It felt soooo free and fun to be among 10 vibrant people from High Park Baptist Church who reached out to bless our Roncesvalles neighbourhood last night.  They gave out free water while live music was rocking out through the streets of Roncesvalles-Parkdale-High Park.  People were so receptive to the gifts and positive vibe, but I learned some people are very anti-plastic water bottles!  Three of the people in these pictures typed and printed one page of their personal stories of how Jesus has changed their lives.  We hope and pray that people who were handed these testimonies will read them and be influenced towards a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We gave out about 200 papers, 6 cases of water and countless smiles!

How can we pray when we have morally shipwrecked our life and feel dirty and distant from the Divine?

Is there hope? YES!

If and when guilt and shame of moral failures have you feeling like God doesn’t want to hear from you or see you, then you need this sermon in your prayers.

This 53minute sermon comes from the hot and heavy prayer of Psalm 51.

July18Psalm51 (Link to Audio is on my blog www.adamrumball.com)

May God create in us clean heart and renew a willing spirit within us as we pray with a broken, humble and contrite spirit.

When it’s summer and hot, it’s one of the best times to get out and enjoy the neighbourhood parks – and people. And that’s what we’re doing this weekend.

Right after church on Sunday, July 18th, we’ve coordinated a picnic plus “whatever happens” fun and games at Sorauren Park, just a few blocks from the church.

No over-the-top organization. Just simple, easy and relaxed.

The park is a quick 10 minute walk (max) or a 2 minute drive.

Click here for a map

Corner of Sorauren Avenue, Wabash Avenue. Walk across Geoffrey Street from Roncesvalles and you’ll step right into it.

Sorauren has a great big open field for kicking a ball around, tonnes of playground equipment for kids, big leafy trees to stay cool under, and… our neighbours!

The idea is to bring a picnic lunch, lounge in the coolness of a shade tree, and have some fun together in a setting where we can just be a part of the neighbourhood.

So, this Sunday, pack a lunch, a hat, sunscreen, lots of water, a soccer ball, a croquet set – or whatever you like to do on a Sunday afternoon when you’re relaxing and having fun – and come to Sorauren Park after service.

And invite your friends if you like.

If you’re in the city, see you at service where Pastor Adam will continue his “Hot & Heavy” prayer series (the last few messages have been great!).

Then, hit the park to cool down and have some fun.

I wanted to introduce the sermon series we are starting this week.

Starting this Sunday at High Park Baptist Church, we will focus on praying with intimacy and power.

Specifically, key leaders of our church will be speaking in an effort to focus our community on some of the hot and heavy prayers of the Bible.

Men and women of faith crying out to God.

What examples of prayer do we see in the Bible?

What prayers stir the heart of God?

What shapes the way you pray?

Could you learn a bit more?

Let’s enter the fall intimate and powerful with God through reflecting on the hot and heavy prayers of the Bible.

Join us Sunday.

An explosion followed by a 3-alarm blaze to a hertiage home (1850) awoke the residents near Indian Road and Garden Ave in the High Park neighbourhood of Toronto.  Three families associated with our church were awoken by the explosion.  (more after pic)

No lives were lost.  One nice thing was that it brought the neighbours out to talk.  While talking to a church member, I spotted my High School gym teacher and football coach, Mr. Hank Spencer.  That was a nice thing that came out of a bad blast.  I hope it draws the community together and pray it brings them to church on Sunday.

Has someone stolen from you? What did they rob you of?

Forgiveness is the choice to calculate and then cancel that debt.

Q: How do you know you have forgiven someone of something?

When you can donate to the that thief! When you can give to the taker.

Think of God forgiving sin through the cross. Jesus “Father, forgive them for crucifying me bc they don’t understand what they are doing?”

From the Early Church letters of the Bible, Colossians 3:13 reads, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Forgive one another as God has forgiven you.

Letting them go actually frees us too!