Shows
WestGate Church TeachingADVENT - WE’VE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT | The Light of Freedom amid the Darkness of Burden | December 8, 2024More than 2400 years ago, a prophet named Isaiah wrote words of hope to his people, the Israelites, that someday God might send help - someone to “shatter the yoke of oppression.” Using extreme language, the prophet yearns for a time when God sends someone to “shatter the yoke of oppression” - removing for good suffering endured and suffering inflicted. And not just removing - but shattering. This is complete victory. There’s no shortage of suffering in our world today, from large-scale conflicts to interpersonal struggles which seem unlikely to change, if not intractable or impossible. And it’s into this kind of...2024-12-0800 min
WestGate Church TeachingTHE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | Descended into Hell | July 28, 2024Two of the most puzzling lines in the otherwise fairly straightforward text of the Apostle’s Creed is that Jesus died and then “descended into Hell” and that He will “judge the living and the dead.” These phrases are not only confusing, but also require some unpacking. What does it mean that Jesus went to hell? And what does it mean that he’ll judge everyone? Is that something to be frightened of? Does Jesus grade on a curve? Thankfully, the Biblical teaching on judgment is more robust than our caricatures, and is actually something that can infuse incredible hope in our lives...2024-07-2900 min
WestGate Church TeachingTHE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | Jesus, Our Lord | July 21, 2024The largest section of the Apostle’s Creed is about Jesus. In fact, roughly 65 percent of the words are about Jesus. It’s clear this creed is not about doctrine, but a person. And the second line of the creed has the Apostles saying that Jesus is their “Lord.” This means not only deep personal attachment to Jesus, but allegiance to Him and only Him, above all others. But why? Why does Jesus demand to be Lord? We dive into what obedience is - what it isn’t - and why Jesus says that choosing Him as Master is - rather iro...2024-07-2200 min
WestGate Church TeachingTHE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 2 - God the FatherAFTERWORD DESCRIPTION
The second line of the Apostle’s Creed states (beautifully) that God is both powerful and a father. But what if your experience with both “father” has been anything but good? And what you’ve seen power abused, in tragic ways that have brought real suffering? Christina Papoulias stops by to talk about how toxic environments can warp our view of God Himself, and that can impact our ability to connect with God. We also talk about how the words of the second member of the Trinity - Jesus, the Son - as He describes what His father is actua...2024-07-1500 min
WestGate Church TeachingTHE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | God the Father Almighty | July 14, 2024In the second line of the Apostle’s Creed, it says “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” In the Scriptures, it’s clear that God not only has a deep, loving, tender Father’s heart, but *wants* to be known to us as Father. But for many people, bad examples from our earthly Fathers can distort our view of God Himself, forming an emotional blockade to the kind of relational connectedness we’re invited into. But the Biblical story gives us example after example after example showing us that God is, indeed, a faithful and loving Father. And remembering that, and focusi...2024-07-1400 min