Westview Church Podcast

You have probably made a poor decision if you hear the words, "You have the right to remain silent." It would be wise to make use of that right, but is there ever a time it is good to forgo your rights? If it means not putting an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ, yes! Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on 1 Corinthians 9:1-14 for more.

The end goal of our exhortations is not conviction but transformation. We want not merely feel remorse but holiness. That change needs to come to our speech as well. Do you relish the denigration of a person's character? Do you share derogetory information about someone in a tone of confidentiality? Listen to Pastor David's exhortation to lay aside gossip for more.

What is the one practice in the Christian life where if you did it, it would have the single greatest impact on your walk with Christ? What is it? What is the one thing whereby if you devoted yourself to it, this one thing would have the most outsized impact on your progress in holiness? J.C. Ryle says it is the habit of diligent private prayer. Listen to Pastor Zach's exhortation to pray in priva...

"Hear O Israel, the LORD your God, the LORD is one." That is the central confession of the Old Testament, found in Deuteronomy 6:4, that undergirds and gives rise to the only right response, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." And it is what Paul has in mind as he turns to address another church problem by reframing the problem and giving a...

This year the kids in our Discipleship Classes will be memorizing Romans 8. Will you join them in committing to memory longer sections of God's Word? Having a storehouse of verses to meditate on is good but how much richer to have an entire chapter to chew on to get the full context and import that a verse cannot convey. Listen to Pastor David's exhortation for more.

We are all on a persistent quest for what is new. There is an allure to it that summons us. It's a desire that goes back millennia. And it is one we see spoken to in Psalm 96 as the psalmist draws attention to God's new plan: to judge in righteousness. And the right response to this new plan is to sing, acknowledge, and rejoice. Listen to Jon Hoglund, Associate Professor of Theology & Global Studi...

It seems like wherever you make a commercial interaction, it must be followed up by some review, evaluation, survey, response to provide feedback. But this isn't just an attribute of businesses, we all do it. We all look for approval and affirmation. We all look for praise. How can we get out from under the controlling force of others' opinions? Seek praise to stop seeking praise. Listen to Pastor...

Stargazing is an awe-inspiring activity but one that requires a fixed starting point. The constellations we are familiar with in the northern hemisphere would not be visible in the southern hemisphere or from another point in space. Similarly, seeing Scripture rightly requires a fixed starting point: Jesus Christ. This is no clearer than in Psalm 110. Listen to Pastor David's sermon for more as we...

"Daddy, be close!" The plea of a child for the presence of her father is a call for comfort. Is that not what should be our plea to our Father in Heaven? And yet so often we clamor for comfort from a couch, YouTube, food, drink—where do you turn by impulse for comfort? Listen to Eric Simpson's exhortation to seek God's presence for more.

We are all hedonists at heart. We do what we think will bring us the most happiness. It is part of our design that is meant for us to pursue our joy in God’s blessing. Psalm 32 holds out to us the path to such blessing. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon for more.

No one respects a hypocrite. The key to avoid being one is to obey first God's command for yourself before correcting your brother or sister with what they need to do to obey the Lord. This is all the more important (and challenging) in relationships of authority and honor. Listen to Pastor Zach's exhortation for more.

We can think of the Psalms mainly about encouraging and comforting us. Yet the introduction to the Psalter highlights their focus on living righteously in all of life's circumstances devoted to God's Word and God's King. But we will miss the main thing about Psalm 2 if we only look at it in the context of Judah's dynasty. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon for more.

We see Paul's response to a question about those engaged to be married. Should they go through with it, considering his teaching that singleness provides an opportunity to serve Christ undivided? Both are permitted, Paul insists, and you do well in either case. Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 for more.

All Christians are saints, set apart for God. Let us follow Christ's example in John 17 and pray for one another. He was praying not for himself but for those who would believe in him. What a great encouragement it would be to know the church is laboring in prayer with God's help for one another. Listen to Michael Urch's exhortation for more. 

Surely the call to Christ would require a complete reorientation of life to a new vocation, right? Not so, says Paul. Rather, remain as you are, holding in tension contentment and ambition by abiding with God. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 for more. 

The prophet Nathan told a story to King David to reveal the part he had played. We too readily assume we’re the hero of our own story. Yet, knowing our role equips us to play it faithfully. Listen to Pastor Zach’s exhortation for more. 

God designed established marriage to be a life-long, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman. He did so to communicate the beauty of the gospel in the union of Christ with his Bride. That is why divorce wreaks havoc on the communication of the gospel. Too often focus is on the exceptions rather than the norm when it comes to divorce, yet Pastor Brett points us to the focus of 1 Corint...

As we reaffirm our covenant commitments as members of one another, it is good for us to not be rash with our mouths, nor let our hearts be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and we are on earth (Ecclesiastes 5:2). We make such commitments to one another before the face of God. Listen to Pastor David exhort us to pay what you vow for more.

A ceramic pig dressed as a chef was irreparably broken. Have you been told—or believed—promises about marriage that have similarly crashed and shattered? Living married has clear instruction. Being gifted to be contentedly unmarried has its merits. But what about being unmarried yet desiring to be? That is a hard place to be, especially in a cultural context when so much was promised if you only _...

Like the Church of Corinth, we have our own slogans. One familiar one is, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And you can—you ought to do all things. But not how it is often thought of. Paul is commending the spiritual secret he has learned, that rare jewel of contentment. Jeremiah Burroughs described it as a gracious disposition that submits to God's wisdom. Listen to Pastor...

Cocaine isn’t all bad. It can be used for good purposes. And the body and its use in the full enjoyment of marriage isn’t bad. It is a gift to be enjoyed with guidelines. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 for more. 

If the chief end of man is to glorify God, then we dare not seek glory for ourselves. Ananias and Sapphira sought their own glory and paid for it with their lives. Listen to Toby Phillips’ exhortation to give and not take glory. 

Stretching back to Plato, through Corinth, past Descartes, and to our very experience is an assumed schism between the virtuous immaterial and inferior material. And it’s destructive, being used as a cover for sin, especially sexual immorality. Listen to Pastor Brett’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 for more. 

The legacy of the Rechabites is a less prominent account found in Jeremiah 35. They honored their father and were promised to never lack a man to stand before the Lord. Listen to Pastor Zach’s exhortation that we might honor like Rechabites.

Catchy phrases and quippy slogans are not a modern development of propaganda. The most clever versions are tough to deny initially. Yet getting past the yard sign or bumper sticker, their often insidious nature is revealed. Listen to Pastor Zach’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:12-14 for more.