Sanctus Church Audio Sermons

Trials forge our faith. When difficulties arise, Paul encourages us to ground ourselves in the faithfulness of Jesus. Even when we struggle with doubt, Jesus remains faithful to us. That's the secret — it's not about you. The strength to endure comes from the One who has already defeated death.

From the series "2 Timothy: The Good Fight". Facing imminent death, Paul encourages Timothy to join him in suffering for the gospel. Is this the selfish desire of a lonely prisoner? Or is there a deeper meaning to the suffering that leads us into more security and strength than we can even imagine?

From the series "2 Timothy: The Good Fight". As crises mount, one thing becomes clear: we can’t do it alone. Imprisoned and awaiting execution, Paul writes a letter to Timothy about the power of the gospel and the cost of discipleship. If we’re going to live on mission, we need to understand where our power comes from.

What does Sanctus Church believe about discipleship? What does it look like to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus in the middle of a pandemic? In the midst of disruptions, there are always opportunities for growth and impact.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the past and cast vision for the future. This is a conversation about how we, as fully devoted followers of Jesus, may continue building for the future with hopeful anticipation because we trust that our God is with us and for us. Our strategies may change, but God’s promises for our church and region remain the same.

In times of uncertainty, we tend to use our lack of foresight as an excuse for inaction or disobedience. What if there’s an alternative way forward? God uses seemingly impossible situations to help us see our need for Him. The invitation isn’t to certainty, but to trust. 

There’s always a battle before the victory. Just as Moses and Aaron partnered with God to liberate Israel from slavery, we too must follow God and trust that He’ll provide a way forward regardless of who or what we face.

How do we live with faith, courage, and freedom? You are commissioned to live out the gospel in the middle of suffering. This boldness has nothing to do with personality, and everything to do with God.

Is Jesus really our brother? Many of us know Jesus as Saviour, Shepherd, Lord, King—but when's the last time you thought about the Son of God as your sibling? Understanding our relationship to Jesus after we're adopted into the family of God impacts how we see ourselves and our purpose.

Jesus came to set you free from sin and death so that you may experience the fullness of life—both now and forever. Recognizing the significance of this freedom helps us cultivate gratitude that fuels our ability to love freely in the face of any challenge.

We all want to achieve our full potential, but what if the cultural vision for your life can’t get you to where you actually want to go? God offers an alternative path, but following Jesus will cost you the compromise of comfort.  As followers of Jesus, we are called to be people of his presence that help bring God’s kingdom into the present. It's a calling that changes how we view ourselves and everything we do in this life.

To know who you are, you must know who you're not. The truth depends on distinctions—and knowing our limitations leads us into a deeper relationship with the only One who is capable of helping us become everything we're meant to be. It's time for us to live what we believe.

How you define yourself matters. Our beliefs influence our behaviour—and the story of Ruth exemplifies how God weaves our decisions and actions into his unfolding plan of redemption. Simply put, God redeemed you for a reason: to reflect the lovingkindness that you first received. So ask yourself: am I ready to impact the world by living as a child of God?

God wants to connect with you on a deeper level—so much so that He calls you His friend. The heart of friendship is to know the heart of the one who befriends you. God wants to transform your heart by revealing his own, but great friendships take time and effort. Learn how investing in this one relationship will transform how you relate to everything and everyone else—including yourself.

What does it mean to be favoured by God? There's a significant difference between the favour we achieve through our own efforts and the favour we receive as a gift from God. One provides an edge, the other develops our character. God's favour is always about the bigger picture—are you ready to trust him during the process?

Where do you find your identity? Many of us root our sense of self and sense of worth in what we own, what we do, and what others say about us—yet the Gospel reveals that our identity is based on what's already been done through Jesus. Who will we trust? God's inviting you to join the family—but this identity must be received, not achieved.

Celebration and rest are essential aspects of one's spiritual life. They produce a divine joy that fuels everything else we are called to do as believers. So how do we celebrate and rest in the midst of pain, suffering, and urgency?

Serve others: easy to say, hard to do—especially when it comes at a personal cost. Jesus calls us to actively will the good of others, including those who we'd rather ignore (or perhaps even harm). This is radical love. This is reconciliation. This is the way through which the Kingdom of God flips our cultural models upside-down and begins to emerge in the here and now. We weren't created and saved to sit on the sidelines. It's time for us to love boldly and find Jesus at the middle of it all.

Are you paying attention to what really matters? Nothing is more valuable than our personal time and attention, and yet we rarely create space to ask ourselves whether our choices are leading us into deeper relationship with God. In a culture obsessed with complexity and accumulation, Jesus calls us to practice simplicity and sacrifice. Why? Because these disciplines, when done as acts of worship, lead us to the One who is able to free us from the tireless cycle of never feeling like we have (or are) enough.

Chris Chase and Cheryl Nembhard join Pastor Jon Thompson for an honest conversation about the reality of racism, the hope of reconciliation, and the role of the Gospel in our pursuit of justice.