Gospel Chapel GF

Faith Takes Time (Luke 24:1-12)

The Resurrection is difficult to believe. Perhaps even impossible. Those who had followed Jesus for 3 years refused to believe at first. It took time for them to come to terms with what had happened. It was the last thing the expected.
Faith is not easy. It takes time. It requires we pursue our doubts and questions. We should never settle for a mindless, simplistic belief system. Resilient discipleship requires the ability to question, doubt, wrestle and seek real answers.

Good Friday 2023

On this Good Friday, we focus on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke. A very detailed and clear account not of the horrors of the cross, but of the grace and mercy of the One Crucified.
The message closes with us celebrating the Lord's Table.

Palm Sunday 2023 (Luke 19)

Luke's account of the Triumphal Entry is more colourful and complex than just Jesus riding on a donkey with crowds singing "Hosanna!" In fact, in Luke, "Hosanna" isn't used, nor are there palm branches...
Luke connects various scenes together in one whole narrative thread, and the key phrase is "seeking". It starts with Zacchaeus "seeking to see who Jesus is" and it ends with the religious rulers in Jerusalem "seeking to destroy him."

Tempted and Tried (Matthew 4:1-11)

Dan Dunbar shares with us on the Temptation of Jesus Christ.

The Baptism of Jesus(Mark 1)

In Mark's Gospel, the baptism of Jesus is a very short few verses. But the central concern of Mark is to show us that Jesus difficult ministry from this point on starts with the empowerment of the Spirit and the deep love of the Father. And maybe that's what we desperately need to embrace in our lives today.

The Saviour is Presented and Present (Luke 2)

Mary's memories permeate the first two chapters of Luke's gospel. She is the most likely source. The details. The specifics. Somethings only a parent would remember.
What would it have been like to be entrusted with the raising of the Messiah? What questions would linger in the years between his birth and the rest of his life? What questions do we still have about this Jesus whom we follow?

Sabbath (Part 4): Worship

In this final message on Sabbath, we focus on Psalm 92. More than Sabbath practice, we learn that to rest in God is to trust Him as our Creator and Redeemer. He is the Creator, therefore, only He is uniquely qualified to be the judge of our hearts and lives. He is our Redeemer - taking the initiative to rescue and restore us to relationship with Him. Sabbath reminds us of both of these realities, which are embedded in the purpose statements in the Ten Commandments.
To learn more about Sabbath, check out the following resources:
Practicing the Way
The Desperately Needed Day
Sabbath Series Summary (along with our weekly bulletin for February 26, 2023)

Sabbath (Part 3): Delight

In this episode, we look at Isaiah 58 and the invitation to make the Sabbath our delight, to embrace joy in what God has and continues to do for us as His people.
In Isaiah 58, the people first "delight" to fast and do a lot of religious things. These "delights" are shown to be self-centred and self-promoting. Isaiah then points people to what it would really mean to delight in fasting - to help others and stand up for the oppressed. Which is really where Sabbath should lead us.
The command to keep the Sabbath, in Deuteronomy 5, is related to the freedom the people of God experienced when God worked for their emancipation from slavery in Egypt. The practice of Sabbath was instituted so the the people of Israel would not resort to an extractive and exploitive economic power. Their social structures would look very different from the world around them. Sabbath, a weekly rhythm of rest from all work, would remind them of the freedom they enjoyed and the freedom they are to extend to others.