Living Stones Church, Red Deer, Alberta

In his book, Beyond Personality, C. S. Lewis explains what it takes to become what God originally intended for us to be all along, like Him. “Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you’ll save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you w...

DEEP INTO THE GARDEN where suffering, emotions and presence collide Matthew 26:36:45 We now enter the climax of Jesus’ story—Matthew 26:36—45— the moment just before the cross, where the Son of God faces His greatest test: surrendering fully to the Father’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we witness Jesus in deep emotional anguish, wrestling with the weight of what is to come. His suf...

Life is filled with trouble, as I pointed out last week in our opening message on the letter of James. We learned that we could choose our attitude and learn the value that trials bring into our lives as a source of spiritual growth and development. One of those values is spiritual growth that comes through the trial if we persevere. James even expresses a beatitude or a blessing to thos...

It is amazing to me how many of God’s people have been imprisoned. The apostle Paul was persecuted, beaten, imprisoned, and left for years awaiting trial. Joseph was trapped in a prison while falsely accused, with no appeal, and forgotten by the one person who might be able to help him. We are reminded that Jesus was falsely accused, imprisoned, and crucified. John the Baptist was impris...

When we think of someone generous, we often think only about what they give financially, but true generosity is an attitude reflected in how a person treats others. Giving money is only one aspect of true generosity. Generosity is the giving of oneself for the good of others, which includes our time, our concern for others, our expertise, and above all, our prayers. 

The issue in our liv...

When life comes crashing in on us with trauma and tragedy, we as believers can question our faith. Why is God allowing this to happen? What are God’s purposes in this moment in our lives? We would all agree that life is not just an enjoyable trip with only amazing adventures. God works at shaping our inner lives to conform us into His image. Sometimes, the spiritual journey with twists a...

We live in a time of great uncertainty, turmoil, and unrest. The clash of values has intensified polarization, both politically and relationally. Families are divided, and nations that once were allies are becoming adversarial. Our world seems fragile. Jesus warned that times like these would mark the end of the age. The question raised by the early disciples was, ‘What will be the sign ...

The history of human existence is a longing for peace and a struggle for freedom. To think that we can attain peace and freedom apart from God by attaining self-autonomy will not produce the goal of peace or freedom. In ‘Cost of Discipleship,’ Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The demand for absolute liberty brings men to the depths of slavery.” The cry and activity that demand absolute liberty...

God is light, and we are called to walk in His light. But sin thrives in darkness, keeping us trapped. 1 John 1:5-10 reminds us that following Jesus isn’t just about knowing the truth—it’s about living it. If we claim to walk in the light but refuse to confront our sin, we deceive ourselves, burden our souls, and risk becoming hypocrites to the world.

The darkness within us does not come...