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Pastor Ray, Pastor Brett and Shylo chat Daniel 5 and what went on at Willingdon and Austin Heights over the past few weeks and more! We touch on topics like feeling left out because of our faith and whether we should be participating in Halloween as Christians. You can write in to [email protected], and we'll try our best to answer them on the pod! 00:00 Intro 01:19 Church Stories 12:07 Sermon Insights 16:54 Celebrating God's gifts vs celebrating ourselves 19:45 Spotting a foolish feast before sitting at the table 28:54 Practices to help protect our hearts from drifting 36:05 Have you ever felt quietly left out because of your faith?  39:30 Keeping God's patience and accountability in mind without tipping into fear or complacency 42:30 Outro  This Podcast is a companion podcast to our Sunday sermon. Join the Pastors of Willingdon and Austin Heights each week as they dive a little deeper into each topic, answer questions and provide a few laughs along the way. You can also find a video version of this Podcast on YouTube. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/   Website: https://willingdon.org/

What makes for a great feast? ·      An abundant supply of food and drink (appetizers, salads, meats, desserts, beverages). ·      People (family, friends, work colleagues). ·      Knowing the meaning or purpose of the event (birthday, wedding, religious festival, graduation ceremony, etc.). ·      Knowing what to wear (casual, cocktail, black tie, etc.).    In many ways, feasts reveal what we live for – our highest values and aspirations.   Does God need to be at our feasts?     1.     God is dishonored at foolish feasts. 2.     God holds us accountable to live by the spiritual light given. 3.     God gifts us with life, numbers our days, and determines our end. 4.     God invites us to a much better feast.

Pastor Ray and Pastor Brett chat Daniel 4 this week as they touch on topics like pride, what was going on in Nebuchandezzar's heart and more! If you have any questions during our Sunday Sermons, write in to [email protected], and we'll try our best to answer them on the pod! 00:00 Intro 00:53 Ministry Story 05:54 Sermon Summary 08:33 Should we take credit for being or becoming Christian? 09:40 Nebuchadnezzar's Heart 18:26 Is there a positive side to our pride? 24:16 Is it wrong to tell your kids you're proud of them? 30:00 Historical texts and the Bible 43:28 Outro This Podcast is a companion podcast to our Sunday sermon. Join the Pastors of Willingdon and Austin Heights each week as they dive a little deeper into each topic, answer questions and provide a few laughs along the way. You can also find a video version of this Podcast on YouTube. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/   Website: https://willingdon.org/

Imagine you have the platform at the half-time of the World Cup Final (estimates run from 1.5 to 2.7 billion viewers).  What would you say? Would you try to sell something?  Would you sing?  Would you share your personal story?  Would you mention God? Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on earth, had the platform to communicate with the whole Babylonian empire, that stretched from Elam (Iran) all the way to Egypt.  What was his message? 1.     THE BAD NEWS a.     The proud place themselves at the center of their kingdoms. b.     The proud dismiss warnings of judgement. c.     The proud are blinded by their achievements and successs. 2.     THE GOOD NEWS a.     God can bring a proud person down. b.     God can bring forth new life from a stump. c.     God can make a worshipper out of the proud. Reflection Questions: 1.     Maybe your tree has fallen, and you feel like a stump today. Where do you find hope? 2.     Have you had the experience of living in worshipful surrender to Jesus?  What is it like? 3.     What would be your personal testimony at half-time of the World Cup Final?

Pastor Ray, Pastor Brett and Shylo dig into Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace! We did a switcharoo this week with Pastor Brett preaching on Daniel 3, and Pastor Ray on Chapter 4 and then switching again for next week. If you have any questions for Daniel 4, write in to [email protected], and we'll answer them on the pod in 7 days! 00:00 Intro 03:06 Engaging with culture vs compromising our faith 12:50 The Freedom of Faith 19:36 We have more Nebuchadnezzar in us than we think 26:09 Trying to control the future we want or compromising to secure it 32:51 A reminder about the character of God for those in the fire 40:30 Where was Daniel? This Podcast is a companion podcast to our Sunday sermon. Join the Pastors of Willingdon and Austin Heights each week as they dive a little deeper into each topic, answer questions and provide a few laughs along the way. You can also find a video version of this Podcast on YouTube. This Weekend's Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/live/N9hLDVF2Gug?si=KeulS03l6epwD8yq&t=1834   Website: https://willingdon.org/

Daniel chapter 3 is one of those stories that you might think you already know, but I think the real questions here are much bigger than how three guys survive a fiery furnace. The Demand for Allegiance The Freedom of Faith Finding God in the FireReflection Questions: What are you afraid to lose? Why? Where are you feeling pressure to compromise?How does knowing Jesus is with you change that?

We're back, did you miss us? We're happy to announce that we're bringing back the Podcast, now with video! You can still find us on Spotify, Apple and other audio platforms, but if YouTube is your preferred option, we're on there too! Today, Pastor Brian, Pastor Ray and Pastor Brett walk through the end of Daniel 2, touching on the topics of sacrifice, trusting our leaders and what Daniel is saying about history. As always, you can write in your questions from the sermon to [email protected], and we'll try our best to feature them on the podcast! 00:00 - Intro 01:37 - Story from Unite 05:58 - Resources Used for this series 10:22 - Sermon Summary 15:21 Daniel is teaching us about history  23:11 Connecting the kingdom and stone in the dream to Jesus 28:45 Putting hope in things that may fall 3617 Staying engaged in a culture that doesn't share our beliefs  42:05 Admiring God is not enough  45:47 Outro This Podcast is a companion podcast to our Sunday sermon. Join the Pastors of Willingdon and Austin Heights each week as they dive a little deeper into each topic, answer questions and provide a few laughs along the way.  This Weekend's Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVxRYq9tAtU    Website: https://willingdon.org/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WillingdonChurchOfficial

What keeps you awake at night?  For me, it’s my children, grandchildren, finances, church family, ministries, elections, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, etc.  Where is this world going?  Can anyone foresee what will happen?  Can anyone help? What keeps you awake at night? Through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the God of heaven and earth speaks to at least three individuals or groups: (1) Nebuchadnezzar, so that he can understand his dream, but also so that he can know the great God who knows and guides the future; (2) Daniel and his friends, so that they can experience His mercy; and (3) the world, so it can know where history is going! God sets up and removes kings.God foresees what will unfold in history.God is actively establishing His kingdom in history.God invites our worshipful surrender.

Daniel and his friends find themselves facing life and death. The king needs help, and none of his wise men can do it. Human cunning and wisdom are failing, and the gods aren't helping either. What will happen? Reflection Questions:  Where are you finding wisdom for living? Do you expect God to show up in your need? Why or why not? Who in your life might need you to bring God into their situation?

Every person faces pressure to find their way in a new school, a new job, or a new culture. This process of conforming to the community around us is called assimilation: “a process where individuals or minority groups adopt the ways, language, and customs of a dominant culture, often losing distinct aspects of their original heritage.” There are at least five pressure points: Language (verbal and non-verbal)Social NormsEducation and WorkIdentityReligionAll of us face this pressure, consciously and unconsciously, as we live within our Canadian culture where the individualized self is at the centre of conversation when we talk about the value of human life, family values, and sexual ethics. The message is clear: put yourself before family, society, and God. God is at the margins. How do we remain faithful to Jesus when we live in this pressure cooker? Daniel 1 teaches us that … God has His hand on all of history.The dynamics of assimilation remain unchanged.God favours, equips, and sustains His servants.

When we enter a new school year, we are filled with expectancy. Will I like my new class? Will I connect with the teacher? Will I make the soccer team? Will I have a role in the school play? If we’re off to university, our anticipation is taken to a new level. How will I adjust to the larger campus environment? Will I find the workload overwhelming? Will I have the discipline to finish my assignments on time? Will I be able to make new friends? 1 Samuel 9 opens with a sense of expectancy. God is going to give Israel a king!! The people of Israel are entering a new chapter of their history. They have never had a king. Who will it be? Today’s story is a story of God’s guiding hand and active intervention in a person’s life. The story invites us to ask how God is guiding our lives. What should you and I expect? God’s “more” means that God is already on the move.God’s “more” receives God’s confirmation.God’s “more” requires trust in God.God’s “more” is for every disciple, every day, everywhere.

Have you heard of the shortest play in world drama? Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. Guinness World Records acknowledges his play, entitled “Breath”, to be the shortest play in world drama. It lasts about 35 seconds. As the curtain opens, you see a stage littered with rubbish. A single light illuminates it. There are no actors and no words. The first thing you hear is a faint cry of a baby being born, then the sound of someone inhaling, then someone exhaling. The light slowly dims.  And then a final cry.  Is that it? “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!” Ecclesiastes 12:8  Is this mist of a life pointless? Praise God! “Vanity” does not have the last word. The final six verses of Ecclesiastes put the whole book into perspective. They do not contradict the Preacher but rather provide a compelling conclusion. They tell us how and why the book was written. The Words:  How were the words written? (vs. 9-10)The Word:  Who is the author of the words?  What is their purpose? (vs. 11-12)The Way:  What should be our focus? (vs. 13-14)

Life can be full of joy, but can also be overshadowed by the end of our story. Yet today matters specifically because tomorrow is coming. Remembering God in the midst of every day living allows us to rest in Him and enjoy the life we were made to live. Rejoice in the good gifts of life.Remember the God who gave us life.Rest in the God who holds on to us.

We’re nearing the end of 2026. As you look back on this year, have things gone the way you planned? Did your efforts give you the results you wanted? Chances are, many of our outcomes were not what we anticipated. Although we sometimes feel like we’re in control and know the future, life’s unpredictability can often leave us wondering what to do.  How do we live with certainty in an uncertain world? How can we make decisions when we don’t know what will happen? Thankfully, you’re not the only person wondering these things. People have been asking for thousands of years, including the Preacher’s audience. In this week’s passage, the Preacher acknowledges that we must live with uncertainty in this world. At the same time, we can find certainty in the God who created the world. Today we’ll learn to … Live with uncertainty.Live without certainty.Live certainly with God’s certainty.