West Side Christian Church: Sermon Audio

This world promises a lot—but none of it lasts. Turn your focus to Jesus and start storing up treasures that will follow you into eternity and can't be lost, stolen, or destroyed.

In a broken world, anxiety and depression are painful realities many face—but experiencing them doesn't make someone less of a Christian. Struggling through the darkness doesn't disqualify faith; it reveals our need for grace. Jesus Himself walked through the depths of suffering, and He meets us in ours, ready to carry us through.

When life disappoints, it's easy to feel hopeless – it's easy to doubt God. That doesn't make you weak – it makes you human. But God isn't afraid of your questions. Bring them to Him—He's ready to walk through your doubts with you.

A Christ-centered marriage and a spiritually healthy family are essential to advancing God's Kingdom. But what does that truly look like? It begins with parents who belong to the Lord—faithfully raising children who honor, obey, and walk in His ways throughout their lives.

Suffering and death will never get easier this side of eternity, but if we will just trust Jesus and wait on him, he'll come through. No more tears. No more sorrows. It's around the corner – wait for it.

Marriage isn't easy. Divorce can feel even harder. But no matter where you are—fighting for your relationship or healing after it's ended—God's kindness is big enough to redeem your pain and bring hope.

Even though Jesus had told His followers that He would die and rise again on the third day, their hearts were so weighed down by grief and despair that they struggled to grasp the truth—He was alive. If you find yourself in a similar season of sorrow or uncertainty, take heart: Jesus is already at work in the midst of your pain. He has risen, just as He said. Let this good news breathe hope into every corner of your life.

The two criminals hanging alongside Jesus took opposite approaches in their last moments. One was arrogant, while the other was self-aware. One was selfish, while the other took a posture of humility with Jesus. Be like the criminal who recognized and declared his need for Jesus. It's what saved his life, and it's what will save yours.

God is calling you to aspire to a life of extraordinary good. You've got two responses: engage or withdraw. Which will it be?

If you're going to follow Jesus with your whole life, you're going to need to get used to being different from the world. Just as God is holy, you are called to live distinctly from everyone else around you. Saints are set apart, after all. Be holy, not worldly.

It can be easy to overestimate ourselves or rely on performance to try to earn our place in God's family. The good news is that Jesus invites us to a different path. As we follow him more closely, we discover a better source of confidence.

Even when it's difficult, lead with grace. In a world where grace is often scarce, let us be the ones who embody it consistently. After all, it is how God shows up for us every single day.

A stubborn, hard heart will only get you what you want, which in the end, isn't enough. Turn to the person of Jesus and receive all he's offering you. He's not a strategy, but a Savior, and he's ready to raise you to life in him.

The greatest investment you can make in this lifetime isn't in accounts or assets -- it's in people. Point others toward Jesus and watch it yield eternal dividends.

Jesus faced accusations, mockery, and calls for his execution, yet he responded with quiet love instead of offense. When tempted to be hurt by others' words or opinions, follow his example and choose to remain unoffendable.

Pain and suffering in this life are inevitable -- and all a part of God's plan. When life's hardest moments have you feeling broken, lean into the One who knows deep suffering firsthand. Allow Jesus to carry you through.

Want to be more like Jesus? Instead of clamoring for power and visibility, become a humble servant of others. 

Words mattered to Jesus. They should matter to you, too. Follow his lead by saying what you mean and meaning what you say.

We know a guy who spent a good amount of his life investing in healthy friendships, and he hopes you'll follow suit. Do as Jesus did and give your best energy to choosing your friendships wisely and building them intentionally.

When we're too proud to admit that our sin runs deep and contaminates us, we're akin to the Pharisees of Jesus' day. We should instead be like the woman who mourned her sin so deeply that it led her straight to the feet of Jesus, where cleansing and forgiveness are always found. 

A casual, convenient Christianity will never fulfill, never satisfy, never transform your life. Ready to remedy a shallow faith? Go deep with Jesus and embrace the inconveniences that show up along the way.

When the world becomes dark, grasp onto Jesus, the light of the world, and let him guide you every step of the way. The cure for darkness? It's always light. 

God introduced himself to us through his creation and explained himself to us through Old Testament prophets, but it's through Jesus Christ that he has made himself known to us. The wonder of Christmas all began when God himself decided to put on flesh to be with us. 

In his hardest, loneliest moments of life, Joseph had the character and integrity to make wise relational decisions. Aim high when life gets hard and allow God to continue writing a good story in you.

Though God is constantly at work orchestrating outcomes, his timing rarely aligns with ours. And so we wait. And wait. And sometimes, wait some more. It's when we learn to trust in his providence, as Joseph and Mary did, that our waiting sees impatience turn to eagerness and frustration to beautiful anticipation. 

What if there were two simple ways to help people move toward God? And what if these two behaviors were things that absolutely anyone could do? Telling people about Jesus shouldn't be complicated. After all, God does the converting – we can simply focus on blessing others.

Money loves to lure people in and trap them. The Bible warns about its effects and instructs us to guard our hearts against it. When it comes to people to watch out for, be wary of money-chasers. Before you point fingers in the other direction though, look within first. Has the love of money ensnared you?

We live among peacebreakers who are bent on fighting and defending, but following Jesus means laying down our spears in favor of calm resolution. When you're under attack, commit to doing the good-hard work of being a peacemaker.

The world is flooded with truth-twisting dishonesty. Watch out for people who distort, omit and exaggerate that which is real by staying grounded in the truth that comes from Jesus and his Word.

When it comes to discerning others' character, watch out for self-promoters. They can often be found applauding themselves, seeking attention and demanding special treatment. They're everywhere, but if you happen to see one staring back at you when you look in the mirror, take action: Ask God to help you remove the spotlight from yourself in order to shine it on him.

Joy comes from contentment. Just ask Paul. Whether life is abundant or scarce, he'll show you that when you trust that God has given you enough for today, joy will follow.

Anxiety and worry are epidemic, but not the answer to the difficult seasons life produces. Through Jesus, JOY can prevail in hard times. Ready to build a resilient spirit that can withstand the storms of life? Look to him.

Obedience often gets a bad rap because it's seen as restrictive to follow someone or something. The truth of the matter is that true freedom and joy are only found when one commits to a life of obedience and surrender to Jesus.

It's human to live with a me first mindset. But Christ calls us higher. Just as he humbled himself by leaving the riches of heaven to relocate to our broken planet, we too ought to live lives drenched in humility. That's where the joy happens. 

Consider the Apostle Paul your new joy coach, not because he jumped from one high to the next his whole life, but because he learned that deep and lasting joy can be present even in life's hardest moments. If it can be true for him, it can be true for you, too

God created sex and designed it to be good. But he also determined the context in which it is good for us. In a world that preaches otherwise, let's trust and follow God when it comes to our sexual lives – and let's trust that his grace is sufficient to bring healing and hope when we have strayed outside the boundaries of his plan.

It's an election year that promises to bring fear, anxiety and outrage for many. Rather than become enmeshed in the chaos, Jesus calls his Church to experience it from a higher place -- through the lens of his lasting kingdom. Let's rise above the fray in this political season and bring Jesus' calming peace to the political storm.  

When it comes to TRUTH, it's all about the source. Don't expect to find it in your feelings, through culture or by way of celebrity musings. Truth has always had a singular, reliable source – Jesus. Discover the Way, the Truth and the Life in him. 

It's time to celebrate! 147 people said goodbye to yesterday and welcomed NEW LIFE in Jesus through baptism today! The old is gone, the new is here! As you praise God for working in the hearts of so many, ask him to move in others who have yet to surrender their lives to Jesus in this most important way!

True, genuine love involves making a conscious choice to do and say what is right, even when it is difficult. Let's let God's Word and Jesus' example challenge us with what it really means to live a life of love. 

We live in a “get-even” society where vengeance and retaliation are encouraged and celebrated over forgiveness. The latter is rarely easy, but it's the only way to move toward resolve and healing. Love keeps no record of wrong, so ask God to help you forgive others as he has forgiven you. 

Insisting on my own way, prioritizing my preferences, and seeking my well-being over others' does not exemplify the life of love God calls us to in 1 Corinthians. Love is, after all, patient and kind. It's not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. And it certainly does not demand its own way.

Humility is not just a compelling character trait. It's a life-giving gift we offer to those we love. Watch last Sunday's message and realize that the greatest pathway to your own joy is to look out for the interests of others.

Do you find yourself feeling jealous of others? Maybe it only comes up every once in a while. But maybe your jealousy happens more often. And just maybe, it's become toxic. Whether you struggle with jealousy often or occasionally, Jake's message will help you grow in your love for others. 

Love is not just a word. It must become a way. It's not just a feeling, rather, it needs to be a habitual behavior. In a world bent on outrage and reactivity, practice love by being patient with others when they fall short. After all, it's how God loves you.

Earthly treasures make empty promises – don't fall for them. Place your trust (and finances) in something eternal. When we seek the Kingdom of God first, he throws in more than we ever knew we needed. Let guest speaker Tim Harlow remind you that when you chase after God in all areas of your life, he'll provide for you in ways you can't even imagine. 

What does it look like to TRUST God fully with my money? If you're ready for him to shape you more into the person he wants you to become, check out this compelling message on learning to trust him in all things.

When it comes to raising the next generation, what matters most? Check out our Mother's Day teaching featuring Jodi Hickerson and instill this truth in the kids you love: Who you are is more important than where you go or what you do.

Zacchaeus was rich by the standards of his day, but at the soul level, he was dirt poor. Then he met Jesus. If money has yet to give you the happy, fulfilling life you thought it would, check out this message and allow Jesus to redefine what it means to be RICH. 

When the going got tough, Queen Esther didn't wilt under pressure. She leaned into grit and saved her people. What hard thing is God is calling you to do today? Though the task may feel daunting, do as Esther did: lean into grit and find confidence, knowing that God has called you for such a time as this. 

Perhaps in the end, there's actually only one kind of suffering after all: the kind God uses to teach us. To shape us. To purify us. To make us complete and mature. If you're in a current season of suffering, check out this message and cling to your Father, who will not only see you through your suffering, but also teach you more about his loving goodness along the way.