The Harbour

Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This week, Dave Blow wraps up our series on what it means to be resurrection people by sharing his testimony and how he knows that "Jesus is in the restoration business".Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. What’s a simple or ordinary moment (like a meal or conversation) that has stayed meaningful to you? What made it significant?3. Read John 21:1-19 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?4. In the story, the disciples fish all night and catch nothing. What do you think that moment represents in their lives? Have you experienced something similar?5. Why do you think Jesus chose to meet the disciples in such an ordinary setting rather than in a dramatic way?6. Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” What stands out to you about this exchange?7. Why do you think Jesus focuses on love (“Do you love me?”) rather than failure (“Why did you deny me?”)?8. What does this story teach us about how Jesus responds to our failures or shortcomings?9. Jesus restores Peter before giving him a calling. Why is that order important?10. Do you ever feel disqualified from being used by God? How does this passage challenge or reshape that thinking?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 23 (ESV)The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousness    for his name's sake.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,    I will fear no evil,for you are with me;    your rod and your staff,    they comfort me.You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me    all the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord    forever.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning was our monthly Community Sunday where we have communion together as well as have time for coffee, snacks, and fellowship after musical worship. This month, Dave offered a brief reflection on what it means for Jesus to be our friend and why that reveals that compassion for others is our calling.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. When you hear Jesus say in John 15:15 that he calls us friends, what comes tomind? Does that feel natural or challenging for you?3. In Matthew 9:36, Jesus is described as having compassion. What do younotice about the way Jesus responds to people in need? How is his compassiondifferent from how we sometimes respond?4. Sunday’s reflection suggested that friendship with Jesus shapes our hearts over time. Have you experienced your perspective or reactions changing as you grow in faith? What has influenced that change?5. Imagine walking with Jesus and realizing he has stopped to care for someone. What might “keeping walking” look like in your life? What might it look like to “turn back and join him”?6. Where in your daily life might Jesus be inviting you to notice someone right now (eg, work, neighbourhood, church, family, etc.)7. What is one small, practical way you could respond with compassion this week?8. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 52 (NIV)Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?    Why do you boast all day long,    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?You who practice deceit,    your tongue plots destruction;    it is like a sharpened razor.You love evil rather than good,    falsehood rather than speaking the truth.You love every harmful word,    you deceitful tongue!Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:    He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;    he will uproot you from the land of the living.The righteous will see and fear;    they will laugh at you, saying,“Here now is the man    who did not make God his strongholdbut trusted in his great wealth    and grew strong by destroying others!”But I am like an olive tree    flourishing in the house of God;I trust in God’s unfailing love    for ever and ever.For what you have done I will always praise you    in the presence of your faithful people.And I will hope in your name,    for your name is good.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Dave continues our series on what it means to be resurrection people with a teaching on Thomas and his doubt. Jesus never rebukes Thomas for his doubt but uses it was a way to invite us all in to the community of faith.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read John 20:24-31 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?3. How would you describe Thomas based on this story?4. What do you notice about how Jesus responds to Thomas?5. Thomas says, “Unless I see… I will not believe." What do you think is underneath this statement—intellect, emotion, past disappointment, something else?6. Thomas waited a full week before seeing Jesus. What might God be doing in seasons of waiting?7. Have you ever had a season of doubt or uncertainty in your faith? What did that look like for you?8. What kinds of doubts are hardest to talk about in church settings? Why?9. How can we, as a group, create a safer space for honest faith conversations? 10. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 15 (NIV)Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?    Who may live on your holy mountain?The one whose walk is blameless,    who does what is righteous,    who speaks the truth from their heart;whose tongue utters no slander,    who does no wrong to a neighbour,    and casts no slur on others;who despises a vile person    but honours those who fear the Lord;who keeps an oath even when it hurts,    and does not change their mind;who lends money to the poor without interest;    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.Whoever does these things    will never be shaken.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This week, we welcome Paul Tuck from Dismas Fellowship Network as he shares on the topic of loving our neighbour. In Luke 10, Christ is asked "Who is my neighbour?" and he replies with the parable of the Good Samaritan. How can this inform how we treat those around us?Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. When you hear the word “neighbour”, what comes to mind?3. Read Luke 10:25-37 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?4. Who in the story stands out to you most: the wounded man, the religious leaders, or the Samaritan? Why?5. The expert in the law asks, “Who is my neighbour?” Why does he ask this? How does Jesus reshape that question?6. When have you experienced someone being a “Good Samaritan” to you?7. Is there a situation right now where you feel like the priest or Levite—aware of a need but hesitant to engage?8. What practical barriers keep us from loving our neighbour well (eg, time, fear, assumptions, busyness)?9. A question asked to Paul after the service… “When is enough enough? Is there a limit to compassionate care when you might feel taken advantage of?"10. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

John 14:1-7 (NIV)“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning, Dave Blow starts us into a new series looking at what it means to be resurrection people. What do we do know that Christ has risen and death is defeated?Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Describe a time when something made sense only in hindsight. What changed your perspective?3. Read Luke 24:13-35 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage? What emotions do you notice in the two disciples? What surprises you about how Jesus interacts with them?4. The disciples say, “We had hoped…”. What does that reveal about their expectations of Jesus?5. Why do you think they were kept from recognizing Jesus at first? What might this teach us about how God works in our lives?6. Jesus opens the scriptures to them before revealing himself. Why is this significant? What does it say about how we come to understand Jesus?7. Have you experienced a “we had hoped” moment in your life? What did that season feel like?8. Can you think of a time when you later realized God was present… but you didn’t see it at the time? What does this story teach us about doubt, confusion, or disappointment in faith?9. Where might Jesus be walking with you right now—even if you don’t fully recognize him?10. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (NIV)Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”“Where, O death, is your victory?    Where, O death, is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Dave Blow offers a brief Easter Sunday reflection on the meaning of the resurrection. We had a lovely meeting this morning with music, coffee and refreshments, and communion in addition to this teaching. We hope that we will see you out for our Sunday gatherings whenever you are able to join us in community and fellowship with one another.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. How was Easter for you? Is there an area in your life right now that might needresurrection—hope, healing, or new beginnings?3. Read Matthew 28:1-10 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?4. What does the phrase “love that rose” stir in you personally?5. How does the resurrection change the way we understand suffering and loss?6. Do you find it easier to relate to Jesus in his suffering or in his victory? Why?7. What would it look like for you to live as someone who truly believes that love has already won?8. In what practical way can you embody risen love in your family, church, or community?9. How can we, as a church and community, reflect resurrection life rather than just talk about it?10. Where do we see signs of “new life” already happening among us?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning, we had a special Good Friday service. As there will also be an Easter Sunday teaching that home church will likely use for their weekly discussion, we are including a few individual reflection questions to go along with today's teaching. You can find them below.Please find the slide deck for this morning's teaching here.Personal Reflection Questions:1. Where do I see myself at the cross? Am I avoiding it, observing from a distance, or willing to stay and receive the truth about both who Jesus was and what that means to me personally? Is God's mercy calling me to follow Jesus?2. What feels “dead” in my life right now that needs the hope of resurrection? Is there an area where I have given up, lost hope, or stopped believing God can bring new life? How is the resurrection inviting me to live differently this week?3. What would it look like for me to move from simply believing the story to actually living as a witness of hope, grace, and new life? What might it mean for us as a community?Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

1 Corinthians 15:20-27a (NIV)But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.”Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Will Dyer offers a Palm Sunday teaching to kick off a three-part Holy Week series. Why do all four gospels provide an account of an otherwise unremarkable event? Perhaps there is a deeper truth to be found here. Please join us on Friday and Sunday for our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, both starting at 10:00AM in the Newmarket SilverCity.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from Sunday’s teaching?2. How can all four gospel accounts be true if they aren’t the same? 3. Read John 12:12-19, Luke 19:28-40, Mark 11:1-11, and Matthew 21:1-11. What stands out to you from these passages?4. Why do you think the ordinary people in the crowd were able to see the truth about Jesus easier than the religious leaders?5. Where in your own life do you find yourself acting or thinking like the Pharisees?6. There is an apparent inconsistency between a king riding on a donkey while also being victorious. How can we reconcile this?7. What does it mean to you that love has arrived? How might it help us understand the rest of the Easter story to frame it this way?8. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Job 19:23-27 (NIV)“Oh, that my words were recorded,    that they were written on a scroll,that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,    or engraved in rock forever!I know that my redeemer lives,    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.And after my skin has been destroyed,    yet in my flesh I will see God;I myself will see him    with my own eyes—I, and not another.    How my heart yearns within me!"Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning, we are taking a break from our in-person teachings to watch the short (35min) documentary film Godspeed: The Pace of Being Known. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)If you missed the screening in the theatre on Sunday or would like to see it again, please find the film here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from the film?2. Are there contexts where you don’t want to be known? Why is that?3. Read Jeremiah 6:16-19 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?4. Alan Torrence had an a-ha moment when he realized the scale of Jesus’s life and ministry. Why does it matter that Christ’s life and ministry was embodied?5. The people in these villages know one another and know their family history and others’ family histories from memory. This is not typically our experience here in more densely populated areas with lots of movement and migration. How does the way of life represented in the film shed light on how the gospels were written and passed down?6. What is the value of rootedness and stability?7. “I wasn’t there to give people the good news, I was there to be a part of their life.” What does that mean?8. What is the value of travelling at 3 m/h (4.8 km/h)? Why might we find slowing down frustrating? 9. In the film, we’re told that if we want to walk like Jesus, we have to slow down. What does that mean to you? Christian thinker John Mark Comer urges the “ruthless elimination of hurry”. How might that apply here?10. Do you find any inspiration in this film for us as a church community? How can we apply the principles of this film here at The Harbour?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 22:1-8 (NIV)My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from saving me,    so far from my cries of anguish?My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,    by night, but I find no rest.Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;    you are the one Israel praises.In you our ancestors put their trust;    they trusted and you delivered them.To you they cried out and were saved;    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.But I am a worm and not a man,    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.All who see me mock me;    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,    “let the Lord rescue him.Let him deliver him,    since he delights in him.”Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This week, Will Dyer offers an epilogue to our Beatitudes study looking at the Sermon on the Mount as a whole. Being people of the Beatitudes is about more than listening to Jesus's words but about putting them into action.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from Sunday’s teaching?2. Why is it important to have a Christ-centered hermeneutic? Why is it important to have a community hermeneutic?3. Brian Zahnd says that, “God is like Jesus. God has always been like Jesus. There has never been a time when God was not like Jesus. We haven’t always known this, but now we do.” What does this mean and what significance does it have for understanding the scriptures?4. Read Matthew 4:17, 5:1-7:29. Take turns reading 2-3 sections at a time. This will probably take a while! 5. What stands out to you from these passages? Feel free to apply the community hermeneutic as we try to understand Christ’s teachings together by raising questions about what is puzzling, offering various angles or perspectives on the text, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the conversation.6. Bonus (optional): read Luke 6:17-49, 11:1-13. What stands out to you from these passages when compared to the same teachings in Matthew?7a. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world. Ask the Lord to form us into people of the Beatitudes.7b. If you would like to pray the Lord’s Prayer together…Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Isaiah 53:3-6 (NLT)He was despised and rejected—    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.    He was despised, and we did not care.Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;    it was our sorrows that weighed him down.And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,    a punishment for his own sins!But he was pierced for our rebellion,    crushed for our sins.He was beaten so we could be whole.    He was whipped so we could be healed.All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.Yet the Lord laid on him    the sins of us all.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Dave Blow wraps up our teachings on the beatitudes after an interview with Rachel and Michelle, our KidsPoints Coordinators. Jesus tells us that we are blessed when we are persecuted for his sake, not because we are difficult or annoying, but because the world will ultimately reject his way.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What part of Dirk Willems’ story (included below) impacts you most? Why?"In 1569, a Dutch Anabaptist named Dirk Willems escaped from prison for his faith. As he fled across a frozen pond, the guard chasing him fell through the ice. Dirk could have kept running to freedom. Instead, he turned back and rescued the man who was pursuing him. He was immediately re-arrested and later executed. Dirk did not just endure persecution—he embodied Jesus’ command to love his enemy. This is what it looks like when the Beatitudes take flesh."2. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?3. Read Matthew 5:10-12 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?4. What does it mean to be persecuted “because of righteousness” rather than because of our own behaviour?5. Why do you think Jesus ends the Beatitudes with persecution?6. What do you think it means to “rejoice and be glad” in the face of opposition?7. Dirk turned back to save the very man chasing him. What does that reveal about his understanding of enemy-love?8. What would it look like to practice that kind of love in today’s context?9. How do we discern the difference between genuine persecution and normal disagreement?10. Where do you feel pressure to compromise your allegiance to Jesus?11. Have you ever experienced opposition because of your faith? What did it reveal about your heart?12. What small step of faithful witness might God be inviting you into this season of Lent?13. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 24 (NIV)The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,    the world, and all who live in it;for he founded it on the seas    and established it on the waters.Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?    Who may stand in his holy place?The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,    who does not trust in an idol    or swear by a false god.They will receive blessing from the Lord    and vindication from God their Saviour.Such is the generation of those who seek him,    who seek your face, God of Jacob.Lift up your heads, you gates;    be lifted up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.Who is this King of glory?    The Lord strong and mighty,    the Lord mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, you gates;    lift them up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.Who is he, this King of glory?    The Lord Almighty—    he is the King of glory.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning, Dave Blow offers a reflection on what it means to be a part of the body of Christ, building on the reflection about unity that was offered last month on the Community Sunday. To be party of the body of Christ is not a matter of attendance or belief, but an existential state of being.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage and in Paul's description of the body of Christ?3. What does it mean to you personally to hear, “Now you are the body ofChrist”?4. Why do you think Paul emphasizes that every part of the bodymatters—even the less visible ones?5. How does simply showing up (physically, emotionally, spiritually) contributeto the health of the body?6. What gifts, experiences, or perspectives do you feel God has entrusted toyou for the sake of others?7. What happens to the body when members hold back or disconnect?8. What does “suffering together” and “rejoicing together” look like in a homechurch context?9. How is being a committed member different from being a consumer ofchurch activities?10. How might our faith change if we truly believed that Christ chooses to workthrough this community—through us?11. What is one small step you could take to participate in the life of this bodymore fully?12. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Malachi 3:1-5 (NIV)“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud labourers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This week, we welcome a special guest speaker from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Stephen Roy. Stephen shared a teaching with us about how making peace shows that we are children of God as God is a God of peace and not a God of violence.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read Matthew 5:9 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?3. When you hear the word "peacemaker", what images or experiences come to mind?4. How is peacemaking different from simply avoiding conflict?5. Why do you think Jesus connects peacemaking with being called “children of God”?6. What does peacemaking reveal about the character of God?7. Read Romans 12:17-21 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?8. What practical actions does this text suggest about how to “make peace”?9. Historically, Anabaptists have emphasized nonviolence and enemy-love. How does that deepen your understanding of peacemaking?10. Where do you see subtle forms of retaliation in our culture (online, politics, family dynamics)? How might followers of Jesus respond differently?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Hebrews 13:1-6 (NLT)Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,“I will never fail you.    I will never abandon you.”So we can say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper,    so I will have no fear.    What can mere people do to me?”Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Dave Blow shares on the sixth Beatitude: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." What does it meant to have a "pure" heart, exactly? Does our ordinary understanding of that term line up with Jesus's overall emphasis here in the Sermon on the Mount?Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read Psalms 24 and James 4:1-8 (preferably in multiple translations) (Note: both passages are available behind the same link). What stands out to you from this passage? Any themes that emerge?3. How have you typically understood the phrase “pure in heart”?4. What difference does it make to think of purity as undivided loyalty rather than moral perfection?5. Why do you think Jesus connects purity of heart with seeing God?6. Anabaptists emphasize integrity between belief and practice. Where do you see that connection challenged in everyday life?7. What are some ways the church can unintentionally encourage outward appearance over inner faithfulness?8. How does simplicity (of life, speech, or commitment) relate to purity of heart?9. What competes most strongly for your trust or allegiance right now?10. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Philippians 2:1-5 (NIV)Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning, Dave Blow continues in our study of the Sermon on the Mount with a message on mercy. We often like the idea of mercy until things get too real. What would it mean to not only be a merciful person, but a merciful community?If you would like to see the two clips that were played during the teaching time, you can find the first clip here and the second clip here.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. What part of the sermon felt most challenging—or most hopeful—for you?3. Read Romans 12:17-21 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you or resonates with you in this passage?4. When you hear the word "mercy", what experiences or emotions come to mind?5. Why do you think Jesus names mercy as a blessing and not a burden?6. What stood out to you about the distinction between mercy and avoidance or denial?7. How do mercy and justice work together rather than against each other?8. Where do you feel resistance to the idea of forgiving without retaliation?9. Where is God inviting you to practice mercy right now—internally or relationally? What makes mercy feel risky in that situation?10. How could this group or church support one another in living mercifully?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

John 8:31-36 (NLT)Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This week, we pause our study of the Sermon on the Mount for our Community Sunday gathering. Each first Sunday of the month we gather for worship, communion, a time of fellowship over refreshments, and a short reflection. Today, Dave offers a reflection about the value of participating in a church community and we hear from Cheryl Stam about her experience joining the Welcome team.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 (preferably in multiple translations). This passage leans into discipleship, mutual aid, shared responsibility, and embodied community, not just belief. Is there anything here that really resonates with you?3. Paul assumes that following Jesus happens in the body, not alone. How does community shape our discipleship in ways individual faith cannot?4. Where have you experienced faith growing specifically because of others in this group?5. Anabaptists resist the idea of the “self-made” Christian. Why is dependence on one another essential to being the body of Christ?6. What makes it difficult for us to need each other—or to let others need us?7. Paul says the weaker or less visible members are indispensable. How does this challenge cultural ideas of leadership, success, or spiritual maturity? How do we discern and honour gifts that don’t look “impressive” but sustain the life of the body?8. What practices help us resist treating church as something we consume instead of a body we belong to?9. Anabaptists have often said, “The church does not have a social ethic; the church is a social ethic.” What might that mean considering this passage?10. How does a visibly interdependent community bear witness to Christ in a fragmented, individualistic culture?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 41:1-3 (NIV)Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.The Lord protects and preserves them—    they are counted among the blessed in the land—    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.The Lord sustains them on their sickbed    and restores them from their bed of illness.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Dave Blow continues in our series on the Sermon on the Mount with a teaching on the fourth beatitude: hungering and thirsting for righteousness.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 (NIV)1. Where did you notice restlessness or longing this week—in yourself or in the world around you?2. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?3. Read Isaiah 58:1-11 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage? Any themes of note?4. Jesus uses hunger and thirst to describe desire for righteousness. What does this image suggest about the depth and urgency of that desire?5. When you hear the word righteousness, what do you usually think of?6. Why do you think Jesus calls this hunger a blessing rather than a burden?7. Anabaptists have emphasized that righteousness is lived, not enforced. What does that mean for how the church seeks justice today?8. Where do you see the temptation to settle for: comfort instead of faithfulness or peacekeeping instead of peacemaking?9. Where do you sense God stirring a holy hunger in you right now? This could be a relationship, a community issue, a global concern, a personal pattern, etc. What is one small, concrete step toward righteousness you could take this week?10. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This morning, Dave Blow shared a teaching on the next two Beatitudes: "Blessed are those who mourn..." and "Blessed are the meek...". Jesus is telling us that those who mourn deeply understand the cost of violence and those who grieve the world's pain are less eager to add to it.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.The audio from the clip featuring Amy Grant appears in the recording. If you'd like to see that clip, you can find it here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching? Was there a word, image, or phrase that stayed with you over the past few days?2. Read Matthew 5:4-5 and Psalms 37:1-11 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from these passages?3. What kinds of mourning do you think are being named here (eg, personal, communal, global)?4. When you hear the word "meek", what reactions or assumptions come up for you? 5. The sermon described meekness as "strength under control", not passivity. Where have you seen gentleness require courage?6. How are mourning and meekness connected? How might grieving the world's brokenness shape a nonviolent response to conflict?7. Anabaptists see nonviolence as a way of following Jesus, not just an ideal. What feels challenging–or perhaps hopeful–about that for you?8. This week, practice lament. Name before God one place of grief, whether personal or communal, without trying to fix it. Also, practice gentleness. In one tense moment this week, pause and ask: "What would the meekness of Jesus look like here?"9. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

John 1:1-5, 14, 16-18 (NIV)In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

This week, Dave Blow continues our teaching on the Sermon on the Mount with a dive into the first Beatitude, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." What does this mean, exactly? And how should it affect the way that we live?Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. When you hear the phrase "poor in spirit", what feelings or images come to mind?3. Read Matthew 5:3, Luke 18:13-14, Isaiah 57:15, and Psalms 34:18 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from these passages? Can you identify a common theme or message being communicated here?4, Why do you think Jesus begins the Beatitudes with poverty of spirit rather thanaction or morality?5. The sermon suggested that being poor in spirit is about dependence, not self-hatred. How does that distinction matter? Where do people often confuse the two?6. Jesus says, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What does that tell us about who the Kingdom is for?7. How does self-sufficiency show up in our culture—and in the church?8. Anabaptist communities have emphasized mutual aid, confession, and shared discernment. How do these practices help form a people who are poor in spirit?8. What makes it difficult to admit need or weakness in Christian community?9. This week’s practice is dependence. What is one way you personally resist dependence on God or others? What might letting go look like this week?10. How can Home Church become a safer place for asking for help, naming doubt, sharing struggle?11. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 98:1-3 (NIV)Sing to the Lord a new song,    for he has done marvelous things;his right hand and his holy arm    have worked salvation for him.The Lord has made his salvation known    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.He has remembered his love    and his faithfulness to Israel;all the ends of the earth have seen    the salvation of our God.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today, Dave Blow began our first teaching series of 2026, which will be about Christ's Sermon on the Mount, by looking at the Beatitudes and what it means to be "blessed". What does the Kingdom of God look like? What does it mean to be #blessed?Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Please find the video clip from Seinfeld here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read Matthew 5:1-12 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?3. When you hear the word “blessed,” what images or assumptions come to mind?4. How does Jesus’s use of the word differ from those assumptions?5. Which Beatitude feels most surprising or uncomfortable to you? Why?6. The sermon suggested that the Beatitudes describe a community, not just individual virtues. How does that change the way you hear these words? What might a “Beatitude-shaped church” look like?7. Anabaptists emphasize following Jesus as teacher, not just believing in him. What difference does that make when reading the Sermon on the Mount?8. Why do you think the Sermon on the Mount has often been treated as impossible, optional, or only for a spiritual elite? What happens if we receive it as a way of life instead?9. Some homework: this week, pay attention to where Jesus’s values clash with the world’s values. Where did you notice that tension? What emotions does it stir in you—resistance, hope, confusion, curiosity?10. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Psalms 18:1-4 (NIV)I love you, Lord, my strength.The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,    and I have been saved from my enemies.The cords of death entangled me;    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Merry Christmas, everyone! Dave Blow shared this final Advent reflection at our Christmas Eve service. This will be our last post for 2025. We will be back with new teachings on January 4th. As always, we will be meeting in the Newmarket SilverCity at 10:00AM. All are welcome!While there will not be any Home Church meeting this week, consider these questions for personal reflection:1. What stood out to you from this Christmas Eve reflection?2. Read John 1:1-18 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?3. How can we emulate Jesus, in both small ways and big ways, in order to be lights in the world?4. Pray for your friends and family, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, but includes our third Advent message. This morning, Will Dyer shared on the Advent theme of Joy. Please note that our fourth and final Advent message will be delivered on Christmas Eve at 4:30PM in the Bethel CRC building on Davis Drive (the church on the north side at Lorne Avenue). We look forward to seeing you there for carols, readings, and a message about the final Advent theme of Love.Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from Sunday’s teaching?2. What does it mean for joy to not be a feeling?3. Read James 1:2-4 (in multiple translations, if possible). What stands out to you from this passage?4. Have you ever had joy in dark circumstances? What was that like?5. Read Jude 24-25 (in multiple translations, if possible). What stands out to you from this passage?6. Read Psalms 100 (in multiple translations, if possible). What stands out to you from this passage?7. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world. Ask the Lord to help you have joy in all circumstances.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, but includes our second Advent message. This morning, Dave Blow shared on the Advent theme of Peace. Please note that we will have one more Advent Sunday message next week, followed closely by our final Advent service of the season on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve service will begin at 4:30PM in the Bethel Christian Reformed Church building on the north side of Davis Drive at Lorne Avenue (not in the SilverCity, which is our usual meeting place). All are welcome!Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Take a few moments to listen to the Buffalo Springfield song “For What It’s Worth”. For the music, click here. For the lyrics, click here. For Stephen Stills speaking about his inspiration for the song, click here. Can you name some of the tensions outlined in the song? Are they still relevant today?3. Read Isaiah 11: 6-9 (preferably in multiple translations). This seems incomprehensible, almost too big to imagine. What stands out to you from this passage?4. When is your life have you felt at peace? What did it look like?5. Where in your life do you crave peace? Be specific.6. Where in our world do you long to see peace?7. As we enter the Christmas break What is standing out to you as you deepen yourexperience this Advent season? How does it have the capacity to transform me?8. Pray with and for one another, our church community, and our world.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Isaiah 9:2-7 (NIV)The people walking in darkness    have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness    a light has dawned.You have enlarged the nation    and increased their joy;they rejoice before you    as people rejoice at the harvest,as warriors rejoice    when dividing the plunder.For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,    you have shatteredthe yoke that burdens them,    the bar across their shoulders,    the rod of their oppressor.Every warrior’s boot used in battle    and every garment rolled in bloodwill be destined for burning,    will be fuel for the fire.For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given,    and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Of the greatness of his government and peace    there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne    and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it    with justice and righteousness    from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty    will accomplish this.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Isaiah 40:1-8 (NIV)Comfort, comfort my people,    says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,    and proclaim to herthat her hard service has been completed,    that her sin has been paid for,that she has received from the Lord’s hand    double for all her sins.A voice of one calling:“In the wilderness prepare    the way for the Lord;make straight in the desert    a highway for our God.Every valley shall be raised up,    every mountain and hill made low;the rough ground shall become level,    the rugged places a plain.And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,    and all people will see it together.For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”A voice says, “Cry out.”    And I said, “What shall I cry?”“All people are like grass,    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.The grass withers and the flowers fall,    because the breath of the Lord blows on them.    Surely the people are grass.The grass withers and the flowers fall,    but the word of our God endures forever.”Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Today is the second Sunday of Advent, but because of last week's All Members Meeting, it contains our first Advent message. Dave Blow shared on the Advent theme of Hope. There will be three more Advent messages on the next two Sundays and Christmas Eve. Please join us in person for these meetings if you are able. Next Sunday we will be having Communion together (which is ordinarily on the first Sunday of each month). All are welcome!Please find the slide deck for this week's teaching here.Home Church Questions:1. What stood out to you from this week's teaching?2. Read Luke 1:26-38 (preferably in multiple translations). What stands out to you from this passage?3. Reread verse 38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. What might those seven powerful words be saying to us?4. We have just finished the first week of Advent where we have focussed on hope. As transparently as you feel comfortable, please reflect, and share on the following questions:a) How are you feeling–mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually–as we wind through the Advent season this year?b) Is there anything specific that you would like to experience this season? Is there anything that you are really longing for? c) Read Romans 13:11-14 in The Message translation. Where in your life do things feel hopeful? How would you describe that feeling? What could this passage be saying to us? d) Where in your life would you benefit from having more hope?e) What could be making you feel hopeless this Advent season?f) As we begin to turn the page on another year what do you hope for in our world? 5. Pray with and for one another and our wider community.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Isaiah 2:2-5 (NIV)In the last days,the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established    as the highest of the mountains;it will be exalted above the hills,    and all nations will stream to it.Many peoples will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,    to the temple of the God of Jacob.He will teach us his ways,    so that we may walk in his paths.”The law will go out from Zion,    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.He will judge between the nations    and will settle disputes for many peoples.They will beat their swords into plowshares    and their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will not take up sword against nation,    nor will they train for war anymore.Come, descendants of Jacob,    let us walk in the light of the Lord.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

Due to this week's All Members Meeting, which is happening during our regular service time, there will not be a teaching posted to the podcast feed on Sunday. For more information on the All Members Meeting, please consult recent newsletters (which are sent out on Friday afternoons) or reach out using the contact information below.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.Be in touch. Send us a text here. Instagram: @theharbournewmarketWebsite: theharbournewmarket.caEmail: [email protected]