First Congregational of Hamilton

One of the key questions in life, and in the book of Proverbs, is—who will we trust? Will we trust in ourselves or in our God? This week, we’ll be considering one of the most famous verses in the Bible (Proverbs 3:5-6) and exploring the nature, evidence, and result of trusting God. Trust is one of the most important ingredients to any good relationship, but are we really trusting God on a daily ba...

We continue our summer series called “Gaining Wisdom: A Summer in the Proverbs” by looking at our first major topic of counsel. Our Youth and Young Adult Pastor candidate, Matt Schuberth, will be teaching on the importance and source of wise counsel in our lives. Why is hearing and heeding advice so important? How do you know who to listen to? And how do we grow in this important discipline?

Do you feel a need for wisdom in your life? I know I sure do. We begin our new summer series called: “Gaining Wisdom: A summer in the Proverbs.” As we face the complex problems of living life in a fallen world, in many cases, the solutions we need are beyond us. But the good news is that we’re not left to ourselves. God wants to give us wisdom more than we want to have it. The Lord longs for us to...

How can we tell if we are growing in our prayer life? One of the ways is to consider what we’re praying for. Are we "seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness" in our daily prayers? Kingdom seekers pray according to the prayer pattern that the Lord gave us. For them, the top priorities are His Name, His Kingdom, and His Will! Then comes "our daily bread." While our “daily bread" is important and...

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday when we remember the Holy Spirit’s presence to fill us with the life of Christ and give us spiritual power to speak and serve like Jesus. Maybe you haven’t considered the Holy Spirit’s work in your life because you are feeling weighed down with all of life’s decisions, struggles, doubts, and sins that seem to crush us. It doesn’t have to be this way! Come be reminde...

We’ll be studying one of the most interesting characters and encouraging stories in all the Bible. We’ll consider King Nebuchadnezzar’s surprising turn to God, how it happened, and what this can teach us about the nature, importance, and development of humility in our lives.

Does God really see my needs? Does God really care? Will God really provide? How do we grow in our faith in the faithfulness of God? These are the questions that we often find ourselves asking as we navigate the perplexities of life. On this Mother's Day, we'll tackle these questions from the famous, yet often misunderstood story of Abraham and Isaac. Please join us as we consider the life-changin...

The Bible speaks a lot about our conscience. But if you were forced to describe the conscience and how it works, what would you say? How do we live with a clear conscience? What can we do if we have a guilty conscience? What's the difference between the voice of the Holy Spirit and the voice of conscience? Should we let our conscience be our guide? These are just some of the questions we'll be see...

Just as God is a "God of Hope", so we as his people are to be "People of Hope". At this time in history, when our society and much of the world is experiencing uncertainty and anxiety, we are both the recipients and the benefactors of Hope. Our hope is not by the power of positive thinking. Rather, it is based in the character of our sovereign God, made real to us by the power of the Holy Spirit,...

With the joy of Easter still lingering, join us as we revisit what encountering the risen Jesus brings into our lives. As followers of the risen Jesus, we'll see how our fear is transformed into joy and how our joy results in peace. When these things are living realities in our lives, we'll want to tell others about the authentic joy and lasting peace that we have found in Jesus.

If you hang around Christian circles for any length of time you may hear the phrase “walking with God”. Someone may even ask you, “How’s your walk with God?” But what does all that really mean? How do you take a walk with someone you can’t even see? Join us as we unpack this important subject of “walking with God” and explore the nature and day-to-day dynamics of having a close relationship with G...

Pastor Jeremy shares on Reawakening to God’s Grace focusing on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Join us as we contemplate the redemptive suffering of Christ for us. Pastor Jeremy and Pastor Kevin share on Reawakening to God’s Forgiveness touching on the heart, justice, and power of God’s forgiveness in our lives and how we can extend that same type of forgiveness to one another.

There are moments in life when it is good and right to pause and reflect upon significant events and to celebrate their meaning and implications. Our Christian Holy Week is certainly one of those times. The word ‘holy’ means set apart. This week in our calendar year is set apart to intentionally commemorate and celebrate the gospel of Jesus together.

When I was little, I often wondered what Palm Sunday was all about. It was fun to get palm fronds, to think about Jesus riding on a donkey, and to remember him as our humble King, but for the longest time I missed the real day-to-day significance of this yearly celebration. Join us as we continue our Lenten series and rediscover the theological importance and several practical implications of Jesu...

We all have plans and rely on our intuition, experience, and abilities to pursue the life we see for ourselves. This is the way most of our friends and family live as well, but we all run into the same problem. We have limited understanding, limited time, and limited power to accomplish all we desire. This week, we’ll look at one of the gifts the gospel gives, access to God’s vision for the world...

We all need help in life but where do we find it? Too often we live as if we’re alone in this world and left to face our problems without the availability of God’s divine help and resources. But this is not the picture of reality that Jesus paints for us. Over and over in the Gospels, he describes God as our loving heavenly Father who is willing and eager to lift us up and empower us for the task...

It’s no secret that we live in a time where the Bible is either actively rejected in our wider culture or just passively ignored, even by professing Christians. But what happens when we become reawakened to the truth and power of God’s Word? In every revival, or period of profound spiritual renewal, the Bible begins to be read and taken seriously again. Join us as we consider one of Jesus’ most ch...

It is in our very makeup as human beings to point out greatness and to celebrate it when we see it. As we continue our Lenten series, we’ll be looking this week at the story of Mary’s extravagant anointing of Jesus. What was it that led Mary to this beautiful act of devotion? How do we, like her, become awakened to the greatness of Jesus? And what can we expect when we do? Join us as we seek to be...

What does God get angry about? Does anger fit in with his character? Does God use anger in our lives in any positive ways? How do we see anger expressed in our world? What do we do with our anger as Christian people? These questions might lead to some surprisingly fruitful discoveries that shape our concerns and actions as we follow Jesus.

One of the images of suffering that we’re given in the Bible is “going through the valley.” In the valley it’s easy to lose heart and lose our way. In the valley it’s easy to feel abandoned by God. In the valley it’s easy to feel angry at God and all alone. Peter knows this, and like a faithful pastor, he counsels us and guides us in a handful of ways to experience God’s grace as we go through the...

There is no shortage of books, podcasts, and other resources available on the subject of effective leadership. It can be a bit daunting knowing where to turn and who to listen to when there are so many differing opinions and strategies. Thankfully, we can always turn to Jesus. As we near the end of our 1 Peter study, Peter draws upon the shepherding heart of Jesus and teaches us some key qualities...

It can be easy when you’re criticized for following Jesus to feel social shame, to feel discouraged and begin to retreat. What do we do when our faith is mocked by others and we’re socially rejected because of it? Peter knows that in these moments, too often Christians can live with a defeated victim mentality and begin to lose heart. Join us as we consider some key guidelines for shame resilience...

What are your main priorities in life? There’s no way around it. If we want to effectively manage certain areas of our lives, then we need to ascertain and uphold the appropriate priorities. The same goes with caring for one another well. With all the distractions of life, how do we give focussed and influential care for others? Join us this week as we continue our study of 1 Peter and discover th...