We continue to endeavour to understand these troubling stories in the Old Testament. The genocide of Israel against the nations of Canaan are described as something that God commands then to do. However, as we have come to understand the God that Jesus knew we realize that such a terrible event should never be ascribed to God and must be attributed to the enemy and their that comes to steal, kill and destroy. Click on link for PDF. document. SHOW NOTES Genocide Commanded by G

Pastor Ian Hartley is Preaching at Helderberg College

Pastor Ian Hartley is Preaching at Helderberg College

Pastor Ian Hartley preaching at Helderberg College

Pastor Ian Hartley is Preaching at Helderberg College

We continue in this episode to look at the other major event that gets attributed to God. The destruction of the world at the end of the age. Is this actually caused by God? Does God in the end find it necessary to use force to concur the evil that has plagued this planet for so many years. For the PDF document click the link below SHOW NOTES The Apocalyptic End of the World (Revelation 20:9) The end of the world is usually pictured as God violently punishing sinners for thei

Seldom talked about is the story of the Flood . It is like the elephant in the room when we consider the character of God and how the Old Testament describes God as not only destroying the people but the animals and the plant life on earth. We talk a close look at this story and prove several reasons this could be understood another way. Click on link below for the PDF document. SHOW NOTES Geocide Caused by God? By genocide is meant there must be a proven intent on the part o

We have confirmed that God is Always Good and now we continue to consider the last 4 situations where it seems the opposite is the case . The ever burning fire, The Sexual Abuse of David's Wives, Fire from the Sky, and Did God Send Venomous Snakes to kill the Israelites? In the end God is faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Click the link below for the PDF. SHOW NOTES 12. Is God only Good? This chapter will affirm the Goodness of God against the background of the followin

Is God Always Good or is There More? This question is motivated by so many situations in the Bible where God comes away looking very rigid and even vindictive. In this episode we lay a firm foundation on the life of Jesus that reveals that God is certainly good from Matthew's perspective. Then we begin to look at three of seven situations where scripture portray the opposite perspective. When looked at more closely we discover a very consistent picture of God and his goodness

There are seven shocking ways that Jesus is superior to all other Prophets and writers of the Bible. Traditionally we tend to treat all writers of the Bible with equal weight and importance. However, when we discover who Jesus is and the ways in which He is superior to all of scripture and other prophets we need to listen very closely to what Jesus taught and let it take precedence own our lives. CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE PDF SHOW NOTES The Unique Superiority of Jesus abov

As we start out the New Year we are giving you a look at our personal lives. Who we are and how this journey has affected us.

It's true He wants to fulfill the desire of you heart to live happily ever after and He wants to do that with you. His love for us is absolutely amazing. He has abundant life to share with us. He is the alpha of life, the beginning of life, the creator of life. He generates life in himself. He wants you with Him for all eternity. It is the ultimate love story. All human stories are pieces of the story. Join us as we revel in this reality. Click the link below for the PDF. SHO

This third part of the Mantra addresses what the Bible says about what God does with out sins. It is shocking to realize that God understands we did not choose to be born here on this planet with its mess of a situation. When we understand what is really going on and have the courage to believe what God has already done it transforms our lives. We are never the same again. Click the link below for the PDF. SHOW NOTES My Mantra. God knows me by name. I am precious to God. He d

Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son to illustrate how God feels about each one of us, even if we have rebelliously left Him in our past as wanted Him to leave us alone. But this Father, who had been so shamed by his arrogant son excitedly welcomes him home and showers him with gifts to convince him that he is truly a son and not a slave. What a beautiful picture of how precious we are to the Father. Click the link below for the PDF document SHOW NOTES 2. I am precious t

We begins a series that we call Ian's Mantra. In this first one we look at the people that were called by name by God. The conclusion is that if God knows them by name He also knows you and me by name. It is true. God know you by name. You are so important to Him I had to tell you. click on link below for the pdf. SHOW NOTES My Mantra 1. God knows me by name. Adam: Where are you? Abraham: I have big plans for you. Isaac, Jacob: Your are a cheater man but we will wrestle it ou

As we conclude this series on God and Evil we look closely at the cross to discover if there is anything revealed about the agency of evil. If there was ever a time for God to lash out at sinners that would have been the time. We were killing Jesus but in the process we made him suffer to the greatest extent possible. Instead God in Jesus asks them to be forgiven and excuses them for the didn't know what they were doing. What an amazing God we have come to discover. Click on

There he is hidden in plain sight. The destructive power attempting to destroy the Seven Churches, demonstrated in the Seven Seals, presented in the Seven Trumpets. His advocacy for violence and evil is presented in the Seven Battle scenes. He also engineers the Seven Last Plagues to destroy the planet. Join us to discover the hidden enemy in the book of Revelation. Click the link below for the pdf. SHOW NOTES 4. Who does the Book of Revelation indict as the agent of evil? Th

Sermon preached by Pastor Ian Hartley at True Live Community Church

The clear teaching of Jesus is that there is only one that is responsible for the evil in this world. Clearly Jesus indicts Satan for human suffering and moral evil. He is the one that comes only to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to bring life, abundant life. Jesus exonerates God in every way of any complicity with evil. He is pure light, goodness and love. CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE PDF. SHOW NOTES 2. Did Jesus indicate any complicity in God with Evil? Jesus, the only eyewi

While sins causation is a mystery the Bible does identify the being in which it originated. This identification was not clear to the Old Testament writers. They simply attribute everything good and evil to God. It is clear in the Old Testament that evil and violence originated with God. We will look at the Old Testament evidence. But then in part 2 Jesus sets the record straight and unveils the true god of violence and brutal warfare. Click below to open the pdf document SHOW

Catastrophes and tragedies are not God's punishment or justice for wrongdoing. They are the consequences of living on this planet. The second meaning of justice is restorative justice. He knows that we did not choose to be born on this planet, into this world of sin. God's heart is to bring restoration to all that are affected by sin. Rather than punishment or revenge He wants to heal and restore. CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE PDF SHOW NOTES 11. Does the God of Justice Punish?

Traditionally Christians have held that the "Justice of God" means punishment. This thought brings some people satisfaction to know that one day there will be a reckoning for the wicked who seem to get by so easily. We will explore the idea of punitive or retributive justice that is dependent on violence for its implementation. It is common to believe that the ultimate form of retributive punishment ever invented is an ever-burning hell for the rejecters of God's lifestyle. T

Sermon by Pastor Ian Hartely preached at the True Life Community on October 18, 2025.

Listen to this episode BEFORE you read the Old Testament! It is essential to understand what was added to the book of Job to realize that there is a God that protects and a devil that brings strife. This is critical to understand as we read the Old Testament where they simply attribute everything that happened supernaturally to God. There was very little understanding of the devil until they came back from captivity in Babylon. The book of Job should probably have been put at