Wilderness Wanderings

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Out of baseball's history comes this story: the game was tied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The batter stepped into the batting box and made the...

And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to. Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won't have to depend on anyone (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). Christian charity always includes practical stuff like providing meals and offering transportation. Paul recognizes that this practice could b...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Psalm 92. D ive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca DIVE IN How do you begin your day? What does God's love re...

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you (1 Chronicles 29:17). David is making provision for the building of the temple. The people have given generously, and David praises God because everything they have given came fr...

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:3-6). Philippians is often referred to as Paul's letter of joy. This is, at least in part,...

You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). When Christians take seriously Jesus' statement that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we are faced with a significant temptation. Our culture insists that we measure our success but how much w...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Ephesians 4:1-16. D ive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca Dive In! ________ is the ________ of the church. H...

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, "Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time (Numbers 9:1-2). We all experience times when our lives feel like a desert; life comes apart, dreams die, and help is nowhere to be found. It's not always major tragedy that leads to the desert; small things pi...

For [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). One of the chief elements of the Christian faith is comfort. This is not about being comfortably curled up on the couch with a good book or movie. It is about confidence and hope. This comfort is that we belong body an...

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). Our workplaces and other spaces we inhabit need Chr...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Zephaniah 3:9-17. D ive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca Dive In! What are the four building blocks of fait...

"Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own (Habakkuk 1:5-6). The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between the prophet and God, taking place while a Jehoiakim was...

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine " (Isaiah 43:1). At many graduation ceremonies, some speaker will offer something to the tune of, "Your life is in your hands. You are the master of your own fate. So, dream your own dreams, set your goals high, reach for the stars, work hard, and you can be whatever you want to be." Very few are taken in by this rubb...

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13-14). Salt changes what it touches. Meat and vegetables taste different when salt is added. They also don't spoil as quickly. Salt remains salt—but it changes what it touches. Jesus called His followers "...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Ephesians 1:15-23. D ive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca Dive In! What are the four building blocks of fai...

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God (1 Samuel 30:6). Life is not always easy. When its difficult, we get weary, even spiritually tired. Our souls can become parched. What do we do when the well is dry? In 1 Samuel 30, when David and his men return from...

" Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord " (Romans 14:8) The Heidelberg Catechism's first concern is comfort, but this is not a life of ease. Rather, comfort refers to the resources we need to make it through the difficult times of life. When asking the question, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?", the authors are suggesting that we might have many sources of comfort, but the...

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (Colossians 3:23). As I indicated last week, the Wednesday and Friday editions of Wilderness Wonderings are new ventures. The Monday edition will continue its theme: Work as Worship . As we begin each week, we will be reminded that everything we do, whatever our hands or minds set themselves to, where...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Ephesians 2:11-22. D ive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca Dive In! What are the four building blocks of fai...

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4). On Wednesday, I mentioned that September is a goo...

When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed" (Genesis 5:28-29). September often has new beginnings, so it's appropriate to begin something new with Wilderness Wonderings. You will continue receiving it 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The new thing wil...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Mark 8:27-38.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca Dive IN  What tasks have you given to technology that...

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1) Psalm 14 invites us to reflect on at least two aspects of Christian spirituality. One is a frequent issue in the Psalms: unrighteousness people cause a great deal of injustice. These acts cause a great deal of pain for both the poor and the righteous (5 6). However, the psalmist reminds both the poor and the righteous that God is their r...

"You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you… (Psalm 66:12, 13). The Bible is one book, one story and should be read as such. Even though it has 66 different books, it is one book. It took over a millennium to write. Those who wrote the later material often re...

"At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. Give generously to [the poor] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. Remember tha...