SunWest Church Weekly Sermon Podcast

Is there a right religion? Why are we here? How do I handle suffering and tragedy? Is the Bible trustworthy? ... Have you ever asked these types of questions? Is there any room for doubt with a person who has faith in Jesus? One of Jesus' disciples, Thomas, has been dubbed forever as 'doubting Thomas' because he was slow to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. There is probably a little bit...

In Part Five of this series we consider a pop tune from 2014, "Geronimo" by Sheppard, an indie pop band based out of Australia. This sibling band is comprised of George, Emma and Amy Sheppard as well as three other members. Their catchy pop tune "Geronimo" is built around the daring sense of RISK it took for the American-Indian "invader" and "raider" to impact his generation. That same sense of ri...

In this series "God Through My iPod", we continue to enjoy some of the Pastors' favourite tunes, from current to classic, and what God might be saying to us through lyrics that reflect ancient Biblical truths disguised in these contemporary trappings. In Part Four of this series we will look at one of the greatest pop guitarists/writers/performers of this millennium, John Mayer. One of his first h...

U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" has been capturing people's imaginations and hearts since it was released in 1987. What is it about this song that draws people in? Besides The Edge's captivating guitar lines and driving rhythm from Larry Mullen Jr., there is a hope and longing in the song that is reflected in the human heart and the heart of God. This week we will allow the song to guide us...

Music can make us sing, move us to dance, and compels us to reflect. One of the earliest ways to express our love to God was through song. In this sermon series we are drawing out God inspired messages in some of our favourite lyrics. This week we will be looking at "Body in a Box" by City and Colour. We will discuss life, death, and a future hope.

We appreciate how God reveals Himself in many wonderful and unique ways. He does this through creation, through His people, through the poor, and through the arts both secular and sacred. In this series "God Thru my iPod" we will be enjoying some of the Pastors' favourite tunes, from current to classic, and what God might be saying to us through lyrics that reflect ancient Biblical truths disguise...

Part of SunWest's vision is to Equip and Release people to fulfill God's mission. It is a joy to see this happen and to see some of SunWest's up and coming leaders grow in their gifting. The message this week will be given by Nate Wilson, a SunWest Intern who has participated in SunWest Ministry School this past year. Come and embrace our vision to Equip and Release others! We will also be celebra...

Part of SunWest's vision is to Equip and Release people to fulfill God's mission...It is a joy to see this happen and the next two Sundays will allow intentional opportunity for some of SunWest's up and coming leaders to grow in their gifting. The messages for the next two weeks will be given by SunWest Interns who have participated in SunWest Ministry School this past year. Come be challenged and...

That sound. You know that sound... when you get that e-mail, that text, that message. You're talking to someone, sitting at the table, at church, with family, sleeping, and when you hear it you are taken out of that moment into a different one. For all of the promise of efficiency that technology has brought, it seems to simply make us more busy and less present. Although technology is changing th...

How many followers do you have on Twitter or Instagram? How many friends on Facebook? Is it possible that as our network gets broader our relationships get shallower? As we dictate the information we receive and we give; as we pick and choose who to follow and who we allow to follow us; as we create a network of relationships through virtual means; maybe we have unknowingly missed the life changin...

Browser. History. What comes to mind when you think of those two words? Our virtual trail is revealing. Where our treasure is (read time & money) is where we will find our heart's desires. What does your treasure tell you? What encourages you about that and what discourages you? Before you clear your browser history let's take an honest look in the mirror and consider what it tells us about oursel...

Have you ever been misunderstood in a text conversation? Have you ever observed a Facebook argument go south really fast? How would Jesus handle conflict in a digital age? If he had a soap box would he leverage all the tools at our disposal to make his opinions known? Next time we are about to comment on someone's post, or we are about to post something ourselves, we should consider WWJT (what wou...

2,000 years ago the internet wasn't invented. This phenomenon shapes and forms the way we do life, relationships, conflict, community, communication, and more. Jesus invites each of us to follow him (and he wasn't referring to Twitter). If Jesus had a Facebook account how would he manage it? What would he post or pin? How would he manage conflict?... Friend groups? What would his browser history r...

Over the last two weeks we've been encouraged to grow the Kingdom, God's way, to bring His Kingdom here to earth. What should that look like? As we share God with others and as we help others look to Him, how do we best go about that? Should we yell at people, hit them over the head with a Bible, tell them off for being "sinners", set up an outdoor circus tent and have meetings, or sing a lot of c...

Multiplication is a buzz word. The big question is : Why should a disciple or a congregation multiply? Today we will discuss "Why Multiply?".

From the outset of Jesus' ministry through the first century and into today, God's plan is for the church to be the visible representation of God's Kingdom. The church gives voice to God's truth, observable evidence of God's grace, practical examples of God's love and transformative experiences of God's community. The church is the agent through which God's Spirit does His transforming work in the...

We are concerned about our planet these days. There has been a lot of debate about global warming and climate change, but either way there is far too much pollution, there are copious emissions floating around our atmosphere; there is a lot to be concerned about. Unfortunately it's not just a problem that's floating around in the air. It's everywhere. But this Sunday particularly THIS Sunday there...

Jesus said that He was the good shepherd, in contrast to bad shepherds that were talked about in Ezekiel 34. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep while a bad shepherd functions like a hired hand who leaves when there is trouble. What is the significance for us that Jesus is the good shepherd? What would it look like if He was our model? What if we started shepherding others like He doe...

"I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." John 11:25. This week we look at a fifth "I Am" statement that Jesus makes: "I Am the resurrection and the life." At some point in life we all face dead ends. Whether it's jobs, finances, family, relationships or whatever the situation is, disappointment and discouragement is something everyone encoun...

Jesus claimed that before Abraham was on the scene, he already existed. As if that wasn't controversial enough, Jesus, using the language of a conversation between God and Moses, used God's language claiming to be the great "I AM". This Sunday, we will review what is perhaps the prickliest of statements when he declares "I AM the true vine". The implications of this particular claim are the strong...

In week four of the "I AM" series, we will look at Jesus' statement that He is the gate. In John 10:9, Jesus says "I am the gate. Those who come through me will be saved." On Sunday, we will look at what it means to be disciples of Jesus and belong to God and how we live that out.

In part two of the "I AM" series we will unpack Jesus' statement, "I am the way, truth and life." This was the revolutionary kind of claim that could get somebody killed. Jesus really ticked off the establishment with these words. Oddly enough, it's still upsetting people today, but mostly religious people. There is something profound about words that are 2000 years old that still unsettle folks a...

2016-02-21 I AM - Part 3: The Light of the World, Drew Johnson by

We are beginning a new sermon series at both campuses this weekend. The "I AM" series will focus on John's gospel where seven times, Jesus declared "I AM"! This week we will start to understand significant components of Jesus' character, who he was, who he claimed to be and the significance of the 7 "I AM" statements. As we get to know Jesus better, we understand the Father better, and we gain sol...

For the past three weeks, we have been exploring the questions that we all ask that begin with "If God is Good...". God's response to this question was not an idea but a person and Jesus was not only the answer but the window through which we anticipate a new heaven and a new earth. This hopeful future drastically changes the way we as Jesus followers live in the midst of our world today. Please j...