Category Archives: HIStory – 52 Week Challenge

Good Morning, Christmas is less than 20 days away! Did you know that you and I share a heritage that began almost 2000 years ago?  We likely do it somewhat differently then they did but the principle and practice remains some two thousand years later.  And it will be a part of the church, part […]

Should we actually greet people with Merry Christmas? I have a confession to make…I love this season.   The whole season of Advent.  I admit it.  Christmas is one of my favourite times of year!  Even with its hustle and bustle and everything else that comes with it.   So I’m probably not the best […]

Can you think of an event in your life that caused you to believe that God was real? Few things overwhelm our soul and generate faith like personal encounters with our God.  I’m talking about those times when God acts in and through us that opens our eyes to the reality of the Almighty.  And […]

Did you know; “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21)? The Apostle James says, “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body” […]

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19).  “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them…; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:39)  Fear of the LORD brings freedom from FEAR! How many of you actually […]

In a book called, “Will Daylight Come”, a story is told about “a little boy that was visiting his grandparents and was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he […]

To see all of today’s study questions, click here. How many of you like learning lessons the hard way? Have you ever noticed that you learn some lessons much harder than others?  I was out flying my quad-copter-camera near Vaseux Lake this spring and had just taken off to do a sweep over a rock […]

To see all of today’s study questions, click here. https://youtu.be/HSab0OIkFmU That passage in Matthew has always caused me great concern.  I’ve wrestled with it for years now.  Especially every time I walk by a street person or drunk out begging or get accosted by the guy who stands at the corner of Channel Parkway and […]

To see all of today’s study questions, click here. I like this picture!  The cross is empty!  The tomb vacated! He has Risen! He has Risen indeed!  It is such Good News.  Especially when you know the risen Lord.   And know the power of His word to heal the broken hearted and set captives […]

Do you like dogs or cats?  It’s pretty safe to say our household is more inclined to dogs than cats.  Though I’ve had both in my lifetime so personally I have no bias against either so long as they are well behaved that is. Well maybe I have a little bias.  It seems that there […]

I often drive by the Hospital as I go back and forth from home to work.  And for the last couple of years now they have had this big digital sign facing Government and Carmi.  The sign flashes several messages but the predominant theme is leave your legacy, support the Hospital Foundation. Sometimes it congratulates […]

https://youtu.be/IMtPUgEXdWY This week Jimmy shared with us a message from Matthew 28:16-20   Read Matthew 28:16-20 in as many versions as you have available. 1. We call this passage (Matthew 28:16-20) the Great Commission, why? 2. Where does this encounter with Jesus take place? 3. Since it is neither the Risen Lord’s first encounter nor final […]

To see all of today’s study questions, click here. https://youtu.be/lQZ8rGbSsrA Thomas Fuller a British Minister wrote, “A man apt to promise is apt to forget”.  Booker T. Washington describes meeting an ex-slave from Virginia in his book, ‘Up From Slavery’: there Brooker writes, “I found that this man had made a contract with his master, […]

What is love?  Is it a noun, verb or adjective? Is it a feeling, thoughts or a person? My definition of Love, being it’s Valentine’s day and all, is a simple one.  God.  I’ll mention it again in case you missed that, God.  The Bible says, “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8).  So any definition […]

We were privileged to have  Missionaries John & Marlene Baerg come to Grace and share a bit of their journey of faith.     Some might call it amazing coincidences other luck but as I set up HIStory- 52 weekly biblical challenge and chose which story would fall on which weekend this weeks story found in […]

I don’t know if you have noticed or not but I’m not picking out all the usual stories from HIStory as we progress in this 52 Week Challenge.  In fact I’ve already jumped over several prominent passages that we preacher types like to focus on in favour of some stories that we don’t hear much […]

Let’s begin with reading HIStory this morning. Matthew 8:5-13 To see all of today’s study questions, click here. When we are telling someone HIStory we do well to study and understand what it is we are talking about.   And in the internet age we really don’t have an excuse for not knowing.  Other than if […]

To see all of today’s study questions, click here. In the beginning God created the heavens and earth and everything in them.  Birds and fish and animals and then it was time to create His masterpiece.   “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female […]

Today’s Story is found in Matthew 2:1-12 Often times even in our preaching and teaching schedule we sort of celebrate the event of Epiphany during Advent yet it actually comes in the official church calendar on the 6th of January.   What is Epiphany?  Is it as Merriam Websters defines “an appearance or manifestation especially of a […]

Do you know your history?  Do you know where you came from?  What makes you, you?  Why do you do or don’t do the things that you do?  We’re told by those who study such things that much of it can be traced back to the environment that you grew up in but certainly not […]

Acts 22:14-15: “’The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.  You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard”. This was Paul’s assignment: Go share Hope! How?  By being Christ’s witness telling people […]

The Messenger 1   Introduction We are going to turn our thoughts now to the third and final chapter under the doctrinal section of the letter to the Ephesians. It is a chapter that falls into four main themes: Paul’s concern for his readers (verses 1 and 13); Confirmation of Paul’s special calling to “make […]

The Messenger 2 Introduction For as long as we live in this 4-dimensional world of space and time there is going to be an ongoing struggle between faith and our senses. Let me illustrate what I mean. Jesus said “Lo, I am with you all the days – perpetually, uniformly and on every occasion – […]

  The Messenger 1 Introduction In the 90’s stereograms, you may recall, were all the rage. A stereogram, of course, is just the fancy name for a 3D image hidden within another picture. When you first look at the picture it appears as nothing more than a meaningless jumble of lines and colours. It does […]

  Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, my spiritual journey began when I was in my early 20’s with a commitment of my life to Jesus Christ at a Methodist Youth Camp. It was at one of those camps that I was to meet and later marry Gillian. Next year we hope to celebrate our […]

Getting to Know Jesus is a ten day biblical journey of faith and discovery, it was developed by Brian Bird a now retired Anglican priest living in South Africa. Our life today is dependant on relationships and what better relationship to develop and nurture, than one with God, our Creator. This booklet can be used to […]