StephenBarkley.com

The parable of the Sower truly is the mother of all parables. It occurs in all three gospels (plus Thomas), and is interpreted in all three gospels. Jesus even gave this parable a title. In once sense, the parable of the Sower is a parable about parables. It is a story about how to hear [...]

When I arrived in Bracebridge about a year ago, I began preaching on the four parables Jesus taught about discipleship. This fall it seemed appropriate to return to Jesus’ parables, particularly his two stories about grace:

The Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-35)
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Who Are You? (Luke 7:36-50)
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During the month of August we looked at what makes a healthy church. It all boils down to strengthening our relationships: with God, with each other, and with the world outside the church. Here are the messages (the download links are on my audio page):

Strengthening our Relationship with God
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Strengthening [...]

Our church just finished a 15 message series on the book of Ecclesiastes. I regularly post the messages I’ve preached on the audio page of this site. However, I thought it would be good to collect all the messages in one place.
Without further ado:

How to Hide an Elephant (1:1-2)
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Earth, [...]

I’ve interrupted our church’s series on Ecclesiastes to slip two Easter message into the mix. Instead of “Life and Death”, these are stories of “Death and Life”.
You can listen to the messages here, or download them from my audio page.
Revenge is a Dish . . .
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Adam Again
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Last Sunday at WSPC, we wrapped up our series on “Our Role in God’s Kingdom”. We looked at the Kingdom of God, the role of the local church, and the role that each person contributes to the whole. The core of this series was a detailed look at the seven gifts that Paul listed in [...]

Just so you know, I haven’t given up on 1 John yet.  I have spent some time on other priorities, though.
One of those priorities is my church’s website.  Check it out at wspc.ca.
I’ve also spent some time collecting the message I’ve preached since moving to Bracebridge.  They’re not all up yet, but I’ve got a [...]

Have you ever lived through an event so catastrophic that it made you question whether God was still with you? Using the life of Ezekiel, I want to encourage you with two truths:

You’re not alone in your struggles—you’re in good company.
God has never left you, despite all appearances to the contrary.

Thanks to Pastor John Dell [...]

This past Sunday I preached on Jesus’ first infamous miracle: turning water into wine. I should be more precise: John’s gospel called it a “sign”. This event was a sign-post that pointed toward an important truth.
For too long, evangelicals have been distracted with silly arguments about grape juice and alcohol to really look at [...]

I preached last Sunday on Ezekiel’s sign-act of the two sticks.  Here’s the message if you’re interested:
Two Sticks
The main point is this: You’ll only grow as close to God as you are to the person you like the least.
Feel free to discuss this message in the comments below.
Steve.