Scripture: Acts 8:26-39

Guest Speaker: Greg Brown

The book of Acts is often called the Acts of the Apostles, but a better title might be The Acts of the Holy Spirit. Time and time again, we see the Spirit stirring, prompting, and empowering Christ’s followers to witness and serve. In Acts 8:26–39, the Holy Spirit is undeniably in motion—leading Philip into an unexpected place, to an unexpected person, for an unexpected conversation that brings about an unexpected heavenly result.

Series: Encouragement for Pilgrims on the WayScripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13Speaker: Pastor David HallettHave you ever been separated from someone you love deeply—maybe a child, a close friend, or a fellow believer—and found yourself anxiously wondering how they’re doing? That’s the kind of love Paul expresses for the Thessalonian believers in today’s passage. His heart is like that of a parent torn away from a beloved child. He longs to see them, worries about their spiritual well-being, and even fears that his ministry among them might have been in vain. But then comes the good news: Timothy returns with a joyful report of their steadfast faith and love. Paul’s anxious heart overflows with thanksgiving and relief. Yet Paul doesn’t stop there. He prays earnestly that their love for one another would increase, and that their holiness would deepen—so they would be ready to stand blameless before Jesus at His return. This is love that longs, rejoices, and grows. We, too, need to ask God to shape our hearts with the same Christlike love for one another, to be ready for the day Jesus comes again.

Series: Encouragement for Pilgrims on the Way

Title: Pleasing God Together

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

Ministry is not just about activity—it's about aim and approach. In 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16, Paul reminds us that there is a right way and a wrong way to do ministry. The wrong way seeks approval from people, uses flattery, and avoids suffering. The right way—God’s way—centers on bold Gospel proclamation, genuine love, and unwavering faithfulness, even when it’s hard. Paul, Silas, and Timothy model a ministry that pleases God by focusing on making mature disciples—men and women who stand firm through trials and who share the good news with those around them. That’s the kind of ministry we are called to do together: not flashy or self-serving, but grounded in God’s truth, shaped by Christ’s example, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Ministry that pleases God isn’t easy, but it bears lasting fruit. Are we doing ministry in a way that truly pleases God—and are we doing it together for His glory?

Series: Encouragement for Pilgrims on the Way 

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

What does a true church look like? In a world filled with religious activity and outward appearances, Paul’s thanksgiving in 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 shows us the unmistakable marks of genuine salvation and spiritual growth. He doesn’t praise the Thessalonians for their size or success, but for their faith that works, love that labours, and hope that endures. These qualities are not man-made—they are the supernatural evidence of God’s grace at work. Paul sees more than conversion; he sees transformation. The gospel didn’t come to them in word only, but with power and the Holy Spirit. They turned from idols, served the living God, and awaited Christ’s return. Their lives displayed the fruit of true salvation and the evidence of maturing faith. As we consider Paul’s thanksgiving, may we examine ourselves and our church: are these same marks of life and growth present in us? 

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13

Guest Speaker: C.Y. Yan

The Lord’s Prayer isn’t just a set of words to memorize—it’s a roadmap for life with God. In just a few lines, Jesus teaches us to begin with worship, to align our desires with His kingdom, to rely on Him for our daily needs, and to walk in both mercy and forgiveness. This prayer invites us into a deeper relationship—a reminder that through Jesus, we belong to God as His children. We’re not coming to Him based on our performance, but on Christ’s finished work. When we pray this way, we’re not just speaking—we’re being reshaped. Let the Lord’s Prayer ground you in truth, reframe your perspective, and draw you closer to the heart of the Father.

Resurrection Sunday. It was this day in history when God raised Jesus from the dead, declaring victory over sin, Satan, and death itself. Building off our message on Good Friday, we come to a beautiful and powerful benediction in Hebrews 13:20-21. In these verses, the writer of Hebrews offers a prayer for God’s people — a prayer that rests entirely on one great truth: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It’s easy to pass by these words quickly, but here we find the heart of Christian hope and strength. 

The prayer begins by calling on “the God of peace,” who brought Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, back from the dead. And this resurrection isn’t just a historical event to be remembered — it’s the very foundation for everything this prayer asks God to do in us. It’s because Christ lives that we can be equipped to do God’s will. It’s because Christ lives that what pleases God can be worked out in our lives. The resurrection is not an afterthought — it is the fountain of peace, power, and purpose for God’s people. 

Good Friday is the this day in history when Jesus gave His life by dying on the cross. What makes this Friday “good”? Doesn’t it seem blood-thirsty and wrong to call the anniversary of the death of Jesus “good”? On Sunday we will rejoice and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and eternal enthronement. Celebrating that makes good sense. Yet, there is a goodness to what Jesus did on that Friday two thousand years ago. Good Friday is the day that Jesus gave up His life willingly to take upon Himself ALL our sins. He died for our sins ONCE so that we could be forgiven when we put our faith and trust in Him. How could one sacrifice accomplish all that? The writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 9:23-28, because unlike the sacrifices in the Old Testament, Jesus’ sacrifice was the BEST!

Series: Teach Us to Pray: Lessons from Old Testament Prayers 

Scripture: Jeremiah 20:7-18 

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett 

Everyone wants to be a success. Everyone wants to be loved. We live our lives looking for these affirmations to tell us we are on the right track. Jeremiah was a prophet sent from God. He had been chosen by God even before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5) to bring a message of judgement and punishment to the people of Judah. No one listened to him. No one repented. Instead everyone laughed at him, ridiculed him, and mocked him. Some even went so far as to beat him, imprison him, and eventually kidnap him and force him to go to Egypt against his will.  

Near the beginning of his ministry in Jeremiah 20, Jeremiah was arrested, beaten, and tortured by the priest Pashhur in Jerusalem for prophesying defeat for Judah. This led Jeremiah to question many things. Where was God? Why does He keep sending me to tell messages of doom, when nothing seems to happen. Why does righteousness always seem to lead to suffering?  

In the midst of his turmoil, Jeremiah pours out his heart to God. All of his emotions are on display: anger, fear, shame, and disillusionment but also trust and praise. There is much to learn from the prayer of Jeremiah, the “Weeping Prophet.” God is ready and willing to listen to us even when what we want to say to him is negative. Jeremiah’s lament teaches us to bring every emotion to God. 

Series: Teach Us to Pray: Lessons from Old Testament Prayers 

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:1-19 

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

Things are crazy these days. Every day we hear about natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or tornados. Someone is arrested for committing a horrible crime. The job market is uncertain, housing is too expensive, tariffs may bring a recession. There seems to be no end in sight. The prophet Habakkuk lived in similar times of tumult and injustice. Why do the wicked prosper? Where is their punishment? Why isn’t God doing anything about it? These questions are not new. Out of despair and exasperation, Habakkuk called out to God with these questions and complaints. When he was confronted with the majesty and faithfulness of God, his complaints turned to a prayer of faith and trust. Three times in the New Testament Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted “the just shall live by faith.” Faith is necessary for salvation but it is also an abiding need for believers when we see the world around us. Truly, the just shall live by faith. 

Series: Teach Us to Pray: Lessons from Old Testament Prayers

Scripture: 1 Kings 8:22-61

Speaker: Pastor David Hallett

After a seven-year construction, King Solomon offers a special prayer of dedication for the Temple he has built for God. This temple was the concrete evidence of God’s presence with His people. In his prayer, Solomon’s most earnest plea is repeated three times: “that all may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.” Solomon might have assumed automatic blessing from God because he built the temple. Instead, he prayed that God would glorify Himself through His presence in that temple and that all nations would seek to bring Him glory. He also prayed for forgiveness for God’s people, knowing that they could never fully meet His standard of holiness. In the NT, Jesus becomes the ultimate presence of God with His people (John 2:18-22) and we, as believers, also become the temple of God by His Spirit (1 Cor 3:16; 1 Cor 6:19,20). Just as it was Solomon’s prayer, It should be our prayer that as God’s temple we would live in a way “that all may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.”