Pointes Of View

Stories shape the world. You’ll find stories here of how Christian faith catalyzes values, relationships and purpose.  Check out the popular posts page, for a curated list of top articles.

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Playing Favourites

Some of the most frequently asked questions adults ask kids (and kids ask each other) begins with these three words: What’s your favorite______________? You Must Have a Favourite... We ask about a person’s favourite colour, food, sport, subject in school and movie. From our earliest years, we are ingrained to choose a preference in almost every area of life. If you say you don’t have a favourite song, you might be met with incredulity…”You don’t have a favourite song? What’s wrong with you?” Unfortunately, what starts out as being a harmless way to start or keep a discussion going can quickly become something more destructive if taken too far. Preference Over People We begin to choose sides, and before long…
Michael Voll
July 18, 2019
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Follow Through

Follow-through is a powerful thing. Big Plans, No Results There are many people who make grandiose plans or set lofty goals. They look really good on paper, but they would look even better in reality. If these plans and goals were completed who knows how the course of history would be altered? Anyone involved in sports knows that the power is in the follow-through. Whether that is shooting a puck, throwing a football or swinging a bat or golf club, the follow-through is vital to success. The same holds true with our faith. Faith That Finishes Faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). One of the main ways that we hear the voice of God is through…
Michael Voll
July 11, 2019
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unCommon Sense

Common sense doesn’t seem to be all that common anymore. Maybe it never was, or it left the building with Elvis. Common Sense Essentially common sense is sound judgment in practical matters. There are literally millions of YouTube videos documenting the lack of common sense in our world. Some of them funny, and some of them painful to watch. I’m sure ER doctors and nurses could tell us many stories of good times gone wrong, often involving adults on skateboards or trampolines. A little bit of common sense would have saved a world of hurt. In our next sermon series at North Pointe, we will be looking through the New Testament book of James. Throughout this short book, we are…
Michael Voll
July 4, 2019
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Finding the Rest of Your Life

It’s kind of funny that God had to command us to rest. Let’s be honest, we probably all have a friend, family member or co-worker who could use a reminder TO work. Seems like rest is something that many people in our culture have mastered. True Rest However, on closer inspection, it is a lack of true rest that has us running around like chickens with our heads cut off (how's that for ugly imagery!). Many people are busy, but not really going anywhere. We are restless. Jumping from one project to another, trying to find meaning and enjoyment, but often missing out on both in the blur of busyness. That’s a problem. One that God wants to help us…
Michael Voll
June 27, 2019
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It’s Time to Renew!

Summertime in Alberta is very special. After months of cold weather and staying indoors, everything and everyone comes alive. Days are long and the nights are warm (especially if you are able to sit around a fire with friends!). Pause? Many things are put on pause during the months of July and August so we can squeeze the most fun out of the season. Sometimes it seems that we even put our relationship with God on pause. We don’t do this on purpose, it just happens. We slide into a rhythm of camping, vacationing or staycationing. Then we forget to keep up disciplines that we put in place throughout the year. Bible reading, prayer and being encouraged by other believers…
Michael Voll
June 20, 2019
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My Dad is Stronger than Your Dad!

As a young child, I idolized my dad. I wanted to be just like him in every way. To be able to fix cars like him and to know the things he did about history.  Mostly, I just wanted to be tough like him. My dad was the toughest guy around. I knew he could beat anyone in a fight. In fact, I was so convinced of this that I got into a fight with three of my best friends about who had the toughest dad. I won. LOL. I don’t think my experience is all that unique. Young children often look up to their parents, and young boys, in particular, seem to look up to the strength they find…
Michael Voll
June 13, 2019
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Celebrating Unity in Diversity

This Sunday is our International Sunday. When you arrive at the church you will notice a few things that you don’t normally see at North Pointe. Compassion Experience First, In the North Parking Lot, you will see a tent and semi-trailer set up known as the Compassion Experience. From Friday morning through to Monday night people will tour through a makeshift home from the Philippines to see how some people live, work and play around the world. It will be both educational and motivational, providing a better understanding of the complexities of life. If you are interested in participating in this free tour, sign up by clicking here. Keewani's Story Next, as you enter the doors, you will see flags…
Michael Voll
June 6, 2019
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You Can’t Judge Me!

Judgy (is that even a word?) people are not fun to be around. They rarely seem happy and regularly look for faults in other people. They police others by a standard of their own making. It’s hard to satisfy a judgmental person. You will never be good enough to earn their respect. Twisted Motives However, I think it reveals a deeper issue. When we judge or look down on someone else, we are, in a twisted way, elevating ourselves. If you get 60% on an exam you may feel bad until you meet the person who got 53%. Then you might even feel a bit superior and smug about your own lackluster performance. Note: If you have to put another person…
Michael Voll
May 30, 2019
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Just a Little Bit More

One of the most elusive pursuits in the world is contentment. It always seems to be just beyond our reach. When we get the car of our dreams, we realize that the leather seats are a bit too hot in the summer. "I guess we should have got the cooling option…" Finally, the house we have been waiting for becomes a reality after years of saving. Once we move in we realize that it just doesn’t look right with our old furniture. "Time to go shopping…" After raising kids and planning what to do with the extra time we will have as empty nesters we realize that life isn’t nearly as fun without a bit of the buzz. "If only…
Michael Voll
May 23, 2019
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The Long Weekend!

This weekend marks the “un” official start of the summer season for most Albertans. The May Long weekend brings with it the anticipation of warm days and long evenings outside. Summer is such an exciting time as people wake from their hibernation and venture outside to walk their dogs, go for a bike ride or play that frustrating game known as golf. As a family, we enjoy being in the water at the lake and campfires in the evening. Smores galore! However, there is a dark underbelly of summer that we as pastors face. We don’t see certain people for a few months. Weekend getaways, time spent on vacation, and family reunions land on Sundays. I understand. We juggle the…
Michael Voll
May 17, 2019