Westside Church Podcast

At a time when we've been reminded of the horrors of racism, we need to lean in and really hear the voices of those who have been all-too-often unheard.

From the series, "Beyond Your Current Mind" - Part 6. During a season where we’ve lost a lot of the big and flashy events and activities in our lives, we have an opportunity to accept Jesus’ invitation to look for God in small, quiet, and deeper places.

When we pray we interact with God. Some of us tend to do all of the talking, but true prayer also incorporates listening to the voice of God. We talk about that and get some help from a prayer from Henrie Nouwen in this episode.

When things seem bleak is when God goes to work! He is the God who turns things around. Today, we talk about how God takes struggle and brings redemption, as well as Elevation Worship’s song, "Graves Into Gardens."

From the series, "Beyond Your Current Mind" - Part 5. One of the essential aspects of following Jesus is to be able to see people for who they have been created to be. The rhythms of our lives ought to reflect the infinite value that God has created us with.

Real freedom is a paradox. We find it by living entirely in the opposite direction than we think we should.

A life of joy takes practice. Acknowledging our present moment helps us to express gratitude through the spiritual discipline of celebration.

From the series, "Beyond Your Current Mind" - Part 4. Jesus invites us into a new kind of life: one of purpose, meaning, and joy. If we want to experience this new way of life, we have to deal with the old way of life.

Quick, easy, and convenient are tempting, but real life is lived slowly.

How are you managing the expectations that others put on you? How about the expectations that you put on yourself?

From the series, "Beyond Your Current Mind" - Part 3. Without forgiveness, there is no Christianity. That reality has driven Christians to adopt a view of forgiveness that can seem extreme and unreasonable, but it is at the core of following Jesus. And it is the pathway to freedom.

God wants to give us everything we need to experience more of Him and a more full life. He wants to create the kind of connection that produces abundant life in us.

Spiritual growth isn't boring. It leads to a life of increased peace and joy and goodness. God wants more for us. What do you want more of?

From the series, "Beyond Your Current Mind" - Part 2. Can you think of moments that significantly shifted your life? Events that changed the world? We’re in the midst of one of those times now, and we have the chance to use these moments to grow as people and communities. For those who are looking, there are opportunities everywhere!

Have you ever wondered what we're going to do for eternity? Play harps and sit on clouds? Won't it get boring? I've wondered that, but the Christian understanding of the afterlife is so rich that it offers hope of infinite joy. Let's think about it.

What can you not wait to do when the restrictions loosen up? Many of us are waiting for that to happen and hope it'll be soon! Me too, but while we wait, don't miss the power of the only moment that we actually have - now.

From the series, "Beyond Your Current Mind" - Part 1. The message of Jesus is like an alarm clock going off and waking us up to see life in a completely different way. Are we ready to let God change how we think about and approach everything?

At a time when we become so aware of the suffering that people are enduring all over the world, it's natural to come back to this timeless question, and wonder where God is at times of suffering.

How can we find the confidence to live lives of deep faith when there is so much pain and uncertainty in the world? It comes down to what we believe and how we live it out. This meditation points us to the challenge and comfort of deep trust.

Deep down we all long to be loved, valued, and cherished. One of our greatest spiritual needs is our need to be blessed. It is something that is offered to us and that we can grab ahold of!

Dave is joined by his wife Bryna as they discuss 4 rhythms that are essential for life in quarantine.

There are some things that you can only discover when you get quiet enough to listen. Many of our lives have, in some ways, gotten a little quieter. What are you hearing?

This Easter is different than any other in our lifetime, and this Easter will be the same as every other Easter. Some of our expectations in life have dramatically shifted, but the One we expect to find resurrected on Easter Sunday remains the same!

When Jesus gave his disciples a ritual to remember him by, he used ordinary things to symbolize extraordinary truth. He taught them to see the presence of God that had been brought down to earth, and set right in front of them.

Our culture isn't great at dealing with our pain. We would often rather avoid it than process it. During a time where so many of us are feeling complex negative emotions, it's so important to give ourselves permission to grieve.