Life on the West Side

Nature praises God . But how? In this 3-part series, we delve into the role of creation, humanity, and new creation in giving praise to God. The sermon today is titled "Nature's Praise of God 3: Does Nature Have A Future?" It is the third installment in our series " Nature's Praise of God ." The Scripture reading is from Romans 8:19-23 (ESV). Originally preached at th...

Nature praises God . But how? In this 3-part series, we delve into the role of creation, humanity, and new creation in giving praise to God. The sermon today is titled "Nature's Praise of God 2: Humanity's Role." It is the second installment in our series " Nature's Praise of God ." The Scripture reading is from Psalm 8 & Psalm 104 (ESV). Originally preached...

Nature praises God . But how? In this 3-part series, we delve into the role of creation, humanity, and new creation in giving praise to God. The sermon today is titled "Nature's Praise of God 1: Creation's Role." It is the first installment in our series " Nature's Praise of God ." The Scripture reading is from Psalm 148 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Sid...

In 1 Corinthians 11-14, Paul unpacks the seven ones of Ephesians in helping a church deal with a long list of potentially divisive issues . In this way, Paul shows us how to think and act as a church when issues threaten to cause friction in the body. The sermon today is titled "Worship Matters." It is the thirteenth and final installment in our series " City Lights: Bearing Witness...

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul affirms both singleness and marriage as good options for Christians. But when he is asked about issues of separation and divorce, Paul applies the teaching of Jesus and the heart of God in a way that offers both grace and truth. There is hope for every marriage to stay together, there is hope for victims, and there is hope for life after divorce. The sermon today is titled...

In 1 Corinthians 5-7, Paul deals with a variety of situations that call for a healthy understanding of Christian sexual ethics . The heart of his response can be summarized as “honor God with your bodies.” How can Paul’s response to Corinth speak to our contemporary moment? One thing is certain: grace and truth belong together. The sermon today is titled "Body Matters." It is the elevent...

I have the right to surrender to Christ. I have the freedom to become a slave of Christ. I have the liberty to become dependent on Him. And living out of a cross-shaped story, I can choose to give up and give in for the good of the body and for the joy of love. Re-imagine what freedom looks like in Christ. The sermon today is titled "When Rights Can Wrong." It is the tenth installment in...

Won't you be my neighbor? The Christians in Corinth were called to be “city lights,” shining the light of Christ in a dark world. So how does your light shine in your neighborhood? This week, we unpack Paul’s seven lenses and ask how Christ would have us treat the people who live next door. The sermon today is titled "Neighbor Matters." It is the ninth installment in our series &quo...

Who is God? Well, God is patient, and He is kind. He does not envy or boast. He is not arrogant or rude. He does not insist on his own way. He is not irritable or resentful. He does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. God never ends and He will not fail. The sermon today is titled "One God,...

Now these three abide – faith, hope, and love . If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, and you are dead in your sins.  But since Christ is raised from the dead, He will also raise your body by the power of his spirit. He shall return to make all things right, and we shall live with him forever in glory. We live out of this hope…and we die with this hope. The sermon today is titled "O...

If you only have one Lord...why is that hard to tell during an election season? This week, Jimmy Shaw--a Shepherd at West Side--invites us to consider what it means to claim ultimate allegiance to Jesus Christ. The sermon today is titled "One Lord: The Supreme Allegiance Which Unites Us." It is the sixth installment in our series " City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis...

Show me your way of life…and I’ll show you what you believe. This week we reflect on our “way of life in Christ” (1 Cor 4:17). We tell of our shared faith story as we welcome 4 new shepherds to lead one flock under Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd. The sermon today is titled "One Faith: Our Way Of Life." It is the fifth installment in our series " City Lights: Bearing Witness To A C...

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is power…freedom…transformation…unity…glory.  The wisdom of the world can’t hold a candle to the mind of the Spirit. And we, people of the Spirit, sharing in one Spirit, walking by one Spirit, empowered by one Spirit, shine like lights in the world, radiating with power and glory that comes from the crucified Lord. The sermon today is titled "One Spirit:...

Paul's answer to the divisive factions in Corinth is a call to unity : one body, centered on one Lord, sharing one baptism. Paul asks them to consider three profound questions (1 Cor 1:13): Can Christ be divided? Who was crucified for you? Into whose name were you baptized? Experience a call to dive deeper into your baptism. The more we die to ourselves, the clearer stands the cross before ou...

Unity. It is a central feature of the 7 ones in Ephesians 4. It was Jesus' final wish in his garden prayer. And it is the plea of Paul to the church of God at Corinth. Avoid division and pursue unity for you are one body in Christ. The sermon today is titled "One Body: Called To Unity." It is the second installment in our series " City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Cr...

Could Jesus live in Corinth? In our opening lesson exploring First Corinthians, we are going to put on a set of lenses to see the church and the world anew. These 7 lenses show how a Christian can navigate their way in a dark world and yet see others (and themselves) in the light of hope. Yes, Jesus could live in Corinth. The pressing question then is whether Corinth will see Jesus in us. The serm...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Find any powerful story in Scripture—then look closely. Past the obvious. Behind the headliners. You will likely read about a woman or man, perhaps a servant or onlooker, who contributes a line, a word, or a gesture.  The servant girl who offers a word of advice to a king. A face in the crowd that sparks a ministry. Those secondary stories that represent the minor key in the symphony. Every one of...