Willingdon Church Podcast

The year 2033 will mark the 2000-year anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection, which we will celebrate four weeks from now. 2033 is only seven years away!Today, March 8, 2026, Metro Vancouver is among the most non-religious urban areas of North America. In 2021, according to Statistics Canada, 47% of the Metro Vancouver area self-identified as non-religious, 48% of Burnaby, 55% of Vancouver, and 52% of BC. About 3% of the Metro Vancouver population is in an evangelical church on any given Sunday.Who will reach Metro Vancouver? If not me, who? If not you, who? If not us, who?A Family on Mission with Jesus:  Everyone, Everyday, Everywhere!Discipleship: Follow JesusFamily: Grow TogetherMission: Multiply DisciplesFEEDFAITH – “God can do it here. God can do it through me.”EXPAND – “Don’t ask for a tricycle when you could ask for a bullet train.”ENOUGH – “I don’t need more stuff. I already have enough.”DISCOVER – “Don’t bring God to the lost. Discover God at work among the lost."

Join Pastor Brody, Pastor Brett, and Silas this week as they answer questions on leadership gifts, discernment, and being active members of the church.00:00 Intro 00:47 Sermon summary 04:08 Gifts for doing vs gifts for equipping 07:51 Shepherd-teacher or shepherds and teachers? 12:22 Who should have these leadership gifts? 17:20 Who are the saints? 22:01 How to test prophecy and walk in the spirit 34:45 How to unlearn harmful teaching 45:02 Ways to become more active members of the church 53:11 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

We've all been gifted by God as we follow Jesus. But how do we know the right way to discover and practice our gifts? Jesus, the giver of the gifts, has given certain leadership gifts to help organize and empower his church. As we learn to practice our gifts together, we mature to be like Christ and find stability and assurance in our faith.The source of the giftsThe shape of the giftsThe strength of the gifts

Join Pastor Brett and Silas this week as they answer your questions on this week's sermon! Today's topics include; Prophecy and speaking in tongues.00:00 Intro 00:48 Gold Medal Game 03:57 Are tongues and prophecy a sign of maturity? 06:25 Baptism in the Holy Spirit 10:43 How and why pray in tongues? 12:37 Brett's experience with tongues 14:19 Overcoming fear of speaking in tongues 17:22 Are live translations a gift of tongues? 21:08 Prophecy that's not future prediction 24:31 Can prophecy still predict the future? 27:54 How do we know if we have a prophetic message? 33:20 Why don't we have capital 'P' prophets? 38:16 How do we understand prophecies of warning or rebuke? 40:25 How to start practicing prophecy and tongues 44:56 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

Our mission is “to know Jesus Christ personally and to carry on his ministry.” To live out the mission Jesus has called us to we must be anointed, gifted, and empowered by the Spirit. All who follow Jesus would agree.I believe we would also all agree with Paul’s words, 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. In chapter 13, the chapter prior to today’s text, Paul highlights love as the essential virtue in the life of the church family. Without love for God and others, we are nothing. The sign of the fullness of the Spirit is love.  And love helps us discern which gifts are most worthy of pursuit. 1 Corinthians 14:12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. Seven times, in chapter 14, Paul talks about the importance of strengthening others through the exercise of spiritual gifts.What we sometimes struggle with is the last part of 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. To earnestly desire a spiritual gift is “to seek after passionately, to pursue with devotion.” Paul repeats the command in 14:39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.In that complicated Corinthian church, why would Paul encourage the practice of the gifts of prophecy and tongues?Be zealous for the building up of the body of Christ.Be zealous for prophecy that builds up, encourages, and consoles others.Pray for tongues and interpretation to build up the body of Christ.

Join Pastor Ray, Pastor Brian and Silas this week as they answer your questions on this week's sermon! Today's topics include; Cessationism, God's love for us and Brian.00:00 Intro00:49 Who is Brian01:10 Sermon Summary07:47 God's love "clicked."13:21 How can we help students understand God's love?19:57 Childish things in your faith you had to give up26:29 Balancing loving others and loving/taking care of ourselves?35:02 Practical Tips for Keeping "love" in the right order37:43 Cessationism 48:27 OutroThis 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

What is FOR NOW and what is FOREVER?Candy? Homework? Being a baby? Being a student? Selfies?In 2025, more than 2 trillion photos were taken. For some age groups, 1 in 3 photos was a selfie! Come to think of it, I should take a selfie right now. ☺ Tons of self-love!!What is FOR NOW and what is FOREVER?God’s love? ❤️Our love for God? ❤️Loving others? ❤️Love Never EndsSpiritual Gifts Will EndLife Stages EndLove Never EndsSo, in the end, what matters?

Join Pastor Brett and Silas this week as they go through all the definitions of Love found in 1 Corinthians 13! 00:00 Intro02:19 Sermon Summary9:19 Loves is…11:15 Patient14:20  Kind17:44 Doesn't Envy20:05 Doesn't Boast/Arrogant23:05 Isn't Rude25:01 Doesn't Insist On Its Own Way28:50 Not Irritable31:46 Keeps No Record Of Wrongs38:49 Doesn't Rejoice At Wrong Doing41:53 Love Bares All Things43:05 Believes all things46:00 Hopes all things47:10 Endures all things49:15 OutroThis 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

We are back in 1 Corinthians after a short break. This year Pastor Ray led us through 1 Corinthians 12  in our series ‘United in the Spirit’.Pastor Ray showed us how God’s spiritual gifts were at work in the Corinthian church. Some with more visible gifts began to feel superior, while others with less visible gifts inferior.We were reminded that gifts were never meant to elevate some or diminish others, but to build up the church together and bring glory to the God who gives every gift.But the Corinthian church could not help themselves because the culture around them taught them otherwise.Love is EssentialLove is DefinedLove is Displayed in Jesus

With the growth of atheism and widespread secularisation in the West, many have predicted the death of Christianity. But there’s an alternative story to be told. A new conversation on faith is emerging in our culture along with signs of a religious re-awakening among the younger generation. Justin Brierley has been at the forefront of charting 'The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’. He’ll explain why 'new atheism’ has grown old and why human existence, human value and human purpose are pointing many people back to faith in Christ.Three reasons why the conversation on God has changed:God makes sense of human existence.God makes sense of human value.God makes sense of human purpose.

Join Pastor Ray, Pastor Brett, and Silas this week as they answer questions and ask questions about last week's Sermon! Today, Ray and Brett share how they deal with being in "prominent" roles in the church, encouraging those with "less prominent" gifts and more. 00:00 Intro01:14 Sermon Reflections12:33 Are All Not Gifts "Higher Gifts"?18:11 Honouring those who are "less prominent" in the Body23:40 Dealing With Spiritual Pride & Superiority 33:20 Functional Gifts and Apostles TodayThis 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

When I was a child, the repository of human knowledge was placed on a bookshelf. The World Book Encyclopedia, first published in 1917, was the AI search engine of many families across North America for many decades.What was the most fascinating part of the whole collection? The clear pages of the human body! You could move from the outer skeleton to the inner organs, or go from the inner organs outward to the skeleton.  You could see how the human body was intricately woven together. It was a visual picture of a human body, composed of many interdependent parts and systems, working together for the optimal functioning of the whole body.In our passage today, the body of Christ in Corinth, runs the risk of becoming very ill. Some parts of the body in Corinth think they are more important than other parts of the body and do not really need those less valued parts. The system is malfunctioning.What does the Spirit of God say to those who think they are more than others?We are of equal value (vs. 21)We are interdependent (vs. 22-26)We are ordered (vs. 27-30)We follow a more excellent way (vs. 31)

Acts 12 is broken up between three death sentences: James – Peter, and Agrippa. Each teaches us something essential about trusting the Bible:James’ martyrdom shows the Bible was written early.Peter’s imprisonment shows the Bible was written accuratelyHerod’s death teaches us that we need to trust the Bible with our lives.

Join Pastor Brett, Pastor Jonathan, Pastoral Intern Eunice, and Silas this week as they answer questions and ask questions about last week's Sermon! Today, we discuss belonging, exercising your spiritual gifts and more. 00:00 Intro01:07 Sermon Summary05:34 Living out one’s belonging in the local church11:54 Exercising your gifts15:20 Can my spiritual gifts change over time?18:55 How can I discover my spiritual gifts?26:43 Holding back someone from using their gifts35:58 How to not overlook others and their gifts42:35 We belong because of what Jesus has doneThis 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

How many thoughts do you have every day?The Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical center and leader in research, education and health information, did a massive study on human thought. It discovered that the average person has 60,000 thoughts per day.What percentage of your 60,000 thoughts are negative?The Cleveland Clinic discovered that 80% of our thoughts are negative. 48,000 negative thoughts a day!! We doubt our potential. We question our personal value. We wonder whether we can accomplish a task. We feel less than others.How we think about ourselves influences our willingness to use our gifts to serve others.  Pastor-theologian John Stott said: “The greatest threat to your ministry is you.” The greatest threat to us walking in step with the Spirit, in alignment with the way God has formed and gifted us, is us! We self-sabotage.What does the Spirit of God say to those who feel less than?You are drenched in the same Spirit as everyone else (vs. 12-13).The body really needs you and you really need the body (vs. 14-20).

We're back! Join Pastor Ray, Pastor Brett and Silas each week as they answer your questions relating to last week's Sermon! Today we discuss the topic of Spiritual Gifts, Church denominations and the Holy Spirit. Have questions of your own? Don't hesitate to email us at ask@willingdon.org. 00:00 Intro00:58 Sermon Series Overview12:21 The Landry's favourite reality TV show13:30 Spiritual Gifts and what makes them different16:40  Can I desire a different gift?22:25 Quinn Hughes Trade but Spiritual Gifts?23:53 Are there elevated Spiritual Gifts in the Western Church?25:10 Understating denominational differences and what unites us42:28 Why do some Evangelical Christians see the Holy Spirit as a force?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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/

Today we begin our new winter sermon series: “United in the Spirit: One God at Work in One Body.” The series is based on 1 Corinthians 12-14. The fact that Paul devotes three chapters to spiritual gifts indicates that understanding how the Spirit of God works in and through the body of Christ is of great importance!Sometimes people are afraid or hesitant to have this conversation. Some will say, “I love Jesus, but I’m not so sure about the Holy Spirit.” Others may be familiar with spiritual phenomena in other religions: ecstatic experiences, speaking in tongues, spiritual healings, and communication with the spirits. They may shy away from the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts because they don’t want to be deceived. Others may be familiar with church contexts where some spiritual gifts are elevated above others. Where there is hunger for status and recognition, people will seek to have the most valued gifts. In Corinth, the specific issue was a glamorized elevation of the gift of tongues.How does Paul approach this issue? He seizes the opportunity. The Corinthians’ unhealthy focus on the gift of tongues provides an excellent opportunity to have a much broader conversation about the work of the Holy Spirit in the church family. He begins the conversation by laying the theological foundation for the exercise of spiritual gifts.1. Discernment through Confession (vs. 1-3).2. Diversity within Unity (vs. 4-6).3. Determination for Flourishing (vs. 7-11).

The Gospel of John was written by John the Apostle who had a very close relationship with Jesus. Due to his close relationship with Jesus John’s Gospel is also written in a very relational way. John’s states his purpose for writing the Gospel in Jn 20:31 where he says he wrote it “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”The Gospel of John is full of Christ’s miracles proving Jesus was the Messiah, but it is also filled with people having significant encounters with Jesus. One of those encounters was with a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus. His curiosity drew him out at night to meet with Jesus who took time with him, taught him, and pointed him from the darkness into the light.

Around the world today, there is a significant longing for good leadership.In our uncertain times, we seek leaders marked by integrity, compassion, and wisdom.In a world of false narratives, we want leaders who are trustworthy.  In our complex times, we want leaders who lead with vision, understanding, and clarity.  In a world where so many seem to be self-serving, we want leaders who serve with a commitment to the greater good.We long for good government leaders, but it is not just in the political arena that we long for good leaders.  Children long for good parents, wives for good husbands, students for good professors, young men and women for good mentors, and church members for good pastors.  Where do we find good, strong, compassionate leadership?In response to our question, Isaiah 9 rings with hope.  The Good Shepherd King is …Forever StrongForever CompassionateForever Good

We have a Christmas Season conversation for you today with the whole Preaching Team! Join Nat and the guys as they chat about ways to read your Bible in the new year, tips on sharing the Gospel over Christmas and more. We'll be back with our regular Q&A Podcast in the new year.00:00 Intro1:09 God's Great Big Story Stories11:19 Being In Community and In The Word15:30 Engaging with Scripture 30:20 Help, I fell off my Devo Plan40:27 Sharing the Gospel at Christmas Gatherings55:41 OutroThis 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.  Website: https://willingdon.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willingdon/