Westside Church of Christ: Bakersfield: Recent Episodes
Westside
God is good, all the time. But his goodness tends to shine the brightest against the backdrop of the broken human condition. In Exodus 33-34, God promises Moses that all his goodness would pass in front of him. We see from this encounter that God's goodness is demonstrated through his willingness to love, protect, and forgive his people -- as well as hold guilty people accountable.
The first thing the angels tell the shepherd about the birth of Jesus is that he is the Savior, Lord and Messiah. God has a long history of sending the right person, at the right time, to bless and rescue his people. Jesus is the savior we all desperately need!
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month Christmas message series is called "What Child is This?" We'll be exploring five of the ways the Bible describes the identity of Jesus: Prophet, Priest, King, Savior, and Shepherd. Each of those descriptions tells us something important about who Jesus is and the role he plays in our lives.
Jesus is the perfect priest who offered the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. This Christmas, let's celebrate the way Jesus serves as a compassionate and faithful mediator between God and God's people!
Jesus was a prophet, sent by God, to share God's word with the world. Prophets in the Bible had a special calling to deliver a specific message that God had prepared for the people, and they proved God was with them by performing powerful deeds. But Jesus wasn't just any prophet -- he was the fulfillment of an ancient promise that God gave Israel: one day, he would send another prophet like Moses.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month Christmas message series is called "What Child is This?" We'll be exploring five of the ways the Bible describes the identity of Jesus: Prophet, Priest, King, Savior, and Shepherd. Each of those descriptions tells us something important about who Jesus is and the role he plays in our lives.
Christians are called to embrace the way of the cross by persevering in humility, love, and godly living.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month our sermon series is "Not of this World" based on the book of 1 Peter. Today our message comes from 1 Peter 4. The main idea is that Christians are called to embrace the way of the cross by persevering in humility, love, and godly living.
1 Peter 3 helps us understand how God is at work through our times of suffering and sorrow.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month our sermon series is "Not of this World" based on the book of 1 Peter. Today our message comes from 1 Peter 2, which talks a lot about our true identity in Jesus. God wants us to know that our home is in Heaven because our identity is in Christ.
1 Peter chapter 2 says a lot about our identity, but the key point is that our home is in Heaven because our identity is in Christ,
The book of 1 Peter has a lot of practical wisdom on how to honor God in the midst of adversity. Peter was writing during a time when it was neither easy nor popular to follow Jesus as Lord -- much like today. A lot of his letter centers around understanding our true identity in Christ, living godly lives, and understanding that suffering is an inevitable part of following Jesus. But before Peter is ready to start telling us what we need to do, he begins his letter by reminding us what God has already done. The opening chapter focuses a lot on the blessings we have in Christ, and how our obedience to Jesus is a grateful response to the gifts God has already given us.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month our new sermon series is "Not of this World" based on the book of 1 Peter. Today we begin with 1 Peter chapter 1, which celebrates all of the blessings we've received from God before moving into some teaching on how to live a godly life. The key point is that our obedience to Jesus isn't a way of earning God's grace... it's a grateful response to the grace we've already been given.
Peter and John make the bold decision to keep preaching about Jesus, even after being thrown in prison because of it. Their story gives us a great example of choosing faith over fear when God opens the door of opportunity to share Jesus with others.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month our sermon series is "Faith Over Fear," based on 2 Timothy 1:7. God has given us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline--not a spirit of fear! We're exploring stories from the Bible that show different people rising to the occasion at key moments, all while showing the power, love and self-discipline that 2 Timothy talks about. Today's message focuses on the story of Peter and John preaching the Gospel message despite being thrown in prison repeatedly.
There's a lot of judgment scenes in the book of Revelation. How should we make sense of those? Is God an angry tyrant bent on punishing people he doesn't like? Or is there a healthier view of him that makes sense in the grand scheme of Scripture? Perhaps the better reading is to view God as a loving father who is disciplining his children so that they will turn away from evil and turn to God instead.
Adam shares an inspiring message about the way our relationships with one another allow us to encourage others to become more like Jesus.
Welcome to today's livestream worship service with Westside Church of Christ! Let us know how you and your family are doing in the comments! God bless you.
Revelation 6-7 describes a multitude of faithful Christians who remained steadfast in their commitment to Jesus even when it cost them their lives. Their example should inspire us to live bold and courageous lives of faith and to trust in God's goodness, no matter what.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month our sermon series is "Faith Over Fear," based on 2 Timothy 1:7. God has given us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline--not a spirit of fear! We're exploring stories from the Bible that show different people rising to the occasion at key moments, all while showing the power, love and self-discipline that 2 Timothy talks about. Today's message focuses on the story of Daniel and his friends.
Daniel and his friends faced a gut-wrenching decision: How far are we willing to go to stand up for God? Should we continue to do what God requires, even if it costs us our lives? Daniel's story inspires us to choose faith over fear.
Revelation 4-5 brings us into the throne room of Heaven. There are many people on earth who claim to be the ultimate authority, but God reigns above them all.
The story of Esther is a great example of living by faith over fear. Esther make the courageous decision to put her life on the line in order to save her people from destruction. Esther's story is a Gospel story because it points ahead to the sacrificial love of Jesus, who willingly gave his life so that we could be saved. It's also a moral story that calls us to follow in Esther's footsteps by speaking up for the at-risk people in our lives.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
This month our sermon series is "Faith Over Fear," based on 2 Timothy 1:7. God has given us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline--not a spirit of fear! We're exploring stories from the Bible that show different people rising to the occasion at key moments, all while showing the power, love and self-discipline that 2 Timothy talks about. Today's message focuses on the story of Esther.
The book of Revelation gives us a remarkable vision of what life in Heaven will be like.
When an overwhelming enemy army surrounded the city, the servant of Elisha cried out in fear. But Elisha stayed calm and courageous. Why did they have such different reactions? Elisha was able to see the unseen -- the army of the Lord standing ready to defend him. We can be bold and courageous for Jesus when we learn to see the unseen.
Welcome to our online worship service with Westside Church of Christ! We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
The final major member of Team Dragon is a prostitute called "Babylon" in Revelation 17. Bible scholars universally agree that Babylon represented Rome in the first century, but it's also a metaphor for every future group, organization, or nation that operates in the same violent, greedy, idolatrous way. The more we understand the qualities and character traits of Babylon, the more we can be on guard against those kinds of influences in our lives and in our congregations.
Our theme passage for this series is 2 Timothy 1:7 -- "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." Joshua is a great example of boldness to lead the people of God into a difficult situation but also wisdom to do it God's way, according to God's timing.
Revelation describes an epic spiritual battle between good and evil. On one side is Team Dragon (Satan and his allies), and on the other is Team Lamb (Jesus and his followers). One key thing Revelation is designed to do is help us understand our enemy and learn to see the ways we are influenced by Team Dragon in our daily lives. Today's class is based off Revelation 12-13, and it's designed to help us get to know our enemy so we can anticipate and resist his attacks.
Welcome to our online worship service! We're so thankful you can join us virtually and we hope today's service encourages your soul and helps you experience the grace of God in a new way. We have as special guest, Dema, joining us from Ukraine today, to share with us about the work they are doing for God's glory in the midst of the ongoing conflict. We'll also be wrapping up our sermon series on overcoming temptation with a message about the power of God's grace.
We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
No one will live a perfect life, so the question becomes how we will choose to respond to our failures. Satan wants to paralyze us with guilt and shame over what we've done wrong, but Jesus wants to empower us with grace. Our failures can be a turning point in our walk with Jesus if we allow God to transform through his love and grace.
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 contain shorter, more specific messages for each of the seven churches that John is writing to. The general outline of the letters is pretty similar -- Jesus affirms what they are doing well, points out areas that need correction, gives them a call to action, and reminds them of the amazing promises God has in store for those who endure faithfully. Those messages of repentance, perseverance, and faithfulness are just as important for us today as the day they were written.
Satan tries to isolate us from God and our church community, but we can fight back against his tactics by relying on the power of God's church.
Welcome to our online worship service! We're so thankful you can join us virtually and we hope today's service brings glory to God and hope to our church family. Something special we have today is a baby blessing, which is our chance to thank God for the gift of life and pledge our love and support for the families who are raising these amazing young children.
We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
Revelation begins with a magnificent vision of Jesus Christ, the one true ruler, king, and Lord of all the earth.
Welcome to our online worship service! We're so thankful you can join us during this holiday weekend. Today we are on week two of a message series about overcoming temptation. Today we'll explore the way the Devil uses deceit and doubt to get us to believe his lies instead of God's truth, as well as the way the Word of God is a powerful weapon to cut through those lies.
We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
One of Satan’s primary tactics to get us to sin is using deceit and doubt to get us to believe his lies instead of God’s truth. But God's Word is a powerful weapon that we can use to cut through the lies of our enemy.
Happy Sunday, Westside family! We're so thankful you can join us for our online worship service. Today we start a new message series called "Not Today, Satan: Finding Victory Over Sin."
We'd love to connect with your further and find out how we can pray for you and get you plugged into one of the small groups or ministry opportunities at Westside. So please fill out our in-touch form here: https://westsidelife.org/in-touch
Adam and Amanda share about the amazing things God was doing through our Youth and Children's Ministry this summer.
How can we know if we're ready to be baptized? In this sermon we explore some guiding principles from the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch.
Paul's discussion of baptism in Romans 6:1-14 helps us see that baptism is a death, burial and resurrection that unites us with Jesus and sets us free from the power of sin and death.
The nine baptisms stories in the book of Acts show us how God fulfilled his promise to one day include people from all backgrounds in his Kingdom through the power of the cross. These baptisms also show us that baptism is best seen as the immediate response to a person hearing and believing the Gospel message about Jesus.
The baptism of Jesus signals the dawn of a new era for God's people. The Messiah has come, and the new covenant will soon be established. But Jesus' baptism also shows us something important about his identity and mission, and it helps us understand the blessings we experience in our own baptism.
Peter's first Christ sermon culminated with a call to action: repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This wasn't the first time that the Bible connected the ideas of water, the Holy Spirit, and salvation. In fact, Peter was drawing on several key stories from the Old Testament that show how God uses water to symbolize a fresh start for the people of God.
The Holy Spirit is our comforter--our constant companion who brings peace to our lives in troubled times.
The Holy Spirit has given all of us the specific gifts we need to love God, serve others, and make disciples.
The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to serve God faithfully. But we need to make sure we are harnessing the power of the Spirit instead of ignoring it.
The Holy Spirit is guiding us on the journey of following Jesus. Jesus teaches us that the Holy Spirit leads us to the truth (John 16:12-15), helps know and understand the words of Jesus (John 14:25-27), and is present with us everywhere we go (John 14:15-17).
Because the Holy Spirit is a vital & indispensable part of a Christian’s daily walk with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is an active part of our lives--not a passive observer--and he is working hard to help us grow to become more like Jesus. Our calling is to be led by the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25).
God sets a high standard for our lives as Christians, but he always gives us the strength and power we need to rise to the occasion.
Adam shares an encouraging message about how God's grace covers our mistakes and shortcomings.
God wants us to grow to become more like Jesus. The involves imitating the way he lived as well as cultivating the same kind of heart he had. In this message, we explore the importance of developing Christlike character and study a few passages that help us understand the heart of Jesus.
Renovation is a messy business. Before you can start building something new, you have to do the hard work of clearing out the old stuff. That's true in our faith as well. We carry a lot of baggage into our relationship with God, and God wants to help us leave that baggage in the past.
God cares deeply about the spiritual condition of our hearts, because our heart is the true center and source of our identity. In this message, we explore what it looks like to guard our heart and let God change us from the inside out--a key aspect of Spiritual Formation.
Jeremy shares a message on behalf of the elders about what a healthy church community can look like and our renewed commitment to loving people to Jesus moving forward.
Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the glory of God and the sake of others. In other words, God wants us to transform our lives from the inside out so that we slowly become a better and better reflection of Jesus Christ. This sermon examines the importance of letting God transform us from the inside out as we grow to become more like Jesus.
Jesus' triumphant arrival in Jerusalem demonstrated that he is indeed King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But the humility he showed (by riding on a donkey) tells us that he is a very different kind of King. This story reminds us of how important it is to submit to the authority of King Jesus, pledge our allegiance to King Jesus, and imitate the humility of King Jesus.
God wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. One truth that we need to acknowledge is that there is more to life than what we get to experience on this earth. For those of us in Christ, we get to experience the beauty and joy of an eternity with God in Heaven. But we also know acknowledge the reality of Hell, which Jesus describes in very drastic ways as a warning. We need to make sure we are living in light of eternity and taking full advantage of God's gift of salvation.
God is offering the gift of salvation to everyone, but we need to make an intentional decision to receive the gift. Peter's sermon in Acts 2 helps us understand what it looks like to accept God's offer of salvation: obeying Jesus as our master, trusting him as our savior, and being reborn through repentance and baptism
Salvation is not just a future promise--it's a present reality. Jesus' ministry gives us a glimpse of what it looks like to experience "life to the full," a phrase which he connects to the idea of salvation in John 10:7-10.
We all need to be rescued from the power of sin and death, but only Jesus has the power to set us free. In this message we explore the metaphor of slavery in the Bible so that we can understand the way Jesus has set us free.
What must I do to be saved? There are countless important questions we wrestle with throughout our lives, but there's nothing more important than understanding how to find salvation. God carefully orchestrated a series of events that led to a Roman jailer asking this question in the context of God setting captives free. And that helps us understand that salvation is about freedom. The takeaway for us is that Jesus wants to set us free from everything that holds us captive.
Ephesians 4 paints a beautiful picture of what life in the church ought to be like. We should be equipping each other for ministry, building each other up, pursuing unity and maturity and inviting in the full measure of Christ. The church is functioning well when everyone is willing to do their part of the their work. The whole point of studying unity together is uniting behind our common goal--loving God, loving our neighbors, and making disciples. In this message we share three important words for 2023--Healthy, Focused, and Growing--and highlight a few ways we can make a kingdom impact.
Christians from different backgrounds worship the same God and read the same Bible. But they don't always agree on everything the Bible says. Why is this? In this message, we turn to James 1 to discover the importance of knowing God's word as best we can while also showing humility and kindness to others who see things differently. We also explore some of the practical reasons why Christians can read the same Bible but end up with different conclusions about what it means.
"Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions." -Proverbs 18:2. "Understanding" refers to taking the time to patiently and prayerfully separate fact from fiction, which is especially important when we begin talking about tough Scriptural matters or controversial things that people have done or said. Our commitment to the truth should motivate us to be very discerning about what we share with others and what we accept as truth.
In Romans 14, Paul is writing to a church that was splitting into factions over Scriptural issues. Although he has a clear stance on which side is right, his emphasis is to help the church navigate the differences in a Christ-like way.
Jesus paid a high price to bring the church together in unity. If it was that important to Jesus, it ought to be that important to us.
The mission of the church is too important to let the Devil distract us with infighting. Jesus teaches us that our top priorities are loving God, loving others, and making disciples. Satan wants to sabotage our attitude towards church and turn us inward so that we neglect our mission. In this message, we emphasize the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and the mission he gave the church.
Starting a new year doesn't automatically make you a new person. But God does promise that when we give our hearts over to him in faith, we can...
Be purified from our sins (1 John 1:7)
Be Transformed (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18)
Be made new (Ephesians 4:23)
Put off our old self (Ephesians 4:22)
Put on a new self (Ephesians 4:24)
Live as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Receive a new, purified heart (Psalm 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26)
Live a new life (Romans 6:4)
God sent Jesus to be the light of the world. And Jesus tells us that anyone who follows him will never have to walk in darkness again. What an incredible promise! This Christmas sermon explores the themes of light and dark and celebrates the way God sent his light to bring hope to the world.
The story of God protecting Joseph, Mary and Jesus from the violence of King Herod illustrates the way he is protecting us from physical and spiritual harm today. Plus, we share a few of the inspiring stories of the way God has protected our church members throughout the years. At the end of the message, Lauren shares her testimony about the way God saved her life.
What does Jesus mean when he talks about being a peacemaker? Today's class takes a close look at this beatitude.
God allows us to come face-to-face with the impossible so that we’ll have the chance to see his miraculous power in action.
The Brandenberg family shares about the way they experienced God's power in their lives.
Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of one of God's most important promises in the Bible: the promise of Immanuel (which means, God is with us). The story of Jesus birth emphasizes the humility of Jesus and God's desire to come and dwell among his people.
The last two themes we explore in our series on prayer are confession (Psalm 51) and thanksgiving (Psalm 107).
Jesus offers eight blessings for his disciples and the crowds that gathered to hear him teach during the Sermon on the most. In this class, we talk about some general principles relating to the beatitude and study the first three in-depth (poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the meek).
Today we're starting a new class on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This first video is an introduction to the sermon as whole and an overview of a few key books that we'll be referencing during our classes.
Jesus teaches us to ask God for our daily bread. Asking God for the things we need is an important part of our prayer life, but it should never be the only thing we pray about. God knows what we need and he finds joy in being our provider.
Jesus doesn’t want us to have any regrets when we reach the end of our lives, and he doesn’t want us to wait until it’s too late to start seeking God. These two parables are meant to teach us the importance of being proactive about following God and seeking the truth.
Dema shares about the war in Ukraine and the work being done by the brothers and sisters in the church.
One of the central teachings of the Christian faith is the Incarnation--the idea that an invisible, spiritual God took on human form in the real person of Jesus Christ. The incarnation reveals the way that God desires to be present with us. It also is a testimony to the fact that God loves to use tangible things to communicate spiritual truths. Baptism and Communion would be two perfect examples of that--something physical with a deep spiritual meaning.
The largest category of Psalms in the book of Psalms is lament. God knows that we will have seasons of anxiety and adversity, and he's given us the gift of prayer so that we can move from a place of pain to a place of peace. Prayers of lament help us find that peace by reminding us what we know to be true about God: that he is good, that he is in control, and that he has a plan for our lives--even in the hard times.
One key characteristic of a disciple is a heart of gratitude. These two parables demonstrate what happens when we allow greed and bitterness to take root in our hearts instead of gratitude.
Psalm 111 calls us to live a live of praise and obedience in response to who God is and what he's done for his people. Many of the Psalms begin and end with praise, which gives us a wonderful example to follow in our own prayer lives.
The parable about the Pharisee and the Tax collector shows us that Jesus is looking for disciples with humble hearts.
Jesus is the Living Word of God, but we also have the written Word of God (the Bible) and have seen the transforming power of the spoken Word of God (the Gospel message). God's Word, in all its interrelated forms, has the power to change our lives for the better.
Every disciple of Jesus has the same basic purpose in life: to love God, love our neighbors, and share the Gospel. But each of us also has a unique calling that is based on our spiritual gifts, our life experiences, and the relationships we've formed. God wants us to embrace our calling and live with God's purpose in mind.
The Kingdom is full of unlikely heroes. That’s the message of our two parables we’ll be studying today:
Parable 1: Moneylender (Luke 7:36-50, especially 41-43)
Parable 2: Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
What happens when the people God had specifically chosen to be his prized possession and chosen nation turn around and reject him entirely? That’s the question Jesus explores in the parable of the tenants in the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-46) and his short parable about new wine and old wineskins (Matthew 9:16-17).
(We apologize for the poor camera angle in this week's recording).
In tonight's class, we studied the way Jesus showed compassion on the needy members of society. We also explored the theme of justice in the Bible and discussed ways we could show that same kind of compassion to people in our lives.
God wants us to know that we are the beloved children of God, created in the image of our Heavenly Father.
Today’s parables feature a farmer with a tiny mustard seed, a baker with a small amount of yeast, and a widow who won’t leave the town judge alone. Each of them, in their own way, illustrate the same basic truth: Things don’t have to be bigger in order to be better. Instead, Jesus wants us to know that God is always at work, often in imperceptible ways, to cause his plan for the world to come to fruition. We just need to be willing to wait for God to do his work.
The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 shows us that no matter how far we might fall, God always welcomes us back home with open arms.
This week we’re studying a parable about a wedding banquet hosted by a king and a separate parable about building a tower and going to war. On the surface, these hardly seem to have anything in common. But as we dive into each parable, I hope we’ll see a consistent theme emerge: God shows his grace by inviting everyone into his Kingdom, but he demonstrates his righteousness by requiring everyone to live up to a high standard of discipleship.
Jesus gives us an important example of doing everything through the power of the Spirit. In tonight's class, we explore the way Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit in his teaching and in his ministry, and we talk about some ways we can follow in his footsteps. We also talk briefly about the way the Charismatic Tradition developed the strengths this stream of Christianity brings to the table.
Jesus' words in John 13:34-35 are a powerful reminder of our purpose at Westside: Loving people to Jesus. In this message, our Youth and Family Minister Adam England shares more about Westside's mission and Jesus' call to love one another from the heart.
We begin our study with a short parable about finding something so valuable that it would make you go and sell everything you had in order to buy it. What could possibly be worth that much? Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 give us the answer: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” This parable invites us to consider how we will respond to the treasure of wisdom and grace God is offering us through Jesus. Will we have eyes to see it? Will we joyfully give everything else to take hold of it? Or will we let is slip through our fingers?
In this session, we cover the basics about what parables are, why Jesus used them, and some best practices for interpreting them. We also go over our schedule for the next portion of our class and a list of parables we'll be covering.
Be sure to download the handout that accompanied our class session.
God wants his children to live holy lives. Throughout the Bible we have several clear calls to holy living. Jesus is our prime example of living a virtuous life. Even though he was fully human (just as we are) and tempted in every way, he battled against sin and overcame every temptation. His dedication to purity (in heart and conduct) and his emphasis on right living that flows from a Godly heart gave way to the holiness tradition within Christianity. Today, disciples of Jesus would do well to follow his example of purity and holy living.
Living generously guards our hearts against distractions that can entice us away from Jesus. Paul knows that Christians face many distractions and temptations that can derail our relationship with God, which is why he calls us to drop everything else and take hold of the eternal life Jesus offers us.
God has graciously poured out his blessings into our lives. And because of his generous blessings, we have everything we need to bless others generously. That's Paul's main point in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. We hope this message about giving generously is an encouragement to you.
Following Jesus means living in the tension of self-care (Matthew 11:28-30) and self-sacrifice (Luke 9:22-23). There are seasons of life where we need peace, comfort and rest. And there are seasons when we are called upon to go out and serve. Mark 1 shows us the importance of finding a healthy balance between our service to others and our quiet time with God. In the story, there are people who need healing, people who need to be challenged, and some important principles we can learn from the example of Jesus. Chances are, there's a powerful lesson waiting for you in Mark 1.
One of our highest callings is to be just like Jesus. But we can't exactly become more like Jesus unless we know what Jesus was like. Our latest focus in our Wednesday night Spiritual Formation class will be taking a close look at six key themes from the life of Jesus...
His focus on prayer His emphasis on holiness His reliance on the Spirit His compassion for the hurting His commitment to the Truth His incarnational living
Each of these six streams is a way that we can grow to become more like Jesus.
God has important work for the church to do, and the leaders of the church have been put in place to equip the church to do that work of ministry. We have all been given spiritual gifts that we can use to serve others and glorify God. When you add that all up, we need to be ready to answer's God's call to be servants--not just spectators.
If we understand our identity, we'll understand our purpose. 1 Peter 2 tells us that every Christian belongs to a holy, royal priesthood. Unlike the old priesthood in the physical Temple, which hardly anyone qualified for, every believer is part of this new priesthood because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Tonight we continue our conversation on the discipline of guidance with a closer study on God's will, and the role that prayerful conversations with other Christians plans in our spiritual journey. We showed a video clip as an illustration that we are linking to as well.
We tend to overcomplicate Christianity, but the Gospel message is actually really simple. Jesus died for our sins and was resurrection on the third day. The grace he gives us transforms our lives forever, and that gift of grace is a gift that is available to everyone.
God is leading all of us on a spiritual journey. No matter where we're starting from in our faith, our ultimate goal is to become more like Jesus. But since we're all coming from different places, each of us has a unique path to follow on the way. The discipline of guidance is when we seek God's will by having prayerful conversations with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul teaches us to "do everything in love." In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul helps us understand why love is so essential to the Christian faith--and what real love looks like in practice.
Worship is a spiritual discipline. It's something we intentionally choose to do to place ourselves in God's presence so that God can transform us into a better reflection of Jesus. Of course, we can go through the external motions of worship without ever really worshipping him in our hearts. In tonight's class we discuss worship from the point of view of our ongoing spiritual formation.
Every Christian has received a gift from God. These gifts of the Spirit are meant to be shared in a way that blesses others.
Last week, we began a discussion about the spiritual discipline of confession. Tonight we continue that conversation with an in-depth look at a few prayers of confession in the Bible: Daniel's prayer in Daniel 9, David's prayer in Psalm 51, and Ezra's prayer in Ezra 9-10. These prayers give us an example we can follow when we talk to God and others about the sin in our life. Here's a few of the things we highlighted in these prayers:
- An attitude of humility.
- A clear admission of wrongdoing--for oneself and the community.
- A recognition that discipline is warranted.
- An appeal to God's love and mercy.
- A pledge to live a transformed life.
The church in Corinth wrestled with some tough questions. Not everyone agreed on the best way to practice the Christian faith. When divisive issues threatened to split the church into various factions, Paul emphasized the need to seek unity and put the needs of others above ourselves.
Sometimes what's best for one specific Christian ends up causing harm to the rest of the church family. What do you do when there's tension like that? 1 Corinthians 5 gives us an example of that situation playing out. Paul offers grace to the person who is caught in a sin, but he establishes firm boundaries in order to ensure that man's sin doesn't impact the health of the church as a whole.
The discipline of confession is a gift God gives us for our benefit. But we don't always think of it that way. In this session, we explore the reasons why confession can be so intimidating and some ways we can shift our thinking towards something healthier.
(This session is audio only.)
In 1 Corinthians 5-7, Paul addresses some difficult topics that were causing problems in the Corinthian church. Some members were sinning in a very obvious, flagrant manner, and Paul felt the need to confront their sin. Pau reminds the church of the dramatic transformation they experienced when they came to faith, and urges them to live as new creations.
Jesus was a servant. Jesus not only taught about the importance of serving others (like in the parable of the Good Samaritan)... he also gave us a tangible example. During Jesus' Last Supper in John 13, Jesus took on the role of a servant by washing the feet of his disciples. During this class we'll dive into that story and talk about the way serving others is an important part of our ongoing spiritual transformation.
You've heard the saying, "actions speak louder than words." That's one of the big ideas from 1 Corinthians 4. Paul views himself as a father-figure to the church in Corinth. He not only teaches them the right things about Jesus, he's personally living out those principles in his daily life. Good spiritual guides and mentors don't just talk the talk; they walk the walk.
Richard Foster says "the obsession to demand that things go the way want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today." Submission, from a Christian point of view, is the spiritual discipline that helps set us free from that bondage. It means yielding to God's plan and desires for our life and choosing to value other people above ourselves... instead of insisting that things always go our way.
Are we building our lives on the foundation of Jesus Christ? Or the values of the world around us? Paul teaches us to put aside worldly thinking and instead let the Gospel message inform our attitude about every aspect of our lives.
Our next Spiritual Discipline is solitude. Luke 5:16 teaches us that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Spending time alone with God, away from the stress and worries of our busy lives, is an incredible blessing. It gives us the time and space we need to connect with God and separate ourselves from the many demands of our social lives.
Here's another quick video (under 4 minutes) on 1 Corinthians. We all have a choice to make... will our lives be shaped by our culture? Or shaped by the cross?
Have you ever felt like God has a great plan... for everyone else? That somehow you're not qualified to serve God the way a lot of other really religious people might be? The truth of the matter is God loves to empower ordinary people to extraordinary things. In the second half of 1 Corinthians 1, Paul reminds the church that most of them weren't rich and famous, celebrities, or Bible scholars when God called them to be part of his church. They were just people... ordinary people!
God has a great plan for all of us, so let's embrace his calling on our life and trust him when he says we can do great things through for his Kingdom.
Today we give thanks for the kids that God has blessed us with over the past few years at Westside.
1 Corinthians begins with Paul reminding the church in Corinth that they are sanctified as God's holy people. That means God wants the church to prepare for him to work powerfully through their church, and it means they are being called upon to go out and serve in God's Kingdom. With that in mind, the first thing Paul talks about tin his letter is the importance of unity in the body. We have an important mission to undertake, and there's no time to get sidetracked with infighting and divisions within the church.
Tonight we meditate on what it means to seek God's Kingdom first, how we can be content in every situation, introduce the Ignatian Prayer of Indifference, and talk through the spiritual discipline of simplicity.
1 Peter 4 teaches us that we all have a gift from God, and these gifts are meant to be shared. One of the five habits of Christ centered families is making the decision to serve others together.
Tonight we focus on the spiritual discipline of studying Scripture. Our class begins with an exercise called Lectio Divina--Latin for "divine reading--which allows us to slow down and prayerfully consider what God is calling us to know, believe, or do after reading a short passage from the Bible. For the rest of our class, we focus on the spiritual discipline of studying scripture.
Zerubbabel was born into a time of uncertain and adversity. His family--a long line of Kings--had turned away from God and brought about divine discipline on the people of God. Zerubbabel inherited a family dynamic that was anything but Godly. But Zerubbabel still had a bright future ahead of him... if he was willing to trust in God's power instead of his own.
In this section, Paul continues his emphasis on faith over the law. He talks about the differences between the promise given to Abraham and the covenant established with Moses, the fact that all of us are one in Christ, the foolishness of turning back to the Law after Christ has set us free from it, and why Christians are the children of Sarah living in freedom rather than the children of Hagar living in slavery.
Everyone leaves a legacy for the next generation. What kind of legacy are we leaving? Psalm 78:1-8 shows us the importance of passing the baton of faith from one generation to the next.
Our spiritual journeys are filled with peaks and valleys. Without a consistent, intentional effort to let God transform us, most of us drift back into our old ways of living. The spiritual disciplines are a great way to place us in the right environment where God can transform us from the inside out. Later on in tonight's class, we discuss one of those disciplines: fasting.
One of the best ways to communicate the truth of the Gospel is by living it out. Today we celebrate the amazing women who show us the love of God every day.
One of the most important decisions we can make as a family is to invite Jesus into the center of our homes. God always intended for our homes to be an important place of faith formation. We have the opportunity to show how important our relationship with God is by the way we devote our time, our finances, and our energy.
In this section of Galatians, Paul defends himself and his ministry, calls out the hypocrisy of other Christian leaders (like Peter), and continues to emphasize faith over the law.
When the Bible talks about Spiritual transformation, it's always something that God does to us, rather than something we do to ourselves. Willpower Christianity puts all the emphasis on our ability to manage behaviors and control our worst impulses. But willpower alone can never address the deeply ingrained habits of sin. Only God can transform our hearts. But how can we open our hearts and minds to the transforming work God is trying to do? The answer lies in the spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, meditation, etc). Through these spiritual practices, we allow God to get to work on our hearts.
1 Corinthians 11 is one of the most in-depth passages about the practice of Communion in the entire Bible. This message explores the problems with Communion that were occurring in the Corinthian church and what Paul teaches them about how to restore it to Jesus' original intent.
Bryan introduces the book of Galatians and describes the key problem that caused Paul to write this letter: a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that every new believer would have to strictly follow the laws and customs of the Old Covenant.
(Audio Only) • Spiritual formation is all about letting God transform us from the inside out. In this session, Bryan talks about what it means to practice Inside-Out Living.
When Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples, it was a Passover meal. Passover told the story of God saving his people from their slavery in Egypt and leading them to freedom in the Promised Land. Every time we celebrate Communion, we tell the same story of God rescuing us from slavery and giving us freedom in Christ. In that way, the Lord's Supper is a fulfillment of Passover.
Jesus is a Greek translation of the Hebrew name Joshua, The Lord Saves. Jesus in the New Testament shares a lot in common with Joshua in the Old Testament, because they both fought a battle, conquered and enemy, and led the people to salvation. The obvious difference is, Jesus wasn't fighting a physical battle. In this class, we explore the name of Jesus and talk through the similarities and differences between Joshua in the Conquest and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Tonight we introduced the concept of Spiritual Formation by talking about the importance of the heart. What we do matters, but who we are beneath the surface matters more. Please download the attachment that we used as the basis of our class. Please note: this session is audio only.
The book of Proverbs teaches us that a foolish person only trusts in themselves, while a wise person seeks out Godly advice.
Thank you for joining us for a special Sunday morning at Westside! Today we're wrapping up our annual Springfest Youth Rally. Let us know how we can pray for you by filling out our "In Touch Form." It's available in our app and on our website. Or, use this link to connect with us: https://westsidechurchofchrist.wufoo.com/forms/m1mhu0y11miaza2/
You're invited to a new, in-person gathering on Wednesday nights. Come experience a time of prayer, worship, Bible Study and interactive prayer experiences where we open our hearts to the transforming power of God.
Tonight is our last Wednesday night livestream in our current format. In this class, Bryan shares about the major themes we've studied over the past couple years and gives us a preview of the new in-person spiritual formation group that is starting up April 6th.
When Paul teaches the Corinthian church about Communion in 1 Corinthian 10-11, he uses the people of Israel and the sacrifices in the Jewish Temple as a way of describing what takes place during Communion. In this message we explore the significance of those temple sacrifices and what they teach us about our experience at Communion.
In the Old Testament, God described his chosen people as a vine that he planted, hoping they would produce good fruit. Instead, they only produced bad fruit. God sent Jesus into the world to be the true vine that would produce good fruit. We are the branches that are connected to Jesus, and that means we can produce the good fruit that God desires!
The Lord is My Shepherd... so begins the most famous chapter in the Psalms, and perhaps in the whole Bible. God wants us to know we can experience peace in every circumstance because he is the Good Shepherd who walks with us through every dark valley.
Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we don't need to let the troubles and concerns of this world take root in our hearts.
Jesus instituted Communion (the Lord's Supper) as an ongoing practice for the church. This one meal brings together several threads from the Bible that paint a picture of gratitude, fellowship, discipleship and the unity of the church. In this message we explore these themes and uncover the heart of Communion.
Even though we'll never be able to measure up to God's standard on our own, we still have reason for hope: Jesus himself is our righteousness! In this class we explore about the name Jehovah-Tsidkenu, The Lord is Our Righteousness.
Jesus is our resurrection and our life. He is the one who transforms our dead ends into new opportunities. When Jesus shows up to Bethany to visit Mary and Martha, it seemed like he was too late. Their brother Lazarus had already been dead for four days. But Then Jesus transformed the entire course of their lives forever: re resurrected Lazarus! In the same way, God shows up at our lowest moments to give us hope for the future.
Everyone who is born of God will find victory in the world. That's the inspiring promise God gives us at the end of 1 John. Being born of God is the language of new life that we experience through baptism, and it opens the door to hope and joy in our future.
Marshall Richert shares an update on the AIM missions work Westside supports, and AIM shares a video update about their program, students, and prayer requests.
In Exodus 15, Israel was at another dead end. After wandering in the heat of the desert for three days without any water, Israel was one the brink of death. They desperately needed water if they had any hope of survival. Just when it looked like their prayers were answered, everything came crashing down. The water they found was too bitter to drink! God showed up in a mighty way and turned their bitter water into life-giving water. In the same vein, God shows up for us in our dead-end moments to bring us hope and renewal. He is the Lord Who Heals.
God is Love. That's the key truth from 1 John 4. God's very nature is defined by love, and he has expressed that most clearly in his decision to send Jesus to die for the sins of the world. He took the first step to demonstrate that love with no guarantee that people would respond to him. That kind of "reckless love" should motivate us to love God, love our neighbors, and invite people to experience the saving grace of Jesus personally.
The God of the Bible is the one true God, who is high above every other power, philosophy, and so-called god that our world has invented.
Jesus is the gate for the sheep. But what does that mean? Watch this Bible Study on John 10:1-10 to find out more.
El Shaddai is God Almighty, the all-powerful God who can fulfill his promises despite all obstacles.
Jesus is the light of the world. He illuminates our path, brings everything into the open, and dispels our fears.
The goal of discipleship is to be like Jesus. That's the message John has for the church in 1 John 2:6. It's one thing to claim to follow God, but if we're sincere in our devotion, we'll follow through with obedience.
When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, it didn't make any sense. Isaac was supposed to be the child of the promise. How could that be if he was sacrificed? When God finally intervened and provided Abraham with an alternative sacrifice, Abraham named the site "Jehovah-Jireh," the Lord Will Provide.
Jesus is the bread of life, the sustainer of our souls. Bread was a necessity for the people of Israel and represented the staple food in their diet. Jesus fills our spiritual hunger the way nothing else can, but we spend a lot of time trying to fill that hunger with the things of the world instead of Jesus himself.
Christians are called to live in fellowship (koinonia) with one another. Are we united because we are all identical? Or have the same opinions? Or does our unity start with something deeper? The book of 1 John points us to the gift of fellowship: a deep connection to God and others that's built on the foundation of the Gospel.
Hagar was mistreated, abandoned, and cast out to wander alone in the desert. When she was at her lowest, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her to bless her and the baby in her womb. She felt so loved that she gave God a new name: El Roi, the God Who Sees Me.
Jesus teaches us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. What does this mean for followers of Jesus today?
God has given us everything we need to follow Jesus faithfully. The question is, are we taking full advantage of the spiritual resources at our disposal?
God is known by dozens of names in the Bible, but the three most common ones in the Old Testament are YHWH (Yahweh), Elohim, and Adonai. In our first session of this new Bible Study, we'll describe what each name tells us about God's character.
What is the most important priority on our life? Are we investing in temporary things that will eventually fade away? Or eternal things that will stand the test of time? For tonight's class we'll take a look at Jesus' teachings on treasure in heaven, choosing between God and money, and why we won't have to worry.
Following Jesus means pushing past our fears and taking bold steps in our faith. That's not always easy--in fact it rarely is! But we can be confident in our bold steps of faith because Jesus is our firm foundation. He is trustworthy and dependable throughout all the adversity we face.
In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek when we're mistreated by evil, immoral people. Then he takes it one step further to say we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. These are two of the hardest teachings Jesus gives us. In this video, Bryan talks through these two challenging passages and encourages us to really start putting them into practice.
The vast majority of the New Testament is letters written from an Apostle like Peter or Paul to a church or a particular individual. These letters contain some of the most important teachings we have about the significance of Jesus's life, death and resurrection. If we want to understand the truth of God's Word, we need to know how to read these letters in the best possible way.
In this video, Bryan talks about the importance of historical context (understanding the specific circumstances that prompted each letter) and literary context--reading the Bible in paragraphs instead of soundbites.
Jesus teaches us that the most important commandment in the entire Bible is to love God with everything we have--heart, mind, soul and strength. That means every part of our life, whether private or public, should be available to God. And every time we encounter God in worship, prayer or Bible study, it's an opportunity to be transformed into a better image of Jesus.
We all interpret the Bible every time we read it. It's only a matter of how well we're doing our job. The Bible meant something to the original authors who wrote it, but that doesn't mean we their original intent is necessarily obvious today. Since things like language and culture and cause some potential confusion, we need to know the best practices to follow if we want to make sure we're reading and applying the Bible correctly.
Studying and applying the Bible involves two steps. First, we uncover the original meaning or intent of the Bible (a process sometimes called exegesis). Then, we take that message and apply it to our lives (hermeneutics). Sometimes there are some significant obstacles that make it hard to uncover the authors' original intent, but we have some amazing resources available to help us in this process!
If you really want to take the next step in your study of God's Word, grab a solid translation of the Bible, a quality Bible dictionary, and some commentaries that can shed more light on what was happening in each book of the Bible.
Let's take a close look at some of the most challenging teachings Jesus gives us, starting with the idea of "counting the cost" of following Jesus. Jesus teaches us to hate our family, to carry our cross, and to leave everything behind when we follow him. In this video we'll explore what all of this means, practically speaking.
The Apostle John describes Jesus as full of grace and truth. What does this mean for followers of Jesus? First, Jesus is kind and patient. He extends his love and gives his grace freely. At the same time, Jesus holds us to a high standard and doesn't hold back from showing us exactly what God requires. Jesus perfectly balances both grace and truth, and as disciples of Jesus, we need to take both of those seriously.
God's word is designed to create waste change in the life of a believer. Every time we encounter God's word in a Bible Study, sermon, or prayer experience, God wants us to be transformed. In this first message about taking Jesus Seriously, Bryan introduces these themes and challenges us to make 2022 the year of putting Jesus at the center of our lives.
Happy New Year from your Westside family! Here's a short message to introduce our new sermon series and set the tone for 2022.
In the last part of the Christmas story, Simeon and Anna rejoice at the birth of Christ and bless Jesus in the Temple courts.
The people of Bethlehem didn't make room for Jesus, because they didn't understand the value of God's greatest gift to the world. What about us? Do we understand the amazing gift God gave the world when he sent Jesus to be born as a baby in a manger? When you understand how important Jesus is, you make room for him in your heart.
The end of Philippians is a powerful reminder to be content in what God has already given us, instead of living with chronic disappointment about the things we want, but don't have. Because God has already given us the most important gift of all, we can be content in every situation.
Elizabeth and her unborn son John (the Baptist) show us what it looks like to receive God's gift in the right way.
In today's passage, Paul encourages us to follow Godly examples, to make sure we're working towards unity in the church, and to go to God in prayer when we start to feel anxious. One of the most encouraging promises he gives us is that through Christ, we can receive the peace of God from the God of peace!
The Christmas story begins when Gabriel makes two stunning appearances--first the Priest Zechariah in the Temple, then to the teenage Mary on the outskirts of Israel. In each case, Gabriel announces good news about a miraculous pregnancy. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, both Zechariah and Mary would play a central role in bringing God's promises to fulfillment.
Haman's life takes a drastic and unexpected turn during Esther's second banquet. Mordecai is elevated to a position of honor and wealth at the exact time that Haman meets his demise.
In this passage, Paul highlights two fellow Christians who are doing an especially good job of serving Christ and putting others first: Timothy and Epaphroditus. After that, Paul challenges us to stop putting so much confidence in our temporary, worldly accomplishments when we know we have something of much greater value: a relationship with Jesus Christ!
The Bible teaches us to always be thankful, to cast off our anxiety, and to pray to God when we're facing overwhelming situations. How can we be thankful in the midst of life's tragedies? In this message, Bryan shares how God answers prayers in two ways: By changing our circumstances, our changing our attitude about the circumstances. However God chooses to respond, we can be thankful.
In this passage, Paul encourages us to live with humility. It's not all about what we get out of a situation, but what we can give as a blessing to others. That's what Jesus did for us, and it's what we should do for others. We'll also explore an idea that has caused some heartache: what does it mean to work out our salvation with fear and trembling! When you read Paul's words in context, it's not as scary as it sounds.
When Jesus sat down to have dinner with the Pharisees, he took the opportunity to teach them something about the kind of people God is inviting to his table. It's not just the religious experts and wealthy leaders of the community, but the poor, the outcasts, even the strangers on the road that God is inviting in. The lesson for us is clear: God has invited us to his table, even though we don't deserve it, and we need to make room for everyone else that God is inviting to be part of his Kingdom.
Esther pleads her case before King Xerxes, Haman gets bad advice from his family, and a sleepless night leads to a dramatic change of plans for Haman and Mordecai.
In this section of Philippians, Paul gives us an inspiring example of trusting in God and rejoicing in the Lord no matter our circumstances.
We're starting a new Bible Study on the book of Philippians! This is one of the books of the Bible Paul wrote from prison. Despite the dangers he was facing, Paul had a remarkable positive outlook! His letter teaches us to find joy in Christ no matter our circumstances.
On our first session, we explore the historical background that helps us understand the issues facing the church in Philippi, and then dive into Philippians 1:1-11.
A second important reason why Christians are called to practice the ministry of hospitality is found in Matthew 25:31-40. Jesus teaches us that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for him. Welcoming strangers, feeding the sick, clothing the hungry--when we care for others, Jesus receives that as if we were doing it all for him personally.
We all face defining moments in our lives. For Esther, she is faced with an impossible situation: sit back while her people are destroyed, or risk her own life to beg the King to put a stop to the madness. Esther's courage in the face of grave danger is an inspiring example for all of us who face similar defining moments.
Westside recently started a new ministry called Shepherding Groups! During this Wednesday Bible Study, Bryan shares about what these are, how you can participate, and a few more thoughts on the inspiring passages our groups have been studying together over the past few weeks.
There are many commands throughout the Bible to love our neighbors, show hospitality, and be a friend to strangers. Why is this such an important part of following God? In this message, we explore the "why" behind God's command to practice hospitality. The message focuses on Deuteronomy 10:12-22, where God teaches Israel to care for the orphans, widows, and foreigners that will be residing in their new homeland inside the Promised Land. What we find is a powerful call to love our neighbors that is rooted in God's compassionate character, our empathy towards our fellow man, and a desire to pay God's blessings forward after everything he's done for us.
In this session we cover Esther 2, where we meet Esther and Mordecai. Xerxes summons all the beautiful young women of the Empire in order to find a new queen to replace Vashti. Esther is summoned to the King, who falls in love with her and chooses her as his new wife.
On the Day of Pentecost, after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter stood up to preach the first Gospel sermon. That sermon teaches us that all of us are guilty of putting Jesus on the cross, but all of us have the gift of grace available as well! Beyond that, Peter's willingness to boldly declare the truth about Jesus is evidence that he's experienced a dramatic transformation in his own life--the same kind of transformation we can experience through the power of the Gospel.
Biblical hospitality means being a friend to strangers. In this sermon, based on Paul's "rule of life" for the Christian church, Bryan shares about what the ministry of hospitality looks like in practice.
Bryan begins a new class on the book of Esther with an introduction to this somewhat unusual book of the Bible (in which God is never mentioned!) and shares the big ideas from chapter 1.
The message of the cross might seem foolish, but for those of us who believe, it is the power of God! This Bible Study on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 focuses on the power that we have as believers and the way that God uses the ordinary things (and people!) of this world to accomplish great things through his name.
When you think of hospitality, what comes to mind? A hospital? The "hospitality industry" (like hotels and motels)? Or maybe you think of dinner at grandma's house, where everyone gathered around the table and was always welcomed with open arms.
Biblical hospitality is an attitude that starts in our hearts that is expressed in the way we treat people, especially people we might normally consider "outsiders." This series will explore how and why every Christian is called to practice hospitality--the ministry of being a gracious host to everyone we meet.
This first message introduces the idea of hospitality and focuses on the parable of the seeds and soils from Matthew 13. Bryan challenges us to ask two tough questions: Are we giving a warm welcome to Jesus and the Gospel message? And are we showing hospitality to people who are seeking Jesus?
Jesus gave up a lot so that we could be saved. Ok--that's a huge understatement! Jesus gave up everything we could possibly imagine--and perhaps more--so that we could receive eternal life. In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul helps us understand everything Jesus did to humble himself and give up his rights so that we could be saved. It's a powerful example of the way that Christians are called to give up our rights and what's best for us so that others can be blessed instead.
Doubting Thomas had a hard time believing the unbelievable news about Jesus' resurrection. There's an important lesson for us to learn about the role doubt plays in our journey by looking at how Jesus and the rest of the disciples responded to Thomas' lingering doubt.
Boaz and an unnamed relative resolve a lingering family matter about who will step up to redeem Naomi and Ruth. Boaz willingness to pay a high personal price to redeem Ruth is an illustration of the love that God has for all of us.
David wasn't the right man for the job. That's if you judge him based on what everyone else saw: A young, inexperienced shepherd who wasn't supposed to be at the battleground to begin with. But when David saw Goliath standing up to defy God and the armies of Israel, he knew he had to act. David came from a complicated family with a scandalous past, he didn't have the right experience or training, and no one expected him to come out on top. But because David trusted in God's power, he was victorious. His story shows us that with God, there's hope for the underdogs.
Ruth and Boaz have a private meeting on the threshing floor. Ruth proposes to Boaz, and the two make plans to get married... as soon as Boaz is able to dot the i's and cross the t's when it comes to another relative who has "first dibs" on the right to redeem Ruth and Naomi.
This class wraps up the second half of Isaiah 53 by connecting this prophecy about Jesus to the events that unfolded in his life hundreds of years later.
When a woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, she expected to be condemned to death as the law laid out. But Jesus took this opportunity to show her--and the world--that there's always hope for the broken.
At the end of Ruth 2, Naomi and Ruth experience a notable shift in their attitude and outlook. After a season of walking through the valley of the shadow of death, the generosity of Boaz gives them a concrete reason to open their hearts to hope.
In Ruth 2:1-16, Ruth sets out to glean in the fields of a kind and generous farmer. She doesn't know exactly who she'll find, but she's hoping it'll be someone who offers her grace. Through God's providential hand, Ruth ends up in the field of Boaz, a wealthy landowner who is more generous to Ruth than anyone would have expected. His kindness is an example of the grace God gives all of us when we are at rock bottom.
Our sin is like a big pile of debt that we'll never be able to pay. Thankfully, Jesus paid it all when it went to the cross! In this Bible Study we look at the way God describes our sin as debt, and the blessing we have in Christ because of him paying the price of our sins.
The Bible describes Heaven as a restored Eden where everyone can come into the presence of God. What a marvelous thing we have to look forward to!
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem at the start of the Harvest season. Ruth's kindness, loyalty and love is a wonderful example for all of us to follow!
The church is called to be a hospital for sinners and a bootcamp for believers. When the church is living out its mission, it'll be caring for one another and reaching the lost with the good news of the Gospel.
Welcome to our first session of "The Gospel According to Ruth." This class includes an introduction to the book of Ruth, the major themes, and the events of Ruth 1:1-5. Although Ruth and Naomi face famine and tragedy, God is leading them on a journey to fullness and joy.
Please download the class handout which will be a helpful resource for this session.
Jesus died to fulfill everything God had planned to do since the first sin was committed in the book of Genesis. After his resurrection, Jesus "passed the baton" to the church so that we would take the good news to everyone we encountered. In this message, we explore what our mission is and why we need to be serious about living out our Gospel mission.
Why did Jesus have to die in order to forgive our sins? Why didn't he snap his fingers or wave his hand and just wipe everyone's sins away without the cross? In this study, we'll look at the history behind the sacrifices in the Old Testament and why a blood sacrifice was required for the forgiveness of sins. Then, we'll connect that Old Testament foundation to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Genesis 1-3 shows us how our sin caused a rift in our relationship with God. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ removed all the barriers that are separating us from God through his death, burial and resurrection.
Bryan and Adam team up to share about three exciting changes for the future of Westside.
- We are moving from two services to ONE SERVICE that will meet at 9:30am, effective 9/19/21.
- We are launching brand new shepherding groups, hosted by our 8 elders, that will meet for the first time on 9/19/21. These groups are being thoughtfully and intentionally put together to be intergenerational and diverse.
- Our Kids' Ministry will be launching kids classes during the 10:45am slot, effective 9/19/21. Why September 19th for all these big changes? Because it's Back to Church Sunday, and it's the perfect chance to welcome everyone back to find hope in the Gospel, connect with our Christians in a shepherding group, and give their kids a wonderful opportunity to hear the good news of the Gospel.
This message wraps up our class on the book "The Faith of the Outsider." We'll discuss how to put everything we've studied into practice, by making sure to take the Gospel to all people and stop drawing lines where God hasn't drawn them.
Jesus came to be the blessing that Israel couldn't be. Everything that God planned and promised in the Old Testament was fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Looking for hope and a place to belong? You’re invited to experience both at Westside Church of Christ! Westside is a community that will share your struggles, encourage you, and help you find hope through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether you are brand new to church, or have been a believer all your life, we invite you to come back to church and experience the blessing of hope and community. We’ll be launching a special sermon series that will help you build relationships and find hope through the Gospel. We can’t wait to see you on September 19th!
Jesus didn't play by the rules. Jews and Samaritans weren't supposed to associate with one another becuase of drama and fighting between them that went back hundreds of years. But in John 4, Jesus broke through those barriers to have a life-changing conversation with a woman who didn't exactly have the perfect past. Her story, and the dramatic transformation she experienced, is a reminder that God loves to use unlikely people in extraordinary ways.
God's people are given a second chance in the Promised Land. In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Israelites come home to rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah (and Ezra) both challenge the people of God to choose a future of obedience and faithfulness. The question is, will they be able to follow through?
God brought Israel to the Promised Land so they could teach the nations how to honor God and come back home to the Garden of Eden. Instead, they used their newfound power and freedom to pursue selfish gain. For 800 years, Israel tried (and failed) to follow God's laws. During that time, they became more and more focused on personal gain than following God. Eventually, God disciplined his people with exile. Despite their failure, the story wasn't over... and that gives us hope today!
At long last, God's people enter the Promised Land. Joshua is called upon to lead the people, and after God gives them victory, he gathers the people together for one last message: God is faithful to his promises; God gives the victory, and it's time to make a decision about who to follow.
There's definitely insiders and outsiders in the book of Jonah. Jonah, an Israelite prophet, is a clear insider. He encounters from questionable characters like the sailors and the people of Nineveh, who are definitely outsiders. But like so many other stories from our series, it's the outsiders who seem to respond to God in a positive way while Jonah literally runs from God. This is yet another example of the way we have a lot to learn from the people we least expect to be right with God.
God forms a covenant relationship with Israel, who are to bless the world by serving as a nation of priests. God calls upon them to take the grace they've been given and "pay it forward" to the poor, the needy, and the outcasts.
Wait, that guy? God called the king of the foreign, idolatrous nation Persia his anointed one (Messiah)? Isaiah 45 challenges us to stop putting God in a box by reminding us that God can use anyone and everyone to accomplish his mission. In this Bible Study, Bryan walks us through Isaiah 45:1-13 and shares more about why God chose Cyrus of all people to bring the exiles home and rebuild the Temple.
We'll be posting the video to our app, website and social media platforms tonight at 6:30pm.
God rescues his people from their slavery in Egypt, preserving their nation and their mission.
God reveals his plan to address the growing problem of sin in the world: to raise up a people who would show the way back to God. Just as God created a good world against the backdrop of a dark, formless void, God was now creating a good people against the backdrop of a world covered in spiritual darkness. Today, as the body of Christ, we are called to live as people of the promise and continue God's work of blessing all peoples all over the world.
Naaman the outsider is healed from leprosy and makes a remarkable confession of faith, at the same time as Gehazi the insider lets greed take hold in his heart. By the end of the story, their roles are reversed.
God created a good world where people found fulfillment to all their deepest desires through their relationship with God. By Genesis 3, Adam and Eve began to venture outside of their relationship with God to satisfy their longings. By circumventing God and his plan, people rejected God in his role as our provider. In this message, we tell the next part of God's Big Story: Rejection.
Thankfully, the story doesn't end with rejection and consequences in Genesis 3. God immediately puts a plan in motion to solve our problem of guilt, separation, and a broken relationship with him. As the rest of the Bible unfolds, we see God's unrelenting desire to bring us back to Life in the Garden.
Two stories from the book of Joshua illustrate a dramatic reversal of fortunes. Rahab, the ultimate outsider, shows more faith in God than many of the Israelites themselves. Because of her faith, she is invited to become an honored part of the community. Achan, the ultimate insider, is filled with pride and sins against God and the people of Israel. Because of his sin, he is cast out and sentenced to death. These stories contain a message of hope for the outsiders and a warning for the insiders, and they show us that it's not our past condition or present struggles, but our ongoing faithfulness, that determines our standing before God.
What kind of book is the Bible? Is it a history book, a law book, a dictionary, or something else? How a person views the Bible shapes how they read it. This summer we are learning to read the Bible as one unified story--the Greatest Story! We'll cover the big picture of the Bible in twelve weeks to answer the question, "What is the Big Story?"
As we go, we'll explore how we fit into the grand narrative of Scripture... in other words, our purpose!
This message is an introduction to our summer series and the first session on the creation account in Genesis 1-2. God made a good world of needy people who were designed to find fulfillment in God, others, and doing God's work.
By the middle of Genesis 38, Tamar was the ultimate outsider: A foreign, childless, banished widow. Her father-in-law Judah wasn't treating her fairly, and her prospects for the future were grim--to say the least. But God didn't lose sight of Tamar, and she wasn't about to fade into obscurity. Instead, she saw to it that the plan of God stayed on track through some rather unorthodox means. You're invited to hear more about how Tamar, an unlikely hero, kept God's people on track!
Even though Esau threw away his birthright and was cheated out of his blessing, God still had big plans for this overlooked older brother. His story shows us you don’t have to be “the chosen one” to play a key role in God’s ultimate plan of redemption.
Jesus gives us a powerful example of meeting the physical and spiritual needs of his community in Matthew 9:35-38. God has always wanted the good news of the Kingdom to go out into all the world, and Jesus is choosing us to be the workers.
One of the most consistent themes in the Old Testament is that Israel was God's chosen people. When God appeared to Abram in Genesis 12, he promised that Abram would become the father of a nation that would one day bless the entire world. In order for this promise to become a reality, God called together one nation to be unique and set apart. But this "choosing" was not intended to exclude others, it was intended to one day bring everyone into a loving relationship with him.
In this first part of a new class "The Faith of the Outsider," Bryan explores what it means to be chosen by God and the ministry God is calling us to. We invite you to join us every Wednesday at 6:30pm for this online class.
Jesus commissioned the disciples to go into all the world, but then he told them to wait in Jerusalem. Before going, they needed to be equipped with the power and strength they'd need for the mission. In Acts 1-2, we see that they devoted themselves to prayer, made unity a priority, and learned to rely on the power of the Spirit.
We would do well to follow in their footsteps!
God tells us that he abounds in faithfulness (or truth). Bryan shares about what this means and how Jesus personifies the faithfulness of God in the Gospels.
How does Jesus show love to people in his lifetime? Tonight we'll look at three people Jesus loved and three principles we can learn from these stories.
Adam England describes the unimaginable, never-ending, always-dependable love that God has for us.
Jesus got angry. Really angry. But not at the same things that trigger us. Jesus, like God the Father, is slow to anger. But his anger is principled, thoughtful, and focused on the needs of others instead of himself. His example of righteous anger and immense patience, even in the midst of suffering, is an important reminder that we are called to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. We invite you to watch tonight's Bible Study to hear more about this.
Adam delivers a powerful message on the patience of God. God is willing to patiently endure the frustration he feels at the sin of his people, holding out hope that we will come to our senses and return to him.
Jesus shows grace in nearly every interaction he has in the Gospels. In this Bible Study, Bryan highlights a few key examples of Jesus inviting unlikely people to receive amazing blessings.
The word "Grace" is noticeably absent from the Old Testament, but the idea is there nonetheless. In the Old Testament, grace was understood as "finding favor in the eyes" of a king. God describes himself as a gracious God, and that means we have found favor in his eyes. We are invited into his presence with open arms and given the chance to tell him exactly what we need. In this message, Bryan expands on these ideas and shares the spiritual significance of God's grace.
The Gospel of John declares that Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh. That means that we can get to know the heart of God by getting to know Jesus. This Wednesday night class is a companion class to our Sunday morning series "Discover the Heart of God." Each week, we'll study how Jesus lives out one of the five essential character traits of God, based on Exodus 34:6-7. This week we begin by studying Jesus' example of compassion.
We're starting a new series that focuses on the heart of God. While God was delivering the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were busy building a golden calf (idol) below. After this serious sin, everyone was anxious to find out what God would do.
Would God punish them, reject them, and abandon them forever? Or would he show grace and offer a second chance? It's against this backdrop that we first encounter one of the recurring descriptions of God in the Old Testament:
"And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
This series will focus on each one of these characteristics of God (one per week):
Compassionate--April 11 Gracious--April 18 Slow to Anger--April 25 Love--May 2 Faithfulness--May 9
We want our church family and community to know that God takes sin seriously, but his heart is full of grace, love, and compassion.
God gives a special message to a key leader that didn't think he had much of a place in the Kingdom of God. God teaches this unlikely leader that the key to success is learning to trust in God's power instead of his own.
Sean Nickell teaches on world religions in week 4 of the class "The Case for Christianity."
When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, he lifted a cup from the Passover meal to symbolize a new covenant between God and his people. In this Easter Sermon, Bryan shares about the significant of that cup and the four promises Jesus celebrated with his disciples during the Passover meal.
The next theme that we'll cover in the book of Haggai is the way God motivates his people by reminding them of his faithfulness in the past, his presence with them in the present, and his promises for the future.
Sean Nickell discusses the reliability of the New Testament the formation of the canon of Scripture.
Israel was called back out of exile to rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. The good news is, when they arrived, they were always working hard. The bad news is, they weren't always working on the right things. Instead of building the house of the Lord, they went home to build their own homes instead. God spoke through the prophet Haggai about their need to seek first the Kingdom of God--and that's a powerful and relevant message for us today.
Cory Burns concludes Springfest weekend with a message focused on God's faithfulness and the need to share the Gospel.
Enjoy this special concert from Won by One-- The amazing student a cappella group from Pepperdine University!
Jeff Walling from Pepperdine University kicks off Springfest 2021 with an opening message for our students.
Jeff Walling from Pepperdine University delivers the second message for students at Springfest 2021.
Dr. Dudley Chancey has an incredible background. He worked in youth ministry for 25 years before coming to Oklahoma Christian University in 1998 to teach youth and family ministry. He is the founder and director of the Winterfest youth events in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Arlington, Texas. He also co-founded the Intergenerational Faith Center at Oklahoma Christian.
This session is designed to train and equip parents on the topic of breaking the screen barrier.
Join us for an inspiring and encouraging weekend at Springfest!
Saturday:
10am: Student / Parent Sessions • Students: "Walking in the Shadows” (Jeff Walling) • Parenting in the Pandemic: "Breaking the Screen Barrier" (Dudley Chancey) 12pm: Lunch (Gym / Parking Lot)
1pm: Won by One Concert (Parking Lot)
2pm: Student / Parent Sessions • Students: "We Don't Walk Alone” (Jeff Walling) • Parenting in the Pandemic: “Growing Young”(David Fraze)
4pm: Illusionist Zak Mirz (Parking Lot)
5pm: Dinner (Gym / Parking Lot)
Sunday: 10:30am: Worship (Parking Lot) • Speaker: Cory Burns "Dining with the Devil"
In Ezra 4, the people of God were at a complete standstill in their mission. By Ezra 5, they were making rapid progress. What happened in the middle to inspire them to get back to work? the Bible teaches us that God sent prophets like Haggai to deliver the Word of the Lord which led to a dramatic transformation.
Today, God's Word still has the power to transform our lives--if we're willing to let it.
Week 6 of our study on the book of Colossians covers 3:18-4:18. The last few passages focus on how Christians should live and act within their homes, how everyone is called to a missional way of living that focuses on evangelism, and a few concluding greetings to the church in Colossae.
Sean Nickell begins a new class on apologetics--the evidence and reasoning that support the Christian faith.
In Ezra 5-6, the people of God face more opposition, but respond with purpose and determination to finish the work of building God's Temple.
Week 5 of our study on the book of Colossians covers 3:1-17. This is a practical, challenging passage that shows us how we should live and act as Christians who have been born again. There are some unhealthy habits that we need to avoid, and some Christlike attitudes and actions that we need to adopt.
The nation of Israel faces their first major setback after returning home to build the Temple. How will they respond to this season of adversity? And did they make the right decision in rejecting the help of their enemies?
Week 4 of our study on the book of Colossians covers 2:6-23. It is in this passage that we find our theme word, "Rooted." Paul instructs us to be rooted in Christ as we grow up to achieve spiritual maturity--his overall goal for writing this letter. Because Jesus is supreme over all and sufficient for all we need, we don't need to listen to any teachings about Christ that contradict the Gospel or imply there's something in addition to Christ that a Christian needs to be saved. Instead, through the cross of Christ, God has already saved us. Paul uses the language of circumcision, putting off the old self, burial and resurrection, forgiveness and canceling a spiritual debt to describe the gift of grace that God has already poured out through the cross of Christ.
Ezra three shows us a diverse people from different backgrounds coming together with a singular focus: rebuilding the Temple. They share an important mission and several core values: The Word, Worship, and their Traditions.
Week 3 of our study on the book of Colossians covers 1:24-2:5. Paul, writing to the church in Colossae from prison, reminds the church of the suffering he's experienced for the Gospel and how devoted he has been to preaching the Gospel, which is now being proclaimed throughout the entire world. This passage is especially helpful because Paul articulates his overarching goal for writing this letter: That we would all grow up to achieve spiritual maturity (Colossians 1:28). Later in the passage, he expands that goal to include encouragement, unity, understanding, knowledge, discipline, and a firm faith that isn't distracted by new and deceptive teachings.
The book of Ezra is an inspiring story about the people of God rebuilding the Temple, and rebuilding their lives, after a significant tragedy. After decades in exile under a harsh, foreign king, Israel had begun to lose hope. God sent a prophet named Jeremiah to confront Israel with the seriousness of their sin, but to also show them that hope was on the horizon. As the book of Ezra begins, the Bible tells us that that important promise of restoration was finally coming true.
Today, we can find ourselves in the story of Ezra. Our lives have been turned upside down this past year, but we know that God is changing hearts, opening doors, and giving us the chance to rebuild.
Week 2 of our study on the book of Colossians covers 1:15-23. This passage features a poetic description of Jesus as king and creator over all the world. Because of his position of prominence, he deserves our full attention and complete devotion. Paul helps us understand that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was the key event that God used to transform us from enemies of God to new creations in Christ.
In John 10, Jesus declares that he is the Good Shepherd. As the sheep of the flock, we are expected to listen to the voice of our shepherd and follow his direction. When we are focused on Jesus, unity in the church is the natural result. Because of that, we should value commitment over conformity.
Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd and the gate for the sheep. We need to listen for Jesus' voice and follow his lead.
Week 1 of our study on the book of Colossians covers 1:1-14. Paul begins his letter with a personal introduction and a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for the church in Colossae. Paul's prayer helps us understand the good things we should strive for as individuals and as a church body, and it points us to the transforming grace of Jesus which God gave us at the cross.
How can we be good sheep in the flock of God? We should follow the example of Jesus by focusing more on the needs of others instead of ourselves.
Life is full of chaos, but God gives us the confidence we need to handle it with courage. In tonight's class we'll explore God's call to put our fears aside in Joshua 1:9 and Isaiah 41:10.
The Bible describes God as a Shepherd for his people--and that means we're the sheep. What do we learn about God, ourselves, and our church community from the fact that he's the shepherd and we're the sheep? In this first message on our new series, Bryan traces the language of shepherds in the Bible from beginning to end, showing how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the promises God gives to his people.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and that means he's always there to protect us when we need him!
It’s ok to be a sheep! God is our Good Shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture. The shepherd-sheep analogy helps us understand some important truths about God, ourselves, and our church community. Join us for our new message series as we study the Scriptures and explore what it means to follow the Good Shepherd in community. Watch this short intro video and invitation to church…and then share it with a friend!
Join us online at 9am, and outdoors at 10:30.
(Royalty Free Music from Bensound)
Part 2 from January 20th • Philippians 4:6-13 teaches us that through Christ, we can find peace from our anxiety and strength to endure every situation that comes our way.
(Part 1 from January 20th, 2021) • God promises to work all things together for the good of those who love him. But quite often, God knows what is truly best for us, when all we can see if what we want in the moment. In this Bible Study, Bryan helps us understand what it means to trust in God's plan, even through the hard times.
No matter what's on our past, Jesus is offering us a fresh start. In this message, we tell five short stories of men and women with complicated pasts who nevertheless received the grace of God.
Hey Westside families! Check out this short video about the way Jesus gives us second chances when we make mistakes. This video corresponds to the message series we're doing on Sunday mornings.
There are some GREAT resources that go along with this lesson (coloring pages, activities, comic book), but we can only share them via e-mail or hard copy. Contact Bryan at bfojtasek@westsidelife.org to request your free digital resources.
(Part 1 of 2 from 1/13/21) • When King Solomon dedicated the Temple of the Lord to God, he prayed that God would always hear the prayers of the people. Solomon knew that there would be times when Israel would wander away from God and need some tough love to realize the error of their ways, so he prayed in advance that God would show them mercy. God promised that he would always be willing to forgive and heal his people after seasons of divine discipline.
(Part 2 of 2 from 1/13/21) • David was a man of Mary sorrows. He knew the pain of loss, grief, and constant unrest. There are times in our lives when we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It's not a sign that we're being punished, or that God has forgotten us. Instead, it's just a part of what it means to be human. God's grace is found in the way he brings comfort and confidence to us as we walk through these dark valleys--together.
Pam discusses what to expect when our lives are turned upside down, the grief journey, and how we can find comfort in Jesus and our church family in times of tragedy.
What happens to our minds and bodies when our lives are turned upside down by difficult news, natural disasters, or other unsettling events?
Not everyone grieves the same way or on the same schedule, but there are some common things you can expect to go through during the grief journey.
It's often a struggle to know how we can be a blessing to others and comfort them during their times of loss. Pam draws on her own experiences of losing her daughter and her background in counseling to offer some tangible advice on how to be a loving presence to our friends and family in times of tragedy.
When we're stuck in feeling of hopelessness and depression, it's hard to know how things could ever get better. We can get "stuck" in our grief without ever processing it in a healthy way. In this video, Pam discusses one of the best ways to take the first steps to healing: admitting your needs and finding a support group.
Grief is a painful thing to confront, but living in denial and suppressing our feelings is even harder. As Pam says, when we bury emotions, we bury them alive. Christians are allowed to experience the full spectrum of human emotions, including anger, grief, and sadness.
Life is full of dark and difficult seasons. One amazing blessing of following Jesus is never having to walk those dark valleys alone. Jesus is always with us, and as faithful members of a church family, we have our brothers and sisters beside us as a constant source of strength and encouragement.
Jesus came to bring hope to the hurting. In Mark 9, we see the way that Jesus changes the life of a father and son forever by healing them both of a sickness that was eating away at their lives.
Hey Westside families! Check out this short video about the way Jesus brings hope to the hurting. This video corresponds to the message series we're doing on Sunday mornings.
There are some GREAT resources that go along with this lesson (coloring pages, activities, comic book), but we can only share them via e-mail or hard copy. Contact Bryan at bfojtasek@westsidelife.org to request your free digital resources.
Bryan shares some thoughts on the top Bible passages of 2020 according to BibleGateway.com and the YouVersion Bible app. This is part two of the class from January 6th, focusing on Jeremiah 29:11. Part one was on John 3:16.
Bryan shares some thoughts on the top Bible passages of 2020 according to BibleGateway.com and the YouVersion Bible app. This is part one of the class from January 6th, focusing on John 3:16. Part two will be on Jeremiah 29:11.
We're wrapping up our year with a look back at the big themes, classes and message series from 2020!
We've all experienced seasons of life that feel hopeless. When Jesus was alive, he encountered all sorts of people who were at a dead end. And in every situation, he brought hope to the hopeless. He came to bring revival.
2021 will be a year of revival--the chance to break free, start fresh, and discover hope in Jesus.
Adam shares his thoughts on the song "Mary Did You Know," tying the song to the story of Christmas and a prediction about Jesus from the book of Isaiah.
Our staff set aside some time to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! We took turns sharing about favorite Christmas meals, memories, and songs, and read part of the Christmas story from Luke 1. We love you all and wish you a very merry Christmas!
O Come All Ye Faithful tells the story of the Magi, Shepherds and Angels who recognized the magnificence of Jesus entering our world. Their knowledge of Jesus turned into joy, which led them to worship, which was expressed not only in the words they sang but the lives they lived. Today, this song is an invitation to truly worship Jesus from the bottom of our hearts.
God knows the struggles you're facing and the anxiety you're feeling. He's inviting you to cast all of your anxiety on him--because he cares for you. In our final class on the book of 1 Peter, we'll explore how we're all called to love and serve the way Jesus did, and how God wants to offer us strength and restoration in our struggle against sin.
Hey Westside family, it's Bryan. I just want to remind all of us that we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously. It's ok for Christians to have fun :)
Now I know that 2020 has been a difficult year, but Christmas can be a time to laugh to celebrate despite the challenges we're facing.
That's why I wanted to record something that might bring a smile to your face... a video that reimagines Feliz Navidad, Baby it's Cold Outside, and other "secular" Christmas songs as powerful Christian anthems... and yes, that incudes "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."
I hope this you'll have as much fun watching this as I did making it... and I hope it brings a little encouragement to your day!
Isaac Watts wrote Joy to the World as a call to worship, based on Psalm 98. In this message, we'll tell the inspiring backstory behind the song and study the Bible passages that went into it.
1 Peter 4:1-11 challenges us to fight our spiritual battle with an unconventional weapon: the mindset of Jesus. We are faced with an internal struggle between our own human desires and the will of God. Arming ourselves with the attitude of Jesus is the most important decision we could make in our struggle. In this Bible Study, Bryan explores what it means to fight our battle with the mindset of Jesus.
O Come O Come Emmanuel is based on a 1,200 year old prayer that invites God's presence into our hearts. This prayer was said in the seven days leading up to Christmas, and each day had a significant theme: an attribute of God as revealed in the book of Isaiah. In this message, Bryan shares the history of this song, the unlikely story from the book of Isaiah that inspired it, and how Jesus represents the fulfillment of God's promise to be with us.
Join us this Sunday for a new message series called “The Songs of Christmas.” Each week we’ll tell the inspiring Biblical story behind one of your favorite Christmas carols. We hope this is an encouraging time to reflect on the story of Christmas and the gift of Jesus for all of us. Invite a friend and join us in person (9am) or online (10:30am).
It's hard to imagine, but Peter wants us to consider ourselves blessed whenever we suffer for the sake of the Gospel. 1 Peter 3-4 challenges our thinking and encourages us to view our suffering in a new light.
Psalm 118 begins and ends with the same exact verse: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." This call to gratitude is the bread on a Thanksgiving Sandwich. The rest of the Psalm celebrates the way that God is faithful his people in on our hardest days. In a year like 2020, it might seem hard to express gratitude to God when everything has been so difficult, but Psalm 118 is a powerful reminder that God is there for us even in our hardest times.
Peter was chosen by Jesus to be both a pastor and an evangelist. As a pastor, he is deeply committed to caring for the flock (the church) that God has entrusted to him. Because of that, much of 1 Peter is devoted to helping Christians stay strong in their faith. But as an evangelist, Peter has a strong desire to invite new people into the Kingdom of God. In this section of the Bible, we see Peter's dual emphasis on pastoral care and evangelism come into focus. Peter calls us to resist the temptations we face so we can stay strong in our faith, while also calling Christians to live with such grace and humility in our world that others are invited into God's Kingdom.
It's OK to not be OK.
When you open your Bible to the book of Psalms--the songbook of God's people--you'll find every emotion imaginable. King David, who wrote many of those Psalms, wasn't afraid of telling God exactly how he felt.
There were times of peace, and times of anguish. Times of joy, and times of sorrow. Times of intimacy, and times of loneliness.
2020 has been a tough year, and we shouldn't feel pressured into pretending everything has been great when it's not. The book of Psalms gives us permission to be honest about what's really going on.
Jesus Christ is the Living Stone that God has placed at the center of his Kingdom. Each of us must decide whether to accept him or reject him. 1 Peter 2:4-10 challenges Christians to stand strong in their faith in Jesus even when the world rejects us because of our decision to follow him.
What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts? Our Youth and Family Minister Adam preaches an inspiring and timely sermon based on Colossians 3.
Thanks for joining us for our next session on 1 Peter. Today we'll be studying 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, taking a close look at the five key commands Peter gives us:
- Put your hope in Jesus.
- Be holy in all you do.
- Live as foreigners on earth
- Love one another
- Crave spiritual milk.
Because of who we are in Christ, and because of what God has done, we are called to live holy lives in all we do.
The next message in our "Peace in Anxious Times" series focuses on the way that we are called to imitate the example of Jesus by overcoming the evil in our world with the good that comes from God. Instead of seeking revenge by fighting fire with fire, we follow the way of Jesus, who overcame evil through love and self-sacrifice.
Tonight we begin our new series on the book of 1 Peter, titled "I Will Praise You in the Storm." Life isn't always easy, but because of our Christian hope, we can still be confident in the goodness and faithfulness of God. That's the inspiring message of 1 Peter!
Join us tonight as we introduce 1 Peter and study 1:1-12, highlighting the major themes that 1 Peter will present in the rest of the letter.
Politics. Pandemic. School Closures. There's a lot of anxiety in our world today! Thankfully, God has given us everything we need to bring calm to the chaos. Jesus teaches us that those who are meek will inherit the earth, and those who bring peace will be called children of God. Christians have a unique opportunity to be the non-anxious presence that our world so desperately needs. In this message, we'll explore three critical reasons why we should practice meekness and peacemaking:
- To be more like Jesus.
- To demonstrate wisdom instead of foolishness.
- To win hearts through kindness.
This excerpt is part of the class from October 21st. In this talk, Bryan explores three main reasons why immersion should be considered the best practice, even though the Bible doesn't contain any explicit commands about the exact form baptism should take.
Bryan shares a few thoughts about the connection between baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, based largely on four examples from the book of Acts. This talk is a short excerpt from the full-length class from October 21st.
In Acts 15, Peter gives his final speech in the book of Acts by focusing on the grace of Jesus. He reminds the church that God's grace covers everyone--no matter our background. We need to stop communicating that salvation requires a subscription to Jesus+. Listen to the full message to hear more!
In this session, we'll recap the entire series on baptism in about 18 minutes, with some concluding thoughts on what baptism represents based on our previous classes.
Please check out the app / website (WestsideLife.org/media) for two Q&A sessions that have been posted:
- How do I know if I'm ready for baptism? (8 minutes)
- Is baptism necessary for salvation? (21 minutes)
After wrapping up our study on baptism, we still had a few questions come in that we wanted to address before moving on to our next topic. In this class, Bryan explores the Biblical connections between baptism, the Holy Spirit, and the blessings we receive from God. As we begin to understand how these concepts are intertwined, we'll discover that baptism is more important than we often realize!
During this class, we'll also take a look at what the Bible says about the mode of baptism (immersion, sprinkling, or something else) as well as what it says about when we receive the Holy Spirit.
Is baptism something that we should do, or something we need to do? What happens to a person who believes in Jesus but was never able to be baptized? And what about kids who pass away before being baptized? Bryan shares some thoughts on these questions in this 21 minute talk.
The main point to remember is that God can choose to save whoever he wants, regardless of how they lived, but our responsibility is to teach the Bible as if it were the only standard to live by. And the Bible does seem to indicate that baptism is an integral part of the Christian faith. That being said, there are certainly times when we need to focus more on God's grace than a set of requirements.
How do I know if I should get baptized? In this short session (8 minutes), Bryan shares some thoughts on this important question by focusing on Peter's words from Acts 2:36: Jesus is both Lord (master) and Christ (savior).
God has always had a heart to save the world. Even as he chose one people (Israel) as his chosen nation, he promised that they would be a blessing to the whole world--and that his salvation would reach to the ends of the earth. By the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were so focused on their status as the chosen nation, they they had neglecting their calling. And they began to discriminate against everyone else. When the angel of God appeared to Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10, it was a sign that God was fulfilling his promise to include all people, from all nations, in his Kingdom.
But before Cornelius could be converted to Christianity, Peter had to experience his own conversion by an uncomfortable truth that would turn Peter's world upside down.
Baptism is one of the most significant gifts God gives us. In our next Wednesday night Bible Study (6:30pm), our lead minister Bryan walks us through the major passages in the New Testament letters that explore the gift of baptism. We'll see how the Apostles connect baptism with the unity of the church, a fresh start with Jesus, a transformed life, and the forgiveness of our sins.
Join us live at 6:30pm every Wednesday! We're posting the video to our Facebook page, website, app and YouTube channel.
God has prepared us to be victorious in every situation. In this message, Peter is thrown in prison because of his Christian faith, but finds joy and victory through the power, example, and teachings of Jesus.
You're invited to join us for the next part of our "Understanding Baptism" Bible Study this Wednesday at 6:30pm!
So far we've discussed how water in the Old Testament serves as a foreshadowing of the hope and renewal we experience in baptism, as well as what we can learn from Jesus' own baptism in the Gospels.
This week, our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek we'll be leading us in a study of the nine baptism stories in Acts. What we'll see is that these baptisms are part of a larger story that reveals God's longstanding desire to bring all people, from every nation, into the Kingdom of his Son.
Join us live this Wednesday at 6:30, or check back on our website / app after it airs to watch it on demand on your favorite devices.
Peter's bold declaration of faith on the day of Pentecost shows us that we can experience profound change in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Songs and praise time just for kids! Tune in each week as we continue learning about the Old Testament!
We want to hear from you! If you want to say "hi!" and be included in next week's video, shoot a quick video of you / your kids and email it to Amanda Childress. We'll included everyone we can each week!
What does Jesus do and teach about baptism? Why did he need to be baptized if he never sinned? In this Bible Study, we'll look at the four ways that churches have tried to understand the baptism of Jesus and the three main passages where Jesus teaches us about it.
Peter had just done the unthinkable: denied Jesus three times in a row. Stuck in a spiritual rut, Peter's future was uncertain. But after the resurrection, Jesus appears to Peter, calling to mind several key moments from their relationship. Jesus' main message to Peter? It's never too late to come back home to Jesus.
Songs and praise time just for kids! Tune in each week as we continue learning about the Old Testament!
We want to hear from you! If you want to say "hi!" and be included in next week's video, shoot a quick video of you / your kids and email it to Amanda Childress. We'll included everyone we can each week!
If you want to understand Christian baptism in the New Testament, you have to start with the way God uses water as a symbol of new life and freedom in the Old Testament. In tonight's Bible Study, we'll look at several major stories from the Old Testament that give us the right frame of reference for understanding our experience of baptism today.
Peter fights the wrong battle and denies Jesus three times. Despite it all, Jesus isn't done with Peter yet.
Songs and praise time just for kids! Tune in each week as we continue learning about the Old Testament!
We want to hear from you! If you want to say "hi!" and be included in next week's video, shoot a quick video of you / your kids and email it to Amanda Childress. We'll included everyone we can each week!
We're starting a new online Bible Study Wednesday nights at 6:30pm on the topic of Baptism. Our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek will be taking a deep dive into what the Bible teaches about this incredible gift from God.
Have you ever wondered why different churches have such different teachings on baptism? A lot of it comes down to something called "spiritual anchors." Tonight's class is divided into two parts.
Part 1--Introduction and the Concept of "Spiritual Anchors." Part 2--What Churches Believe About Baptism and How They Got There.
In the coming weeks, we'll look at what the Bible says about baptism in the Old Testament, the example of Jesus, the baptisms stories in Acts, and finally what the New Testament letters teach us about this wonderful gift from God.
Join us live at 6:30pm on Facebook, on our website, or in the app!
We're starting a new online Bible Study Wednesday nights at 6:30pm on the topic of Baptism. Our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek will be taking a deep dive into what the Bible teaches about this incredible gift from God.
Have you ever wondered why different churches have such different teachings on baptism? A lot of it comes down to something called "spiritual anchors." Tonight's class is divided into two parts.
Part 1--Introduction and the Concept of "Spiritual Anchors." Part 2--What Churches Believe About Baptism and How They Got There.
In the coming weeks, we'll look at what the Bible says about baptism in the Old Testament, the example of Jesus, the baptisms stories in Acts, and finally what the New Testament letters teach us about this wonderful gift from God.
Join us live at 6:30pm on Facebook, on our website, or in the app!
Jesus shows us that loving others means serving our enemies. Join us for this message based on John 13:1-17.
Songs and praise time just for kids! Tune in each week as we continue learning about the Old Testament!
We want to hear from you! If you want to say "hi!" and be included in next week's video, shoot a quick video of you / your kids and email it to Amanda Childress - amandachildress85@gmail.com. We'll included everyone we can each week!
God has always heart a heart for the outsiders. From the time of Israel to the ministry of Jesus, God has always given special honor to the men, women and children in society who tend to be overlooked. In this Bible study, we explore what it means to treat everyone with dignity, decency, and respect--no matter their background.
Songs and praise time just for kids! Tune in each week as we continue learning about the Old Testament!
We want to hear from you! If you want to say "hi!" and be included in next week's video, shoot a quick video of you / your kids and email it to Amanda Childress - amandachildress85@gmail.com. We'll included everyone we can each week!
Jesus promises that when he sets us free, we are free indeed. But is he freeing us from? And what does it mean that Jesus is our Redeemer?
We invite you to join us for this week's Bible study that will look into these questions using the Old and New Testaments. We hope you'll fall more in love with Jesus as you hear about the price he paid to purchase our freedom from sin.
Jesus invites Peter, James and John for an intimate moment atop a high mountain. Jesus uses this miraculous mountaintop moment to reveal his glory and his place in God's story. By connecting Jesus with there stories of Moses and Elijah--who appear alongside Jesus in this incredible encounter--we see how Jesus is the fulfillment of everything God had been working towards from the Old Testament into the New.
In our culture, freedom is often associated with the absence of a master or authority telling us what to do. We feel we can't be free if we have to answer to anyone but ourselves. The Bible gives us a fundamentally different understanding of what freedom really means. In tonight's Bible study, we'll be exploring two key passages from Scripture that teach us an important truth about freedom: everyone has a master, but not ever master has our best interest in mind.
True freedom is found when we are freed from our slavery to sin and choose to follow Jesus as our new master.
Following Jesus isn't always easy. Jesus understands that his divine calling is to go to Jerusalem and face suffering and death for the sake of the Kingdom. As Jesus' disciples, we are called to follow in his footsteps--even when the journey becomes difficult.
Songs and praise time just for kids! Tune in each week as we continue learning about the Old Testament!
We want to hear from you! If you want to say "hi!" and be included in next week's video, shoot a quick video of you / your kids and email it to Amanda Childress - amandachildress85@gmail.com. We'll included everyone we can each week!
We invite you to the the next part of our Freedom in Christ series. Our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek will be exploring what the Bible says about one of the most important freedoms in our legal system--the right to not incriminate yourself.
How do we reconcile this aspect of American society with the Biblical command to admit our faults, confess our sins, and be open with God and each other?
We'll also spend some time sharing what the Bible says about double jeopardy, due process, and private property--some of the others rights guaranteed to us in the Fifth Amendment.
We hope you can join us this Wednesday night at 6:30pm for this Bible study!
We are excited to introduce Adam and Carlie England to our Westside family during today’s livestream. Adam is interviewing for the Youth Ministry position at Westside, and will be visiting us August 8-10. Many of you might already know Carlie, who grew up attending Westside. Adam and Carlie have two wonderful kids and are so excited about the possibility of serving God while being so close to family.
Adam has worked in full-time youth ministry for several years and is finishing up his Master’s Degree in ministry. We are excited about the gifts and talents he has and are praying about the possibility of inviting him to work with our students, families, and college age students.
What does God say about our right to self-defense (loosely based on the 2nd Amendment)?
God calls us to live at peace with everyone, to turn the other cheek, and to love our enemies. In an ideal world, we'd be able to diffuse every violent situation with the love of Christ. But in the real world, violence is sometimes thrust upon us.
In this Bible study, we explore what the Bible says about our right to defend ourselves and our families, and the important limitations that surround that idea.
Part 2 of this class explores what the Bible teaches us about the right to privacy.
What does God say about our right to privacy?
No one likes having their secrets revealed for the world to see. In our country, we place a high value on individual privacy. Taking this value into our faith, however, creates the impression that God has access to part of our lives, but not everything. We sometimes view our lives as separate spheres: Faith, Family, and Fortune.
In this Bible study, we explore what the Bible says about our right to privacy, and how God wants us to view life as an integrated whole with faith at the center. Our family, our finances, our relationships, our career, and our values are not separate spheres apart from God, but part of our whole spiritual life that need to be defined by Christ and his Kingdom. After all, God is all-knowing, and there's nothing that can be hidden from him!
Part 1 of this class explored what the Bible teaches us about our right to self-defense.
Jesus and the Apostles have two extraordinary experiences on the water together. When Jesus calms a violent storm, the Apostles are left wondering... Who is this man? Several chapters later, Jesus and the Apostles are back out on the open water. Jesus walks on the water to join them... and reveals his true identity: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World.
Storms are coming, but the power and presence of Christ is all we need to find courage in the storm.
Not everything we have the right to do is the right thing to do. While it's true that we enjoy considerable freedom in Christ, our freedom is constrained by God's commands in our lives. In this study, we look at the concepts of rights and authority from a Biblical point of view, and share how our freedom must be understood against the backdrop of our love for God, our love for others, and our pursuit of the Great Commission.
Peter has transitioned from fisherman to disciple, but now Jesus has an even greater role in mind for him: Apostle. Peter is called to follow his master as a disciple, but sent out on mission to bring the Gospel to the body and soul of his community.
Today, disciples of Jesus are called to this same rhythm: called in, sent out.
What does the Bible say about our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?
Join us for this Wednesday at 6:30pm for this week's Bible study which covers this big question! We'll be opening God's Word and challenging disciples of Jesus to use their freedom to honor Christ and expand his Kingdom.
God bless!
What does the Bible say about our First Amendment rights to religion, speech, etc?
Join us for this Wednesday at 6:30pm for this week's Bible study which covers this big question! We'll be opening God's Word and challenging disciples of Jesus to use their freedom to honor Christ and expand his Kingdom.
God bless!
Jesus gave Peter an identity, an invitation, and an undeniable calling. With a few simple words, Jesus invited Peter into a story that would change his life forever: Come follow me.
An introduction to the mobile app from our Lead Minister Bryan. Learn how to search for the Westside Church of Christ app in your App Store and install it on your phone / tablet / mobile device.
Our country is called "The Land of the Free," but what do we do when our freedoms as Americans come in conflict with the responsibilites we have as Christians? How can we navigate life as dual citizens of God's Kingdom and the nations of this world?
These are some of the big questions that Bryan will be exploring in this new series titled "Freedom in Christ." At the heart of this class is the paradoxical truth that the only way to be free is by living in submission to the Kingdom of Christ.
Our first class will explore some of the big ideas that we'll be diving into over the next several weeks and lay the foundation of what the Bible teaches about freedom.
We hope this will be a thought-provoking study that leads you to a greater appreciation for the freedoms and responsibilities we have as disciples of Jesus.
Join us every Wednedsay at 6:30pm on Facebook Live, in our mobile app, on our Roku / Apple TV channels, or WestsideLife.org/media, or on our YouTube channel!
If you need to look back, look back to God's faithfulness. If you need to look forward, focus on God's promises. And through it all, know that Jesus is walking with you!
3 John is the shortest book of the Bible, but it has a powerful message about the need for Christians to suppler one another in practical, tangible ways.
King David was a Godly example of humility, eloquence, military strength and leadership. But what was it about David that made him a man after God's own heart? In this message, Bryan explores God's heart for justice and righteousness and shares how David's commitment to those ideal in his Kingdom gives us a practical example to follow in our lives today.
The Kingdom of God is open to everyone, but there are times when the best way to protect your spiritaul life is by setting healthy boundaries. We hope you'll join us tonight at 6:30pm for our Bible Study on the book of 2 John, which tackles the questions of Christian acceptance and how and when to set boundaries.
If there was an Old Testament awards show, Samuel would be a strong contender for best supporting actor. Through his faith, humility and dedication to God, Samuel gives us a powerful example of what it means to walk by faith and seek the Lord.
God gave Samson an undeniable gift. From his miraculous birth to his powerful victories over the enemies of Israel, Samson was a true testament to the power of God. But Samson's story also serves as a cautionary tale about the danger of losing focus.
We know that God has given each of us gifts, talents and passions. It's up to us to stay focused and use them well to glorify God and serve others.
Some shortcuts are great, but others... not so much. Waiting on God's plan to develop in his timing isn't easy, but taking a shortcut and rushing ahead with our own plan usually makes this worse, not better.
In this 5 minute video, Bryan shares about a terrible shortcut he took and the story of how it landed him in the hospital--with 5 staples in his head!
We hope you are encouraged and inspired to sit back and wait for God's plan and God's timing.
We invite you to join us for our online Bible study tonight at 6:30pm! Bryan will be teaching about the victory we have in Jesus from 1 John 4:15-5:15.
1 John 4:7-12 is the "other" love chapter in the Bible (with the more famous one perhaps being 1 Corinthians 13). With 15 references to the word love (or beloved) in these verses, it paints one of the most artful portraits of love in the entire Bible.
John's discussion of love focuses on how it can only be understood against the backdrop of the love God has already shown us in Christ.
*Please note: The notes for this week's class will not be available until next week.
The story of Rahab gives us hope that no matter what our story has been like so far, God can write a new ending. And Joshua is a powerful example of trusting in God's plan instead of our own abilities.
Hurt people hurt people. People who have been attacked, criticized and sinned against are continuing the cycle of sin by taking their frustration out on others. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to break the cycle by loving others and spreading the light of Christ in our world.
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16
Moses' story teaches us to answer God’s call, no matter where it leads or what it costs.
You are God's masterpiece. In this 5 minute video, Bryan talks about an awesome gift he received while reminding us that we're all created by God with a special purpose in mind.
We hope you are blessed by this encouraging reminder from God's Word!
This section of 1 John is a great reminder of the importance of anchoring our lives in Jesus and his teachings.
The story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) teaches us that God is present in our darkest moments and redeems them for good. As believers we have the Holy Spirit of God living inside of us, which means that we already have everything we need to stay strong through our trials. With that in mind, don’t let the problems from today distract you from the promise for tomorrow.
The true value of something is whatever a person is willing to pay to get it. When God thought of you, he was willing to pay it all to rescue us from our sin.
In this 5 minute video, Bryan shares about how valuable you are in God's sight while demonstrating his complete lack of basketball skills! Make sure to watch until the very end...
Songs: I Will Call Upon the Lord The Joy of the Lord Father Abraham The Fruit of the Spirit
Scriptures: Philippians 4:6
Abraham's story shows us that faith can be costly. When God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham obeyed and went, even though it would cost him everything. God was pleased at Abraham's faith and intervened to save Isaac's life, providing a sacrifice of his own. This is a remarkable preview of God sacrificing his own son at the cross so that we could be saved.
It goes against all our strongest instincts… but sometimes the best thing you can do to solve a problem in your life is to sit still. In this 4 minute video, Bryan shares about a rather embarrassing moment in high school that only got worse when he tried to "solve" the problem.
In moments of great crisis, know that God is fighting for you. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)
Because of Jesus' death on the cross, there's no longer any record of our sin and shame. God has chosen to no longer remember the mistakes we've made:
Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV), “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Isaiah 43:25 (NLT) “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.”
The story of Abraham and Sarah shows us that God's power can bring any promise to completion.
At the end of the message, Justin and Megan Johnson share their testimony about how God helped them overcome an impossible situation to start their family and give them two beautiful children... with one more on the way!
Our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek shares about the big ideas in the book of 1 John and challenges us to become more like Jesus in our heart, thoughts, and actions.
Download the free ebook to follow along with today's class: https://books.apple.com/us/book/1-john-westside-church-of-christ/id1499730871
Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
“Instead of believing that bad things happen for no reason, enemies give us a sense of control, allowing us to attribute bad things to a clear cause that can be understood, contained, and controlled” (Steve Rathje, Psychology Today).
Abraham's story is a powerful example of walking by faith, not by sight. Abraham follows God even when he doesn't know the whole path, and worships God even when it's Abraham's descendants who will receive the full blessing.
Songs: Shout Hallelujah! The Fruit of the Spirit Come, Now is the Time to Worship Standing on the Promises
Scriptures: Genesis 12: 1-9
"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" In this Bible Study, Bryan shares some thoughts on Christian unity based on Psalm 133, John 17, and Ephesians 4.
Noah and his family spent an entire year on the ark, quarantined from everyday life with no idea what life would be like on the other side of the flood. Noah was rewarded for his obedience and made worship the centerpiece of his life.
Author and minister Max Lucado once said "Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional." Despite our best efforts, conflict is an unavoidable part of our relationships at home, at work, and even at church. But arguments never have to devolve into all-out wars.
Jesus gives us some practical teaching on the best way to handle difficult conversations. We hope that you'll be blessed by this Bible study and that it will give you some tangible tools to approach conflict in a healthier way.
Moments of crisis reveal parts of our character that we'd rather keep hidden. In these moments, we can look for opportunities to grow into a better reflection of Jesus Christ.
James 1:2-4 (NIV) "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
God gave us the gift of relationships and community because he knew we would need that love and support from our friends, family, and romantic partners. But what happens when we put too much pressure on our relationships, and expect things from others that only God can provide?
In this video, our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek discusses the danger of putting unfair burdens on others and the importance of turning to God first.
Songs: Shout Hallelujah Amazing Grace Jesus Loves the Little Children Christ Arose Praise Ye The Lord
Scriptures: John 3: 16 Matthew 28: 1–6
The first of two-part series on some of the myths we have about our relationships with people we love... and the churches we're part of.
An encouraging devotional thought on the spiritual discipline of prayer from one of our Shepherds, Ed Croxton.
God gives us some amazing predictions of who the Messiah would be and what his life would entail. Jesus is a perfect match for all those predictions! Knowing that God has a plan and purpose gives us hope and encouragement that his plan is secure, even in our hardest times.
Songs: Rise & Shine Jesus Loves Me I'm Happy Today He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Scriptures: Luke 22: 14–20
Because of the amazing grace God has given us, we are encouraged to clothe ourselves with the heart and attitudes of Jesus. This class will focus on Colossians 3:12-14 while exploring some related passages from the Old and New Testaments.
Our elders would love to stay connected with you! Please take some time to watch and listen to this devotional thought from one of our elders, Ron Nickell. We'll dive into what it means to truly believe in Jesus... and the change that takes place when we do!
John 3:16-21
Songs: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High The Lord is in His Holy Temple Everlasting God 10,000 Reasons This Little Light of Mine
Scriptures: Luke 19: 28, 35–38 Luke 19: 45–49
Shout Hallelujah Fruit of the Spirit Come, Now is the Time to Worship Prayer Devotional Bible Facts
God sees you as marriage material. It's true that we're not exactly the perfect partner--we frequently wander away and fall short of his expectations--which God experiences as being cheated on. But no matter how many times we are unfaithful to God, he always welcomes us back with open arms.
It's time to get serious about our commitment to God. God doesn't just want to date you--he wants to make things official. Let's renew our vows and begin a new chapter of total commitment to Jesus.
No matter how many times we wander away from God, he always welcomes us back with open arms. This doesn't cheapen his grace or diminish our sin, but it does reinforce a key truth that stands at the heart of the Gospel: God will never stop pursuing a marriage relationship with us, no matter how bad things get.
Wandering Eyes. Broken Promises. Infidelity.
God has always desired to be in an exclusive marriage with his people, but our hearts are so prone to wander away. When we turn away from God, he experiences that as an act of marital infidelity. And although God is more patient than any human being could ever be, God is clear that there are consequences to our spiritual infidelity. Thankfully, God also provides a roadmap to restoration: the cross of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the Bible, God uses the language of romance and marriage to illustrate the kind of relationship he wants with his people. From beginning to end, God pursues a loving, personal and intimate relationship with each one of us--despite our obvious imperfections. And that's the good news of the Gospel!
Jesus sets us an example of humility (attitude) and service (action) that every disciple should follow.
1 Peter 4:10 (NLT) “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
- Jesus shows us the importance of humility.
- Serving is a practical demonstration of God's love.
- We have the ability and responsibility to share God's love through acts of service.
Application: 1. Make We > Me 2. Practice Show and Tell 3. WestsideLife.org/Volunteer
Part two of our series "Living With Purpose."
God loves you just the way you are, but he doesn't want you to stay that way. Instead, he wants you to grow into a better reflect of Jesus Christ. And through his power and promises, he's given us everything we need to live a godly life.
Main passages: Matthew 23:25-26, Ephesians 4:22-24, 2 Peter 1:2-9.
God designed us to live in community with our fellow believers because a healthy Christian community lays the foundation for personal and spiritual growth, and it protects us from the Devil’s number one attack against Christians: isolation.
Big Idea: Even the best things the world has to offer are only temporary, but God’s love stands the test of time.
The Bible describes our sin as a debt that we can never repay… And the grace of God as the forgiveness of our debt.
Ephesians 2:12-22 teaches us that we need to act a little more like Legos--really! Jesus Christ brought us peace with God by dying for our sins on the cross. But he also brought us peace with each other by killing the hostility that so easily divides us. Jesus wants to bring us together as the holy temple of God, the body of Christ. Are you ready to be part of what God is building? It's time to experience the peace of God together as the Christian community!
Back to Church Sunday is coming up on September 22. The heart behind this special event is to invite people into a loving and supportive faith community, no matter how long it's been since they've set foot in a church--or even if they've never been to church at all!
This year’s Back to Church Sunday theme is “Together.” At some point, we are all searching for connectedness. Searching for a way to be part of something bigger than us. This is a time for everyone to experience the church as a place of belonging—rooted in restoration and unity brought by Jesus. That’s why we are here…for people to get plugged in, form friendships, and have the chance to serve together in the community.
This is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with God, and reconnect with church. Invite your friends, share this online, and help us invite our community #BackToChurch!
We have a motto around here at Westside. It’s something that defines our understanding of who God wants us to be and what he wants us to do. Our motto is Loving People to Jesus.
Loving People to Jesus starts with the kind of love that God has shown us: Real. Authentic. Sacrificial. Not loving with words alone, but loving with tangible actions as well.
God is focus and the recipient of our worship, but people are our focus in ministry. Not just people that look and talk and vote and believe and worship just like us, but all people. Not an ideal version of people, not just people who have gotten their act together, not just people that we know have something to offer us, but all people. We want to be the best neighbors. We want the people in Bakersfield to know how much we care about them.
And because we know that only Jesus can truly meet the the deep emotional, developmental and spiritual needs that we all feel, we don’t point people to ourselves. We don’t point people to a program or a building or a minister. We point people to Jesus.
So Loving People to Jesus means showing real love and welcoming people just as they are... while pointing them to Jesus.
We have a motto around here at Westside. It’s something that defines our understanding of who God wants us to be and what he wants us to do. Our motto is Loving People to Jesus.
Loving People to Jesus starts with the kind of love that God has shown us: Real. Authentic. Sacrificial. Not loving with words alone, but loving with tangible actions as well.
God is focus and the recipient of our worship, but people are our focus in ministry. Not just people that look and talk and vote and believe and worship just like us, but all people. Not an ideal version of people, not just people who have gotten their act together, not just people that we know have something to offer us, but all people. We want to be the best neighbors. We want the people in Bakersfield to know how much we care about them.
And because we know that only Jesus can truly meet the the deep emotional, developmental and spiritual needs that we all feel, we don’t point people to ourselves. We don’t point people to a program or a building or a minister. We point people to Jesus.
So Loving People to Jesus means showing real love and welcoming people just as they are... while pointing them to Jesus.
We have a motto around here at Westside. It’s something that defines our understanding of who God wants us to be and what he wants us to do. Our motto is Loving People to Jesus.
Loving People to Jesus starts with the kind of love that God has shown us: Real. Authentic. Sacrificial. Not loving with words alone, but loving with tangible actions as well.
God is focus and the recipient of our worship, but people are our focus in ministry. Not just people that look and talk and vote and believe and worship just like us, but all people. Not an ideal version of people, not just people who have gotten their act together, not just people that we know have something to offer us, but all people. We want to be the best neighbors. We want the people in Bakersfield to know how much we care about them.
And because we know that only Jesus can truly meet the the deep emotional, developmental and spiritual needs that we all feel, we don’t point people to ourselves. We don’t point people to a program or a building or a minister. We point people to Jesus.
So Loving People to Jesus means showing real love and welcoming people just as they are... while pointing them to Jesus.
The story of Joshua leading the people of Israel across the Jordan River into the Promised Land teaches us that when we pause to remember God’s faithfulness in the past, it turns the stress of today into Hope for Tomorrow.
8 out of 10 people say they would consider coming to church if invited! Who will you ask to come #BacktoChurch? We hope this light-hearted video will give you some inspiration to invite someone Back to Church!
Need a fresh start? Come #BacktoChurch September 22 at 9am! Find out more at westside life.org/BTCS.
After services, stick around for Westside 101--a reception for new members and guests who'd like to meet our leaders, hear our vision, and discover next steps for how to get involved in our ministries and activities.
47% of people in the U.S. (that's more than 110 million people) are willing to visit church... as long as it's with a friend!
We hope this light-hearted video will give you some inspiration to invite someone Back to Church!
We invite you Back to Church on Sunday September 22nd at 9:00am. It's never too late to reconnect with God, and reconnect with church. This day will be a time of celebration and a chance to meet a welcoming church family that is loving people to Jesus.
After services, stick around for Westside 101--a reception for new members and guests who'd like to meet our leaders, hear our vision, and discover next steps for how to get involved in our ministries and activities.
47% of people in the U.S. (that's more than 110 million people) are willing to visit church... as long as it's with a friend!
We hope this light-hearted video will give you some inspiration to invite someone Back to Church!
8 out of 10 people say they would consider coming to church if invited! Who will you ask to come #BacktoChurch? We hope this light-hearted video will give you some inspiration to invite someone Back to Church!
We invite you Back to Church on Sunday September 22nd at 9:00am. It's never too late to reconnect with God, and reconnect with church. This day will be a time of celebration and a chance to meet a welcoming church family that is loving people to Jesus.
After services, stick around for Westside 101--a reception for new members and guests who'd like to meet our leaders, hear our vision, and discover next steps for how to get involved in our ministries and activities.
Coming back to church for the first time in a long time can be an intimating experience. And hey... so can coming to church for the first time ever. Back to Church Sunday is a chance to join in with thousands of other people around the country who are making that same decision to reconnect with God, and reconnect with church.
When you come to Westside, you'll find a warm and welcoming faith community that's ready to walk alongside you and support you any way we can. We can't wait to meet you September 22nd at 9am and hear your story!
And make sure to stick around at 10:30 for our Westside 101 reception. You'll get the chance to meet our leaders, hear about our vision, and discover your next steps for getting involved.
We invite you Back to Church on Sunday September 22nd at 9:00am. It's never too late to reconnect with God, and reconnect with church. This day will be a time of celebration and a chance to meet a welcoming church family that is loving people to Jesus.
After services, stick around for Westside 101--a reception for new members and guests who'd like to meet our leaders, hear our vision, and discover next steps for how to get involved in our ministries and activities.
82% of people have said they'd go to church if a friend invited them. But only 2% of Christians have invited someone to church in the last year. We hope this light-hearted video will give you some inspiration to invite someone Back to Church!
When money turns into an idol, it compromises our integrity and clouds our judgment. James 5:1-12 teaches us to depend on Jesus & use money for his glory instead of depending on money & using Jesus for our glory.
The story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man in Mark 5:1-20 teaches us that nothing transforms our lives like a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
It is vitally important for the future of our churches that we re-embrace biblical discipleship and discipling. This is not about making new ministries or new institutions. It is about people with people growing closer to Jesus together.
God rejoices when people turn their lives over to Jesus. Let's join the celebration and commit to sharing this wonderful news with everyone we meet!
Sin ruins everything. But Jesus Changes Everything. The story of the Prodigal son in Luke 15.
As we wrap up our series on #GrowingYoung, we'll take a close look at Jesus' command to love our neighbor as ourself. In this message, we trace the idea of caring of the people on the margins back to the Old Testament. What we discover is that when we take the time to meet people’s physical and emotional needs, it opens the door to a deeper conversation about Jesus.
Churches that are #GrowingYoung understand it's not enough to just talk the talk. If you want to impact the world and make a difference in people's lives, you have to follow through with action. In this message, we talk about the importance of moving from words, to intentions, to actions. What we'll discover is that if we want to help young people experience the love of God in personal way in their lives, we have to make young people and young families a tangible priority.
Young people want a church experience that feels more like family than formal religion. After all, the Bible teaches us that we're all adopted as God's children, and that means church should be more like a family reunion and less like a trip to the DMV. Don't settle for a once-a-week experience with religion when God is inviting you to be part of the family.
If we want people to experience the love of God in their lives, we need to keep the focus on Jesus and take his message seriously. That means doing more than going through the motions of a formal religion. When it comes to helping young people develop a faith that will last a lifetime, we need to give them the rigorous training and deep teaching they need to conquer the obstacles they face as students and young adults.
If you have it on your heart to impact someone’s life for Christ, empathy is the key to leading others—especially young people—into a deeper relationship with God. Empathy means connecting with people emotionally, experiencing life from their perspective, and walking alongside them on their unique journey.
Time moves in one direction: forward. That means we can't stop growing old. But we can start #GrowingYoung as a church family when we intentionally invest in the spiritual lives of kids, students, and young families. Keychain Leadership means trusting and empowering young people to lead the church in powerful and significant ways. Not just in the far-off future, but right here--right now.