West Church Peabody

Temptation is one of the most universal struggles for Jesus followers, and James 1:12–18 shows how endurance, honesty, and a greater love for God help us face it with courage. This message draws from the myth of the sirens in The Odyssey to illustrate two ways people resist destructive desires—by limiting their ability to give in, like Odysseus tied to the mast, or by cultivating a stronger, more...

Have you ever daydreamed about what your life would be like if you had more money? I'm sure we all have. Lack of finances seem to make things really hard sometimes. At the same time, chasing after money and possessions can be a trap as well. This week in our series "Practical Living for Jesus Followers," James warns us about the deception of riches. Always wanting more is like the air we breath. I...

This Sunday we begin an all-new series called Practical Living for Jesus Followers. We will be going verse by verse through the letter from James. The first area of practical living he speaks to is "How do we handle hardships in life?" It's not like we don't have enough. He tells us some amazing things about God. God wants to help us, and he will always help us. God wants to give us what we need,...

Have you ever daydreamed about what your life would be like if you had more money? I'm sure we all have. Lack of finances seem to make things really hard sometimes. At the same time, chasing after money and possessions can be a trap as well. This week in our series "Practical Living for Jesus Followers," James warns us about the deception of riches. Always wanting more is like the air we breath. I...

We're approaching the end of our series, "Rising from Shame." We will be looking at the story of Mary Magdalene who was set free from seven demons by the Lord Jesus. Shame is clearly one of the weapons that Satan would use to hinder us and keep us down. Sometimes we think the negative voices putting us down in our heads are our own negative selves. Sometimes they may be even more insidious. When w...

Today’s sermon from Romans 15:1–13 used the metaphor of a choir to show how God calls His people into deep unity. Though individually gifted, Christians often clash when preferences, personalities, and cultural backgrounds get in the way. Paul reminds us that glorifying God requires laying down our preferences and moving toward one another in love, even when it is inconvenient. Christ Himself did...

This Sunday we look at one of the most vulnerable moments in Elijah’s life—right after his greatest victory. Exhausted, afraid, and convinced he’s a failure, Elijah runs into the wilderness believing he’s alone and beyond help. His story exposes how shame twists our limitations into accusations and how isolation, resentment, and self‑pity can pull even the strongest believers into dark places. But...

As we think about "Rising from Shame" this week, we will look at the life of King Saul. He was anointed with high hopes as a King to rescue God's people. He was a valiant fighter, leading his nation to freedom from those who wanted to harm them. Yet his reign ends in shame. Why did he fall apart? The answer is not a single defining event as it was a series of escalating events that led him to his...

As we continue our series, "Rising from Shame," we will examine the life of Samson in the book of Judges. Here was a man that had so much going for him. But he was defeated by a divided heart. Whether or not we admit to battling a divided heart ourselves, we each know someone who has lost that battle. Shame always haunts those with a divided heart. It tells us we're helpless losers who will never...

In this episode, we explore the painful reality of shame—especially the kind that comes from abuse—through the story of Hagar in Genesis 16, a woman used, mistreated, and caught in the fallout of Abraham and Sarah’s lack of trust in God, highlighting how abuse dehumanizes and leaves deep internal questions about worth, love, and God’s presence; drawing on insights about shame as the belief that “I...

How does shame get such a tight grip on our lives? This week we look at the story of Lot to see how shame begins, how it grows, and how God rescues us from it. Lot slowly drifted away from spiritual community—moving toward Sodom, into Sodom, and eventually becoming trapped in sin, compromise, and deep shame. He lost his moral footing and couldn’t free himself from the mess he was in. But God didn’...

This episode examines Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 and why the physical resurrection of Jesus is non‑negotiable for Christian belief. We look at how Greek philosophy influenced Corinth, how Scripture describes our future resurrected bodies, and why Paul insists that if Christ has not been raised, faith itself is empty. The episode reviews biblical evidence such as the empty tomb, women as e...

What does the resurrection actually change about everyday life? In this sermon, we reflect on Romans 6 and the Christian confession that believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Death, once the ultimate power over humanity, is revealed in Scripture as a force tied to sin, separation, and fear. But in Jesus—the one who is Life itself—death meets its end. Tracing the biblical...

We're coming up on the 2000th anniversary of Jesus resurrection. That's a long time. Have you ever wondered about what he has been up to for the past 2000 years. Revelation 5 gives us a glimpse. Jesus is on his throne. He is a lion. He is a lamb. There is a scroll to unseal and unroll. And there is lots of singing, lots of praising! This passage gives us some moving images of what the risen Jesus...

This Good Friday, we’ll gather in a spirit of reflection and hope as we journey through the story of God’s redemptive love—from creation to the Cross. Through Scripture readings and songs, we’ll remember the depth of Christ’s sacrifice and the faithfulness of a God who has been pursuing restoration since the very beginning. Join us as we pause, listen, and open our hearts to the love that transfor...

Have you ever noticed at election time how there are so many hopes expressed and promises made? It was actually the same at the time of Jesus. We will finish our series entitled "Tested" today as we look at Jesus' triumphal entry. The people had such high hopes for Jesus. Finally the "Son of David" is going to enter the holy city and bring the longed for redemption of Israel. Everyone watching wou...

In this week’s sermon , we follow Jesus into the temple courts of Mark 12:38–44 , where He exposes a surprising contrast—a “beauty and the beast” moment hidden in plain sight. While the religious elite look impressive, polished, and powerful, Jesus uncovers the beastliness within their inflated spiritual reputation. And while a poor widow slips in unnoticed, offering two insignificant copper coins...

What does God really want from us—and why do our best efforts still fall short? In this episode, we explore Jesus’ conversation with a curious scribe in Mark 12:28–34 , where the greatest commandment is distilled into something simple, yet impossibly demanding: Love God with all you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. Through practical reflections and honest questions, we look at what it mean...

Some people think that Christianity is all about the rules. God just tells us what to do, and it is too hard. Who would want to worship a God like that? Where do they get that idea from? As we continue our series called "Tested" we find that perspective was also quite common to some of the sects of Judaism in Jesus' day. But Jesus sets them straight. Faith in God is not about keeping all the rules...

We continue our series about Jesus in Jerusalem called "Tested." Have you ever felt uncomfortable because of a difficult political conversation you became involved in? Welcome to the life of Jesus. In this Sunday's scene in Mark 12, Jesus gets dragged into a hot political debate of his day. It is an attempt to trip him up and get him to say something he might regret. Some things haven't changed al...

In our "Tested" series this week, Jesus tells a story to make his point. It is a hard story to receive. God is disappointed with those in leadership over his people. He has been for a long time. Things are about to change. He has a new leader in mind, a better leader. A godly leader is a leader who is yielded to God, not just a person in charge of people for God. It doesn't matter whether you lead...

We continue our new series called "Tested." We will look at the scene where Jesus was very angry in the temple and was confronted about it by the Jerusalem religious authorities. What made him so mad? Who said he could "cleanse" the temple? For Jesus, it was about worship. He wanted people to have access to worship the one true God. And he wanted those who professed to know God to focus on true wo...

This Sunday we begin our new series entitled "Tested." We will be looking at scenes from the life of Jesus in Mark 11-12 when Jesus entered Jerusalem. The first one is a head scratcher. Jesus curses a fig tree and it withers up and dies. What is that about? Then he tells us that if you pray for God to move a mountain, he will answer you, as long as you forgive those you have something against. We...

In this week’s message, Your Best Life Ever Now: Financial Joy, we explore Philippians 4:10–23 and discover Paul’s surprising approach to money, contentment, and generosity. Through personal stories and biblical insight, we learn how contentment isn’t something we feel—it’s something we learn as Christ strengthens us. Paul shows that joy doesn’t come from having more, but from trusting God with ou...

In this episode of Your Best Life Ever Now, we explore Paul’s vision of joy in Philippians 4:1–9—a joy that grows along the long and winding road of real life. Paul shows us that joy isn’t a quick fix or a burst of emotion; it’s a deep, steady character shaped by God as we walk with Him. We look at three surprising places where joy takes root: the struggle for unity, the battle with anxiety, and t...