Messages

Having given His life on the cross and then risen from the dead, Jesus rallied His newly inspired followers around a brand new vision for life on earth. It was a vision defined by all-consuming, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. He commissioned this fledgling community to change the world, even predicting that the impact of their love would exceed His own. It's hard to imagine how this could p...

His message was misunderstood; His miracles were forgotten. He was rejected, betrayed, and abandoned, and was ultimately executed as a common criminal. But what happened next changed everything! The resurrection was His greatest miracle and is the defining moment in all of history. It is also what separates Christianity from every religion, philosophy, and way of life. But what do the events of th...

"This is the last time... I promise!" The heart-felt but hollow words of a person who has messed up again. It's easy to write each other off, especially when we make the same mistakes over and over again. So, what happens to God's love for us when we constantly disregard, disrespect, and disappoint Him? How can we be sure He still loves us after all we've done?

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you love the image staring back at you, or do you only see all the flaws and shortcomings? When we focus on our errors and imperfections, it's hard to see how anyone could love us... especially God. But what does He see when He looks at us? Are we His biggest mistake, or His greatest masterpiece?

It's a classic movie scene: the plane is going down, and as a last resort, the otherwise agnostic character suddenly prays to God for help. What is it about being in trouble that turns our attention to prayer? And does God actually tune in to hear these distress calls? What if we were aware of the darkness and desperation all around us? Would we turn to prayer and find deliverance?

The "Jesus Prayer" is one of the most commonly recited prayers around the world. It simply asks, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." For many of us, the most natural thing to ask God for in prayer is forgiveness. We've all made mistakes; we all need a second chance. But is there a way to ensure that God will show us mercy? How can we guarantee that our sins will be forgive...

Have you ever secretly prayed to win the lottery, get a promotion, or have your favourite sports team win? When we pray, the Bible tells us, "ask and it shall be given." So why don't we always get what we ask for? Why is my wish list still unfulfilled? Is there some secret to getting what you want from God? How do we get our requests to the top of God's "to do" list?

We often view prayer as a way of persuading God to act on our behalf, to see things from our perspective, solve our problems, and steer our circumstances. It's almost as if we treat prayer like it's God's suggestion box. But does God ever really change His plans because of our prayers? Can we actually influence His decisions? Is prayer about convincing God to advance our agenda, or does it have a...

It's natural to want to make a name for yourself. Our name represents who we are, our reputation, our character, and status. For instance, God is called by many names: Jesus, the Almighty, the Lord, and the Man Upstairs, just to name a few. But does it matter how we refer to him? Or her? Or it? Does God have a preference? And why should we care about God's name anyway?

What would it look like if nobody was lonely? What would it be like if everyone in our neighbourhoods, schools, sports teams, families, and churches felt like they belonged and had friends who really care for them? What would it feel like if each person who came to Southridge was included into a community of meaningful and authentic relationships? And what if God is inviting each of us to be part...

In our relationships, the opportunity to invest in the life of a child is so important. The job of parents is to provide for physical, mental, and emotional needs, but making a positive spiritual influence in the life of a child is the job of the church, right? Or is it? What if there's a way for the church and the family to work together to fight for the spiritual future of the next generation?

Some of us feel like the job of inviting and including people into our social circle is best left to someone else: the extravert, the people person, or the leader-type. But what if God has a very distinct purpose for each one of us as part of His plan to include outsiders? What if God actually needs you to play a specific role in inviting others into His way of life? What if we could finally see o...

There are many things that get in the way of including people in our lives. If we're honest, we all have a tendency to make judgments on the people around us, and these judgments often lead to excuses of why we're better off keeping certain people at a distance. But what if we saw people the way God does? What if we saw people the way Jesus looks at us? That might change everything about who and h...

The heart of God pursues us, invites us, and includes us in an incredible way of life; a life of freedom, abundance, and purpose. In fact, God won't stop at anything to include us in His plan and His purpose for the world. And God's greatest invitation might just be for us to imitate and reflect His heart for inclusion to those around us. So what would it look like if we could embrace the heart of...

We live like no one ever has. We have so much at our fingertips: so much food, entertainment, technology, information, and choice. So much of everything. It's hard to resist the impulse to overindulge. And when we see people intentionally going without, they tend to stand out. We admire those who live without a cell phone, without TV, without two cars, without... And when it's done for reasons of...

It's better to give than to receive, especially when other people notice, isn't it? Whether it's the name on a new building, a plaque on the wall, a "thank you" in a speech, or a paper heart at the checkout line, we all appreciate being recognized for making a donation or supporting a cause. It's nice to have those efforts rewarded, to feel like what you gave mattered. But what if there's a greate...

It's better to give than to receive, especially when other people notice, isn't it? Whether it's the name on a new building, a plaque on the wall, a "thank you" in a speech, or a paper heart at the checkout line, we all appreciate being recognized for making a donation or supporting a cause. It's nice to have those efforts rewarded, to feel like what you gave mattered. But what if there's a greate...

The Christmas season is full of traditions. From trimming the tree to putting up lights, from carolling with neighbours to attending the office party, from baking ginger bread to re-gifting fruitcake, the holiday season has no shortage of memorable and repeatable festivities. But what's the point of all these traditions? Where do they come from and what do they mean? Is it possible that in the mid...

At some level, everybody has an "us" and "them" reality. There are people who are "for" me, that have my back and are in my corner, and there are people who are "against" me. Maybe it's a feuding family member. Maybe an ex who lives to see you suffer. Maybe a boss or a teacher who, for some reason, has your number. Or maybe a friend who has disowned you. So what do we do with the "them's" of our w...

Have you ever been hurt by someone so badly that you just had to have revenge? Because of the way you were treated, the only restitution was to get back at them in the same way. Sometimes this seems right, just, and fair, doesn't it? But is this really the best way to respond? Is getting revenge actually a better way to live? How does Jesus expect us to react when we're mistreated?

Are you an honest person? I think most of us would say we are. But what if truth telling isn't as common as we'd like to think? One study suggests that the average person lies once every three minutes! If that's the case, why are we compelled to avoid the truth? Why do we fudge the facts even when we have little to gain and much to lose? What does Jesus have to say about telling the truth?

Despite the feeling we get from the average romantic comedy, falling in love is hard. But staying in love is an accomplishment of epic proportions. Anyone who's been in love, is in love, wants to be in love or has seen someone in love knows it's true. And you've watched some relationships beat the odds while others haven't. So what does it take to overcome the odds? What does Jesus say about livin...

"Sex sells." In our day, that phrase is less of a marketing truism, and more of a philosophy of life. It's what it means to live in the Western world. We're a sexual culture, on the big screen and on little screens, in novels and video games, in print, online, in ads, and music videos. So what is all this "sex" doing to our hearts? What does it mean to follow Jesus with our sex lives?

Many of us live with tension-filled relationships. Someone has hurt you and the wound festers. Someone has misunderstood you and nurses a grudge. Or you've accidentally hurt someone and their anger is simmering just beneath the surface. But in all this tension, you've never lashed out. Instead, you've done your best to keep it all inside. This is what Jesus wants, right? Or is it? Let's get to the...

Imagine the most religious person you know, someone you look up to because of how good and devout they are. What is it about them that you admire? Maybe it's their vast knowledge of the Bible or their eloquent prayers. Maybe it's their perfect marriage or perfect kids. Or maybe they just seem perfect in every way. Now what if Jesus said, that in order to please him, you have to be even better than...