Grassroots Church | Thunder Bay, Ontario

Figuring out Forgiveness: Rhythms of Reconciliation

Christians often put too much focus on forgiveness in "our" gospel, while simultaneously not putting enough focus on forgiveness in "our" gospel. Distinguishing self-focused, individualistic forgiveness models from Jesus' relational/transactional model can be challenging, but doing so is essential in order to express and live out authentic, biblical reconciliation. 

Our Images of God: Part 2- Constructive Constructs

This week Steven continues teaching on the constructs of God - presenting the Christian worldview's response to the challenge of comprehending the incomprehensible: Jesus. In John 14 Jesus tells us that if we've seen Him, we've seen the Father. Thus, we can determine a constructive construct of God through what the gospels reveal to us about Jesus.

Our Images of God: Part 1 - Destructive Constructs

We all have an image of God in our head - and none of us get it right. It's a reality we can't escape when trying to use finite language and ideas to describe the infinite. However, there are a few particularly bad constructs that yield destructive results.

Right? Our Collectively Self-Imposed PR Problem

As Christians, we have a history of idolizing rightness at the expense of actually following Jesus and the mission he laid out for us.

Business as Usual? I Doubt It

Phil shares an encouragement for us not to hide behind our doubts and misconceptions. Rather than stay in the comfort of our fishing boat, we can claim the hope that Jesus gave us - and be willing to share it.

Vinegar & Gall Part 2: Resurrecting Grief

This week, we read again the resurrection story and see how most of Jesus’s disciples lost hope in Jesus after he died. Alone among the disciples, only Mary Magdalene decided to face her pain, and she found a basis for hope stronger than death. In this second instalment on exploring God’s goodness, we explore the resurrecting power of grief and its pathway to healing from life’s sufferings.

Vinegar & Gall Part 1: Lifted Up

In the first of our two sermons on God’s goodness, we hear the story of Jesus’s last week in Jerusalem. Riding in on a donkey, Jesus faces down the question of God’s goodness once and for all. In fulfillment of many Psalms, we see Jesus understanding his own final confrontation with death as David’s unstoppable Son rescuing us from a life lost in questioning God’s goodness.

Shifting the Paradigm from Trivial to Timeless: Part 1

Ryan shares part 1 of a two part series on shifting the paradigm from trivial to timeless through focusing on the relationship rather than the task.

Words in the Dark III: Part 10 – Amen

27 sermons on prayer, Psalms, and the presence of God later, we now say Amen! Psalm 33 will help us see the big picture, with its praise for creator God, reminder of the humility we need as humans, invitation to open our hearts to God’s presence, and instruction to desire God above all things. We’ll finish off with the big list of practical to-do’s and a final invitation to pray together with our fellow believers.

Words in the Dark III: Part 9 – Confession

In our final look at Jesus’s prayer as our basic pattern, we finish this part of our exploration of prayer with the healing of sin. Jesus tell us to ask God for forgiveness of our sins, just as we extend forgiveness to others. As a basic prayer of love, confession invites us to fear God properly AND feel the utmost safety in his Presence. Check out Psalm 32. How does David show us the way here? We should be troubled by our sins but not expose ourselves the withering of our souls when we try and hide our sins from God and others. Let’s prep for one final look at prayer before Pastor Keith brings it all up in next week’s final sermon on prayer, the psalms, and the presence of God.