Joel Gilbert

The Christian life in the late 15th and early 16th centuries was a complicated one. There was one church, centered in Rome. Now there were multiple cathedrals and parishes, but everyone reported to Rome and more specifically to the Pope. Scripture was practically chained to the pulpit and it was only…

One of the birthday traditions we have in our house is to retell our kids about the events leading up to their birth. It’s a fun way for Danielle and me to relive those moments with the kids. After all, while they were each present, none of them remember - at least not like we do. We get to remember…

I think we all have those times where we simply need a break or to reset. Pressures of work, family needs, exciting times, and even failures all can seem to pile on the disciples weren’t much different today we come to the final chapter in John’s gospel. In the timeline of history and perceiving what…

Coronation next year we will witness the coronation of the new king of england as with all things royal, it will be a public affair. Leading up to this point there have been years of training education practice in what it means to be the head of England. On that day, the day of his coronation, the king…

S.W.O.T Have you ever heard of the acronym SWOT? I’ve run into this a few different times in various leadership books, seminars, and resources. It stands for: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats When organizations and individuals go through a SWOT assessment, they look at what they are good at…

A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens opened his famous novel with these words: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,…

Teaching on prayer: Lord teach us to pray - Luke 11:1 - Jesus instructed with what we often call the “Lord’s prayer” - Our Father... It might be better termed - “The Apostle’s Prayer” or “The Model Prayer” Today, as we continue looking at the book of John, we come to a prayer that Jesus prayed on the…

David, resources for killing Goliath. He chose a sling and a few stones. He refused armour that didn’t fit And a sword that may have been too big. He used resources that were appropriate for him for the mission. A few weeks ago we started looking at Jesus’ Farewell Discourse - or his Last Will and Testament.…

As Jesus continues his farewell discourse (or last will and testament), he prepares his followers for the persecution that will come. The persecution is not on the grounds of who they are but who he is.

So, as we walk through the first 17 verses of John 15 , we’ll consider that Jesus is the true vine - and some of what that entails, what Life in the vine requires (pruning, connection) pruning connection or remaining the results of life in the vine (fruit, love, answered prayer) So, let’s begin where…