Being a follower of Jesus is a package deal. If we have God as our heavenly Father, through Christ, then because of that, other Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ. As they say, you can choose your friends, but you’re stuck with your family! St Paul tells us in Galatians 3:36-29 that, because…
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What does it mean to belong to the Kingdom of God? How do we live in our local community as the Kingdom of God – the Church? What is the Church – Jesus’ Church? We live in a “individualistic” society, so how do we become a community acting together in unity? We live in the…
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Pentecost is all about the coming of the Holy Spirit. This raised a lot of questions for those who saw and heard what the Spirit was doing. First of all, there were the “tongues of fire,” which were a visible representation of the presence of the Spirit on the disciples. And then the Spirit caused…
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This Sunday we will be looking at 1 Samuel 8 where the people of Israel through the prophet Samuel ask God for a king. Samuel their leader is aging and with the looming threat of war they’re desperately looking for a leader to guide them through. As you read through the chapter it becomes clear…
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Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),…
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The opening question of this Psalm resonates with all of us. To be a human being, so often means having to face numerous problems and challenges in life. No one is immune from that. Sooner or later, we all find ourselves asking: Who’s going to help me? How am I going to get through this? …
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Change is always hard, and times of transition can be quite challenging. At Para Vista we are beginning to come to terms with the fact that Pastor Rolly will no longer be with us. That’s a big change for us! How will we transition successfully through this? In Joshua chapter 1, we encounter the people…
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On the Tuesday after Easter, it registered on my emotional gauge that I was soon finishing up here at GSPV. It has arrived quicker than I expected. This Sunday will be my last sermon as your pastor here at Good Shepherd. Last words can be poignant and impacting. The “last words” I want to share…
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Doubt almost seems like a bad word in Christian circles. All too often it is equated with falling away — with losing your faith. Christians fight against doubt and are often encouraged to just have faith. But doubts are a normal part of our lives, and we live with them most of the time. Sometimes…
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In our Lent-Easter series –Encounters with Jesus – we’ve heard stories from characters who knew or met Jesus: Caiaphas, Mary the sister of Lazarus, Andrew, Peter, Pontius Pilate, and Joanna the wife of Chuza. Over this coming long weekend, we will hear more stories from people who witnessed what happened to Jesus: from his betrayal…
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