"The central prayer that Paul offers for these brothers and sisters, that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened through the work of the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation to know three specific spiritual realities, would only take place within the context of a growing knowledge of God. Growing in a knowledge of God is the prerequisite, and it is one that I'm afraid that we largely neglect in our culture."
Revelation 19 & the Light that Pierces the Darkness
(For the message from Sunday, October 24, 2021: “The King Returns: The Word Comes Again.” You can view this sermon at the bottom of this post.) Yesterday we continued our series through the book of Revelation by walking through verses 11 through 21 in chapter 19. After the series of hallelujah choruses cascading from heaven... Continue Reading →
Called to be Prophets
(For the message from Sunday, October 17, 2021: “Hallelujah...the Lord our God Reigns!” You can view this sermon by clicking HERE.) Yesterday pastor Gerald was back in the pulpit and we picked our study of Revelation back up with a study through the first 10 verses of chapter 19. I appreciated him taking the time at... Continue Reading →
Revelation 18 and a Challenge to Parents
The Lord is not playing around when he proclaims to his people to "come out of her" in Revelation 18. We must heed that warning. But parents should be confronted with an additional warning: Do our children hear the echo of that call intentionally from their parents?
Affirm vs. Build: A Crucial Distinction
We were so very privileged to have Dr. Scott Pace from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with us yesterday as our guest speaker for our Discipleship Sunday. Although due to some Covid-related issues we decided to cancel the afternoon portion of our schedule, Dr. Pace led us through two excellent sessions that focused on the importance... Continue Reading →
Revelation 15 & the Song of the Overcomers
(For the message from Sunday, August 29, 2021: “Worship for the Glory of His Judgment.” You can view this sermon by clicking HERE.) We continued to see the prominent place of singing throughout the book of Revelation as we walked through chapter 15 yesterday at Westwood. In this chapter it is a portion of the song... Continue Reading →
1 John & The Practice of Righteousness
(For the message from Sunday, August 22, 2021: “The Reading of 1 John.” You can view this sermon by clicking HERE.) Yesterday we had the pleasure to hear from Rev. Scott Williams. Scott led us in a public reading of 1 John, followed by some insights from the letter's message that he felt had specific relevance... Continue Reading →
Revelation 14 and the Song of the Saints
(For the message from Sunday, August 8, 2021: “Assurance & Invitation; Warning & Wrath (Part I).” You can view this sermon by clicking HERE.) One of the evident truths of Revelation 13 and 14 is that humans are by nature singers. All of us. Now, you may be reading this and push back immediately with the... Continue Reading →
Reading Revelation 13 as a Missional People
(For the message from Sunday, August 1, 2021: “The Beasts of Revelation 13: The Call to Endurance and Wisdom.” You can view this sermon by clicking HERE.) Yesterday at Westwood I had the privilege of leading our church family through Revelation 13. This is a chapter that has been met with rampant speculation as it introduces... Continue Reading →
Revelation 12 and the Source of our Endurance
(For the message from Sunday, July 25, 2021: “The Accuser Has Been Thrown Down.” You can view this sermon by clicking HERE.) As a part of his sermon notes for yesterday's sermon, Pastor Gerald wrote the following: Revelation 12 shows us what can be seen only with eyes of faith, and what we see is nothing... Continue Reading →