The Gathering Windsor Podcast

Why would Paul pick the church in Rome, a church that after 25 years of ministry, he had never been to, for support in the advance of the gospel ministry into western Europe? Great Commission churches – churches that care about the gospel, prayerfully strive to develop godly qualities – qualities that make them places to be to the advance of the gospel.

Every believer needs to balance their Christian liberty with Christlike love. We need to balance diversity and unity. How do we do that?  Join us for this message as we learn how to walk the diversity-unity tightrope with four balanced phrases in mind.

  We are celebrating seven wonderful, glorious, grace-filled years of church planting here at The Gathering Church in Windsor, Ontario.  We planted the church in 2014 and God has been so good.  

The church in Rome was fighting over matters of opinion and experiencing division.   They struggled to agree to disagree.  What do we do when we disagree with other Christians?  Pastor Phil explains that people who have been changed by the gospel strive to love others even in the gray areas.

 Despite the many kinds of people in the world, God calls His people to strive to love them. This week in our study of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we’ll find out how to love others. 

With this single sentence our Lord established the validity of human government, while at the same time setting its limits: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. Romans 13:1-7, then, is Paul’s exposition of Jesus’ remarkable saying. Paul tells us how the citizens of Heaven are supposed to relate to human government.  He tells us how we can b...

 Much more than body type goes into becoming an elite athlete. But performance psychologists who work with Olympians of all sizes tell us that some physical characteristics can provide an edge in one sport or another. Yet, one writer is confident that every body has Olympic qualities. Paul continues to show us that if our lives have been transformed by the gospel, we should be shaped by it. The go...

Now that Christians have been transformed by the grace of God, they must learn to live for what truly matters according to God.  Pastor Phil walks through Romans 12:9-13 and explains that Christians should be defined by love, perseverance, and generosity.

 Today we begin a new series in the book of Romans with the first message covering Romans 12:1-8. Chapter 12 begins the “so what?” – the application of 11 chapters of theology – the working out of all the doctrines Paul presented to us in Romans 1-11. In chapter 12 Paul begins to balance the vertical with the horizontal, the doctrinal with the relational. 

 What do you need when something or someone punctures your fragile dam and threatens to bring you down? Or when your life is engulfed with pain and confusion? You need a shelter.  You need a refuge. A listener.  Someone who understands you. 

  Psalm 71 was written by a man who wanted to finish well, a man who realized that old age presents its own special dangers and unique demands even in the life of a Bible-believing, born again Christian. The writer also shares wonderful encouragement for everyone who is growing old. 

 The road which leads to the blessing of forgiveness is often paved with predictable encounters of the human soul. Psalm 32 helps us to see clearly why only those who have been forgiven by God can be truly happy and blessed. 

David helps faithful followers of Jesus to see that it’s better to stay loyal to Jesus than to chase the riches and success of the world. There will always be people who have more than us!  Let’s remember:  God is in control.  He will not forsake his saints. The Lord can be trusted above all else!

 Psalm 78 is a psalm of Israel’s history.  It reveals how God patiently persevered with his people, even when they disbelieved and spurned him. Psalm 78 is also a psalm of urgency.  It confronts us with the absolute necessity of reaching the next generation for God and for the gospel, and we must heed its teaching. 

Truth Matters. “Wikiality” is a poor reality, especially when we’re searching for answers about how to live the Spirit-filled, fruit producing, Jesus-only life that cost God his only Son. Amputating any false doctrine from gaining any further ground is not only the only option, but it is a matter of urgent action. Because the truth matters, Christians must make some important choices.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” If we live by the Spirit, then we will walk in line behind him as He leads us.  That’s what it means!  Today we’ll talk about walking in line with the Spirit of God and bearing much fruit for the glory of God.

 These final three verses (Gal. 5:24-26) are crucial in our study of the fruit of the Spirit because they explain what we, like the Galatians, are called to do to cultivate growth in our lives and in each other. Our spiritual DNA determines the production of fruit, but that doesn’t mean that we are passive. When we decide to cultivate a life that encourages spiritual growth, it can make the kind o...

As we come to the end of the list of the fruit of the Spirit, it is crucial for us to stay engaged.  We must know what all of the fruit of the Spirit looks like, including gentleness and self-control.

The Holy Spirit produces His fruit in Christians.  What is that fruit and what does it look like?  Pastor Phil explains what true patience and kindness look like and how those qualities can develop in our lives.

  Today we are carefully removing two slices of that one fruit of the Spirit and examining joy and peace. Does your joy and peace look like the biblical description? When we take joy and peace and match that with what our current understanding, it’s very possible that you’ll come to see joy and peace might not be what it should be. 

Christ has set us free.  We stand in that freedom by living by the Spirit.  We live by the Spirit by saying yes to him and saying no to sin.  As we learn to live by the Spirit, we will grow in love.  

What was so inconceivable to think, was soon embraced in the Galatian church– that acceptance by God was no longer all about Jesus but needed something added to. What happened to them and why? Could it also happen to us?

  Nehemiah leaves Jerusalem for a while, and while the cat’s away the mice will play.  When he returns, he discovers four giant problems that he quickly addresses in his final reforms.  

  Nothing reveals the nature, character, and glory of God quite like the resurrection of Jesus Christ because it puts the infinite power of God on display for the world to see.