Measured sermons for church life together.
Willingdon Church Podcast carries Sunday preaching and sermon follow-up conversations from a church in Burnaby, BC. Its teaching moves from ordinary scenes, family stories, and church questions into careful readings of Corinthians, Ephesians, temptation, worship, and spiritual gifts.
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Willingdon Church Podcast presents Sunday sermons alongside companion conversations that stay close to the life of a church. The center is Scripture. Recent episodes spend extended time in 1 Corinthians, with detours into Ephesians when the subject turns to leadership gifts and the building up of the church. The sermons tend to begin with a concrete picture. An old World Book Encyclopedia becomes a way to think about the body of Christ. A wedding table becomes a picture of covenant loyalty and spiritual allegiance. Dirty dishes become an entry point into the uncomfortable work of growth. A grandson shoveling snow gives a sermon its title: do it for the family. These openings are accessible, sometimes gently funny, but they do not stay anecdotal for long. The teaching keeps returning to the church as a body whose members need one another. It warns against thinking too highly of oneself. It also warns against thinking too little of oneself. Temptation is treated directly, including status seeking, sexual immorality, idolatry, and divisive behavior in Corinthians and in Christian life. Worship is framed as love shaped by exclusive commitment to God. Spiritual gifts are described less as personal status markers than as means of equipping the saints and strengthening the whole church. The companion episodes add a looser rhythm. Pastors respond to questions about sermons, church-family matters, Halloween, legalism, Sabbath claims, and what a healthy church should look like. The tone remains pastoral rather than combative. Even when correcting works-based religion or probing uncomfortable passages, the show usually slows down enough to define terms, ask the next question, and bring the listener back to the text. It is a useful feed for Christians who want measured teaching with doctrinal weight and a visible connection to congregational practice. It is also grounded enough for people who prefer sermons that begin in ordinary life before moving into theological argument. The humor is modest. The emphasis is serious. The repeated question is how a church follows Jesus together when pride, insecurity, temptation, confusion, and disorder press against its shared life.
Made for: For Christians who want Scripture-centered sermons with pastoral application, especially listeners interested in church health, worship, spiritual gifts, and everyday obedience. It also fits those who appreciate sermon follow-up conversations that answer practical congregational questions.
What sets it apart: The show pairs formal Sunday preaching with companion Q&A that keeps doctrine tied to church concerns. Its strongest moments move from ordinary stories into careful biblical reasoning without losing warmth.
Sunday Sermons from Willingdon Church in Burnaby, BC, Canada
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · September 2026
It carries sermon questions into candid pastoral conversation, making spiritual gifts and Bible practice concrete without flattening their theological stakes.
Willingdon Church Podcast moves between the pulpit and the conversation after it. A Sunday message works closely through 1 Corinthians 14 on prophecy, tongues, and discernment, while companion Q&A episodes let pastors revisit questions raised by the sermon.
Bible before breakfast? You're in good company asking that here, alongside harder questions about prophecy.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A careful conversation that keeps tongues clear without pretending the questions are simple.
This episode keeps its focus on tongues and prophecy, with Brett drawing a clean line between xenoglossia and glossolalia and staying close to what Scripture can bear.
A warm, candid sermon follow-up about surrender, maturity, and what lasts.
The episode keeps its focus on 1 Corinthians 13 while moving through mirrors, selfies, and a few playful analogies. From there, it settles into a pastoral conversation about surrender, control, and the hesitation some people feel around the Holy Spirit.
Love, Scripture, and discernment stay above every gift.
The review keeps its center on 1 Corinthians 14 and does not let the discussion drift far from love, discernment, and the place of spiritual gifts in the church.
A warm Christmas conversation about Bible-reading rhythms, grace, and steady faithfulness.
The episode follows a church staff conversation that keeps coming back to ordinary Bible reading. It treats the habit less like a scoreboard and more like something shared and lived with over time.
Two Bible translators unpack Scripture's hardest passages, from Revelation's 666 to the Witch of Endor.
Live sermons with Easter-shaped urgency.
The speaker reflects on how people come to follow Jesus Christ, emphasizing that it's not about human discovery but God's active pursuit and intervention in their lives.
This episode discusses a sermon on the culturally controversial topic of head coverings and submission in 1 Corinthians 11, focusing on careful interpretation and historical context.
This sermon segment introduces a study on spiritual gifts, focusing on Romans 12:3-8 as part of a broader series from 1 Corinthians, with Pastor Brett leading and inviting Pastor John to read the scripture.
This sermon segment focuses on preparing Christians to suffer for their faith in Jesus, particularly in light of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, using 1 Peter 1:1-9 as the scriptural basis.
The podcast hosts discuss idolatry in sports, introduce the new season, and set up a Q&A session with pastors about sermons on 1 Corinthians chapter 8.
This sermon segment uses the analogy of a wedding reception seating chart to discuss Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians about avoiding wrong spiritual commitments and tables.
This episode features a conversation between John and Ahmed, focusing on Ahmed's life journey and his work with the persecuted church, particularly in Iran.
The podcast hosts discuss Pastor Brett getting stuck in an elevator and then transition to asking him to summarize his sermon on 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
The sermon introduces a message titled 'Do it for the family' based on 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, focusing on sharing, silence, and shalom within the church family.
The hosts discuss their experience with the Apologetics Conference, highlighting the value of well-prepared Christian public intellectuals who engage with cultural questions about Jesus.
The podcast hosts welcome pastors Ray and Brett to discuss sermons on 1 Corinthians 12, focusing on the body of Christ and unity.
This segment introduces Andy from Apologize Canada discussing the importance of apologetics in providing reasons for hope in Jesus, encouraging the church amid discouragement, and noting increased interest in faith and Bible engagement.
The podcast hosts discuss spiritual gifts from Romans 12, reminisce about Canadian Body Break commercials from the 80s/90s, and share personal anecdotes.
Pastors Brett and Brody discuss their sermons on Ephesians 4, focusing on spiritual gifts, Jesus as the source, and how these gifts contribute to a healthy church.
The Willingdon Church pastoral team reflects on their Christmas production outreach event and discusses practical approaches to Bible reading for the new year.
The podcast addresses a listener's question comparing a man protesting outside a church to John the Baptist and discusses whether this makes churchgoers akin to Pharisees, focusing on the man's legalistic, works-based message.
This episode segment features a Q&A where pastors discuss their sermons on 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, focusing on Paul's example of waiving rights regarding food offered to idols and the spiritual dangers involved.
This segment introduces a Christmas sermon series focusing on Isaiah 9:6, addressing questions about God's wisdom and intervention during the in-between time of Jesus' first and second comings.
The hosts discuss a Q&A session about a recent sermon on 1 Corinthians 9, addressing questions about Paul's letter structure and broader context including church division and human sexuality.
The podcast introduces a Q&A session with Brett discussing his sermon on 1 Corinthians 8, focusing on understanding the historical context of Corinth.
This sermon segment uses the metaphor of washing dishes to discuss how engaging in tasks we'd rather avoid, like serving in a church community, can lead to personal growth and deeper understanding, connecting to the biblical passage 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 on worship and order.
This sermon segment explores personal life postures, questioning whether individuals are driven by suspicion, fear, or self-interest, and encourages reflection on finding deeper meaning and purpose.
Pastors discuss interpreting Paul's teachings on eating meat, focusing on how Christian freedom should be constrained by love within community.
This episode segment discusses the topic of communion, focusing on 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, including the institution of the Lord's Supper and its biblical background from the Old Testament.
Pastor Ray introduces a sermon titled 'In the End, What Matters?' based on 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, using a game to contrast temporary and eternal things.
The speaker discusses the surprising rebirth of belief in God, connecting it to baptism and cultural shifts, and introduces a poem by Matthew Arnold to explore the decline of faith.
This segment discusses 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, emphasizing that Paul's teaching on love is not primarily romantic but a corrective message for a divided church, calling believers to a more excellent way.
The hosts discuss wrapping up their sermon series on 1 Corinthians 12-14, focusing on interpreting sensitive texts like women remaining silent in church.
The speaker uses the analogy of the human body from the World Book Encyclopedia to illustrate how the church, like the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, is composed of interdependent parts that must work together for health and function.
The episode discusses spiritual gifts in the New Testament, using a smartphone analogy to explore how people come to know and experience God, with pastors summarizing their recent sermons.
The speaker uses the analogy of explaining a smartphone to a grandfather from 100 years ago to illustrate the challenge of describing advanced technology without a frame of reference.
This episode segment discusses a sermon on 1 Corinthians 12 about belonging to the church body, spiritual gifts, and includes a pastoral intern sharing her journey into ministry.
This sermon segment discusses the high volume of daily negative thoughts, their impact on self-perception and ministry, and the importance of addressing internal barriers.
This episode segment discusses a new sermon series on 1 Corinthians 12, focusing on spiritual gifts, their origins, and their purpose in the church, with pastors addressing listener questions.
This sermon segment discusses the high percentage of non-religious people in Metro Vancouver and challenges listeners to consider their role in reaching the unchurched population.
This sermon segment introduces a character study on Nicodemus from John 3:1-21, focusing on his nighttime encounter with Jesus and the concept of being born again.
This podcast segment introduces a sermon series on spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, emphasizing the importance of the Holy Spirit's work in the church.
This sermon segment introduces a series on spiritual gifts from Ephesians 4:7-16, focusing on how Jesus provides leadership gifts to help the church grow and serve at all ages.
This sermon segment explores the nature of temptation, its appeal to human desires, and the possibility of achieving spiritual victory through resistance, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.
This episode introduces a special guest, Pastor Jonathan Shea, and discusses a preaching swap between pastors Brett and Ray for Thanksgiving weekend, focusing on different passages from First Corinthians 9.
This sermon segment discusses the concept of rights, contrasting societal emphasis on defending rights with Paul's approach in 1 Corinthians 9 of laying down rights for God's glory.
This sermon segment explores the title 'Mighty God' from Isaiah 9:6, connecting it to the Christmas carol 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' and discussing how fear impacts decisions across different life stages.
This sermon segment introduces a message titled 'Run to Win' from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, exploring themes of perseverance and purpose through a personal story about running in the rain.
This sermon segment discusses Paul's correction of the Corinthians' practices during the Lord's Supper, emphasizing its purpose for communal love, unity, and worship centered on Jesus Christ.
This segment introduces the importance of historical and cultural context in understanding a biblical passage about food offered to idols, using the multicultural setting of ancient Corinth as an example.
The pastor introduces a sermon series on 1 Corinthians, using a local example of a bumpy highway exit in Burnaby to illustrate community quirks.
A Willingdon Church Sunday sermon just before Christmas opens with the contrast between King Ahaz, who closed the temple and trusted Assyria, and the child promised in Isaiah 9:6.
A sermon exploring whether all spiritual gifts are worth pursuing, focusing on the controversial gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues from 1 Corinthians 14.
Two pastors discuss 1 Corinthians 13, exploring the theme that love never ends while spiritual gifts are temporary.
Pastor Brett answers listener questions about spiritual gifts, focusing on speaking in tongues and prophecy.
The Willingdon Church sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 argues that the Christian faith rises or falls on Jesus' bodily resurrection.
Willingdon Church's Preachers Through Your Speakers begins Anchored Hope after Easter services at Willingdon and Austin Heights drew baptisms and hundreds of attendees.
The Willingdon Church sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 identifies Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection as the Christian message's "first importance." Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus at the tomb, while Cleopas and another disciple meet him on the road to Emmaus.
Ray uses his 97-year-old father’s priorities—loving God, family, church, and mission—to introduce five spiritual practices from Acts 2.