Westview Church Podcast

We are given a charge to love one another so that we may know that we are indeed disciples of Jesus. Listen to Pastor Brian's exhortation as he reads the member's covenant for more.

There has been an influx of Haitian immigrants finding refuge in the Dominican Republic as their country continues to get worse. Pastors Brett and Brian recently returned from the Dominican where they were training Haitian pastors and lay leaders with Training Leaders International. Listen to this update from Pastor Brett on his takeaways from the trip.

Jesus is better. He is better than the angels. He’s better than the prophets. He’s better than Moses. His new covenant is better than the old covenant they could never fulfill. His blood is better than the blood of bulls and goats. In every way and at every turn, Jesus is better. Listen to Pastor Zach's sermon on Hebrews 1:1-3 for more.

In a society where things seem to get busier this time of the year, it's an opportunity for us to try to slow down and remember that God sent his son Jesus to live among us. What are some of the events that preceded the birth of Jesus? Listen to Pastor Kenneth's sermon on Luke 1:26-38 for more.

“Love Your Neighbor As Yourself.” But what does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Do we truly understand the way Jesus Christ intended? Listen to Pastor Zach's exhortation for more.

Genesis 4 concludes the first main section of the book with a bleak outlook on what was to come of this very good Heavens and Earth God had created. Sons were given, but they were not characterized by faithfulness. Is there any reason to hope in the face of such sinful boasting? Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Genesis 4:17-26 for more.

Here east of Eden, we live in a world of frustration, darkness, and violence. We should be longing for God's kingdom to come. Hand in hand with desiring the kingdom is being poor in spirit. Listen to Pastor Brian's exhortation for more.

We generally don't like warnings as they restrict us in some way. Yet we need to be on guard for certain things, especially here, east of Eden. Genesis 4:1-16 serves to warn us in two ways of the ongoing work of the serpent from the Garden lest we give ourselves to serpentine thinking. Listen to Jonathan Parnell, from Cities Church, unpack the implications of the story of Cain and Abel.

A popular business book a number of years ago called The Four-Hour Work Week held out the path of efficiencies to work less and design the life you want to live. The Bible, however, clarifies how it is we are to live, not just going with the flow. In what ways are you living by default? Instead, live in the freedom Christ has for you. Listen to Pastor Haakon's exhortation for more.

The idea of the gospel can be found in lots of places: take a statement as gospel, gospel music, "brand evangelist," gospel-centered everything. If a prior generation believed the gospel to give rise to such things, then we're in danger of assuming the gospel through its familiarity, and those who follow us very well may reject it all together. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Genesis 3:15 to ga...

Who doesn't want to be liked by others? Why would you ever want to be hated? Yet those who are following Christ in all of life will (and must) speak of the Son of Man who calls the world to faith and repentance. This will inevitably result in people hating such faithful followers, yet we can rejoice because our reward is not their approval. Listen to Pastor Zach's exhortation for more.

John Steinbeck's magnum opus is aptly titled East of Eden. It is a multigenerational saga that conveys toil, evil, and death such that the reader feels the weight of such things. That is where we find ourselves because of sin—not just Adam's sin but our own sin. Yet we are not without hope. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Genesis 3:14-24 for more.

It is wondrous that we have access both to the Scriptures and resources that explain them. It is great we have such tools to study and know true doctrine. But there is a danger of learning much, and it having little impact on how we live our lives. Therefore, we ought to live what we learn. Listen to David Stabley's exhortation for more.

The get-to-know-you game "Two Truths & a Lie" rewards the individual who can best blur the distinction between truth and falsehood. That same blurring lead our first parents to live by the lies of "God's Word is suspect," "I'll get away with it," and "I am the victim." Lies we are still prone to live by. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Genesis 3:1-13 for more.

"Our wants and longings and desires are at the core of our identity," so writes James K.A. Smith. What is it that you desire—that you crave? What do you think would satisfy? Jesus says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Where does righteousness rank among your desires? Listen to Pastor Brian's exhortation for more.

There was a leaf that absolutely loved being a leaf. It loved waving in the breeze, soaking up the sun's rays, and towering over all below from its dizzying heights. One day, it thought it could be more, so it pulled and wrestled its way free. For a moment, it was glorious. But then it faded. The thing that held it back, the tree, made it what it was. Listen to Pastor Haakon's sermon on Genesis 2:...

On the day he was arrested in Soviet Russia, novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn released his article titled “Live Not By Lies.” He calls on his countryman to push back against tyranny by not going along with the falsehoods that mark Communism. The Ninth Commandment requires us to not go along with the lies of our day. Listen to Pastor Brett's exhortation for more.

The seventh day of the creation week remains open—what might human participation in that divine rest look like? The faithful God is shown in Genesis 2:4-17 to further lavish provision by his grace on his creatures as the LORD establishes his people in his place to enjoy his providential presence. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon for more.

Do you struggle to commune with God? A number of things contribute to such a struggle, but the foundational issue is a matter of faith. Do you believe that God loves you in particular? You can only receive the love of God in Christ if you believe of the love of God in Christ. Listen to Pastor Brian's exhortation for more.

Americans have a complicated relationship between our work and our rest. We're driven toward productivity and can feel guilty to take time off. When we do try to rest, we put so much expectation on the time it is no longer restful. On the seventh day of creation, God formed a day set apart for the activity we're all looking for in our rest. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Genesis 2:1-3 for more...

Jesus offered a memorable parable when asked about forgiveness. A servant was forgiven an enormous debt by a merciful king only to leave and demand repayment of a much smaller amount from a fellow servant. This is how our King forgives, and we do well to do likewise. Listen to Pastor Haakon's exhortation for more.

You don't have to be an avid gardener to know that seeds are remarkable. You can preserve them and keep for a long time. Expose them to the right conditions, and they'll grow to produce food. Genesis 1 contains seeds that germinate to reveal God's purpose and design for humanity. Part of that design is for us to do God's prescriptions while being sustained by his provisions. Listen to Pastor Brett...

When your world is upended or grief crushes with such force, how will you respond? A prime example is a man who slept soundly in the hull of a boat in the midst of a raging storm. He trust his Father and stood to silence the storm. You can rest like him by trusting in him. Listen to David Stabley's exhortation for more.

The first chapter of Genesis brings us into the true story about where we all came from and begins by introducing the main character: God. He was there in the beginning and ordered and filled his good creation to display his sovereign, wise, and good character. As the days of creation progress, anticipation builds for the climactic creature. But the way the story is written does more to answer, "W...

As we look back on church history, focus is given to momentous efforts of starting hospitals, establishing schools and seminaries, forming organizations for sending missionaries, and many other great deeds done by faith. And those things can make our small acts of faithfulness seem inconsequential. Listen to Pastor Brian's exhortation to not despise the small things.