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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…

It’s safe to say there’s no richer book in all the New Testament than Ephesians. It often has been noted that the first three chapters of Ephesians says a great deal about a Christian’s wealth in Christ (cf. 1:3; 2:4-7). At the beginning of chapter four, Paul really starts to stress the importance of the Christian’s walk (4:1,17; 5:2, 8,15). And the reason why is quite simple – belief strongly influences behavior. Due to the remarkable riches that have been…

A few years back, our shepherds suggested Cherie and I do a Marriage Seminar here at Westside. Westside hasn’t had one in quite a while. If memory serves properly, John and Carla Moore conducted our last one about 6 years ago. Cherie and I last did one at Westside 13 years ago. Admittedly we are older now, but we hope we won’t be too out of touch, out of date or out of sharing our amazement of what God-centered marriage…

Showers of Blessings – That’s the theme of our Gospel Meeting with John Gooch beginning on Sunday. And the theme really does say a lot about what our Gospel Meeting on October 6-9 holds for us. I did some study of rain in the Bible and the expression “Showers of Blessings” took on even greater meaning. When Paul and Barnabas were at Lystra they taught about God saying, “Yet He did not leave himself without witness, for He did good…

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 two weeks from now with our special sermon series on the topic of “Showers of Blessings.” It is a message that the…

As we enter into the Fall of the year, most gardens are past the producing stage. However, before the chill sets in, consider three gardens worth the attention of God’s people found in Scripture. The Garden of Eden (Garden of temptation) This is described as a place of incredible beauty (Genesis 2:8-17). This garden had every tree in it, the bible says, that is pleasant to the eye- very beautiful colors and scenery. It also supplied every need of the…

Our gospel meeting with John Gooch will be here in less than a month! (October 6-9). It appears that some believe gospel meetings serve no real purpose today. Perhaps it isn’t wise to do away with these special efforts so hastily. Could it possibly be that the lack of support for gospel meetings and other outreach efforts says more about our misplaced priorities than we would like to admit? While not trying to put anybody on a “guilt-trip” that may…

Note from Mike: I shared this in last Sunday’s Bible Class on 1 Corinthians 13. A good number in class asked for a copy, and it’s placed in this week’s bulletin as a thoughtful reminder what a blessing loving, godly mothers really are. If I talk to my children about what is right and what is wrong, but have not love, I am like a ringing doorbell or pots banging in the kitchen. And though I know what stages my…

In one of the more familiar chapters of the Bible, Hebrews 11, the writer has just spoken of the faith of many individuals in the Old Testament. The ones mentioned are the example that we should be following – we are surrounded by their examples of faithfulness and this is what will lead us on to victory. They moved with godly fear – believed in and trusted God – and were obedient to His will. Then, we move into Hebrews…

Although there is some disagreement among experts as to precisely why, there is an abundance of evidence which indicates young people are experiencing a seemingly unprecedented level of stress. Psychologist Daniel Keating noted: “Depression, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed are not all the same thing, but they do share a common feature: experiencing a level of stress that is beyond an ability to cope, with a negative impact on health and on the ability to function well in many situations” (Keating,…

It’s very important to understand the rich, deep nature of the gospel. Here’s 10 basic components of the gospel according to Scripture 1. The Gospel is an Announcement. The God of Heaven wants to Have a Relationship with Every Human Being (Luke 2:9-14; 1Timothy 2:4). 2. The Gospel is a Person – Jesus Christ. He is the long-awaited Anointed One, King and Savior (Matthew 1:18-25). 3. The Gospel is a Divine Plan / Mission To Save (Ephesians 3:9-11; 2 Timothy…

Paul said the Christians in Thessalonica had a faith that was spoken of in every place. Everywhere he went, people were talking about the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica. Wouldn’t it be something if we had a faith that people talked about in such positive light? What was it that had everyone talking about their faith? There are three qualities that Paul brings out about them that had everyone talking and it gives us a beautiful picture of a…