Northgate Church Port Alberni

Pastor Evan joins us from Northgate in the Comox Valley to wrap up our series on 'The Kingdom', by talking about what it means to be a 'kingdom people'.

Resurrection is... weird to think of. But that's usually because we don't really understand it. Resurrection is also central to our faith, and has major implications for eternity. If you've ever felt confused about heaven and resurrection - check this out! PS - My understanding of this topic is influenced and inspired by the likes of NT Wright, Darrell Johnson and the Bible Project guys. If you're looking for further reading, check out: - Surprised by Hope (or) The Day The Revolution Began - NT Wright - Discipleship on the Edge (Revelation) - Darrell Johnson - Anything by the Bible Project

Little did they know, as they embedded that crown of thorns into his head, that they were literally crowning the King.

It's week 1 of a new series about The Kingdom of God! In week one, we set the stage, contrasting the tale of two Kingdoms.

At the end of the narrative surrounding Elijah's ministry, God and Elijah share an intimate moment as God speaks to his heart in a gentle whisper. Today's passage reminds us how essential it is to be sustained by God's Word.

In an abrupt change of heart, the hero - Elijah - suddenly crashes hard. The one thing you CAN do, when you inevitably crash, is the one thing that Elijah DIDN'T do. Another Old Testament figure - Job - shows us what to do!

It's the legendary/not legendary showdown between Baal and God! This is the moment the whole story has been leading up to. God uses this moment on Mount Carmel to wake up his people, and bring them back to him.

Elijah encounters a (mostly) brave hero - Obadiah.

After starting out with a bang, Elijah steps into the 'long haul'.

We begin the journey through the ministry of Elijah, from 1 Kings 18 and 19

We celebrate invitation, because invitation leads to stories of new life! Today we celebrate invitations that turned into new life, with baptisms! (Baptisms start around 32:00)

One of our Core Values is: Celebrating Invitation; both Jesus' invitation to us, and our extension of that invitation to others. Pastor Evan Allnutt joins us as a guest speaker to help us catch the heart of invitation.

If vision is where we're going, values are what will get us there. If vision is what we're focused on, values are the culture that supports that focus. We've been an independent Foursquare Church for a year now, and it's time to articulate our core values! Celebrating Invitation || Thoughtful, Accessible Gatherings || Deep Spiritual Friendship and Connection || Sacrificial Generosity || Discovering and Understanding the Story of God (as told by the Scriptures).

2025 was our best year yet! There is so much to celebrate. But we also can't stay there. Here's where we believe God is leading us and taking us, as we launch into a New Year.

The algorithm is fighting hard for the chance to 'form' us, and frequently, it's winning. This is becoming a critical issue for the church, and this is a call to pay attention to who/what you're allowing to lead and guide your 'spiritual formation', and to be intentional about being formed by Jesus. We're disappointed that the 'direct audio' from the sound board didn't work again, (turns out, you have to actually press the 'record' button), but hopefully we cleaned up the room audio enough to make it possible to listen to.

Not much is said about Joseph, and yet, MUCH is implied about him. There is much about him that we can glean from his life, and apply to our own. As you head in to 2026, resolve to steadfastly trust God, like Joseph. We're in between series, and we're also 'in between' Christmas and New Years, which is always a lovely, yet completely disorienting time. This gives Rob an opportunity to speak into a couple Pastoral Thoughts that don't fit neatly into any regular series .

This week, you can join our full Christmas Service, as we wrap our Advent series celebrating how the birth of Jesus brings us TRUE peace. Merry Christmas!

Christmas time is often associated with romance and family and friends and togetherness... all great things! But human love and family isn't always everything Christmas wants it to be. Sometimes human love and family is a source of immense pain and grief. In those instances, our romanticized version of Christmas can be very painful for people. But the arrival of Jesus, God in the flesh, introduces us to a whole new kid of love! A love that never fails or disappoints.

Happiness is circumstantial. But Joy is eternal. If God has come to us; If has come to be with us, And made his presence and his life accessible to us at all times, by faith, Then we can have JOY no matter what we face.

If you've ever felt like Charlie Brown from the classic 'Peanuts' Christmas special, dissatisfied with 'Christmas', and questioning its meaning... then this is the series for you! We're not religious curmudgeons, but we do believe that the real meaning of Christmas brings true life and hope in a way that cultural Christmas simply can't.

In those early chapters of Genesis, after humanity's big mistake and subsequent shame, there's a little verse where God clothes Adam and Eve with skins from an animal. That verse is such a little nugget, but the implications are immense. In the same way that God temporarily covered and clothed Adam and Eve, he permanently covers and clothes us in Jesus.

Genesis 22 The story of Abraham and the near-sacrifice of his son, Isaac, has got to be one of THE most difficult passages in the Bible. It's hard to wrap your mind around! But hidden in the passage are super important 'shadows' of things to come. Sorry, but our camera malfunctioned! (We did get really compelling footage of the floor, though).

You've probably read/heard the story of Jesus getting angry and driving everyone out of the Temple, or the story of Jesus getting hungry and cursing the fig tree... But you might not realize the deep significance of these passages, and what they reveal about Jesus. Sometimes, things/people project an image that isn't true to what/who they really are. This sermon is a little longer than usual, but it's worth sticking it out until the end!

You might have heard of 'The Woman Caught in Adultery'.... but have you heard of 'The Men Caught in Hypocrisy'? In this well known encounter, Jesus is revealing MUCH about who he is and what he is like. Apologies for the poor audio quality. We forgot to hit the record button on the computer, so you're unfortunately only hearing the audio from the room mic!

Nobody is content to just exists and breathe air. Everybody thirsts for something real; something that will fulfill us. We want to feel ALIVE. What is that, and how do we get it?

That moment Jesus walks on the water, is saying a LOT about who he is! What if Peter had just trusted him?

The miraculously healing of the Leper did more than just restore a broken and humiliated man. It also exposed the hypocrisy of the religious, and gave us a glimpse into the Kingdom of God.

In response to a 'thorn in his flesh' Paul writes about God's grace being enough, and his strength being displayed through our weakness (2nd Cor 12). This can become a banner verse for anyone who struggles with their mental health. In our weakness, he is strong!

From our 'mini' Fav's series - Rob traces the theme of the Shepherd and the Sheep, starting with an all time 'fav', Psalm 23.

It's the 4th and final chapter of Jonah, concluding Jonah's short and concise, yet powerful, bio. Praise/Worship was especially special this week, so we included it! Sermon starts at 22:50.

Pastor Rob is back from holidays, and takes us through Jonah 3! For the first two weeks of the Jonah series, check out Life Church's series on Jonah (featuring Pastor Craig Groeschel).

If you're going through hell, keep going! Jesus takes our 'struggle' seasons and turns them into 'glory' seasons.

We're baptizing people today! And also answering the question - What's Up With Baptism, Anyway?? ---------------------------------------- From the series 'Quiet Questions' - where we tackle anonymously submitted questions that you've been 'quietly holding' because you didn't think you could ask them. Why are we doing this? Because doubts and questions are not the enemy of faith, rather, they can be the catalyst that leads to even greater faith!

... is God a monster? Did God harden Pharaoh's heart, or did Pharaoh harden his own heart? Why did all that craziness have to go the way it did? Couldn't there have been another way?? All great questions. Let's go! ---------------------------------------- From the series 'Quiet Questions' - where we tackle anonymously submitted questions that you've been 'quietly holding' because you didn't think you could ask them. Why are we doing this? Because doubts and questions are not the enemy of faith, rather, they can be the catalyst that leads to even greater faith!

... OR, "why did 'my friend' have a hard time connecting and growing at my church? " *Wink* ---------------------------------------- From the series 'Quiet Questions' - where we tackle anonymously submitted questions that you've been 'quietly holding' because you didn't think you could ask them. Why are we doing this? Because doubts and questions are not the enemy of faith, rather, they can be the catalyst that leads to even greater faith!

"Other people seem to find the Bible enjoyable and life-giving.... but I find it boring and I don't want to read it. How can I get the most out of the Bible? _________________________________________________________ From the series 'Quiet Questions' - where we tackle anonymously submitted questions that you've been 'quietly holding' because you didn't think you could ask them. Why are we doing this? Because doubts and questions are not the enemy of faith, rather, they can be the catalyst that leads to even greater faith!

Welcome to our new series - Quiet Questions - where we tackle anonymously submitted questions that you've been 'quietly holding' because you didn't think you could ask them. Why are we doing this? Because doubts and questions are not the enemy of faith, rather, they can be the catalyst that leads to even greater faith!

To wrap up his Sermon on the Mount (and our series) - Jesus combines a warning, along with a second, subtle, powerful, invitation.

The 'blessed life' Jesus describes in the Sermon on the Mount stirs our souls and awakens a deep sense of purpose within us... but also feels so impossible! How can we possibly live up to it? Ask. Seek. Knock!

The weapon of the enemy becomes the means by which the enemy is defeated. Jesus is the Champion! Happy Easter!

Jesus words about not judging others sound like they came straight from the vocabulary of a millennial... But this is a timeless and profound truth, just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago, that could change the world - if we could do it!

We all succumb to the insatiable desire for 'more', but Jesus calls us to something better! Once again, we are having issues with the direct audio recording. Unfortunately we were only able to capture audio with the room mic, and so the audio is not as clear as we'd like it to be. Hopefully you can still hear and understand the message!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus slips in a little nugget regarding 'when you fast'... But what is fasting, and why would I want to do it?

How is prayer counter cultural, and what does Jesus have to say about it in the Sermon on the Mount?

We always love having Pastor Evan with us from Northgate (Courtenay)!

Continuing in the Sermon on the Mount; Jesus challenges our propensity for doing the right things with the wrong motives - and challenges us to find our approval in God, the Father, alone.

From the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges human nature's proclivity towards revenge - and calls us to a better, counter cultural way.

From our series on Jesus' famous sermon on the mount. What does Jesus have to say about 'Vows/Oaths'? How is it relevant to us today?

From Jesus' famous, and highly counter cultural, 'Sermon on the Mount', we dig into what Jesus has to say about Lust and Adultery.

Let's start 2025 by making sure our top priority, love for God, is locked into its rightful place. What is love for God? What does it look like? What difference does it make?