The Gathering | Windsor Podcast

 Now, as we head into chapters 5 and 6, things get very practical. We're still learning grace and truth—but now we'll see how that shows up in our actual lives. Paul starts talking about what it looks like to walk in the Spirit, how we deal with temptation, how we love one another, and what real freedom in Christ looks like. 

God alone can take credit for our worthiness before Him--because every time He makes someone part of His family, He performs a miracle, like conceiving a child in the womb of a barren woman. Every time He makes someone a part of His family, they have reason to rejoice as free heirs to an extraordinary gift. Because God alone saves, we can rejoice in Him alone. 

As we move into chapter 4 and beyond, we'll see that this freedom doesn't lead to sin—it leads to righteousness. Not a righteousness we boast about, but one that flows from the Holy Spirit who now lives in us. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

We live in a world of extremes. More often than not, we feel pressured into placing our identity in one end of an extreme or the other. The Apostle Paul puts the Law against the Promise to prove to the Galatians, and to us, that our identity should be found in neither. Our identity is to be found in Grace, knowing we are sinners in need of saving who have a Savior in Jesus.

Distortions to the gospel were drawing the Galatians away from the truth of God's grace.  Paul wrote to remind believers that we never move on from the gospel.  We are saved by grace through faith and, we live each day by grace through faith.

The Apostle Paul, with holy urgency, writes to the Galatians as a father pleading with his children (Galatians 4:19). He is bold, even direct at times, because eternity is on the line. He reminds them—and us—that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else.

Christ had paid it all—completely, permanently. But instead of resting in His finished work, the Galatians - the church in Galatia (modern-day Turkey) - were being led to believe they needed to add something to their salvation. 

Making disciples is not some distant unachievable goal. It's about being before doing, being Gospel focused, incorporating Jesus into the conversations and relationships we already have. We're not waiting for the perfect moment – it starts now, in the middle of our busy lives.

It is a historical fact that Jesus was crucified.  But did he really rise again?  Everything hinges on if that is true or false.  Pastor Phil lists 4 reasons to believe the resurrection of Jesus really happened.

 Jesus knew the cost. He knew the agony of the scourging, the shame of the mocking, the suffocating pain of the nails. He knew the wrath of God would be poured out upon Him, that He would cry out in the darkness, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). And yet—He still came. Jesus stepped into our place, taking the judgment, we deserved, so that we could walk free.

They had tried discrediting Jesus before the crowds. They had even tried accusing Him of breaking the law. They made up a reason. They fabricated charges. They staged a trial. 

Failure is an unavoidable part of life.  Peter experienced incredible failure when he denied Jesus three times.  Pastor Phil explains that because our King is gracious and merciful, our failures don't have to define us.

Two days before his crucifixion, Jesus promised he would return to sit in judgment over the nations. He will judge righteously, familiar with suffering and sovereign over the world. Because the King is coming in judgment, we must serve Him now.

The return of Christ is one of the most essential doctrines in the Bible. The story of Jesus is incomplete without it. He came, He died, He rose, He ascended, and He will return. The grand narrative of history and redemption finds its culmination in Christ's return, and here in Matthew 24-25, Jesus provides us with clear and compelling insights on this event.

Who is Jesus? Is He a nice man? This passage shows that Jesus is more than a rabbi we should listen to; He is the Messiah we must trust in.There are three 5 second gaps in the audio due to a technical error.

But as Jesus entered Jerusalem, something was different. This was not the entrance of a conquering general, nor the display of a military ruler seizing power. Instead of a mighty warhorse, Jesus chose a donkey—a simple, unassuming animal of peace. Instead of swords and shields, He was surrounded by ordinary people laying their cloaks and palm branches before Him. Instead of military victory, He came to offer grace, and truth, hope and healing, He offered salvation.

We are called to live differently than the world.  One of those differences is how we view marriage and divorce.  Jesus gives clear teaching that combats views prevalent then and today.  We need to understand that marriage is part of God's good design.  Since that is the case, we must resist divorce and fight for our marriages.

Jesus measures greatness in His kingdom by one primary characteristic - humility, in serving others, and in trusting in Him, in His word, by the power of the Holy Spirit, completely and doing this daily. 

The transfiguration of Jesus is a foreshadowing of the glorified Christ after His resurrection. Highlighting the future hope for all truly repentant disciples of Jesus.

Jesus said to Peter, "On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus wasn't talking about Peter himself, but the profound truth that Peter made: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This is crucial that we get that right and build on that solid foundation.

Resolutions aren't bad but according to the Bible, they aren't enough. What we need as we head into a new year is for Jesus to cleanse and renew our hearts.

The grace of God lays the foundation for our lives and for the church.

In Luke 2:8-18 we see the fulfilment of God's promise. The long awaited Messiah has come, who would be the light of the world.

Jesus, the Word become flesh has come to illuminate the darkness of sin, revealing the Father's love and securing the gift of eternal life for all who have repented of their sin and who have received this gift -who believe in Him

It's far too easy for us to go through the motions of the Christmas season and end up on autopilot.  Pastor Phil preaches through a familiar passage and challenges us to resist Christmas autopilot by truly focusing on who Jesus is and what He has done.

These words carry the hope of Christmas: God is with us. Immanuel has come to fulfill this promise. Jesus' birth reminds us that no matter how dark or uncertain life is, His presence brings peace, deliverance, and hope of a better day. 

In Matthew 15:1-9, we're given a front row seat right into a scene where Jesus faces off with the Scribes and  Pharisees— those religious authorities, the respected experts of the law who in this case had come all the way from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus. 

The Gospel of Matthew records miracles because the miracles are Jesus' message: they show that because Jesus is sovereign, we can trust Him--even in the midst of danger.

Jesus offers more than a one-time miraculous meal of bread.  Jesus is the Bread of Life, the only one who truly satsifies now and forever.  Because Jesus is the only one that satisfies, we need to trust in Him.

Here's the reality: we can know about Jesus—know all the Bible stories, sing all the hymns, even come to church every Sunday—and still have hearts of unbelief. 

The twin parables about treasure explain how valuable the King & His Kingdom are.  And since they are the true treasure, it is reasonable to give everything up for them.

When Jesus talked about the "kingdom of heaven" he meant God's renewed reign in a broken world. God's kingdom started small, but because it is growing, we must proclaim it with confidence.

Each of us belongs to one of two groups: the wheat or the weeds. Though we may not be able to tell merely from outward appearances, the truth is revealed in the fruit or lack-there-of.

Jesus uses a series of parables. A parable both reveals and conceals at the same time. These parables are not merely stories; they resonate deeply with our own experience and challenge us to consider our own responses to the Word of God.

Walking in prayer requires intentionality. We can learn from Paul's prayer for the church at Colossae in both the WHO and the HOW of this daily practice of prayer. 

The Apostle Paul challenges & encourages us to rejoice in The Lord, a direct byproduct of our prayers.

Abounding in prayer an expression of our joy and contentment in Christ.

Pastor Phil walks through the Apostle Paul's powerful prayer for the Ephesian church. He unpacks how we need God's strength to help us grasp God's greatness and love for His people.

Christians are not promised an earthly happily ever after.  We are promised eternal life in glory because of the gospel.  Since this is true, we must learn to focus on eternity.

What kind of God is God, that the innocent suffer and the guilty prosper in His universe? God answers Job out of the whirlwind with His own questions--questions that show us that because God is sovereign, we can trust Him that His purposes are good.

Nobody wants to suffer or go through hard times.  The reality is that we will.  And since suffering is part of life, we must learn how to trust the Lord so we can suffer well.

Remember to honour God in every stage of our lives, in the beginning, in the middle years and nearing the end.

Jordan Legg walks through Proverbs 8 and shows us that since God's wisdom is good, we must apply it to our lives.

The word “proverb” comes from the Hebrew word “mashal” and means “a short, saying” that's “easy to remember.” It can also mean “to rule” or “govern” The book of Proverbs are sayings meant to teach us wisdom, wisdom from God's word.

Nothing we have is ours as we are charged to be God's stewards. If all we have belongs to God, and if God calls us to be generous, we have no reason not to be irrationally generous. The question is - does our generosity reflect a dependence upon God or a dependence upon self?

As we celebrate 10 years of God's goodness & faithfulness to our church, Pastor Phil explains that since we have been reconciled to God we must join the work of reconciliation.

The Religious leader's asked for a sign, the curious onlookers misunderstood Him and the small group of disciples followed him. Which group describe me?

Our words matter.  Jesus tells us that our words reveal and reflect our hearts.  Because our words condemn our hearts, we must ask Jesus to change us.