Life on the West Side

Find any powerful story in Scripture—then look closely. Past the obvious. Behind the headliners. You will likely read about a woman or man, perhaps a servant or onlooker, who contributes a line, a word, or a gesture.  The servant girl who offers a word of advice to a king. A face in the crowd that sparks a ministry. Those secondary stories that represent the minor key in the symphony. Every one of...

Find any powerful story in Scripture—then look closely. Past the obvious. Behind the headliners. You will likely read about a woman or man, perhaps a servant or onlooker, who contributes a line, a word, or a gesture.  The servant girl who offers a word of advice to a king. A face in the crowd that sparks a ministry. Those secondary stories that represent the minor key in the symphony. Every one of...

Find any powerful story in Scripture—then look closely. Past the obvious. Behind the headliners. You will likely read about a woman or man, perhaps a servant or onlooker, who contributes a line, a word, or a gesture.  The servant girl who offers a word of advice to a king. A face in the crowd that sparks a ministry. Those secondary stories that represent the minor key in the symphony. Every one of...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

[Audio issues in the original recording] Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section...

Sometimes, it just takes a father . Compare the character traits of God in Psalm 103 with the story of the father in Luke 15. The last in our "Jesus at home" series. The sermon today is titled "It Takes A Father." It is the last installment in our series " Jesus At Home: Parenting In His Presence. " The Scripture reading is from Psalm 103 (ESV). Originally preached at...

Forget the power games . What if we all just surrender to Christ? The sermon today is titled "Mutual Submission." It is the fifth installment in our series " Jesus At Home: Parenting In His Presence. " The Scripture reading is from Ephesians 5:1-2 & 21 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on Sunday, June 9, 2024. All lessons fit under on...

God loves every person and every home . But there are good reasons to uphold the ideal of life-long marriages, two-parent households, and church-going families as the norm. In this sermon, I’ll show you why. The sermon today is titled "Raising New Life." It is the fourth installment in our series " Jesus At Home: Parenting In His Presence. " The Scripture reading is from Coloss...

God loves every person and every home . But there are good reasons to uphold the ideal of life-long marriages, two-parent households, and church-going families as the norm. In this sermon, I’ll show you why. The sermon today is titled "The Battle For Normal." It is the third installment in our series " Jesus At Home: Parenting In His Presence. " The Scripture reading is from 1...

Smartphones. Social media. Online living . It’s ubiquitous. It’s the new norm. And, at an alarming rate, it’s harming us. We need to examine the power of presence, shaping our space and managing our time for real encounters over unhealthy habits. The sermon today is titled "Dying To Self(ies)." It is the second installment in our series " Jesus At Home: Parenting In His Presence. &q...

Let’s hear it for the moms! In a culture that increasingly devalues children, mothers are actively involved in a counter – cultural revolution. And in the kingdom of God, says the Apostle Paul in Romans 16, there are communities of faithful people to nurture and provide for our children alongside ourselves. Hear a full-throated defense of motherhood, with a special word in praise of the mothering...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gosp...

How should you view your baptism, and the baptism of others? Rest assured there is one uniting baptism, and we have come through the flood together. Let us act like it. The sermon today is titled "In This Together." It is the final installment in our series " Washed Anew: The Power & Promise of Baptism. " The Scripture reading is from Ephesians 4:1-6 & 1 Peter 3:20-21 (...

Why should you be baptized? To respond to the gospel call of Jesus as your brothers and sisters have in the stream of church history, as the book of Acts indicates. The sermon today is titled "Swim With The Stream." It is the third installment in our series " Washed Anew: The Power & Promise of Baptism. " The Scripture reading is from Acts 2:36-41 (ESV). Originally preached...

Why should you be baptized? Because of the depth and the riches of blessings associated with it, experiencing your wedding ceremony to Christ, as taught by the Apostle Paul. The sermon today is titled "Jump In The Deep End." It is the second installment in our series " Washed Anew: The Power & Promise of Baptism. " The Scripture reading is from Romans 6:1-8 (NCV). Originall...

--[slight audio issues in original]-- Why should you be baptized? Because our Lord and Savior invites us. It is a Christ-imitating, Christ-affirming, Christ-commanded invitation. The Spirit and the bride say "Come." The sermon today is titled "Come To The Water." It is the first installment in our series " Washed Anew: The Power & Promise of Baptism. " The Scriptu...