Posts by Pastor Ken

The following was published on the Faith page of the Winnipeg Free Press on September 14, 2020. A few years before I came on staff at Gateway Church in 1992, our congregation had bought land and built a new church building on the edge of East Elmwood. We were the new neighbours. The newcomers to…

I think the Apostle Paul would’ve enjoyed making use of bullet points if he’d had a computer to write his epistles. There’s an amazing little quick-hits list of instructions tucked away in Romans 12 that bullet points would’ve been perfect for. It says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the…

It was a big crowd. All totalled — men, women, and children — it was likely at least 10,000 people. Matthew said it was 5,000 men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:21). And they were hungry. As Jesus spoke with His disciples about what to do about that, the sound of those thousands of people…

We all know what it’s like to feel exhausted. But have we ever been so weary that we’re able to sleep through a storm while in an open boat with drenching waves sweeping over it? That’s how tired Jesus was as he wearily climbed into a boat with his disciples and told them to sail…

As the sun descended on that long-anticipated day, the room gradually dimmed as twelve men huddled close to Jesus, hanging on his every word. The trembling shadows in that candlelit upper room must have befitted the somber faces staring intently at their Master. What compassion Jesus must have felt as he caught their gazes, one…

Once you know how good God is, you want His presence in your life more than anything. And there are loads of verses in the Bible that promise that God is “in” those who follow Jesus and that He is always “with” us. But I came across a word that tells me that He’s also…

The following article was published on the faith page of the Winnipeg Free Press on June 10, 2020. I keep getting asked: “When do you think we’ll be able to have church services again?” And I keep wondering how we got to this point of thinking that church services on Sunday mornings are what it…

I cringe at the thought of guided group tours. I also clutch my wallet tightly. I just don’t like the idea of paying someone to stuff me in a bus or a boat and ferry me around telling me what to look at. And yet somehow, I was persuaded to take my family on the…

Jesus was on his way home, and choosing to take the quick route, was passing through the region of Samaria. This was the land of the Samaritans, a people despised by Jews, half-breeds due to the Jewish people intermingling with Gentiles long ago when Israel’s northern kingdom was conquered. We’re told Jesus was weary. Imagine…

The following article was published on the faith page of the Winnipeg Free Press on May 1, 2020. I had just finished a very encouraging conversation. It was in mid-March, and a friend in my congregation was going through a difficult time. We got together for an evening to talk. It was quite late when…