Christ Our Hope Sermons

"The kingdom of God is not about showing off how great we are. It's about demonstrating how great our King Jesus is." Scripture provides countless examples of God's people totally outmatched by their assignments from God; Noah's construction of the ark, Moses' confrontation of Pharaoh, Gideon's small clan taking on the Midianite army, David and Goliath, and Jonah's charge to preach repentance to a hostile nation are all instances of God giving His people tasks that would be doomed to failure without His intervention. Jesus' miracle of feeding the five thousand embodies the reality of how God reveals Himself when we are not suited for the task in front of us. Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen unpacks this story in a sermon applicable to the everyday believer and to mark the special occasion of commissioning a sister at Christ Our Hope to serve in the mission field.  Support the show

"If God is love, why is there suffering?" One of the Christian's persistent struggles, and a common argument of the non-Christian, is bound up in the term theodicy, literally meaning "justifying God." This points to our human need to reconcile our belief in a loving God with the countless examples of suffering in the world. We can neither ignore or reason away this "problem of pain." But this is is exactly what Jesus addresses in the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. In today's message, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen walks through the entire parable to show the layers of Christ's message and His answers to questions about this age and the age to come.   Support the show

"The Kingdom of heaven is like..." Why did Jesus choose to speak in parables so often? In Isaiah 55, we are reminded that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are far beyond human comprehension. Yet in Jesus' parables, simple illustrations in our own human language, we are given ways to begin to understand the thoughts of God. Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen begins a new series with Jesus' first parable, the Parable of the Sower, recorded in Matthew 13. Support the show

In Matthew 10:34-42, Jesus states that our priorities as His followers should begin with love for Him - even if it comes at a cost. But we surrender our own dreams and plans entrusting them to God's care and His direction. At a time when so many of our dreams and plans have been disrupted by forces outside our control, may we remember that God invites us to not fear these temporary losses or even the ultimate loss - death. Instead, may we see them as gifts showing us who we really are and were created to be.Support the show

What does it mean to "come to Jesus," and what does that simple phrase imply for the life of discipleship? Jesus didn't disperse His first disciples right away, telling them to go preach His name. Instead, He invited them to follow Him, to learn His ways and of His love, before going to invite others into relationship with Him. Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches on these themes from Matthew 11, inviting us to let Jesus give us His rest.    Support the show

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves." So begin Christ's words to His disciples in Matthew 10:16. Yet they were also told that even if they were met by a world of open hostility, they need not fear things "[that] can kill the body but cannot kill the soul."Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches from this passage and selections from Jeremiah,  reminding us that though we hear much in the news today of things that can kill the body, our hope remains in the saving name of Christ, just like always. Support the show

"Remember...if you pray for workers to go into the Lord's harvest, you might be asked to be part of the answer to your own prayer." How does God use our unique gifts, qualities, and circumstances to advance His kingdom? What - if anything - do we have in common with the disciples whom Jesus told to "go ... to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?"  For the first Sunday in the season after Pentecost (or "Ordinary Time"), interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches from the Gospel of Matthew 9:35-10:15. Support the show

Sixth Sunday of EastertideFr. Steve Hoskins preaches from 1 Peter chapter 3 in his penultimate sermon to the Christ Our Hope congregation.  Support the show

Sunday of the Ascension Fr. Steve Hoskins delivers his final sermon to the Christ Our Hope congregation, preaching on the story of the servant woman from the gospel of Luke chapter 7.Support the show

Pentecost Sunday Interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches a Pentecost message to the Christ Our Hope congregation online.  Support the show

Trinity Sunday Against a backdrop of racial violence and social unrest in June 2020, interim rector Fr. Al Janssen preaches a timely message on the Great Commission from the Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20. Support the show

On Palm Sunday, Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches to the COH congregation online using the Passion reading as preparation for Holy Week.  Support the show

Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches the Good Friday homily to Christ Our Hope online.Support the show

Second Sunday of Eastertide - Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from the book of 1 Peter to the Christ Our Hope family online. Support the show

Third Sunday of Eastertide Fr. Steve Hoskins explores the account of the road to Emmaus from the gospel of Luke to the online congregation of Christ Our Hope. Support the show

Fourth Sunday of Eastertide - "Good Shepherd Sunday"Ken Ross, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Rocky Mountains (DRM) delivers a special sermon from the gospel of John and Psalm 23 to the online congregation of Christ Our Hope. Support the show

Fifth Sunday of Eastertide Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from the book of 1 Peter to the online congregation of Christ Our Hope Anglican Church. Support the show

Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches from the Gospel of John on the first Sunday of socially distanced worship online during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Support the show

Fr. Steve Hoskins preaches on the well-known Valley of Dry Bones passage from the book of Ezekiel on the last Sunday of Lent before Palm Sunday. Support the show

Visiting priest Fr. Greg Smith preaches from the Gospel of John, Chapter 4:5-26, 39-42 on Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. The first few seconds of this sermon went un-recorded, in which Fr. Greg opened with a reference to the Comfortable Words in the Anglican Liturgy following confession and absolution. Support the show