April 24, 2022

It has been quite a ride!  23 years has gone by incredibly quickly, and I am tremendously honoured to have been able to partner with you in ministry over these years.  This is Rev. Dr. Martin Kreplin's last sermon at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

April 15, 2022

This is Good Friday.  It’s GOOD to have a day off work; It’s GOOD to spend more time with the family; it’s GOOD to be together with other Brothers and Sisters in Christ – from Bethel; in-person and on-line.  But the “Goodness” of “Good Friday” is not found in any of those things.   

April 10, 2022

There are more important things than popularity however, namely the principles we live by and for… somethimes they are important enough for us to die for if necessary.  In our passage today, we see Jesus riding a huge wave of popularity as He is riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday which brings us to our Context for this morning. 

April 3, 2022

“Rejoice in the Lord Always!  I will say it again, REJOICE!”  The Key passage to the whole book of Philippians is found in our passage today in Phil. 4:4.  Philippians is known as the “Book of Joy” in the Bible, because that word translated as “Rejoice,” or its derivatives is found 12 times in this book.  

March 27, 2022

When you think about athletes training for the Olympics, when does their training end?  When they get on a plane headed to the Olympics?  When they arrive at the competition? Olympic athletes are ‘all in’ kind of people. That’s the kind of imagery the Apostle Paul draws from in our passage, which helps us understand a few things about the Christian life. 

March 20, 2022

Experts are made by repeated exposure; Olympic Athletes become gold-metal winners  through repetitious training  – with coaches often revisiting the basics of the sport with their athletes! A good educational tool is repetition! Today in our passage, we find the Apostle Paul repeating stuff that the Philippians already knew – and had heard before -- but it bears repeating.  

March 6, 2022

Around the year 600 AD, Pope Gregory 1 created a list known as the 7 Deadly Sins, and they are in order: pride, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth. Now, we know that any sin in our lives is deadly, and it is only by the AMAZING GRACE of Jesus Christ lavished upon us that justifies us in the sight of a Holy God.  And yet, it is interesting that Pope Gregory 1st, listed as pride being the first in that list of deadly sins. 

February 27, 2022

Why is it that we do things we don’t want to do?? We can probably all identify with the Apostle Paul when he talks about this kind of thing in Romans 7:15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

February 20, 2022

What is it that binds us together?  As a nation; a province; a city; a community; as Presbyterians? As St. Andrew’s? There are lots of differences in this congregation.  But we’re all part of St. Andrew’s – and St. Andrew’s is part of something much much bigger than itself. 

February 6, 2022

Who are you? Really?   I mean are you pretentious in nature? Appearing to love the message of Handel’s Messiah, but stepping on toes to find your place?  Appearing to be in character a God-loving Christian in the light and love of the transforming Gospel of Jesus… while living part-time on the dark side?

January 30, 2022

Today, we’re exploring why Christians approach death with joyful confidence. The reasons are found in our passage in the book of Philippians. 

January 23, 2022

We have lots of clouds to focus on these days if we are so inclined.  Our situation resonates so well with our passage today in the Apostle Paul’s situation, helping us to reframe our situation to a healthier perspective. 

January 16, 2022

Are you rejoicing in the midst of COVID yet? Hardly ever do we talk about joy in the midst of the crisis’ of life, but that’s what the Book of Philippians is about.