Grassroots Church | Thunder Bay, Ontario

5 Markers Part 6 (Summary): A new way to disagree

Pastor Steve Bill summarizes the last two sermons before our small group discussion times. He goes over the essentials from his last two sermons based around the marker: "The church is defined by our shared center, not by the lines we draw." Grassroots Church is changing format for the summer starting next week. We're not sure what that means for the podcast yet - stay subscribed to this feed for the latest!

5 Markers Part 6: A new way to disagree (Part 2)

Pastor Steve Bill expands further on the last of the Jesus Collective's Markers of a New Reformation: "The church is defined by our shared centre, not by the lines we draw." Listen for practical and spiritual ways to live in Christian unity. This message was originally delivered at Grassroots Church on June 25, 2023.

5 Markers Part 6: A new way to disagree (Part 1)

We are on the last of the Jesus Collective's Markers of a New Reformation: "The church is defined by our shared centre, not by the lines we draw." Pastor Steve Bill shares his thoughts on this marker in the first of a two-part sermon. This was originally delivered at Grassroots Church on June 18, 2023.

5 Markers Part 5 (Summary): Equipped by the Holy Spirit

In this short homily, John Peace expands on the marker "The Holy Spirit empowers us to partner in God’s work of reconciling all things." This message was originally delivered on June 11, 2023.

5 Markers Part 5: Equipped by the Holy Spirit

Listen as Robin Peace explores the marker "The Holy Spirit empowers us to partner in God’s work of reconciling all things." This message was originally delivered on June 4, 2023.

5 Markers Part 4 (Summary): The Importance of Community

In this short homily, Amy Baker shares her perspective on the marker "To be saved includes belonging to a community under Jesus called to live the life of the future now." This message was originally shared on May 28, 2023.

5 Markers Part 4: The Importance of Community

"To be saved includes belonging to a community under Jesus called to live the life of the future now." In this sermon, Vincent Ng explores how we are to function as a unified body to bring about the Kingdom of God on Earth. Originally delivered on May 21, 2023.

5 Markers Part 3: Reading Scripture Through Jesus

"God always looks like Jesus, and all scripture is properly read through him." In this homily, Pastor Steve Bill provides a brief overview of this statement ahead of a period of small group discussion.

5 Markers Part 2 (Summary): Evil is Overcome by the Power of Suffering Love

Pastor Steve reiterates the 3rd marker of a New Reformation: Evil is Overcome through the Power of Suffering Love, through summarizing the Jesus Collective Sermon on this topic before the community breaks into small group discussions.

5 Markers Part 2: Evil is Overcome by the Power of Suffering Love

In this sermon, Scott Baker looks at one of the Markers of a New Reformation: "Evil is overcome by the power of suffering love." Starting with the love Jesus showed on the cross, Scott explores some ways we can follow that example in response to evil. The is part of the series introducing the Jesus Collective and the 5 Markers of the New Reformation.

5 Markers Part 1: Introduction

Scott Baker and Steve Bill begin a 6 part series introducing the Jesus Collective and the "5 Markers of a New Reformation." These markers help provide language for the Grassroots Community to speak about our faith and theology.

Fort Severn Trip & Communion Service

Pastor Mills shares some observations on his recent trip to Fort Severn where he officiated a wedding and also provided some thoughts on Communion and why we partake in this tradition.

Pointing Kids to Jesus

We impact and influence our children spiritually when we talk about the love of Jesus for them and for us.

I Am Series: The Bread of Life

After a day of teaching, Jesus uses a few small fish and loaves of bread to feed a huge crowd. A day later, Jesus is confronted by the curious and tells them, "I am the Bread of Life". What does that mean? 

John 1:1-18 - Introducing a Revised Sunday Morning Format for Grassroots

Steve Mills provides a short homily on John 1:1-18, followed by an overview by Scott Wiebe and rationale for a revised approach to Sunday mornings at Grassroots. The message concludes with a sample "convo" about today's passage between Scott and Steve Bill. 

Aimee Slaubaugh’s Mission Trip to Arizona Recap

Aimee shares about the work she was blessed to be a part of in Arizona this past year. 

Spiritual Gifts

Pastor Mills brings a reminder for all of us to take inventory of the spiritual gifts we've been given for the sake of the Kingdom.

Where to Start When I Don’t Understand

Pastor Mills teaches from Psalms 42-43 on the hardships and challenges that life presents - even for followers of Jesus.

Our Diversity in Jesus

Pastor Mills shares on the worth of each of us to the Body, dispelling two fallacies many of us hold when considering our role in the Body: "They don't need me!" and "We don't need you."

Laurels & Restoration: Finding Our Way Past Consumerism, Fatigue and Apathy

A quick synopsis of Church these days reveals consumerism, fatigue and apathy are 3 of the main struggles many of us, understandably, are facing. Steve looks at an interaction between John the Baptist and the religious leaders for insights on how we can begin to move out of this.

Our Oneness in Jesus

Pastor Mills continues the theme of church unity.

Posture Over Position: Toward Christian Unity

As Grassroots continues in a season of big decisions, the need for unity is greater than ever. Listen as we explore what Paul means when he instructs us to have "the same mindset as Christ Jesus" Phil. 2:5

Advent Week 3

Pastor Steve Mills continues his series in Advent. 

I Am Not Prideful... Am I?

Guest speaker Vincent Ng takes us through a message on pride.

Loving Parenting: 3

The final message in the series on parenting.

Loving Parenting: Managing Our Homes with Character

Loving Parenting: Honouring Your Parents

The Disruptive Message of Jesus

Jesus' teachings about children disrupted the worldview and orientation of his followers. They are just as disruptive today as we navigate life's challenges and cope with the world around us. His teachings about children also disrupt our self-centred patterns which marginalize children and call us to centre them in our spaces and in our hearts.

Baptism and the Formation of Love: 3

Baptism and the Formation of Love: 2

Baptism and the Formation of Love: Sin and Its Washing

This week we jump into a three-part series on sin, baptism, and the formation of love. We are trying to get a good sense of what it feels like when God is working on purifying our love, cleaning us, tending to us. How does God shape our love, and how can we work with Him and not against Him? Pastor Keith opens up Jesus's baptism scene as a scriptural hot spot for teaching on the formation of love and challenges us to think of our trials and situations as our ongoing baptism. 

Sin and It's Washing

This week we jump into a three-part series on sin, baptism, and the formation of love. We are trying to get a good sense of what it feels like when God is working on purifying our love, cleaning us, tending to us. How does God shape our love, and how can we work with Him and not against Him? Pastor Keith opens up Jesus's baptism scene as a scriptural hot spot for teaching on the formation of love and challenges us to think of our trials and situations as our ongoing baptism. 

Baptism and the Formation of Love: Sin and It's Washing

This week we jump into a three-part series on sin, baptism, and the formation of love. We are trying to get a good sense of what it feels like when God is working on purifying our love, cleaning us, tending to us. How does God shape our love, and how can we work with Him and not against Him? Pastor Keith opens up Jesus's baptism scene as a scriptural hot spot for teaching on the formation of love and challenges us to think of our trials and situations as our ongoing baptism. 

Questions, Doubt and Faith

Trusting in Jesus When Life Hurts

Josh explores and uncovers that “faith” in John’s Gospel really means to pursue an active and dynamic trust in Jesus, especially when life hurts. By rediscovering faith in this way, we are able to lean into God and find peace when we come face-to-face with our own vulnerability.    NOTE: this recording is based on the Facebook Live audio so is not high quality.

Receiving God's Love

Immanuel: The Myth of Religious Fulfillment

Steve shares with us what it means to have a God who enters into the human condition, experiencing the upsets of life's disappointments, frustrations and despair through the Gospel of Matthew's account of Jesus' first few years of life. Matthew shows us how in spite of this, God is able to accomplish his redemptive purposes.  

So is Everyone Else...

Rich shares his story about learning to understand God's grace, how little he deserves it, and how he's let his unearned privilege get in the way of him following Jesus well.

Romans 12-16 and Philippians: A Scripture Reading

A reading of Romans 12-16 and as well as the entire book of Philippians.

Practicing Love: Part 5 - Giving to Relationship

Practicing Love: Part 4 - Conflict in Relationships

In our fourth of five sermons on relationship and the letter to the Phillipians, we explore Jesus-shaped conflict. If Christians are called to perpetual acts of reconciliation, what can we learn from the cross about keeping hearts soft when it's easy to be hardened by strife?

Practicing Love: Part 3 - Vulnerability & Relationships

In this third of five sermons in Paul's letter to the Philippians, we are continuing to connect Jesus's love with our everyday relationships. Jesus's humility shows us how being vulnerable in relationships is the key to real connection.

Practicing Love: Part 2 - Loneliness & Relationships

In this second of five sermons on relationships, we turn to Philippians 1:12-30 and Paul's teaching on Christian suffering. We look specifically at the suffering related to loneliness and ask how as Christians we can bear our loneliness humbly and as servants.

Practicing Love: Part 1 - The Abundance of Love

In this first of five sermons on the practicalities of love in relationships, we open to Philippians and introduce ourselves to Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus, and the first Christian community in Philippi.  All along we are looking for how Paul took Jesus's vision of love and applied it for his first followers, asking "Now what?" to Jesus's teaching on self-denial, cross-bearing, and self-humbling on a day-to-day basis. 

The Love of the Master: The Forgiveness of Love

In this final sermon of four on Jesus's vision of love, we look at the entangling of un-forgiveness and self-righteousness. Peter asks: how many times should I forgive? And Jesus opens up a view on love and reconciliation that would change everything.

The Love of the Master: Love is Lowly

As we continue to rescue the word "love" and put it into a Christian framework, this third sermon takes us into Jesus' teaching about lowliness, humility and being willing to be a servant of all. Love, in Jesus' view, is purified from any pattern of self-exaltation.

The Love of the Master: Cross-Shaped Love

In this second of four sermons exploring the nature of love, we look at the middle phase of Jesus' ministry, his hard teachings, and his call to discipleship: self-denial, cross-bearing, and keeping our eyes fixed on him. This vision of love is so different than our culture's, and though self-denial is never self-loathing, we must do the work to see that Jesus' love has no room for patterns of self-preservation. Jesus does all he can to show us that the only way to life, to ongoing resurrect...

The Love of the Master: Jesus' Transforming Love

Love is a powerful word we throw around daringly. We tend to think it describes a feeling or sensation but in the Christian life, love is the heartbeat of a life of sacrifice and a lifelong training of our will. This sermon opens up a season of reflection at Grassroots on Christian love. We begin simply by looking and listening to the love of the Master as He moves away from patterns of self-protection, self exaltation and self-righteousness. By looking more closely at the story of the feedi...

Tending the Heart

Our Christian life works only if we are pursuing Jesus and tending to the transformation of our hearts. Opening up the Parable of the Sower for Jesus' teaching on the human heart, this stand alone sermon invites us to think about our role in keeping our hearts open to God's abundant, extravagant grace. 

Pursuing the Master

All followers of Jesus are called to a lifelong consuming pursuit of knowing Jesus our Lord. This stand alone message takes a look at Paul's passionate pursuit of knowing Jesus, which Paul speaks about in Philippians 2-3, how holding on to the Word of Life shapes us into bright disciples.