Seasons of Change
As the Pastoral Team finishes reading Pastor Perry Soh’s Book Season’s of Change, I can’t help but reflect on the season of change that is happening around us. This book is not only topical for the season we are in but I believe it will help prepare us for what God has in store for us in 2021. As a Christmas gift from the Church we have blessed its members with a copy of the book, which I encourage everyone…
Pray Without Ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18–“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Near the end of one of Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica, he gives some good advice that is very relevant to what we’re going through today. First, Paul encourages the church to “pray without ceasing.” We really are in a season today where the need for prayer is so great. Last Wednesday, during our…
Guard Against the Trap of Money, Sex, & Power
Day after day you can read about people in the world who fall to the temptations of Money, Sex, & Power. But before we cast judgment on others, we need to be humble enough to recognize that we (the church) are also susceptible and at times look no different than the world outside. Here at Lifespring we are called to be the Huios (mature sons) and as we mature we need to vigorously contend to be part of the solution…
Take Heart
Take heart, Beloved. Take heart in the midst of your struggles and striving.Take on, instead, my burden which is light.Take upon your back My yoke… Which is easy.Take my strength and my support. I am longing for nothing more than to be your everything.Your everything!So take all of me!Take everything that is mine and make it your own!It is all your very own!!For we are one… What is mine is yours and I long for you to extend all that…
Your Best
Dear Life-Spring Family, I am still trying to process the very sad news about Jade’s passing away from this earth. As a father and grandfather, I find this recent event extremely heartbreaking. I am not in Pastor Blake’s shoes and it already hurts too much. Please cover Pastor Blake and his family with your prayers. It must be excruciating for them. This reminds me of Pastor Ryan’s sermon on suffering: Job never knew the reason or reasons for his immense…
Pray Today
Sometimes God asks us to go to the ends of the earth, sometimes He asks us to serve, sometimes He wants us to lay our lives down. Sometimes God wants us to be still… and to pray. Last week I was reminded of how the Israelites were protected in a time of plagues. Though there was hail, locusts, blood, and even first born deaths – Israel was protected. It was not because Israel planned or prepared correctly – it was…
Our Response
As I was reflecting on the past weekend, God showed me a bigger picture of what was going on in the World and in Lifespring. You see Lifespring has adopted a pattern of behaviour, when the world is in crisis, WE go to God in prayer and ASK HIM how to respond. A prime example of this was when we sowed into Compassion Canada Uganda ($6,000) & Operation Mobilization Greece ($10,000). The world was in crisis and the team responded…
Christmas Hope
Isaiah 9:6 (CEB) A child is born to us, a son is given to us,and authority will be on his shoulders.He will be namedWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Around this time of year, one of the things we like to do in our house is put up our Christmas tree. For me, putting up the tree has always been an important way for me to get into the Christmas spirit and Christmas season. In the past, even…
What Is Your Perception Quotient?
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The past could stop you from moving forward. Don’t dwell on it! Whether failure or glory. To dwell on something is to think or talk about it for a long time, and repetitively. (adapted from merriam-webster.com) This signifies a fixation or inability to…
How He Loves You
Hey Lifespring, I really wanted to write you guys a note of encouragement for today’s devotional. I feel like the Lord simply wants to cheer you up today. To lift up your eyes and have you look upon his loving smile. To pause for a moment and hear him call your name; to receive the short and sweet, “I love you, Child!” In times of accelerated growth and excessive changes it can seem counterintuitive to slow down or to shift…
Memory Verse
Dear LifeSpring Family, Every Monday evening I “attend” BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) with a group of about 200 men. And every Wednesday evening Dorothy attends a bible study by Precept Ministries Canada with a group of women. As I was reading the newsletter from Precept Ministries Canada’s National Director, Mark Sheldrake, it reminded me of Pastor Gabe’s sermon this past Sunday. When we are well equipped in God’s Word we will recognize when Truth is under attack. As Christians, we…
Align with God’s Purposes in Your Suffering & Trials Part 2
This past Sunday we continued our series on suffering. Below are 4 additional purposes in suffering – its not a formula – but sometimes God needs to get our attention or adjust our character for the assignment he truly has for us. Take a moment and read through the 4 purposes. Just prayerfully ask the Lord to speak to you as you read it – to grab your spirit’s attention if He wants to speak to you through it. Purpose…