Sunwest Fc's Weekly Sermon Podcast

Have you ever wondered what it takes to follow Jesus? We’re not alone in that question. This week we are exploring the journey of two brothers, James and John, also known as the Sons of Thunder. They tended to act impulsively with their own best interests in mind. To follow Jesus, they had to learn to move from self-serving to self-sacrificing. Let’s discover together what it takes to be a disciple, and how we can learn from the lives of the Sons of Thunder.

2025-03-16: Jesus spent his ministry years intentionally shaping twelve individuals who would lead the way when he left. These guys were very different, yet their goal was the same: follow Jesus and be like Jesus. This concept is known as "discipleship". But the implication of being a disciple was unique for each of them, and it also has unique implications for each of us. In this series, we are looking at one of the twelve each week and considering what it meant for them and what it means for us today to be a disciple of Jesus. This week, we’re looking at the disciple named Matthew/Levi. Why did Jesus pick “that guy”?

2025-03-09: Jesus spent his ministry years intentionally shaping twelve individuals who would lead the way when he left. These guys were very different, yet their goal was the same: follow Jesus and be like Jesus. This concept is known as "discipleship". But the implication of being a disciple were unique for each of them, and it also has unique implications for each of us. In this new series, we will look at one of the twelve each week and consider what it meant for them and what it means for us today to be a disciple of Jesus.

2025-03-02: So, let's be real. You've tried to connect in community. It hurt. Being alone is easier. But something in you still wants that deep connection with others. What do you do? This is the inevitable tension that every single one of us will find ourselves in. There are no exceptions. Jesus found himself there, too. Is there something we can learn from him? Listen in as we conclude our series on the loneliness epidemic.

2025-02-23: You can be surrounded by others or be digitally connected to others and feel lonely. That much seems clear, given the epidemic of loneliness our world is going through. What is not as clear, however, is that you can be alone and be connected. In fact, being alone and being lonely are two very different things. Jesus and his followers, throughout history, have practiced the habit of solitude and silence. Could it be that part of the antidote to loneliness is learning to be alone well?

2025-02-16: Romance. Marriage. Singleness. So much of our energy is tied up in romantic relationships. If we don't have one. If we do have one. Sometimes those who are alone want to be in a relationship and those who are in a romantic relationship want to be alone! It seems loneliness can be pervasive in singleness, marriage, and everything in between. Join us this week as we look at what a single celibate jewish leader has to say about marriage, relationships, and contentment.

2025-02-09: It's no secret, we live in a time in history where we've never been more connected and we've never felt more disconnected. Have you ever felt alone in a crowd? Isolated, even when there is so much buzz around you? This epidemic is impacting many of us personally and all of us collectively. Join us for this series as we look at the epidemic of loneliness, how Jesus changes the conversation, the role the church plays, and how quick and easy answers may not be as effective as we think.

2025-02-02: So we made it to the last week of the series. We’ve talked about routines, habits, and steps that we can take to align with who we are and where God has called us. But we’re still missing a piece, the most important piece. True transformation is spiritual transformation, and that comes from God. Does God invite us simply to a self-help movement or a transformative spiritual journey? And how do we go about accessing his power in our lives? You don’t want to miss the conclusion of this series… because the ending could be a new beginning for you.

2025-01-26: "How did they get so lucky?” Have you ever looked at someone's success and thought this? The truth is, it isn’t luck. Successful people make small intentional choices every day that lead to big results over time. We often want results without putting in the work. However, just like planting an apple seed won’t grow an orange tree, the seeds we sow in life determine the harvest we reap. The same applies to our lives. Let’s learn together how we can sow the life and faith we desire.

2025-01-19: Many of us hope to accomplish something one day. Or we hope to not be in a particular situation anymore one day. But hope alone doesn't change your future. Your habits do. Join us this week as we drill down to some practical steps to move beyond hope, to holy habits.

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.