Sunday Sermons

Mike Frost's book on the 5 spiritual habits talks about living your life as good neighbors so that it makes others ask you questions by doing things that surprise other people.

This Mother's Day our Associate Pastor Darin Martin talked about eating together and the impact of food in ministry.

Jesus is the ultimate example of doing things that wouldn't be normal and lead to questions being raised out of curiosity about why he does these things.

Jesus would commonly preach about being good neighbors take time of eating to teach others about the father.  Some examples of this include; feeding the 5000 and healing Peter's mother-in-law.

Jesus would commonly eat food with tax collectors leading to barriers and causing questions to be raised.

Tax collectors were known as the lowest of society whereas the Pharisees that he would convict were held in high respect.

We tend to eat three times a day why not eat one with someone else? This week let's eat a meal with someone else.

You can surprise this friend by encouraging them during the meal, paying for the meal, preparing the meal, etc.

When you sit down with a friend Jesus should be such a big part of your life that it comes up naturally.  As we listen to the Holy Spirit and share about your life and stories your story and what is happening in your life can't be offensive.

Action steps to being good neighbors:

1. Ask the Holy Spirit who we should invite for lunch

2. Take the step and invite someone to eat with them

3. Listen to the spirit and allow your stories and what is going on in your life to be shared without it being offensive or making someone uncomfortable

The stories of what Jesus has done with food are amazing.  The story may have started with a story about Mexican hamburgers but the importance of this message is that God calls us to eat together.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

We are called to be good neighbors like the church bells in the way they ring with joy to attract people.

We are called to bless and love others. It is easy to forget to keep this at the front of our minds.

How we go about sharing the gospel is a big part of this. When we share the gospel with the goal of converting people it makes us disconnected.

Instead, go out and bless people with kind words and actions. When asked say the reason for your kindness is Jesus. Act and live like Jesus but be prepared to share when asked.

You may need to ask yourself, what are the barriers I have to blessing people?

They could include:

1. Fear

2. Busyness

3. Stress

4. Worry

5. Selfishness

6. Perception

Many more...

It is important to not let opportunities to bless others pass by us. Words of kindness are an easy way to bless others as they give and enhance people's lives.

Our actions and gift-giving are also habits you can develop whether you have them naturally or not to become the good neighbors that scripture calls us to be.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Ever had a bad neighbor but wanted a good neighbor? It's a nightmare. Ever been a bad neighbor, when you should have been a good neighbor? Jesus teaches us what it means to love your neighbor by way of the Good Samaritan story which has captured generations for millennia.

Luke 10:25-37:  On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life? “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite passed by on the other side when he came to the place and saw him. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Dr. Cyril Guerette speaks about Jesus' teaching of who our neighbor is and how to be a 'Good Samaritan' AKA a good neighbor in the way we live our lives.  Loving your neighbor looks like uncommon self-sacrifice that is hard for millions to apply.  The first step is to understand who your neighbor is as Jesus describes in the above passage.

We will explore this in the next few weeks through:

1. How do you bless others

2. Eating with one-another

3. Living and learning Jesus' habits

4. Being sent by Jesus and learning to live for others on the mission

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

3:11: God has set eternity in the human heart.

This is the reason why we as humans desire to make moments last and to live forever.  We were not meant to only live in this life.

The gift of God by the holy spirit is this eternal life that we desire in our hearts.  All we have to do is turn from our sin and commit ourselves to following Jesus.

John17:3- Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

If you know Jesus, you know eternal life.

As we enter Easter and appreciate the free gift Jesus has given us, take a chance and analyze where you need to grow.

We need to work on the way that we talk about hope with one another.  For example instead of saying Grandma had died and gone to heaven say and hold in your heart that one day Grandma will rise from the dead when Jesus returns.

Instead of shunning the physical world, reveal to it the hope that the Holy Spirit has placed upon your hearts.  We need to celebrate and show the gift of eternal life wherever we go physically in the world.

Pslams16:11- You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Did you know the book of Zechariah arguably has the most to say about the end times after Revelation?  One example of this is that a horse was a symbol of warrior status in biblical times and a Donkey is a symbol of peace and agricultural status.  By coming into Jerusalem on a donkey he wants to say I am for everyone.

Pastor Cyril Guerette talks about what it's like to have a mindset of giving others the metaphorical donkey without expecting credit or glory.  This is being made incredibly hard in a culture that is trying to take the stuff away from us with online scams and a call about air duct cleaning every week.

During Covid-19 church attendance and the energy of its members have been down many of us have been wondering why God is doing this.  The answer that Cyril felt God saying as he met with other pastors is that it is time for us to be pruned so the church can become healthier.

The gardener (God) knows what he is doing.  This is an excellent example of the suffering that we are promised to face as Christians and an excellent opportunity for us to bless others during this difficult time.

When Jesus was cut down on the cross it fulfilled the entire universe forever.  Like the devoted followers of Jesus praising God during these difficult times is how we show God we are devoted followers.  As we bless others during this difficult time it also shows others how blessed we are as well.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Dr. Cyril Guerette talks with one of our founding elders Nick Peros about the recent book he authored on the rapture, end times, and escatology.

Mark 12:30- In this verse, God asks us to love him with all aspects of who we are.  Love God with your mind (how you think), with your heart (what you feel), and with your body (your actions).

Cyril dives into the enlightenment v.s. romanticism period that compares science & reason v.s. nature & imagination.  These two movements are very strong and can have a big divide.

Cyril does a great job using comedy examples about his kids and cats while teaching an eschatology course to bring home the point of the wrath of God and the aftermath.

In Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  When we give the holy spirit control of our heart and mind we achieve better discernment of what he wants us to do.

This can be difficult as when we have desires of the spirit and choose to act on them there will often be many of us that won't understand these callings.  It is made easier when we think of God as our actual father and knows that he loves us as his children.

The time you spend with God can also be recorded and tracked so you know where you stand in your relationship with them.

James2:15-16- 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

If you see people's needs and only think of their intellectual needs to know Jesus you aren't loving them with your whole heart.  If you are only thinking of their need to be comforted for their loss you're not loving them with your whole mind.

If you're not thinking about how you can love others through service or a comforting hug you're not loving them either your whole body.

Each of us is strong in one of these 3 areas but weak in at least one of the others.  Cyril challenges us to identify and work on the area where we identify a weakness in one of these areas.

Finding a balance and choosing who you journey with can have a massive impact on our hearts, minds, and bodies.  The people who are around us can have a positive or negative impact on these areas.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Pastor, Cyril begins continues week 3 of our brand new series called "Living On Borrowed Time" where he calls us to consider how we could be using the time that is "Lent" to us.

God wants us to love him with our bodies (1corinthians9:27) resisting the desires of our flesh.  Paul is talking about his spiritual journey and the parts of our body that we need to control.  An issue with this is that our bodies give us instant pleasure (release of dopamine) like drugs, social media, fast food, sex, etc.

Our bodies will be treasured when we can resist the temptation and delay our desire for instant gratification.  If we become too dependent on social media or anything else that can provide us with instant satisfaction that won't last long term we trap ourselves in becoming depressed longer term.

When we practice fasting or restraining ourselves from certain things as we do during the period of Lent it has an amazing individual benefit in our personal relationships with God.  Make sure that your fasting goes hand in hand with prayer so you can better build the fruits of the spirit.

We are not just recommended to take care of our bodies spiritually.  Having poor nutrition and not exercising can limit where our bodies can physically go or do for God.  It is also important to have a great sleep so your body can recover the way it's meant to.

Since our bodies are so important to God we should ask ourselves daily, how am I using my body to help others.  Many of our members have thought about how Church can help others with their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Pastor Bryan O'Gorman continues our series called "Living On Borrowed Time" where he teaches on Stewardship.  Bryan talks about how the accumulation of wealth isn't important but through the process of sanctification, knowing God is infinitely important.

In 2Corinthians Paul teaches us that we are called to be generous stewards with what God has given us. It does not take a huge quantity of money to obscure our journey with God. That is why 1/3 of Jesus' parables in the four gospels alone (228 times he says the word money), and more than faith/prayer combined. Jesus says "Where your treasure is, that is where your heart is also."

We often forget that everything in our lives is not our own, especially when we put tremendous effort into reaching a goal I.e. a promotion or sports championship. We have a responsibility as Christ-followers to be good stewards of everything the Earth has to offer us. We must be careful to not let money cause us to wander away from our faith and enter a very dark space.

Money is not evil, it's a good thing but the love of money is a root that can lead to great evil. Is it seen as a way to bless others or a way to achieve personal gain?

Story of the 3 Servants Parable:

Brian describes this with a famous parable from Matthew about the three servants that God gives money to based on their abilities. He gave each servant a different amount of money and as expected the servant he gave the least to was afraid and hid the money so he wouldn't lose it whereas the other servants doubled the money they were given.

1. God has given and entrusted us each with gifts.

2. God doesn't expect us to always use these gifts wisely, he judges us differently (each of the three servants was given different amounts.

3. We are accountable to God when we freely choose God's will.

When we step out in faith and try serving even in ways we don't think we'll be good at it's amazing how God uses us. Just remember giving is a blessing and we are to do so joyfully without expecting anything back in exchange.

Thank you for joining us.

The Groundswell Church is a member of Christian Copyright Licensing International and all of the songs being played in this video is used with permission.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Dr. Cyril Guerette talks about preparing and how we are living on borrowed time.  He dives into scripture giving examples of how we are to best spend our time on earth i.e. submitting to one another's needs and serving one another.

It is important to listen to God and understand what our individual and collective missions are and how God wants us to prepare for these missions at different stages of our life.  When we break down the areas where we give our time and discern how to schedule our time it can be overwhelming.

How do we do this?

Do we make time for ourselves and are we making time for God?

It is important to take time for ourselves (the sabbath) so we can rest and spend time with family and friends but also to spend time with God.  The time that we take out of our days to give to God is incredibly important for our redemption.

During this time we are actually being the most productive despite what our culture might believe about productivity.  God wants us to make use of our time knowing that it isn't our own and also prioritizing our time i.e. family, friends, work, church, serving, helping those in need.

Along with our time which God has given you how are you going to use the talents God has given you?  When we can use our time and talents to best glorify God each day we are truly living to serve and love others.

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Pastor Cyril Guerette focuses on the importance of gathering and encouraging one another when we stumble as a community in the Christian church.

If we are to encourage someone to continue to love others it must be done in love and not in frustration or anger.

Thankfully as a result of COVID-19 we were still able to meet virtually but there is truly no substitute for meeting in person as a spiritual family.

As our brothers and sisters return to the church and we connect with them more in person we are able to grow more together.

The day of Jesus returning:

When the day of Jesus' return comes those that we are able to encourage in the ways Jesus would be more prepared. We should pray that Jesus would use us to encourage others to love our enemies and everyone in our community as well.

Those that have a close relationship with Jesus and support from a strong Christian community as less affected by the evil forces that try to hurt us.

The enemy wants fear to overcome us, as a result, we need to gather to support one another when fear tries to control us.

Let us ask you a few application questions that you can focus on this week.

1. How will you spur on those around you this week?

2. How can live out praying for your enemies this week?

3. How can you love those around you with love or through your actions?

Connect With Us:

If you have not been out to Groundswell Church before we want to meet you.  Let’s meet for coffee.  Contact us Here:

At Groundswell, we know that personal connection is vital in connecting with a spiritual community. Our pastors love people and would be excited to meet you for a coffee, phone call, or meal to answer any questions you might have and get to know you better.

If you would like to meet one of our pastors, please send a quick note to [email protected] and we will try to arrange a meeting asap.

If you would like to join our church family today we'd love to have you.

Hebrew10:24-25:   And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.