In the Bible, fasting often shows up in desperate times and needs. Fasting is for those not satisfied with the status quo. Fasting is for those not satisfied with God's Grace. Listen as Pastor Zach exhorts us to the importance of fasting like a Christian.
Have you ever known the right thing to do but struggled to do it? Do you struggle to run to Jesus in times of distress and take refuge in the Lord? Listen to Connor Kennedy’s sermon on Psalm 11 to learn how God’s transcendence, his immanent reign, and his promise to reward the righteous should drive his people to take refuge in him.
From the latest viral hit to the Psalms of the Bible, people have turned to songs to lament how the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. Asaph, the writer of Psalm 73, wrestles with these hard questions as he grapples with the goodness of God in affliction. He identifies our hope: not a life without suffering, but a life with God in which he enables us to endure, rejoice, and be satisfied in him. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon for more.
Is mercy the aroma of your life? In the Beatitudes, Jesus names mercifulness as one of the qualities that characterize his true followers. Listen as Pastor Brian exhorts us to marvel at the mystery of the mercy we’ve been shown, that we might extend it to others.
To “hope” is to cherish a desire with anticipation of that desire’s fulfillment. When the object of our desire is Christ, we have not an unattainable wish, but a certain hope and an identity confidently rooted in him. Listen to Pastor Brian’s sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14 to learn how knowing who we are in Christ fuels us for a life of hope.
These three words should orient our lives of discipleship and devotion to Christ: "You follow me." Listen as David exhorts us to sincerely walk according to God’s commandments and concern ourselves with his calling for our lives, regardless of the choices of others.
The natural world is full of opportunities to experience awe: a vast expanse of prairie that seems utterly boundless, the power of hail and lightning on a mountaintop, the intricacies of the scales and fins of bluegill, the magnitude of the immensity of a cloudless night sky. Yet awe reaches its goal when paired with thanksgiving. Listen to Pastor Brett's exhortation to pursue awe for more.
Laments are made up of appeals to God. What do you do when the pressure mounts or when life hurts? Where or what do you turn to in those moments? Laments teach us to open our mouths and tell our Father all our troubles. Listen to this sermon from Pastor Lewis Guest of Jubilee Community Church on Psalms 42-43 examining the anatomy of laments.
After the monumental pivot of Acts 11, as the mission advances by demand and delight, the gospel begins its way to the "ends of the earth" in Paul's first missionary journey. As Jews & Gentiles repent and believe, what is left in the wake of Paul's ministry? Healthy churches. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on Acts 13-14 for more.
Our joyful mission to proclaim the good news sometimes makes us feel more like awkward middle schoolers, wanting to fit in and anxious about what others might think of us. Listen as Pastor Zach exhorts us to mature in our faith as joyful fools for Christ for the sake of our souls and those of our neighbors.
The keeper of a garden containing poisonous plants best serves his guests not by throwing open the gates but by explaining and guarding the plants. Paul’s manner of life among the Thessalonians models a similarly attentive hospitality as he selflessly pours himself out for their good. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on I Thessalonians 2:1-12 to see how joyous mission leads naturally to generous hospitality.
The desire to share our experiences — both good and bad — is wired in us. If we are increasingly shaped by how the gospel relates to all of life, our delight in Christ’s person and work must overflow into sharing how the truth of Christ applies to every situation. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on Acts 11:1-26 to see how the early church grew in its mission by demand and mission by delight as the good news spread to the Gentiles.
Does the fear of legalism make you inclined to downplay the importance of exerting significant effort in your walk with Christ? Listen as Pastor Haakon exhorts us to lean into the work of sanctification, knowing that God does not leave us helpless in our pursuit of him and that he will richly reward our pursuit.
Corporate lingo about mission, vision, and values can be overdone, yet every organization will have driving principles determining the purpose for associating. A key essential for Westview Church is “gospel growth.” Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 which captures the content, necessity, and growth of the gospel.
As a church, we must uproot competing desires that would choke out the effect of the Word in us. We must get out of the habit of only asking if something we do is wrong or sinful, but instead, get into the habit of asking, "Is this cultivating the effect of God's holy word in me? Listen as David exhorts us on how to uproot competing desires choking the Word in us.
The Bible is full of imagery that compares enduring in physical training to enduring in godliness; both involve overcoming distractions and doubts to do the next right thing, again and again. Listen as Pastor Zach exhorts us to live lives of endurance—marked by countless moments of faithful obedience and fueled by trust that God will supply the grace we need to endure.
God’s selecting the lineage of one man, Abraham, seems a fragile way to carry out the plan of his promise, but his providence is on display as he orders events according to his purposes in the lives of each successive generation. Listen to David’s sermon on Genesis 24:1-25:11 to see God’s providence at work for Isaac, Rebekah, and all the people of God.
Sharing meals together is integral to the life of the church. Listen as Michael exhorts us to not neglect breaking bread with one another, that we may cultivate community, serve as a witness to the world, and see a shadow of the feast to come.
When Genesis 23 opens, Abraham has just lost his wife, Sarah. Together they had clung to God’s promises in faith, and Abraham’s decisions surrounding Sarah’s burial are driven by that same faith as he looks to a better country. Listen to Pastor Zach’s sermon to learn how Abraham’s purchase of a cave bears testimony that the promises of God are not extinguished by death.
A core lie of our culture tells us that every issue boils down to an “us versus them” opposition, with no margin for those who disagree with one another to live in harmony. Such a manner of thinking and communicating has no place among the people of God. Listen as Pastor Brett exhorts us to consider how having the mind of Christ ought to shape even our disagreements as we count others more significant than ourselves.
God’s shocking command for Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, is not a sadistic display of divinely ordained wickedness. Rather, it holds up to us a strong confidence that God will ultimately provide the sacrifice of his own beloved Son as his people obey him in faith-filled fear. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon to learn how Genesis 22 gives us assurance that God will fulfill all his promises to us in Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Brett examines the significance of Genesis 20 & 21. We are called to Trust God to Keep us From Sin, Believe God's Promise, Cry to God Who Hears, and call on God Who is. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon for more.
Unceasing prayer, constant prayer, child-like frequency of dependence, and discussion with God is the only thing that makes sense in light of what Christ has done for us. Pastor Haakon reminds us to Pray without ceasing because His love is boundless, His wisdom is without measure, and His strength is never failing. Listen to Pastor Haakon's exhortation for more.
Kids can find all kinds of fun around a train track, but when the train comes rumbling the kids scatter. What is your reaction when the train of pain comes your way? More importantly, how can you "count it all joy ... when you meet trials of various kinds"? Seek wisdom to do so. Listen to Pastor Zach's exhortation for more.
The Psalms are a songbook that we turn to like an emotional jukebox. When we are in trouble, we go to the jukebox to find help and what gets played is Psalm 130. It is a song for sinners who are in trouble because of their own actions. Listen to this sermon for more on Psalm 130 by Jared Compton, Assistant Professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary.
When developing black and white photos from film, filters are used to increase the contrast of the photo. The narrative of God's merciful character in Genesis 18 is held in contrast to the display of his holiness and judgment directed toward unrepentant sinners in Genesis 19. Yet God works salvation through judgment on the twin cities. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Genesis 19 for more.
The apostle Paul exhorts us to not live by the flesh but by the Spirit, evidenced by a life characterized by the multidimensional fruit of the Spirit. When we endeavor to cultivate that fruit by means of the flesh we yield counterfeits. Listen to Pastor Brian's exhortation for more.
The vows we hear at weddings and remember at anniversaries are significant—“I take you to be my wife … I take you to be my husband.” The commitments we make are rooted in the unique relational status of the couple. When God vows, “I will be their God, and they will be my people,” he is articulating the covenant relationship marriage points to. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on Genesis 18 as the Lord reveals more of what it is like to be in covenant with him.
As we go about our lives, we are shaped by praise. That influence comes from one of two sources: the praise of man we hear in applause or affirmation of God we hear when he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Will you have your reward now, or will you orient your life for the reward God will impart? Listen to David Stabley’s exhortation to seek the smile of God for more.
C.S. Lewis famously argued that anyone who made the claims Christ did could not be merely a great moral teacher; he must be either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Listen as Pastor Haakon exhorts us to view our sins not as failures to meet the standards of a moral teacher but as personal affronts to the Lord we belong to.
