Mountainview Church Audio

SERMON TITLE: The Idol of Pleasure (Gratification-Centred Identity, Security or Belonging)

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: 2 Timothy 3:1-5

KEY VERSE(S): 2 Timothy 3:4b-5 (ESV) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

BOTTOMLINE: Chasing pleasure keeps us from loving God.

PROMO DESCRIPTION: 

We all chase something when we’re tired, stressed, bored or lonely. This Sunday at Mountainview Church, we’re looking at the Idol of Pleasure.

God made so many pleasures for us to enjoy, but the enemy tempts us toward a constant chase for them. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warns about being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Together we’ll look at where real satisfaction comes from. Hear why chasing pleasure keeps us from finding God, and bring a friend along to share the lesson with you.

#TheIdolOfPleasure #MountainviewChurch #LoversOfGod #TrueSatisfaction #FaithOverPleasure #2Timothy35

Support the show

 IDOLS: Uncovering misplaced worship

Living in the Yukon means we're surrounded by creation that takes our breath away. This week in our IDOLS series, we're looking at the idol of creation and the warning found in Romans not to trade the Creator for created things.

Whether it's the lake, the trapline, the northern lights, or an environmental cause, we can start looking to the land to tell us who we are, keep us safe, and make us feel at home. God calls creation good and asks us to care for it, but He we can drift into misplaced worship of it.

It's good to marvel at the mountains, as long as we remember to worship the Maker. Join us this Sunday at Mountainview Church and hear how to enjoy the gift of Creation without losing the Giver, our Creator.

Series: IDOLS: Uncovering Misplaced Worship
Speaker: Jeremy Norton
Scripture: Romans 1:21-25

Timestamps
00:00 - We were on vacation in Florida
04:05 - The Romans were notorious for creating false gods and holds out of anything and everything
05:23 - Marvel at the mountains but worship the Maker
07:06 - What does this look like In our modern age?
09:29 - But what about for people who believe in God?
14:06 - The next time you enjoy the next gift you receive from creation, let’s about about how we might want to respond
15:33 - If you keep enjoying the wilderness and harvesting its produce without ever stopping to thank God for it, pride and entitlement can seep in.
16:21 - The God who made every part of creation didn’t stay distant from what He made
18:34 - If you’ve never accepted the restoration offered through Jesus, this is your moment
19:00 - Prayer
19:48 - Updates
21:29 - Discussion Question & Prayer Focus
22:09 - Come back next week!

 #IDOLS #MisplacedWorship #WorshipTheCreator #CreationAndCreator #Romans1 #MountainviewChurch 

Support the show

We live in a world that keeps asking how many people are watching. This week in our IDOLS series, we're looking at the idol of platform; asking the question, "Are we seeking the approval of man or of God?"

Whether it's a global following, a professional title, or a reputation in a small town, we can start looking to a crowd to tell us who we are and what we should value. But life is to be lived for God's glory.

The crowd will never offer what Christ can guarantee. Join us this Sunday at Mountainview Church at 8:00, 9:30 or 11:00 in English or at 3:00 PM for our Filipino gathering.

Series: IDOLS: Uncovering Misplaced Worship
Speaker: Jeremy Norton
Scripture: Galatians 1:6-10

Timestamps
00:00 - How many people do you need to notice you before you feel like you matter?
03:42 - The Apostle Paul is writing to the Christians in the city of Galatia
04:48 - Paul, before meeting Jesus, was a religious leader named Saul
07:17 - There might be a temptation to see all platforms and large followings as wrong or sinful
08:53 - God also platforms people in the marketplace and civil service
10:20 - There are far too many stories of preachers and leaders falling from the platform God has given them
11:08 - How the Idol of Platform creeps in
12:28 - If one of those descriptions hits close to home, it’s better to address it now and make changes before it becomes a habitual behaviour
15:02 - Take a moment and consider your platform
16:29 - Remember that Jesus has faced the same temptation
17:14 - Jesus had every kingdom on earth offered to Him, and He turned it down
17:58 - Prayer
18:39 - Communion
21:13 - Updates
22:40 - Discussion and Prayer Focus
23:18 - Come back next week!

 #Idols #IdolOfPlatform #GodsGlory #ApprovalOfGod #Galatians1 #MountainviewChurch 

Support the show

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Psalms 127:1-2 (ESV)

KEY VERSE: Psalms 127:1 (ESV) Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

BOTTOM LINE: Work is vanity unless God is the Builder.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:

We've all felt it; working so hard that you fall into bed each night, and somehow it still feels like it's not enough. Scripture has a word for that feeling: vanity, labour that leaves us empty no matter how early we rise or how late we stay up.

This week in our IDOLS series, we're looking at the idol of work. Scripture tells us that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. (Ps. 127:1)

When our job becomes the source of our identity, our security, and our belonging, we've quietly asked it to be a god instead of a gift. Join us as we learn what it looks like to work hard without asking our work to save us.

 #TheIdolOfWork #WorkAndFaith #FindingIdentityInGod #SabbathAndRest #Psalms127 

Support the show

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Psalm 127:3-5 (ESV) Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

KEY VERSE: Psalms 127:3 (ESV) 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

BOTTOMLINE: Children are a heritage from God, not a validation for parents.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:

Having children can bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and that's a good gift. But it also tempts us to let our identity, security, or sense of belonging start riding on how our kids turn out.

We're in week two of IDOLS: Uncovering Misplaced Worship, looking at the Idol of Children. Scripture tells us that children are a heritage, given to us by God to raise and then release. We can't hold onto them forever.

When a son or daughter becomes a focal point of all our devotion and adoration, it slips into a form of worship, then idolatry. Join us this Sunday as we learn how to raise our kids well without leaning on them to validate us.

 #Idols #Parenting #Children #FaithAndFamily #BiblicalParenting #Psalm127 

Support the show

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Genesis 2:18-25

KEY VERSE(S): Genesis 2:24 (ESV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

BOTTOM LINE: A spouse can bring connection, but Christ brings completion.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:Culture and media keep sending the same message: find the right person, and you'll finally feel whole, safe, and known. But is it wise to make another person the pinnacle of our existence?

This week we're starting a new series called IDOLS, beginning with the idol of relationship. Genesis 2 shows us God's design for marriage: two people becoming one flesh, but never meant to carry the weight some of us are placing on it.

When a spouse becomes the answer to our identity, our security, and our belonging, we've quietly asked them to be a god instead of a gift. Join us as we kick off IDOLS: Uncovering Misplaced Worship and learn what it looks like to love well without asking love to save us.

#RelationshipIdol #ChristIsEnough #BiblicalMarriage #IdentityInChrist #Genesis2 #MisplacedWorship 

Support the show

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Proverbs 22:6

KEY VERSE: Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ESV

BOTTOM LINE: We train our children in the way by walking it with them but ultimately, Jesus is the Way.

PROMO DESCRIPTION: What does Proverbs 22:6 actually mean when it says, “Train up a child in the way he should go”? In this message, we explore what it means to intentionally shape a child’s faith through daily example, repetition, guidance, and love. We’ll discover why children don’t just learn from what we tell them, they learn from the way we live. These Proverbs point us beyond good parenting and toward Jesus, the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.    

We teach them the path, walk alongside them, and trust Jesus to guide their steps.  

#ParentingAndFaith #ChristianParenting #TrainUpAChild #FaithByExample #JesusIsTheWay #Proverbs226 

Support the show

Who gets to decide when suffering ends? The assumption in Western culture is the individual who is suffering, but for most Christians, it's more complex than that.

In our final week of Questions & Answers, we're stepping into one of the hardest conversations facing Canadians today: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).

We'll learn where real comfort comes from, and what it costs to become that comfort for someone else. Then we'll close with communion, remembering the One who suffered first so His comfort could reach us.

Series: Questions & Answers
Speaker: Jeremy Norton
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Timestamps
00:00 - February 2015
04:35 - Two caveats
06:28 - MAiD wouldn’t be such a conflict for Christians if Scripture clearly permitted it or laid out accepted circumstances
08:09 - ABIMELECH
09:08 - SAUL
11:44 - SAMSON
13:45 - NT and Centuries of Church History
15:25 - Fast-forward to our modern era
17:21 - The Apostle Paul’s letters contain the instruction
20:44 - How do we live this out today?
22:27 - Why? Research shows that suicidal desire is rarely permanent
25:14 - Time and resource component
29:41 - Christian worldview
32:10 - Before we take communion…
33:52 - Prayer
34:33 - Communion
37:52 - Updates
40:40 - Discussion and Prayer
41:23 - Come back next week

#jesus #jesuschrist #mountainviewchurch #lifeanddeath #authority #god #lord

Support the show

We live in a culture where every election feels like a fight for the soul of the country. It's easy to let politics start doing the job your identity was supposed to do.

This week we open the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus gets handed a political trap by two groups who agreed on nothing except wanting Him gone. He answers by holding up a coin: "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

We'll talk about what it looks like to let your identity in Christ come before your loyalty to any party, and why that order matters. If you've ever felt torn between showing up for your country and staying anchored in Christ, this message is for you.

Series: Questions & Answers
Speaker: Jeremy Norton
Scripture: Matthew 22:15-22

Timestamps
00:00 - Family gatherings can get interesting these days
04:20 - We have two groups with nothing in common
06:30 - The coin
09:34 - Political trap turned into a core teaching on identity
11:29 - The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Roman Church
16:07 - Is this still important today?
23:13 - What does this look like in daily life?
30:13 - Back to the trap Jesus faced in the temple courts
33:13 - Our sinful nature keeps pushing us into political traps
35:05 - Prayer
35:49 - Updates
40:26 - Discussion and Prayer Focus
41:52 - Come back next week

#jesus #jesuschrist #lord #god #mountainviewchurch #questionsandanswers #identity #politics #faith

Support the show

Scripture passage: Mark 10:42-45

Bottom Line: Greatness in his kingdom is not measured by accomplishment or staus, but by the giving of one's self.

Promo: 

The world is full of voices that tell us to be focused on the self first. We need to be first. We need to attain a status that others will admire. We need to be true to ourselves and what our hearts desire. We need to prioritize our own version of the truth. It is a world of self-obsession and self-worship. The irony is that we often end up judging our self-worth on the basis of what other people think of us. 

What we seek is a sort of greatness, and to have others agree with us, affirm us, and admire us. These days we often demand this as if it is our right.

 There is a the way of the self, but there is another way; a better way.

This week join us as we look at what greatness is in the Kingdom of God, and who truly decides our value and worth.

 #ChristianPodcast #BiblePodcast #Mark10 #Mark1042 #Mark1045 #KingdomOfGod #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTeaching #Faith #Jesus #JesusChrist #ChristianFaith #Gospel #BibleStudy 

Support the show