City Baptist Church Vancouver

In moments when life’s burdens feel unbearable and faith seems frail, the desperate cry of the father in Mark 9 resonates deeply: "I believe; help my unbelief!" This is the cry of a heart that knows its faith is incomplete but still clings to Christ. It’s a faith that acknowledges weakness, yet reaches for the only One who can strengthen it. Jesus doesn’t demand perfect faith—He responds...

In this moment of breathtaking revelation, the disciples caught but a fleeting glimpse of glory—a preview of the kingdom yet to come. Christ’s radiant transformation on the mountain wasn’t merely an otherworldly spectacle; it was a proclamation of His divine authority and the hope He embodies. How kind of God to affirm, in such a vivid way, that Jesus is not just a teacher or prophet but the very...

Isaiah 9:6 proclaims a stunning truth that transcends the ages: Jesus is the Prince of Peace . This title reminds us that true peace is not the mere absence of conflict but the presence of a Person—Christ himself, the Sar Shalom, the Captain of Contentment, the Lord of Rest. As we close the year, the chaos of life often reveals where we seek peace apart from Him. Yet, in Christ, we find a peace th...

The mighty God—our El Gibur —is not merely a concept to marvel at but a reality to embrace. Isaiah foretold His coming, John declared His divinity, and Jesus demonstrated His power in flesh, yet veiled for our sake. This is the Savior who spoke creation into existence, upheld the cosmos by His word, and stooped to bear our sin. His might is not distant; it works in us, transforming our selfish wil...

The names of Christ, prophetically given in Isaiah 9:6, are a window into the very heart of God. They remind us that Jesus is both incomprehensibly vast—"Wonderful" beyond our understanding—and intimately near as our "Counselor," who knows us, guides us, and meets us in our brokenness. In His humanity and deity, Christ embodies the infinite wisdom and tender compassion of God. He is the one who in...

Jesus’ question to His disciples remains vital: Who do you say that I am? Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ was correct, yet incomplete, as his rebuke of the Lord’s path of suffering revealed. Like Peter, we often create a Messiah in our own image—one who aligns with our preferences, ambitions, and comforts. But Jesus dismantles our self-centered expectations, making it plain: to follow...

In this passage, we are confronted with the stark reality that following Jesus demands a radical reorientation of our hearts and lives. Jesus reveals to His disciples—and to us—that He is not the Messiah of convenience or conquest, but the Messiah of sacrifice and redemption. Peter’s rebuke reflects our own tendency to mold Jesus into a figure who aligns with our desires, ambitions, and comforts....

In Mark 8, we encounter the Servant King teaching His disciples through miracles, confrontations, and vivid lessons that call us to remember truths we so easily forget. Just as Jesus provided for the hungry crowd with overflowing abundance, He reminds us that He is our Provider, capable of meeting every need. Yet, how often do we, like the disciples, focus on our lack instead of His sufficiency? H...

In Mark 7, we witness the astounding compassion and sovereignty of Christ as He challenges human traditions and expectations to reveal the heart of God. Jesus confronts the religious leaders, exposing the futility of outward religion without inward transformation, declaring that righteousness flows from a heart surrendered to God, not external works. His journey to Tyre and Sidon, far outside Isra...

In the beginning of Mark 7, we witness an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees, where Christ exposes the hollowness of outward religious rituals disconnected from a sincere heart. The Pharisees, fixated on ceremonial handwashing, reveal their tendency to elevate man-made traditions above God’s commandments. Jesus warns that true worship isn’t about external conformity or public displays of pi...

Storms in life, just like those the disciples faced on the Sea of Galilee, are not accidental disruptions—they are sovereign appointments. Mark 6 reveals not only the unpredictability of life’s trials but the intentionality behind them: Jesus sent His disciples into that storm. This passage reminds us that sometimes God places us directly in the tempest, not to punish, but to refine. Just as wind...

Missions Conference 2024 Day 3 Jesus reveals the deep ache of His heart: a world ready for harvest, but lacking laborers to gather it. His charge is simple yet profound: “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers.” But this prayer is reflexive—it turns back on those who offer it. When we sincerely pray for laborers, we soon discover that God places His burden on us. You cannot pray for t...

Missions Conference 2024 - Day 2 The heart of 2 Corinthians 9 reveals a truth too good to miss: God’s economy operates on grace-fueled giving, where every act of generosity becomes a seed for eternity. The world’s investments are fleeting, leaving us with nothing in the end, but in God’s design, we are invited to give as a reflection of His blessings in our lives. This isn't about manipulating God...

Missions Conference Day 1 God’s call on our lives is not merely a rescue operation but a purpose-driven mission—one where salvation leads to sending. As the apostle Paul testifies before King Agrippa in Acts 26, Jesus didn’t appear to Paul just to save him but to send him—to open blind eyes and turn hearts from darkness to light. Likewise, we are saved not just for heaven but to bring others with...

What are you placing your security in? We’re reminded of our tendency to root our sense of security in things that are unreliable—jobs, relationships, success, or material comforts. These blessings, while good, are not meant to be our foundation; they’re temporary and often disappoint. But Psalm 16 gives us a beautiful truth: God alone is a refuge that never fails, a guide in every season, and the...

In Mark’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, we see more than just a miracle of multiplication. We are confronted with the nature of Christ, who not only supplies our physical needs but points us to the deeper truth of His identity and the satisfaction only He provides. Just as Jesus invites the weary disciples to come and rest, He invites us into His presence to find true rest and reple...

In Paul's journey to Jerusalem, we see a beautiful and challenging picture of what it means to truly surrender to God's will. Despite knowing that suffering and imprisonment awaited him, Paul's heart remained steadfast in his desire to obey God above all else. This unwavering pursuit of God's will, even in the face of danger, calls us to reflect on our own lives. Are we truly pursuing God's will,...

In this sermon's passage, we encounter a flashback where King Herod, haunted by a guilty conscience, reflects on the beheading of John the Baptist. As Herod hears of Jesus' miraculous works, he fears John has returned from the dead. This passage reveals the profound power of a personal stand for truth, as John boldly confronted Herod’s sin, even at the cost of his life. John’s unwavering commitmen...

The familiarity of the people with Jesus led them to dismiss Him, questioning His authority and legitimacy. They were astonished by His teaching but quickly turned to contempt, seeing Him not as the Messiah but simply as the carpenter's son. This rejection hindered the mighty works Jesus could have done among them, a powerful reminder of how unbelief can limit God's work in our lives. We are warne...

We continue to see the power of Jesus as we focused on the stories of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus not only hears the cries of the brokenhearted but responds with compassion. Jairus, a desperate father, humbles himself before Jesus, trusting Him to heal his dying daughter. Similarly, the outcast woman, suffering for 12 years, reaches out in faith, believing that merely touch...

Pastor Skelly centers on the challenges faced by a growing church, drawing a parallel between the early church's struggles in Acts and the modern church's. Growth, while exciting, brings unique trials, and only by focusing on God’s Word, cultivating servant leadership, and nurturing a prayerful spirit can a church continue to thrive and multiply in its mission to spread the gospel of Chris...

In this message, Pastor Paul emphasize the profound power of Christ over both natural and spiritual forces. The disciples, terrified by a storm on the Sea of Galilee, were even more shaken when they encountered a demon-possessed man in Gadara. Yet, Jesus demonstrated His sovereignty by not only calming the physical storm but also delivering the man from demonic possession, revealing that no power—...

In this sermon, Pastor Paul reflects on Mark 4, where Jesus calms the storm, revealing truths about faith and God's sovereignty. He emphasizes that storms—whether literal or metaphorical—are an inevitable part of life, even for those faithfully following Christ. Jesus, both servant and sovereign King, allows these storms not as a sign of His absence but as a means to reveal our faith and draw...

Understanding the kingdom of God is foundational. Jesus' parables reveal the kingdom as both a present reality and a future hope, where God’s redemptive rule reigns through Christ. Like light shining into darkness, the gospel exposes sin and offers redemption. We are called to receive this light, reflect it, and trust that God is growing His kingdom—even when we can't see the progress. The...

In Mark 3, Jesus faced divisive reactions from the crowds, with some even claiming He was possessed or out of His mind. In Mark 4, this theme of division continues as Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, illustrating how different hearts receive the Word of God. Some hearts are hard, others shallow or divided, and only those with receptive hearts bear lasting fruit. Jesus's parables, then,...