Mountainview CRC

Pastor Erick Schuringa continues the Sermon on the Mount series with a message entitled “Choosing a Path.” He will be looking at Matthew 7:13-23. Jesus is calling us to action. He wants us to move forward. We are called to choose a path, and the path is determined by who our leader is, by who we follow. Jesus is inviting us to a difficult but life-giving journey of following him

Pastor Erick Schuringa continues the Sermon on the Mount series with a message entitled “The Way Forward.” He will be looking at Matthew chapter 7, verses 1-12.At this point in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides a clear way to assess how much we have learned so far. Are we condemning others' faults, pushing our good stuff on them, or are we asking God to work the needed change in us as well as them?

Pastor Jolene Veenstra presents a message entitled “Jesus Stories.” She will be looking at Mark chapter 3 verses 31-34.Mark 3:31-34 has always sat uncomfortably with me. It sounds like in this passage, Jesus is insulting the family who loved him and raised him, and preferring the presence of strangers. My discomfort with this verse stems from a deeper discomfort about my place in the world and in God’s family. And so I have struggled with a question that has unmade and remade how I see the world. Who are Jesus’ mothers and brothers? And if I’m part of Jesus’ family, who are mine?

Pastor Erick Schuringa continues the Sermon on the Mount series with a message entitled “Heart Treasure.” He will be looking at Matthew chapter 6, verses 19-34.For the Thanksgiving weekend, we are reflecting on what we value and what we are thankful for. Jesus invites us to a whole different way of looking at the world; it is his kingdom.

Pastor Erick Schuringa continues the Sermon on the Mount series with a message entitled “Practicing Your Righteousness.” He will begin in Matthew chapter 6, verses 1-18. In order to live out what Jesus taught in the first chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, we need to use spiritual disciplines that connect us with God. Prayer is the core practice, and Jesus teaches us how to do this.

Pastor Erick Schuringa continues the Sermon on the Mount series with a message entitled “The Heart of the Law.” He will begin in Matthew chapter 5, verses 17-48.In this part of Jesus' teaching on the mountain, he addresses the law. At first glance, it appears he makes the law even harder, if not impossible to keep. However, a closer look reveals that Jesus is showing us the true path to living the way God intends for us to live.

Pastor Erick Schuringa begins a new series based on the sermon the mount with a message entitled “Blessed are those …who?”” He will begin in Matthew chapter 5 verses 1-16.As we begin our tour of the sermon on the mount, we are called to wonder "who is blessed?" Jesus came preaching a new kind of kingdom and it starts by understanding how and with whom God works.This Sunday we will also be participating in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents a message entitled “Worth Repeating” He will be looking at the book of Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8-10.This week we look at a familiar passage to many and a core teaching of the Bible. It is important to look at the familiar and basic teachings again so that we can consider how they live among us and shape how we function.During the service our Missionaries in Cambodia Colin & Kathleen Wassenaar will share. Join us after the service for our Ministry Fair - check out what is happening at Mountainview this coming season.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents a message entitled “Smelly Christians.” He will be looking at two passages, 2 Corinthians 2: 14-17; Ephesians 5:1-2 We are starting a new ministry season. As we do, let's avoid being focused on just getting things done. Let's take time to remember that who we are in Christ is the main thing. Paul has an interesting image for this, which I call "Smelly Christians".

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents the final message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focusing on Psalm 145 “Praise with a Purpose”This Psalm calls everyone everywhere to always praise God for all his amazing attributes. Which is good and beautiful and joyful. It also has a goal: to keep us in touch with who we are meant to be as creatures in God's world.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents the 8th message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focusing on Psalm 91 “A Psalm of Protection”This week's psalm gives a variety of images of safety that illustrate God's presence and care. These are wonderful hopeful pictures that seem to ignore the realities of tripping and falling which most of us experience. What is that about?This morning we will also partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents the 7th message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focusing on Psalm 90 “A Psalm of Deep Lament”This week's psalm is heavy. It speaks of the brevity and difficulty of life. However, it also boldly calls on God to turn things around. Such honesty and hope are expressions of deep faith.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents the sixth message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focusing on Psalm 32 “A Psalm of Confession”This week's Psalm expresses that confession is not only good for the soul, it is good for the body. Yet confessing sin is hard. Is it because we don't know we sinned or that we are too scared to confess? Hopefully the testimony of the psalmist will draw us closer to open and honest confession.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents the fifth message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focussing on Psalm 30 “All Over the Map”I choose Psalm 30 because it highlights some things I think are core to belief in God. First, that we grow through challenging experiences. Second, that we can be open and honest with God. Finally, the above things only work if there is a deep trust in God and a desire to praise him.

Pastor Jolene Veenstra presents the 4th message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focused on various passages throughout the Psalms “Challenging Imagery in the Psalms”We often quote inspirational lines from the psalms about looking to the mountains, finding God in the depths, and walking through still valleys. But our favourite psalms also contain lines about devastating our enemies and being punished or abandoned by God. What are we do to with imagery in the psalms that is difficult to connect with or that challenges our own conception of God?

Pastor Jolene Veenstra presents the 3rd message in our Summer Psalm Series. Focused on Psalm 131: “Interpreting the Psalms” One lovely thing about the Psalms is how accessible they are to us, even though they are thousands of years old and translated from an ancient language that used specific poetic structures. One challenging thing about the Psalms is that they appear self-evident, yet are thousands of years old and translated from an ancient language that used specific poetic structures. Let's do a quick interpretation lesson this morning to enhance our reading of the Psalms. We will then examine Psalm 131 together.

Pastor Erick Schuringa presents the second message in our Summer Psalm Series. Psalm 27 “A Psalm of Confidence.”Psalms cover all kinds of topics. Psalm 27 is about being confident in your trust in God. But Psalms are also very honest and emotional and so in the midst of confidence there are questions and hopes and doubts to be expressed.

Pastor Erick Schuringa begins a summer series of Psalms. Starting with Psalm 25 “A Broken Psalm of Brokenness.”We begin our Summer Psalm Series by looking at a messy psalm. Both the structure and the content are broken. Yet it clearly shows us the result of sin, the way to avoid sinning, and how sin is healed and forgiven.

Pastor Brady DeBoer will present a message entitled “Trusting God in Transition”, focused on the second book of Kings, Chapter 2 verses 7-15.We’ll walk through the story of Elisha becoming the new prophet of Israel. His mentor, Elijah, is one of two men in the Bible to be taken up into heaven rather than dying. Elijah is widely considered to be the greatest prophet that Israel ever had. Will Elisha be able to fill shoes that big? Or will he crumble under the pressure?

Pastor Jolene Veenstra will present a message entitled “Learning from Two Church Fathers”, focused on the book of Job 6:21; 12:12; 21:18Late in the Gospel of John, Jesus addresses a strong, energetic, and even reckless apostle, Peter, and tells him of a day in his old age when he will stretch out his hands, and others will lead him where he does not want to go. In Job, we read of a father who is far from old, but the tragedy of circumstances suddenly ages him as he finds himself sitting on the ground in pain and misery. Friends who bring comfort suddenly turn to Job with instructions, lectures, and even harsh accusations. What can we learn from these two church fathers in scripture about ourselves, God, and life together?