Pastors Pen
Connect to God, Grow as Disciples, Serve with Our Lives
“Do Us A Favour…”
In the beginning of the film, Evan Almighty, Evan Baxter, a reporter turned U.S. Congressman, is confronted by a series of troubles stemming from his begrudging agreement to serve God by building an Ark on his property. Evan faces numerous stresses and strains,...
“Believers, too, are Voters”
On April 1st, 2025, Wisconsin voters went to the polls for a State Supreme Court election, and voted by 55 to 45% to keep the judicial status quo— that being, a progressive majority on the State’s highest court. It was, according to statistics published since,...
“Powerful Life Lessons in Popular Culture”
Do you recall that significant moment when, in the Peter Jackson finale ofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Frodo fails to throw the Ring of Powerinto the lava flows of Mount Doom, and instead takes it for himself?Viewers seemed to linger almost torturously on that...
“A Case Study in Open-Eyed Justice” 02-08-2024
[Image: Virginia City Justice Statue: Glen Franco Simmons] On the second floor above the main doors of the Courthouse in Virginia City, Nevada, stands a rather unusual statue. While not utterly unique, according to some sources, the figure is one of only about 20...
Observation on Grace and Cancellation
(Image credit: Alamy) The recent experiences of Bay Community Church— with a local newspaper speculating about church “hatred” in its headline, and then assuming its speculation is factual by the time the article was half-way through— is a curious indication of the...
“Unreasonable Reasonable Limits”
Christians often grapple with the degree to which they should be invested in the general culture and political climate. As near as I can determine, no Biblical formula exists. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit, and prayerfully move as He directs. In point of...
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time, there was a Fortune 500 CEO who fell in love with a beautiful company intern. An honourable and handsome man, he had never married because of the ever-increasing demands of the business that he had helped grow since its inception. His employees now...
Word Over Whim
An honest tracing of political evolution through Western history tends to implicate the Bible more than the average citizen realizes. The idea of a national covenant, which informed British constitutionalism, for instance, is a Biblical concept. Even in a more...
“May God Grant Us Timothys”
We can learn a lot about the importance of Christian investment in people and the dangers of Christian "silos", by examining Paul's encouragement and wisdom imparted to Timothy.
“The Response of Thanksgiving”
When interacting with people, God is looking for more than just crickets as a response...
“Trust Before Thanksgiving”
In the Biblical description of Gamaliel in Acts, there is evidence of this noted teacher having more trust than meets the eye. It's well worth exploring further.
“Winning Strategy”
Jesus has a wedding strategy; we need to ponder the question of jurisdiction in order to secure a winning eternal strategy.
“The Audacity of Parables”
The Kingdom parables of Jesus contain some of the boldest claims in all of literature. Sometimes, though, we gloss over their truly salty nature— a nature that can explain much as regards our Christian experience in the world today.
“Rest For Your Souls”
There are a lot of "false rests" in the world. The Rev. Dr. David Schrader, National Pastor for the Congregational Christian Churches in Canada, takes time to talk to Bay Community Church about the real rest that comes in Christ Jesus.
“The Ox and Other Beasts”
In a Labour Day sermon on "the worker is worthy of his hire", we discuss Biblical imagery about the Ox and the Beasts of Revelation...
“Scarlet, Pink, and White”
"Though your sins be as scarlet..." is a remarkably realistic assessment from the Lord through the prophet Isaiah. And the Apostle Paul was, likewise, a realist as regards his own human failure. But we do occasionally find ourselves justifying our own 'pinkish hue'...
Reflections Upon Prayer
On the weekend of July 19th, 2026, Pastor David Carson from Surrey, BC, came to walk our prayer trail, and speak on his experiences as an intercessor on Sunday. This is his Biblical reflection on the topic of prayer and his encouragement for Bay Community Church.
“In Defence of Evangelists”
There is a weird moment in Passion Week, where disciples are "wowed" by the Temple stones. Jesus, however, is not. His focus is on salvation, as the ultimate reason behind all human history.
“Miracles in Mud and Spit”
What shall we Canadian Christians pray in order to help the nation strengthen? Do we have the audacity to pray like Habakkuk did? A sobering sermon for a maturing people.
“Solomon’s Seeking”
The bookends of Solomon's life allow for the perfect illustration of Jesus' Sermon-on-the-Mount advice to seek the Kingdom first.
“Jesus, the Good”
"There's a lot of bad news out there. There's a lot of sin out there. But Jesus is not fazed; neither is He repulsed."
“Michael and the Counterfeits”
The apocalyptic contrasts between heaven and the demonic reign of the beast never get more interesting than when worship is analyzed in Revelation 12 and 13.
“Pentecost: Policing Ourselves”
In our continuing exploration of the multi-faceted implications of Pentecost, we arrive at the public implications of internal revival in the Holy Spirit.