Woodside Bible Church Troy

What happens when we neglect the central reality of the church? What occurs when we discount, ignore, or abandon the Gospel? As we study Paul’s letter to Timothy, we’re looking at the church itself; how to stay focused on “making sure the main thing is the main thing” rather than taking eyes off what is truly most important. Why should we hold fast to the Gospel? We continue our series, Church: Wh...

In 2021, a polling organization published a report revealing that over the last 6 decades, the percentage of American adults who belong to a local church dropped from 70% to 49%. It seems that an entire nation is asking a critical question about church…why bother? Many of us often wonder if going to church is really worth it. We can often fill our Sundays with errands, sports games, and kid’s acti...

Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16-23

In the last few weeks, we have looked at Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth and have seen many references to how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament. Here on Christmas eve, there is one more I’d like to point out! From the Old Testament to the New Testament, it may have seemed difficult to trust in the promise of God. His people were promised a king from the line of David,...

Are you ready for Christmas Day? Your Christmas meal has been planned, everything is wrapped nicely, and the house is clean. Many have been planning and preparing for this day since some point in November, or maybe even October probably. It leads to wonder, are we ready for Jesus? Today of all days, is a day for us to consider and ask if we are ready for Jesus, and more directly ready to receive K...

Christmas traditions are great! But how many of us have found ourselves at some point in a holiday season carrying on “the tradition,” but the reality is very different? Traditions sometimes can cause us to focus on the “joy” of Christmas while ignoring the harder or more painful parts of the season. This only makes the season harder and more challenging. We’re told, “it’s the most wonderful time...

Have you ever felt trapped in a situation? You feel like you are so far gone, or the circumstances are irredeemable. While in those moments of desperation or possibly years of trials, how often do we try to just solve all our problems on our own? We try to muster up all our strength, just to feel exhausted and back at the bottom. And possibly, how often do we even acknowledge our need to be saved?...

What’s the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Was it an Xbox, a vacation, or a red rider BB gun like in The Christmas Story ? When I think back on the greatest Christmas gifts I’ve received, what made them great was not what they were or how much they cost but who they were connected to or came from. What made them great was the person I received them from rather than the possession its...

Everywhere we turn, it seems someone or something is promising to finally give us the satisfaction, happiness, and peace we long for. Yet from advertisements to political campaigns, these promises – and the empty places within us – remain unfilled. Throughout His Word, God makes promises, too – the kind that connect with our deepest needs, longings, and desires. But in today’s day and age we can’t...

In light of Thanksgiving festivities, we open to the book of Matthew and examine one of Jesus’s timeless parables - the Parable of the Treasure Hunter. Jesus chose to use stories—what we commonly call parables- to bring an intangible reality into a more palatable message for his followers. In this story, he discusses treasure    Listen with us in our newest message, The Parable of The Treasure Hun...

How often do we do a double check before we leave the house, go on vacation, or during prep, saying “Do I have everything I need?” We want to make sure nothing is missing, and we are good to go! The question is worth asking about our lives, especially in regard to our spiritual pursuits. Do we have everything we need to flourish and to overcome in this world? We conclude our series, The Followers...

It seems to be a common theme in life to find “happiness”. We see it on bumper stickers, motivational decor, and even on t-shirts! Even in our country’s Declaration of Independence, it says we have the “unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” We want to be happy. We want to pursue the things that will ultimately make us happy. But how often do we try to find happiness i...

One of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith actually revolves around one of the persons of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit. Questions arise like, is it a force or maybe like the force? Is the Holy Spirit an “it” or the Holy Spirit a “he?” Even beyond “what the Holy Spirit is,” or the better question, “who the Holy Spirit is?” What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the world and our liv...

Have you ever felt unprepared in a situation? Maybe you didn’t realize that would happen or possibly someone else didn’t prepare you correctly for what was to come! Some have felt this way about becoming a Christian! Maybe you didn’t realize when you signed up that spiritual victory comes through carrying your own cross. Is it worth it? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating...

So, what is the foundation for all who profess faith in Christ? What is the source of living a life that reflects the things Jesus teaches? While this may seem a bit too simple, too religious, too churchy, the answer remains - Jesus Himself! We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the...

Have you ever noticed that in the Bible fruit is frequently used in parables, stories, or symbolism? Fruit and farming were common things among the people of the Bible, so it was an easy topic to relate to in a message. While scripture was written to the people of those days, it was also written for us! So, it is important for us to understand just exactly what Christ means when posed with the que...

In both Christian and non-Christian settings, Jesus is a more well-known name! People know about Jesus and the stories about him. Similarly, God is also known throughout the world. But there’s one person of the Trinity that seems to be more of a mystery: the Holy Spirit! Even many within the church don’t fully understand who and what the Holy Spirit really does! We continue our series, The Followe...

Throughout the years, most have tried to find the meaning and purpose of life. They pose questions like - Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Who am I? How should I live? And statistics prove that year after year, more people are looking for those answers outside of the church and God, relying on and believing in money, self, power, politics, or something else! One reason why p...

Do the people around you know who you follow? The things that interest us tend to take priority in our lives; our children, our job, favorite sports team, a hobby, or even favorite series of books. We may have pictures, posters, shirts, and even often have conversations about whatever we follow! As a Christian, can those around us also see that we are followers of Jesus Christ? We continue our ser...

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Have you ever been unsure of what comes next, where to go, or how to get there? For as many people as you ask that question to, you will probably hear as many different answers. Yet Jesus didn’t leave that question unanswered. Welcome to the first episode of our new series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus! Over the course of ten...

Is there any word that could better describe the state of our world, our nation, our communities, and even our churches than “divided”? “I follow her… We follow him… Us versus Them… Me against the World!” Differences of opinion have led to a tribalism where discussion and sincere debate is no longer tolerated. What do we do with our differences? If the world will know Christ by the love we demonst...

As our culture becomes increasingly secular, many of us face the challenge of feeling singled out or isolated for our Christian values. When faced with a culture that challenges our identity in Christ, we can often be left wondering, is God’s wisdom and power truly greater than human “wisdom?” Join us as we conclude our series, Divided: Seeking Unity in a Fractured World, by looking to 1 Corinthia...

In today's day and age people can portray themselves to the world however they choose on social media, while the reality might be a completely different life than what people see. Influencers entice us to follow them on the basis that if we do what they do, we can achieve the appealing life we see on screen. Before we know it, we are following everything they do, and seeking their guidance for ans...

We’ve seen it on shirts, bumper stickers, and even on wall murals: Detroit vs Everybody. This isn’t the first time people have rallied behind the fact that they are different than another group, where an “us vs. them” mentally has formed. In a society that so often places people at odds, how can we experience unity despite our differences? Join us as we continue our series, Divided: Seeking Unity...

We might understand the division in our nation, but can we justify it in the Church? Join us as we continue our series, Divided: Seeking Unity in a Fractured World, by looking to 1 Corinthians 1 to discover the unifying power of Christ. This letter by the Apostle Paul teaches us how to live differently—in community with one another. Amidst a culture as diverse as Corinth, not unlike modern-day Ame...