Bible — Sermons — Samuel Mills

Negative Thought Patterns

Science and Faith have concluded that unhealthy thinking patterns generally contribute to mental health conditions. Negative thought patterns can play a significant role in causing and worsening depression and anxiety. It is estimated that we think 10 thoughts per second and average around 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. That is a lot of thoughts!

Most of these thoughts are about what went wrong, what is wrong and what may possibly go wrong in the future. Our minds are consistently filled with negativity. These negative thought patterns form in our minds as strongholds and they become hard to break.

God promises that his truth is stronger than any lie. In order to destroy these negative thought patterns we are to first find them, free ourselves from them, focus on what is true and then continually feed ourselves with more truth.

This is the Gospel

When someone says, I have some good news and bad news to share with you, which do you prefer to hear first? Studies have shown that most people prefer to hear the bad news first, then the good news because it will leave them with a positive attitude. The young church in Colossae became the target of heretical attacks. Epaphras (a leader of the church) traveled to Rome to update Paul, who was in prison, about the condition of the church. In response, Paul wrote a letter of encouragement providing them with an understanding of the gospel.

So what is the gospel? How is the gospel to impact our lives, churches, communities and the world? Very often we view the gospel as a set of imperatives when it is really a narrative of God’s story of good news for humanity found in the person of Jesus. Humanity has experienced the bad news of fear, isolation and hopelessness. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has announced the good news of His provision of forgiveness—a family and a future.

SermonsSamuel MillsMarch 10, 2019Samuel Mills, The Bridge, Toronto, Gospel, Good News, Cross, Resurrection, Death, Colossians, Bible, Jesus, Bad News, Roman Empire, Hopelessness, Family, Faith, FutureComment

Singleness or Marriage: Which is Better?

During an average person’s lifetime, a significant portion of their life will be spent single. Typically, the first 25 years of life and perhaps the last 10-15 years will be spent as a single person. At some point in our lives we are all single. So, how we live as a single will determine how fulfilled we will be even if we get married. Singleness can either be a stage of life or a desired state of life.

At times the grass may seem greener on the other side. Singles may long for a marriage partner to bring happiness, while marrieds may secretly long to be single again to escape any dissatisfaction with their partner. So, what does God say about living single? Is it God’s intention that everyone should pursue marriage? Is it possible that marriages struggle because we have not learned to live our single lives as God intended it to be?

SermonsSamuel MillsAugust 12, 2018Samuel Mills, The Bridge, Toronto, Singleness, Single, Marriage, Married, Lonliness, Jesus, Bible, Alone, Celibacy Comment

Faith vs Science

Many voices today say that science and Christianity are opposed to each other. Some atheists claim that science has debunked religion and many in the general public think that the church is anti-science. And within the church, science is often portrayed as either incompatible with faithor challenging important Christian beliefs.

In Christian belief, God reveals Himself in both the written book of the Bible and the created “book” of the natural world.

Because of the consistent character of God, these two cannot conflict. While sincere Christians differ on their views of the age of the earth and evolution, we all agree on the essentials of the faith: all people have sinned and salvation comes only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We agree that the God of our salvation is the same God we see in the wonders of His creation. He constantly woos us through what He has made and says, “I exist and I want you to know me!"

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