Living Stones Church, Red Deer, Alberta

John 15:26 - John 16:33 One of the most painful experiences in life is the loss of someone we love and trust, and we have come to depend upon. A child loses their parents or a young person loses a key mentor in their life, it can create disorientation, fear, and apprehension about what tomorrow holds. The emotional pain is one thing, but the deeper question is how to survive moving forward in thei...

John 15  

Psalm 90:1-7

Exodus

The Wilderness? A Place to be Shaped in God's Image Exodus 15:1-2

John 15

What are the things that deeply trouble us as human beings? The things in life that we cannot control, reversals in relationships, difficult financial situations, poor health, uncertainty, and ultimately death are all great causes for distress and anxiety. We wonder what our earthly future will hold for us. Will we experience good or will evil come our way? Jesus now explains to His disciples that...

One of life's most painful experiences is being betrayed by someone close to you. It is a devastating experience. What is interesting is that Jesus knew all along that, given the right situation, Judas would betray him. So, why did Jesus keep Judas on as one of the twelve, knowing what he was doing and was about to do? A couple of things come to mind. First, Jesus is showing the depth of his conce...

Transitions in life are extremely painful but necessary for new chapters to begin. Jesus knows his time was at hand in the final week of his earthly life. He knew he was about to leave; therefore, in John chapters 13-17, he is preparing his disciples for his death and resurrection and their new role in God’s kingdom. Jesus knows there will be sorrow before joy will be restored. Jesus will be leavi...

Our response to every incident in our lives is a revelation of the true nature of our heart’s condition. So, how do we respond to crises when they come? Where do we find hope to sustain us in that time? We see that Jesus knowingly went to Jerusalem to face the greatest challenge to his life. So why did Jesus go to Jerusalem knowing this would lead to His death? What is the real significance of Jes...

In less than a week, Jesus would be crucified. He was returning to Jerusalem to become the paschal lamb that would take away the world's sins. Even though this action had not happened yet, Jesus’ self-giving extravagant love inspired devotion and a similar heart in the lives of others. One such person was Mary from Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jesus arrived in Bethany, the village ju...

John Series, John 11:1-40 Shattered dreams are difficult to handle. Tragedy and losses come in many faces: it can be an overwhelming health issue or a relational one. It can be huge financial reversals or the loss of a loved one to death. When tragedy strikes, life can quickly lose its luster and meaning. We can struggle with the desire to move forward because life, as we know it, will never be th...

John Series In management courses, a concept often raised is an awareness of something called, ‘cognitive bias.’ This is dealing with how we think about and perceive issues. This is true for the work environment and maybe even more critical in understanding how it affects personal relationships. So, what is cognitive bias? “While we believe that we receive information objectively, our brains uncon...

Pentecost Sunday

Ephesians 4:17-24

John 10:1-21 We often assume that the fullness of life that Jesus promised is without trials, tribulations, hostility, and opposition. However, we see that Jesus, who lived life to the fullest, experienced all these things but triumphed. How can we, like Jesus, overcome opposition and live an abundant life?

Mission Sunday Disappointment in God, Stress

John 9

One of the subtle ways in which we can be deceived is when we have been raised in a genuine Christian home environment and then assume that we are Christians because we have an intellectual acceptance of Christ and the Christian faith. Yet, it has never been internalized, nor has it been our life's motivating principle and passion. It is what Jesus told Nicodemus, a religious leader in his day, th...

The Feast of Tabernacles was designed to be a reminder of God's provisions and care for the nation during the wilderness wanderings. The pillar of fire by night and cloud by day guided them in their journey. The feast also pointed ahead to the new promised Messianic age. This is the context of Jesus' great declaration that 'He is the light of the world.' One of the aspects of the festival was the...

Easter Sunday On February 27 th , 1991, Ruth Dillow was at her home in Kansas when the phone rang. It was terrible news from the Pentagon. Her son, Private First-Class Clayton Carpenter, had stepped on a landmine in the Persian Gulf War and was dead. It was an awful, sickening reality to learn that her son would never come home again. Three days later, Ruth received another phone call. The voice o...

Good Friday

Matthew 21:1-11

Philippians 2 God created the church to shine like stars in the world. What does that mean, why and how are we to do it? Looking at chapter two of Philippians, we glean insights and learn that our attitude and ideas about the church will significantly enhance or impede our ability to shine like stars. God created us to shine, not just as individuals but at a corporate level, as a community. We mus...