The Olive Branch Markham • Audio Podcast

Today’s message: “The Holy Spirit is…" Today, we’re going to talk all about the Holy Spirit.  The problem of sin in us and in the world system is too deeply ingrained for us to change it ourselves. We can’t change our own hearts, and we have absolutely no access to anyone else’s heart – even those of our children. We’re called by Jesus to l ove God  with all we are and  love others  as ourselves....

Can I trust the Bible? Every major religion or faith/belief system has a set of Sacred Writings. For Christians, for Followers of Jesus, it’s the Bible — the Gospels, the letters of Paul, Peter, John and James and the other genuine accounts of God’s activity among humans. But... how trustworthy is all of that?

Today’s message: “Jesus is and was, Pt 2" Does it REALLY matter whether or not Jesus rose from the dead? The death and resurrection of Jesus has been poked, prodded, and pounded for 2000 years. Why? Because Jesus said that His resurrection would prove whether or not He had the authority to rearrange the future for billions of people. It means that life is not just up for grabs. Life has meani...

Was Jesus even a real person? This is the question we'll be wrestling with in this message. Most of us are good with him being the best moral teacher, but in these modern times, is it really possible to believe that he is God?

Is God really who He says He is?  The Bible paints a picture of a God who’s not distant, but deeply personal, loving, and involved in our lives. He’s the Creator, the Shepherd, the Healer—and He knows you better than you know yourself.  But in this modern day and age, is it possible to REALLY believe that? 

As we step into the New Year, many of us are focused on the future — setting goals and making plans. But have you stopped and honestly considered whether you've surrendered every part of your life to God? In our world, "belief" gets a bad rap... at least in some circles. There are people who believe that all truth claims are power moves. There are some people who think that sincerely believing som...

As we step into the New Year, many of us are focused on the future — setting goals and making plans. But have you stopped and honestly considered whether you've surrendered every part of your life to God?

There’s a reason for all the various shades of dark blue when it comes to Christmas — especially Christmas cards. A lot of the events happened in the dark. Jesus is born at night. The angels appear to the shepherds at night. The magi saw His Star in the East at night. Joseph has a dream at night where an angel warns him, "Get Mary and the baby out of here - NOW!" But that Christmas night in Bethle...

The strange thing is that God’s ALL IN was pretty much invisible the night it happened. All these broken pieces of the world were still broken, but things were starting to come together. The angels filled the night sky with their joy and amazement. The shepherds saw it; GOOD NEWS - GREAT JOY - FOR ALL PEOPLE! That means YOU. So... do you see it? Do you know it?

Sometimes people interpret the ALL IN on Christmas as being an over-the-top, year-round, Christmas Geek. A Super Elf. Extravagance that takes a year to pay off... but really? Turning Christmas into a competition for attention, love and admiration is a giant exercise in missing the point. God’s focus is NOT on searching a cosmos-wide catalogue to find gifts for people who have everything; His focus...

Mary couldn’t be half-in or even 90% ALL IN on Christmas. Being ALL IN on anything involves hard decisions. It’s a burn-the-ships decision. No turning back. Being ALL IN isn’t based on the emotion du jour... In fact, it means every thing else gets what's left over. What are you ALL IN for?

Christmas is a little like Christianity in our world; it gets encrusted with all kinds of stuff that really has nothing to do with the wonder of a simple breathtaking event. All the traditions and expectations that have grown out of Christmas are not exactly a gift to weary people—like it is intended to be! So... if you're tired already, maybe it's time we took the lid off Christmas, and see what'...

The people who are looking for love, true success, inner peace, acceptance, inclusion, a win, an end to the chaos in the world - are all looking for Jesus. But they don’t know where to find Him. And that’s the map Jesus gives us at the beginning of the most succinct, yet most powerful message ever given.

There are times in life that knot our stomachs and paralyze our ability to think. In those times, it takes all of our self restraint to NOT react. Jesus, the Prince of peace, wasn’t just a peace lover, He was a peaceMAKER. And that’s what shines through His life: His calm...when everyone else is scared to death.

There is a myth that shows up quite often among the followers of Jesus: once you receive Jesus your Saviour, that this means you'll never experience sickness, hardship and patterns of sinful behaviour in our lives.  And it’s simply NOT true — we still struggle! Where do we get this idea from? And how do we think about the struggles that we face now?

There is a dark side to what goes on in this world. Jesus often encountered these forces, and it was clear that they were no match for Him. We often think that we need to focus our energy being on our guard against these same forces... but Jesus' message was otherwise. He said, "Love your enemies. Pray for people who make your life miserable." It was unheard of in that culture. It was shocking and...

Did Jesus ask a dumb question? No, the Son of God would never ask a dumb question! So, why did ask this question: "Do you want to be healed?" We think the answer is obvious, but perhaps we need to dig a little deeper to understand that sometimes the answer we would answer is "no". 

We live in one of the most profound times of human history and Jesus’ mission to the lost is still OUR mission. And yet, we are tempted to live in a way that treats Jesus and His Church, His people, His mission as if it is really all about us, our convenience, our comfort and our welfare. Self-preoccupation is messy, sticky, and all-consuming… and we can get lost in it.

Thanksgiving Message • Every year we have a national holiday so everyone can have a day off to be thankful. But in a world like ours, with growing violence, fewer jobs and everything getting more expensive and uncertain why should we be thankful? How can we learn to be grateful despite everything that gives us cause to be otherwise?

The kindness of Jesus makes the lostness of telling lies and living lies unnecessary. This kindness and grace disarmed Nathaniel, and it can disarm us. It's what we want most: to be seen as we really are — loved and — without masks and without excuses.  — TOP THINGS TO KNOW — NEW!! >> ALPHA Join us and bring all of your questions and bring a friend! Learn more about what Alpha is about at  a...

Some have called our culture the Culture of Contempt. It’s not enough to just disagree anymore. We have to prove we’re right, that THOSE people are misguided, so therefore flawed and thereby less worthy than us, of course! But Jesus wants to show us a different way, and it's definitely better.

Let's discover how Jesus brings hope to those who feel they've hit rock bottom spiritually. The sermon highlights that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus' grace, and He seeks out those who are broken and lost, offering them a second chance. Through powerful examples from The Chosen TV series, we see how Jesus' love transforms lives, reminding us that grace is freely given to those...

We all have a gift from God that is simply amazing! It’s called MEMORY! We can actually remember pretty much everything in HD. But we know that our memory can be our best friend AND our worst enemy! We remember the bad things done to us, we remember the mistakes we’ve made, the dumb things we did that radically altered what life could have been—and perhaps even evil things if we’re just being hone...

Worship is way more than a just a Sunday thing. It's the response to the majesty of God and an invitation to experience His rule in your life everyday. In our world, submitting our lives to someone else's rulership sounds like death sentence—but not when it's to a loving God who only wants to see you blessed abundantly.

Our hearts are designed to worship. But too often, we put success, relationships, or even comfort in God's rightful place. But don't fall for the scam! These idols will suck all the peace and joy of Jesus right out of your life! If you will re-center your life around God, you'll find freedom and fulfillment like you never thought possible.⁠