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Jeff's Memorial
Hey TC Family, Tomorrow at 11 AM, we are going to gather and celebrate/remember Jeff Riley. This has been a sad time for all who knew Jeff; he will be missed. Everyone is welcome to join us on Saturday both to grieve our loss of Jeff and to celebrate the time we had with him. |
Maskery discerning process
Early in January, I got a phone call from the district superintendent in Atlantic Canada asking me if I would be willing to have a conversation with Deep Water Church in Halifax about the possibility of being their next lead pastor. Their current pastor announced his resignation this past December; he will be leaving in July 2024. Vicky and I agreed to have a conversation and to pray into this possibility to discern whether this was the leading of the Lord. A lot has happened in a very short time. Two weeks ago, the board of Deep Water voted unanimously to recommend me as the sole candidate for the role of lead pastor at Deep Water. What this means is that I will travel to Halifax with Vicky, where we will meet with the board and leadership team, and I will preach. After the weekend, the church members will vote, and then Vicky and I will decide whether we sense the Lord leading us to say yes to this. We were not looking to leave Thunder Bay. In fact, there have been other opportunities over the years we have said no to. But, we have felt peace to at least go through the process so that we can discern what the Lord is saying. As you know, Vicky and I are both from the Maritimes and have wondered if the Lord would call us back there someday. Last Sunday, after church, I broke down and cried. I am telling you this because I want you to know I love our church; I love you all deeply. The thought of leaving here is a tough one. But, we want to follow the Lord's leading, whether to stay or go. At this point, the decision has not been officially made. I am asking you to pray with us that God would make our next steps abundantly clear. Seven years ago, when we made the decision to move to Thunder Bay to plant Transformation Church, God spoke very clearly. We are asking for Him to do this again. I will be here this Sunday. Next week, I will be away; I am going to a church planting conference in Florida (this is the same conference I attended last year). Caleb MacCallum will be preaching on March 10. I will be back on Sunday, March 17. Then, Vicky and I will travel to Halifax to visit Deep Water on the weekend of March 24. Jeremy Darrow will be preaching on that Sunday. I wanted you to all be aware of the events of the next few weeks so there is no confusion. I will talk about this briefly this coming Sunday. I invite you to pray with us as we seek to discern what Jesus is saying. Pastor Nathan
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Be a BereanConfession In James 5:16, it says, "Confess your sins to each other." Do you do this? Is confession of sin something that is a regular habit of yours? Jesus taught His followers to pray. The prayer He taught is famously called the Lord's prayer. One of the lines of that prayer goes like this: "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Did you notice the plural pronoun "us"? That was intentional. Jesus taught His followers to pray together, and a part of that prayer was a public acknowledgment of sin. Jesus knew He was talking to a group of people who struggled with sinful attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles. He challenged them to acknowledge their sins publicly and to ask God for His forgiveness. I am not saying that we should publicly confess the specifics of our struggles with sin to the whole church. But, we are instructed in the Scriptures to confess our sins to each other and seek God's forgiveness. This is a part of the process God will use to assure us of His love and forgiveness and also how He will help us overcome areas of our lives that have kept us in bondage. This weekend, spend time reading Psalm 139. This has been a favourite Psalm of mine for many years. But, I was always baffled by verses 19-22. How could David write such beautiful words about his relationship with God and then spew such hatred towards other human beings? But then, in verses 23-24, David begs God to reveal any sin that might be in his heart. David was honest in his prayers to God. He waxed eloquent about the goodness, grandeur and beauty of God. He marvelled at the thought that the creator of the universe actually took time to notice and love him. And then his tone quickly turned to fury and hatred at the thought of people who did not love God. I have realized that David was confessing to God the fullness of what was going on in his heart. He loved God deeply but hated some of the people God had created. David wanted God to reveal anything in his heart that was sinful. Let's take a page from David's book and be completely honest and transparent with God. Let's ask Him to "Search us and know our hearts, to try us and know our thoughts, to see if there be any wicked way in us, and to lead us in the way of life everlasting." (v. 23-24 paraphrased). Pastor Nathan |
ServiceSpiritual Formation - Sunday, February 25, 2024 For more infomation visit: http://transformationchurchtbay.com/media/2024-02-25-service
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