One of the most fundamental experiences of a richly fulfilling humanity is the experience of pure, unadulterated joy, a deep, soul-satisfaction with life that makes all of life really worth living. We’ll do practically anything to experience this joy, hoping to discover what we are looking for in a life of happiness, satisfaction, achievement, being right or recognized, being comfortable or living for the moment. Yet, this experience of joy is also one of the most elusive in life, evading us at every turn. The book of Philippians mentions “joy” more than any other letter written by the Apostle Paul. Yet, according to Philippians, joy is found in ways that could surprise, disappoint, and even offend us. So, what does this joy look like? Where do we find it? And how do we avoid wasting our lives on Trivial Pursuits?

Feb 8, 2009 – The Pursuit of Trivia
In the pursuit of a deep soul-satisfaction with life, many of us live our lives chasing the next big thing: the next big band, the next big purchase, the next big deal, the next cool outfit, the next fun relationship, the next meaningful job. Discontent with the way things are, we build our lives on a foundation of trivial things, knowing in our gut that they’ll never add up to the life we’ve always wanted. So, where do we turn if we’ve been looking for life in all the wrong places? How do we get beyond our trivial pursuits in our pursuit of real life?

Feb 8, 2009 – Vision Night 2009
Please join us on Sunday, February 8 at 7pm for our Vision Night celebration, where we will be launching our 2009-11 strategic heartbeats.

Feb 15, 2009 – The Pursuit of Happyness
Many people are consumed with the pursuit of happiness, a sense of contentment rooted in our circumstances, entirely dependent on what “happens” to us. In the pursuit of happiness, we miss out entirely on joy, which is something entirely independent of our circumstances, something that has nothing to do with what “happens” to us. How do we experience true joy, rather than hoping for happiness? How would our lives be different if we could learn to be unhappy with happiness and instead pursue true joy?

Feb 22, 2009 – The Pursuit of Independence
One of the true sources of inspiration in our world are those stories of individuals and communities who, in the face of overwhelming odds, overcame enormous opposition, to heroically accomplish their vision. Those are the stories that draw us upward, the stuff of Disney movies, stories about the human spirit, the courage and strength to prevail. Those are the lives we aspire to, lives worthy to be celebrated. How could we attain to that kind of life? What would it look like to live truly heroic lives like these?

Mar 1, 2009 – The Pursuit of Glory
It’s been said that opinions are like belly-buttons, everybody’s got one. In fact, everybody has way more than one. They have the one that matters, the one worth listening to. There’s something deeply satisfying about being able to say those four sweet words, “I told you so,” to say that you knew it all along. The trouble emerges when all these different opinions finally collide in a way that not everyone can be right. So, is there anything more deeply satisfying that being able to say, “I told you so,” a way to be in the right without being right?

Mar 8, 2009 – The Pursuit of “My Way”
It has been argued by some that the Church is one of the best reasons to not believe in God. It is true that when you watch the grumbling and complaining, the infighting and the division, it is often a wonder that people are ever attracted to the church enough to explore spirituality within its walls. Is that really what life in the church is supposed to look and feel like? Is it possible for things to change, for life within the church to look and feel unified? What kind of impact would that kind of community have on a watching world?

Mar 15, 2009 – The Pursuit of Recognition
In a culture so enamoured by celebrity and fame, we have developed an incredible number of ways to ackowledge and recognize those we deem worthy of honour. We call them MVPs, VIPs, CEOs, and PhDs. We award them Emmys, Grammys, and Oscars and celebrate them with Pulitzer and Nobel prizes. We honour them with knighthood, the Purple Heart, and the Order of Canada. What does it look like to be worthy of honour in the church? Who should the church should be celebrating, and emulating, within its own ranks?

Mar 22, 2009 – The Pursuit of the Comfort
When Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” He was inviting us to live as he did, zealously pursuing God’s radical plan for creation even if it killed him, which it did. He was inviting us into a suicide mission, challenging us to give up our comforts, ambitions, hopes and dreams for the sake of a world desperate to feel the loving touch of God. These are not easy choices, especially in a world that tells us that it’s all about us. Why would we make such a choice? What’s in it for us? How is it worth it to give it all up for Jesus?

Mar 29, 2009 – The Pursuit of Now
Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now” was first published in 1997 and has sold more than 2 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. For those who embrace its vision, it is an open invitation forget the past, to not worry about the future but to receive the present moment with joy. While it is enticing to imagine a life unconnected to my past, a life of freedom from anxiety about the future, the question is: is this the pathway to real joy? How would God recommend that we discover real joy in the toughness of life?

Apr 5, 2009 – The Pursuit of Wealth
It would be hard to imagine that right now most of us don’t have finances on the brain. There are tough questions about employment and survival. There are exciting questions about opportunity and investment. Though the financial climate has changed, God’s perspective on our finances hasn’t. His concern, as always, is that our financial conundrums don’t become trivial pursuits, sidetracking us from our life with him. In days like these, how do we keep our money questions from distracting us from the vitality of our life with God?