Real Good Courage - The Westwood Podcast

As we have talked about leadership in a culture of grace, the concept is that each of us has agency and capacity to lead in our own ways. The paradox is that implicit in leadership is servanthood. Martin Luther said that God is found not only in suffering, but also in the midst of doubt, fear, tribulation, temptation, despair and lament. Paradox defines us as individuals and Christians.  In these...

How does God surprise us and the world? And why do our doubts arise when we are agitated by God? Taresso is the Greek word for trouble, agitation or stirred up. Jesus' response in multiple instances is "Peace be with you'. Where in our lives are we being agitated by God, and how will we respond? Pastoral intern Aaron Schute walks us through 3 stories in the new testament where the disciples were t...

The birth of Jesus can be seen as a transformation. It is the beginning of the story and also the beginning of the ending. While it may seem that Christmas should be a season of joy, as told in the Gospel of Matthew, it is both joy and pain. The birth of Jesus brings a newness of hope for us to follow.  This message is brought to us by Pastor Jason. The Gospel is from Matthew Chapter 2, verses 13...

Where is God today and where is he moving in our world? Is he here with us during this Christmas Season? We explore Christmas messages from both Indonesia and Guatemala and learn that God chooses us to bring light to the world.    This message is brought to us by Pastoral Intern Aaron. The Gospel is from John, Chapter 1, verses 1 - 14.

Where do we find God? While he was born 2000 years ago into this world. that wasn't a one and done event. God keeps being born into this world, and into each of our hearts.  This message comes from Pastor Sarah. Our Gospel lesson is from Luke, Chapter 2, verses 8-14.

In this Season of Advent, God has something new to say to us. We should be listening to others and to God, but often this can be difficult. In order to listen and hear the Word, we need to slow down and tune in. Today we hear about Gabriel's visit to Mary to tell her that she was going to bear the Son of God. Mary's response was profound, and a model for us all. She said yes. Today's message comes...

Listening requires at least 2 people. When you listen carefully and you believe, you will share the news. If you listen closely, you can hear that the heavens are still whispering: "Jesus is here, and God loves you." This message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah. The Gospel lesson comes from Matthew Chapter 1, verses 18-25.  

In the bustle of our daily lives, when inappropriate comments are all around, can we still God in our lives? What matters is our ability to listen to that which defines what we are. This message is brougth by Pastor Jason. our Gospel lesson is from Luke Chapter 1, verses 39 to 41.  We focus on Luke Chapter 1 verses 50 - 54.

In a culture of grace, listening is essential to leadership but hard. It is hard to silence our internal discussions to really listen. Our goal should be to understand not what matters to us, but what is true for our conversation partner at that point in time.  This message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah. Our Old Testament lesson is from Isiah chapter 40, verses 1-5. The Gospel is from Matthew c...

How do we live our lives so that we seek the thriving of others? Paul tells us that we have fully formed lives and that we have recieved riches beyond our imagination. While we experience the joy of that gift, we need to continue to be generous so that other can expience the joy of that gift as well.  This week's message is brought to us by Pastor Jason. The lesson is from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9...

In a culture of generosity does is it matter that one provides more than another? What if our skills or gifts are different? How does a gift economy compare to a transactional economy?  Our message comes from Pasto Sarah. The Lesson is from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8 verses 8 - 15 The Gospel lesson is from Luke, Chapter 17, verses 11 - 19

When in trail, what shows a person's true colors? Paul would tell us that generosity will show one's true color.    Out lesson comes from 2 Corinthians Chapter 8, verses 1-7. The Gospel Lesson is from Luke, Chapter 19, verses 1-10. 

On All Saints Sunday we hear the Good News of the hope found in Jesus that speaks how we view both life and death. God first loves us, and that doesn't change. Today's message is brought by Pastor Jason. Our new testament lesson is from  Colossians chapter 2, verses 2-3, 6-7, and 11-14 from the Message version. The Gospel is from Luke, chapter 6, verses 46-49.

Most people find that their faith evolves over time, changing as our understanding of God, God's church and our activities in the world change. Luther says that faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace. And while our faith may change, God’s love remains unchanging. This message comes from Pastor Sarah. The Gospel is from John Chapter 8, verses 31-36. The New Testament lesson comes from Romans...

How are friendship and hospitality related and different? Both are vocations; the difference is that hospitality is an action while friendship refers to a relationship. Unlike many of the messages that we hear today, we are told to love the other and invite them in, not cast them out.  Today's message is brought to us by Pastor Tania. The Gospel lesson is from Matthew Chapter25, verses 31-40, and...

How do we define acts of friendship? Is it in the grand gestures, or being a genius at the close at hand? How do we grow faithfully into that call? Paul's letter to the Romans discusses how we should embrace what God does for us is the best thing we can do for God.  This message comes from Pastor Jason. Our gospel reading is from Luke Chapter 17 verses 20 - 21. The reading for the study is Romans...

When suffering strikes, what happens when it seems that it is too much? When a friend is dealing with this deep suffering, being their friend becomes more challenging. The temptation is to move past it, to ignore or minimize the suffering and challenges with well-meaning phrases. Sometimes, we can provide the most comfort in just being there in spirit and peace. The comfort and care of friendship...

Friendship is the foundation of community. How do communities of people come together across differences? We are responsible for both our actions and our reactions. We are to not only bear one another's burdens but also to bear our own. This message comes from Pastor Sarah. Our gospel reading is from Matthew 5, verses 21-24 Chapter 10 verses 25 - 28. The reading for the study is Galatians Chapter...

How does the vocation of friendship relate to Jesus' command that we both love God and our neighbor? How are our individual definitions of friendship related to our own experience of friendship? This message comes from Pastor Jason. Our gospel reading is from Luke Chapter 10 verses 25 - 28. The reading for the study is 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, verses 4-7.

What does it mean when Jesus tells his disciples that they are his friends? Does that extend to us? How are we called to be friends to others? We kick off the Vocation of Friendship study with an exploration of friend networks and the ways that each of us differ in our friendships. This message comes from Pastor Sarah. The Gospel is from John, Chapter 5 verses 9-17.

With just a little faith, we can live by Jesus’ teaching as disciples. The primary places we are called to be God’s hands and feet are in the roles in which we already participate. Jesus provides guidance in Luke 17, identifying two challenges that concerned his disciples. This message comes from Pastor Jason, and he wonders about how Jesus' words can guide us today. Our The New Testament Lesson i...

As we wrap up the series on the Lord’s Prayer, the sermon notes the variety of prayers that were gathered over the last two months. Over a thousand individual prayers were submitted by our congregation, but that’s just a drop in the bucket of human conversation with God. Prayer can be seen as simply -paying attention – to the world around you. Your attention is limited. The good news is that God h...

“Amen” is more than a closing word to the Lord’s Prayer—it’s our bold yes to God’s kingdom of abundance. In a world often marked by scarcity and fear, we trust God’s promise and enter the work of renewal, justice, and glory breaking into the world here and now. This message is brought to us by Pastoral Intern Aaron. The Gospel reading is from Luke, Chapter 11, Verses 1 - 4, and the Scripture readi...

Jesus encountered evil many times during his ministry. Evil can be difficult to envision, because it is so far out of our day to day experience. Does evil describe some of what we see in today’s world? In order to effectively address evil in our midst, first we must see it for what it is and then renounce it. Today's message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah. The Gospel lesson is from Mark Chapter...

Prayer often doesn't come easy, particularly when grief and pain is present and feels overwhelming. These trials are rea; and can easily be overwhelming. And yet Jesus tells us to stay awake and be saved from the time of trial. But what does this mean? How does God preserve us during those trials? Because those trials are not the end. The cross overcomes all.  This message is presented by Pastor J...