Clyde Christian Bible Church

What does the first martyrdom of an apostle have to do with Peter's miraculous escape from prison (again), and what does that have to do with a vicious, self-serving king, and how is that connected to an unanswered knock on a gate, and what's that got to do with being consumed by worms? The Beatles, obviously. Not to mention faithfulness in the face of God's Sovereign care.WARNING: Many terrible Beatles references within. Also bowel-eating parasites.

The funny thing about the New Year is that, while everything is new, nothing feels different. Using that sensation as a a backdrop, we explore the significance of the anonymous Antioch Church's first evangelistic ministry to the Gentiles.

This week, we're on the Island of Misfit Toys. On this island, known as the Church, we misfits are the perfect fit for what our King has planned. Even the most abominable monsters (like Saul) can be reformed by this love and called to a purpose in Him. Let Rudolph light the way as our guide through Acts, the Christmas story, and God's Love. Disclaimer: Contains a portion of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964), as distributed by NBC/Universal, available for purchase on BluRay, DVD, or wherever you purchase, rent, or stream movies online (eg: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/tv-season/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer/id1164626177). I do not own any of the copyrighted material played within.

...in which Chris uses a movie he's never seen as his main illustration, connecting the martyrdom of Stephen to Miracle of 34th Street and the Peace of the Advent season. Along the way we examine terrified shepherds, courtroom dramas, and a belligerent preacher who hasn't seen It's a Wonderful Life. But mostly we find out how Jesus brings peace to our broken, chaotic world. Disclaimer: Contains a portion of "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), as released by 20th Century Fox, available for purchase on BluRay, DVD, or wherever you purchase, rent, or stream movies online (eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rpg95CzFXM). I do not own any of the copyrighted material played within.

Continuing in our examination of Advent through the lenses of Acts and Christmas movies we love, this sermon heads down Mt. Crumpet and into Whoville. We will see how joy is a transformational response to grace, and how we are called to spread that joy to others (often through sacrificial giving). We will journey through Acts, the nativity scene, and the genius of Dr. Seuss & Chuck Jones to find joy as a light in our darkness. Disclaimer: Contains a portion of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" (1966), as released by Warner Home Video, available for purchase on BluRay, DVD, or wherever you purchase, rent, or stream movies online (eg: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-1966/id598131599 ). I do not own any of the copyrighted material played within.

How do you connect Acts 2, the first week of Advent (Hope), and the classic Christmas film Home Alone? Tune in to find out! Important Disclaimer: Contains a portion of "Home Alone" (1990), as produced by Hughes Entertainment and 20th Century Fox, available for purchase on BluRay, DVD, or wherever you purchase or rent movies online (eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU3Ia5Fsn-k ). I do not own any of the copyrighted material played within.

Repetition can feel tiresome and lazy, as sitcom watchers in the 90's may remember. But repetition in Scripture has power. And this familiar retelling of Peter's vision and visit with Cornelius certainly contains some added power.As we hear Chris say the word 'circumcision' waaaaaaay too many times, we will see how the first inner-conflict of the Church was resolved when biases and bigotries were put aside so that God could move forward with His glorious plans.Apologies in advance to former Oiler Sam Gagner, hot dog barbecuers, and fans of Full House.

What does a nerd getting a bloody nose on a bicycle trip have to do with Peter and the gentiles? I guess you'll have to listen to find out. As Peter gives the first gospel sermon intended for gentiles, we will see him focus on the basics of faith. As an added bonus, you will also learn the secret to Chris' sermon writing. Spoiler alert: it's really not a secret at all. Peter is much better at it anyway.

WARNING: DO NOT LISTEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!In this sermon, we examine the vision experienced by Paul that lead him to kick down the door between the Jews and the Gentiles (with the prodding of the Lord). It was a monumental change in the Kingdom of God, with fascinating origins. So get comfy, take up your roasted gecko and chocolate-covered ladybug, and find out how a gentile like yourself was welcomed into the covenant.

He may not have been the hero we'd expect for the monumental task of initiating the process of welcoming the Gentiles into the Church, but Cornelius reminds us that God chooses unexpected people who have a heart for Him and for their neighbors. Cornelius also reminds us to set aside our assumptions about who God is willing to use and include in His plans.Apologies in advance to any American friends who may be listening to this. I'm sure you'll never invade Alberta looking for freshwater. Please?

As Peter visits the "Holy Ones", we read about healing acts done for humble people with unfortunate names. What can we learn about the nature of God's people? What can we learn about receiving, reflecting and being redeemed by His love? How can Chris mistake the metric system for the imperial system so frequently? All these answers and more as we journey with Peter as the Holy Spirit prepares him to blow the doors open among the "Hagios".

Saul's early efforts in ministry don't inspire much thankfulness at first glance. He endures suffering, death threats, loneliness and rejection. However, in exploring the story (as well as sections of Paul's later writings) we will see how, even in the most difficult of times, we should always be like Saul and demonstrate contentment, praise, and thankfulness. Even inside a fish basket.Plus, we get to meet the Big Map o' Missions, and Chris uses food metaphors an awful lot.

This is not a sermon either! It's part 2 in a mini-series of historical fictional biographies (liberties were definitely taken) exploring some fascinating characters in the Book of Acts. Last week it was Saul's conversion, this week it's the story of the man who played a central role in that conversion: Ananias of Damascus. Step into his world and find the story of a faithful servant, suffering for Christ, who heard the words of Jesus and helped turn an enemy into a brother. Still working on the sound quality. My apologies!

This morning, we examine the conversion of Saul through the eyes of Saul himself. It's not a sermon, but hopefully it results in some encouragement and exploration of the effect that an encounter with the Light of Jesus can have on our entire being. (Disclaimer: the recording at church was of exceedingly poor quality, and I suffered several major coughing attacks, so I re-recorded this at my house after church)

The story of Philip's one-on-one evangelism is given the same space and theological weight as his earlier conversion of an entire people group, the Samaritans. Why is that? Because micro-evangelism is just as important as macro-evangelism. In this sermon, we examine some of the keys to effective evangelism, using Philip as a template. It is a convicting sermon for our church and our pastor, who has much to learn in this area! As a bonus: see if you can pinpoint the exact moment where every male in the congregation winced in sympathetic agony. (Apologies again for the poor audio. We think it's fixed now!)

Contrasting the Forbes list of the most powerful people in 2016 with the Biblical heroes like Philip, Peter, John and Jesus, we further examine a Biblical understanding of power. God uses His power to invite and save (even Samaritans!); Simon covets power for personal gain. Careful: things get political. Also, apologies for the audio quality. Still trying to work that out.

Power in the Kingdom of God looks nothing like power in the world. In this, the first of a two-part sermon exploring the spread of the Gospel to Samaria (and in particular Simon the Magician), we examine how God uses power to make enemies into family, and how we have the power to change our community. That is, as long as we're willing to lay our own power down. Make sure you're listening like a bunch of men (yes dear, okay) and don't get your Simons mixed up when you fight with your brothers. I promise all those references will make sense when you listen. [PS- apologies for the audio quality. I got a new computer and it was being temperamental. -Chris]

Chris describes the lessons offered to the Youth Group, and then examines how the leaders were fortunate to watch those lessons come to life in the campers through the course of the week. From the Mountains of God (Sinai, Carmel, Transfiguration, Mt of Olives, Calvary) to the mountains of Jasper (Pyramid, Tekarra, Bald Hills, Parker Ridge), God is given glory! Featuring new musical intro/outro: "Measure Your Best (Instrumental)" by Styrofoam Apache (Stephen Robinson, Jackson O'Brien, Ian O'Brien, Chris Lantz, Geoff Rimmer)

After dealing with a severe medical issue, our dear friend Lisa shares with us the refreshing perspective she's gained on pain, life, and God's faithful provision.

Using a profound encounter on an airplane as the main illustration, along with a portrait of scattered seeds, we journey through the end of Stephen's life and the beginning of Saul's persecution of the Church to examine how we can respond to suffering, and see God in the midst of the storm. Stick around for a poorly recorded (but beautifully sung) version of "It Is Well With My Soul", with Stephanie, Trish, Angie and Chris.