

When things get darker, we don’t shrink back, we look up and remember God’s still writing the story. Esther’s world was messy too, yet the unseen hand of providence placed her right where grace could break in. What others mean for evil, our God can bend for good, shaping us to look more like Jesus and advancing his purposes. So we humble ourselves under his mighty hand, pray, and take the next fai...

Jesus is the only foundation of the church, so everything we build at City Baptist has to line up with Him. Paul says we’re all builders, and one day our work will pass through the fire—gold, silver, and precious stones endure, but wood, hay, and stubble vanish. So let's build with motives that aim at God’s glory, love people, serve by the Spirit, and choose God’s wisdom over the world’s appla...

Like Joshua told Israel, we don’t drift forward by accident, we choose courage, cling to the Lord, and do what His Word says because He is faithful (Josh. 23:6–8). Our city still has many people the Lord is calling to Himself, so we move together with expectancy, not fear (Acts 18:9–10). The land is ours in Christ, yet battles remain, and that’s where His promises become power for today, so let’s...

Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and His whole life showed us what real greatness looks like—humility and sacrifice. The cross wasn’t tragedy; it was triumph, and His ascension was proof that the work was finished and heaven is real. Now He rules at the right hand of the Father, giving us power through His Spirit to live out His mission. Our salvation isn’t about what we do; it’s about wh...

Even after all the miracles and eyewitnesses, the disciples still doubted. Isn’t that just like us? We hear the truth, but fear and unbelief hold us back. Yet Jesus doesn’t discard us. He rebukes, then commissions. He sends ordinary, hesitant people with the extraordinary message of His death and resurrection. And that means today, no matter your doubts or weaknesses, the risen Christ still calls...

You don’t reignite your passion for God by chasing a feeling, you do it by walking with Jesus in the Word. That’s what happened on the road to Emmaus: two discouraged disciples met the risen Christ, and as He opened the Scriptures, their cold hearts caught fire. It wasn’t an emotional high or a dramatic sign, it was truth, revealed by the Spirit, that changed everything. And the same Jesus who wal...

The resurrection is the miracle that changes everything. Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb, which means sin doesn’t get the final word and death doesn’t get the last laugh. That empty tomb wasn’t just proof, it was power, and that power means your past can be forgiven, your future has hope, and your life has purpose right now. Scripture: Mark 16:1-8

Jesus stepped toward the cross, fully knowing the pain, the humiliation, and the wrath it would bring. The hands that flung stars into space were now stretched out and nailed down, not by force, but by love. He could’ve come down but He stayed, not because He was weak, but because His love was stronger than death. When the veil tore, heaven's message was clear: through Jesus, sinners now have...

It’s heartbreaking to find Jesus, the only truly innocent one, stood silent as lies swirled around Him. Pilate couldn’t find a single fault, yet the crowd still shouted for Barabbas. Why? Because like us, they often chose what was loud, forceful, and familiar — not what was holy, humble, and true. But here’s the gospel: Jesus didn’t resist. He didn’t fight. He surrendered to suffering so that rebe...

Even when we fail like Peter did, Jesus doesn’t turn away. In our worst failures, when we think we’ve gone too far, He meets us with eyes full of mercy, not shame. Jesus stood silent so we could speak freely before God; He stood faithful in suffering so we could stand forgiven in grace. And just like He called Peter by name after the rooster crowed, He’s calling us not to stay stuck in our failure...

Excuses come easy, don’t they? We make them with our diets, our deadlines, and yes, even with God. But in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus didn’t make excuses, He made a choice. In the middle of crushing sorrow, He said, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” If the Son of God wrestled with surrender, then of course we will too but let’s not forget, on the other side of His surrender was resurrection. A...

Wisdom isn’t just about knowing more — it’s about living better. God says wisdom is the principal thing — not optional, not extra, but essential. You could chase success, stack wealth, build a dream house, or land the perfect job, but without wisdom, it all unravels eventually. The good news? James 1:5 tells us that if we ask for wisdom, God will gladly give it. So before you step into another dec...

In Mark 14, we see two tables, one of lavish worship and one of quiet betrayal, and Jesus sits at both. Mary poured out her perfume because she saw Jesus as worthy of everything. Judas, standing in the same room, chose silver over the Saviour. But Jesus knew it all — the fragrance, the betrayal, the cross — and still He served, still He loved, still He offered grace. And that should amaze us: the...