Westside Church Podcast

From the series, "Rise Above" in the book of Galatians. Part 5 with Dave Stimers. Freedom has been a hot topic recently. We all want to enjoy the freedom to do what we want to do, but what if there is an even more powerful way to express our liberty?

From the series, "Rise Above" in the book of Galatians. Part 4 with Dave Stimers. Churches haven’t always been a great example of how people can stay united in the middle of disagreements. Religion can sometimes add to the intensity of arguments, but it shouldn’t be that way and it doesn’t have to be!

From the series, "Rise Above" in the book of Galatians. Part 3 with Dave Stimers. When it comes to talking about controversial issues, there are probably some topics… or people, that you’d rather avoid. Unfortunately, that leaves us feeling frustrated and divided. Is there a productive way to engage with people that we don’t agree with?

From the series, "Rise Above" in the book of Galatians. Part 2 with Dave Stimers. It’s no secret that there are deep political and philosophical divides in our culture. Many of us have felt caught up in them. When we’re feeling torn in many directions, Jesus helps us to recenter our lives and our community in a powerfully counter-cultural way!

From the series, "Rise Above" in the book of Galatians. Part 1 with Dave Stimers. We’ve all been subjected to arguments and conflict around controversial topics. Some of us wish we could avoid them altogether, and others of us are ready to put up a fight. Let’s talk about how we can approach tough issues together.

From the series, "Following Christ Through Crisis" - Part 3 with Dave Stimers. One of the toughest parts of dealing with a long-term crisis is the feeling of being out of control. That can be so discouraging. We may not be able to change our circumstances, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose hope!

From the series, "Following Christ Through Crisis" - Part 2 with Dave Stimers. Have you thought that things are only going to get worse? Or that things are never going to get better? Life can be discouraging when we see so much negativity, but in the midst of all of our struggles, we have a great opportunity to make a difference!

From the series, "Following Christ Through Crisis" - Part 1 with Dave Stimers. No one can do it all. Especially during a particularly stressful or demanding season, we have to admit we have limitations. In light of that, one of the most powerful questions we can ask ourselves is, ‘What should my priority be right now’?

Listen to a special message from Joseph Swan of Connexus Church in Barrie. God’s plan for our lives is that we would “run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.” Sometimes we struggle to step into all that he has planned for us due to the weight we carry from our past. There is a better way. Because of what Jesus did at the cross, God has made a way for us to live our lives unburdened! Wests...

Christmas Eve message from Pastor Dave Stimers. What are your favourite Christmas traditions? I bet you have a few that you just can't do without. Traditions are powerful because they represent what is truly important in our lives. This Christmas, join us and start a new tradition (or rekindle an old one) that reminds us of exactly who we are.

From our Advent series, "All I Want For Christmas" - Part 4 with guest speaker, Dr. Isaac Odame. If we ever thought we had a lit bit of control over our circumstances, the COVID pandemic has blown that away. Our lives have been disrupted in ways that we never imagined. To make matters worse, extreme weather conditions have ravaged Canada’s coastal provinces causing severe flooding with devast...

From our Advent series, "All I Want For Christmas" - Part 3 with Dave Stimers. When do you get to be happy? When you’re rich? Powerful? Beautiful? Comfortable? We’ve been told what to aspire to, and yet many of us are stuck living in fear and anxiety. How can we really find joy?

From our Advent series, "All I Want For Christmas" - Part 2 with Dave Stimers. God is love. We ought to love one another. That’s such a basic concept, and yet it is much more elusive than we might think. What kind of love should be evident in our community and how do we foster it?

From our Advent series, "All I Want For Christmas" - Part 1 with Dave Stimers. It can be hard to be optimistic in a world filled with problems. In fact, it’s pretty easy to get downright pessimistic or cynical about how things are going. But there is a formula for building something even stronger than a positive attitude. Believe it or not, we all have the chance to live in hope!

From the series, "Know Who You’re FOR" - Part 3 with Dave Stimers. I bet there are people in your life that you want the very best for. You want them to thrive. You want them to experience the best possible life. Part of following Jesus is making sure that we live lives that are FOR others.

From the series, "Know Who You’re FOR" - Part 2 with Zac Boot & Dave Stimers. God is FOR us, and that compels us to be FOR others. His love for us becomes our love for others! This week Zac shares how we can practically express this kind of love to our city. And Dave walks us through a meditation that leads to celebrating communion together.

From the series, "Know Who You’re FOR" - Part 1 with Dave Stimers. A lot of people are convinced that life is stacked against them. There’s certainly enough hardship to make it feel that way. The Scriptures tell us that even though life has many pains, God is FOR us. But can we really believe that?

From the series, "The Pace of Grace" - Part 10 with Dave Stimers. Some are big and some are small, but all of us face struggles in life. Our fear, guilt, or discouragement can seem overwhelming, but no matter what we might go through, God wants to give us the strength we need! Today we conclude our series through the book of Ephesians.

From the series, "The Pace of Grace" - Part 9 with Dave Stimers. This one piece of advice could radically change your relationships in your marriage, with your friends, at work, or at church. Today we unpack exactly what that is!

From the series, "The Pace of Grace" - Part 8 with Dave Stimers. Jesus invites us into a joy-filled community of celebration! Is that what your experience has been? For many of us, the honest answer is ‘no’ but God has actually given us His Spirit to help us be that kind of community. Today, we talk about how that can happen!

Thanksgiving message with guest speaker, Dr. Isaac Odame. Celebrating Thanksgiving amidst a pandemic which has taken the lives of nearly 4.5 million people globally takes on a very special meaning. We should be thankful to God for keeping us safe and well. But for some, particularly those whose loved ones have been severely or fatally impacted by COVID-19, giving thanks can be challenging. Neverth...

From the series, "The Pace of Grace" - Part 7 with Dave Stimers. One of the most simple and also complex truths about the spiritual life, is that in order to really live, we must first die. If we really want to experience the full life that God has for us, we must give up all other ways of building a life!

From the series, "The Pace of Grace" - Part 6 with Dave Stimers. In a world of differing and often divisive opinions, it’s easy to conflate acceptance and agreement. When it comes down to it, prioritizing the wrong one can have disastrous consequences.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear ..." (Psalm 46). This Sunday is an exciting day as we relaunch in-person services. Things have been difficult throughout the last 18 months, and we aren’t exactly where we want to be - but God has got us to where we are!

From the series, "The Pace of Grace" - Part 5 with Dave Stimers. In a world that is so often divided, the Church has an opportunity to stand out in the best possible way! How can we be united in such divided times? In this message, we tackle this important and timely question.