What if the “battle” you’re facing isn’t against the people you think it is?

In this final message of our If/Then series through Ephesians, we unpack Paul’s famous “armour of God” passage — and discover it’s far less about spiritual aggression and far more about communal resilience, subversive grace, and the way of peace.

If Christ reigns… then how should we live?

Together we explore:

Why unity is central to the Christian life

How Jesus redefines victory and power

What Paul really means by “our struggle is not against flesh and blood”

Why the armour of God is about peace, not culture wars

How community protects us from both chaos and deception

This isn’t a call to weaponize your faith.
It’s an invitation to reimagine strength, rethink your enemies, and rediscover the kind of victory that looks like love.

Because if Jesus wins through self-giving grace…
then everything changes.

—

📖 Text: Ephesians 4–6
⛪ Commons Church | Calgary
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What does it actually look like to follow Jesus in everyday life?

In this message from our If/Then series through Ephesians, we turn to the second half of Paul’s letter—where belief turns into practice. Using the image of a “masterclass,” we explore how Paul invites followers of Jesus to learn Christ: to put off old patterns shaped by power, status, and exploitation, and to put on a new way of being marked by humility, gentleness, patience, and love.

This teaching wrestles honestly with cultural pressure, sexual ethics, speech, and formation—while holding out a hopeful vision of transformation. Paul’s call is not about moralism, but about waking up to the light of Christ and learning to live as people who reflect that light in the world.

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 4–5
✨ Themes: formation, humility, community, sexuality, waking up, spiritual growth

What if a single word could change everything?

In Ephesians 2, the apostle Paul pivots from humanity’s brokenness to God’s radical grace with one of the most important conjunctions in Scripture: “But God.” In this teaching, we explore how Paul uses language, metaphor, and imagination to describe what God has done in Jesus—and what that means for how we live together now.

We reflect on:

• Why Paul begins with an honest picture of human failure
• How “but because of God’s great love” reshapes faith from transaction to grace
• What it means to be God’s handiwork—a kind of divine poem
• The walls of hostility we build, defend, and carry
• How Jesus creates one new humanity marked by peace
• Why Paul’s primary metaphor for the church is not an army or fortress, but a home

This message invites us to consider how Christian community can become a living sign of God’s creativity, welcome, and reconciliation—for the good of the world.

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 2
📍 Commons Church
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#Ephesians #ButGod #Grace #ChristianCommunity #FaithAndLife

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is built around one powerful structure: if / then.
If God is already at work healing the world in Christ—if grace, not violence, is the true power shaping history—then how should we live?
In this message, we begin a four-week journey through Ephesians by sitting in the if:a bold vision of Jesus, a high Christology, and a radical redefinition of chosen, predestined, grace, and peace. Set against the backdrop of the Roman Empire’s gospel of “victory, then peace,” Paul announces an alternative good news—one where peace is already possible because of God’s self-giving love in Christ.
This sermon explores:
* The if/then structure of Ephesians
* What “chosen” and “predestined” actually mean (and what they don’t)
* Why Paul’s greeting “grace and peace” is deeply political
* How the church becomes a small working model of new creation
* What it means to live ahead of the curve of God’s healing work in the world
📖 Text: Ephesians 1🎙️ Series: If / Then📍 Commons Church, Calgary

What does creativity look like in our relationships—not in art or technology, but in the way we show up for one another?

In this sermon, we explore Mark 2 and the unforgettable story of five friends who refuse to accept the status quo. When a crowd blocks the way to Jesus, they climb a roof, tear it open, and lower their friend down—revealing a bold, relational creativity that leads to forgiveness, healing, and transformation.

This message invites us to:

• Rethink creativity as a shared, relational act
• See friendship as a form of faith
• Embrace risk, repair, and imagination in how we love others

Creativity resists conformity. And sometimes, love looks like digging through a roof.

What if faith isn’t about getting it right—but about staying curious?

In this message, we explore Paul’s surprising approach to spirituality at Mars Hill in Acts 17. Instead of debate, domination, or precision, Paul begins with common ground—quoting poets, honoring spiritual curiosity, and trusting that God meets people even in their confusion.

This teaching invites us to re-imagine spirituality as something creative, relational, and generous—where intent matters more than precision, and grace is wider than our certainty. Drawing on scripture, history, and everyday stories, we’re reminded that God is often found not through control, but through humility, curiosity, and shared humanity.

If you’ve ever felt spiritually unsure, stuck, or tired of performative faith, this is an invitation to a more spacious way forward.

At the start of a new year, we’re launching a new series on creativity—not as something reserved for artists or content creators, but as a core part of being human.

In this message, we explore how **technology shapes our creativity**, our relationships, and even our spirituality. From smartphones in our pockets to bricks in the story of the Tower of Babel, the question isn’t whether technology is good or bad—but whether we are using it creatively, or allowing it to use us.

We look at:

* Why creativity belongs to everyone, not just the “creative class”
* What ancient stories like **Genesis 11 (Babel)** can teach us about modern technology
* How efficiency, uniformity, and power can slowly erode human flourishing
* The impact of screens and digital life on attention, relationships, and formation
* Three practices for reclaiming creativity: **being curious, critical, and close**

If you’ve ever wondered how to live faithfully, thoughtfully, and creatively in a tech-saturated world—this conversation is for you.

📍 Part of the series: *How to Be More Creative*
📖 Scripture focus: Genesis 11, Psalm 20, Romans 1
🏛 Commons Church | Calgary

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Simeon waited his whole life for one moment—to hold the Messiah. When it finally happens, he doesn’t cling to hope. He releases it.

In this Advent reflection on Luke 2, we explore Simeon’s song (Nunc Dimittis) and what it teaches us about peace, waiting, generosity, and faith in an unfinished world. Christmas isn’t about getting everything we want—it’s about becoming the kind of people who pass hope forward.

If you’ve ever wondered whether believing still matters when the world hasn’t changed yet, this story is for you.

📖 Luke 2:22–35
🕯️ Advent at Commons Church
🎄 Christmas, Peace, Hope