Teachings
The Leader God Wants
In our "Tested" series this week, Jesus tells a story to make his point. It is a hard story to receive. God is disappointed with those in leadership over his people. He has been for a long time. Things are about to change. He has a new leader in mind, a better leader. A godly leader is a leader who is yielded to God, not just a person in charge of people for God. It doesn't matter whether you lead a church, a business, a ministry, an organization, a tea, a peer group or a household. Being a godly leader will make you a better leader. Come see why this Sunday.
Fighting for Real Worship
We continue our new series called "Tested." We will look at the scene where Jesus was very angry in the temple and was confronted about it by the Jerusalem religious authorities. What made him so mad? Who said he could "cleanse" the temple? For Jesus, it was about worship. He wanted people to have access to worship the one true God. And he wanted those who professed to know God to focus on true worship and not just the mechanics of worship. If worship matters to you, you will understand what Jesus was concerned about. If your perspective or your experience of worship is a little off, he will help you with that too. As we gather this Sunday, pray that we share the worship focus of our Savior.
Who’s Testing Whom?
This Sunday we begin our new series entitled "Tested." We will be looking at scenes from the life of Jesus in Mark 11-12 when Jesus entered Jerusalem. The first one is a head scratcher. Jesus curses a fig tree and it withers up and dies. What is that about? Then he tells us that if you pray for God to move a mountain, he will answer you, as long as you forgive those you have something against. We see that something is withering, but mountains are being moved. It is fascinating to consider what Jesus is doing and saying. If you're curious, you will be challenged. Bring your curiosity with you to church. See you there.
Financial Joy
In this week’s message, Your Best Life Ever Now: Financial Joy, we explore Philippians 4:10–23 and discover Paul’s surprising approach to money, contentment, and generosity. Through personal stories and biblical insight, we learn how contentment isn’t something we feel—it’s something we learn as Christ strengthens us. Paul shows that joy doesn’t come from having more, but from trusting God with our needs and resisting the pull of coveting.
We also see how generosity reflects the very heart of God. The Philippians’ sacrificial giving becomes a model for us, reminding us that when we give, we participate in God’s own generosity toward the world. Living with contentment and generosity frees us from fear and opens us to the joyful life God intends.
This message invites us to trust God’s provision, practice gratitude, and live generously in a culture obsessed with more.
The Winding Road to Joy
In this episode of Your Best Life Ever Now, we explore Paul’s vision of joy in Philippians 4:1–9—a joy that grows along the long and winding road of real life. Paul shows us that joy isn’t a quick fix or a burst of emotion; it’s a deep, steady character shaped by God as we walk with Him.
We look at three surprising places where joy takes root: the struggle for unity, the battle with anxiety, and the renewal of our minds. Paul calls us to work toward unity by extending grace and giving others the “generous interpretation.” He teaches us to confront anxiety through prayer, gratitude, and surrender—trusting God with what we cannot control. And he invites us to intentionally shape our thought life, choosing what is true, honorable, and life‑giving instead of letting the world’s algorithms disciple our minds.
Joy, Paul reminds us, is not a shortcut or a switch we flip. It’s the byproduct of a Christ‑centered, spiritually disciplined life—one shaped by community, prayer, Scripture, and daily choices that align our hearts with God. As we walk this winding road with Him, we discover that joy is not just possible—it’s already growing within us.
Jesus and My Past, Present, & Future
In this week’s message, Paul invites us into a radically freeing way of seeing our past, our present, and our future through the lens of faith in Jesus. Whether you feel weighed down by old wounds, overwhelmed by today’s pressures, or anxious about what lies ahead, this passage offers a hope-filled path forward.
Paul shows that faith in Jesus frees us from the grip of the past, not by erasing our memories but by reframing them through the grace of Christ. He reminds us that faith also humbles us in the present, helping us accept our imperfections, lean on community, and remember where we truly belong—citizens of heaven. And finally, he lifts our eyes to the future, where faith empowers us with purpose, confidence, and the promise of resurrection.
If you’ve ever wondered how to live with peace in your story, strength in your struggles, and hope in your tomorrow, this message offers a deeply practical and deeply encouraging perspective. Discover how trusting Jesus reshapes every part of life—and leads you into your best life ever now.
What God Did for Me
In this message from Philippians 3:1–11, we explore one of Paul’s most personal reflections on what it truly means to belong to Christ. Is Christianity about what we do for God—or what God has already done for us? Paul’s answer reshapes everything.
Through his own story, Paul shows why religious performance can never earn God’s approval, why our best efforts still fall short, and why the righteousness we need can only come through Jesus. This sermon walks through four life‑changing truths: it’s not what we do for God, it’s what Christ has done for us; we must give up confidence in ourselves; and in Christ we receive the power of resurrection for everyday life.
If you’ve ever felt exhausted trying to be “good enough,” or wondered how faith actually brings joy, this passage offers clarity, hope, and freedom. Discover how believing the gospel—not striving harder—leads to your best life ever now.
The Mission of Jesus
We begin the New Year thinking about "The Mission of Jesus." As a traveling rabbi, Jesus gathered large crowds and he told them stories that they could identify with in order to point them to the truth about himself. We will look at a well known one, the parable of the sower. Our reading helps us understand Jesus' Method, Message and How the Message Would Spread. As we think about our future as a church heading into 2026, it is really helpful to focus on Jesus, what he was about. How does this translates into our mission and ministry as a local congregation? We will see.
State of the Church 2025
On the final Sunday of each year, I like to take my teaching time to reflect on the life and ministry of our faith family. I am so grateful for each person who worships and serves at West Church. The ministry is a huge team effort, and you make it a joy. What are some of the high points of our year? What are some of the challenges we face and need to prepare for? As we ring in 2026, we pray for the grace and strength that our Savior gives to live into his mission and calling.
Mary
This Christmas Eve we revisit the story of Mary in Luke 1 and explore what her response to God reveals about genuine faith. Mary begins with simple, willing trust—“Let it be to me according to your word”—but her journey shows that faith doesn’t stay static. It grows, stretches, and deepens through confusion, hardship, and wonder. From Jesus’ birth to His ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection, Mary continually relearns who her son truly is: the Son of God, the Savior, the risen King.
The message invites us to reflect on our own faith this Christmas. Do we merely acknowledge Jesus, or do we trust Him, love Him, and yield our lives to Him? Like Mary, we’re called to let God interrupt our plans, shape our hearts, and lead us into a deeper, more mature faith—one that believes He is with us, loves us, and carries us through every season.
The Bathsheba Scandal
In our Advent series "Grace Required: The Family Tree of Jesus" we will consider David & Bathsheba. The setting is one of the highpoints in the history of Israel, the reigns of King David and his son, Solomon. But the scene is one of dismal failure and shame. Bathsheba is caught in the middle of the struggle. At the beginning of the story, she's laregely the victim. Towards the end of the story, she rises above her circumstances and has a positive influence. She becomes active in redeeming the kingship in Israel for one more generation. Through her dark ordeal, she becomes a light. She probably would not have chosen what happened. But God was at work graciously preserving his people until a better, different King would come. We are not just victims of the evil around us. By God's grace in our lives, He may still do something special with our lives, if we rely on Him and show up when needed.
Rahab - A Person with a Past
This Advent our theme is "Grace Required: the Family Tree of Jesus." We are looking at the stories of the people who make up the family tree of the Lord Jesus. This week: a Canaanite prostitute in the city of Jericho named Rahab. You never know where a new believer may come from. But you will come to recognize them by the shape of their faith. Rahab was an unclean person with a soiled past. She was afraid of the God of Israel and his people. That fear matured into faith and she married into the community of Israel. Jesus came at Christmas so that he might cover over our shame, deliver us into his love and give us peace and joy, as a gift. All this, only when we believe. If you are hungry for the grace of God, "Come and get it!"
The Family Tree of Jesus
This Sunday we will focus on Advent in our teaching series entitled "Grace Required: the Family Tree of Jesus." We will see why the coming of Jesus to be born to redeem was so much more than a "Hallmark Moment." It was absolutely necessary if there was ever a hope for the world We will consider some of the special names singled out in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. This week we will look at the life of Tamar & Judah in Genesis 38, talk about dysfunctional. If ever there was a family that needed grace, it was the family of Jacob/Israel. It becomes abundantly clear, even among the people who know the One True God, that they were desperate for the mercy, grace and kindness of God. If you are not a Hallmark Christian, from a Hallmark family with a Hallmark life, then you are just the kind of person Jesus came for...grace required. Join us this Advent to see why the hope of the good news is so necessary.
Deep Connections
After this Sunday, I will pause our series "Your Best Life Ever Now!" for Advent. But this week we will look once more at Philippians in 2025. We gain a window into Paul's personal relationships and how relationships between believers were fostered and treasured in the New Testament time. There were deep and meaningful friendships, some even inseparable. They made generous sacrifices for one another: traveling, giving, caring, learning and suffering together. News and prayers were treasured gifts in the days of foot travel. Surely one of the reasons Paul stood firm as a prisoner was because of good friends. We will consider what the situation was like for them and the shape of Christian friendship. Next week we will begin our Advent series "Grace Required: The Family Tree of Jesus."
Working Out Your Salvation
This Sunday we continue in our series, "Your Best Life Ever Now." Have you ever received a gift that you absolutely loved? What did you do with it? Most likely you opened it up and started enjoying it in whatever way it was meant to be enjoyed. God has given us an infinite gift. It is called salvation. And we are invited to open it and enjoy it for the rest of our lives. Paul tells us in Philippians to "Work out your salvation." It is a beautiful perspective on the all new life and relationship that God has given us. We will consider what this means, what it looks like and the results it brings.
Have This Mind
In our series "Your Best Life Ever Now," we arrive at Philippians 2:5-11. It is one of the most beautiful and profound descriptions of who Jesus is and what he chose to do for us. It also describes how God the Father honors what his Son went through for us. It starts in heaven, comes down to all the ugliness of the earth, and returns to the heavens. This is what our Savior did, what he chose to do. What kind of God humbles himself like that? He's a God of lavish love, unthinkable authority, and unimaginable glory. Jesus lets go of all that was his, empties himself, humbles himself, and dies on a cross, for us. We're told that we should "have the mind of Christ." God intends to help us with this.
No One is an Island
In Sunday's passage, we will see Paul encouraging the church in Philippi to live their lives for and with each other. Contrary to what our culture tells us, there are no self-sufficient human beings, and certainly no self-sufficient Christians. We will see that a life lived for others is truly the best life we can live- one marked by unity, humility, and generosity.
Worthy
In our series "Your Best Life Ever Now" we look at another transformative life perspective from Paul: You are a worthy Citizen of God's Kingdom. We belong to something that God is doing in the world right now to make us ready for the next. What God is doing now is transformative, redemptive and lasting. He tells us 4 things citizens of the kingdom do and he shows us how and why they do them. Come and belong to the Kingdom this Sunday
Centered
We continue in our series "Your Best Life Ever Now." Here we see that Paul has a completely new center to universe of his life. This new center changes everything for him. "To live is Christ." Christ is his life. Religion was not his life. Ministry was not his life. Success was not his life. Freedom was not his life. Christ was his life. Jesus was the sun of Paul's solar system. Everything revolved around Jesus. This new center gave him purpose, relationships and hope. Is Christ your center? How does he change these things for you?
I Am Still Useful to God
Have you ever doubted that you had anything to offer God? You look at others who seem so "gifted" and think, I could never be like that. Or perhaps circumstances have changed for you and you aren't as available to do the things you used to do for God. Or perhaps you feel like a spiritual novice. You don't feel like your life is kind of messy and you feel like all the people around you at church have it "all together." I suspect Paul may have had those feelings, having been a zealous missionary who was now rotting in prison for several years. However, he also discovered something else while there: I am still useful to God. Knowing that lifted his spirits and even brought him joy. Please join us Sunday for our second in our teaching series, "Your Best Life Ever Now."