Virtue & Vices

What do you do when someone else’s success quietly irritates you instead of inspiring you? James' letter to the church exposes how envy produces disorder while humility, shaped by the Spirit, creates peace.

This Sunday, we'll explore how comparison corrodes the heart and why humility is not weakness but wisdom from above. We’ll look at the difference between competing for recognition and resting in God’s grace.

If you’ve ever struggled to celebrate someone else’s win, this message is for you. Join us as we learn how the Spirit forms what the flesh never can.

Series: Virtues & Vices
Speaker: Jeremy Norton
Scripture: James 3:13–18

Timstamps
00:00 - Have you ever caught yourself scrolling through your social feed, wondering why everyone’s life looks better than yours?
04:12 - Some of you may not know that James was actually one of Jesus’ younger brothers
05:40 - Looking at our core text from James’ letter, he asks a question related to wisdom
08:49 - This same pattern still plays out today, even if it looks a little more polished
10:06 - But then James adds the contrasting statement:
11:50 - Where envy produces disorder, humility, sows peace
13:29 - This is how envy is one of the easiest sins for us to excuse
15:06 - Coming back to our core text, James gives us the end result of wisdom lived out in humility
15:52 - As James continues his letter, he connects the pursuit of humility with the source, which is a relationship with God
16:36 - James ends his letter with a final encouragement and a forward focus
19:17 - As we consider the humility of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, it seems fitting to pause and take communion together
23:48 - Updates
27:22 - Discussion & Prayer Focus

#jeuschrist #jesus #faith #mountainviewchurch #virtues #vices #humility #envy

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Virtue & Vices

What do you do when life just keeps getting harder? In Joy vs. Despair, we’re spending time in 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul writes from the middle of pressure, loss, and weariness.

He’s honest about how hard things are, but he refuses to let despair call the shots. We’ll learn why despair doesn’t get the final word, and why God is still at work, even here.

The goal isn’t to pretend things are fine or force a smile. We’ll focus on the quiet work God is still doing in us, even when circumstances don’t change.

Series: Virtues & Vices
Speaker: Jeremy Norton
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7–18

Timstamps
00:00 - Some mornings, you wake up, and you dread the day ahead
05:41 - Paul writes this letter from the middle of pressure, loss, and weariness
10:13 - We can learn from Paul that despair may come
10:44 - Now, experiencing despair after a crisis is to be expected
14:59 - And this brings us back to our text and Paul’s situation
19:56 - Despair, like any vice, has its foundation in sin
23:22 - So, the invitation today isn’t to deny pain or force joy
25:51 - From now on, whenever Despair says, “This is the end,” let Jesus remind you, “God is still at work”
26:15 - Prayer
26:56 - Updates
28:12 - Discussion and Prayer Focus
29:03 - Come back next week

#jesus #jesuschrist #joy #despair #virtues #vices #mountainviewchurch

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SERMON TITLE: Gratitude vs. Greed.

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Timothy 6:6–10.

BOTTOM LINE: Gratitude turns what we have into enough; greed makes enough never enough.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:

This Sunday, we continue our series Virtues & Vices with a message that's needed after the holiday season: Gratitude vs. Greed. In a culture that constantly tells us we need more, Scripture offers a better way.

From 1 Timothy 6, we’ll explore why godliness with contentment is a great gain and how gratitude breaks greed’s grip on our hearts. We'll discover the secret of contentment in every circumstance, not connected to guilt or better budgeting.

True contentment is centred on the freedom and formation obtained through Jesus. Learn how the Spirit turns what we have into enough.

#GratitudeVsGreed
#VirtuesAndVices
#SundaySermon
#SermonSeries
#BiblicalTeaching

#MountainviewChurch

#God

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SERMON TITLE: LOVE vs. PRIDE

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Philippians 2:3–8.

KEY VERSE: Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count.

BOTTOM LINE: Love humbles and serves; pride elevates and isolates.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:

Pride shows up quietly, even in good people doing good things. In Philippians 2, Paul contrasts self-centred ambition with the self-giving love of Jesus.

This Sunday, we launch our new series, Virtues and Vices. As we look at the virtue of love and the vice of pride, we’ll examine what’s forming our hearts and shaping our relationships.

Because Jesus humbled Himself for us, we’re free to love others without needing to elevate ourselves. As we walk by the Spirit, He shapes our character from the inside out.

#LoveVsPride

#Philippians2

#ChristLikeLove

#Humility

#ServantHeart

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Advent: Isaiah's Prophetic Promises.

December 28th is Sabbath Sunday: An intentional day of rest from all regular and ministry work, as we gather with friends and family in homes during this strategic day between Christmas and New Year’s.

Together, we’ll reflect on Isaiah 40:31 and rediscover the strength that comes from waiting on the Lord. Through Scripture, communion, and quiet reflection, we’ll remember that Jesus was born to die and rise again.

As we proclaim His death and await His return, we’re reminded that our hope is secure and our strength is renewed in Him. This is a moment to pause and rest in God’s promises. Join us as we close Isaiah's Prophetic Promises with The Rest in Waiting.

Series: Advent: Isaiah's Prophetic Promises.
Speaker: Jeremy Norton.
Scripture: Isaiah 40:31.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Most of us are pretty good at celebrating.
06:04 - Isaiah wrote those words roughly seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus.
07:39 - When we wait on the Lord, He renews our strength.
08:37 - “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;”11:07 - Isaiah gives us three images, describing what renewed strength looks like:
15:28 - Personal story.
18:19 - Israel lived in prolonged uncertainty, generations between promise and fulfillment.
20:35 - Communion.
27:00 - Our time together is almost over.
29:15 - Part of why Sabbath Sunday is so important is that we’re prone to forget.
31:13 - Prayer.
32:02 - Updates.

#jesuschrist #mountainviewchurch #sabbath #jesus #god #rest

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Advent: Isaiah's Prophetic Promises.

Darkness has a way of getting our attention. When the lights go out, we realize just how much we were depending on them. And in the middle of the world’s darkness, God kept a promise.

Isaiah foretold a great light shining in the darkness, a promise fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. On Christmas Eve, we reflect on how Christ enters our darkness not just to reveal it, but to overcome it. Jesus is the Light of the World, breaking through sin, fear, and uncertainty, and offering hope where it’s most needed.

This Christmas Eve message invites us to consider where we need light in our own lives, and how the light of Christ continues to guide us today.

Series: Advent: Isaiah's Prophetic Promises.
Speaker: Jeremy Norton.
Scripture: Isaiah 9:2.

Timestamps:
00:00 - A Prayer for Christmas Eve.
01:28 - Most of us don’t notice light until we really need it.
05:38 - That prophetic promise was written seven hundred years before Jesus arrived!
07:41 - Luke sets the scene with shepherds.
10:17 - Jesus was (and is) the Light who breaks through our darkness.
13:26 - The Whole Christmas Story moves toward this simple truth:
16:06 - Up here in the Yukon, we have short days and long nights in the winter.
18:00 - The light matters most once we realize how dark it is.
18:55 - Maybe tonight, for the first time, you’re realizing how dark your world feels.
20:00 - Will you receive Jesus as your Saviour? 20:51 - Prayer.
21:38 - Updates.

#jesus #jesuschrist #advent #isaiahprophecy #mountainviewchurch #christmaseve

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SERMON TITLE: The Love of the Servant

4th ADVENT: Love

Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-4

BOTTOM LINE: The love of Jesus restores what the world has nearly destroyed.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:

Life has a way of bending us. Some of us are still standing… but barely. Maybe you feel like a bruised reed—hurt, wounded, exhausted. Or maybe your faith feels like a smoldering wick—the flame is still there, but it’s almost gone.

Here’s the good news: God has promised to send a Servant in Isaiah 42:1-4 who perfectly described Jesus. He will not come to break you or extinguish you. He comes to heal, restore, and rekindle.

Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the 4th Advent: The Love of a Servant, and experience a love that brings you back to life.

#Isaiah 42:1–4

#Advent Scripture

#Prophecy of Jesus

#Servant of the Lord

#Biblical Hope

#God’s Promises

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SERMON TITLE: Joy of Salvation

ADVENT THEME: Joy

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 12:1-6

THE BOTTOM LINE: True joy is found in knowing that you have been saved.

PROMO DESCRIPTION:

If you ever find yourself overwhelmed in all the emotions of Christmas but you realize that joy is nowhere to be found, perhaps it is because you aren't looking in the right place, or you are looking for the wrong joy.

In Isaiah 12 we look at the kind of joy promised to God's people, and it is very specific. It is the Joy of Salvation. This not something the stores can sell you. It is not something that secular music artists sing about. It is not something that "Commercial Christmas" has on offer at all.

True lasting joy is found in knowledge of and relationship with God. We are given this gift through Jesus Christ and it doesn't fade by Boxing Day but grows throughout this life and stretches into eternity.

Join us this week as we look beyond the world's version of joy to the Joy of Salvation.

#JoyOfSalvation
#Advent
#AdventJoy
#ChristmasSermon
#ChristianJoy
#Salvation
#GospelMessage

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