Northwest Gospel Church - Eastside

Here is a great equation that is only possible through the grace of God: 2+3=5. God's design of marriage (Genesis 2) + Our destruction of marriage through sin (Genesis 3) = God's redemption of marriage (Ephesians 5). Only by God's grace could His original design be combined with human sin to equal redemption. He does this through His Son Jesus Christ, and Ephesians 5 tells why. In His original des...

If only the Bible ended at Genesis 2:25... But unfortunately Genesis 3 exists. In this second installment of "2+3=5", Pastor Andrew examines the day the first marriage broke in a message entitled "Only One Answer". The first Gospel is seen in Genesis 3 as God preaches and performs the good news in response to the sin of Adam and Eve.

What is marriage? Why does it exist? Where did it come from? How should it be understood? Who should be married? Pastor Andrew answers these questions in the first installment of a three week series on marriage called "2+3=5". This first message in the series begins in Genesis 2:15-25.

If Jesus is the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12), what does this really mean for the fate of every person who has ever lived? Does this mean that those who do not follow Jesus will not be saved? Or does this mean that Jesus will save every person who has ever lived? What's the alternative to "being saved"? Is there one? Or will everybody end up with God for eternity? If this is so, then what is a...

Have you ever heard a statement like this: "In the end, aren't all religions the same? Don't all paths lead to the same place? If you hold your beliefs sincerely and you're not hurting anyone else by them, isn't that good enough? Isn't it truth for you different that truth for me? Can't we just coexist???" In Acts 4:1-12, the disciples are taken before the Jewish religious leaders and put on trial...

Every human being who walks the face of the earth lives in one of two kingdoms; the kingdom of ME or the kingdom of GOD. When John the Baptist summarized the impending mission of Jesus, he repeated the phrase "The kingdom of God is at had." Jesus came to usher in God's kingdom. This kingdom is simply defined as "The realm of God's rule". Similarly, the kingdom of ME, ushered in by Adam and Eve in...

One of the major myths in American culture is "I need more". To us, excess is average, average is poverty, but our "poverty" is "rich" for most of the world. To get more, we spend money. And to spend money, we hoard money. In the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:13-21, Jesus shows that life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions. Pastor Andrew illustrates from this text that "all you h...

Is God "on the hook" for our suffering? Shouldn't He be? He is God, after all. If He really is "all powerful," and He really is "fully good," then why do suffering, pain, and death exist in our world? It would seem that either God is love, but He just can't stop the suffering; or God is all-powerful, but He just doesn't care. In this second installment of the Sub-Urban Legends series, Pastor Andre...

This week we start a new series titled "Sub-Urban Legends". Have we exchanged the truth of God's Word for a lie? This week we look at "Is The Bible Reliable?". Can we take the Bible literally? Is the Bible accurate? Does the Bible contradict itself? Join us as over the next six weeks, as Pastor Andrew looks at six of these legends...

He Came. He Died. He Rose. All three of these facts are significant, and all three of these statements are facts. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. Paul says it himself, "If the dead are not raised, we (Christians) are of all men most to be pitied." Everything about the Christian faith rises or falls with the resurrection of Christ. Although it is a fa...

Jesus has been crucified. The Chief Priests are glad he is dead. And yet there are reports that he will rise from the dead. Pilate has watched this situation unfold before him. He is charged to keep the peace. What is going through Pilate's mind as he recalls the day's events? What hand has he played in the crucifixion of Jesus? In the second message of the "Caught Red Handed" sermon series Pastor...

Who is this? Who is Jesus? The answer to this question makes all the difference in the world. In fact, there is no figure who ever walked the face of the earth whose identity is more relevant than Jesus Christ. Who is this? The Jews in Jerusalem asked this question 2000 years ago in Matthew 21:10 when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Since then, billions of people have asked it throughout hist...

Not many of us like to wait. In a society where high-speed internet, fast food, and quick fixes are the norm, people don't often learn to "strive." The church is a great example. "Offended? Just go down the street to another church." "Uncomfortable? Just stay home and watch church on TV." The Bible calls us to strive together as the body of Christ. In this message, Pastor Andrew shows how and why...

What's love got to do with it? If you're a part of the church, it should have a whole lot to do with how you live your life. In part 14 of the Ekklesia series, Pastor Andrew breaks down Romans 12:9-13, examining the 13 commands Paul presents in these 5 verses. They define and flow from his opening command "Let love be genuine." The one question to ask yourself: Is what you're living for worth dyin...

It's been said that although there is no "I" in T-E-A-M, there is a "ME." One thing is certain, there is definitely no "I" in C-H-U-R-C-H. In Romans 12:3-8, Paul explains the reason why we must die to ourselves in order to unify in the church. In this message Pastor Andrew teaches on humility and pride and the necessity of using our gifts in unity to build the church. This passage clearly shows th...

What is worship? Many christians have changed the word worship from a verb to a noun. We have "worship' leaders and "worship" CDs that we buy at "worship" conferences where our "worship" experience was amazing. But what is true worship? Is it the 25 minutes at the beginning of our church service where we critique the music presentation as we habitually close our eyes, raise our hands, and seek to...

Have you ever fallen into the trap of "doing church"? Ephesians 4:11-16 describes what the church that God is building looks like. If you're "doing church", as a monotonous, static, sterile, religious habit - you're missing it. It's time to stop "doing" and start "being". Pastor Andrew also addresses those called to lead in the church, challenging them to fulfill their calling and understand what...

What does it mean to be "saved"? The Bible describes salvation as a gift from God, a gift that He give by His grace. But why is ii that God give the gift? In "Keep the Gift", Pastor Andrew examines Ephesians 2:8-10, focusing on the gift of salvation. God saves by something, through something, and for something. But, if we miss the mission, we miss the gift. This is part ten of the "Ekklesia" serie...

Unity is something that every church strives for, but unites the church? Unity comes when a church realizes that what brings them together is more important than anything that could tear them apart. But what is it that "brings the church together"? At the foundation level, the church is united by a message. This message is called the Gospel or "good news". In this week's sermon, Pastor Andrew expl...

Uncomfortable at the current church you attend? No worries - just leave. Like the drive-through menu at your favorite fast-food restaurant, there are many inexpensive church options within driving distance of your home. Embrace the McChristian mentality and you'll be on the fast track to a shallow faith. In this eighth message of the "Ekklesia" series entitled "Roots", Pastor Andrew examines the i...

Scripture describes the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church as "a head" and "his body". If you have a body and a head, you know that the body only works when it's in step with the head. In this message, Pastor Andrew describes his prayer for LifePoint Church in "The Prayer of a Pastor" from Ephesians 1:15-23. This is the seventh message in the "Ekklesia" sermon series.

Why does the church exist? What is the purpose of the church? These are pretty vital questions for anyone associated with the church. But if you look at churches today, the answer to these questions. seem to be mores a matter of personal opinion than anything else. Was this the intention of Jesus? Was His instruction to His disciples, "Do what you want, just make sure people are happy"? In Matthew...

The last words of a person say much about that person's character. The words come from deep within. What words are saturating your life? As we allow God's Word to cover us, we have freedom and new life. Join Pastor Andrew as we look at how to become a Bible-Saturated Church in this fifth message of the "Ekklesia" series entitled "Which Word?".

What's in a name? The church in the book of Acts was defined by a name. Although they had individual names, like all of us today, their personal names and reputations weren't what they worried about advancing. They were so committed to ONE name that they forgot about their own. This church was a redeeming church...

Anyone who has been around a church for any length of time knows that church growth is a hot topic. Scripture is clear that the Church that Jesus built is a Growing Church. Acts 2:42-47 gives us a glimpse into the initial characteristics that marked this growing church. What was the secret to their success? Did any of the early disciples write books on church growth strategies? How can we catch th...