#forParis Podcast

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by an unexpected gift? The kind that leaves you utterly amazed and creates lasting memories? Such treasures are not easily forgotten. This Christmas Eve, Joel will contemplate the profound significance of Jesus's birth as the ultimate gift—God's divine presence with us. And how in Jesus we receive an unexpected gift, one that can transform your life when rec...

Throughout this series, we've delved into the profound gift of God's presence during Christmas—a gift that brings hope in moments of anticipation and peace during times of struggle. Yet, amidst the joy of receiving this precious gift, have you pondered what our responses should be to the profound reality of Jesus with us? In this week's teaching, Joel will share a response that can be a struggle,...

Is it possible to discover peace amid life's trials? Christmas serves as a poignant reminder that "God is with us," but can this profound connection be felt in the midst of personal challenges and pain? Drawing from the prophetic words of Micah and the transformative promises of Jesus, we aim to challenge the traditional belief that peace is attainable only in the absence of difficulties. Join us...

Have you ever found yourself in the quiet moments, waiting on God? It's during those times when His response seems elusive, leaving you to ponder, 'God, are you there? Do you truly care?' Waiting can evoke a spectrum of emotions—worry, frustration, and perhaps even anger. However, waiting is an unavoidable part of life. But here's the twist—how can we transform waiting into a gift in disguise? How...

Join us this week as Joel kicks off our Advent series, 'Unwrapping Presence - Encountering God @ Christmas ’. He'll delve into a significant barrier/misunderstanding that commonly hinders us from truly embracing the presence of God. He'll also share a practical approach to refocusing our attention, creating a greater awareness of God in our daily lives. We hope you will join us and that you extend...

Jesus makes and fulfills many promises to us in Scripture. A big one is the promise of a place for us in his Father's house. But often, try as we might, we live as though we aren't sure how to get there. Jesus promises a place, but does he bother to give us the address or directions? Join this week as we explore how Jesus not only gives us a destination, but also promises to help us get there. Joh...

This Sunday, we are going to celebrate Communion. For some, Communion is very meaningful. For others it can be confusing, a ritual at best. Join us as Joel shares how celebrating Communion by focusing on 4 words that Jesus used can provide profound insight and meaning to what Communion is and how it can impact our relationship with Jesus.

This Sunday Joel answers your questions. In this podcast he will look to provide answers for these questions… ‘When we die, will we be able to see what is happening on earth from heaven? ‘How do I follow the ways of Jesus without being judgmental of or distant from society?’ Asking questions about faith is a great way to grow so we hope that you will join us.

Join us this week to commemorate God's unwavering faithfulness throughout the transformative journey of renovating our church. Joel will highlight the path we've travelled in recent years and highlight the remarkable faithfulness of God, ever-present in the midst of it all.

Have you ever found yourself attempting to portray a more elevated version of yourself than your authentic self? Striving to appear more intelligent, wealthier, trendier, or more devout than you truly are? Perhaps it involves omitting certain facts or embellishing details, or even meticulously curating your social media feed to showcase only the 'highlight reel' of your life. It's worth pondering...

In a world that often prioritizes self-promotion and self-interest, humility is there a virtue we deeply admire but frequently find challenging to embrace. Join us this week as we explore the inspiring example set by Jesus and discover how we can integrate humility into our lives.

We all have countless reasons to be thankful. However, have you ever wondered how best to convey your gratitude? What meaningful actions can you take to express your thanks? Join us this week as we delve into a crucial aspect of gratitude, exploring effective ways to express our appreciation.

When discussing Jesus, some individuals believe in maintaining a sense of privacy. Perhaps you wish to express your faith more openly but are unsure how to do so. This week, we invite you to explore the reasons behind and the methods for becoming more inviting in sharing our faith."

Churches say ' everybody's welcome ', but is that true? What if you don't hold the same beliefs about Jesus? What if you live a life that is different? What if you support a different political party, then what? Perhaps you have been hurt by a church b/c you did not feel overly welcomed. Join us this week as we learn the Jesus way of having a loving relationship with those with whom we may disagre...

As we continue in our series 'What's Under the Hood' , we will explore another value that we believe is key to our culture - caring about our community. But what does that mean? This week we will learn from the example of one Christian leader’s misadventures in Acts 17, and how we want to care enough to listen, to try and try again, to speak others’ language, and to build lasting relationships.

"What's Under the Hood" is a thought-provoking message series that delves deep into the core values that shape us as a church. Join us as we peel back the layers week by week to explore values and principles that drive our decisions and actions. This week we will look at the compelling reason to the question ‘Church: Why Bother?’

What qualifies you to be used by God? Is it your education, life experience, your courage? None, or all of the above? This Sunday we will explore how God used those from generations past who seemed very unlikely. He used people who may have been a bit lacking by our standards, but who were used by Him to do incredible things. The Story of God continues today and you are part of it!

We know that in life, it is not simply what we say, but how we live. Our actions truly demonstrate what we believe, value and trust. So how does this then translate when it comes to faith in God? Is our faith found merely in the words that we believe or say? Or is there something more? Join us this week as we look at the OT Prophet Hosea and his timeless message for us today. When it comes to God’...

When God works in our communities, he often invites us to participate in the work with him. But sometimes it can be hard to answer the call: The work might be difficult; Others might ridicule or laugh at us; We might be genuinely tired; There could even be real danger involved. This week we look at one Biblical figure’s recipe for success as he faced all of these obstacles at once and still manage...

Have you ever had to deal with a dysfunctional or even toxic relationship? It is not much fun is it? This week we are going to see what lessons we can learn to help us navigate these difficult relationships. We will be looking at how Jonathan, the son of King Saul and the best friend of David, Saul's enemy, navigated a no win situation.

The backdrop of this message - Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet to the nation. Not an easy task. The people rejected everything he said and did and great personal expense. It almost cost him his life. What do you do when life seems unfair? The Bible helps by teaching us how to lament. However we don't just complain about what is happening, we learn to trust God through it all. Jeremiah s...

Have you ever considered how recognizing your flaws can actually be the first step to greater personal growth? As we continue our series ‘Faithful & Flawed’ we will look at how in a world consumed with self-promotion and the pursuit of personal glory that Jesus offered a different way. We will look at the example of James and John, brothers that were very close with Jesus yet they had a bad bl...

This week we kick off our summer series' Faithful and Flawed' . This is a series that explores the lives of biblical characters, highlighting their unwavering faith and relatable human flaws. We begin with a lesser-known figure in the Bible, and how his actions and character qualities serve as an inspiration and example for how we too can make a difference... in simple and unexpected ways.

This Sunday we are celebrating baptism. One of the questions we ask is 'what difference does Jesus make in your life?' Join us to hear the answers. As part of it, Joel felt it only fair that he too share his response to this question. But what about you? How would you answer?

Followers of Jesus are called to be “set apart” and live differently than the majority, while at the same time being graceful and active in the lives of others; being “all things to all people.” Is there a line to be drawn here? Is one side of the coin more important than the other? This week we take a look at how the Holy Spirit empowers us to break down barriers and come together to accomplish g...