Sunwest Fc's Weekly Sermon Podcast

2025-01-12 Have you ever tried to change, and then wound up frustrated because you couldn’t? And then you tried again and weren’t only frustrated but also ashamed that you failed twice (or more)? This is the experience that most of us have in some form. This week we will dive into a surprising and unexpected truth: if you want transformational change in your life, stop trying...come on Saturday or Sunday to find out more!

2025-01-05 A New Year, a New You! Blah… blah… blah… We’ve heard it all before. We’ve tried it all before. Our future goals, hopes, dreams seem to be just as far in the future as they were. We’ve been through this routine before where we want lasting change and just end up back where we are (except more discouraged and defeated). But what if!? What if this was the year where you didn’t just experience some change, but transformation. The thing we tend to miss is that transformation doesn’t start with change, it starts with your identity. Join us this week as we kick off a new series: “I’ll Do It Tomorrow."

Advent. Anticipation. Arrival. What are you waiting for? Something worth living your life for or a substitute? Come, listen as we open the greatest gift ever given and the eternal impact it will have on have on your life.

2024-12-22: The North Pole is the perfect place for Santa to live – it’s filled with snow, it’s mysterious, and most importantly, unreachable. Santa lives at a distance to keep the magic alive and comes but once a year to give presents to those who are on the nice list. Many believe the same about God. Instead of the North Pole, God is far away in a distant and unreachable heaven. The birth of Jesus tells us a different story about God making his home among us. Discover God’s incarnation and how we can experience God’s nearness during the season of Advent.

2024-12-15: Many of us believed in Santa when we were kids. Then there was that day when we "found out" the truth. Maybe it was a friend, an older sibling, something we overheard, or something we saw. We grew up in a moment. We no longer believed the make-believe stories we were told as kids. Isn't it interesting that many people who grow up with an element of faith in God have a similar experience? Is it possible that our culture has told us to "grow up", and stop believing in things you can't touch or see or prove? Is disbelief actually a sign of maturity? Or perhaps we lost something when we left our child-like wonder.

2024-12-08: "He's making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice…" Do these lyrics describe Santa or God? The "gospel of Santa" tells us that if we behave well enough, we’ll be rewarded on Christmas morning. Otherwise… coal. Could it be that we’ve allowed this performance-based, fear-driven mindset shape our view of the Father? The Gospel of Jesus tells us we are loved purely because we are His sons and daughters. We cannot earn God's grace and love. So, why do we sometimes find ourselves striving to get on God's "nice list"? This Sunday, we'll explore how embracing the "gospel of Santa" instead of the true Gospel affects our understanding of God and how we live our lives.

2024-12-01: Christmas is confusing in our culture. Everyone seems to celebrate it in some form, but it has become something very different than what God's agenda was at that very first Christmas. Is it possible that we've mixed our cultural values with the primary message and mission of God? In this series, we analyze different ways that we have projected cultural views and values upon the gospel of Jesus... possibly even replacing it with the gospel according to Santa.

2024-11-24: Let's try a thought experiment. Imagine someone you loved, and had given your life to be with, was only going to be with you for a moment longer. Now imagine that person was going to sum up everything they wanted from you after they were gone in one actionable idea. Would you lean in? Would you give significant energy in your life to that one thing? I think you would. I think we all would. After Jesus' resurrection, he left us one thing to do. Are we doing it?

2024-11-17: Do you want to do things well? Do them right? Do them excellently? What if that value stops you from doing anything at all? When we choose courage over comfort we choose action over perfection. We give permission for failure because success is in risk-taking obedience, not in perfection. Join us this week as we explore how fear is faith in the wrong thing, and how true faith is following God without worrying about the results.

2024-11-10: When someone asks, "How are you?" we often respond with one of two answers: "I'm doing good." or "I've been busy." These responses can reveal something about us—either that we value independence and don’t need others, or that we find our worth in being productive. While strength and productivity are not inherently bad, they can sometimes contribute to a sense of loneliness. This Sunday, we'll explore how we can embrace those feelings of loneliness, seeing them as signposts that point us toward a deeper connection with Christ and with one another. To practice not doing life alone.

2024-11-03: It seems simple, but yet profound: The lives we live today are often a result of decisions we made yesterday (or earlier in our lives). Our relationships, our careers, our health, our successes, and our failures. What is true individually, is also true corporately. The experience of life together is the culmination of our past decisions and actions. So who do we want to be in the future? And what does that mean for us today? Join us this week as we start a 4 week series called "Family Values".

2024-10-27: In one particular study when non-Christian people answered why they rejected Christianity the results showed the primary reason was the behaviour of Christians. The primary reason had nothing to do with what the Bible says, or teaches, or any conflict with other world-views. The perception and experience that people had with those who claim to be Christian was one that made Christianity unbelievable. Even beyond that, many people point to the atrocities throughout history done by the church as another layer of motivation to reject Christianity. So… let’s talk about it. Join us for our last Sunday in the Problem of God series.

2024-10-20: Let’s be honest, many people don’t want to be a Christian because it has so many rules and seemingly exclusive demands. "What about freedom?" "Why do things have to be so rigid and intolerant?" Our world has a very unique idea of what freedom is and unknowingly we have bought into it. Is it true that a lack of restraint is true freedom? How is that working for us? Maybe what Jesus offers us is the pathway to true freedom.

2024-10-13: Join us this weekend for a ‘hot’ topic. We’re looking at the Problem of Hell. This seems to be, for many, a central barrier to trusting the God of the Bible (for both Christians and non-Christians). But just because we don’t like something doesn’t mean it isn’t true. With so many historical, cultural, religious, and biblical concepts of hell, it is important to ask if we’ve really seen and understood what the Bible says about the after life (and what it doesn’t say). The biblical picture may surprise you, make you feel uncomfortable, or make you feel more hopeful. No matter where you’re coming from, you’ll be stretched and challenged this weekend.

2024-10-06: "If God exists, and is all-powerful, all-knowing, and wholly good, why do evil and suffering exist?" More than any other question, this seems to be one that has made Christianity indefensible for many. It has been a major barrier for people to believe in the God revealed in the Bible. From John the Baptist to you and me, humans have been wrestling with it throughout history. The question is theological, yes, but it's also very personal. Let’s dive into the tension together this weekend.

2024-09-29: "The Bible is outdated." "The Bible isn't reliable." "The Bible is full of contradictions." "The Bible is a fabricated and edited document that was manipulated by people with a hidden agenda." "The Bible is just like every other religious scripture, it contains some truth but isn't any any more trustworthy than others." Have you heard statements like that? Said them? However, just because they're common doesn't mean they're true. Join us this week as we look at the reasons you can have confidence in the Bible as a book that is unique and worth building your life on.

2024-09-22: Everyone has faith. The question of "faith" is a metaphysical question. "Meta" means after, or beyond. After physics, logic, reason we have to make a faith decision. And everyone, whether they can articulate it or not, has to put their faith into something or someone. The question is what do you put your faith in? This does not, however, mean that faith is irrational or illogical. While we might not be able to "prove" the existence (or non-existence) of God, every study of science, physics, biology, philosophy, ethics, morality, etc. are clues. And if we follow the clues, where do they lead?

2024-09-15: In the modern world, religion is seen as a crutch for those who need a pacifier to help them get through life. Is God something that only desperate or uneducated people believe in? Is there any rational and scientific evidence that affirms a faith position? Are science and Christianity at odds? We might be surprised when we look at where the evidence actually points us.

2024-09-08: Do you believe in Jesus beyond a shadow of a doubt? You shouldn't. Many of us have come to believe that we can't have faith and doubt. That leaves us with two options: faking it or never choosing to trust Jesus. Jesus began the movement of his kingdom with a bunch of imperfect doubters.

2024-09-01: God was never intended just to be something to "believe in". A relationship with God is something we can experience. Throughout our community God is transforming lives. Join us this week and be encouraged and inspired as we hear impactful stories of life change.