Pearls From Peace

Members are going to be asking me if it’s okay to use marijuana now that the government has made it legal. What should I say? So I did a bunch of reading and I’m going to answer the question “Can a Christian use medicinal marijuana in good conscience?” and later “Can a Christian use recreational marijuana in good conscience?”

Jesus tells us “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”. Free from what? Sin that enslaves us and comes to us in the form of lies. Oh how important it is to combat the misbeliefs and lies that we so often hold on to with the truth from God’s Word! This frees us to live the life God wants for us.

This past weekend at the youth retreat we talked about who we are; what defines us; who we are called to be; what prevents us from being who we are called to be; and how can we live as God has called us to live. We share with you those questions and answers as we look deeper in God's Word.

What’s wrong with being rich? Nothing…..unless, of course, it keeps you from God’s will for your life, which is loving your neighbour and spending eternity in heaven with God. Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter when a rich young ruler ask Him about entrance into heaven. What you do with your wealth says a lot about who you are.

Jesus welcomes children. In the Gospel reading, He takes them in His arms, lays hands on them, and blesses them. Does He still do that for us today? - Pastor Glenn

I don’t want to cause little ones to sin, do you? Of course not. But we can, and we do. Jesus teaches us how we should deal with sin in our own life, and thus model that to our children.

We live in a complicated world and we also make things more complicated than they need to be. Maybe we can find some simplicities of our faith.

Right after the Transfiguration Jesus casts a demon out of a boy. Why? Because no one else could. The religious leaders couldn’t, the disciples couldn’t, the faithless generation couldn’t. This story reminds us the value of our children and the need to bring them to Jesus, their only Saviour. Pray for our children.

The phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" means that we judge things based on outward appearances. When we look at God's Word, we're not talking about judging books, we're talking about judging people. People with their own stories. We are called not to judge those people, but rather to love them, because we have first been loved by God.

Sometimes when really bad things happen, or they happen all at once, we look up and say “Where are you God?” But really we need to factor in something else, the possibility of the devil. St. Paul warns us in Ephesians 6 that our struggle is not against people, but against the schemes of the devil. We are fighting a spiritual battle, and it’s a doozy. But we don’t fight alone. In Christ we have vic...

Proverbs are wise sayings with advice on how to live your life. Traditions are the things people do to help people live their life, and remind them how those before them lived. In the end, what matters more, actions or words?

When faced with teachings that are hard to understand or believe, we either walk away like so many, or follow the One who has the words, and teachings, of eternal life. Pastor Glenn

Jesus, the bread of life, comes to give us eternal life.

Jesus, the bread of life, comes to us so that we will find satisfaction and fulfillment in Him.

Jesus feeds over 5000 people with five loves of bread and two fish. What a miracle! Just a few hours later the disciples fear for their lives in a boat in the middle of the lake in the middle of a storm. The Gospel of Mark chapter 6 says “they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened.” If the disciples have a hard time believing the promises of God, how much harder will it b...

As Jesus feeds 5,000 men, women and children not included, with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, we can ask ourselves whether or not He still works miracles in our life. - Pastor Glenn

A plumb line measures whether or not something is built straight and true. When we discuss living our lives on the right, true, straight path, we take a look at God's Word to see who holds our plumb line. - Pastor Glenn

God calls us to be His witnesses. He doesn’t ask us, He tells us, and then He empowers us with His Holy Spirit to witness in the circumstances He has placed us in, and to the people He has placed in our lives. He doesn’t ask us to ‘close the deal’, just to invite people to meet Jesus.

When Jesus lays His hands on the daughter of Jairus she is healed. Fascinating story. When Jesus gets a hold of a life, that life is transformed. The laying on of hands has been part of the Christianity throughout the ages as a symbol of God’s love.

As we look at Jesus calming the storm, we see that Jesus, through His death and resurrection, comes to bring peace before, in, and after the storms in our life.

The devil wants you fathers, but God wants you more. You have a very important job to do for Him. God wants you to guard, gird, and guide your family, and to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. - Mark 4:26-34

The way the world is, is not the way the world should be. Some thing has gone terribly wrong. Sin has infected everything. But we have a good good Father who pursues us and saves us. Genesis 3

In addressing the Pharisees who follow the rules of the Sabbath Day, and the issues they have with Him not following them, Jesus tells them that the Sabbath was made for man, and that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Mark 2:28-3:6

When life doesn’t add up, when we can’t make sense of things, what we believe, teach, and confess about the Trinity, the person and work of God, can help us makes sense of things and help us to witness to others about God.

We will be persecuted because of the Bible. Jesus said so. He also said He will protect us. How? We learn an important lesson from the early church. Acts 4