#awesomelife - Romans 12:1-16: I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said, the biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place. This may never be truer than when it comes to vision in a church! What are we about? Where are we going? How will we get there? This weekend we'll be reflecting on this transformational journey God is inviting to. There will be great stories of faith and hope and I know you will be encouraged and blessed for being here! Faith is never intended to be a theme to be discussed but rather is meant to be a journey to be lived. We will celebrate that journey and all that it represents to us from Romans 12.

#awesomelife - Matthew 20:20-28: Define greatness. What images or words come to mind? Prestige? Power? Wealth? These tend to be the benchmarks of greatness in our culture. But Kingdom logic is counter cultural and often seems to be upside down. Jesus defined greatness very differently. He said, “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.” And then he became the ultimate illustration of Kingdom greatness, freely giving his life away. This weekend, our staff will honour (in a very unique way- trust me, you won't want to miss it!) the many in our Foothills family who follow the example of Jesus, as they serve others, sacrificially and with great joy!

#awesomelife - 1 Timothy 6:17-19: I don't think I've ever watched the price of oil as much as I have the past year. With so many friends looking for work – we've all found ourselves being more than a little concerned with the economy and all that is going on. We need to pay attention to the financial realm in life … but I worry that we are far too easily consumed by it. What does God say about finances? Does He care about our attitudes towards this dimension of life? What is the role of wealth and what does it mean that He provides us with everything for our enjoyment? This weekend, we'll talk about how a healthy attitude towards all things financial is critical to the pursuit of an awesome life!

#awesomelife - Galatians 5:16-25: Supernatural. It's what we all want in life … the evidence of God at work in our stories. Most often our lives appear to be far more natural than supernatural! We minimize the sacred and get stuck in the common things of life. Our souls become a little smaller and our lives become a little less consequential. If you're looking for more of God in your story - this will be a great weekend to be at church. We'll revisit that first Pentecost Sunday that birthed a movement called the Church. We'll investigate an amazing passage that invites us into a truly supernatural walk with God. We'll be blessed and encouraged and strengthened in the faith.

#awesomelife - Luke 10:38-42: There's one thing all of us have in common … we all have or had a mother! Most of those Moms were amazing. I'm sure a few left the occasional emotional scar along the way. Abraham Lincoln wrote no man is poor who had a godly mother. It's why we often feel inadequate when we approach this weekend. How do we find language or gifts to adequately express what we feel about mothers? Hopefully we'll invest appropriate amounts of time and money to meet the challenge! But another complicating factor with this weekend is the sense of inadequacy that almost every mom feels. There's so much pressure on women today. What is it that matters most to God? What passions ought to govern how we live and how we love? Whether you're a Mom or not, this weekend will be a great introduction into what it means to live an awesome life and leave an awesome legacy.

Finding Hope - Esther 4: Have you ever been in one of those seasons of life where the stakes were high but God seemed absent? If you have, you have something in common with Esther. Her people, the Jews, were facing annihilation at the hands of their enemies. Yet, in being so far removed from the Temple and their prophets, how could they be assured of God's presence or protection? They found themselves in a pagan empire, ruled by a pagan king, surrounded by pagan neighbours who worshipped pagan gods. But what we discover through Esther's story, is that even when we can't see God, he still sees us. He is at work behind the scenes in incredible ways – lining up circumstances and getting the right people in the right place at the right time to accomplish his Kingdom purposes. Join us this weekend as we discover that amazing turn around's can take place when we have the courage to step up and use the influence God has given us to make a difference.

Finding Hope - Genesis 37: Finding hope when family hurts. It's our theme this weekend. I'm admittedly more than a little humbled with such a theme but I have great hope that this is what our amazing God longs to do in each of our lives. Nothing holds as much potential to bring joy as family can and sadly, nothing can bring pain like family when it goes sideways. Where is God in the midst of all that? I'm going to suggest this weekend that this is where He is … in the midst of it all! He's a healing God – a restoring God – a sustaining God – a transforming God – a forgiving God – a very-present-help-in-time-of-need God! Come join us this weekend as we remember Joseph's story and compare it to the story of Jesus around the Lord's table.

Finding Hope - Ruth 1:1-22: If you live long enough there will be a time when a cherished dream will shatter. It's inevitable. No one remains unscathed. Whether you believe that God caused the trial or merely allowed it, one thing is clear - he could have prevented it - he is God after all. And the realization that God could have, should have, but didn't, can push us into some significant struggles. Been there? Have you asked: Why me? Why this? Why now? Is there any hope? They're tough questions and are best answered with a story. This weekend, the Book of Ruth gives us some perspective. It reminds us that in the midst of our broken dreams, frustrations and failures, God is present, weaving his plan for our lives. Naomi and Ruth felt the weight of God's absence but a look behind the curtain of their lives reveals that God had never been more present.

Finding Hope - 1 Kings 19:1-18: Actress Lily Tomlin infamously said “Why is it that when we talk to God, we're said to be praying but when God talks to us, we're said to be schizophrenic?” It's good to talk to God but it's great to listen also! James 1:19 says that we are to be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” Our God is a God who speaks! Are we a people who listen? This weekend, we'll look at what happened in Elijah's life after his amazing experience on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal. We'll learn about the God who speaks in gentle whispers … the God who intervenes … the God who comes to us in our most vulnerable moments.

Finding Hope - Exodus 3:1-10: Our Easter Play included Simon and Garfunkle's classic song that begins with “hello darkness, my old friend.” We're not overly fond of darkness and most often relentlessly work to eliminate it in our lives. But could it be a friend? Are there things we can only learn in the dark that we might miss with our fascination with light? We all have dark chapters in our lives … “dark nights of the soul” as St. John of the cross called them. Is it possible that there is a purpose to these seasons of our lives? Are there things in life that can't be learned in the light? What do we do when God seems distant? From a dark season in Moses' life, we'll talk about how these moments of life are not without purpose. Wherever you are in your journey, I pray you'll be reminded of the wonder of God, the promise of His presence and the greatness of His purpose in our lives.