Welcome to Ontario Community Church, where we are encouraging, equipping, and engaging lives for Christ.
! I'm Pastor Patrick Daly, and you're listening to the Sermon Podcast from January 11, 2026.
Today, we are asking a critical and crucial question.
Who are we?
Not just what we do, but who are we as the Church?
Ontario Community Church, our shared identity in Christ.
Today, we are looking at Colossians 3, verse 15, with supporting texts throughout Scripture.
Before we go in, I want you to picture something.
There is a Japanese art called Kintsugi, where broken pottery is mended back together with gold.
The cracks that are once broken, they are not hidden, rather, they are highlighted.
And the piece becomes more valuable than it was before it even broke.
That image captures our individual lives as well as our Church perfectly.
The Church has existed for 80 years, and it's been on this journey, with a rich Japanese heritage,
and it's incredible to see how God has been mending and molding us all along.
To think about it, we are more valuable than we were before, because of how God has worked through our brokenness.
Last week, we heard Christ's call to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers.
But peacemaking flows from identity, and a peacemaking Church must know who it is.
Today, we are exploring the 4-H framework, four biblical movements that name our shared identity as Ontario Community Church.
Hope, Heart, Hospital, and Hub.
These four movements, or four parts, they are a part of who we are.
This is not who we hope to be someday.
This is our present reality.
This is who Christ is forming us to be right now.
Now, let us dive into God's Word together.
God's Word together.
It's good to be here this morning with all of you.
Today, you may have seen in your notes, very simple notes.
I think you guys have gotten so used to seeing reference verses and all the things that is kind of a mirror or an echo of the sermon that we go over.
But for this, this is a very special Sunday as we are going over this idea of who we are as a church body.
You know, it took me some time to really reflect on not only who the church is, but who we are as the body of Christ.
This church, Ontario Community Church.
And I have this message after the fact that we've gone over this year's theme.
You remember it?
It's blessed are the peacemakers.
The call to be a peacemaker and not a peacekeeper.
And this is piggybacked off of last year where we were building bridges for Christ.
Extending the light, love, and truth of Jesus Christ to other people.
And for this year, as we are thinking of what it means to be a peacemaker,
I felt that it was very appropriate for us to consider and to clearly define who we are as a church body.
Every single church that you go to is unique in their own capacity.
And what God has done here in this place, when we think of the past 80 years of faithfulness,
is something that is remarkable.
To think of the richness of the history of the people that have come and gone,
the lives that have been transformed, and how God has worked in every single one of those lives.
It goes to show the power and the testimony of our Lord and our God.
And we have to think that all of that is part of a wonderful story that God has for this church,
which leads us to where we are today.
Before we even begin in going into who we are as a church,
there's always been this image that has really resounded and stuck out to me.
It's the image of a broken plate being mended back together,
showing the transforming power of how God works in all of our lives.
Many of you may know this artwork known as Kintsugi art,
where it shows a broken plate or a broken bowl being put back together
and becoming more valuable than it once was before.
Not only is this culturally significant, but it is spiritually significant.
To think for a moment that without God, we're a mess.
We are like that broken plate.
But it is in Christ that he makes us whole,
that he puts us back together and molds us piece by piece.
And how much more valuable we are in the eyes of God than we were to begin with.
And that image, since coming to this church and learning about the rich Japanese history,
is a very powerful image of God working then and God working now.
And we have to think of today, who we are today,
that Christ has made peace.
And he forms each and every one of us individually.
In the same way, he molds us as a church body.
And we are being shaped as a people that share a common identity.
And we're going to go over what you will see.
You get to see the preview of what we're going over today.
Hope, heart, hospital, and hub.
I always like if I can find four H's or four E's where it's repeatable
and it's easy to understand for all of us.
And I want you to think that if someone asked you right now,
what kind of church do you go to?
Who is Ontario Community Church?
What kind of church body are they?
How you may answer may be different than the next person, and that's okay.
Your own experience in this church,
it could be the wonderful worship songs that we sing
and we play together.
It could be the preaching from the Word of God.
It could be how we celebrate communion.
It could even be us coming together as the body of Christ,
praying for one another, loving one another as God has loved us.
There can be, and these are not the only things.
These are many things we can think of.
What kind of church is Ontario Community Church?
How would you tell someone about this church?
Or who we are as a church body?
When I came here to, when I first began pastoring here,
one of the first things that I did was,
we went over this in our interactive reading,
is to encourage, equip, and engage.
The mission, the vision of this church is to
encourage people to love God and to love others,
so that they come and see that the Lord is good,
to equip the saints,
to be able to learn what it means to be a Christian,
learning the Word of God,
and then, of course, to engage,
be engaged in the community as well as the church,
because we have to think
God is doing a wonderful thing in this place,
and us as representatives of Christ
were to go out into the world
and to be a peacemaker,
to be an ambassador for Christ,
to extend the love of Christ to other people
in our everyday interactions.
And in all of this,
that is the mission and vision.
But what about who we are?
Because in order for us to continue
to carry out the mission of Christ,
we have to identify who we are as a church body.
And so I want to go,
let's go into the verse.
You know what, let's pray,
then we'll go into the verse,
and we'll go from there.
Father God, we thank you
for this time, this opportunity,
for us to really take a moment
in the beginning of this year.
We're grateful for how you have worked
in and through our lives
as well as this church congregation.
We pray that there will be understanding,
ears that can hear,
and eyes that can see
the good things that you are doing in this place.
May we focus on you as the source,
and may we be led by you,
and may we see who we are
so that we can live and love like you,
carrying out the mission
that you have set before us.
We say this all in the name of Jesus.
Amen, church?
So I want to go to our scripture.
It's just one verse here.
Let's read it together, church.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in one body.
Now, normally I go over more than one specific verse.
There's only been a handful of times
I've gone over one or two verses.
I usually go over more than that.
But in this,
the apostle Paul
is writing to a church
that is struggling with division.
That doesn't happen nowadays, does it?
We don't have divided churches.
What is Paul talking about?
That happened back in the day.
We don't have those kind of problems whatsoever.
Well, no.
There's division in the church back in the day,
just as it's been throughout the centuries.
Church splits, arguments,
and all these kind of things.
Why?
Because, well, we're imperfect people.
A lot of us have a lot of opinions, right?
We're not turning to the book of opinions, are we?
We think about this.
We see that the Jews and the Gentiles
were trying to figure out
how to be united as one body.
Doesn't that sound familiar?
To be united in Christ.
Sometimes there are divisions.
Sometimes there are arguments.
And it's important for us
to not focus on the things that divide us,
but on the things that bring us together.
And when we see this verse,
to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,
that word is to let the peace govern your life.
Some scholars talk about it being like a referee
or like a coach in your own life.
How many of you guys have had a coach before, right?
Someone that's helping you make sure
that you're performing at your best, right?
When you're playing soccer or football.
Or if you've never had a coach,
maybe you can think of someone
that's helped you go to the gym, right?
A personal trainer, those kind of things.
Or a life coach, whatever it is.
Someone that is helping, guiding you through life.
And in this sense,
we're talking about the peace of Christ governing.
And are coaches inactive?
Do they stand by the sidelines?
No, they do not.
Otherwise, that's a terrible coach, right?
You have an active coach, right?
You have someone that is interacting with you,
making sure you are performing at your best.
And in this case,
this kind of peace that comes from Christ
is one that is active in our very lives.
And it's important for us to know
this peace is active and it guides us.
And so let's go to that next slide then.
What is happening, right?
The peace of Christ is to rule in our hearts, right?
It is to rule within us.
And it is to flow from us.
It's no different than the inexpressible,
inexhaustible joy from the Lord
or the love of Christ.
What we receive from the Lord is in abundance.
And we share that to other people.
And what a wonderful opportunity
for each and every one of us
to extend the peace of Christ,
the truth of the gospel,
the love of Christ, right?
Because the second point here
is that the peace shapes who we are.
We have to realize that Christ
molds us and transforms us.
And we are all on this journey in Christ,
or at least we all should be.
You all got to know the Lord first and foremost.
But to be in a journey with Christ,
walking alongside.
I think of how the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
when Jesus was walking by these people
and explaining how the scriptures pointed to him.
You want to talk about the best coach.
It'd be nice to have Jesus literally right there
next to you as you're traveling, right?
I can think of this image of maybe going on a road trip
and having Jesus next to you
and explaining the prophecies
and how they point to him.
But if you can't think about a literal journey,
think about your own spiritual journey,
your own walk in the Lord
and how the Lord walks with you.
We also have to remember
that peace is received from Christ.
We receive this peace
and we extend it to others.
Like I said,
we think of us being a new creation,
us having a new identity.
Think of the fruit of the spirit
and all of the attributes,
the qualities of what we are to embody in.
But also in the same way
that peace forms us individually,
it forms us collectively as a church body.
So it's not just individuals,
it forms people group.
And this third point then,
we are called into one body united in Christ.
And I always love those verses
when it talks about
the different parts of the body, right?
Some of us may be an ear,
some of us may be a nose
or maybe a little toe kind of thing.
Essentially, we all have different parts
and different functions
within the body of Christ.
And they are all important
in the eyes of God.
Now, I'm not going to call any of you guys
a little toe or a big toe at that,
but the purpose is
they're all important.
They all serve in different capacities.
And so that's so important for us
that there's diversity
that exists within the body.
And so we are to be called into one body,
not to be in isolation,
but to come together,
to come together united in Christ.
And peace is something, again,
that shapes us from who we are
and from that what we do.
And so in that,
what does that mean then
for the church then?
We can see that the text is talking about
let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
But what does that mean for us here
at Ontario Community Church,
here in this town?
Well, it's important to know then
that we are to share Christ's peace
and we have to know who we are.
So it's important we identify
who we are,
where we belong to,
and how God is working in our lives.
And Christ does not merely give peace,
as it says in Ephesians 2, verse 14.
He is our peace.
And in order for us to be peacemakers,
we have to grow in our faith.
We have to properly identify
who we are as a church.
And our identity then can be named
and we have,
I call it the 4-H framework.
You don't have to call it that.
That's just me and my crazy titles, right?
Four words.
Can we say this together?
Hope, heart, hospital, and hub.
Four words that define
who we are as a church.
So I want to go to the first one then.
A hope that is found in Christ.
Now, of course,
Christ has to be central in our lives.
That we trust in the living God.
We trust in Jesus Christ
as our strength and our salvation, right?
We have to,
we are anchored in hope.
We are anchored in it.
Just like as it says that
in Hebrews 6, 19,
many of you guys think of
the anchor for the soul, right?
And this image of this weight, right?
We can also think of
hope being our foundation, right?
There's many different verses
that talk about this.
But in the Hebrews 6, 19,
it states that
we have this as a sure
and a steadfast anchor
for the soul.
And so it begins
by us knowing
and seeking the Lord
and knowing that
in all of this culture
and craziness
and division
that exists in the world,
we seek Christ
who is above all of that.
Who transcends all of that.
And I don't know about you,
I really believe
that this world needs hope
more than ever before,
especially with,
let's face it,
the year just began
and how many crazy things
have already happened?
I don't want to go
too much into that.
But I'm seeing a lot of you
shake your heads and see.
We know a lot of craziness
is going on
and people need
the hope in Jesus Christ
more than ever before.
Can you imagine
living in a world
without knowing Christ?
Having that sense
of hopelessness
and division and fear
that exists in culture,
it's out there.
But we turn to the Lord
in every season of life,
in every situation
and circumstance
in our life.
And so,
hope allows for us
to build bridges
and to cross bridges.
It allows for us
to be peacemakers.
And hope grounds us
in our faith.
It is the foundation.
That's why we believe
in Jesus Christ
as the source,
the way,
the truth,
and the life.
It is so important.
And in Romans 15, 13,
may the God of hope
fill you with all joy
and peace in believing.
That we are to be filled
with joy
and with peace
and we are to receive
salvation
in believing in Jesus Christ,
the death, burial,
and resurrection
of Christ.
what wonderful things
we receive.
The most important thing
being our salvation,
but it doesn't stop there.
We receive that peace.
We receive joy
and love
and we're constantly
being molded
as God being
the great potter
and us being the clay.
And so,
Christ is not just
our example.
He is our Savior.
He is our Lord.
He is the King of Kings
and He is the anchor
for our souls.
And it's important
for us to know
that when we face
any sort of
storm in life,
culture,
craziness,
any sort of thing,
some of us may have
those emotions
where we feel
lost
or abandoned
or afraid
or confused even,
not understanding
what's going on,
but having that
and having Christ
is the greatest thing.
Knowing that
at the end of it all,
it is God who reigns.
He rules and reigns
and He is victorious
in the great battle
between good and evil.
And so,
we don't deny
that storms happen in life.
We recognize
storms are there,
but we seek Christ
as our anchor.
No storm.
Storms will pass,
but the foundation
in Christ will remain.
Amen?
And so,
it's important for us
to consider then,
where is your anchor?
Is it in Christ?
Or is it in something
that fades away
because God
doesn't change?
He is everlasting
to everlasting.
Let us seek Christ
and let us be a people
that has our hope
found in Christ.
The second thing then
is a heart.
Let's read this together.
A heart for God
and neighbor.
Right?
It's so important for us
to receive the love of Christ,
this very powerful
and beyond human understanding
type of love.
That God loves us
in a way that
is beyond us.
Beyond our understanding
and to know
that we are called
to love God
and to love others
in the same way,
it's important for us
to know that love
is at the center then.
It's just like
that famous song,
you guys probably know
the Beatles, right?
Love is all we need
and specifically
we need the love of Christ.
And that love abounds
from God's grace.
We think of the fact
that God loved us
first and foremost.
That he loved us
and he sent his son,
Jesus Christ,
that whosoever believes
shall not perish
but have eternal life.
How is your relationship
with God?
A lot of us can answer
that very easily.
I'm good with God.
How are you with other people?
That's maybe a little
harder one, right?
It can be difficult at times
but we are reminded
in Matthew,
Gospel of Matthew
where Christ says
you shall love the Lord
your God
with all your heart
and the second is like it
you shall love
your neighbor
as yourself.
To love God
and to love people
is important.
And so
when we think of
loving the Lord,
love him back.
But now to extend it
to other people,
even people
that may look funny
or smell funny
or may dress
different than you,
we are to extend
that love to others.
We think about that.
Those that,
think about those
that make us angry
at times.
Think about those
that you might have
cut off when driving
or the one that cut you off,
right?
Or the one that's
paying with pennies
at the grocery store
and you wonder
why.
we're called to love
our neighbor as well.
It's very important
for us.
We don't abandon love
and in fact,
I remember
in 1 Corinthians
chapter 13,
many of you guys
know that verse
where it talks about
love is patient,
love is kind
and it's talking about,
that's the verse
that's used very often
at wedding ceremonies,
right?
And it's perfectly
appropriate for weddings.
But it's also important
to look previously
in 1 Corinthians 13
where it talks about
if I speak in tongues,
if I have the faith
to move mountains,
if I can do all
of these things
but I do not have love,
the text says
I am nothing.
Ooh, ouch, right?
And it's so important
in that entire section
before the Apostle Paul
mentions what love is,
it's important to know
we have got to have
the love of God
and to extend it
to other people.
I mean,
you want to talk about
something that is
challenging for all of us.
We have to have love
in addition
with our ability,
with our talents,
with our proper beliefs,
right?
The language even talks
about a clanging cymbal.
I don't know about that.
That doesn't sound
very good, right?
We think about that.
All of these kind of things
and that our,
how we view God,
how we see God,
how we understand Scripture,
let us not lose love
in the process.
And it's very unfortunate
when you meet people
who have it all here,
right?
They have it all in their brain,
and they have it all
in their head,
but what about the heart?
As you learn
and as you grow,
you must keep
that love for God
and for people.
And let us think
of how that ties in
with the peace of Christ.
Is the peace of Christ
ruling in your heart?
how is your heart?
Are you reacting from fear
or the pursuit?
I've met many people
who they want to be so right,
yet the love is gone.
That's why we are called
to balance the grace,
the love of Christ
with the truth of the word.
And it's not an easy thing to do,
but we're called
to balance in that.
So let us love God
and love neighbor.
The third thing then
that pops up,
let's read this together.
A hospital for the hurting.
Now, this is something
that is very unique
with this church.
Now, granted,
there should be healing
and transformation
in every church,
but when we're talking
about this specific church,
the simple fact
that this church
has been described to me
by people within the congregation
and outside in the community
as a hospital
for people to heal
is something that is remarkable.
It's something
that we should pay attention to.
A place of spiritual healing,
a place where there is transformation,
and we get this image
of a hospital.
Well, we have to think,
as I mentioned
in the very beginning,
this idea of the broken plates
that we're all broken
and we all need the Lord.
And this sense of us recovering.
Now, it doesn't have to be
you're on life support, right?
Now, granted,
before we know the Lord,
we kind of need the Lord.
That's the most important thing.
But there's other times
where there needs to be
like physical therapy
if you break your leg, right?
You need to make sure
the immediate pain is fixed
and to nurture it
and to be put into proper health
and to a plan
and think of how
you can be fully restored.
And I think about
the history of this church.
I think about how
in the very beginning,
the Japanese heritage
and how the people
could come together
and worship God together.
Talk about a place,
a refuge, as it were.
A place where
there is that sense
of healing
from the very beginning.
And then we even think about now
how people are hurt
in different capacities.
It could be from racism.
It could be from spiritual abuse.
It could be just prayer
for healing of the body.
When we're talking about a hospital,
I'm not just talking
about physical healing.
I'm talking about spiritual healing
and allowing for God
to work in and through
all of our lives.
Just like it says
in Colossians,
put on then
compassionate hearts,
kindness,
humility,
and patience,
bearing with one another.
Because the wonderful thing
about a hospital,
especially a church
that is working
and helping restore people,
is that we help
each other out.
Bearing one another's burdens
is so important.
Now,
I think I've mentioned it before
and I'll mention it again.
There was a book
that I was reading
that out of every
ten
rebukes
that are given,
nine of them
should have been
prayer
and presence.
Being there to help someone
and seeing,
okay,
what happened?
instead of being so quick
to rebuke
and to
attack someone
as it were.
It's not to say
that rebuke can't happen,
but more often than not,
we have to think
of how people
receive misunderstandings
in the world
of Scripture
or how people
are hurt
by even the world.
We are to have,
we have this church culture
of where
we help people.
in Psalm 147
verse 3,
he heals
the brokenhearted
and binds up
their wounds.
A description
of how God is,
right,
those that are brokenhearted
and those that have been wounded,
but also how us,
as we are to share
in the love of Christ,
we are to help
people heal.
I can't tell you
how many people
I have talked with
who have been hurt
in one capacity
or another.
It's just living
in a fallen
and broken world.
Sometimes it's,
and a lot of times
it's from the world.
Sometimes it's from
a brother or sister
in Christ.
It's reminding,
it's important for us
to be reminded
that
us as human beings
we're imperfect
and we live
in an imperfect world,
but we worship
a perfect God
who heals
and restores
each and every one of us
and for us to be called
to help people
be restored,
to be transformed
and healed
is a wonderful calling
for us.
That is something
that the world
does not have to offer.
Sure,
they have physical therapy.
I'm not denying hospitals
or something,
but beyond that,
something that is
truly unique
about our church,
this hospital
for the hurting.
And healing
takes time.
It takes patience.
It takes passion.
And it's important
for us to know
that hospitals
exist because
people are wounded.
Just like how Christ
said that he came
for those that were sick.
That's important.
We all
need
healing.
We all need
transformation.
We all need
to continue
to be transformed
by him.
And so,
for us being
a peacemaker,
we are
living and loving
like Christ.
It's kind of like
going out
and being a nurse
or going out
and being a doctor,
going out
and representing
Christ
and saying,
look,
there's a better way.
You're in darkness.
Why don't you come
to the light
or you've been hurt.
Come to Christ
so that you can be healed.
there's a better way.
That's part of our mission
in sharing the good news
of the gospel.
Sharing in our testimony
and how,
hey,
I have been healed.
I have been restored
because of Christ.
Because of how God
has worked in my life.
You should do the same.
You should come
and see that the Lord
is good.
And so,
one final thing
about a hospital
is a simple fact
that
when we all come to church,
none of us here
are perfect.
Raise your hand
if you're a perfect person.
I should not even be
raising my hand
in this sense.
None of us
are perfect.
And that's why
we continue to rely
on the Lord,
his strength,
his comfort,
his peace,
all of these things.
And so,
ask yourself the question,
are you making room
for healing
in yourself
and in other people?
The fourth thing then,
let's read it together then.
Let's go to that next slide.
It is a hub
for the community.
Now,
this is an interesting one
because
something that's
important for us
is
we have this sense
of healing,
but a place
where people
can gather together.
I always like,
I have this
painting that my mother
got me.
It's called
The Little Brown Church.
And it's a little
church building.
It's like,
you know,
circa the 1800s
kind of thing.
Just an old school
country church.
And I love that image
of a church
being a place
where people
gather together
to worship the Lord,
right?
The corporate body,
the body of Christ
coming together.
But also
as a place
where
in a lot of
those kind of towns,
all the church
building was used
for town halls
and was also
used for school,
was also used
for many different
things.
And granted,
we're not in
that kind of an area,
but the idea
of having,
being a hub
for the community
is very powerful,
not only just
for the church
community,
the church body,
but also
as an invitation
for the community
to come
and see
what we are doing,
what we are about,
that the Lord
is good
and that
we have
our own
culture,
we have our
own way
and that God
is doing
a remarkable
thing in this
place.
As Ephesians
chapter 2
verse 19
states,
you are no longer
strangers,
but members
of the household
of God.
It's important
for us to know
that we are not
only building
the church here
where we
as Amber
was mentioning
earlier,
we'll be having
Bible studies,
we will be having
Sunday school,
we'll be having
the life
of the church,
but as
also what is
important is to
have an opportunity
for us to be
present within
the community,
to build
relationships
with people
and to represent
Christ
because when we
have these
parent cafes
and these dad
cafes,
it allows
for
conversation,
it allows
for people
to,
maybe they've
never been
to a church
before or
they have a
misunderstanding
or they've
been hurt
before,
and you
allow to
plant seeds
with other
people.
Now certainly
we're called
to go out
into the
community
and to
serve
and to
represent
Christ
as we
go out
from the
doors of
the church,
but it's
also as
important
to invite
the community
on in.
Just building
relationships.
You know,
it's interesting
the constant
conversation
that I have
with our
own community
partnerships
about how
people say,
oh,
you're a
church.
Why are
you working
with this
organization?
Well,
because we're
working for
the common
good.
This
XYZ
or building
healthy
families
is focused
on having
strong
families
and so
do we.
We focus
on that
as well.
so we
have a
common
goal.
Now,
certainly,
they're not
going to
talk about
Christ,
but you
don't think
that Christians
being present
in that
space would
allow for
relationships
to mold,
to be
formed,
and people
to ask
questions.
it happens
all the
time.
Hey,
you're a
pastor.
How do
you raise
your kids?
And I
answer,
not perfectly.
Right?
A lot of
people tend
to think,
like,
oh,
you're a
pastor,
you must
have it
down.
No,
I don't.
You should
see a
Sunday morning
sometime when
you're getting
the kids
up.
It's
chaotic.
They're
kids.
Okay?
And I'm
sure if
you haven't
thought of
that,
maybe think
of the time
when you
were a
kid.
Did you
get up
every Sunday
ready to
rock and
roll?
The answer
is no.
Right?
But it's
so important
to just
be present
and to
have those
kind of
conversations.
Now,
it doesn't
mean everyone
will come
to Christ.
It doesn't
mean everyone
will come
to our
church,
but at
least the
effort is
being made
with people.
As we
are called
out to
share in
the love
of Christ
and build
those
relationships,
you never
know the
profound
impact you
will have
by simply
being present,
especially those
in the community,
especially those
who are in
need.
That's why
when we're
looking at a
hospital for
the hurting
and a hub
for the
community,
I have to
be very
intentional
by explaining
church culture
as well as
community presence
because they're
both important.
A hub,
then,
is a place
of presence,
a place where
connections are
made,
where relationships
are built,
and also
a place
of belonging.
And we
have to be
reminded as
we've gone
over in
last week's
sermon how
Christ tore
down the
dividing wall.
Christ tore
down the
dividing walls
and we are
to live
with open
minds and
open hearts
to other
people,
to exhibit
that love
and to stand
firm on the
truth of
the word.
And so
in all of
this,
we have to
ask ourselves,
how can we
serve one
another and
how can we
serve those
in the
community
representing
Christ?
Because think
about it,
isn't the
community our
neighbor?
Just as we're
called to love
God and to
love our
neighbor,
what better
opportunity
than to be
present with
those in
the community?
You'd be
amazed the
kind of
stories and
the kind
of people
they are.
And it's
an honor
to meet
them,
for them
to feel
safe enough
to even
walk in
a church.
It's crazy,
I mean,
it can be
hard for us
to think
that there
are some
people who
are afraid
of even
entering a
church building,
but yet they
enter for the
first time.
Praise God
that progress
is being
made.
And so
all of
this,
how can we
serve each
other and
our community
who is
our
neighbor?
And so
in all of
this,
let's go to
this next
slide.
This is
who Christ
is forming
us to be.
As people
who have
received
peace,
we are
people who
bring peace
to others.
As we
receive love,
we are to
share in
love.
We are to
share in
how God
is working
in all of
our lives.
And last
year we were
talking about
building bridges
and this
year we
are being
a peacemaker,
carrying out
Christ's
mission to
the church
and to
the community.
Think about
that.
Think about
how important
all of these
four things
are in
our own
church
context.
This isn't
who we
hope to be
someday.
This is
our reality
as a
church
body.
Our hope
is in
Jesus
Christ.
We are
to love
God and
love our
neighbors.
We are
to be
that
hospital
for those
that are
hurting
and a
hub for
the
community.
Let us
think about
that.
Let us
think of
how Christ
calls for
us to
have that
peace
rule within
our hearts.
All of
these things
are equally
important.
what an
honor it
is for
us to
be here
today and
to know
that God
is working
in all
of us.
We think
of the
future,
we think
of the
present,
and we
think of
the past.
All of
these things.
And so
this is
who Christ
is forming
us to be
today.
Let us
think of
all of
this
together.
that this
is who
we are
as a
church.
And we
thank God
for that.
We thank
God that
we are
formed by
Christ and
we are
called to
live as
peacemakers.
And so
in closing,
I didn't
have all
the crazy
notes that
I normally
have,
but I
want you
to take
this home
and to
reflect on
this and
to reflect
on how
God is
working in
this place
and will
continue to
work in
this place
and how
this
identifies
who we
are as
the local
church
and how
we are
called to
live and
love like
Christ.
Let's pray
together.
Father God,
we thank
you
for this
insight,
for your
word,
for this
congregation,
for this
church and
those who
are attending
even online.
You have
given us
wisdom
and insight.
I pray,
Father,
that we
remain
rooted in
you.
May we
recognize
that our
hope is
found in
your son,
Jesus Christ,
and that
who we
are,
we have
a heart
for you,
Father God,
and for
other people.
And who
we are
is a
hospital for
the hurting.
Father,
I think of
all the
people who
have been
hurt in
some
capacity,
those who
need
spiritual,
physical,
mental,
emotional,
holistic type
of healing,
and how
you have
done so.
And how
you transform
each and
every one
of us.
And who
we are,
Father,
how you
have revealed
that we
are a
hub for
the community,
a hub for
our congregation,
and a hub
for those,
for our
neighbors,
to come
and see
who we
are,
but most
importantly,
who you
are.
We love
you so
much.
And we
ask that
we may
remain
united
in Christ,
that we
seek
unity,
and that
we can
be a
peacemaker
in our
lives,
in our
own
personal
context.
And
Father,
we are
in awe
of who
you are,
what you
have done,
what you
continue to
do,
that you
remain
everlasting
to everlasting,
and that you
are the
foundation
may we
build our
lives and
our
church
upon you.
May we
never
abandon
love,
and may
we always
care for
you and
for others.
May we
represent
Christ in
what we
say and
in what
we do.
It is in
the name
of Jesus
Christ that
we pray,
and we all
say together,
can I get
an amen,
church?
Amen.
Thank you
for joining
us for
this message
from Ontario
Community
Church.
Today we
have reflected
on who
we are
as a
church
body,
not just
what we
do,
but our
shared
identity
in Christ.
Just like
that
Kintsugi
pottery,
we are
broken,
and we
are mended
together with
gold,
the gold
of God's
grace,
and we
are made
more valuable
through our
journey in
Christ.
I want
you to
think about
these four
movements,
or the
4-H
framework.
We are
a hope
found in
Christ,
and we
are anchored
when everything
else is
shaking around.
We are a
hope for
God and
neighbor,
loving with
more than
just correct
beliefs.
We are a
hospital for
the hurting,
a place where
healing and
transformation
happens,
and wounds
don't have to
be hidden.
And we are
a hub for
the community,
where church
family and
neighbors and
people from
the community
can gather
together and
belong.
These four
pieces,
or these four
movements,
the 4-H,
they belong
together,
hope,
heart,
hospital,
and hub.
This is our
present reality.
This is who
Christ is
forming us to
be today.
And as
people who
have received
peace,
we live as
people who
bring peace
to the world.
last year,
we focused
on building
bridges,
and this
year,
in 2026,
we're crossing
those bridges
as peacemakers,
the ones who
carry out
Christ's
mission.
May the
peace of
Christ rule
in your
hearts.
May you
know where
your hope
is anchored.
May love
flow from
your heart.
May you
find healing
and offer
it to
others.
And may
you see
the church
not just
as a place
that you
attend,
but as a
place where
you belong.
You can
find all of
today's
resources at
ontariocommunitychurch.org.
There,
you will find
slides,
sermon notes,
Bible studies,
and interactive
reading.
You can also
find us on
YouTube,
Rumble,
Facebook,
TikTok,
Instagram,
or wherever
you get your
podcasts.
May the
Lord bless you
and keep
you.
May he
make his
face shine
upon you
and give
you peace.
May the
Lord of
hope fill
you with
all joy
and peace
in believing
so that
you may
abound in
hope by
the power
of the
Holy Spirit.
God bless
you and
thank you.
God bless you.