Westway Christian Church's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Edmund Lucido
This is the podcast of our teaching during our Sunday Worship Service. Westway Christian Church is located in Etobicoke area in Ontario, Canada.
There are confusing and wrong teachings in prosperity but the Bible does lay out real prosperity guidelines. Let's find out what does the Bible say about this issue.
Deciding to get out of debt is a …? How would you complete this sentence? Can it be a Godly thing that in hard economic times will help you come out better for it? Find out in today's message.
What are the truths about wealth and money that we must learn? What lies do we need to know about it? Find out in today's message.
Resolutions or reassessments? Impulsive resolutions rarely lead to results but honest reassessments lead to life changing decisions. Reassessments lead to checking the reason why we do things and deal with the habits that we have formed. It leads to the root of the problem and allows a change of course or what we like to call today as re-rooting. Find out more how to re-root in today's message.
Moving from order to disorder is a natural cycle. A do-over definition, a mulligan, or a second chance is quite important in life. The New Year affords us that mental reset with a convenient time-frame. You can do it anytime, yet this time gives us a collective feeling of starting over. But it is also fraught with half-baked goals and easily abandoned resolutions.Find out how we can regain balance.
Can one celebrate Christmas in a season of despair, want and uncertainty? All the more we should celebrate it. Christmas brings us the reminder that our hope is beyond this life and we can look forward to God's coming. Find out more in this message.
Can an atheist write a Christmas Hymn about Jesus? Can God use those who question His existence to glorify His name? Yes indeed. Find out more in today's message.
What message is God sending us by having His Son come to us in a manger? Find out in this message today.
What kind of joy can someone feeling small, defeated and insignificant get from a Christmas Play List with old Christmas hymns? Find out in this new series.
What is Hanukkah and what does it have to do with our Christian faith? Find out as a Messianic Jew explains from his perspective.
Is there a way to get deeper in knowing and relating with your neighbors? How do we go about sharing about ourselves with our neighbors? How do we share the gospel? As we conclude our series this week, let us talk about these ideas.
Is there a way to remember how to be a good neighbor? Let us talk about the first two of the four step process we teach to make it simple. And yes, simple is not necessarily easy but worth it.
Many of us wants to be blessed by God. Is it possible He wants us to bless others instead? What if there is a way for us to bless others in the way we live? Let us talk about that in our message today.
Why is loving your neighbor such an important part of following Christ? Is it possible to be a Christ follower without paying attention to it? Know more in this message.
Is there a better way to love God other than reading the Bible and praying to Him? Is there a better way to express God's love than not missing the weekly Sunday service (or maybe even daily mass or church attendance)?
What is the outcome of a heart wholly and passionately devoted to God? Is there anything else other than a submitted will or obedient heart? Let us talk about that today.
What are you passionate about? Whatever it is, that has your heart captured. Find out more through this message.
When you truly love someone, you cannot help but be transformed because of it. If you love God, have you been transformed by God? Let's talk more about that in today's message.
A healthy heart gives you a healthy body overall. A weak heart prevents you from caring for your body overall. Is there a similar application when it comes to our spiritual hearts? Find out in this message.
Is it enough to love God even if you love someone or something more? Let's do a heart check and find out in this message.
What does the Bible say about the human heart? How do we take care of our hearts and why is this important? Find out more in today's message.
As Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount, he poses a challenge as to what to do with his teachings. Find out if you have been doing it already. Listen in to today's message.
Is our faith in God measured by how high we raise our hands during worship? Or is it measured by the emotional engagement we give during the singing or the message? Or is there something better that reveals it? Find out in this message.
If the way to choose to find real life is narrow and Christ followers already know this and have taken this way, when then is the next step for us? What is the take away for those who are not yet Christ followers? Find out the answers to these questions today.
What does Jesus mean when he said, "ask and you will receive, knock and the door will be opened?" Does it mean that whatever we ask if we do so by faith, we will get? Is there a point where we cannot take this literally? Find out in today's message.
What does Jesus mean when he said, "do not judge?" Is that a hard and fast rule we ought to live by? Is there something deeper than the words he said? Find out today.
Is there really a way to have no worries? Are there worries that can be good for us? How do we make sense of what Jesus said about worry? Find out more about it now in this message.
Is there a greater way to invest your wealth than in stocks, bonds and precious metals? How about digital currency? Is there a place where pest and disaster cannot destroy it? Find out how to truly invest smartly?
Is the Lord's Prayer a what to pray or how to pray? Why is this way of praying so radical from what the Jews learned before about praying? How can we apply this in our lives today? Find out more in our message today.
What is it about God that if you want to glorify Him, you have to bless those who are in need? Find out more about it in our message today.
If integrity is in short supply, how can we gain it in our lives? Find out in today's message.
Why did Jesus clarify what the basis of a valid divorce on the Sermon on the Mount? How did he elevate the rights of women by it? Find out in today's message.
What is better? Preventing sinning or controlling the desires that drive us to sin? Find out how Jesus talks about it on the Sermon on the Mount.
Can we truly live a righteous life? Is this simply a fictional final or something we can and should aspire to? What if trying to live a righteous life is the thing we are good at breaking? What then? Find out more in today's message.
If Christians are supposed to be meek and humble, how can we be salt and light at the same time? Are we to model being silent and passive? Find out what the real score is in todays message.
Have you ever felt confused by what the beatitudes mean? Ever heard a message about it that seemed right in the beginning but seemed wrong over time? Find out a better way to understand it today in this message.
Can you rely on God when hope seems gone and darkness is all around? Find out in this message.
Have you ever felt waiting on God is not worth it? That it is probably wishful thinking and we are on our own? Find out what the Bible reveals about His nature regarding keeping promises.
Does God truly heal the sick and perform miracles? Is he still a miracle worker today? Find out the answer in today's message.
Can someone create something out of nothing? Only one, God the Creator. Find out more in this message.
Ancient Christ followers say a confession on Easter celebration where one says a line and the other responds with another line. One would say, "Christ has risen" and the other one will reply, "He has risen, indeed!" Find out how we can better live out this confession in our Easter message here.
What did Jesus mean when he uttered, "it is finished" on the cross? Did he admit defeat? Did he mean he lost? Or is he saying something else? Was is a statement of completion and accomplishment? Find out in our Good Friday message.
As a break to our series on the words of Jesus on the cross, we bring you an beautiful message on Palm Sunday from an American-Canadian missionary based in Hong Kong, Pastor Ben Rees.
Can the one who gives living waters find himself needing water? What must have brought this situation into reality? Find out in this message.
Why did Jesus uttered, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Did the Father really abandoned Jesus on the cross? If so, why? Find out in this message.
"Father into your hands, I commit my spirit," was the final statement Jesus said. What was the significance of these words. What does utter trust and surrender mean? Find out in this message.
What was Jesus inculcating as a pattern for the church when he entrusted Mary to John and John to Mary? Find out in this message.
How can someone experience the salvation the rebel on the cross received then, today? Find out in this message.
How can someone forgive people who are hurting him in an ongoing manner? Was there any greater model of that than Jesus Christ? Find out in this message.
Why is Jesus the Good Shepherd? Find out from this message from Power to Change Rep, Jared Cruz on Family Day Weekend 2022.
Can God or will God really tempt us? What gives with this part of the Lord's prayer? Find out in this concluding message for the series.
Will God really not forgive us if we do not forgive others? If salvation is purely by grace, how can forgiving others be a requirement for God to forgive us? Is there something deeper we need to understand in this part of the prayer? What about forgiveness? How can we give it to others in return? Time to find out in this message.
Are we simply supposed to ask for our daily bread when we pray? Did not Jesus also say "ask and you will receive?" How do we reconcile these seemingly contradicting teachings? What does Jesus really want to teach us? Find out in this message.
Can we indeed ask anything in God's name and it will be given? How do we reconcile our desires with the part of the Lord's Prayer that say, "may your kingdom come and may your will be done? Find out in this message.
How can one hallow or bless God's name? Find out in today's message how Jesus demonstrated it. We pause talking about what Jesus told us to see what he showed in turn.
How can you glorify the name of a holy God when you are simply sinful. Can you truly bless God's name? Find out in this message.
How should you address God when you pray? Lord? God? Father? What was Jesus implying when he said we should call God our Father when we pray? Find out today.
Trees can symbolize life! How can our trees be planted in the forest of God? How can our lives be rooted in the love of God? Find out in today's message.
How deliberate are God's actions in the birth of Christ? Why bring his Son to be born in a manger, away from the glory of the king's palace or the holiness of the temple? Find out how God's purpose is imprinted in the many seemingly minute details of the birth of Christ and to where it will lead three decades later. Listen to our Christmas Eve message.
Why is humility important if we are to approach God? Is God accessible to sinners? How? Find out in this message.
Can dead dreams have a revival? Can lost hope be regained? What does God do with lost causes? Is there a lost cause to God? Find out in today's message!
Do you believe that life on earth will end someday? How is this viewed in the Christian faith? Are you afraid of this? Or does this bring you hope instead? Learn more about this in today's message.
What is the role of baptism in accepting God's grace? Is it a work you have to do or an expression of faith? Can one be a Christian or a saved believer without expressing his or her faith without being baptized? Find out in today's message.
Can Jesus save us if he is not God? Is being a prophet or a good man adequate to do the role of Saviour of the whole world? Find out in this message who Jesus really is.
Why do we need a Saviour? What kind of Saviour do we need? A wise one? A coach? Or something else? Find out why only Jesus can be our Saviour.
If there are absolute truths, can they be man made? But aren't we too limited to make those? If so who makes absolute truths and how do we learn about those? Find out in this message.
Is truth relative to time, culture or situations? What is wrong about "saying the truth?" vs. "saying your truth?" Is there an absolute truth? What is the implication of errors in writing and exams? Does this mean there simply are real truths? Find out in this message.
There is joy in being secured even in the face of conflict, of poverty and want and it allows us to support one another. Know more about this basis of joy in this message as we conclude the Philippians series.
Does being saved lead to change and transformation? What kind of change then are we talking about? What if it is hard to change? Find the answers to these question in today's message.
What benefits give joy to those who have been saved by the Lord? Find out how to have joy even in the midst of hardship in this message.
What is the best way to express your joy in Christ? Find out in this message from the latter half of Philippians chapter 2.
What does true humility look like? Find out in this message looking at the example of Jesus Christ.
How could an aging prisoner who lost everything one can hold materially dear still find joy? Find out in this message coming from the letter of Apostle Paul to the Philippian church.
Why is Christianity different from other religions? Why does its values often collide with the values of the world? When is less of something more beneficial? Find out in this first installment of our series on the book (or short letter to the) of Philippians.
Can you really accept a loving God who sends people to hell? Take a listen on this message and find out if such a situation can be a valid case. Take a listen now.
What does hell have to do with me if I am already a Christ follower? Why do I still need to know more about it? I am not heading there anyway. These are the questions we will answer in today's message. Listen in now.
What does the New Testament writers say about hell? Did it vary from what Jesus said? What then does this mean for us? Find out in this message.
What did the 1st century Jews taught about hell? What did Jesus say about it? Is hell really just the hells we create in our lives or is it something eternal? Learn the answers today in this message.
Is there really no hell? Is hell the difficulties we create here on earth? Are there passages in the Bible that teaches hell is not for eternity? Can God not really allow his children to go to hell? Find out the answers to these questions in this message.
Can our dead loved ones see us from heaven? Can they pray for us? Find out the answer on these and a few more questions about heaven as we close this series with this message.
What is the implication of our heavenly destination to our lives today? Should there be a difference on how we live today if we are bound to heaven after this life? Learn more in this message.
What are the blessings we will enjoy in heaven? Is it really not just a church service forever? How about cream cheese? Find out the true blessings of being in heaven in this message.
If the divine heaven is where God's presence is and it is not visible to anyone, what about the heaven where the angels are and those who died in Christ are living now? Will there be a new or final heaven at the end of time as we know it? Find out the answers in this message.
If God's presence is divine heaven and no one can see that, which heaven then has God's throne and where angels reside? Is there a future heaven where God will be with us? Find out the answers to these question in this message today?
This message was delivered on Father's Day 2021 and featured Jared Cruz from Power 2 Change.
What does the Bible say about heaven? What does it look like? We begin answering these questions in this message and in the coming messages in this series. Listen now!
How do you serve God in a way that pleases Him? How do you bless the world where you live in doing so? Find out in this message. You will find it to be the best way to serve God.
What is the implication of knowing and loving God? Can you accomplish that without becoming a servant to Him? Can you be a worshipper without becoming a follower? Find out in this message.
Making time matter begins with knowing God and loving Him first and foremost. Then it also requires allowing God to be involved in our lives that affects others. It is the true expression of us being filled by the Holy Spirit. Find out more about that in today's message.
Do you just pass the time or make good use of it? Do you enjoy the time but also make it matter? Find out more how we cam make our short time on earth truly matter.
Is it still possible to be a good and Godly mother in this age of unbelief? When wokeness replaces holiness, when the Bible is seen as a book of myths and God is not even worth a mention to many? The answer is yes. Find out the how in this message.
What gives the energy for Christ followers to keep on keeping on? To not give up on doing good, on believing the things we cannot see right now? Find out the answer in this message.
What does it mean to be faithful and to keep the good fight? Take it from the man himself. Let us talk about apostle Paul's final days.
After Jesus, perhaps the second most significant person (yes albeit a far and poor second, yet way ahead of us all) in church history is the apostle Paul. Why do we need to hear his story? Because he left a big imprint in our thinking and psyche as Christ followers. Find out more in this message. Erratum: in the message I mistakenly said Paul was going to Antioch to persecute the Jews when Jesus met him. The correct city he was headed to was Damascus. I did say he met God on the way to Damascus but that was also where Paul was headed. Blessings!
Why is hospitality a Godly virtue? How is it properly practiced by the early church? Find out in this message. Stan Helton is the President of Alberta Bible College and the New Testament and Ministry Professor of the institution.
Have you ever wondered how the resurrection brings salvation? What does the power of the resurrection bring about? Find out in this message.
You probably know that the communion that Jesus instituted was preceded by the Passover meal. But do you know that Jesus the Messiah was hinted or foreshadowed in the Passover? Find out more in this message.
Why did Jesus allow the hour of darkness to come? Why did he suffer on the cross? Was it really necessary? Find out the answer in today's message and what it means for you.
Is Jesus a prophet or a good teacher? Is he a son of man or a son of God? Know more about who Jesus is, in today's message.
Is sinfulness a default nature of man or an aberration? Is Adam our model of humanity? But how about the second Adam? Find out who this second Adam is and whom we should follow and imitate. Take a listen now.
If we are to imitate Jesus, in what way should we do so? Some say we should be like sons and daughters of the King and so we should be living in blessing- mostly material when this is the tone. But what if that is not the case? Perhaps we should see again how Jesus lived when he was here. And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. Find out more in this message.
Does God still keep his promises? Does he still care about mankind? So Jesus came then, but didn't he return to heaven? Or does he still come to us today? Find out in today's message.
How do you begin to rebuild what was broken? How do you restore what was ruined? How do you sustain your effort when opposition is really strong? Find out the answer in this message.
What do you do when you need to speak up and the stakes are high? What if it is not your place to speak? What if it is? Will you have the courage to speak out? Learn from Esther how to act in trying moments where you need to take the hard decision and do something that requires enormous courage.
If we are waiting on God to make a way for us, how do we ensure we will be blessed by it? Find out in this message. God will make a way as the song says. In part 19 of our series, we discuss how God provides a way.
It is easy to love life so much that thinking of eternal life becomes difficult. It is partly why we grieve when our loved ones die. Do we need to be reminded we are foreigners in this life and heaven is our home? Yet others are too heavenly minded to the point of becoming no earthly good. So how do we strike a balance? Find out more in this message.
Ever heard the words, "there is no remedy"? You would not want to hear it from your mechanic, your mortgage and financial advisor or from your doctor. What about if you are leading an organization? More so a nation? Those words do sound fatal. And so it was for Israel. But where there is no remedy, God provides a plan of redemption. Find out how this relates to you in this message.
After getting more than adequate warning, God's tough love lands in Israel. Yet even in the time of destruction hope appears coming from the Lord. Find out how this season in the life of God's people relate to us today.
Whenever God wants to remind us of something He sends us the reminder through a messenger. In the case of Israel, the messengers take the form of an angel or ordinary men who were faithful to the Lord. Prophets as they were called, God's messengers in other words. Believe it or not, God's messengers today can possibly include you. Find out how in this message.
Sin creates division. It divides families, husbands and wives, companies, organizations and even churches. Nations suffer as division increases. Is their an answer to it? Find out in today's message.
Are you searching for wisdom that leads to eternal life? Are you searching for that knowledge that will lead you to God? Take a listen, the life of Solomon can show us what kind of wisdom matters and how we can benefit from it?
Can Christmas be celebrated by anyone, anywhere, in any situation? The answer is a big YES! The why is found in this short Christmas Eve message, take a listen.
Is this a season of worry, uncertainty, or fear? Is the COVID pandemic clouding the Christmas season for you? It doesn't have to be. Find out what this season of Christmas bring in your heart today.
Ever missed out on something because your blinders were sadly on? Ever dismissed something as inconsequential only to find out that was the big item you were supposed to not let go of? There were those who missed Christmas with a similar mistake. Find out how to avoid missing the best gift on Christmas in this message.
Family time could either bless you or test you during the holidays. If you are avoiding some loved ones (which is truly contradictory right there) it will be a test. If you are missing a loved one so much, seeing them becomes a blessing. Find out more in this message.
Sooner or later, our humanity and weakness for sin catches up on us. How do we avoid it? Focus as much on the right things so we do not get swayed by the wrong things. In another manner of speaking, when we do not do what we ought to do, we will be tempted to do what we should not do. Find out more in this message.
Does God call the qualified to serve him? Or the willing then qualifies them? Find out in this message today.
Fame and power tends to change us, our heart and head get bigger, our self-esteem becomes tied with the accolades and we forget how little we are compared to our God. In the ending of a play, the general applause tends to warm the hearts of all participants but it is important to remember that all the work started from the writer of the play. The big picture was decided by the director long before the play happened. In life, God is the writer and director. But if we forget, we who might be standing tall thinking the glory is ours might find ourselves falling hard. Find out how to avoid this in today's message.
Have you ever felt as an outsider? How about an odd man out? Maybe a person out of place? Ruth is like that in Israel. A widow who is from another country. Even from a place considered sinful and filthy in Israel. She is an enemy country's citizen. Yet she received unwarranted favor because she showed unwarranted faithfulness. Join us as we talk about the faith of this foreign woman today.
Salt is a wonderful ingredient. Add a little and the effect is felt in a dish right away. Could good men and women have the same effect in society? Perhaps. But imagine if more good men and women can do? What if Christ followers multiply the effect exponentially today? Let us find out more in this message.
After forty years exiled in the wilderness, the young nation is now ready to receive God's promise. Find out how this young nomadic nation defeats 31 kingdoms on its way to receive the land God promised to them. Find out how it became possible in today's message and how can it relate to us.
Almost all of us have experienced being lost. It is part of living that we wander off the right path to our destination. Even in the age of GPS and technology we can still go astray. How could we avoid getting into a fatal detour? Find out in today's message.
Is God a distant God or a loving one? Is God impersonal or one who desires a personal relationship with us? Why are there rules and rituals in relating with God? Find out more in today's message.
We often have doubts if we can succeed, if we can lead or accomplish something for God. We often question whether we are qualified or worthy. But what if God uses a different measuring stick for those He calls to do great things for Him? What if the greatness of one's achievement does not rely on one's own capability? Find out in today's message.
Have you ever felt life to be like a roller coaster? Ever felt excited with a fast climb after a scary fall only to undergo that scary slide again? Life often feels like that. Join us as we look into the message God is sending us as we retell the story of Joseph in this message. The man who received the primary affection of his father and then found himself in a pit but in the end enjoyed a life in a palace. Take a listen now.
A major theme we will see in The Story is God uses unlikely people to accomplish His purpose and that when God makes a promise, God keeps it. Find out more about this in the story of Abraham and the nation Israel in this message.
Where do we come from and why are we here? Find answers to these questions as we study the first eleven chapters of Genesis in this first part of The Story Revisited.
If our message as preachers or communicator is important, then we should keep on communicating as long as we can. How can we do this given that we are human and fallible? Or does it prevent us from keeping on? Find out in this final installment of our series.
We have established that everyone's a preacher. We all communicate a message we received from someone else. We act as an agent of an idea or a person. As Christ followers we act as agents of God's family, the church. But there are pitfalls we need to avoid if we want to keep our voice. This message talks about these pitfalls and how to avoid them. Find out more by listening now.
Are preachers born or made? Where do preachers get their voice? From education? From training, from practice? Is it talent or is it a calling? Is it the preacher's preparation or is it God preparing them? Find out more in this message.
Eloquent, awkward, modulated, shrill, outgoing, shy, good looking, average, and many more. Preachers come in all shapes and sizes and voices too. Find out more in this message.
It is easy to assume that when we talk about a preacher, we refer to the pastor, minister or priest. But what if we are preachers too? Find out more on why we need to understand we are preachers too.
The final part of loving our neighbor is to be able to say to them how much God loves them. It needs to be said in an organic and appropriate way. Find out what we mean with that in this message.
In the culture of loving our neighbors, enjoying a social interaction with them is important. Find out more in this message.
How can we love our neighbors? A simple way to describe it is to STAY, PRAY, PLAY and SAY. This week, let us talk about STAY and PRAY.
Is it possible we have redefined who is the neighbor that Jesus meant for us to love? Is loving our neighbor clear to us? Find out in Part 2 of this series now.
Coterminous means being in the same area or significance. In the case of the best law and the second best law, that term also applies. Find out the implication of this on the law for Christ followers to love our neighbors. Based on Luke 10:25-28.
If love is the beginning and key to the full blooming of the fruit of the Spirit, gentleness and self-control caps its fullness. How can a believer fully bear the fruit of the Spirit? Find out in this final part of the series.
"Well done, good and faithful servant." These are words Christ followers desire to hear from the Lord at the end of their lives. Goodness and faithfulness are also parts of the fruit of the Spirit. Find out how these two character traits can be in a Christ follower's life in this message.
Patience and kindness are two of the most wanted virtues today. Find out how we can have more patience and kindness in our lives.
We normally think that the absence of conflict and presence of the things we aspire or desire brings us the joy and peace we need. Yet the ones with the most wealth is not necessarily the one with joy. The ones suffering from hardship and persecution are the ones who knows and enjoy peace. Find out how this paradox can happen in today's message.
Love is the most essential fruit of the Spirit. It provides the fuel for the rest of the different character traits that come out from the change that the Spirit brings in each follower of Jesus. Find out more about love in this message.
The most important Proof of the Spirit reflects the character of God that we need to absorb and emulate- Love. Godly love, the one that is of the highest kind of love. Only when Jesus is our Savior and Lord can we live this. Find out more in this message.
A branch that is not connected to root will not bear fruit. Instead it will wilt and die. This why Jesus said remain in me in John's Gospel. Without him we cannot bear fruit. Why is this vital? Because we will be recognized as believers and Jesus followers not from our talents and gifts but by our fruit. Find out more in this first part of the series.
With God's grace, many of us have learned to be anxious for nothing by relying on the Lord. He is the only one who is good and is in control. Others who are not Christ followers also need to learn how to be calm and find hope during this time of uncertainty. In this worrying times, Christ followers need to be ready under pressure to explain where their hope and calmness is coming from. Find out more in this message.
You can be calm or you can be anxious. It depends on where you focus your mind on. You do have a choice. It is now time to know your better choice. Find out more in this message based from Philippians 4:4-8.
Can we truly rejoice every time even though our current situation causes anxiety? What does it mean to be not anxious about anything? Find out more in this message.
There is no one holy, no not one, except God. But if we are created in God's image, could there be a point where the holy man in us can come out and reflect God's image? Find out in this message.
Peace is hard to find these days. Grief, worry and fear simply takes the smile away from our faces, the glow from our personality, the dance in our steps. But on Easter, Christ came back to give us peace. That is why he is the most amazing guy on earth. Find out more in this message.
Someone said, tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. In Jesus case, his identity and character transformed the ones he gathered and called apostles from "outs" to "ins." They were messed up guys, weak, doubtful, not special but something happened when Jesus gathered them. What he did to them and through them he continues to do through the church. Find out more in this message.
Many of us are amazed by escape artists. They mesmerize with their skills to escape dangerous contraptions and evade death. The most amazing so far is Harry Houdini. Ever wonder why? Because perhaps we all want to escape something. We all want freedom from something and we all have different ways to find it no matter how temporary. But only Jesus can give us true freedom. Find out more through this message.
We all love icons. We use it in communication, in culture, in business and in the way we model human icons that we like. An icon also has a religious significance. We are created as icons of God, but Jesus is the perfect icon. Find out more in this message. Note: The message lost the intro due to a glitch. But the main message is unaffected.
When amazing people die, their legacy and name fade away over time. But with this man Jesus. After two thousand years after his death, his name is even more popular. His impact has even become more significant. Join us in this series inspired by John Ortberg's book, "Who is This Man?"
This wraps up our prayer series and reminds us how to make it an ongoing chat or conversation with God.
Is it possible that majority of our prayers are rote and memorized? Could it be that when we pray, much is like droning and less conscious and dynamic? Perhaps it is tie to try something new. Let us continue the conversation on prayer on part 2 of God chat.
This is a recording of the message on the credibility of Genesis 1-11 during the Answers in Genesis event at Westway Christian Church on Feb 23, 2020 delivered by Calvin Smith.
What is prayer? A way to ask for provisions? an avenue to get what we want, to question God about life, to express our frustrations, to give thanks or all of the above? Is it possible we have wrong notions about prayer? What if the reason we don't think it is working is because we are doing it wrong? Find out as we open this series.
Much of present day Christianity is Jesus plus something. It could be Jesus plus a great program for my kids, a lively worship, a dynamic and artful worship service, a prosperity focused, motivational and entertaining program and many more. But what if Jesus is enough? What if being a true follower requires choosing Jesus only and nothing else. Find out more in this message.
For many Christians who grew up in Christian homes, it is easy to become rule keepers. They have less perceived sin than those who came from non-Christian homes. Less sinful experiences tend to make us think we are better rule keepers and besides, when you are a rule keeper, you tend to call other people's attentions to the rule breakers around instead of the one within. But being a follower means more than keeping the rules. It is so much more about minding grace and living in it. Find out more today in this message.
We wear the cross nowadays with pride. We wear it as fashion. We have cross jewelry, cross art, cross graphics in shirts, we have beautiful and exquisite crosses at home, in our churches and in our pop culture. Yet if a first-century Jew sees how we depict the cross, he or she will say it is a far cry from how they regard it back then. It was a symbol of loss, pain, defeat, dishonor, punishment, condemnation and many more grim and negative things. Is it wrong to make the cross comfortable? Find out in today's message.
A fan may know a lot about their idols or the person they look up to but only those close to these persons can be intimate with them. Intimacy separates the fans from the followers. Knowledge without true connection may turn trivial but those with true and deep relationship with God can have insight and wisdom. Those people are called followers. Are you one of them? Find out in today's message.
In Luke 9:23, when Jesus said, anyone who wants to follow me ... many Christians tend to think anyone means anyone who is like them. But does anyone mean anyone? How does a fan see this truth as opposed to a follower? Find out in today's message.
Are you an enthusiastic admirer of Jesus? Do you know many of the latest praise and worship songs? Do you have Christian movies, t-shirts, friends? Do you come to church on Sunday to be fed and inspired, to be served and entertained?Chances are, you are a fan if the answer to these questions are yes, yes and more yes. But are you a follower of Jesus? Is there a difference? Yes there is and Jesus does not really care for fans but for followers. Find out more in this message.
There is value in re-examining where you are in relation with your goals, your values and priorities. There is also a value in re-laying these things to put them back to order. Find out more in this message.
Delivered on our Christmas Eve service, this short message caps the series, Hope is born. Our key point, better than the presents we all can get is the presence of the one who loves us deepest.
This is a shorter message during the Family Christmas service that continues our ongoing series. The key message is what we owed was paid by the very person we owed to. That is what Christmas is all about.
It took a while but finally, what they heard came. What was promise arrived. What was heralded is here. Christmas is the completion of prophecies the people of God heard. Hear to here. Trust God's words for they are true.
Familiarity can take away the wonder of Christmas. The carols can be tiresome, the festivities routine and if we are not careful, we might disregard that which is so important to us. A bored heart can then lose the wonder and simply wander from point to point, stuff to stuff without aim or direction. Find out how we can rediscover the wonder of Christmas in this second message in our series.
Christmas should be a season of hope. Yet in our busy-ness and distracted living, what should be days of joy and expectation can be buried in a "dazed" kind of living. Hurried, harassed, pressured and overwhelmed become the adjectives to describe how one lives in a "dazed" mode. Find out how we can get out of the daze and get back into days of hope.
The best defense against lies and fake claims is the truth. According to Apostle John, Christian ought to know five truths based on chapter 5 of his first letter to the church. Find out what he means by this.
How do we know if the teaching about Jesus is right? How do we distinguish true teachers of God's Word from the ones who are lying or misleading us? John tells us to test the spirits. Let us find out more about this topic in today's message from 1 John 4.
Anti-Christ or antichrists? Is there a difference? John the beloved is giving us warnings and reminders about them. Find out what he means in this message from 1 John 2:18-29.
Aside from having a fellowship with God, when we become believers, we also enter into an adoption with Him. We become sons and daughters. When that happens, obedience becomes not a pressure but a pleasure. Find out more about as we study John 3.
Fellowship results to like-mindedness. It means being influenced strongly by the one you are spending time with. Fellowship brings a common mindset and common values. This is why choosing who to fellowship with is important. Apostle John reminds us that if we have fellowship with Christ it should show in our walk. Find out what does he mean by this.
Pastor Cosme our guest speaker shares a message from Matthew 22: 2-14 entitled, The Wedding Feast.
We are saved by faith yet faith without works is dead. How do we balance the tension between faith and works? When God separates the sheep and the goats, how do we know which camp we will be? How does this relate with our money, time and resources? Find out in this concluding message.
Who do you hear from when thinking of your possessions, resources and time? There are voices trying to reach you. Money talks, mammon talks but so does our Master. Who has your ears? Do you know we can not really give God anything? We can only give back. Find out more though this part of the M Talks series.
If the end point of life is coming tomorrow, are you confident that the things you have prioritized in your life today are the ones that truly matters? Are you living with the end in mind or are you wasting your life on things of secondary and tertiary importance? Find out more with this message.
Here is an update from one of Westway Christian Church's ministry partners, FLC. A mission ministry in Southeast Asia.
Everybody loves a winner. And so we have adopted a desire to win and to belong with winners. They are the strongest, the smartest, the ones who end up as first among the rest. But Jesus made an adjustment of the apostles' perception of who a winner is. It is now time we find out or get reminded of this perspective. It is also high time we reflect on what does this mean for us. Today, let's find out from the Gospel of Mark.
The Gospel is freely given to all yet not everyone will receive it with glad hearts. Others will ignore it, jump with joy as they hear it and forget it soon after. The hearts of men are like a soil receiving seeds. It could be hard ground, others thorny, some are abounding with birds picking up the seeds yet once in a while, there are fertile ground. Check out how does this apply to believers.
Conflict makes us uncomfortable. We walk around it, try to avoid it, delay handling it yet, it explodes in our face anyway. Often, when it happens, it is too late to resolve in the way we desire. What if the better way is to face it head on as early as we can? Find out in this message from TC.
How should believers view suicide and physician assisted death (PAD) or medical assistance in dying (MAID)? Is the latter a viable option for believers? Is suicide the unpardonable sin and are those who committed it now irredeemable? Is there still hope? Find out in this message.
If heaven is our destination when we die since we are now Christians having put our faith in Jesus, why are we still afraid to die? What makes us certain of an eternal life with God yet certain of our fear of dying? What gives? Find out today through this message.
A good number of people including some in your family will experience severe anxiety or depression in their lifetime. Medical help may be needed, medication may help but while more things are needed; hope is available. Find out how Scripture talks about it. Have a listen as we talked about arguably the greatest prophet in the Old Testament who had to deal with anxiety and depression.
The message of God's love is too important to keep just for ourselves. This is why God commissioned and provisioned believers to share it. As we conclude this series, find out a little more how we can better be equipped to say what the Lord wants others to hear about- His love.
Doing something enjoyable with other people develops relationship with them. Such activity is called "play" and goes a long way to deepening relationship with others. We play with our loved ones, kids, friends and as we enjoy a shared experience, we build rapport. The same goes true if we are to develop a good relationship with our neighbors. Let's learn more about neighboring and talk about the importance of spending time with our them in this message.
Apostle Paul declared that Christians have Jesus as our advocate with God the Father. Given that the great commission is handed down to Christians, does it follow that we are to serve as an extension of that advocacy? What if we are to be advocates for others through our knowing them, praying for them, and eventually introducing our advocate with God the Father to them? It is time to find out through our message today. Have a listen and consider the thoughts faithfully.
Is it possible that God has ordained when and where we will live and gave us a mission to do in the time and place where we will settle? What if one of the best way to live our faith is to be a good neighbor wherever we are? Let's continue the conversation in part 2 of our series. Take a listen to our message this Sunday.
What should churches continue to improve on? Is it their music, children's ministry, their building, their youth group or singles group? If we are honest, our typical answer to this question is based on what we want or need. A single adult will want a Singles ministry, a young couple with kids will look for a strong children's ministry. A music lover will look for a good worship ministry. But what if we are missing out on what we should see improving in churches? Find out more in this series and in this message.
Godly men are being called to care for what women see in our behavior. Do they see men of God or men of their own hearts? When we behave towards women, do we treat them as objects or as daughters of God? Find out why we need to care in this final part of Stand Up.
Grit, the ability to persevere and keep on keeping on. Courage is a quality that becomes more intense when sustained over time. Hence the encouragement to be strong and courageous. It means to strengthen and maintain courage over adversity. Find out why this is important if we are to become the men God wanted us to be in this message.
God called us to be men reflecting His will and living under His design. A design that calls men to stand up and take action. Yet many of us have taken the position of passivity. Perhaps there is a wise observation in the name of the recliner seat- LaZBoy. Not LaZGirl or LaZWoman. But it doesn't have to be that way. Take a listen and find out how we can get back to God's plan for men. This is part of a series inspired by Kyle Idleman's Rise Up series.
Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven. Indeed such is the case for the burden of guilt is a heavy one. Psalm 32 is David's reflection on this. What is true for David is also true to us, have a listen to know more about this.
Who is blessed? The who won the game? The person who got promoted? As far as the Scripture is concerned, there is a deeper measure of who is blessed. After all, God makes the sun shine on both the wicked and the good. Psalm 1 says that the blessed person is the one who enjoys a right relationship with God. Care to know more? Listen to this message from Psalm 1:1-6.
The Psalms contain songs of prayer, praise, anguish, joy and sadness expressed to the Lord. Honesty and rawness characterize the songs. In Psalms you can also see God's character best articulated in the life of our mothers. Join us as we talk about a few Psalms passages that reveal some of these traits here in Psalms for Moms. This is our Mother's Day message.
On Easter, North American Christians usually say "Christ is risen" to which the greeted person replies, "He is risen indeed." Yet if you do not know that exchange and it is your first time hearing it, you will fit perfectly well on the first Easter morning. For the disciples, that Sunday morning was originally a Crisis of hope. We now know Jesus is our Hope during crisis but it was different then. Find out why in this message.
Ever been celebrated then criticized? You are not alone. Jesus was celebrated as king on a Sunday and by the following Friday he was murdered. Many of those who celebrated him participated in his crucifixion later. Find out the things we need to consider about this event in today's message- Celebrated and Questioned.
Sometimes, thinking of Jesus as your Savior and Lord can be daunting. Perhaps it is why Mark showed us a glimpse of who Jesus is in Mark 14. In the same way that Jesus offers us four facets of who he is to the Jews, he offers the same to us. Find out who Jesus could be in our lives. It will make you understand why he is our Lord and Saviour.
When you hear about End Times, it is easy to dive into Bible passages that talks about it. Mark 13 is one. But wise readers first focus on the warnings Jesus gave before the details of the End Times. It is just important. Find out in today's message.
When an integrity gap is exposed, the result is often painful, embarrassing and worse, disastrous. Yet the issue is not the exposure. The issue is the integrity gap. Join us as we explore how Jesus exposed the sins of the religious leaders of his day in part 4 of this series. Here is the message entitled, Exposed.
Many inventions and innovations will never have gotten off the ground if inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs listened to those who told them, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT." Jesus himself also got told that line. Find out what he did and discover who he is.
Urgent and important! That seems to be the description for the gospel of Jesus Mark is bringing to the church. It is the Good News to a church experiencing a bad situation of persecution and dispersion. Listen as the Good News begins. Mark 1 NIV is our text for this message.
Fast-paced, urgent and quite raw, the gospel of Jesus according to Mark was the first of the 4 Gospels written. It sacrifices eloquence to deliver an immediate message of who Jesus is. Jesus Christ, Son of God. That is who he is. Find out more in this series.
If you call yourself a Christian, you will be surprise to know that there are so many Christian denominations out there. Want to guess how many? Over 34,000 as of 2001. Do you know where your local church figure in this number? To understand who we are, we need to know where we have been. Allow us to talk about where Westway Christian Church stand on this.
In the context of the world we serve others so they can serve us. Jesus taught us the better way. Find out what it is in this message.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... Matthew 5:43-44
Growing in love with one another, strengthens the church and testifies to our love for God first and foremost.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8
Loving God first and foremost is the primary value of the Westway Christian Church as a local congregation. We believe this is the key to doing ministry right. Find out what it brings us in this message.
If you go to church for the right reason, your faith will really blossom. But what if you do not know the right reason? Find out more in this message. Key text: Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV
What we hate about church might be the reasons why we should be in church. Find out why, in this message.
A portion of the message features an audio clip from the DVD, The Neighboring Life by Rick Rusaw and Brian Mavis
Based from the implications of the Greatest Commandment, this series is inspired by the book of the same title, The Neighboring Life by Rick Rusaw, Brian Mavis, Kvin Colon and Krista Petty. This also greatly compliments our mission of helping our neighbors find their way back to God. There is a part of the message that has an audio excerpt from The Neighboring Life DVD.