Thursday, December 27, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Advent Starts this Sunday at New City Church
The season of Advent begins this Sunday, December 2. Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’) is the four-week season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, the day we mark the first coming of Christ to the earth.
“The great proclamation “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) assures us that God has entered into human history through the incarnation of the Son. The season of Advent, a season of waiting, is designed to cultivate our awareness of God’s actions—past, present, and future. In Advent we hear the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming as addressed to us—people who wait for the second coming. In Advent we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament promises, when the wolf will lie down with the lamb, death will be swallowed up, and every tear will be wiped away. In this way Advent highlights for us the larger story of God’s redemptive plan.
“A deliberate tension must be built into our practice of the Advent season. Christ has come, and yet not all things have reached completion. While we remember Israel’s waiting and hoping and we give thanks for Christ’s birth, we also anticipate his second coming at the end of time. For this reason Advent began as a penitential season, a time for discipline and intentional repentance in the confident expectation and hope of Christ’s coming again” (The Worship Sourcebook).
During our Sunday morning services, we’ll use the birth narrative of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke to guide and direct our thoughts. This Advent season also marks the launch of our study of the Gospel of Luke that we’ll take with us through 2013.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The Top 10 Reasons to Use “Seeking God’s Face”
10. It has a cool name. Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year (SGF). Psalm 27:8 says, “‘Seek his face!’ Your Face, Lord, I will seek.” Seeking God’s face is a way of saying that we want to know God personally.
9. All the elements of the daily devotional are designed to be experienced as prayer – think of it as an extended conversation with God. God invites you to be with him; you quietly enjoy his presence by faith; you listen to his word; you respond in prayer to his word and your moment in life; and God sends you with his blessing.
8. From a bird’s eye view, SGF follows the Christian calendar, which is another way of saying it follows the major movements in the life of Christ. If the Christian calendar (Advent, Easter, etc) is new to you, each section begins with a brief introduction to that season. The intention is to place our story into the story of Christ allowing it to shape our lives.
Since Christian seasons and holidays are not bound to our calendar, they move around from year to year. SGF provides the dates for each year through 2026, so your prayer book will not go out of date anytime soon. You’ll always know which page we are on.
7. Each day of prayer contains a number of different elements—an invitation into God’s presence, times of quiet, Scripture readings, free prayer (with items to prompt prayer), a set prayer, and a closing blessing.
6. Each day begins with an invitation into God’s presence. The invitation is a way to open ourselves to the reality of God’s movement towards us in the Gospel of Christ, and for us to become mindful once again of God’s presence with us.
5. There are two prompts each day to encourage us to quiet our hearts and minds, and to enjoy stillness before God. To hear God speaking to us in Scripture, we must quiet ourselves to contemplate what is being said. Cultivating a stilled, attentive heart before God while seeking to quiet the noise around us and within us is a vital step in communing with God.
4. Each day we read from two parts of Scripture. The book of Psalms has always served as a prayer guide for God’s people, so we work our way through the book of Psalms (150 of them) twice a year. By doing this, we’re praying with the wider community of Christians around the world who pray these prayers.
In addition, every day includes another passage of Scripture allowing us to read through the major points and key passages of the story of God’s salvation. This is not a time for in-depth Bible study, but rather a time to dwell in God’s presence as we indwell His story.
3. Times for free prayer and a form prayer are provided. The free prayer section is just what the name suggests: an opportunity to speak to God freely about where you are in life as you interact with His word. Some prayer prompts are provided in case you would like some direction in prayer. The suggested free prayer items are focused in a weekly flow of seven daily groupings. There is also a set prayer each day using the rich imagery and vocabulary found in the Reformed confessions of faith—thoughtful and soul-nourishing. Each day concludes with a blessing from Scripture.
2. SGF is an excellent devotional tool. Each day’s readings and prayers can easily be completed within 10 minutes serving as a way to start off our day connecting & communing with God. Each day is short enough that it can easily be supplemented by other reading programs or Bible study programs.
1. New City Church is adopting this book as the prayer book for its community of faith. We want to encourage the participants of NCC to use this guide. In doing so, we’ll be reading the same Scripture daily, praying similar prayers with and for each other, and trusting God to grow us and shape us together throughout the week. Why not join us?
There will be some copies of Seeking God's Face available for purchase at New City Church, or you can pick up a copy online here and here.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Don't Forget to "Fall Back"
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Happy Reformation Day!
Happy Reformation Day!
Many folks know October 31st as Halloween, but do you also know that it marks a very significant day in the life of Christian church as well. Many Christians mark today remembering the monumental moment when a young Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses for debate upon the door of the Wittenberg Castle on October 31, 1517.
It is a day and an event with which every Christian should be familiar. And since we at New City Church are are Reformational church, today is a perfect opportunity to brush up on events that shape our historical identity.
Here are some good resources to learn more about this significant event, as well as an interesting article for reflection as you see zombies walking around Calgary today.
It is a day and an event with which every Christian should be familiar. And since we at New City Church are are Reformational church, today is a perfect opportunity to brush up on events that shape our historical identity.
Here are some good resources to learn more about this significant event, as well as an interesting article for reflection as you see zombies walking around Calgary today.
- First of all, for a good Q&A aritcle orienting you to Reformation Day, check out, "What Was Luther Doing When He Nailed His 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Door?"
- In honour of Reformation Day, the good folks at Ligonier Ministries are offeringtoday only the downloadable 10 part series, "Luther & the Reformation" for free.
- The kind folks at Desiring God are offering John Piper's free ebook, "Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life & Labor." This new ebook features five chapters that present a sketch of Luther's life and distell relevant lessons for all Christians.
Happy Reformation Day!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
The Wonderful Exchange
~ The Magisterial Reformer John Calvin
"This is the wonderful exchange which, out of his measureless benevolence, he has made with us: that, becoming Son of man with us, he has made us sons of God with him; that, by his descent to earth, he has prepared an ascent to heaven for us; that, by taking on our mortality, he has conferred his immortality upon us; that, accepting our weakness, he has strengthened us by his power; that, receiving our poverty unto himself, he has transferred his wealth to us; that, taking the weight of our iniquity upon himself (which oppressed us), he has clothed us with his righteousness."
~ Institutes of the Christian Religion, IV.17.2
Friday, September 21, 2012
Song list for Worship @ NCC this Sunday
Call to Worship
* His Name Is Jesus
* Come Praise & Glorify
Song of Confession
* Psalm 130 (From the Depths of Woe)
Response
* All I Have is Christ
* Show Us Christ
Communion
* We Hunger & Thirst
* Amazing Love (You Are My King)
* Agnus Dei
Closing Hymn
* In Christ Alone
Here are some videos of some of the songs... [& yes, we do love Sovereign Grace Music]
* His Name Is Jesus
* Come Praise & Glorify
Song of Confession
* Psalm 130 (From the Depths of Woe)
Response
* All I Have is Christ
* Show Us Christ
Communion
* We Hunger & Thirst
* Amazing Love (You Are My King)
* Agnus Dei
Closing Hymn
* In Christ Alone
Here are some videos of some of the songs... [& yes, we do love Sovereign Grace Music]
Friday, September 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
"Knowing God" Reader's Guide - Chapter 17
Packer contends that the notion of jealousy is something we would never imagine of God. But according to the Scriptures, jealousy is one of God's attributes.
“God’s jealousy over His people, as we have seen, presupposes His covenant love; and this love is no transitory affection, accidental and aimless, but is the expression of a sovereign purpose. The goal of the covenant love of God is that He should have a people on earth as long as history lasts, and after that should have all His faithful ones of every age with Him in glory. Covenant love is the heart of God’s plan for His world. And it is in the light of God’s overall plan for His world that His jealousy must, in the last analysis, be understood.”Questions - Chapter 17
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Knowing God Reader's Guide (updated)
Here is an updated reader's Guide (basically "Part II" is in the correct spot now!)...
Knowing God Reading Schedule (updated)
Friday, June 29, 2012
Sneak Peek of the July 1, 2012 Worship Service
Happy Canada Day on Sunday! Here's a sneak peek of this Sunday's worship service.
July 1, 2012 Worship Service
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
“There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me. There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that He sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow-men do not see (and am I glad!), and that He sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, He want me as His friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given His Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose.”
"Knowing God" Reader's Guide - Chapter 3
Here's the study guide for chapter 3 of Packer's Knowing God.
Questions - Chapter 3
What is one point from the chapter that you hope to remember?
What is one point from the chapter that you hope to remember?
Sneak Peak of our June 17, 2012 Worship Service
Here's what's happening this Sunday at New City Church....
June 17, 2012 Worship Service
Saturday, June 9, 2012
"Knowing God" Reader's Guide - Chapter 2
And here's the study guide for chapter 2 of "Knowing God."
Questions - Chapter 2
How did you reading go? Leave comments below as to what you found helpful or challenging.
How did you reading go? Leave comments below as to what you found helpful or challenging.
"Knowing God" Reader's Guide - Chapter 1
Here's the study guide for chapter 1 of "Knowing God."
Questions - Chapter 1
So, leave a post below on why you decided to sign up to read along with us this summer. What are you hoping to gain by reading this book?
Friday, June 8, 2012
Loving this world...
"Because we know the natural level also is God's creation, we cannot cease to fight against the death which mars it, as against all those other blemishes upon it, against pain and poverty, barbarism and ignorance. Because we love something else more than this world we love even this world better than those who know no other."
~ CS Lewis, God in the Dock
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Online Summer Book Club
Have you signed up to join the Online Summer Book Club with New City Church yet?
Click here for more info & to join in reading J.I. Packer's classic work, Knowing God. Packer writes,
Click here for more info & to join in reading J.I. Packer's classic work, Knowing God. Packer writes,
"Our aim in studying...must be to know God Himself better. Our concern must be to enlarge our acquaintance, not simply with the doctrine of God’s attributes, but with the living God whose attributes they are. As He is the subject of our study, and our helper in it, so He must Himself be the end of it. We must seek, in studying God, to be led to God. It was for this purpose that revelation was given, and it is to this use the we must put it."Begins next week (Sunday, June 10!). Here's the schedule you can download... Knowing God Reading Schedule
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Weekly Roundup
- Preaching the Gospel to Yourself. From time to tine at NCC, you have heard us say that we must master the art of preaching the gospel to ourselves. Here is a great series of blog posts teaching us how to do just that. Click here forChapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5. This posts would be well worth your time.
- Justice Court Judge: "Your wrong and your God's wrong." An Ontario judge erupts in a lengthy, angry tirade against a pro-lifer.
- A Visual Guide to the Trinity. This graphic looks to one of the most fundamental and most difficult areas of Christian theology--The Trinity.
- Texas Atheist is Flabbergasted by Outpouring of Christian Charity. An atheist who had threatened to sue a Texas county over the display of a nativity scene says he is "completely flabbergasted" that Christians from that same county provided him financial assistance for a medical problem.
- Bible.is. This is a good site that allows you to hear a fully-dramatized reading of the Bible in the English Standard Version. Great for the kids & even for your devotional readings.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Visual Theology: "The Trinity"
Canada's (Toronto's) own leading Christian blogger, Tim Challies, has made an excellent infographic portraying the core doctrine of the Trinity. Scripture teaches that the one, eternal God exists in three persons: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Admittedly, this is mind-boggling. God is utterly unique, sui generis, and we finite creatures have great difficulties trying to wrap our mind around our Creator. Take a look at this graphic or click here to enlarge the graphic.
If we may make a suggestion for further study, pick up Fred Sander's book, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. While meaty, it will leave you breathless, and you will find your desire to know this amazing God growing exponentially.
If we may make a suggestion for further study, pick up Fred Sander's book, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. While meaty, it will leave you breathless, and you will find your desire to know this amazing God growing exponentially.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
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