In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God. Questions: 1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you? 2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God? 3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life? 4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes? 5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer? 6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now? 7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging? 8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life? 9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others? 10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?

Today’s focus is on prayer as a cry — not a polished, polite prayer, but an outcry or complaint to God. When life hurts and sorrow overwhelms, tidy prayers fall flat. Outcry or Lament is not faithless; it’s a form of protest. Lament says, “This isn’t right,” and appeals to God to act, to heal, to make things whole. But what happens when we cry out and get no explanation? Today Robyn Elliott will dig into the life of Job, a man who’s whole life came crashing down along with his theology and he saw God in a whole new way. Questions: 1. How do you usually imagine God when you pray — and how might that image shape how or even if you pray? Is God distant? Disappointed? Gentle? Attentive? How does that affect your openness in prayer? 2. When life gets painful or confusing, what’s your natural reaction — to withdraw from God, to plead with Him, or to protest? What does that say about what you believe prayer is for? 3. If lament is a form of protest — what do you think it means to “protest in faith”? How can honest complaint actually be an expression of trust rather than rebellion? 4. Can you think of a time when you brought your raw emotions to God — grief, anger, confusion — and felt met rather than rejected? What did that moment teach you about God’s character? 5. What would it look like for you to practice more honest prayer this week? (Maybe a prayer of lament, a written complaint, a conversation with God without filters.) 6. The people of Job’s time believed in the Retribution Principle — “good things happen to good people.” Where do you still see that mindset showing up today — maybe even in subtle ways in your own thinking? 7. When you’ve faced pain or loss, have you ever felt pressure to keep your faith “tidy”? What might it look like to follow Job’s example and bring your unfiltered emotions to God instead? 8. Job never gets the answers he’s looking for — but he does get an encounter with God. What do you think that tells us about the kind of relationship God desires with us, especially in suffering? 9. When have you heard or seen modern “Job’s friends” — people offering religious explanations or blame when someone suffers? How does that kind of thinking distort our understanding of God’s justice and compassion? 10. At the end of Job, God corrects everyone’s assumptions — but gives no explanation for Job’s suffering. How might that reshape the way we respond to our own unanswered “whys”? 11. Hope in lament isn’t denial — it’s defiant trust. Where in your life do you need that kind of tenacious, ferocious hope — hope that believes God is love even when nothing makes sense?

In this message from Robyn Elliott, we rediscover prayer not as something to master but as a rhythm to live - a way of turning aside to notice the divine in the everyday. From the burning bush to the coffee line, God meets us on ordinary ground and turns it into holy ground. Prayer isn’t about performance, it’s about presence, learning to see that every moment can become sacred when we pause to notice God there. Questions: 1. Do you see prayer as something you understand or something you still feel like a beginner at? Why? What fears or barriers might hold you back from praying freely and honestly? 2. Robyn said, “How we imagine God determines how we pray.” What theological or psychological insights can we draw from that statement? How might our image of God  - whether as distant judge, intimate friend, or creative force - shape both the content and the confidence of our prayers? 3. Think of a time when something ordinary suddenly felt sacred. What happened? 4. Moses encountered God in a burning bush. What might be the “ordinary bush” in your life right now where God is trying to get your attention? And how does it change your perspective to think that every ground is holy ground because God is there? 5. If prayer is “a rhythm to keep” rather than a “skill to master,” how does that reshape our understanding of spiritual formation? In what ways might prayer be less about achieving results and more about being formed into a certain kind of person? 6. What would it look like for you to “turn aside” and notice God in your daily routines - your commute, your kitchen, your conversations? 7. What small step could you take this week to make prayer a rhythm rather than a task? 8. Robyn suggested a few exercises to try over the course of this series. Which one will you start with? 9. Download the Lectio 365 app 10. Spend some time in the prayer room 11. Attend Pilgrimage of Prayer on Nov. 23 12. Pray the Lord’s Prayer

In a world shaped by symbols, Jesus gave us a table - not a throne, not a sword, not even a cross - to remember him. And in this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore how the communion table is a radical, countercultural symbol of inclusion, equity, and service, and why Paul was so fired up about it in 1 Corinthians. What does it mean to eat and drink "unworthily?" You might be surprised. Discussion Questions: 1. What are the most meaningful symbols in your life, and what symbols have shaped your faith journey - a cross, a family tradition, a church building, a song? What do those symbols say about what you truly believe about God and yourself? 2. The cross wasn’t the original symbol of Christianity. How does this historical shift in Christian symbolism shape the way we view faith today? 3. Paul's anger in 1 Corinthians 11 targets not personal piety but communal inequality. What does this say about God's priorities for the church? 4. When have you felt excluded or welcomed at a ‘table’ - whether literal or metaphorical? How does that shape how you invite others in? 5. Are there people you struggle to make space for at your table - emotionally, socially, spiritually? Why do you think that is? What might be under that resistance? 6. How does the communion table subvert empire values like hierarchy, power, and privilege? How might that challenge the modern Western church? 7. Paul says to examine ourselves before communion - not to nitpick our morality, but to ask: Are we honouring the body (the church)? What does that look like in practice? 8. If someone observed your church’s communion practice, what might they learn about your theology of inclusion and service? 9. How do we unknowingly mirror the world’s values of status and success in our Christian communities today? 10. The early church’s meals were participatory and embodied. What have we lost (or gained) by ritualizing or formalizing communion? 11. In what ways might your life reflect the empire's way more than Jesus’ way - and how could the symbol of the table realign you?

What if the most powerful part of your story isn’t the ending - but the mess in the middle? In this message, Kathleen Elliott shares her honest, unfinished journey of faith, parenting, and showing up when life feels messy. If you've ever wondered where God is in the middle of your doubts, struggles, or everyday chaos, this story is for you. Discussion Questions: 1. Where in your life do you feel like you're in “the messy middle” right now? 2. What are the parts of your story you’d rather keep hidden, and where might God be gently nudging you to be more vulnerable? 3. Have you ever mistaken “comfort” for “God’s plan”? How has discomfort shaped your faith? 4. Where have you seen God show up, not to fix things, but simply to be present with you? 5. What false beliefs about God or yourself are you currently unlearning? 6. Are there prayers, people, or moments from your past that you now recognize as God planting seeds? 7. What’s a step you can take - even a baby step - to keep showing up in faith today? 8. Who have you allowed to write parts of your story for you, and how can you invite God into that narrative instead? 9. What does it mean for you to be “held by God,” even if you don’t feel finished or figured out? 10. If you were to tell your story honestly today, what title would you give this chapter of your life?

In a world craving home, we believe the Church is called to be just that: a family of all kinds of people, gathered under one roof and around one table for the sake of the world. This message from Robyn Elliott is a call to reimagine church as a lived experience of love, belonging, and unity. This is about belief, bodies, and buildings - and how God is doing a new thing right here. Discussion Questions: 1. Which “room” in your spiritual house do you feel most at home in, and which ones challenge you? 2. How does it feel to imagine church as a family rather than a collection of families? 3. Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in a church? What made you feel that way? And how have you become the church in a way that helps others? 4. What does “a seat at the table” mean to you personally? Who isn’t at your table that should be? 5. In what ways have your beliefs changed or “renovated” over time? What stayed the same? 6. When have you felt most seen or safe in a church setting - and what made that moment possible? 7. How can we move from being Sunday attenders to everyday followers of Jesus? 8. What does it mean to honour every BODY, not just in theory, but in practice? 9. If your life was a home, who feels safe and welcome inside? Who still feels like a stranger? 10. What new thing might God be doing in you - something you can’t yet see clearly?

The book of Acts ends with loose ends - a story unfinished. But maybe that’s the point. As we close this rollercoaster of a journey through Acts with Pastor Robyn Elliott, we ask: what kind of church are we becoming, and are we still living the way of Jesus, not with control and power, but with humility, love, and Spirit-empowered purpose? Discussion Questions: 1. In what ways has the church today become more like an empire than a movement shaped by Jesus? 2. Have you ever experienced the church as a place of healing - or as a place of harm? What shaped that experience? 3. Where have you seen the Spirit still at work today - in individuals or communities - despite the church’s brokenness? 4. How can we tell if we’re studying the Bible but still missing Jesus? What are the warning signs? 5. What would it look like to retrace our steps, not just as individuals but as a community of faith? 6. Robyn said, “Our hearts can grow hard, even in holy places.” Where in your life do you need to be softened - spiritually, relationally, or emotionally? 7. Are there areas where you've been clinging to control, fame, or platform, rather than humility and vulnerability? 8. If Acts doesn’t have a clear ending, what does that say about your role in God’s story today? 9. What does it mean to you that the table of Jesus is open to “all who are weary?”

Acts (The Way Forward): When Kindness Comes from Strangers by Lakeside Church

In this message from Mike Carmody, we explore the powerful farewell of Paul in Acts 20:17–25, uncovering what it means to live a life that truly counts. From faithful service and bold witness to Spirit-led surrender and eternal perspective, Paul gives us a model for a life well lived. Whether you’re just beginning your faith journey or you’ve been running the race for years, this message will challenge and encourage you to pursue lasting significance. Discussion Questions: 1. If you had one last conversation with the people you love most, what would you say, and what does that reveal about your heart? 2. Paul says, “You know how I lived.” What would people say they know about your life? What speaks louder – your words or your lifestyle? 3. Faithfulness often goes unseen and unrewarded in this life. Where in your life are you called to keep showing up, even when it’s hard or unnoticed? 4. Paul didn’t hesitate to preach the truth. What holds you back from sharing your faith boldly? What might boldness look like for you this week? 5. When have you experienced discomfort for the sake of following Jesus? How did that experience shape you? 6. Paul was “compelled by the Spirit” even without knowing the outcome. What would it look like for you to trust God with just the next step? 7. Verse 24 says Paul’s only aim was “to finish the race and complete the task.” What task has God placed in front of you today? 8. What are you “packing” your life with? Are your priorities aligned more with comfort and success or with eternity and surrender? 9. Think of someone whose faithfulness or quiet service has impacted you deeply. How might your own faithfulness impact others, even if you never see the results?

Acts (The Way Forward): Power Behind the Name by Lakeside Church

Acts (The Way Forward): The Faith in a World of Idols by Lakeside Church

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Fractured Yet Faithful by Lakeside Church

The early Church wasn’t neat, tidy, or black and white - it was messy, complicated, and beautifully real. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we look at Acts 16 and discover how God shows up in the tension of right and wrong, rules and grace, motives and mistakes. If your Jesus following feels complicated, you're not alone - and that might be exactly where Jesus meets you. Discussion Questions: 1. What does Timothy’s willingness to be circumcised teach us about the cost of loving others well - even when it’s uncomfortable or unfair? How far are we willing to go to remove barriers for someone else to encounter Jesus? 2. What are some modern-day equivalents to Timothy’s sacrifice - ways we can "cut" parts of our comfort, pride, or preferences for the sake of others? Think of situations in your life, community, or church where someone laid something down to build trust or unity. 3. What are some “low-cost” acts of love we often overlook but are still powerful? Who around you needs something simple - time, a kind word, a listening ear - that we might be withholding? 4. In what ways do we make winning arguments more important than building bridges? What conversations or debates are better left in humility than pursued in pride? 5. Is there something in your life that you’ve been unwilling to give up, even if letting go could help someone else experience Jesus more clearly? What would it look like to surrender that for the sake of love? 6. What “extra requirements” do we sometimes add that make it harder for people to feel like they belong in church? How can we, as individuals and a church community, remove obstacles and make space for others to encounter Jesus? 7. What's an example of something that's not so black and white in your faith? Why do we often make things more complicated than they need to be?

In the early church, rapid change created deep tension between tradition and the movement of God’s Spirit. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we take a look at Acts 15, which shows us how the early leaders navigated sacred convictions, honest disagreement, and radical inclusion - by listening, telling stories, and centering everything on Jesus. This passage is a masterclass in following Jesus faithfully through disruption, both in the church and in our world today. Discussion Questions: 1. Where have you seen procedures or policies get in the way of purpose - in church or elsewhere? 2. Have you ever experienced your sacred foundations being shaken? How did you respond? 3. How do we know when our traditions are helping or hindering our faith? 4. What do you think Peter meant when he said, “Why are you now challenging God?” How might we do that today without realizing it? How do we balance faithfulness to Scripture with openness to God doing something new? 5. Can you recall a time when someone else’s testimony changed your perspective more than a debate could have? 6. Where in your life are you being invited to “bow your convictions to Jesus?” 7. What are some small, practical ways we can embody low-cost love in our church or neighbourhood?

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Life isn’t Fair but God is Good by Lakeside Church

Acts 10 is a turning point - not just for the early church, but for how we understand God’s radical vision of inclusion. When Peter crosses the threshold into Cornelius’ home, everything changes: the boundaries of who belongs are shattered. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore what God is up to when the church gets messy, uncomfortable, and beautifully diverse. Discussion Questions: 1. What do you think it means to ask, “What is God up to?” in our current moment, space, and community? How might that question shift our focus from programs or traditions to people and presence? 2. In Acts 10, Peter's worldview was shattered by a vision from God. Has there ever been a moment when God challenged something you always believed to be true? How did you respond? Did it lead you toward inclusion or resistance? 3. Cornelius was an outsider who embodied the heart of the faith but wasn’t accepted by the community. Who are the “Corneliuses” in our world today? What boundaries (spoken or unspoken) might be keeping them out? 4. Peter crossed a literal and symbolic threshold when he entered Cornelius’ house. Can you think of a time you were called to cross a personal or social boundary for the sake of love or unity? What held you back- or what pushed you forward? 5. How can we discern whether what we’re hearing is truly from God? And how do we test this in community? 6. What does it mean for you personally to "share a table" with someone who sees or lives life very differently?

Saul was the last person you'd expect to change, and yet, Jesus met him, and everything flipped. In this message from Mike Carmody, we dive into Acts 9, where God uses an ordinary guy named Ananias to welcome a dangerous man into the family of faith, showing us that no matter your story or your struggle, there’s a place for you in the church. Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever judged someone based on their past like Ananias judged Saul? What happened? 2. Mike said, “When we experience Jesus, something changes in us.” Have you experienced Jesus and what changed for you? 3. What might God be trying to say to you that you’re currently resisting or not hearing? 4. Do you find it easy or difficult to accept others into your spiritual community without preconditions? Why? 5. Where do you relate most in this story right now? As Saul before the encounter? Ananias being asked to trust? Or even Saul after his transformation? 6. What ordinary thing might God be calling you to do that could have extraordinary impact? 7. How can we, as a church (or small group or family, depending who you’re doing these questions with) create space for people to experience Jesus at their own pace?

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Exiled by Religion, Embraced by God by Lakeside Church

When everything goes wrong, or everything falls apart, God still moves in the middle of the mess. In this message, Johanna Kelly walks us through the first verses of Acts 8 where we see how tragedy leads to transformation as the church is scattered and the gospel reaches new people. Even in conflict, division, and messy motivations, God is at work bringing healing, redemption, and hope. Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever experienced a time when everything went wrong or fell apart at once? How did you see (or not see) God at work in the midst of that chaos? 2. Acts 8 shows God moving through scattered people. In what ways have you seen growth, healing, or new direction come out of personal disruption or tragedy? 3. Philip stepped into unfamiliar, uncomfortable places (like Samaria). When have you been invited to step into spaces of division, discomfort, or difference? What did that stretch in you? 4. Simon wanted spiritual power for personal gain. Where do we try to “buy God?” Where is our relationship transactional? Maybe we think if we give generously, God will reward us financially, or if we pray long enough or hard enough, we’ll get what we want. Or maybe we “shop” for God in the church we choose, preferring convenience, comfort, or polished production over truth and transformation. 5. Peter helps Simon see what he couldn’t see on his own. Who in your life has helped you see something important about yourself? How did you respond? 6. Johanna said, “A life together is a life of conflict.” Does this ring true for you in your experience with church, family, or friendships? How do you usually respond to relational messiness? Do you lean in, or pull away?

The early church didn’t just face pressure from empire - it also faced betrayal from within. Stephen wasn’t killed by outsiders, but by the religious elite who thought they were protecting God. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore what happens when faith gets twisted by power - and how defending religion can actually become a denial of the very God we claim to follow.