For Those With Ears - Entries from June 2012

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FriFridayJunJune29th2012 A hard message to preach
Posted Friday, June 29 2012 @ 8 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged From the Cave 1 comments Add comment

I’m kind of glad that a bunch of people will be away this weekend for the long weekend and the start of summer vacation. A lighter crowd this Sunday will make it a wee bit easier to preach the Text that is staring me down. Although, not really that much easier.

I’m not going to say much about it, except to say that anytime we circle around to the topic of leadership in the church and the people’s obligation to “submit to” and “obey” that leadership…well, it is just a bit uncomfortable from my perspective. Yet, there it is in Hebrews in the next few verses we have to look at together. There’s no skipping them because we’re committed to “verse-by-verse” through the Bible.

I find the message hard to preach for at least two reasons. One, there are those who will think I am being self-serving, as in “obey my leadership” and “submit to me as your pastor”.  I try not to be a people-pleaser, but I’m also not so much into provoking people to hate me. This message has the potential to do that.

Two, the whole thing invites a greater scrutiny by God on my life as a pastor. I’m not actually that concerned with the scrutiny of people when I think about God’s judgment on me for how I’ve led his people. When I think about it enough, I think it would be better to do something that didn’t invite any extra attention from God. I mean, I have enough trouble living my own Christian life without having to worry about being responsible before God for you too.

It is a hard message to preach, but that said, I know my calling, and on Sunday I will, by God’s grace, stand before our church and preach these words, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls…”

The whole passage we will look at together is Hebrews 13:7-17 and the title of the message is “Remember your leaders”.  Read that passage before we get together and listen to the worship songs we will be singing. Get your heart ready to be with the church to lift high the name of Jesus Christ! Pray for God’s Spirit to be manifest in our worship.

We will also be remembering the Lord’s death as Pastor Mike leads us through the Lord’s Table together.  And at the end of the services, we’ll be praying over the Glasgow Team as they fly to Scotland next Friday.

See you Sunday!

Todd
ThuThursdayJunJune28th2012 Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
Posted Thursday, June 28 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Passafiume Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
As I write this my holidays are mere days away…and I’m pretty excited about that. The last six months have been an amazing whirlwind…but a whirlwind nonetheless. I went on my first date with Kevin on January 1, got engaged on February 18 and got married on May 12…it has NOT been boring and I’m overwhelmingly thankful for this sweet gift and the blessing that my new husband is to me.

But the reality is that the last six months have turned my normally very orderly, planned, disciplined life upside down! I’ve had to work much harder than usual to ensure that my daily time with the Lord isn’t compromised. As I’ve (slowly) been adjusting to my new life and routine I’m finding a deep desire to just sit at the feet of Jesus and be still before him.

Amber recently wrote a blog about Mary and Martha – man, I want to be more like Mary! I’m so ready to have some time to just be still before the Lord…to spend some sweet time alone with the Lord – away from email, Facebook, text messages, housecleaning, meal planning, laundry and every other distraction that seemingly needs my attention.

Matthew West has a great song called Stop the World – these are some of the lyrics that my heart tends to resonate with from time to time:

Stop the world, I wanna get out
I need an escape away from this crowd
Just to hear you speak to me

I need to be still before I make a move
And I need to be humble with nothing to prove
And I need your Word to show me the truth
I need time, precious time

Psalm 46:10 is pretty clear that we are to be still and know that he is God…I’m not great at being still but I’m taking some serious time in the next couple weeks to very intentionally be still and sit at the feet of Jesus. Praying that you too will find precious times over the next few weeks to be still and sit at the feet of Jesus.
WedWednesdayJunJune27th2012 No one wants to kill them anymore
Posted Wednesday, June 27 2012 @ 8 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

“No one wants to kill them anymore”

This line from Sunday’s message was a bit jarring, wasn’t it? The full quotation made the point for the church in the free democracies of the Western world,

Christianity has been made so completely devoid of character that there is really nothing to persecute. The chief trouble with Christians, therefore, is that no one wants to kill them any more! Søren Kierkegaard

Freedom of religion, it is argued, has made us soft and weakened our faith, not strengthened it. I used the word “impoverished” to describe the state of the church. And so, we have something to think about concerning the lack of persecution in our culture. We have to ask why it is that no one cares that much about us. Have we simply lost our edge? No boldness anymore?

Good questions. Perhaps we are seeing the tide change and the days of Christ-followers being persecuted for the faith are coming. In that day, Lord, help us stand firm for you and for your gospel no matter the cost.

But for many, that day is already here. In countries that have oppressive regimes governing them, those who follow Jesus Christ are routinely and legally persecuted for their faith.

International Christian Concern is an advocacy ministry that speaks on behalf of persecuted believers around the world. On their website, (www.persecution.org) they make this statement:

International Christian Concern (ICC) exists to relieve the suffering of the worldwide persecuted church and help the church grow in strength and breadth by providing effective advocacy, awareness and assistance with integrity toward God and our donors. In this past century alone an estimated 200 million Christians were murdered for their faith, more than during any other century in human history. ICC acts as a bridge between believers in free countries and believers in persecuted countries by sending encouragement, prayers and aid over the bridge while bringing back news, requests and love.

Another helpful ministry and website is that of The Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.net).  They state their purpose as:

Countless Christians around the world are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. The Voice of the Martyrs Canada stands alongside persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide. We help Christians who are, or have been, persecuted for their involvement in spreading the gospel; we love and support believers who are willing to invite their fellow men, even their persecutors, to Jesus Christ; and we encourage persecuted Christians by giving their testimony a voice, informing Christians in Canada to know how to help. Join us in raising awareness of and reaching out to the persecuted Church!

The Apostle Paul wrote from prison to the church in Colossae, “Remember my chains” (Colossians 4:18), and the preacher in Hebrews 13:3 exhorted his hearers to, “Remember those is prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you are also in the body.”

From the perspective of those in prison, the former verse expresses the heart of those who are persecuted that their brothers and sisters in Christ would remember them to the Father in prayer. And what I understand their primary request to be is simply, “Pray that our faith will not fail.”

From the perspective of those who are not being persecuted, the latter verse compels us to not abandon our responsibility to care for those in the body…if “only” by making ourselves aware and with our prayers.

And we should because someday we might be the ones needing those prayers. I understand that no one wants to kill us. For now.

 

 

 
TueTuesdayJunJune26th2012 My words should be…
Posted Tuesday, June 26 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Passafiume Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
I love words…I love learning new words, playing games that involve words, reading words, using words to talk with people…but sometimes my words get me into trouble because I’m not always great at thinking about the effect my words might have before I open my mouth to speak them.

I’ve been aware for years that my words hold great power – I can build up or tear down with only a few syllables uttered. The Lord has been gracious to me and grown me in the area of words but I know I still have a long way to go as I seek to become more like Christ.

Last week a friend sent me a blog and out of that blog I picked four verses that I’m going to memorize this summer. I titled a page “My Words Should Be…” and have these verses hanging on my bedroom mirror as well as on my desk:

My words should be:

Edifying:
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29

Gentle:
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1

Self-controlled:
"A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
Proverbs 29:11

Compassionate:
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32

There are a few women in my life who I really look up to when it comes to the words that they speak…these women are treasures to me – they challenge and encourage me by how they reflect Christ. I long to be like the woman in Proverbs 31:26 who “opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

Once again I’m looking at my heart and recognizing that the overflow of my heart is what pours out of my mouth…working to fill my heart with Christ and his word so that becomes the overflow!
MonMondayJunJune25th2012 The Monday blog about Sunday
Posted Monday, June 25 2012 @ 8 AM byEutychus Tagged Monday 0 comments Add comment
Another great Sunday at Harvest Barrie!

The parking ministry is really getting some nice weather, I'm sure they are thankful for their Sunday morning base tans. Another great reason to plug in there I suppose? #sarcasm

There was a great buzz in the lobby too, really exciting to be welcomed the way I was yesterday, despite the fact that people generally don't know who I really am...

I had a chance to swing by the grade 4-5 classroom yesterday to check out what goes on there, couldn't believe what I saw. The room was transformed into a shopper's delight.  These kids have been working really hard all year long and have racked up points for bringing their Bibles, using them, answering questions  and participating in class.  On Sunday they redeemed their points for some great rewards.  Great blessings come from obedience and diligence, eh? Praising God for our dedicated teachers and an amazing year of growth in our Harvest kids.
 
The worship was fantastic yesterday too, there is something about those spontaneous choirs that I just love! People getting up there worshipping their faces off, it's just great. I was tempted to go up, but with a voice like mine it may have really distracted people...love singing out that Yahweh song though, so powerful to hear the people of God shouting out his name.

Pastor Todd brought a great word yesterday also (listen here). It's a bittersweet feeling wrapping up Hebrews. I've learned so much during this year through it. Yesterday was another heavy hitting Sunday. We need to LOVE on one another, that got me in a big way. Easier said then done, really hoping to sense and see that love pouring out over the summer as we continue doing life together. Also was a great reminder of those pledge cards we filled out 16 weeks back, I must be honest, I had almost forgotten but it was still in my Bible and I don't recall being late so that feels alright!

Till next week friends.
FriFridayJunJune22nd2012 No fear
Posted Friday, June 22 2012 @ 7 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Everyone is afraid of something. If someone says that they are not afraid, they are probably just afraid of looking weak. So they are, in fact, afraid of something. Most people though readily admit a fear or phobia. And while fear may be universal, what many do not realize is that we actually have the choice as to what we will fear.

The fears and phobias we have are both rational and irrational. These might include a fear of flying, open spaces, spiders and such that are based on rational situations. But the irrational response is to never get in plane (though it is safer than your car), to never travel to Saskatchewan, or to run screaming from the room because a Daddy-Long-Legs made an appearance…on TV. Irrational.

Moving it from the general to the specific, when a Christ-follower claims no fear, he or she is saying it in the context of their eternal destiny and their faith journey here. It is a statement about identity, security and provision. They are saying, “I am not concerned or afraid about who I am, what I have or don’t have and where I am going in life. Those things are settled for me. I don’t fear the present or the future.”

In essence, it is our unshakable faith in Jesus Christ that sets the stage for that confidence. The preacher of the Hebrews sermon quoted Psalm 118:6 to make his declaration, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6 ESV). It is a statement about his faith, but it is rooted in something else. And that something else is love.

The Apostle John said it this way, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18a).

John was saying something about eternal destinies in that context and the confident assurance we have that we, as the followers of Christ, would not face the judgment of God and eternal separation from him. The perfect love of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that resulted from that love means we do not need to fear death or judgment.

Once those two things are out of the way, spiders and heights and such seem awfully trivial.

“No Fear” is the title for the fourth and final section of the Hebrews sermon.  We have been encouraged this year through our study in Hebrews to LISTEN UP to important teaching concerning Christ, to HOLD FAST to what we have heard and to RUN HARD in light of it all. And now we are being exhorted in the last chapter to do so with NO FEAR.

Sunday we will look at Hebrews 13:1-6 in an effort to “Let brotherly love continue” in our church family. It's there, we just need to work hard to make sure it is continuing. Take some time to prepare your own heart to be here on Sunday by reading and meditating on the passage and by listening to the great line up of songs we will use to focus our worship. And pray for your own response to our time in the Word and worshipping him.

See you Sunday

Todd

P.S. The Pregnancy Resource Centre Baby Bottle Drive numbers are in. The total raised was in excess of $34,000 and Harvest bottles brought in better than $5,300! Higher than we have ever contributed through this effort. Thanking God AGAIN for your generosity!
ThuThursdayJunJune21st2012 Convicted AND blessed!
Posted Thursday, June 21 2012 @ 8 AM byJeannie Coros Tagged Higher Ground 0 comments Add comment
Prepare to be convicted!  I was beyond blessed a couple of weeks ago when two young ladies bounced up to me and excitedly told me they had something to share.  A sweet friend had challenged them to memorize God’s Word and they proceeded to recite Psalm 103 verses 1 to 13.  That's 13 verses….from memory!!!  It was incredible to hear the Word of the Lord coming out of these angelic little voices. 



I was moved to tears and challenged beyond belief.  Look at the richness of the words they have hidden in their hearts: 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,  and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,  and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity,  who heals all your diseases ,who redeems your life from the pit,     

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good     

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 

The Lord works righteousness  and justice for all who are oppressed. 

He made known his ways to Moses,  his acts to the people of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide,  nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,  nor repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth,  so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,  so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

I love that so much of God’s character is wrapped up in these verses and the solid reminder of his steadfast love for us.  I love that these girls have hidden these powerful words in their hearts and will be able to call on them at a moment’s notice in their time of need.  I love that they will undoubtedly encourage many, who are thirsty for a word from Lord. 

This is one of the reasons I’m a big fan of Awana and am thrilled that our church offers this program.  After completing five books, kids will have memorized over 500 Scripture verses – unbelievable!  If our kids are doing this – what is stopping us?  I have certainly used age as an excuse claiming that it’s so much easier for kids to learn anything!  Time is another big excuse – lame!  I certainly have time when I’m waiting in line at the grocery store, or driving in my car or drying my hair – I just need to make it a priority.

I am excited about my current memory verse project and that a fellow staff member is holding me accountable to locking this Scripture down.  The verses are pertinent to a current struggle in my life and I know the power that God’s Word has to transform me – so grateful that we have it at our fingertips.

So as we cruise into these delightful summer months – what’s your plan?  Were you challenged by our Harvest kids as well?  Are you ready to make God’s Word a priority in your life?  I’d love to hear what you will do or are doing to hide God’s Word in your heart.  Be blessed!
WedWednesdayJunJune20th2012 The power of your story
Posted Wednesday, June 20 2012 @ 9 AM byRoger Freeman Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Have you ever been moved to tears?  Maybe it was a scene in a movie.  Probably not “The Avengers,” but maybe some other touching kind of moment, in some other kind of movie, that someone might watch, sometime.  Are you ever moved to tears during worship?  Perhaps during one of our “Storylines” videos? (You can see them here.)

Sometimes I am moved to tears as I read people’s stories before baptisms.  The way God moves in lives and brings people to himself fills me with wonder and amazement and joy!  Paul knew all about this for himself and for others.  He speaks of it in 1 Timothy 1:12-17.  Is this a description of what God has done in your life?

“… the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

Paul notes that God’s grace overcame whatever he had filled his life with.  God’s mercy overcomes our sin!  But it doesn’t end there.  God has a purpose every time he saves someone.  It is so he can show, just like with Paul, “…his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”  Your story is an example of God’s grace!  It is a template, a pattern for someone else to follow.

Maybe you never thought of your life as something that brings honour and glory to the immortal, invisible God.  But God thinks it does.  It might not move someone to tears, but it might move them to God! 

Here is a great idea.  Write out your story in a way you can share with someone else over a coffee – maybe in five minutes.  Write it in a way you can share on an elevator ride – maybe in one minute or less.  Finally, write out or record a storyline of God’s work in your life, that someone could read or listen to in twenty minutes to half an hour.    A friend just shared one he made of his life story with me.  Yup – tears!

Of course, the end point is to share your story.  For God’s glory!  For someone’s salvation!  Why not post your one-minute version here?  Go ahead – make me cry!

Roger

 

 

 
TueTuesdayJunJune19th2012 Yes the Bible is true
Posted Tuesday, June 19 2012 @ 7 AM byMike Armstrong Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Hey everyone - I came across this article recently that I thought will be very beneficial to you when you talk to people about Jesus.  It's called "What to say when someone says, 'The Bible has errors.'"

Enjoy.

Most people question the reliability of the Bible. You’ve probably been in a conversation with a friend or met someone in a coffee shop who said, “How can you be a Christian when the Bible has so many errors?"

How should we respond? What do you say? Instead of asking them to name an error, I suggest you name one or two of them. 

Read the article here...
MonMondayJunJune18th2012 The Monday blog about Sunday
Posted Monday, June 18 2012 @ 9 AM byEutychus Tagged Monday 0 comments Add comment

Sometimes you just never know what you are going to get when you walk in the doors at Harvest Bible Chapel.  Once again the cuteness of the kids gave a great start to a phenomenal day!  You can catch the video below.  My dad’s been gone quite a while now but I sure am thankful he gave me a heritage of faith in a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

If you missed that important teaching you can listen to it here.  People’s worlds do get shaken up and I have seen the difference in those who have a strong foundation in Jesus Christ and salvation.  Apparently that is going to be even more important one day coming! 

One thing from the message that gripped me was that I should be grateful for these things.  I have seen that in believers whose worlds were being rocked too.  They say things like, “God is so faithful,” and “I’m just so thankful for my salvation.” 

They are grateful for little things too.  That is something that marked Moyra Marrable’s life.  Pastor Todd pointed out that we had a memorial service for her Saturday.  I left that service being grateful for and challenged by her life.

It’s always going to be a great Sunday when there are baptisms!  Each story was so filled with God’s working.  Love those double dunks too!  Pretty sure Pastor Roger’s the king of double dunking.  I heard somewhere he is Todd’s hero for that.  He was looking pretty relaxed in the hot tub at one point though.  But did you notice that so many of the stories were people who recently came to Christ?  So exciting to see that.  The youth who are “making their faith their own” show we have a vibrant youth ministry here.  That’s when God got hold of my life too!

By the way, I like to think I'm getting to know more and more people at Harvest, but sometimes I miss.  Can anyone let me know who the new tech guy working on recording was?  

Eutychus
FriFridayJunJune15th2012 Who wants to see God?
Posted Friday, June 15 2012 @ 8 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
C. S. Lewis said in reference to Matthew 5:8, “It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.”

Inside the heart of all those who know Christ—the pure in heart—is this longing to see the Lord. We want our faith to become sight. We want to have what we were created for…intimate and immediate fellowship with our Creator God.

Inside the heart of all those who do not know Jesus Christ is just the opposite. The conscience of one who has rejected the message of Christ does not want to see God. There is an inherent understanding that meeting God will bring judgment and they are not ready for that. It is the feeling many of us had as children who were carrying home a note from the teacher or principal knowing that when our parents read it, we were done. Only many understand now that this meeting with our Heavenly father will be far more epic than the one with mom or dad. The consequences will be eternal and devastating.

Who wants to see God? Those who love him and serve him. And no one else.

And the reason is clear from this week’s passage, Hebrews 12:18-29. In the last verse the preacher says simply and powerfully, “Our God is a consuming fire.” You can’t read that and not be stopped in your tracks. Earlier in the passage he spoke of, “a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.” The whole thing is based on the account from Exodus 19 of the people of Israel at Mount Sinai just prior to the giving of the Law. In the presence of God even Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”

Who wants to see God now? Even for believers it will be something that cannot be taken lightly or casually.

Among the promises God makes (but not the kind of promise that makes it onto a greeting card), is this one, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens” (Hebrews 12:26b). That will be awful for many who are not ready for it; not ready to be in God’s presence. And this passage stands as one of the warning passages that calls people to turn to Jesus in faith.

We will take a close look at these verses together on Sunday. It is one of those gripping passages that you have to read again and pause over and let soak in. Take time to read Hebrews 12:18-29 before we gather together and pray that God opens your heart to just how truly epic and awesome he really is. Pray that those who are not yet ready to meet him will turn their hearts and lives over to him in faith.

Prepare for worship by listening to songs that Jordan and the team have lined up for us to sing. And come ready to be blessed as you hear the stories of those who have been saved by Jesus Christ as they get baptized. A dozen people are scheduled to obey the Lord through baptism in our two services.

It is going to be a powerful time together once again!

Before we get to Sunday though, we will be gathering as the church for a memorial service—a celebration of life—for Moyra Marrable on Saturday, June 16 at 1 p.m. at our usual worship location (Timothy Christian School). Moyra went to be with the Lord on Tuesday morning after suffering a stroke in March. A visitation time will precede the service at noon and a reception will follow. If you’ve not already done so, read the tribute on our blog and add your own tribute to Moyra in the comments section. And if at all possible, don’t miss this the service as we remember Moyra and worship her Lord and God.

I’ll see you there and I’ll see you Sunday,

Todd
ThuThursdayJunJune14th2012 Friendship Registers
Posted Thursday, June 14 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Passafiume Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
There’s a small black folder that sits at the end of the row on Sunday mornings. Most Sundays the person doing announcements gives instructions to fill it out and pass it down the row…do you fill it out and pass it down the row?

I want you to know that as a staff we LOVE the Friendship Register and so appreciate you taking the time to fill it out each weekend. Right now we average about 600 people each Sunday – I don’t get to interact with all 600 people (not even CLOSE!) to know that they were at church or to hear what’s going on in their lives. But the prayer requests that people share in the Friendship Register give us a glimpse into what’s going in your life and how we can come alongside you in prayer. I carve out time each week to read through all of the prayer requests and to pray specifically – this is such a sweet time in my week. Oftentimes there are requests that break my heart – so much sickness, marriages that are struggling, people praying for the salvation of their loved ones, ongoing struggles with sin and the world, broken relationships…but it is a privilege to be able to pray for people in these things. And then there are the praise reports of the awesome things that God is doing in lives – LOVE those!

There are people I pray for weekly who I have never actually sat and had a conversation with but I know their heart for the lost, for their family, for their relationship with Christ…and I LOVE these people because I pray for them!

KNOW that if you fill out the Friendship Register you WILL get prayed for by the staff team and the elders…and by the prayer team (they just won’t know it’s YOU they’re praying for). And never hesitate to call one of us during the week if you just need someone to pray with you about something – there isn’t an elder, staff person or small group leader who wouldn’t be willing (joyfully) to stop for a few minutes to pray with you. Or go up to the front on Sunday morning to have one of the elders pray for you – it BLESSES them to be able to love you in this way!

We believe that without prayer nothing else matters…let us pray for you!

Fill out the Friendship Register this weekend! ☺
 
WedWednesdayJunJune13th2012 Moyra Marrable (b. 1924 – d. 2012)
Posted Wednesday, June 13 2012 @ 3 PM byTodd Dugard Tagged No tags 23 comments Add comment
The dates beside a person’s name mean something. They mark the start and end of an earthly life. That’s important, of course, especially from our perspective as humans. But as the followers of Jesus Christ, that end date is somewhat less important. For us there is no finality to it. It marks a significant transition and a time of grief, to be sure, for those who have lost a loved one, but it is far from an end point.

I read this recently, “Born once; die twice. Born twice; die once.” I hope the math is easy. If physical birth is the only one you ever experience, you will die physically and die spiritually in what the Bible calls “second death”. It is the eternal separation from God. Thus, “born once; die twice.” But if you are born twice, once physically and once spiritually, you will experience only physical death. Your eternity will be forever secured as a child of God if you experience the new birth through Jesus Christ.

Having understood that, the dates aside, the name in front of those dates is that of Moyra Marrable who did indeed experience the new life that Christ offered her. She had a deep and abiding love for her Saviour and Lord. That much was apparent to all who knew her.

Moyra first visited Harvest Bible Chapel with her daughter Trish on Sunday, March 25, 2001. It was the first Sunday I preached in Barrie after being appointed as the church planter/senior pastor. We were at the Sunnidale Community Centre in those pre-official-launch days and Trish and Moyra decided that day that they would be part of the core group that helped us start this church.

Since that day Moyra has impacted so many with her beautiful, grace-filled ways and words. I have personal stories of how she was greatly used by God with words fitly and timely spoken. Many of you have already expressed how she had so deeply blessed, encouraged and impacted you. 

We are not yet sure of the cost we now pay for her absence from our church family. How often did she intercede for all of us? How far did the aroma of her life spread?  How many were built up by her mere presence? What work will be left undone?

Tears fill my own eyes as I now realize I will not see her sitting to my left each Sunday as I preach, her Bible open and her body leaning in to take in the Word. There will be no kiss prior to worship. No encouraging conversations afterward. I, like so many others, will be deprived of her for the rest of my earthly days.

And in our grief, we will gather as a church with her family on Saturday, June 16 at our regular place of worship, Timothy Christian School, to celebrate her life and worship her Lord. The Marrable family will receive friends for visitation one hour prior beginning at 12 p.m. A memorial service will begin in the same room at 1 p.m.  A reception will immediately follow.  A private family service and interment will happen beforehand.  

If you would like to have a short message to the family, in honour of Moyra, appear on Saturday on the video screen, leave your comment here on the blog.

Pray for God to continue to use the legacy of Moyra’s life to bear much fruit in our church, among her friends and acquaintances, and in her family.

To him be glory!

Todd
WedWednesdayJunJune13th2012 Pregnancy Resource Centre update
Posted Wednesday, June 13 2012 @ 7 AM byKathy Pedersen Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

One never knows what a week might hold at the Pregnancy Resource Centre.

As I write this update, our Client Services Director Heather is providing support to a client in early labour in the meeting room next to mine. In the past month we have provided care to 22 new clients, including several teens and young women who are facing unplanned pregnancy while they also deal with really significant losses (such as the death of an immediate family member or partner and grieving the loss of a stillborn baby in a past pregnancy). We have supported women in their 20’s and 40’s who found out they were pregnant shortly after their relationships with long-term partners finally dissolved. Several young women came to the Centre completely overwhelmed because their boyfriends and family members were encouraging them to terminate their pregnancies, but in their hearts they wanted to have their babies. With the support of the Centre these women are facing difficult circumstances and continuing their pregnancies.

Sometimes people ask who our typical client is. We do see a lot of women in their 20’s. But our youngest client was 13 years old and our oldest clients have been in their late 40’s. Some of our clients have been homeless. And some have been university graduates in professional careers. Some of the teens and women we serve are in relationships, some are even married. Some are in “friends with benefits” situations or on-and-off relationships. Some are not in relationships at all. About a third of our clients come for pregnancy tests, more than half of which are negative tests. I often think about three teen girls who came together to the centre for pregnancy tests. They looked like your average “nice kid” teens ... the kind of girl you might want to have babysit your kids. As we met with each of them, they individually disclosed that they had each been active with the same male; this seemed normal in their peer group experience. When we met with these young ladies, we had an opportunity to talk to them about lifestyle choices, and more importantly, about their value and worth. A message they had not really heard before. 

Quite a number of our clients have had abortions in previous pregnancies. Sometimes this makes it easier for them to choose abortion again. Sometimes this makes them more determined to continue a pregnancy. We have seen an increase in the number of male clients visiting with their female partners. Often these males say they will support their girlfriends/friends “no matter what”, but then they say that abortion would be the best solution. Several have talked about not feeling like they were able to be good fathers, because they weren’t in a position to be financial providers or because they didn’t have fathers in their own lives as role models. We have also served several international students of various faith backgrounds over the past year. What an opportunity this is to show grace to young people who only know strict and unforgiving religion.  

Every time we meet with a client, an opportunity is provided to share hope and truth in Christ. Some clients are not interested in discussing spiritual matters. But many are very open to hearing about God and his care for them. In the past year and a half, eight clients have accepted Christ!

We are having more of these opportunities to share Christ’s love in tangible ways, because the Centre is growing! During the first year that we opened, we provided support to 40 clients in 68 visits. Last year we met with 119 new clients in more than 300 visits. This year we are continuing to grow and between January and May have already met with 76 new clients in 150 visits! Hear the stories of two of our clients on this video: 

 

We are so grateful to God for Harvest for the leadership provided to the Centre, through Pastor Todd who serves as our board chairman and other Harvest members serving in various capacities. We are grateful to God for his provision through Harvest’s regular support and through the baby bottle campaign. Thank you to each of you for your support. And thank you for your regular prayer for our clients and our team. Because we never know what a week will hold!

Kathy Pedersen
Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre
TueTuesdayJunJune12th2012 Builders
Posted Tuesday, June 12 2012 @ 10 AM by Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Pastor Todd mentioned the Builders meeting we had recently.  These are great opportunities to bring our leaders together from every area of the church, at the invitation of the elders.  It is a time we can review what God has done, look over the goals we had set and look to the future.  We had a great time together and we are glad to share it with you via audio. 

Audio Builders Meeting - 2012 06 03.mp3
MonMondayJunJune11th2012 The Monday blog about Sunday
Posted Monday, June 11 2012 @ 10 AM byEutychus Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Where do I start?

Sunday’s worship had a lot going on. So where do I start? The Sudbury group in the 11:15 service? The child dedications for the Faris, Siebert and Holmes families? The not-quite-what-we-do-normally sermon by Pastor Todd? The interview with Kathy Pedersen? The testimony by Hilary Shewfelt?

Let’s go in reverse order sort of and start with Hilary. With one global intern already “out there” serving in St. Vincent (Chad Freeman), we have now commissioned another to serve at our partner church in Glasgow, Scotland. Hilary leaves Friday and will spend the next six months serving alongside the wonderful leaders and servants in Glasgow. She spoke well on Sunday morning during the worship time (and then went right back to playing keys), and is admittedly eager to get going and experience all God has for her over the next months. I know she was moved by the time of prayer following each service. Watch for reports from Hilary in the blog.

We also heard from Kathy Pedersen, the director of the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre which is in the midst of their annual major fundraising drive. The Baby Bottle campaign started on Mother’s Day and ends next Sunday on Father’s Day. Get those bottles filled and bring ‘em back so this Harvest compassion ministry partner can continue doing the great work they do.

As Kathy left the stage, Pastor Todd told us a bit about Motion 312 that is going before the House of Commons in Ottawa. Members of the Steingard small group are working on a petition to give to our MP Patrick Brown that calls for the creation of a parliamentary committee to examine the definition of life in the womb. Over a hundred signatures were gathered on Sunday. You can also sign this petition online.

The “life” theme continued as three families brought children to be dedicated in the two services. Nathan and Crystal Holmes brought their daughter Kaydence, Joel and Deanna Faris brought their newest daughter Lilah and Ian and Nicole Siebert brought their son Owen. It is always a blessing to witness this, and it was nice to see the babies all take it easy on Pastor Todd as he and Emilie subbed in for the vacationing Mike and Angie Armstrong. 

    

As for our time in the Word, it was a bit different. First, the pulpit was out. That’s pretty rare. Second, we weren’t in Hebrews, which now seems weird after a full year of working through it pretty much every Sunday. Third, he had us looking at a bunch of passages…I think I counted about a dozen that we looked at or were referred to. Lots to chew on this week. And the things he raised about how God’s glory as been shining in our church this year are giving me a lot to be thankful for. And as he prayed at the end, I had no trouble saying “AMEN!” to the desire for EVEN MORE of God’s presence and power among us! If you had to miss church for some reason, take the time to listen to the audio.

And it was just cool to have a bunch of people from Sudbury worshipping with us at the 11:15 service. They are praying and hoping for a Harvest Bible Chapel in their northern city. We gathered with them post-service for prayer too.

It was announced that next Sunday is a BIG DEAL with baptisms happening. I love baptisms! I’ll be up at the front taking it all in! Hope to see you there.

In the meantime, have a super-blessed week in Jesus! To him be glory, eh?!

Audio ToHimBeGlory.mp3
FriFridayJunJune8th2012 It is time to boast
Posted Friday, June 08 2012 @ 8 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged From the Cave 0 comments Add comment

I want to be completely upfront with you about Sunday’s message.  It will be filled with boasting.

But this won’t be chest-thumping, look-what-we’ve-done braggadocio. It isn’t going to be an awards show with all manner of self-aggrandizing and showcasing of our accomplishments. There will be no arrogant assumption of personal credit for what has taken place this year.

Nevertheless, I am going to boast. It is just that I’m going to do it as Paul did. In 2 Corinthians 10:17 he wrote, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  He actually uses the word “boast” and its variants some eighteen times in the space of three chapters. While Paul had done amazing things in his life, he wanted his readers to know that it was all the Lord. His boasting was in things that showed his personal weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30) and showcased the Lord’s awesome strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul’s intent was to manifest the glory of Jesus Christ in his life. And so, he boasted in that.

And so will we.

We know our weakness. We have been brought low and we have experienced the joy of being raised up. We have known want and abundance (cf. Philippians 4:12-13). In every situation, we have seen God’s glory manifested among us.

And we will boast in that!

Sunday’s message is going to start with our theme and theme verse for the year. “To him be glory” is taken from Ephesians 3:20-21 and formed the backdrop to a tenth anniversary year that was filled with God’s abundance. We saw him work in amazing ways over the past months and, again, we want to be able to boast in that.

The message will be less traditional than usual. I won’t be taking a single passage and working verse by verse through it, but instead we will be touching down in a bunch of passages and hearing a bunch of stories of God’s glory radiating in our Harvest family. My hope is that we will all be encouraged and built up by what we hear, that unbelievers will be drawn to the church and to the Lord as a result and that God will be glorified further in the boasting we’ll do.

If you are ambitious, read the passages I’ve lined up for this message—Ephesians 3:20-21; Revelation 4:11; Matthew 6:19-21; Romans 5:1-5; Colossians 2:6-7; Acts 4:31; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:1-16; 2 Corinthians 4:5-7—and look for the way God glorified himself in each passage.

Pray that God will do a powerful work in us as we gather as the church. The last two weekends have been amazing displays of his glory. Pray for the Spirit of God to continue to pour out his presence in his church.

Listen to the great worship songs that the team has lined up for us to sing and prepare your heart to be here.

Two special elements in this Sunday’s service are an interview with Kathy Pedersen of the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre, one of our compassion partner agencies. The baby bottle drive concludes next Sunday. And, on a similar theme, I’ll have the privilege of helping some parents dedicate their children to the Lord. That’s always a great time.

God is doing a powerful work in our church. It is exciting to be part of it. And I’m looking forward to sharing some of it with you. I’m looking forward to boasting in the Lord.

See you Sunday!
ThuThursdayJunJune7th2012 Food Bank
Posted Thursday, June 07 2012 @ 7 AM byMike Armstrong Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Hey everyone, coming up in July is our second annual Food Drive Flash Mob where we aim to collect food to support the Barrie Food Bank at a time when people in our city desperately need our help.  Until then though, there's a group called Twelve Ladies in a Tent - Helping Hands for Hungry Homes.  This is a group of twelve influential business women of the Barrie area who have gathered together to collect food, raise funds and awareness for the Barrie Food Bank.  Our very own Anne Dorsey is one of the twelve and for five days, June 8-12 they will be staying and sleeping in a tent at Allandale Park on the lakeshore of Kempenfelt Bay right beside the South Shore Centre.  Check their website out here.  The Twelve Ladies want to meet their goal of 150,000 lbs of food and help the Barrie Food bank with their vision statement: "To work towards a community where no one is hungry."

If you would like to assist them please .  We're excited about what they're doing and looking forward to getting our own Food Drive Flash Mob going in July! 
WedWednesdayJunJune6th2012 Margins
Posted Wednesday, June 06 2012 @ 8 AM byJeannie Coros Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment

Do you remember the days when your teacher would prepare you for your weekly spelling dictation by telling you to write the numbers 1-10 in your margin and make sure it’s double spaced?  You’d get out your spelling book or wait for the sheet of foolscap to be handed out and look for the thin red line running vertical down the page.  The margin was clear and you diligently followed instructions, printing the numbers from 1 - 10 down the page.  This allowed your teacher to indentify each word and allowed space to correct you if necessary.  The margin was a brilliant discovery.  We use margins when we create documents. We can change them if we need to with a click of a button.  We would never think of having ‘0’ margins on our page; our documents would become illegible.  We certainly wouldn’t dream of having a -5 margin - not possible!

A few years ago, a wise Christian woman whom I admire approached me about stepping down from a serving position she was in.  Her comment was, "If I continue in this position, I just won’t have any margin in my life."  I had never heard the word margin used in this way before and I asked her to explain.  She went on to say that she was very careful not to overbook or over schedule herself or her family, otherwise there is no time to rest or rejuvenate.  Such wise words – spoken from the Lord, through this woman, directly to my heart!  You see, I am the master of busy – I thrive on it! "No" was not in my vocabulary and I loved the challenge of seeing how much I could accomplish in the shortest time possible…so I could get on to the next task.  Can anyone identify with this?

Anyway, this lead to much prayer, seeking the Lord, his Word and wise counsel.  I didn’t have to look far to be struck by these words, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God” Exodus 20:8.  Not only did I start looking at the Sabbath differently, but I had to take a serious look at my commitments and our family calendar.  It wasn’t easy, but I had to back down from things I loved doing and start saying no, even though the need was great.  I had someone holding me accountable for my time and ensuring that I was allowing rest and maintaining margins in my life.  How grateful I am to God for who he put in my life and for allowing me to take a step back, seek his face and lean on him during this time. 

This continues to be a struggle for me, especially when I started working Sundays. I was reminded yesterday how our pastor/boss is fiercely protective of our Saturdays as a staff; he understands the wisdom of a Sabbath and how important rest is to our heavenly Father.  It caused me to stop and re-evaluate the margins in my life…once again.  I want to be so tuned in to God’s will for me, that I protect my time and make wise decisions before I hit the wall.  You see, I can identify with the exhausted Elijah in 1 Kings 19, who cried out, “I have had enough Lord”.  I can keep running much longer than I should.  But our faithful and loving God granted rest to Elijah and restored him.  I want to always give God my best and in order to be a useful vessel for him I need margins in my life that are clearly defined and legible.  What do your margins look like?

 

 
TueTuesdayJunJune5th2012 Dying to self (not an easy thing)
Posted Tuesday, June 05 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Passafiume Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
At the beginning of April a friend sent me a link to a blog that she’d read that morning entitled “I Gotta Die” - all she wrote was this:

Reading this made me think of our conversation last week ...about brattiness and not having opinions listened to :-)

We’d been having some conversations about self…wanting to be heard and valued in relationship…but knowing that it really wasn’t about “us” – or at least it needing to be way more about the Lord and honouring him.

The author of the blog talked about Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:31 where he says, “I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!” She went on to briefly talk about what dying to self, to flesh, to "rights" looks like in the every day details of life. I was challenged…for a time…and then I went back to forgetting to die to self.

Then at our wedding Todd spoke to us from Philippians 2:1-5 about Christ’s example of humility:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…

Let me tell you – Hebrews 4:12 (For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart) is NO JOKE. For the last two weeks I have been more aware than ever about the need to die to self – apparently marriage is the thing that will teach me this. Please hear me – I LOVE being married and am married to a man who loves the Lord and is extremely patient and gracious with me…THAT probably magnifies my selfishness and sin more than anything!

There’s freedom in dying to self and honouring Christ…and sweet blessings that come with it. But it takes hard work (and sometimes physical pain as I bite my tongue!). It takes consciously striving to give every moment of the day to the Lord and to live in his strength (not my own!). It means not always forcing my opinion to be heard or demanding fairness, it means considering others before myself (that one is hard!), it means seeking to honour the Lord first in all things…hard…but the desire of my heart.

Attempting to die daily.
MonMondayJunJune4th2012 The Monday blog about Sunday
Posted Monday, June 04 2012 @ 2 PM byEutychus Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment
In some ways it might be easy to think, "Ok, how do we top last Sunday?!"  For sure we had a great weekend last week with James MacDonald and Meredith Andrews here, and now we look forward. Well this Sunday didn't disappoint. The message Pastor Todd delivered from Hebrews 12:12-17 again served as the 'convicting encouragement' that we all needed. We also took communion together which is essentially reminding ourselves of the gospel and our amazing Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jordan and the team led us in a special by All Sons and Daughters called Wake Up. You can download it here and it would be my recommendation that you pick up the whole album while you're at it.

Many of you are aware that the Griffin small group had put together a silent auction and dessert night on Saturday to raise money for Doug and Jen McLellan to install a wheel chair lift in their van for their son Sawyer. Well the auction raised about $15,000 which was amazing but left the family about $10,000 short. The original plan for the HOPE offering this Sunday was to give all the proceeds to Judi O'Donnell who had her home damaged by fire recently. Well the insurance company came through for Judi (The Lord came through for Judi) last minute which allowed the stage to be set for another miracle. Todd stood up and with absolutely zero notice, asked you to dig deep and provide the rest of the money for the McLellan's. Well, you pulled through in the clutch and raised just over $10,000!! How amazing is our Lord?!  Just so cool to see God work like that through people like us. This is a big day for our church.

To him be all the glory! Audio Be healed.mp3
FriFridayJunJune1st2012 Get Over it
Posted Friday, June 01 2012 @ 7 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged From the Cave 0 comments Add comment

With the fifth and final “Ten Years of Harvest in Canada” celebration weekend behind us (what a time that was!), we turn our attention back to the Book of Hebrews and the series Truly Epic: Jesus Christ and the power of an indestructible life.  We have been instructed by the preacher of Hebrews to Listen Up, Hold Fast and in this third section to Run Hard! Most recently we have been hearing about God’s discipline in our lives.

That’s the reason for the “Get over it” title of this post. I don’t want you to get over the celebration weekend at all. I want you to bask in the glow of that amazing weekend. I want your heart to beat faster every time you think of God’s abundant goodness to us; when you think about Pastor James’s message, about Meredith’s songs and leading us in worship, about John and Jeannie’s Storylines video, about the people who responded with many tears to the Word of God, about the two who professed faith in Christ on Sunday. Don’t ever get over these things, but instead thank God upon every remembrance of them.

What we do need to get over is the discipline of God. I guess the principle is an easy one. From our last message, the Father “disciplines us for our good” (Hebrews 12:10) and once we get to the “good” he is done with it. That’s the past. God moves on. The problem is that evidently some of us do not. Some of us don’t get it. Don’t learn the lessons. Don’t realize why it may have happened to us. Instead, some get resentful, bitter, or angry with God. They just can’t get over it. They can’t move beyond the discipline to see the benefits God intends.

The passage for this Sunday’s message deals with that exact issue. In Hebrews 12:12-17 we read, “Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet.” In other words, GET UP and GET GOING and GET ON GOD’S PROGRAM! God’s desire, as stated in the text is for us to “be healed” in terms of the heart issues associated with any discipline he may have leveled on us.

I’m thinking we all need this message. None of us are exempt from God’s discipline in our lives and all of us have a vested interest in receiving it well.  Prepare to be here on Sunday by reading and meditating on the passage. The last verse of our last passage and the first verse of this week’s passage make up our memory verse for this week, Hebrews 12:11-12. Work on that and store it up in your heart.

And take some time to listen to the great worship songs Jordan and the team have lined up. They will be doing a special before I preach that is powerful…convicting. “Wake Up” is a song by a great Indie group called All Sons and Daughters. Love their sound. Love their message even more.

The order of worship is a little different this week. The message will be earlier in the service and more worship after I preach so good plan to be on time this Sunday! We will be sharing in the Lord’s Table together as we respond to what we’ve heard, so come with your heart fully prepared to receive the bread and cup—the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And all that said…none of it matters if we don’t call down the power of GOD on our time together. Pray for the HOLY SPIRIT to manifest the GLORY OF GOD in our midst.

See you Sunday,

Todd
Seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
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