First Congregational of Hamilton

Who would have thought you could learn something from a near-sighted, defenseless, sometimes witless pile of wool on four legs? Jesus did!. Lets find out what he has to say.

As we continue looking at biblical pictures to help us understand who we are as a church, we will consider the world of athletics. Many of us enjoy athletics and are enthralled by the talent and effort of elite athletes. What are the qualities of athletes we can incorporate into our lives as Christians and our efforts as a community? The Bible focuses in on a few that are challenging and helpful.

This week we will look at the church as "Citizens of Heaven, Sojourners of Earth". As Christians, we are given a citizenship through Christ and a longing for things eternal, though for a time we are called to live as foreigners in this world. Christians are called to be builders of God's Kingdom here on earth, while having an eye on eternity and the infinite good that lies ahead.

Amidst all the changes in our world, one thing remains consistent: weddings are a very big deal. The Scriptures regularly depict the people of God as a bride – but the wedding day often seems far off. We will look at John’s vision in  Revelation 21  to help us remain faithful to God during this long wait.

The book of Revelation (picking up on images from the Exodus) calls the people of God ‘priests’, and the Reformation emphasized the ‘priesthood’ of all believers. But what does it mean for people to be ‘priests’? We will look at priestly imagery in Revelation to see what this unusual designation means.

1 Corinthians 12  explains that the church is the body of Christ. Sunday's sermon will bring several common questions to the text to explore how the church has a true spiritual unity grounded in Christ's saving work. This unity persists amid the struggles of the fallen world, calling us to be a community of grace.

Join us this summer as we explore “Who We Are.” We will be hearing from various voices, unpacking from the Bible what it means to be the church. We are eager to see how God’s Spirit will use these meditations to encourage our faith and elevate our view of what God is doing in and through us. We look forward to growing together and we will start in  Acts 1-2  where the Church Begins.

When we met David as a young man, he was agile and confident. He could leap over a wall. But now we see him in old age, in physical and mental decline. Will he finish well? Will we finish well? By the grace and power of God, yes. 

Have you had moments in your life when everything goes wrong? Maybe because of your choices or because of the poor choices of others, things are not going your way. In our continued study of Saul and David, we will see David under great stress in every dimension of his life. The stories are horrible, dramatic, emotional and reveal much of the human heart, but they also reveal the hand of God bring...

Last week we saw “happy David” and the zenith of his kingdom. This week, we see that David—the best king ever!—was only human, and he fell. Lord preserve us. And help us cling to the only perfect King, our Lord Jesus.

Faithfulness as a Christian is marked by the work of God’s Spirit in our lives as we hear God’s word and then follow it in all the dimensions of our life. As we turn our attention to King David’s rise to power after the death of King Saul, we will see a positive example of this great pursuit in David’s life and early reign. You can read all about it in the first 10 chapters of  2 Samuel  with thes...

This week we will finish the story of Saul's life and his rule as king over Israel. His tragic finish gives keen insights for us today about temptation and the consequence of sin; all while pointing us to a greater reality of a greater King to come.

We are back to our Spring series on Saul and David: “The Story of Two Kings.” This week we see David running from Saul, waiting for God to fulfill his promise that David would be the next king of Israel. But waiting is hard. What should we do while we wait?

Who is the man or woman God can use? Not necessarily the powerful, wise, attractive, or influential. But the one who fears and loves God. David is such a man. He’s not perfect, but he does have a heart for God. Lord, form our hearts, and use us in mighty deeds.

This week we will look at  1 Samuel 12-15 . Saul begins his time as king, although he quickly runs into trouble. In three stories of Saul we will see him acting in his own wisdom and sinning against the LORD. By the end God will regret ever making Saul king and will reject his kingship. These chapters hold deep truths about leadership and obedience, and they point us to the future king, Jesus.

In preparation for our new series, you could read  1 Samuel 8-11 , for the overachievers you might try to start from the beginning of 1 Samuel and read 1-11. We will focus on the call and coronation of Saul the first King of Israel. As it is the start of a new series, it is a great week to invite friends, neighbors, and co-workers to sit with you. I hope to see you there!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24,  our last text in this sermon series, is a benediction. What a great way to end—with a prayer of blessing. With the Apostle Paul we pray that God will sanctify us through and through—completely—and guard us from the tricks of the devil until Jesus returns. May it be so. Amen and amen. See you Sunday. 

As Christians, we often wonder: What is God's will for my life? The Apostle Paul offers guidance, in  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22 , encouraging us amid our challenges to pursue joy, maintain constant prayer, and express gratitude to God. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

How does the Lord instruct us to interact with fellow believers in the Body? Our mini-series within 1 Thessalonians says we should encourage (two weeks ago), esteem (last week), and engage (this week). That’s how we can be Jesus’ hands and feet (and heart and voice) to each other.

The Body of Christ is filled with distinct roles that work together in unity for the kingdom. In  1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 , Paul commends the Church to honor and esteem their church leaders in their God-given role and hold them in highest regard in love. This respect for leadership helps foster unity in the rest of the body. Join us on Sunday as we explore this passage and how we should respond.

To preserve confidentiality, Prayer Concerns within our Church Family can be found in our printed bulletin or by email upon request. If you would like someone to pray with, please click the link below to contact the deacons and a leader will be happy to follow up and pray with you.

We are already a month in to 2025. How’s it going? I imagine the answers are all over the map. This Sunday we continue looking at what the future holds for Christians, with a focus on how we are to live, no matter what the circumstances, as we wait for Christ’s return. Read through  1 Thessalonians 4-5  to orient your thinking.

First Thessalonians is a “Handbook for Disciples,” and one of our core beliefs is Jesus’s return. He is coming back, and we will rise just as he rose in the resurrection. That truth colors how we live. In particular, it encourages us when we grieve about our friends who have died in Christ. They (and we) will be transformed, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus.

“Love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples.” That’s Jesus’s word, and it is the message of our passage for this week from  1 Thessalonians . Lord, help us to love abundantly and thus to walk properly in the eyes of the world.

This week we will develop the theme of sexual immorality brought up in last week’s sermon. We will focus on what sexual immorality is in Scripture, and present the underlying rationale for the Bible’s sexual ethic. While the sermon will not be explicit, parents should be advised that there will necessarily be some references which might not be suitable for all ages.