The Gathering Windsor Podcast

This is our first message in our Easter series about the glory of God.  Looking at Matthew 21, Pastor Phil explains how Palm Sunday foreshadowed the true glory of Jesus Christ.

  We must give ourselves to God!  The theme of Nehemiah all the way from 11:1 to 12:26 is that we offer ourselves for God’s mission in response to God’s mercy. Starting in Neh 12:27, we witness the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem at which the people give their praise and their gifts to God.  

The walls of Jerusalem are complete.  Now it was time to repopulate the city.  Many of the Jews willingly offered to move into Jerusalem.  Nehemiah 11 offers a picture of the people of God responding to the mercy of God by offering their lives for the mission of God.

Nehemiah 8 ends with the people of God savoring spiritual revival with a special day of fasting and prayer and dedication to God. Chapters 9 and 10 are all about preserving this renewal among the people of God and fanning the flames of revival.

Now that the city walls had been rebuilt, it was time for Israel to rebuild their relationship with God.  Ezra came to read and teach the Scriptures and a spiritual revival began!

  Nehemiah didn’t listen to the lies of his enemies Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. He was smarter than that!  Yet, Satan used four strategies in attacking him; strategies that he still uses against us today.  

  Personal integrity in the life of a leader is indispensable. If we are going to lead well in our respective spheres of influence, we need to lead with integrity, and Nehemiah provides a good example for us.  

Communion is a sacred celebration that the church has practiced for over two thousand years. When we celebrate communion, we remember and proclaim that in Jesus, we are secure in God’s family because of God’s grace and covenant promises.

Nehemiah 4 ended on a note of great victory: In spite of all the opposition, the people of God were doing the work of God.  Our God will fight for us! is what they declared. But in this section of Nehemiah 5, the rebuilding effort grinds to a halt because of conflict and disunity within the community of faith.

Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the wall.  The opposition plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and against Nehemiah and to cause confusion.  How are you supposed to respond to that kind of opposition in your life?

The king who had forcibly removed Nehemiah and his people from Jerusalem years before was now willing to send him back with letters of safe-conduct, army officers and soldiers for protection! What a change of heart, and Nehemiah was ready!

What do you do when you’re up against the wall? You have nowhere to turn. No one to help you. You’re facing unbearable, impossible circumstances and there’s no one to talk to. What do you do? Perhaps you sit at the feet of Nehemiah and learn from him.

As we come to the end of 2020 and prepare to step into a New Year, let’s recover, or reclaim the wisdom that comes from heaven.

Christmastime is a good time to rebuild and renew relationships that have been damaged by a broken world and by the brokenness in our lives.

Wouldn't it be great if every spouse or friend or parent or child came with self-correcting technology? But the human race isn't self-correcting. In fact, we're self-destructing, and we need to find forgiveness and someone to rescue us from this.  

No more coasting! Christmastime is a perfect time to renew or refresh your faith by the grace of God that he readily makes available through the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Phil concludes the series by looking at one of the most famous, "Life Verses" Jeremiah 29:11.  As we look at this verse in context, we will see how it encourages us to endure present difficulties as we follow Jesus and look towards the glorious future that we have in him.

Pastor Jay continues our series on, "Life Verses."  He draws our attention to Galatians 6:14, which was the life verse of famed preacher, Billy Graham.

Pastor Phil begins a new series looking at some beloved verses of Scripture.  The first installment highlights one of Charles Spurgeon's favourite verses, Isaiah 45:22.  This verse shows that there is only one path to eternal salvation and it is found in Jesus Christ.

And as we pursue faithfulness to God in our own lives, we can rest in the grace of Jesus, remember his perfect faithfulness, and rely on his strength so we can stand firm to the end.

As disciples of Jesus Christ and as a church that bears his name, we must preach and teach and share the Word wherever we go.  In our homes, our schools, and in our circles of influence, we need to share the truth wherever and whenever we can!  

The world will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. That’s what the Bible says, and that’s the reason why it’s critical for us to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed….”  

Children love to imitate their heroes. Superman! Taylor Swift! Auston Matthews! But this practice is not restricted to children, and we have all observed the power of an example – good and bad.  In 2 Tim 3 the Apostle Paul talks about godly and ungodly examples. 

Adding to the solder, athlete, and farmer illustrations from the preceding verses, the Apostle Paul introduces three more word pictures to describe the important work of teaching God’s Word.

Guarding the gospel is not for the faint of heart, and words of encouragement along the way will surely help.  In our passage today, Paul presents four words of encouragement that were written for us!