Trails Church Sermons

This Sunday we are diving into the book of James!  This letter is so much more than a compilation of nuggets of wisdom. James calls Christians to pursue holiness in all of life. To have a faith that works! We dare not be hypocrites; people who say one thing and then do the opposite. James desires us to live with a consistent holiness of both speech and action. Faith must be shown in our actions! H...

God pursues guilty sinners … … and He does so with grace in His eyes. This is the shocking thing that we see unfold in Genesis 3 as our first parents break relationship with God and feel deep shame that leads them to take cover from one another and to hide from God. Into this terrible situation, God comes to the Garden, making Himself known, calling out their sinful rebellion, and then, surprising...

Something is broken. Everyone knows it. The question is: how did we get here? And what’s the solution to the brokenness we experience in this life? At our core, the question we have to process through in order to understand the root of what is broken is this: What is sin? What effects does it have upon us? And what’s God’s response to it? If we were to ask some of our neighbors or coworkers to def...

What does it mean to be human?  There aren’t many questions more important to life than that. One of the most essential truths of the Christian worldview is that all people are made in the image of God. From this reality we understand our purpose in this world. God made us in his image to represent his rule in his kingdom, to exist in relationship with him, and to reveal his character and glory to...

God Made Everything 🌎🪐 That one statement is full of theological truth and beauty. But it’s also one that leaves us with a lot of questions. Why did God create everything? How did God create everything? Why do Christians seem so divided on the topic of creation? In this sermon , we will be diving into these questions (and more) as we see how Genesis 1 opens not by answering all of our potential...

Have you ever been given a promise by someone that has been a “game changer” your life? The promise of a financial partnership? The promise of an angel investor? The promise of a loan to help with that new kitchen remodel? Whatever it is, as you wait for the fulfillment of that promise, you might check you email or bank account daily, expectant to receive what it promised.  Then, when it comes, th...

This Christmas Eve, we unpacked the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke and talked about the importance of Jesus' coming (to reveal God to us and to save us from our sins). For more information about The Trails, please visit: trailschurch.ca

This Advent season we want to behold our Servant-King Jesus. And by doing so, we learn more about who he is and what he came to accomplish. For Advent is more than just a countdown to Christmas, it is a time to intentionally form in us a growing expectation and longing for God's presence with us. So in this prophetic text we will have another glimpse at the character of our Messiah and his mission...

✨ The Promised Light ✨ As the darkness of night comes earlier and earlier at this time of year, it makes us all more aware of our need for light: headlights on wintry nights as we navigate the roads and play the infamous “am I on the road?” game, Christmas lights fill our houses in the evenings, and the light from fires both warm us on these cold nights as they give their light. In these times,...

✨ The Promised King ✨ Have you noticed in Christmas songs that Jesus’ Kingship is a BIG deal? In fact, the more we study the Old and New Testament, we see this theme highlighted over and over again, coming to a mountain peak of a chapter in 2 Samuel 7. This, as we count up the promises of God as we count down until Christmas, we are going to spend some time tracing this theme of Kingship through...

✨ A Foundational Promise ✨ When we think about texts in the Bible that shape this season of waiting, we might not immediately think about Genesis 12:1-3, right?  I mean, we see no new covenant and no virgin birth, so why would this be a good place for us to start our study? 🤔 However, the more we study this text, we see that it’s the antidote to the poison of Genesis 3, the hope that fuels God’...

In this sermon, we wrap up our study in the Gospel of John by examining the public and private conversation that Jesus had with Peter. In this discussion, we learn of Peter's restoration, his call to ministry, his call to death, and the call to Follow Jesus. In this conversation, we learn something about the character and nature of God and the cost of discipleship. For more information about The T...

Have you ever thought about God’s concern for both our spiritual and practical needs as His people? In our text this week (John 21:1-14), we see how Jesus reveals Himself for the third and final time after His resurrection in the Gospel of John. As He does so, we see how He richly provides for the disciples after their fruitless toiling and invites them into the warmth of fellowship with Him. In t...

In this sermon, we continue our study in the Gospel of John and finish out John chapter 20. For more information about The Trails, please visit: trailschurch.ca

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! This Resurrection Sunday greeting is a vital part of the foundation of Christian belief. Because Jesus is alive, we know that we are forgiven for our sins because the payment for our sin was made to the Father. Because Jesus is alive, we know Jesus is not a liar (He said He’s die and rise back from the dead). Because Jesus is alive, we are justified. Because Jesus...

The Death of the Son of God. No amount of words could adequately summarize the significance of this one event. Nothing is more important in the history of the world. And yet, do we live day to day with a familiarity of the cross that leads us to treat it with trite normality? May we be astounded by the cross, knowing the inestimable beauty of "It is finished." Pray that, as you listen, the Spirit...

Why was Jesus sent by the Father? This is a question we’ve been trying to answer all along in our study through the Gospel of John. If googled, you’d find lots of differing answers, but in the Gospel of John, one clear answer comes to the surface: Jesus was sent by the Father to stand condemned as the true and better, substitutionary, Passover-fulfilling Lamb of God. In this sermon, we take a look...

Who is Jesus? Pilate isn’t sure. The chief priests think they know and they want Jesus dead. John has been writing so that we might know who Jesus is, why He came, and so that we might believe Him to be the Christ, the Son of God. But what do you say? Is He your King?  And, if so, what does it mean for Jesus to be your King? What practical implications does this have on our lives? Join us as we di...

Defilement. It’s that feeling of being “unclean” or “dirty.” It’s this godly recognition that we are those who are not clean, righteous enough, to approach God based on our own merits. When we feel defiled or unclean, however, we respond in interesting ways. Some of us seek to make ourselves clean by good works, religious effort, or generosity. We try to earn forgiveness through “penance.” True cl...

Have you ever tried to be grateful for your greatest failure? Our failures are often things we wish we could forget, but should that be our desire? Instead, we ought to consider how Jesus uses even our greatest failures to accomplish his purposes for us and in us. In John 18:15-27 Jesus is questioned by the corrupt former high priest, Annas, at a trial that is a far cry from fair or just. And yet,...

Betrayed. Arrested. Bound. This week, we dive back into our study of John and begin to see in John 18:1-14 how Jesus walks through one of the darkest nights of his life … and all of human history. Yet, we need not think Him a victim of circumstances beyond His control. Rather, step after step, Jesus demonstrates His mastery over the place of His arrest, the soldiers themselves, and even assures th...

Promises. They are the one thing that we are used to hearing from people around us: politicians, spouses, children, employers, friends, etc. But we also know that promises have context surrounding them. If someone promises a wonderful pool party, they aren’t in charge of the rain. We get that. The same is true with promises in the Bible. We have to understand the promise and the context around tha...

We are stuck in the losing game of comparisons. The temptation to compare our lives to others is ever-present, and the envy and jealousy it creates makes us miserable. And since it is hard enough to fight comparison when things are going well, how much harder is it when we experience unfair difficulty and suffering? David's praying in Psalm 17 helps us to learn how to play the Comparison Game...

Even though he had already been anointed by the prophet Samuel as the new king of Israel, David lived on the run, his life constantly in danger from Saul and his men. Even so, David refused to harm Saul. Instead, he patiently and prayerfully waited for God to deliver him from death and raise him to the promised throne. If you were king David, how would you pray when you learned of Saul’s death? Th...

No man is an island 🏖️ The older we get, the more we recognize the profound influence that our parents, coaches, and mentors have had upon us as they have shaped the people we have become and helped show us what it means to be good spouses, parents, coworkers, friends, entrepreneurs, etc. They instructed, taught, corrected and modeled for us how to practically walk through life. We all need people...