Inward Transformation to the Outward Expression of Life
On Sunday our pastor led our congregation in a study of Isaiah 11:1-12. In this passage, Isaiah further expounds upon his prophesy of a coming child that he introduces in chapter 9, the One who will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (9:6). On one level this prophesy offered encouragement to the Israelite... Continue Reading →
God's rebuke of his priests in Malachi offers a sobering picture of the reality of marginal giving for the Church today. To understand this, we must fully understand the context of this heavy passage in light of the entire biblical narrative. In his indictment, God accuses the Priests of "offering polluted food upon my altar"... Continue Reading →
I realize this is a very thin line. We must not compromise the truth and we must continue to engage and combat sin within our culture; but, we also must find a way to do that without abandoning the call to love our neighbors. If we get this wrong and engage the wrong enemy, the church loses its evangelistic voice and begins to abdicate its responsibility to proclaim truth and the good news of the Gospel within the culture in a compelling way. Outsiders will be viewed as enemies who need to be destroyed or avoided rather than potential worshipers in need of redemption. The church will spend its resources in building its own subculture rather than invading the culture with truth, saturated in the love of Christ.
Jesus makes two very important promises to his disciples in John 14:12-14. It just so happens that these two promises have resulted in some of the most hi-jacked and perverted interpretations of Scripture. In turn, such interpretations have provided the foundation for some of the most prominent false theological systems of our day. It is true that Jesus... Continue Reading →
I have embedded a video below that has greatly convicted me. It is about 9 minutes long and includes an excerpt from a sermon by Allistair Begg. Begg's incredible accent alone offers reason enough to watch all 9 minutes, not to mention the great beat in the background; but, it will be well worth your time... Continue Reading →
Awareness has been raised. The hashtag campaign is in full force. Celebrities and stars have enlisted in the fight. Bullying, in many ways, has become one of the key issues of our day. And for good reason. Bullying poses a real threat to young people all across our country. It has brought about trauma and tragedy.... Continue Reading →
As pastor of discipleship at Westwood, I have been struggling with something for some time now. I believe our Life Groups are vital to the health and growth of our church Body. I have heard many testimonies about how they have strengthened individual believers. My family has benefited from taking part in our own Life... Continue Reading →
A couple of days ago, as is often the case, I found myself having to delete some stuff off of my iPhone in order to make room for a new update. If you have an iPhone, surely you can understand that process! First, you open the ‘usage’ part of the settings to see if there... Continue Reading →
In his sermon this past Sunday our Pastor, Gerald, spoke of one of the deepest reasons that we fail to share the gospel with others. He said that perhaps we have just come to believe that some people are simply too far gone. He reminded us that salvation is a supernatural work of God that... Continue Reading →
One of the most well known declarations of the Apostle Paul can be found in Philippians 1:21. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Upon reading these words Paul offers his readers an opportunity to see his great internal struggle as he nears the end of his life. Although the... Continue Reading →
know. be. do. 