WestGate Church Teaching

When we think of Christmas, we might think of twinkling lights, or the words of Silent Night that say “all is bright, all is calm.” But that first Christmas was anything but quiet. The birth of Jesus was actually a conflict, as we see in the response of people in power, like Herod. And yet, into this world of conflict we hear the words of the Prophet Isaiah, who wrote, hundreds of years before Jes...

More than 2400 years ago, a prophet named Isaiah wrote words of hope to his people, the Israelites, that someday God might send help - someone to “shatter the yoke of oppression.” Using extreme language, the prophet yearns for a time when God sends someone to “shatter the yoke of oppression” - removing for good suffering endured and suffering inflicted. And not just removing - but shattering. This...

The weeks leading up to Christmas are traditionally called “advent” - a word which means “arrival” - in which we take time to pause and reflect on the arrival of Jesus, and what that means and meant for the world and for us. The first week’s focus is on joy - especially in the midst of a dark world. But we have such a shallow understanding of joy; we make it synonymous with “pleasure.” But joy in...

As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re reminded of our culture’s annual rhythm. But if we’re honest, most of modern Thanksgiving is more about making food and travel and watching the Detroit Lions than it is taking time to really let gratitude flow out of us. But gratitude isn’t just something we do to be polite - it’s a deeply formative practice. But it’s also one that’s fleeting in our fast-paced cu...

The phrase “whatever happens” doesn’t conjure up visions of stability. When people say that - “whatever happens” - it’s usually because something bad is going to happen. For the church at Philippi, this was the case. In his letter to the early church in that city, Paul understood that the political climate was going to get heated. The earliest Christians in Philippi were in all likelihood facing s...

Our political climate is marked by many things: outrage, fear, anxiety, concern. If there’s one word that folks would NOT use it would be “peace.” It seems that settled peace is not often present. So how do we get that? Well, if the story of Jesus is any indication, Jesus not only is the Prince of Peace, not only brings peace, but invites His followers to be agents of peace in a world full of conf...

Paradigm for Politics, Pt I - Worship, Love Neighbor, Image of God, Wisdom, Justice, Speech It’s pretty common, in our charged political environment, to see people using strong, harsh and even demeaning language toward those they disagree with politically. But what gets lost in the vitriol and name-calling is that the very things we fear at a broad, societal level - collapse, violence, destruction...

Description: It’s a pretty contentious political environment out there, often times with people shouting past each other. Sometimes, it seems that politics has become like a new religion. Jay and David dive into the ideas of Joshua Ryan Butler’s book The Party Crasher. They explore the the four distinct political ideologies at play in our culture, and how understanding them can help us not only un...

PARTY CRASHER: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems our Partisan Divides | Pledge Allegiance to the King | October 27, 2024 In our current cultural moment, with a national election looming, the political divide feels as wide as it's ever been. Various political tribes present various visions of what will ultimately lead to society-wide flourishing. But Jesus is the ultimate Party Crash...

Oftentimes, in the church, there is a weird divide between folks who are contemplative and folks who are more activist. Join host David Tieche as he chats with Finny Abraham and Lily Weirich from our local compassion team about the role that prayer has in activism. Finny and Lily share stories and insights from what they’re learned leading Beautiful Day, and warning signs that pop up when someone...

We live in a world where people strive to be "influencers" - but (perhaps) that word doesn't mean what we think it means. David sits down with Ruth Beteivaz and Natalia Dahlgren to talk about two "influencers" - two people who made a giant, formative impact on their lives but who aren't famous at all. We talk about what real influence is, what it does in us, and some practical ways that you and I...

In one of the most provocative (and difficult) sayings of Jesus, He invites people to “deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow me.” One of the least appealing recruitment statements ever. And yet, despite what our culture or our world screams, the way to life is not to affirm myself, assert my wants and serve my own interests - it’s to do the exact opposite (which is what Jesus says to do)...

Hey kids! Today, we’re going to talk about the intersection of religion and money! What could possibly go wrong! Jay and Dave talk about ways that Christian leaders have talked about money that’s destructive, and some better ways to discuss this sensitive but important topic. We also dive into some of the research that seems to demonstrate that Jesus was right when he said that “it’s more blessed...

THE GREAT GIVEAWAY | Generosity Inside My DNA | September 29, 2024 The story many of us believe is that the good life is found in getting *as much* as you can as *quickly* as possible. But this story is wrong. Jesus famously said the opposite - "it is more blessed to *give* than to *receive*" (Acts 20:35). In fact, Jesus claims that we’re made with a latent generosity within us because we are made...

Most people fall into one of two categories. When conflict - or just difficult interpersonal things - inevitably happen, they either “cut people off” or they “care too, too much.” South Hills congregation pastor Archie Jackson stops by to talk about how Jesus challenges both sets of people when it comes to dealing with people who are difficult to love. We chat about Jesus’ command to love one anot...

In Luke 13, Jesus prays for His disciples, that they would love one another well. Jesus even says that people will know they are Jesus’ disciples by the way they live one another. But wow - this is not always easy. There are some people in our lives who are a real challenge to love. We dive into ways to love difficult people, realizing that often, it’s not even about them, but about how we respond...

How much do you worry? Are you pretty unfazed by life, or do you trend toward anxiety? Is worry a sometimes annoyance, or a constant companion? Jesus talks about worry plainly in the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus’ message is pretty simple: knowing and experiencing the love of God drives out fear. In this way, fear is like a dashboard warning light, driving us to God to deal with the underlying co...

We all want (or want to want) renewal from God in our life. And we know it’s something only God can do in us. But that this work is not passive, and that we have a role to be intentional. This past weekend, our staff outlined seven (7!) spiritual practices forming a “wheel of formation” or a communal rule of life that act like a trellis helps a vine grow. Dave and his three (3!) guests talk throug...

In the Book of Acts, as the early Church is being launched and birthed, two things are clear. One, it’s the work of the Spirit of God that’s creating and formed and shaping this group of early Christians. And two - this group is doing everything they can to participate with God’s Spirit in this work. Renewal and transformation is a work done by God alone, but it’s not a passive thing and it requir...

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION: This Fall, we're talking about renewal, which simply means being realigned with God's presence. Jay stops by to talk about why this message is so personal for him. How is renewal different/distinct from revival? Are there aspects of it that we can control? And I ask Jay how does the vision from an ancient prophet named Ezekiel of a dry valley filled with dead bones relate to...

In the Book of Ezekiel, God takes the prophet Ezekiel into a valley filled with dry, dusty bones of things that have been dead for a long time, and then asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel stammers back, “Only you know, Sovereign Lord.” Which is the correct answer. Sure, God *can* do anything He wants, but will He? Will He bring bones back to life? Only God knows. This story rings true,...

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION This past weekend, our church had the joy of learning from pastor/author/professor/theologian Dr. A.J. Swoboda, who not only spoke at our 2024 Formation Conference but also over the weekend at all our of campuses. David invites two of his friends (Ruth + David) by to share their insights and highlights from the weekend. They chat about: 1. Asking for permission before offerin...

Today's follower of Jesus exists at a moment in history when our desires, longings, and wants are being weaponized against us by cultural, spiritual, and relational forces. "Follow your heart" and "You do you" has become our moment's mantras. The result, for too many, is feeling torn asunder by the raging desires within. What do we do with our desire? What about our unwanted desires? And how do we...

Most stories are linear. Beginning. Middle. End. The opening pages of the Bible tell us a linear story - humans were meant to live with God, they rebelled and sinned - and then Death entered and humans lost everything. And if it weren’t for God, this is where the human story would end. Humanity’s biggest need is a solution to the problem of sin, destruction, and death, which leads us back to the e...

Well. Guys. We’re at the end. No, I’m not talking about the end of our Apostle’s Creed sermon series, but also the end of the 2024 Summer Olympics and summer itself. Jay and I chat about all of it, including Tom Cruise. We also get more serious and talk about the phrase “forgiveness of sins” and how unpopular of an idea it is that we even *need* forgiveness. Even for Christians, as we swim in our...