The Renew Church Canada Podcast

Church Discipline: Loving… or Legalistic? / Keeping Up with the Corinthians Week 5

Is church discipline an act of love—or just legalism in disguise? In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul tells the church to remove a man involved in shocking sexual sin, and even to “deliver this man to Satan.” What do we do with that today, in a culture that hates the idea of judging anyone—especially inside the church? In this message, we’ll wrestle with when discipline is necessary, how it protects the whole church, and why God takes our sin more seriously than we often do.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

The Crimson Thread: Resurrection Sunday / Week 2

Pastor Bartley continues The Crimson Thread Easter series by tracing powerful resurrection foreshadows woven through the Old Testament—from Noah’s ark and Isaac on the altar to Joseph’s pit, the Red Sea, the bronze serpent, and Jonah in the fish. He shows how each of these “death-to-life” stories points ahead to Jesus’ resurrection as the core of God’s single plan to redeem creation. The message culminates in John 20 and the empty tomb, highlighting Christ’s resurrection as both historical reality and the guarantee of our own future resurrection. Listeners are invited to move beyond merely acknowledging the cross and instead look to Jesus in personal faith, entering into the hope and new life his resurrection secures.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

The Crimson Thread: Palm Sunday / Week 1

Pastor Bartley Sawatsky traces a “crimson thread” of blood-red imagery and foreshadowing across the Old Testament that points to Jesus’ sacrificial death. From Jacob and Esau to Tamar’s twins, from the Passover lamb to Palm Sunday, he shows how God repeatedly “flips the script” by choosing the lowly and the unexpected to accomplish salvation. The message highlights how Jesus, the humble king riding on a donkey, is also the perfect Passover Lamb selected for sacrifice on our behalf. In seeing this poetic, prophetic coherence, we’re invited to trust God’s control of history and personally embrace Christ’s saving work.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

Judging Christian Leaders and What It Means to Be Faithful to God / Week 4

In week four of the series Keeping Up With the Corinthians, Elder Darcy MacCallum dives into 1 Corinthians 4 to challenge the modern temptation of settling for quick, entertaining TED Talk or TikTok Christianity. While we often seek easy shortcuts to faith, this message reminds us that true spiritual formation takes time, deep intentionality, and a commitment to the way of the cross rather than worldly measures of success. By examining the Apostle Paul's urgent plea to the Corinthian church, we are invited to abandon shallow learning and instead seek trusted spiritual guides who can help us walk faithfully in a Spirit-led community.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

Spiritual Growth Church Leaders & Building on Christ the Foundation | Keeping Up with the Corinthians / Week 3

In this message from 1 Corinthians 3, Pastor Bartley unpacks why some believers stay “spiritually dim” and how we can grow from infants in Christ to mature disciples who can handle the “solid food” of God’s Word. He challenges our tendency to idolize church leaders and reminds us that we are all merely servants in God’s field and building. We’ll see that Christ alone is the foundation of the church, that our work will be tested by fire, and that what we build on Him must endure in an increasingly hostile culture. Ultimately, the question is not what or who you identify with, but whether your life is truly built on belonging to Christ.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

The Cross is the Heart of the Christian Faith | Keeping Up with the Corinthians / Week 2

Elder Darcy MacCallum unpacks 1 Corinthians 2 to show that the cross is not just how we are forgiven, but the very shape of the Christian life—meant to confront our ideas of power, success, politics, justice, and spirituality. He warns that, like the Corinthians, we often want resurrection without the cross and may have domesticated the cross into a safe ornament instead of a defining reality, pressing us to ask whether the crucified Christ is truly determining the form of our existence.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

Church Division, Spiritual Pride, and the Message of the Cross | Keeping Up with the Corinthians / Week 1

Keeping Up With the Corinthians WEEK 1: Pastor Bartley Sawatsky opens 1 Corinthians by showing how church division and spiritual pride were ripping the Corinthian church apart—and how the same issues threaten believers today. He calls us back to the simple, powerful message of “Christ crucified” as the only true basis for Christian unity and spiritual maturity.

ABOUT THE SERIES
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture that pulls us in every direction? This 16-week journey through 1 Corinthians explores everything from spiritual gifts and the nature of love to the reality of the resurrection. Discover how God builds a unified, holy people out of a collection of beautifully imperfect lives.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

Youth Takeover | Be A Loser | January 25th, 2026 | Youth Director Jake Troughton

Join Jake Troughton, youth director at Renew Church, for a captivating Youth Takeover service with the message "Be A Loser." Through engaging skits and compelling stories, Jake explores the concept of selflessness and humility, drawing from the historic journeys of mountaineers, missionaries, and modern-day influencers. Discover how true victory lies in putting others first and living out a faith-centered life. Embrace the upside-down kingdom where losing becomes the path to ultimate freedom and joy.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

Persistence in Prayer | Teach Us to Pray - Week 3 | January 18th, 2026

In the final message of the "Teach Us to Pray" series, Pastor Bartley Sawatsky explores the vital role of persistence in our prayer lives. Using parables and examples from Scripture, he contrasts the human nature of an unjust judge with God's loving character, emphasizing that our prayers are cherished and never a burden to Him. Pastor Sawatsky encourages believers to persist in prayer despite spiritual battles, assuring us that persistence can lead either to the answer we seek or to peace about our circumstances. Discover how you can deepen your faith and strengthen your communication with God in this insightful conclusion to the series.

ABOUT THE SERIES
In our "Teach Us to Pray" series, we delve into the foundational aspects of prayer and its role in our spiritual lives. Each message aims to make prayer more prominent and meaningful, encouraging us to deepen our communication and relationship with God. Join us as we learn not just how to pray, but how to embrace prayer as a vital, life-giving connection with our Heavenly Father.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!

Roadblocks to Prayer | Teach Us to Pray - Week 2 | January 11th, 2026

In week 2 of our series "Teach Us to Pray" with Pastor Bartley Sawatsky, we uncover "Roadblocks to Prayer." In this insightful message, Pastor Bartley breaks down common obstacles that hinder our prayer life, from comfort and complacency to fear and distractions. Discover practical ways to overcome these roadblocks and deepen your connection with God. Whether you're a seasoned prayer warrior or just beginning your spiritual journey, this message is packed with valuable insights to enhance your communication with the Divine. Don't miss this opportunity to strengthen your prayer practice!

ABOUT THE SERIES
In our "Teach Us to Pray" series, we delve into the foundational aspects of prayer and its role in our spiritual lives. Each message aims to make prayer more prominent and meaningful, encouraging us to deepen our communication and relationship with God. Join us as we learn not just how to pray, but how to embrace prayer as a vital, life-giving connection with our Heavenly Father.

We meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings at Cineplex Cinemas, 1175 Maple Ave, Milton. We'd love to meet you and invite you to join us there!