Message Date: January 29th 2023

What keeps YOU from the Bible? Is it the fear that you lack the knowledge or training that makes it worthwhile to spend the time? Scripture makes the claim that it is “alive and active” and “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. The life of Olga of Kiev (c.920-969) proves it. Before Christ, she’d been a murderous, vengeful, rage queen: she buried and burned her enemies alive. But in Christ she became a kind, humble, loving, servant-hearted, justice minded, disciple-maker. How in the world does such life change happen? Perhaps a key to a better relationship with the Bible - and the Lord Himself - isn’t our expertise, but simply time in the book.

#bible #grace #conversion #Constantinople #liturgy #theWord #scripture #Ukraine #Russia #OlgaOfKiev #StOlga #VladimirtheGreat #sacraments #superstition #religion #church

Message Date: January 22nd 2023

You might have been advised lower your expectations of the Bible, and focus solely on Jesus. It seemed like a good idea, because the Bible was written by people, and people make mistakes, but Jesus is the authoritative, inerrant Word of God. The story of Athanasius of Alexandria (c.296-373) is the story of a man who staked everything on the reliability of the Bible. If we can’t rely on Scripture to speak clearly, authoritatively, and without error, not only would there be no Nicene Creed; not only might we might all be Arians, but we wouldn’t know anything about Jesus in the first place. Listen to his story before you decide to put the Bible on the shelf.

Message Date: December 11th 2022

The Transfiguration is a key moment in the life of Jesus and helps us understand what He wants for disciples. It sets Jesus above Moses and Elijah: they listen to Him, and so should we: When Jesus tells us we BELIEVE the wrong things, or we don't believe something we need to, we should LISTEN TO HIM. When He tells us we LOVE the wrong thing, or we don't love something He does, we should LISTEN TO HIM. When He tells us we're DOING something wrong, or we're not doing something we should be, we should LISTEN TO HIM. 

To the degree that we're growing in all three ways - orthodoxy, orthopathy, and orthopraxy - we'll become more like Jesus. That's what He wants for the Church, and this understanding of discipleship informs everything we do in Benediction Church.

Note: This was an interactive message. Some of the comments / ideas shared by the congregation have been preserved (where possible) in the recording. 

#jesus, #discipleship, #orthodoxy, #orthopraxy, #orthopathy, #gospel, #thewayofjesus #hamont #markdriscoll #riseandfallofmarshill

Message Date: December 11th 2022

The visit of the Magi presents us with a choice. The Magi met two kings, and would only worship one. One king (Herod) demanded their worship, but didn’t deserve it. Another king (Jesus) deserved their worship, but didn’t demand it. In a culture full of Herods who demand our worship, the visit of the Magi reminds us that once we’ve met the real Jesus, there’s no going back.

Message Date: December 4th, 2022

Despite the legends surrounding him, little is known about the real Joseph of Nazareth. What sort of man was chosen to be the Messiah's stepdad? He's silent, submissive, almost domestic, and serves his family at great cost. He turns the stereotypes of traditional manhood on their head, and shows us what real strength looks like.

#Joseph, #manhood, #nativity, #advent, #angels, #strength, #power, #courage, #scripture, #biblicalmanhood, #Messiah, #Christ

Message Date: November 27th, 2022

When we meet Miriam of Nazareth, she is a sweet, invisible, submissive girl. After her visit with the angel and her cousin, she is changed into a bold, outspoken, subversive, prophetic activist. Sometimes God sends us visitors to help us believe the things we find unbelievable, and Miriam is an example for us. She begins as a girl in danger, and on accepting God's will for her life, she is changed into someone dangerous.

Message date: November 20th, 2022

The book of Amos ends on a hopeful note, with promised restoration for God's people: He'll gather His people from the places to which they were scattered, and they will find a home. This beautiful news is happening before our eyes in cities across Canada, and we wanted to end our study of Amos by celebrating some of the things God is doing in our cities. 

Our special guest and friend Trevor Seath brings a unique perspective on God's activity in Canada's cities. Trevor works with C2C Collective to identify, train, and release church planters in Canada's cities, and in this message, Trevor shares stories of some of the creative ideas that churches are trying in cities like ours. His stories are encouraging and inspiring, and remind us that the nature of church planting in the city is to do what we can with what (and whom) we have, and watch God weave it together into something beautiful for His Kingdom. This interview was such a great way to wrap up our study of Amos!

Message Date: November 13th, 2022

As we approach the end of Amos, we've seen all kinds of evidence that they love things more than people. God's judgment is coming. In this message, we trace the rest of the story to see that even when it seemed like it was too late for God's people, it wasn't too late. A century ago, it seemed like Hamilton was a God-forsaken city, and you should leave if you knew what's good for you. Both times, a remnant prayed, and God did something surprising. Is it really too late, or is there hope for Hamilton in 2022?

Message Date: November 6th, 2022

This week, Amos comes face to face with a bully - Amaziah, priest of Bethel, an ancient Pope. He's a typical bully: he wants to control and conquer Amos, and he fights dirty with gossip, lies, and manipulation - the same things any of us will face if we're faithfully serving God in our city. These Scriptures offer insight about how NOT to respond to a bully, and a tonne of encouragement as to how we can be transformed into the kinds of people that a bully wouldn't dare mess with. 

Message Date: October 30th, 2022

Amos turns his attention to the rich, powerful, elites of his day - those whose pride, greed, and indifference to the suffering of others insulated them and allowed them to live in comfort while the rest of the nation starved. Our city has its own problems with privilege - like comparing first- and third-world countries, and in this message we saw how churches we might respond to the polarization of poverty and privilege by reimagining our roles as alternate cities within the city.