Posts by Westside Church of Christ
Bible Classes Cancelled!!!
Due to the weather and road conditions the elders at Westside church of Christ have decided to cancel Bible Classes for Wednesday, February 1st. Since we are not meeting for class this evening, please consider and meditate upon the following scriptures as part of your personal devotion this evening. They are on the topic of waiting on the LORD. Note that they are commands and not just suggestions. As you meditate upon them consider how you might include them in…
November 2022 Update from Ukraine
Hello dear brothers and sisters. I would like to congratulate all of you on the upcoming holidays and wish you, first of all, peace. May peace be in your country, in your families, in your hearts, in your congregations. I also very much want peace to come to Ukraine as soon as possible, and people no longer die from Russian bullets, shells and cruise missiles. In November, the following events took place. Despite all the difficulties, the armed forces of…
Update from Ukraine
Dear brothers and sisters. I’m in Brovary, Kyiv region. Air raid sirens sound several times a day in Brovary. Unfortunately, Russia continues to ruthlessly bombard Ukraine with deadly cruise missiles. They fired over 80 missiles last weekend. Some of these missiles shoot down by our air defenses, and some hit residential buildings and infrastructure. Here are some photos of cruise missile hits in Kyiv, not far from us in a residential building. This happened on the morning of June 26th. …
A God-Given Name
It is a thought that should be a source of great joy and comfort – the church belonging to Jesus was in the mind of God from eternity! God was not caught off-guard when the crown of His creation, Adam and Eve, would make the choice to disobey and bring sin into the world. God knew that provisions would need to be made in reconciling the relationship that sin had broken between Himself and mankind. He knew that redemption would…
The Cure for Worry
The devil will use temptations and troubles to worry and weaken us, but God can use them to strengthen us (see 1 Peter 5:10-12). When problems cause us to worry, the prescription is prayer. 1 Peter chapter 5 speaks of God as the Mighty Warrior-King and as Merciful Lord and Shepherd. As Warrior-King, we are to think of His mighty hand and know He will lift us up (5:6). He will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us (vs. 10). Our…
The Power of an Invitation
The Gospel is God’s power to save – Romans 1:16. The power to save is in the message, not in the messenger. We have an opportunity to invite friends, neighbors, and loved ones to hear the message of God’s word every week when we gather to worship. However, a special opportunity to hear the word of God proclaimed this coming Sunday with our special sermon series on the topic of “Renewing Our Faith And Focus On Jesus.” It is a…
In The Cross of Christ I Glory
Everything about the Cross of Christ says God wants us back, and everything else in the whole world pales in significance when compared to the love and grace displayed there. Surely Paul had this in mind when he penned, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). [All Scripture quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise…
The Authority of Jesus
The audacity to question the authority of the King of kings! Yes, it happened, and it happened on repeated occasions during the earthly life of Jesus. One such occurrence is found in Matthew 21:23, after Jesus had again ‘cleansed’ the temple. Matthew records that upon entering the temple the next day, the chief priests and elders confronted Jesus as He was teaching and asked, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” The authority…
Worry 101
Why does it seem some Christians could write a book on worry because we’re such experts? It’s very easy to cross the line from being concerned about a matter to worrying, isn’t it? Why would anyone want to obtain the life equivalent of a PhD in worrying? Talk about a “”terminal degree!” As one who has been far too prone to worry, the Lord’s words in Matthew 6:25-34 have often blessed my life. And they’ll continue to bless the lives…
Don’t Get Squeezed
It’s a verse in your Bible which you no doubt have great familiarity. Romans 12:2 reads, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (NKJV) The word that we find ‘conformed’ could be translated ‘fashioned’ or in a very literal way ‘squeezed.’ In other words, don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own…
Important Update
Important Announcement From The Westside Shepherds Worship assemblies and Bible classes will resume at Westside, LORD willing, on Sunday, August 29. We look forward to once again assembling together. An announcement will be made by the eldership on Sunday morning concerning once again meeting together. Please use appropriate health and safety protocols to keep yourself and others safe.
For the Hurried, Worried & Frazzled
The older I get the more the word “pace” has come to mean. In a world where speed and hurry are much over hyped, pace really should have its place, especially in the lives of Christians. It has been said, “It is never found in Scripture that Jesus hurried or ran.” This is true. Never is it even hinted that Jesus had to “kick it into high gear.” Yet no one ever accomplished more than our Lord. The Master of…