Woodside Bible Church Royal Oak: Recent Episodes
Woodside Bible Church Royal Oak
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In recent years, Christianity has faced some of its biggest challenges in the Western world. Churches are in decline. Personal evangelism is a thing of the past. Sin is rampant. Our current “scientific” and secular culture has shown the foolishness of faith, and on and on it goes. So, how can Christians find the motivation necessary to overcome the challenges of our modern culture and continue the mission that God has called us to? By remembering the end of the story!
In Revelation: All Things New, we’ll discover a glorious description of the end of all things and the great kingdom to come. As truth floods our hearts and magnificent images fill our imaginations, it is here that we find motivation for our present challenges. Join us as we will look to the end and find hope and strength for our mission in the present!
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? For as many people as you ask that question to, you will probably hear as many different answers. Yet Jesus didn’t leave that question unanswered. On the final night before His crucifixion, Jesus gave extended time and teaching to His disciples on what it meant to know, follow, and be victorious through Him. Walking through what’s known as Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse” in John 13-16, this series will bring clarity and direction to our discipleship as we listen and learn from Jesus Himself as He marks out the way of discipleship for us.
It seems to be a common theme in life to find “happiness”. We see it on bumper stickers, motivational decor, and even on t-shirts! Even in our country’s Declaration of Independence, it says we have the “unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” We want to be happy. We want to pursue the things that will ultimately make us happy. But how often do we try to find happiness in fleeting “things” of this world? While happiness can fade, we find that joy is steadfast! In light of all these conversations, we ask, where does the path towards true joy take us? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” In our passage, Jesus speaks of a joy that cannot be taken away, that will meet our heart’s desire and beyond. Jesus makes this audacious and bold claim that the object of pursuit for every human ever is Him! Listen with us in our newest message, Making a Way to Eternal Joy, and unravel the way of Jesus leads to fullness of joy!
One of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith actually revolves around one of the persons of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit. Questions arise like, is it a force or maybe like the force? Is the Holy Spirit an “it” or the Holy Spirit a “he?” Even beyond “what the Holy Spirit is,” or the better question, “who the Holy Spirit is?” What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the world and our lives? Part of what adds to the questions surrounding the Holy Spirit is that different Christian traditions place different emphases on the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. So, how do we answer these questions? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” As we examine today’s text, Jesus brings his most straightforward teaching on the role of the Holy Spirit for the way ahead. Listen with us in our newest message, The Way of the Spirit, and learn how the ministry of the Holy Spirit spotlights the Son!
Have you ever felt unprepared in a situation? Maybe you didn’t realize that would happen or possibly someone else didn’t prepare you correctly for what was to come! Some have felt this way about becoming a Christian! Maybe you didn’t realize when you signed up that spiritual victory comes through carrying your own cross. Is it worth it? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” As we examine today’s text, hours before Jesus is to be crucified at Calvary, he wanted his disciples to know what to expect from the world and how he would help them through all the hostility they would face. Listen with us in our newest message, Haters and the Helper, and see how knowing our opposition and our support helps disciples stay on the way.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? For as many people as you ask that question to, you will probably hear as many different answers. Yet Jesus didn’t leave that question unanswered. On the final night before His crucifixion, Jesus gave extended time and teaching to His disciples on what it meant to know, follow, and be victorious through Him. Walking through what’s known as Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse” in John 13-16, this series will bring clarity and direction to our discipleship as we listen and learn from Jesus Himself as He marks out the way of discipleship for us.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? For as many people as you ask that question to, you will probably hear as many different answers. Yet Jesus didn’t leave that question unanswered. On the final night before His crucifixion, Jesus gave extended time and teaching to His disciples on what it meant to know, follow, and be victorious through Him. Walking through what’s known as Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse” in John 13-16, this series will bring clarity and direction to our discipleship as we listen and learn from Jesus Himself as He marks out the way of discipleship for us.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Have you ever been unsure of what comes next, where to go, or how to get there? For as many people as you ask that question to, you will probably hear as many different answers. Yet Jesus didn’t leave that question unanswered. Welcome to the first episode of our new series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus! Over the course of ten weeks, we will be following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” Jesus gives his disciples, and us, a trail guide of sorts to bring clarity and direction to our lives as we follow him home to the Father. Tune into our first message of the series, The Jesus Way, and see how Jesus paved the way for us to follow! But the question is: will we follow him?
Divided: Seeking Unity In A Fractured World - Part 5: Seeking Unity In A Fractured World - Abe Philip
Divided: Seeking Unity In A Fractured World - Part 4: The Message of Fools - Pastor CT Eldridge
Divided: Seeking Unity In A Fractured World - Part 1: Come Together - Pastor Steve Zarrilli
When Jesus called you to be his disciple, he called you to live a life full of risks and journeying into places and meeting people that should make you so uncomfortable that every discipline of faith to keep you moving toward him in faithful obedience. To faithfully move forward for the good works of faith, we must put worship at the center of our lives. Worship will supernaturally encourage us and challenge us to recognize our Father in Heaven.
Has your world ever felt so fractured, instable, unpredictable in your lifetime? If you lived through a world war you might have some experience. If you lived through the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War you might have some experience. For most of us, this is the season we’ve been through such widespread unrest and instability.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. Are you able to admit that today?
If so, then God’s presence is all we need.
Do your relationships ever feel like a double-edged sword? On one hand, we all long for community - to know and be known. On the other, many of us have learned that entering a relationship opens us up to a lot of pain. As much as we need each other, people are the very ones who hurt, disappoint, betray, or even abandon us - and family is no exception. As we continue our message series, Family: Why Bother?, we'll explore how the effects of sin have fractured the way God designed us to live in unity with one another. And, together, we'll uncover the answer to reconciling the broken relationships in our own lives. Listen with us to our newest message, The First Family Conflict, and discover the power of Jesus to renew our hurting families.
What's your passion? Many Americans today might respond with something like human rights, environmental conservation, or another form of activism - and while all these things are important, are they reason enough to live for? Join us for a special message from Senior Pastor Chris Brooks where we look to 1 Thessalonians to uncover the one thing most deserving of our passion: the Good News of Jesus Christ. We'll explore what happens when the Gospel comes into our lives, how it changes us and, consequently, changes others. Tune in now to face the crucial question, "Am I living with a passion for the Gospel?"
Over the last two weeks we’ve explored how the glory of God and His undeserved forgiveness compel us to share Him with others so they, too, can encounter His grace. Today we conclude our message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go, by turning to Isaiah 6 where we learn how to listen for God to lead us - and how to respond when He does. Together we'll come face-to-face with who God is, what He's done, and how He calls us to live in response. Tune into our newest message, You Can’t Not Go!, as we embrace how God's calling compels us to move.
It's easy to come up with a long list of reasons why we shouldn't talk to our neighbors about Jesus, isn't it? Perhaps we're sure they've heard it before - it's not like it would be news to them. Or maybe we assume someone else would do a much better job, so we pray for God to send someone better, smarter, and "more Christian" than us. But have you ever paused to consider all the reasons you should tell others about Christ? The reasons you must? Today we continue our message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go, by turning to Isaiah 6 to uncover one undeniable reason we're compelled to share God with others: His forgiveness. Tune into our newest message, Our Greatest Need, as we unpack how receiving God's grace compels us to share it with the world.
Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we’ll come face-to-face with what’s keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God’s holiness compels us to tell others about Him!
Soul Food: When A Meal with Jesus Was More Than Food – Part 6: If You Could Have One Meal with Jesus - Jonathan Kwon
Soul Food: When a Meal with Jesus was more than Food - Part 5: Joining Jesus in His Meal - Steve Zarrilli
Soul Food: When a Meal with Jesus was more than Food - Part 4: How Not to Enjoy a Meal with Jesus
Preached by Abe Philip on April 10, 2022
Luke 14:1-11
Humility is essential for anyone to enjoy Jesus.
Pride keeps us from enjoying Jesus.
Humility allows us to enjoy Jesus.
The way of the world seems to be the way of pride. How can we, as the body of Jesus, fight against this and live out of humility and the kingdom of God?
Soul Food: When A Meal with Jesus Was More Than Food – Part 3: Is Jesus Really Able to Satisfy? - Jacob Ley
Soul Food: When A Meal with Jesus Was More Than Food – Part 2: Is Jesus Good Enough to Eat with You? - Jonathan Kwon
Soul Food: When A Meal with Jesus Was More Than Food – Part 1: Who Would Jesus Eat With? - Abe Philips
When it comes to our relationship with God, one of the things that can often be under-emphasized is the notion that we are to fear God. Even as I say that many of us probably cringe at the idea that part of how we should relate to God is by fearing him. And yet, one of the key verses on Biblical wisdom reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 10:9). Fear, it seems, plays a pretty important role in both how we relate to God and how we learn to live with wisdom in our lives. So, the question I want to wrestle with today that I believe our text addresses is, do we have a healthy fear of God?
Today we will be studying Romans 8:18-25 and exploring how our present sufferings will give way to future glory.
These days, most of us live in a nonstop state of busyness and distraction - and we have endless reasons to justify our lifestyle. But, deep down, could it be that the reason we distract and entertain ourselves every waking moment is to keep from feeling inadequate with the true purpose of our lives? Maybe you feel desperate for something to change. Perhaps you're longing to live the life you were created for, instead of the shallow, overly-stimulated existence of today. Join us for our new series, Unstoppable: Bound in His Love. Freed by His Spirit., as we venture through one of the most well-know chapters of the Bible: Romans 8. In the pages of Scripture, you'll encounter God's power to completely transform your life, and will uncover a more enduring purpose than anything this world has to offer. Listen with us in our first message of the series, No Condemnation!, as we discover that, in Christ, we are freed, sin is condemned, and we walk in the Spirit!
From the beginning, laws have been an important part of society. Throughout time, laws have existed to protect people, yet history also displays the power the law has to effectuate injustice and oppression. The parasite that is sin has corrupted the purpose and power of laws, even since Biblical times. So if we can’t rely on the laws of this world (whether well-intended or not), where can we look for security and hope? We continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discuss this very issue that Paul addresses to the Church in Romans 7. Only God’s law is perfect, pure, good, holy and righteous. Laws of this world can only restrain evil. They can’t purge it. Listen with us to our newest message, The Law Can’t Deliver, and discover that where the law fails, Christ prevails!
The Gospel tells us all have fallen short of the glory of God and, because of our sin, deserve death. Yet it doesn't end there. In Jesus, God has given us the gift of eternal life - a brand-new life that starts today! But...can it really be that easy? Maybe today you feel stuck in your old way of life, your old habits, struggles, and vices. If that's you, join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, by uncovering how we can live "in the new way" gifted to us in Jesus. Listen with us to our newest message, A Fruitful Marriage, as we unpack the truths of Romans 7:1-6.
Whether in conversation, on the news, or plastered across our newsfeeds, "freedom" is a hot topic these days. There are countless opinions on what true freedom is and how it should look today. And, just as people are talking about freedom, they're talking about slavery - a word with deep pain packed into it. But maybe the reason these buzzwords run so deep in our culture is not only because of our nation's history, but because each one of us is engaged in a spiritual battle between slavery and freedom. Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, as Paul reminds us that everyone is a slave to sin, but through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, Christians are free! Listen with us to our newest message, The Freest Slave, and ask yourself the question, "Whose slave am I?"
We all see the constant conflict in our world, but did you know there’s a spiritual battle happening as well? There is a struggle between who controls our hearts, whether our sinful, fleshly desires or God's Holy Spirit. But here's the good news: If you've placed your faith in Christ, we know who wins this war! Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, as Paul seeks to bring us to the scary realization that sin is a power that seeks to master us. But the story doesn't end there. Jesus' death and resurrection have given us victory over sin and death! The question is, does your life reflect this truth? Listen with us to our newest message, A New Master, and determine who you're allowing to rule your life!
According to Scripture, baptism is an important step of obedience after you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. At Woodside, when someone is baptized, we have the opportunity to hear their testimony of faith. Have you ever wondered why? Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discover why Paul uses the topic of baptism in Romans 6 to remind us how we are to walk in our faith. Through baptism, we're reminded that followers of Jesus have died to sin and been given new life in Him! The question is, are you living in that new life or going back to your old ways of sin? Listen with us to our newest message, The New Life of Grace, as we determine that our walk must match our baptism!
Who is your representative? Despite your first thought, we aren’t asking about your favorite government official. Reality is, just as we're represented politically in this nation, all people are also represented spiritually by one of two individuals. Wondering who? Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discover who these two representatives are and which one is ruling your life. Listen with us to our newest message, May Grace Reign, to understand how our lives are ruled by one act from one person. The question is, which one?
Are you a good person or a bad person? That’s a hard question to answer without some kind of twist in your stomach. Today we begin our new series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, with a big claim: God only saves bad people. Join us as we venture through Romans 5:1-11 to uncover the truth about God's salvation. Over the next seven weeks, we'll decipher whether we're living in the freedom available to us through Jesus Christ, or trapped in the patterns of our old life. Listen with us in our first message of the series, Only Sinners Welcome, and find hope in our new life in Christ!
Goal completed! Yes! So...now what? Whether our ambitions are big or small, we've all felt how quickly the "runner's high" of our successes slip away. It begs the question, why don’t things ultimately satisfy us? Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes, where we'll consider what happens when we look for meaning in our success apart from God. Listen with us in today’s message, Materialism, and see how our God gladly shares His victory with His people!
Have you ever fallen victim to FOMO (fear of missing out)? Since the dawn of social media, this fear has become increasingly prevalent in our society. We are bombarded with everyone else’s experiences, successes, and opportunities, leaving us with a deep desire for more and more! But when the pleasure and joy of a moment subsides, what are we left with? Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes' teaching on earthly pleasures. We'll come to terms with the fact that the pleasures of this world are short-lived, but God’s goodness is unending! Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen Appetites: Hedonism, as we celebrate that God is good and His well never runs dry!
We live in a society of information overload! If you don’t know something, you google it. Resources are endless. Yet we find that, more often than not, more knowledge leads to even more questions. And we find ourselves frustrated when we can’t get the answer we want RIGHT NOW. Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths", by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes to see that a “perfect” understanding of life will always be out of reach. Where does this leave us? To trust in God! Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen Mind: Intellectualism, as we encounter the wisdom of God and realize only He is all-knowing!
Have you ever felt like you're just going through the motions of life? Like you’ve lost sight of your purpose in this world? Today we begin our brand new message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths", by turning to the wisdom in Ecclesiastes. Through this book, the author unmasks the myths of human autonomy and self-sufficiency and drives us to our true meaning in this world. Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen World: Naturalism, and together we’ll cling to the truth that God is Creator and has a plan for this world!
Society has come so far, there has to be an easier way to do this! Right?
Today we continue our message series - Habits: Ancient Practices for Today's World - by learning to reorient our lives to God's time-tested truth, even when society tells us it's a bit "out of touch" with today's problems. As we conclude this series, let's reject our culture's "new big ideas" for solving life's problems and seek after the truths God earnestly offers us! Listen with us and, together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him and give us the satisfaction we've been searching for!
"3 easy steps to..." Sound familiar? Culture is flooded with "quick fixes" to any and all of our problems. But, the truth is, behind that blog post, program, or subscription lies an empty promise and another letdown. Today we continue our message series - Habits: Ancient Practices for Today's World - by learning to reject culture's "new big ideas" and reorient our hearts to God's time-tested truth! Listen with us and, together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him, where God alone brings us true satisfaction!
Culture is flooded with the newest “quick fix” to all our problems, and we’ve started to believe happiness is just a click away. But, the truth is, behind that product or program lies an empty promise and another disappointment - every time. Today we begin a brand new message series, Habits: Ancient Practices for Today's World, where we'll take the focus of our hearts and minds off our culture's "new big ideas" and refocus on God's time-tested truths! Listen with us and, together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him, where true satisfaction awaits!
Have you ever wondered if God is still control when walking through a season of grief, pain, or suffering? Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by turning to chapter 5 of Lamentations, where we’re invited to turn our gaze from the rubble of our brokenness to the Redeemer of every hurt. The poet's words invite us to look toward God's promises even while we're still in pain. Listen with us to our newest message, What to Do When We’re at the End, and see how lament brings us back to God.
Don't you love a good rags-to-riches story? Certainly no one likes to see the opposite: beauty descending into ruin. Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by examining what happens to people when they deny God. As we begin chapter 4 of Lamentations, the writer gives us a glimpse of the streets of Jerusalem, where an idolatrous people face the consequences of their rejection of God. Listen with us to our newest message, On the Streets of Ruin, and encounter the reality that without God, people perish.
After a year filled with so much loss - whether of your livelihood, your relationships, or even your loved ones - we're all grieving. The question is whether there's a way for us to mourn in a matter that moves us toward growth, hope, and refreshment. Today we start our newest message series - Good Mourning: Taking Our Sorrows to the Savior - where we'll explore an often forgotten book in the Old Testament: Lamentations. As we study this book over the next six weeks, we’ll be taken back to Jerusalem when the city was invaded, destroyed, and their people carried off into exile. Listen with us to our newest message, Why Lament?, to discover the powerful, yet unfamiliar, spiritual discipline of lament.
As we continue our message series - Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All - we are again encouraged by Paul, the author of 2 Corinthians 8, to be eager in our giving! Together we'll learn what it looks like to not give carelessly but use our gifts intentionally as an opportunity for partnering with those around us. Listen with us to our newest message, Giving & Partnership, as we discover why we should eagerly give to others and how to wisely choose where to give!
Happy Resurrection Day! The tomb is empty because Jesus Christ is alive! Let your memories of God’s work in your life and the salvation He won for you fasten you close to your Savior - and propel you to spread the good news of His Gospel! Today we turn to Matthew 28 as we reflect on the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ and the start of the Great Commission. Listen to our newest message, With Us, as we rejoice together that Christ is with us today!
Today we celebrate the goodness of God! Join us as we reflect upon the verses in Matthew 27 telling of the brutal trial, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ. Matthew’s vivid description invites us to see Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of those who witnessed it firsthand: the governor, the soldier, and the crowd. Listen to our newest message, Opinionated, to hear how these accounts reveal the true identity of Jesus Christ.
In the closing words of Jesus' final teaching before His crucifixion, He paints the picture of a shepherd separating sheep from goats, by which He teaches us a critical lesson: our faith reveals our identity - and determines our destination. Our current series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, concludes with a hard look at our own faith in the anticipation of Christ’s return. Listen with us to this final message, The Shepherd King, as we prepare for that glorious day!
What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today - Part 6: Being Ready Means Being Diligent - Pastor Jon Morales
What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today - Part 5: Really, Are You Ready? - Pastor Jon Morales
Many of us have found ourselves asking, “What could possibly happen next?” We’ve lost our sense of control over the future and don’t know how the events of the world will play out. Yet in the midst of the unknown, God invites us to hold fast to His unchanging nature and steadfast promises. Today we continue through our series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, where we'll see that while the things of this world are always changing, the Word of our Savior never does. Listen with us in our newest message, God’s Forever King!
For many, a key motivation in what we choose to do every minute of our day is to avoid discomfort. Our culture tries its hardest to escape any kind of suffering. No one likes to suffer, but the extremes many take to stay comfortable has become an idol to many. And the Christian church is not exempt. Today, as we continue through our series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, we’re hit with the hard truth that suffering is inevitable, especially as Christians. But we have a Savior who also suffered and overcame it all for us. Listen with us in our newest message, Don’t Be Surprised.
As we've turned the page to a new year, many are wondering what’ll come next and how to navigate it when it does. Today we kick off our brand new series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, where answer the question on everyone's mind: "What do we do now?" Listen with us in our newest message, Not So Breaking News, as we explore what Matthew 24 reveals about how the Gospel should and WILL be proclaimed throughout the world regardless of the circumstances of our day!
Christians often use the phrase, "born again," but do we really understand what it means? In our culture, we've come to relate the idea of birth with a new beginning, a fresh start, a grand renewal. And such is the case with our salvation! In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, we unpack what it means for our new birth in Jesus Christ to make us a child of God. Listen with us in our newest message, Born into God’s Family, to discover how 1 John 5 reveals that when we become a child of God, we believe in Jesus, love others, and have overcome the world!
If you're a follower of Jesus, can the people around you tell? While we don’t wear material indicators of our faith, our lives should display the radical, sacrificial love of our Savior. In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, 1 John 4 reveals that to believe in Jesus Christ is to know God's love. Listen with us in our newest message, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, to learn how God’s love is in us, for us, and between us!
Has loving the people around you ever felt like a chore? Like you're running on an empty tank? Maybe it's because you aren't being filled with the right kind of fuel. In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, the scripture of 1 John 4 teaches us God is our ultimate, enduring source of love because he IS love! Listen with us in our newest message, Love Defined, to discover how love begins, manifests, and is perfected through our triune God!
It wouldn’t take much searching to find harsh, hate-filled words being spoken in the name of “being right.” We may even contribute to these damaging conversations ourselves. In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, the words of 1 John reveal how seriously God condemns hatred - to the point of equating it with murder! Listen with us in our newest message, A Tale of Two Loves, where we discover that hate only takes while love always serves.
We often hear that God is love - and He is! But our world has a way of twisting something God created into a thing He never intended it to be. And our understanding of love is no exception. In our misunderstanding of God's love, many have come to believe He's incapable of hating or judging evil and sin. Today, we continue in our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, by looking to 1 John 2 for the truth about love. Listen with us in our newest message, The Love God Hates, as we compare the love God intended for us with the worldly love that surrounds us.
When we face trials, we can lose sight of what it means to really love, as God calls us to. Today we begin our new message series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, by taking a hard look at how society, including the Church, left love behind in 2020. Listen with us in our newest message, The Old (New) Commandment, as we discover how truly knowing God transforms our understanding of love.
This week we start a brand new series called Giftwrapped: From Longing to Lavished, where we will analyze the covenants God has made with His people - that’s us! Today, we start with the covenant He made to Noah in Genesis. In this covenant, God promises never destroy the earth and life on the earth by a flood giving Noah, and us, stability and grounds to trust the works of God. Learn more about how this promise still currently impacts us and how a fresh start can only be found through Jesus with our newest message, A New Beginning!
Today, Pastor Jonathan speaks about having a thankful perspective. He is teaching from Numbers 11:4-9.
When walking through suffering what do we focus on? Often, focus is on ourselves and the situation. And our mind is flooded with a asking – why, why God? This week we hear a message from Senior Pastor Chris Brooks, where we will unpack how as believers in Jesus Christ we are going to encounter suffering. But instead of dwelling on the “why” we compel you to ask different questions that will ultimately allow you see grow deep in your faith in God and accept His saving grace! Listen with us in our newest message, Suffering for Good!
When walking through suffering what do we focus on? Often, focus is on ourselves and the situation. And our mind is flooded with a asking – why, why God? This week we hear a message from Senior Pastor Chris Brooks, where we will unpack how as believers in Jesus Christ we are going to encounter suffering. But instead of dwelling on the “why” we compel you to ask different questions that will ultimately allow you see grow deep in your faith in God and accept His saving grace! Listen with us in our newest message, Suffering for Good!
It’s time to rethink what it means to be a citizen in this country. Too often we allow politics and opposing parties to dictate how we behave and treat others around us. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, we discuss how we are supposed act as temporary citizens of this world but eternal citizens of heaven! Listen with us in our newest message, One Nation Under God, to hear how submission, goodness, and servanthood is how God wants us to live!
All our lives are witnesses to something and someone every single day. Our passions and priorities are evident to those that get to know us. As Christians, there is nothing greater, more glorious calling than being used and empowered through the Holy Spirit to make disciples for the glory of God! This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, we discuss how internal and external spiritual battles must be fought so that our lives can point others to Christ. Listen with us in our newest message, Exiles Within The World.
Whether you are a Christian or not, we have times where we question who God is and who we are. Many are searching for their place and purpose in life and end up feeling lost and shook with doubt. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, where our examination of 1 Peter 2 reminds us who we are, why we are here, and what God has done for us! In God's Word, we will find the answers to our deepest longing and questions. Listen with us in our newest message, God's Kinda People.
Sometimes we hear the word "love" and imagine that deep feeling of affection or romance with red hearts and warm hugs. But love shouldn't just be a feeling. God intends for it to be so much more! Love is active, ongoing, and a daily choice. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, by analyzing how the source to great love is truly knowing God and growing in our faith in Him. Listen with us in our newest message, Love is a Verb.
This is a repost of a sermon preached from January 8, 2017. In this sermon, Pastor Jon makes an argument to fast in order to taste the goodness of God.
This week we are starting a brand new series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World! Hope seems to be a word thrown around when our circumstances seem, well, hopeless. In this series, searching for hope, we look to 1 Peter. Here, we read of the unshakeable hope of a scattered group of Christians facing exile and persecution from the culture around them. We see that hope is active and are encouraged to praise God for the security we can find only in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if we are experiencing great suffering, we know that Jesus is our hope. Listen with us in our newest message, Hope Has a Pulse.
Join us as we look at John 15:12-19, and how love is laying down your life for your friends.
In this special message, we looked at Great Faith Honors A Great God. Discover with us in our newest message, Great Faith Honors A Great God.
If we asked people what they have been most fearful of during this time, we may get many different answers; from COVID-19, social injustices, the unknown future, or maybe the safety of their family. But we have good news, THE good news! God is the greatest and most powerful. Period. And guess what? He’s on our side! Discover with us in our newest message, Imagined Disaster, how when God is with us, we have nothing to fear.
When one testifies in a courtroom, it’s usually to present evidence or because they witnessed something important. When we witness God’s goodness and power even during trials of life, we cannot help but testify!! We invite you to discover more on this message, Collective Testimony.
Has worship ever seemed like just a tradition you are supposed to do before a Sunday service? And now, worship seems less inspiring over a TV or computer screen? In Part 3 of our message series, Assembly Required, we are discussing the importance of praising God in every season. Worship is the key to unlocking blessings that we may have never realized. So what does happen when we praise God? Discover more in this message, Ever-present Praise.
Have you ever had to forgive someone who wasn’t really sorry? Not the easiest thing to do and ultimately that relationship will never be the same. Without repentance there is rarely a restored relationship. It's the same with God (and it’s not His fault). God wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us, with YOU! If our sin earns us God’s displeasure and separation from us, how is it possible to be restored to relationship and joy? Let's find out together as we discuss The Joy of Confession.
Through the Parable of the Great Reversal, Jesus points our focus inward, inviting us to reflect on our own posture toward the Word of God. At the same time, he guides our attention to what's to come, revealing to each one of us how our posture today determines our position in eternity.
How do you know what your priorities really are? That’s not a trick question, and in many ways the trials and afflictions of this last year have revealed where our priorities are truly found, but I wonder if we’re quick to say something is priority when in fact it doesn’t show up in our lives as a priority.
This weekend, we are pausing our series in the Parables of Luke to begin our summer series in the Book of Psalms. It’s a little out of order, but don’t worry, we’re going to wrap up our Parables series next week and pick back up on the Psalms the week after.
This series that we’ve titled, “Assembly Required,” in the Psalms, will reinforce our conviction that when we come to worship together as God’s people, we will take pleasure in the Word of God. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the building or online, we will “praise the Lord” until we are out of breath.
That brings us to our passage today: Psalm 1. Here’s what I’m going to do today. We’re going to use Psalm 1 to determine whether our lives rightfully reflect our beliefs. If you didn’t get that, it’s just a low key way of saying that this Psalm will confront us about how we actually practice our faith and whether our practice is true. I hope, and I’ve prayed, that God will use what he’s teaching me in this Psalm to color your perspective of your activities as well.
Parable of the Qualified Sinner
Luke 18:9-14
Pastor Jon Morales
Preached at Woodside Bible Church - Royal Oak on July 5, 2020
Today we’re looking at a powerful story that distinguishes two very different ways of approaching God. Before I read the story, however, I want to give you a little context for the two main characters. The first character Jesus refers to as a Pharisee. If you’ve read the Gospels, then you’re likely familiar with this group of Jews known as the Pharisees. They were well known for being strict adherents to the commands of God in the Old Testament, and within the parable the Pharisee is going to mention several aspects of his religious devotion.
The other main character Jesus refers to as a tax collector. Again, if you’ve read the Gospels, then you’ve probably heard of this group before. One of the Gospel writers, Matthew, in fact, was formerly a tax collector before he started following Jesus. Tax collectors were Jews who were employed by the Roman empire to collect taxes from the Jews, and then send the money back to Rome. So tax collectors were even less popular than the IRS is in our own day. At least when we send our taxes to the IRS, they’re giving our taxes to our government. But when the Jews gave their money to tax collectors, the money was sent far away to the Roman emperor. So tax collectors were despised for their willingness to work for Israel’s foreign occupiers.
We’ve been looking at some of the parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, and today we come to another parable that Jesus gives to the religious leaders of his day. We are in Luke 14:12-24.
This passage opens with a conversation that Jesus has with the host of a dinner party he was invited to. Luke 14:1 puts us in the setting. It is a Sabbath day meal, and these meals were usually the “after church” dinner meals that we might enjoy in a similar way today. Everyone would go to the synagogue for the reading and teaching of the Word, and then, after the synagogue meeting, they would retire to homes to eat and celebrate together.
In this instance, Jesus was invited over to the home of a prominent leading Pharisee, a “ruler of the Pharisees.” His motivations were not out of kindness and warm hospitality. He has more devious ideas and intentions. “They [the Pharisees] were watching him carefully” (Luke 14:1).
So far, in this meal Jesus has challenged the religious leaders that were there… and in our text, he’s going to do so again. This time he specifically addresses the man who invited him. Jesus turns his view of who is in the kingdom God and who is not upside down.