Forward Church Kitchener Sermons

In Revelation 4–5, John is given a glimpse into the throne room of heaven where all creation gathers around the throne in endless worship of God and the Lamb. These chapters pull back the curtain on ultimate reality and remind us that worship is not fundamentally about us, our preferences, or our emotions. Worship begins with seeing God rightly. In this section of scripture we are given three reas...

John tells Jesus that the disciples attempted to stop someone from casting out demons because he was not part of their group. Jesus corrects their narrow thinking, reminding them that the Kingdom of God extends beyond their immediate community. Rather than guarding their position or protecting their influence, the disciples are called to recognize and celebrate the work of God wherever it appears....

As the disciples argue about which of them is the greatest, Jesus responds by placing a child beside Him. In the ancient world, children possessed little social status or influence. By pointing to a child, Jesus overturns the disciples’ assumptions about leadership and importance. In the Kingdom of God, greatness is measured not by power or recognition but by humility and service. Jesus shapes His...

While the crowds marvel at His power, Jesus once again predicts His coming suffering and death. The disciples hear the words but fail to grasp their meaning. The idea of a suffering Messiah clashes with everything they expect about God’s plan. Yet this difficult truth lies at the center of Jesus’ mission. Sometimes the truths that shape us most deeply are the ones we initially resist or misunderst...

Descending from the mountain, Jesus encounters a desperate father whose son is tormented by a powerful demon. The disciples had attempted to cast it out but were unable. Jesus rebukes both the spirit and the unbelief surrounding Him before restoring the boy. The scene reveals both the authority of Christ and the limitations of His followers. Jesus often shapes His disciples not through their succe...

On a mountain, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. His appearance changes as His divine glory is revealed, and Moses and Elijah appear alongside Him speaking about His coming departure in Jerusalem. The voice of the Father declares Jesus to be His chosen Son and commands the disciples to listen to Him. This extraordinary moment reveals that Jesus stands at the center of God’s rede...

Immediately after Peter’s confession, Jesus reveals a startling truth: the Messiah must suffer, be rejected, and be killed before being raised again. This revelation overturns the disciples’ expectations of a triumphant political deliverer. Jesus then extends the challenge to all who would follow Him, calling them to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. In doing so, Jesus be...

In a moment of quiet reflection, Jesus asks His disciples what people are saying about Him. After recounting the various opinions circulating among the crowds, Jesus presses them further: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ marks a pivotal moment in Luke’s Gospel. The disciples are beginning to understand Jesus’ identity, yet they still have much to learn ab...

When thousands gather to hear Jesus, the disciples quickly recognize the impossibility of feeding such a large crowd. Their instinct is to send the people away. Instead, Jesus invites them to bring Him the small amount of food they possess. Through the miracle that follows, Jesus multiplies what they offer and feeds the crowd abundantly. The disciples learn that the Kingdom of God does not depend...

As news of Jesus spreads, people attempt to explain who He might be. Some say John the Baptist returned from the dead, others Elijah, and still others a prophet from long ago. Herod himself is perplexed and curious. Luke shows us a world full of speculation about Jesus but lacking clarity. This passage reminds us that curiosity and conversation about Jesus are not the same as genuine faith. Every...

Jesus gives the twelve disciples authority over demons and diseases and sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God. For the first time, the disciples step into the ministry they have been watching Jesus perform. Yet Jesus intentionally sends them out with minimal provisions, forcing them to depend on God rather than their own resources. In doing so, He begins shaping them into people who trust...

This message highlights how the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus’ death and resurrection. The prophecy shows that the Messiah would suffer, die, and yet ultimately live to see the fruit of His sacrifice. Easter proclaims that Jesus is not only the suffering servant, but the risen and victorious Saviour God promised long ago.

This sermon aims to show how Adam functions as a representative head of humanity and how his failure sets a pattern repeated throughout the Old Testament. Jesus is revealed as the “better Adam” who succeeds where Adam—and all who followed him—failed, bringing life where sin brought death. The aim is to show that from the very beginning, the story was moving toward a new and faithful representative...

For the opening message of this series, we’re aiming to establish Jesus’ own claim that the entire Old Testament ultimately testifies about Him. The goal is to reframe how we read Scripture—not as disconnected moral stories, but as one unified story that finds its meaning and fulfillment in Jesus. This sermon sets the theological and interpretive foundation for everything that will follow in this...

Jairus and the bleeding woman approach Jesus from positions of desperation, one publicly pleading, the other secretly reaching. Jesus responds to both with compassion and power. Even when delays seem to jeopardize hope, Jesus brings healing and resurrection. This passage invites us to bring our desperate needs to Jesus, trusting that His timing and power are always sufficient.

Jesus confronts a man possessed by a legion of demons, demonstrating absolute authority as the demons beg for permission to act. He restores the man to dignity, sanity, and community, commissioning him to proclaim what God has done. This passage calls us to trust Jesus as the One who delivers from even the darkest spiritual bondage and sends us out as witnesses to His power.

Jesus’ authority over the storm reveals both His divine power and the disciples’ fragile faith. The crisis exposes what they trust and what they fear. This passage invites us to bring our fear to the One who rules over every storm we face.

Jesus expands the definition of family to include all who hear and obey God’s Word. His statement reorients our primary loyalties and invites us into a new spiritual community. This passage calls us to embrace our identity as God’s people and to live that out through obedience and belonging.

Jesus’ Word exposes the reality of our hearts and calls us to hear Him with obedience. Overview: Jesus’ parables expose the hidden realities within each listener, showing that the problem isn’t the seed but the soil. Hearing God’s Word is not the same as receiving it and receiving it is not the same as obeying it. This message invites people to honestly examine how they are responding to Jesus’ vo...

As Jesus travels from town to town proclaiming the Kingdom, He is accompanied not only by the Twelve but also by women whom He has healed and restored. These women financially support His ministry, demonstrating their full inclusion as disciples in a culture that routinely marginalized them. This passage calls us to value and elevate those whom society overlooks, recognizing that Jesus builds His...

In Simon the Pharisee’s home, Jesus contrasts the self-righteous coldness of a religious leader with the humble, love-filled response of a forgiven woman. Jesus exposes Simon’s lack of hospitality and declares the woman’s sins forgiven, revealing His divine authority to pardon. This passage invites us to abandon pride, receive Jesus’ grace, and respond with the kind of love that only forgiveness c...

John the Baptist’s doubts lead him to send messengers to Jesus, prompting Jesus to point to His works as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies about the Messiah. Jesus affirms John’s role while exposing the hard-heartedness of a generation that rejects both John’s call to repentance and His own offer of grace. This passage calls us to anchor our expectations in Scripture and embrace Jesus as the...

As Jesus approaches the town of Nain, He encounters a funeral procession and is moved with compassion for a grieving mother. Without being asked, He commands the dead son to rise, revealing His authority over death itself. This passage invites us to trust that Jesus sees our pain and has the power to meet us in places of deep loss and hopelessness. That with Jesus even death doesn’t get the final...

When Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant, his peace is shattered. Confusion, hurt, and fear could have driven him away, instead he listens to the words of God and chooses to trust. He’s able to move forward because he trusts the promises of God over his feelings and despite his circumstances.

Waiting in Hope (Simeon)