Sanctus Church Audio Sermons

What is the Bible? How do we engage with this strange and ancient collection of writings today? The Bible reveals the ultimate story of reality—one that weaves our personal stories into a grand narrative that leads to Jesus. As is often the case with Jesus, this is about both the head and the heart.

Why does God care about what I do with my body? Come learn how our sexuality relates to discipleship—and how Jesus wants to help us discover a whole new way to be human in what he calls "The Kingdom of God". This is a conversation about relationship and trust. Will you accept that Jesus knows what's best for our hearts and bodies?

Fasting might be the most abused and neglected spiritual practice—yet Jesus expected his followers to fast regularly. When it comes to spiritual disciplines, our motives determine the fruit. Join us as we explore how fasting, when rightly practiced, leads to freedom and transformation.

How often do you spend time in the quiet alone with God? Solitude and silence were at the heart of Jesus' life and ministry. He often withdrew to the "lonely place" before engaging with the crowds and challenges that lay before him. If we treat Jesus as our model, learning how to minimize the noise and increase our attentiveness to God may be the secret to thriving within the chaos of our modern age.

Confession is an integral part of our walk with Jesus. It's through the practice of confession that we move out of our hiddenness and into God's inexhaustible grace and mercy. Simply put, confession leads to true freedom—so how do we do it?

“To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” —Timothy Keller   How do we talk to God? The disciples asked Jesus this very question; He answered by giving them the Lord’s Prayer. Using this ancient prayer as our framework, join us as we learn how to converse with the Father today.

To become like Jesus, we must spend time with Jesus. We do this through spiritual practices. If spiritual gifts are a guaranteed place of power, spiritual practices are a guaranteed place of transformation. They lead us into the presence of God after we’ve encountered him through Jesus so that he may transform us from the inside out. Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: Spiritual Practices: The Holy Habits of Faith

"Many of us have at times walked the Emmaus road, wondering where God is...when all along He walks beside us." — Randy Alcorn Jesus is risen. He is alive. He defeated death, rescuing us from the consequences of our sin, forging a way for the lost to be found. The resurrection of Jesus is the point at which the history of the world turns. No longer are we destined to travel alone. Jesus meets us on our journey. Through your pain and doubt, wrestling and wandering, he walks beside you—patiently waiting for you to open your heart and see that the Living God is ready to welcome you home. Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: Lost & Found

Crisis exposes us. When our normal routines are disrupted, we realize the limitations of money, sex, and power. At some point, we are forced to confront the jarring truth that we are fragile, flawed, and unable to save ourselves—that we need something, or someone, greater than what the world has to offer. Jesus is that someone. He calls us home, not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who he is and what he’s already finished.  Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: Lost & Found

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus made some shocking claims; statements that only make sense if we accept his identity as God in the flesh.  As a teacher, Jesus used parables to reveal truths about God’s character and humanity’s condition. He told stories—like the one about the Good Samaritan—that forced his audience to ponder deeply personal questions: Who am I in the story? Who are my neighbours? Am I willing to not only accept God’s love, but express it to the world? Our answers determine how we live. How do you respond? Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: Lost & Found

How do we lead a life marked by faith and hope in a world plagued with fear and uncertainty? Now, more than ever, we need to rest and ground our daily rhythms in our Living Hope: Jesus. Speaker: Jon Thompson

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” — John 14:1. In the face of trouble, Jesus comforts his followers by asking us to trust him with all things—including our beliefs about heaven.  According to Jesus, understanding the nature and promise of heaven leads to radical hope. When we correct our misconceptions about “going to heaven”, we discover a more powerful and profound hope, one that empowers us to lead counter-cultural lives marked by love and joy irrespective of our circumstances.  Heaven is more about the person than the place—and it starts with us.   Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: The Great Divide

The doctrine of hell is one of the most difficult aspects of Christian faith for many people—so why should we talk about it? The famed theologian J. I. Packer gives us three reasons: The idea of hell is being debated and debunked frivolously in modern culture; There is no such thing as the “Good News” without the other side; and Jesus talked about it—a lot. Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: The Great Divide

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” – Matthew 22:44. Jesus made several things clear through his teachings: judgment is real, we will all give an account, and he is the judge. Your view about how the world will end directly affects how you live on earth today. God’s judgment satisfies our need for justice in the world—but we must be careful not to separate it from another part of God’s character: his grace. Jesus is the risen the judge—and forgiver. The heart of the gospel is the supreme truth that God accepts us with no conditions when we put our trust in Jesus. As N.T Wright puts it, “In the word of the risen Jesus, we find judgment and forgiveness coming home at the deepest and most personal level.” In the end, everyone will come face-to-face with God. The only question is whether we face him alone, or covered by grace alone. Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: The Great Divide: Death and Destiny

God extends mercy to the merciless, leaving Jonah in a heart storm. How can God be perfectly just and perfectly loving at once?  God is a complex character who makes sense only through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moses wasn’t allowed to see it. Jonah wasn’t able to discern it. Thankfully, we don’t stand where they stood.  The book of Jonah forces us to contemplate our personal destiny. How will we respond to God’s word, world, and grace?   Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: Jonah

"Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Jonah preaches wrath—but God responds with mercy. Above all else, the book of Jonah is about reconciliation. It demonstrates the fact that God’s wrath and mercy are held in tension—and that the road to revival, while available to all, requires genuine repentance. If there are innumerable steps between us and God, he will take all but one. The choice is ours. Speaker: Jon Thompson Series: Jonah - The Mystery of Mercy

  God keeps his promises. Despite Jonah’s rebellion, God rescues his prodigal prophet from the jaws of death. Jonah cries to the Lord for help, and God answers him.  Nothing can separate us from God’s love and mercy; he is not limited by our shortcomings. In fact, we see yet again that God uses imperfect people to achieve his perfect plans. Speaker - Jon Thompson Series - Jonah: The Mystery of Mercy 

Jonah: The Mystery of Mercy Speaker: Jon Thompson Scripture: Jonah 1 Love your enemies. Jonah receives a mission from God that leaves him struggling with a question our world continues to wrestle with today: how God can be both merciful and just? Obedience will require sacrifice. For Jonah, the cost seems too high. He refuses and runs—but God’s mercy prevails.

Together: A Series on Marriage & Community Speaker: Angela Mason Beliefs are powerful. They influence our behaviour, set our expectations, and define what we think is possible.  So what do we believe about marriage? Or more importantly, what does God have to say about the matter? The Scriptures paint a picture of marriage infused with meaning and power. God invites us to be filled with the Spirit so that our marriages lead us and the world into a deeper knowledge of the Gospel.  Sound difficult? Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to do it on our own. He is our ever-present Helper, always inviting us to find freedom and power in all areas of life—including marriage.

The Founders of The Marriage Course join Pastor Jon for a conversation about their mission to save marriages. The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions, designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a strong marriage. Visit www.themarriagecourses.ca for more information.