St. Pete's on Repeat

A parent’s definition of “clean” often is very different than a child’s definition of “clean.” Just ask them to wash their hands before dinner and you'll know what I mean. The same is true for you and your Heavenly Father. You may have one idea of cleanliness. God's standard is invariably higher. And yet, so is his grace. Listen to this week's sermon to hear how dirty hearts come clean before God.

Sometimes it can feel inconvenient to set aside time to be with Jesus. You’re too busy. You’ll have more time later in the day or later in your life to figure it out. But when Jesus interrupts your routine and intercedes for you, you’ll find that not only was it at just the right time for him to help you, but also just the right time for you to glorify him.

If you were laid up in the hospital and someone asked you, “Why do you want to get better?” how would you answer? "I want to be healed so that I can live without pain again, so that I can go hiking, so that I can enjoy travel, etc…" Those things are nice, but as Christians who recognize where our health and healing come from we understand that God has a better answer for us. Listen to this week's...

Aren't homegrown vegetables simply better than the ones you buy at the grocery store or even the farmer's market? Somehow they're sweeter, juicier, generally more delicious. You get a sense of satisfaction from reaping the rewards of your hard work. The Apostle Paul said something similar about our spiritual lives - you reap what you sow. If you try to please your sinful nature, you will reap dest...

Can you imagine pledging money to Poilievre’s campaign but voting for Trudeau? How about rooting for the Oilers at Roger’s Place in the battle of Alberta while wearing a Flame’s jersey? The two things don’t go together! You'd be a two-faced, double-minded hypocrite! But here's the thing, while we can come up with all kinds of historical or hypothetical examples of hypocrisy, it’s not always as eas...

Have you been to the Grand Canyon? Was it worth it? Do pictures of it do it justice? In most cases (at least for those who answered "Yes" to the first two questions), the answer to the third question is almost always "No." There are some things that just defy description. There are some sights that can only be seen, not shared (unless you were there). This was true - and not - in Isaiah's case whe...

How did you feel when you took the training wheels off your bike? That's probably how the disciples felt when Jesus ascended into heaven - a mixture of excitement and terror, feeling empowered and anxious all at the same time. But you don't have to be afraid or anxious, because even though Jesus ascended into heaven, he has given us gifts from there to equip us to carry on his work here on earth....

What do John, Paul, Ringo, and George have in common with Taylor? Both the Beetles and Taylor Swift have precisely 11 songs with the word "Love" in its title. Love is beautiful. Love is inspiring. You ask some people and love is the reason for living. If 11 song titles with "Love" in them is a lot, what does that say about this portion of God's Word that uses that same word 20 times in 8 short ver...

Have you ever played the role of bandwagon fan? You don't pay attention to your team until the playoffs, and then you dust off your jersey and Google relevant storylines so you can be part of the fun? I wouldn't fault you for that. You can be whatever kind of hockey fan you want to be. But are you ever tempted to treat your Christian faith and life that way? To "wear Jesus' jersey" but not actuall...

What fun scenarios can you come up with using the word "if"? "If you were stranded on a desert island..." "If you won the lottery..." "If" can be a fun word to paint a pretty picture. It can also serve as a mirror to show us the less pleasant parts of ourselves. John uses it both ways in his first letter. Listen to this week's sermon to hear both the pretty and not-so-pretty realities of our relat...

How would you respond to someone ridiculing Christianity for crazy claims like a carpenter being God or a dead man coming to life? Would you respond with joy? The Apostle John did. In his first letter, John addresses false notions about Jesus (and the ridicule of those who follow him) by speaking to the joy that is ours from the fellowship that we enjoy with God and each other. Listen to this week...

"Poor Christians!" "Poor Christians!" Christianity in Canada has declined by 25% in the last 20 years. In a recent poll, "Evangelical Christianity" was the only religion seen as being more damaging than beneficial by every other religious group. Our non-Christian neighbours are more like to describe us as misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic than generous, friendly, and caring. "Poor Christia...

What is truth? You don't have to be a philosopher to know the importance of the truth. Just ask the toddler with chocolate on his face to tell the truth and see what he does. Every time you turn on the news, you're confronted with that same question: What is truth? Pontius Pilate asked the same question of Jesus while Jesus was on trial for his life. Whether he really wanted to know the answer or...

No one who put Jesus on trial understood him. Some of them didn't want to. Some didn't care. Some tried, but didn't like what they saw. What about you? Do you consider Jesus your enemy, an inconvenience or your personal, divine vending machine? Listen to this week's sermon to learn the truth about Jesus, which is infinitely better than the misconceptions we often have of him.

On Maundy Thursday, Peter was afraid to be associated with Jesus. He denied even knowing him, not once but three times, not casually but calling down curses on himself. Are you similarly afraid of being associated with Jesus? Have you looked for excuses for your faith, or for a way to change the subject so that you don't have to talk about it? It's time to put that fear to rest. Listen to this wee...

How do you react when you feel wronged? Apart from feeling your body temperature and blood pressure rise, what do you do? Do you lash out? Do you plot revenge? What did Jesus do? In the Garden of Gethsemane he exercised restraint, which not only set an example for us to follow, but started him on his path to provide us forgiveness and salvation. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about res...

Do you ever wonder why life can be such a struggle? Do you ever wonder why your problems don't just go away even though you go to church and pray? Wake up and realize what you're up against! The devil is a fearsome enemy! But dear Christian, take heart. The devil may be a roaring lion - or a serpent or a dragon - but Jesus is the one who was born to crush his head and give you the strength to resi...

Have you ever wondered why there are so many examples of demon possession in the Bible, but you hear so little about it today? What if it's just because the devil and his demons don't need to physically possess a person to gain mastery over their heart? Listen to this week's sermon to hear about the danger that the devil and his demons pose to believers, but also how Jesus gives us every reason no...

Which version of Jonah can you relate with more - the one that ran away at the thought of sharing the gospel with other people, or the one that walked straight into hostile territory to preach an unpopular message? We've all probably had more experience with the former than the latter. But here's the good news: there's grace for the one, and power for the other. Listen to this week's sermon to lea...

Knowledge is power. Knowing how quickly you can get frostbite or hypothermia in -40 degree weather can save you a trip to the hospital. Knowing what baptism is and does for you can save you for all eternity and empower you to live an entirely new life on earth. Listen to this week's sermon to learn more about the power of baptism.

How soon is "soon"? It depends on what you're talking about and who you're talking to. For the three year old in the back seat on the way to Grandma's house for Christmas, even 5 minutes is not soon enough. For Christians waiting for Jesus to return though? Is 2,000 years "soon"? Yes and no. On the one hand, it can be a terrifying prospect thinking that we have to get our lives in order before he...

Coventry Cathedral is a beautiful picture of saints in waiting. It was bombed by the Nazis in the 1940s, but instead of tearing it down completely and starting all over, they built the new cathedral next to it with a large glass wall facing it with windows full of etched images of saints and angels praising God in heaven. Now, you can't see the rubble, unless you look through these biblical promis...

If you were faced with the option of skipping prayer for a month or being tossed into a pit with a pride of hungry lions, which would you choose? The answer seems obvious - I could go without prayer for just a month. I'll just pick it up again when that month is over. That wasn't Daniel's choice, though, and his steadfast faith serves not only as an inspiration but also as an education in what lio...

Have you ever wondered about the reliability of the Bible? How can we trust that what we have today is what was written 2,000 years ago? There are many answers to that question, but this parable from Jesus gives us a good one - whatever changes have been made, don't change the meaning of the passage in the slightest. And this week, that meaning is that no matter what kind of sinner you are, God sh...

There are certain moments and events that become available in a person’s life that you’d have to be crazy to miss. In Jesus' parable, he shares an incredible invitation that is frequently rejected, but freely given. The question is, will you accept it? Or will you be doomed to repeat history because you refuse to learn from it?