Ferndale Free Methodist Church

This was a very special day. We had Seth and Hlawn Hlawn Van Tifflin as our guests and they shared about the ministry they founded and oversee called In Better Hands. This is an incredible ministry that literally rescues children from human trafficking, abandonment, and child labor abuse and places the in loving homes where they are cared for, educated, and raised up with the knowledge of a loving and compassionate God who cares for them and has a purpose for their lives. We know you’ll be moved by this ministry effort.

We learn from our mistakes in the areas that matter least. We repeat our mistakes in the areas that matter most. Too often, we look at our pasts and our decisions don’t even make sense to us. We end up asking, “What was I thinking?” But how do we avoid getting stuck in cycles of repeated mistakes that take our lives down the wrong paths? We ask God to transform our minds so we won't think the way we used to think and do the things we used to do.

One reason history repeats itself is that we don’t own our parts of our history. And the reason you don’t own it is there’s nothing to own – it wasn’t your fault! But if something important has come to an end and you are starting over, you must look back and own your part in order to move ahead. Your best bet for a successful future is to own your share of the past.

We've all had the experience of putting something together only to have to take it apart and start over. That's ok if it's only a gas grill, but it's not okay if it's your life. Your career..... Your marriage..... Your dreams..... How do you break the cycle of mistakes and failed attempts? In this message we'll examine 3 myths that we can believe that can hinder our moving forward with a healthy fresh start.

This is the final message in our 5-part Thinking Series. It's a question each of us will ask because of the certainty that each of us will face death. Your answer to this question not only has implications for you when you die, it has implications for how you live your life. The Christian faith is based on the belief of this central truth: Jesus died, and Jesus came to life again. Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus. If he did conquer death then it's a certainty that there is more to life than what we see and experience now.

The problem of evil has been an issue that has caused some people to conclude that God does not exist. Or if He exists He is either not good or not all-powerful. However, it could be that the existence of evil can actually be part of the evidence that God does exist. In order for evil to exist there must be good that is distorted. This message speaks to this thought and shows how a loving God gives us free will, and we see the result of that freedom in our broken world.

This is the thrid message in The Thinking Series. It's such an important question, and a statement that many people believe to be true. We'll discuss this today in a logical way, looking at assumptions many make that in and of themselves may not be true, as well as showing that when we compare different religions they can't be equally true - simply because they can contradict each other.

Many people grow up with a belief in God, but something happens as they grow older and they begin to doubt if God does in fact exist. We wonder, if God is real, why doesn't he just reveal himself in some unmistakable way. Today's message speaks to this and shows how it is reasonable to believe that God does exist.

This is the first of a 5-part series based on the fine work of Apologetics Canada. Over the next few weeks we'll be discussing some of the most important questions any person can ask. Today we'll discuss What is the Meaning of Life? Do we exist for a purpose? Or are we a bag of chemcals that will live and eventually die with not reason for living? If there is a purpose, how do we find it?

This message series is about raising up others in the Christian faith. It has direct implications for parents as they train their children and pass on their faith in Christ. It also has implications for any follower of Jesus as they mentor, or disciple, someone young in the faith.

One of the biggest challenges of sharing Jesus with someone who doesn’t believe in him as their Savior is navigating through the complexities of Christian theology. In fact, maybe you’ve shied away from “fishing” because you weren’t confident of your ability to explain all the elements of the doctrine of salvation. Even if you understand that we have all sinned, and why bad things can happen to good people... that doesn’t mean you can explain it all to somebody who’s never heard it. The fact is, oftentimes, Christians make Christianity way too complicated. There are people in this world who have rejected what they think is Christianity; but in reality, they have merely rejected an overcomplicated distortion of Christianity. Meanwhile, they’re still waiting to experience an authentic version of the love of Jesus. In this message, we’ll learn a simple, clear definition of what it means to be a Christian. And as you become familiar with it, you will be equipped to fish without risk of muddying the waters.

When Jesus invited his first disciples to follow him he made his agenda clear right up front: “Follow me, and I’ll turn you into something you’re not already.” We would expect him to say something like follow me ... and I’ll make you ... more spiritual, more disciplined, smarter, a better husband or wife, richer. But that’s not what he said. And what he said wasn’t what they were expecting ...

We’re tempted to believe that happiness comes from acquiring things. But happiness is an outcome of what we sow in our lives. Knowing that truth is like paint in a can: it makes no difference until you apply it. Doing makes the difference—especially doing for others. You won’t be happy as long as you are all about you.

When it comes to our finances, most of us believe that the connection between happiness and money is determined by the amount of money we have. If money hasn’t made us happy so far, it’s only because we don’t have enough. But if your goal is to find happiness, no amount of money will ever be enough. It’s not about how much money you have; it’s about how you manage it.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “God doesn’t want you to be happy; he wants you to be holy”? Too often we assume that happiness and holiness are mutually exclusive. We think we have to choose one or the other. We believe we can’t be both. The New Testament does teach that God wants us to be holy. But holiness and happiness don’t stand in opposition. It’s quite the contrary.

What makes you happy? Something came to mind, right? Something comes to mind for all of us. We all daydream about a trouble-free life made possible by something: a job, house, car, spouse, child, family, or pile of money. But what if what makes you happy isn’t a what at all. What if it’s a who?