Erindale Bible Chapel

We spend a significant portion of our lives working. Whether it is a job, caring for a family, maintaining a home, serving in the church, or meeting the countless responsibilities of everyday life, work is an unavoidable part of the human experience. Yet our attitude towards work can vary considerably. Sometimes we find satisfaction and fulfilment in what we accomplish. At other times, we view work as an exhausting burden from which we desperately need a break. And, if we are honest, there are moments when we would much rather avoid work altogether!

But how does God want us to think about work? Is leisure simply something we earn after working hard, or is it itself a gift from God? And what makes the difference between enjoying a well-deserved rest and slipping into the destructive habit of laziness? The book of Proverbs has much to say about these everyday realities. It reminds us that labour is a gift, leisure has its rightful place, and laziness is a pathway to trouble. More importantly, Proverbs challenges us to consider how our daily choices reflect the wisdom or foolishness of our hearts. Let’s discover what God's wisdom teaches us about labour, leisure, and laziness.

Series: Proverbs: Wisdom is the Way of Life

Scripture: Proverbs 10-31

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

Jesus meets us at the well, right where we are. In this message from John 4, we see Him cross every ethnic, social, and religious barrier to sit with a lonely Samaritan woman, a conversation that reminds us that what feels like an inconvenient interruption is often a divine appointment. We hear how Jesus knows our whole story, every struggle and every secret, and meets our honesty with grace instead of condemnation. Stories from Nakuru, Kenya, and an Ottawa men’s Bible study show how freely He offers living water to those who come thirsty and without masks.

Like the woman who left her water jar behind and ran to tell her village, we’re invited to share the good news with the people around us. Looking back on thirty years of ordinary Erindale folks serving faithfully through Sunday School, small groups, ESL classes, camps, and our Food Bank and Clothes Closet, we’re reminded that God uses simple words and acts of kindness to change lives. Whether you’re parched and searching or a believer still holding your jar, this message carries a call for you: come and drink, then go and tell.

Scripture: John 4:1–42

Guest Speaker: John Brown

Nobody wants to be called a fool. We usually associate foolishness with a lack of intelligence, poor judgment, or an embarrassing mistake. Yet the book of Proverbs presents a much more serious picture. A person can be intelligent, educated, successful, and highly respected, yet still be a fool in God's eyes. Why? Because biblical foolishness is not primarily about what we know, but about how we respond to God's wisdom. Throughout Proverbs, we discover that foolishness has destructive consequences. It begins in the heart when we trust our own understanding rather than God's truth. It becomes evident when we refuse correction, speak carelessly, pursue sinful pleasures, and repeatedly make choices that harm ourselves and others. Proverbs warns that a fool's pride can lead to conflict, careless words can destroy relationships, and stubborn resistance to wisdom can eventually bring ruin.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable truth is that these descriptions are not simply about other people. If we are honest, we will recognize moments when foolishness has influenced our own attitudes, words, and decisions. So how can we avoid becoming fools? Proverbs points us toward the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom. Ultimately, the wisdom we need is found in Jesus Christ, who reveals God's wisdom perfectly. As we examine these warnings, may we be willing to recognize our foolishness, turn from it, and learn to walk in God's wisdom.

Proverbs: Wisdom is the Way of Life

Proverbs 10-31

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

Thanksgiving is a time when we pause to consider the many reasons we have to be grateful. We give thanks for the food on our tables, the people we love, the homes in which we live, and the many ways God provides for us. Yet, as important as these blessings are, have you ever wondered whether we sometimes give more attention to the gifts we enjoy than to the Giver who provides them? And could it be that, in our desire to thank God for what He has done for us in this life, we overlook the greatest thing He has ever done for us? After all, what would we have to be thankful for if God had provided us with everything we needed for this life but had done nothing to rescue us from our sin? What good would our earthly blessings ultimately be if we had no hope beyond the grave, no forgiveness for our failures, and no assurance of a future with God? The Bible reminds us that our deepest need is not simply to receive God's blessings, but to be reconciled to God Himself.

That is why salvation through Jesus Christ gives us such extraordinary reason to give thanks. In Colossians 1:12–14, Paul reminds us of what God has done to rescue us, forgive us, and give us a place in His eternal kingdom. This Thanksgiving, let us look beyond the blessings of God's provision to celebrate the greatest gift of all: His great salvation.

Scripture: Colossians 1:12-14

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

Every day we are confronted with choices. Some are relatively insignificant, while others have the potential to shape the direction of our lives. But there is one decision that is more important than all the others. It is the decision about what kind of life we are going to live and whose voice we are going to follow. Will we listen to the wisdom of God, or will we follow the foolishness of this world?

The challenge is that the difference between wisdom and foolishness is not always immediately obvious. Foolishness can look appealing. It can promise freedom, satisfaction, and pleasure, while wisdom may seem demanding, restrictive, or even unattractive. Yet appearances can be deceiving. What seems right in the moment may ultimately lead us in the wrong direction. And what may seem difficult today can lead us toward a life that is pleasing to God.

This is why the choices we make about wisdom are so important. God has not left us to figure out life on our own. He has revealed His wisdom to us, ultimately and perfectly, in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the true Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). As we come to Proverbs 9, we are reminded that life presents us with a choice, and that choice has eternal consequences. It's decision time!

Series: Proverbs: Wisdom is the Way of Life

Scripture: Proverbs 9:1-18

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

When we open the Bible, who is speaking to us? This message challenges the idea that Scripture is outdated or merely a book to analyze, and shows from Hebrews 4:12 and Isaiah 55:10-11 that the Word of God is living, active, and always accomplishes what God sends it to do. From creation to the calming of the storm, the healing of the paralytic, and the raising of Lazarus, we see that when God speaks, it happens.

John 1 reveals that Jesus Himself is the Word made flesh, the One who created and sustains all things. That means the Word still works today, creating faith, giving new life, and guiding believers through every season. We are invited to trust God's Word rather than stand in judgment over it, to hold fast against teaching that contradicts it, and to rest in the sure hope that what Jesus promises always comes to pass. 

Guest Speaker: Matthias Benfey

What does it really mean to live wisely? Most of us would probably say that wisdom means knowing the right thing to do. But wisdom is more than knowing. There are times when we know exactly what we should do, yet we still struggle to do it. There are moments when God's way seems clear, but following it requires trust, sacrifice, patience, or even a willingness to admit that our own understanding may be wrong.

And then there is the question of what happens when we actually follow God's way. Does faithfulness to God make life easier? Does trusting Him mean that things will always turn out the way we want? What should we make of the promises in Proverbs that connect obedience to God with blessing, peace, health, and prosperity? And what do we do when life does not seem to match those promises?

Proverbs 3:1-12 takes us into the heart of those questions. It presents wisdom not as a formula for getting the life we want, but as a way of living in relationship with the God who is worthy of our trust. It challenges us to consider what it means to entrust our whole lives to Him, even when we cannot see where His path is leading. Perhaps the real question for us is not simply, “What does God want me to do?” but, “Do I trust God enough to walk His way?”

SERIES: Proverbs: Wisdom is the Way of Life

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 3:1-12

SPEAKER: Pastor David Hallett

We live in a world filled with information, advice, opinions, and competing voices. We have more ways than ever to find answers to our questions, yet having information does not necessarily mean that we know how to live well. We can be intelligent and still make foolish decisions. We can be educated and still lack good judgement. We can have years of experience and still make choices that bring unnecessary trouble into our lives. What we need is wisdom.

We do not merely need more facts or self-help strategies; we desperately need divine wisdom to guide our steps, order our desires, and govern our actions in a fallen world. The Book of Proverbs steps into this gap to answer a vital question for God's people: how should we actually live? It bridges the gap between high spiritual theology and mundane daily decisions, offering practical skill for godly living. True wisdom, however, begins not with human self-reliance, but with a heart submitted to God in holy reverence, a wisdom ultimately realized and fulfilled in Jesus.

Series: Proverbs: Wisdom is the Way of Life

Scripture: Proverbs 1:2-7

Speaker: Pastor David Hallet

Most people would agree that good deeds matter. We instinctively admire those who help others, serve their communities, give generously, care for people in need, and seek to make the world a better place. We also recognize that our actions have consequences. The things we do affect other people and reveal something about the kind of people we are.

But when we move from everyday life to our relationship with God, important questions arise: Why exactly do our good deeds matter? Can our good deeds affect the way God sees us? Do they somehow compensate for the wrong things we have done? Can a person become acceptable to God by doing enough good? And if good deeds do not earn us a place with God, does that mean they are somehow unimportant?

These questions strike at the heart of how we understand both ourselves and the gospel. The answers affect where we place our confidence, how we view God's grace, and even why we seek to do good in the first place. The apostle Paul addresses these important questions in Ephesians 2:8-10. In just a few verses, he gives us a truth that challenges some of our most natural assumptions about good deeds, grace, faith, and salvation.

Series: Five Half Truths

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10

Speaker: Pastor David Hallet

There are statements that are completely false, and there are statements that are dangerous because they are only partly true. A half-truth takes something that is true and leaves out something essential, producing a conclusion that is ultimately false. 

Consider the statement: “Jesus is truly a man.” That statement is absolutely true. Jesus was genuinely human. He was born, He grew, He became tired and hungry, He experienced sorrow and pain, and He truly died. Scripture leaves no doubt about the reality of His humanity. But there is often a hidden assumption behind that statement: “Jesus is truly a man; therefore He is only a man.” And that is where the half-truth becomes a serious error. 

The Bible presents Jesus as something far greater. John 1:1 declares that the Word was God, and John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. This is not merely a theological detail. It is essential to our salvation. Jesus had to become truly human to represent us and die for our sins. But He also had to be truly God for His sacrifice to have the saving worth and authority Scripture attributes to it. Today we will see why Jesus' humanity is real, why His deity is equally real, and why our salvation depends upon the truth that Jesus is the God-Man.

Series: Five Half Truths 

Scripture: John 1:1-14 

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett