In our last series, we talked about loving our neighbours, and stepped through six shifts. From stranger to neighbour to acquaintance to partner to friend to becoming “like family”.
It’s possible to become like family with a focused group of people, where you practice loving your neighbours within that small group, and see that spill over to others outside.
This series looks specifically at this stage of being “like family” with other followers of Jesus. It’s called the church, believe it or not. Important that explore what church means as we prepare to launch a new church in Ajax in 2014.
You probably have all sorts of preconceived notions of what that word means. Attached you’ll find a video of some people on the street who were asked about what they think of when they hear “church”.
You can find the video here:
Question: When you hear the word “church” what do you immediately see, or think? Make a list, there may be several. What experiences have informed you?
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CloseRyan Sim - December 17, 2013
Tuesday - Study It - The Night That Changed the Poor
In our series on Christmas as the Night that Changed Everything, this week we’re looking at how it’s the night that changed the poor. The poor have a priveleged place in the story of Jesus' birth at Christmas. Here is where that really shows: 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:4-7) When a politician visits a troubled area, it’s important. I recall after the 1998 ice storm in Eastern Ontario, the Prime Minister visited Wolfe Island, where I used to volunteer as a paramedic. Years later, people would still talk about how the Prime Minister had come, and how. They knew in that moment that he’d seen what they were dealing with, through his own eyes. Here in the Christmas story we see God doing that. He has come to visit our broken and hurting world, and has let the entire population know that he is here with us – from rich to poor, young to old. It’s so apparent in that he comes to earth not like pampered royalty, but as a homeless baby. His parents are on their way to Bethlehem for the census. They must travel, even though Mary is pregnant and close to birth. They arrive, apparently without plans for accomodations (or their plans are cancelled when an unmarried pregnant woman arrives) and find no room in any inns. If they had money, you can imagine they might buy their way out of trouble, but it doesn’t happen, and they end up in a stable. The baby is born, wrapped in cloths, a poor, defenseless baby whose parents are doing the best they can, which isn’t much. The word translated as stable may be a building dedicated to animals like we think, or it’s possible it represented a one room house with both animals and people, but either way it was modest. This is not a story of privelege and power. Why would God – who we would expect to come in majesty and splendour – arrive in this way? Question: What might God be trying to tell us in coming to earth in this way? Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community - so check out today's reading here.
Related Topics: Christmas, Poor, Poverty, Shepherds | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "The Night that Changed Everything"
In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
EPIC: Moses & Pharaoh - Friday | March 27, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & Pharaoh - Thursday | March 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & Pharaoh - Wednesday | March 25, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & Pharaoh - Tuesday | March 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & Pharaoh - Monday | March 23, 2015 | Bank Story | Watch | Listen | |
EPIC: Moses & The Burning Bush - Friday | March 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & The Burning Bush - Thursday | March 19, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & The Burning Bush - Wednesday | March 18, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & The Burning Bush - Tuesday | March 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Moses & The Burning Bush - Monday | March 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Joseph - Friday | March 13, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Joseph - Thursday | March 12, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Joseph - Wednesday | March 11, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Joseph - Tuesday | March 10, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Joseph - Monday | March 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob & Esau Reconcile - Friday | March 6, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob & Esau Reconcile - Thursday | March 5, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob & Esau Reconcile - Wednesday | March 4, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob & Esau Reconcile - Tuesday | March 3, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob & Esau Reconcile - Monday | March 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob Struggles with God - Friday | February 27, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob Struggles with God - Thursday | February 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob Struggles with God - Wednesday | February 25, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob Struggles with God - Tuesday | February 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Jacob Struggles with God - Monday | February 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Isaac - Friday | February 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Isaac - Thursday | February 19, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Isaac - Wednesday | February 18, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Isaac - Tuesday | February 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Isaac - Monday | February 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Sarah - Friday | February 13, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Sarah - Thursday | February 12, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Sarah - Wednesday | February 11, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Sarah - Tuesday | February 10, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Abraham & Sarah - Monday | February 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Tower of Babel - Friday | February 6, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Tower of Babel - Thursday | February 5, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Tower of Babel - Wednesday | February 4, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Tower of Babel - Tuesday | February 3, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Tower of Babel - Monday | February 2, 2015 | Extra | Watch | Listen | |
EPIC: Noah - Friday | January 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Noah - Thursday | January 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Noah - Wednesday | January 28, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Noah - Monday | January 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Cain and Abel - Friday | January 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Cain and Abel - Thursday | January 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Cain and Abel - Wednesday | January 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Cain and Abel - Tuesday | January 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Cain and Abel - Monday | January 19, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Adam and Eve - Friday | January 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Adam and Eve - Thursday | January 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Adam and Eve - Wednesday | January 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
EPIC: Adam and Eve - Tuesday | January 13, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2014: Friday | January 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2014: Redeemer's First Baptisms - Thursday | January 1, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2014: Pioneer Spirit - Wednesday | December 31, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2014: Jesus the Shepherd - Tuesday | December 30, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2014: Reset Body & Food - Monday | December 29, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas - Friday | December 26, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas - Thursday | December 25, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas - Wednesday | December 24, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas - Tuesday | December 23, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas - Monday | December 22, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: God in the Flesh - Friday | December 19, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: God in the Flesh - Thursday | December 18, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: God in the Flesh - Wednesday | December 17, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: God in the Flesh - Tuesday | December 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: God in the Flesh - Monday | December 15, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Healer in the World - Friday | December 12, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Healer in the World - Thursday | December 11, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Healer in the World - Wednesday | December 10, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Healer in the World - Tuesday | December 9, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Healer in the World - Monday | December 8, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting King in the World - Friday | December 5, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting King in the World - Thursday | December 4, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting King in the World - Wednesday | December 3, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting King in the World - Tuesday | December 2, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting King in the World - Monday | December 1, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Friend in the World - Friday | November 28, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Friend in the World - Thursday | November 27, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Friend in the World - Wednesday | November 26, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Friend in the World - Tuesday | November 25, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Friend in the World - Monday | November 24, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Light of the World - Friday | November 21, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Light of the World - Thursday | November 20, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Light of the World - Wednesday | November 19, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Light of the World - Tuesday | November 18, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Light of the World - Monday | November 17, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Prophet in the World - Friday | November 14, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Prophet in the World - Thursday | November 13, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Prophet in the World - Wednesday | November 12, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Prophet in the World - Tuesday | November 11, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Prophet in the World - Monday | November 10, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Powerful Man in the World - Friday | November 7, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Powerful Man in the World - Thursday | November 6, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Powerful Man in the World - Wednesday | November 5, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Powerful Man in the World - Tuesday | November 4, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Powerful Man in the World - Monday | November 3, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Priest in the World - Friday - Reflect | October 31, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Priest in the World - Thursday - Act On It | October 30, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Priest in the World - Wednesday - Change It | October 29, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Priest in the World - Tuesday - Study It | October 28, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus: The Most Interesting Priest in the World - Monday | October 27, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Foundation | October 24, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Foundation | October 23, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Foundation | October 22, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Foundation | October 21, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Foundation | October 20, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Forgiver | October 17, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Forgiver | October 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Forgiver | October 15, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Forgiver | October 14, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Forgiver | October 13, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Teacher | October 10, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Teacher | October 9, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Teacher | October 8, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Teacher | October 7, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Teacher | October 6, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Revolutionary | October 3, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Revolutionary | October 2, 2014 | Watch | Listen |