Luke 23:50-56
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Have you ever been outside right after the wrath of a hurricane or major storm? It’s almost shocking how peaceful and gentle the weather feels. This week we’ll be examining the calm after the storm of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. It would be tempting to jump right past this part of the story to get to the finale of the resurrection, but Jesus bids us to pause in the silence of the moment. See you on Sunday.
Luke 23:6-25
Rev. Doug McNutt
Pilate is a villain who has a complete failure of nerve—even thought he knows Jesus is innocent—he gives into the crowds in a cowardly fashion. Jesus behind the scenes is the true hero of our salvation. There is a failure of nerve today in both the world and the church, not doing the right we know we should, like Pilate. But the gentle hero of our salvation holds all the strength we need for true spiritual leadership if we look to him today for it.
Luke 22:31-38
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Learning to minister isn’t easy. Even after we repent of our sins, lean into Christ, and learn to follow Him we find that our call to minister is unexpectedly difficult. It’s wrought with challenges, pain, frustration, and confusion. Because of the dauntlessness required, many of us ease off the gas pedal and become accustomed to a life of apathy. So how do we fight the good fight of the faith as we pursue God’s vision for our lives? Join us this Sunday as we talk about ministry amidst the mess.
When you contemplate the second coming of Jesus Christ what direction does your heart go? Do you find yourself feeling excited? Perhaps anxious? Maybe relieved? Possibly even desperate? The direction your heart goes reveals something about you and your walk with our Savior. At the end of Luke 21, Jesus tells us how we ought to think, feel, and live in light of His glorious second coming. Join us this Sunday as we dive into the text!
There’s no question that we live in crazy times. From covid-19 to one unforgettable election, our times feel incredibly turbulent. Recently, social media blew up with pictures of rising gas prices revealing that a number of people are paying upwards of $100 to fill up their cars. Top that off with what many interpret to be a government hostile to Christianity and you have every reason to believe that we live in exceedingly stressful times. Many teachers and preachers take all this to mean that the end is near. But is it? How should we respond to times like these? How would Christ have us to act? Join us this Sunday as we dig into Luke 21:5-24.
Join us this Sunday as we encounter two interesting scenes in the temple. First, we’ll look at Jesus’ last assault on the religious leaders. Second, we’ll study the grace displayed by a poor widow’s offering. In both situations we gain a front seat to the heart of Christ for His people. See you on Sunday!
For the past four weeks we’ve studied Jesus’ dealings with the religious leaders in the temple. In each confrontation, Jesus humbled those who attempted to trip Him up. This Sunday, we’ll be studying yet another confrontational encounter in the temple. But this one ups the tension as Jesus goes on the offensive. Bishop J.C. Ryle says of this confrontation that “we may well believe that of all the defeats which our Lord’s malicious enemies met with, none galled them more than this”. Join us as we gather to worship and adore the risen Son of God!
Join us this week in Luke’s Gospel for another bout between Jesus and the religious leaders. This time we will encounter Christ as He confronts false assumptions about the afterlife. In a world obsessed with the here and now, Jesus teaches us to keep our gaze on our incredible, God-ordained future. See you on Sunday!
Luke 20:19-26
Rev. Charlie Phillips
Thomas Jefferson once said that Christianity is the best friend of government “because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart”. That’s an interesting perspective from one of America’s founding fathers as it emphasizes the human heart. It also assumes that Christianity ought to intersect with the government. But should it? And if it should, how should it do so? Join us this Sunday as we talk about government through the eyes of Christ.
In this Sunday’s text we once again find Jesus in the temple asserting His authority. This time He shares a parable with frightening implications for the religious leaders, Jewish community, and even us. Join us as we contemplate the incredible importance of our eternal foundation.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in the Gospel of Luke. This week we’ll be looking at two stories of Jesus in the temple. Both are action-packed. In fact both stories are downright showdowns between Christ and ungodliness. They reveal a Savior far more powerful and confrontational than we are sometimes comfortable with. But they also reveal a Savior far more concerned and loving than we typically imagine. See you Sunday!
Author Randy Alcorn said, “Stewardship isn’t a subcategory of the Christian life. Stewardship is the Christian life. After all, what is stewardship except that God has entitled to us life, time, talents, money, possessions, family and his grace?” There’s no better time to consider whether or not you’re stewarding God’s gifts to you than the beginning of the new year! Join us this Sunday as Jesus challenges us to understand the crucial importance of stewardship.
Growing up in the church I always thought that “grace” was a boring word. It was a “church” word. It was a dusty old word of which preachers couldn’t get enough. My pastor, in particular, seemed to have a small vocabulary—he said it so much! But according to Scripture, grace isn’t a church word, but rather a force that breaks through our atmosphere, completely re-orienting reality. Join us this Sunday as we talk about what makes grace so amazing!
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells yet another parable about prayer. This time He focuses on the way we approach God, honing in on the sin of self-righteousness. According to Jesus, this sin is much more deadly and deceptive than we will ever realize. Charles Spurgeon was right when he said, “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation”. Join us this Sunday as we fight our self-righteousness and pursue humility in Christ.
George Mueller, the great minister to orphans once said, “The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere. If they desire anything for God’s glory, they should pray until they get it”. Is that our attitude in prayer? Are we persistent in our efforts in communicating with Almighty God? Do we believe it makes a difference? Join us this Sunday as we learn about the power of persistent prayer in Luke 18:1-8.
Once a month we say the Lord's Prayer as a body of believers in church and when we do we pray for the coming of God's kingdom. What do we mean when we pray that? When will God's kingdom come and what will it be like? Jesus addresses these questions and more at the end of Luke 17, telling us that when a believer truly understands the kingdom of God it changes him or her. Join us this Sunday as we continue our series in the Gospel of Luke.
Have you ever given though to your posture towards Jesus or the way you approach him? How do you approach him? Do you approach him? Did you know that the way you relate to Jesus reveals something about you? Join us this Sunday as we encounter 10 men who approached Jesus in a surprising way. From their actions we learn a great deal about ourselves and the God we serve.
It’s great to be at a church that considers one another family. It’s simply one of the best things about Westminster! But being a part of a family requires a certain measure of responsibility. For example, we all commit to assisting each other in raising our children in the covenant community. We also commit to supporting the church in its worship and work as well as pursuing its purity and peace. One responsibility that is often neglected is our obligation to rebuke one another in love. Join us this Sunday as we wrap our heads around this Christ-exalting challenge.
There has never been a more fascinating and engaging teacher than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Join us this Sunday as we tackle one of his more eye-opening parables in which he clarifies several important truths about life, death, and the afterlife. Jesus is never more engaging than when eternity is at stake!
John Piper once said "wise people know that all their money belongs to God". The same can be said for our possessions, talents, abilities, and gifts. That said, when's the last time you took an inventory of all your gifts, talents, abilities, and resources? And how are you putting them to use? Join us this Sunday as we talk about biblical stewardship through the lens of the parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16.
