We have just completed our extended sermon series going through the letter of 1 Corinthians. In the last couple months, people have been asking about where we’re going next. I appreciate the inquiries and the eagerness to be looking forward to God’s Word. Let me lay out the course we’ve charted and a little bit on why we’re headed this direction. Our first destination will be an initial stop on a ...  Read More

One thing that strikes me in the conclusions of Paul’s letters, including 1 Corinthians, is the shuffling of fellow laborers and ministers. It’s almost like the apostle is functioning as the general manager of a professional sports franchise. He calls up ministry partners, sends others off to another team, warns of those who have been “let go.” There is this strategic deployment of personnel throu...  Read More

Sometimes it is the little things in life that can have the most transformative effect. A simple encouragement from a friend. A kind gesture by a stranger on a stressful day. The quiet faithfulness of a grandmother’s prayers. No headlines to be written about such things or grand announcements. There were four little words that we did not dwell on this past Sunday that reframe how you view your lif...  Read More

We’re going to look this Sunday at Paul’s grand inference on the doctrine of the resurrection. How should that reality break in to our everyday experience? By being steadfast and immovable. We want to further strengthen you to stand through one of two upcoming opportunities because odds are you feel like you don’t know how to help others apply the gospel to life or you don’t actually have a biblic...  Read More

While I was not able to attend a recent theology conference with a number of our members that drilled down on God’s providence, I was able to see the same in the United Arab Emirates. In addition to visiting with a family Westview has sent there, I got to travel to the city where Christian influence in the country began. From that city, God’s providence has brought about a ripple effect that has r...  Read More

Unity within a church is no small matter. It’s why Paul starts there with the Corinthians in their slew of problems (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). It’s why Paul returns there in his drawn out illustration of the body (1 Corinthians 12:24-26). The significance of unity is emphasized in the warnings and admonitions as well. Some of the strongest denunciations are reserved for divisive people (Romans 16:17...  Read More

During the Memento Mori service, we walked together through three movements which each included three focuses: hearing from God’s Word, confessing our sins before him, andsinging in remembrance of his mercy. These movements were ordered around three divisions the Apostle John gives us for sin (or “all that is in the world”) in 1 John 2:15–16. The passage reads, "Do not love the world or the things...  Read More

Do you remember the “communion pods” churches used in the midst of COVID? They were shaped like those little shelf-stable coffee creamers and had two layers of tabs. You peel back the first one to access the wafer that was more like styrofoam than bread. Then you peel back the second tab to uncork the overly sweet juice. We were glad to move away from those and to something a little more normal.Mo...  Read More

Reading is one of those things that most people would like to have done but struggle to do. We would love to “have read” many good books but find it hard to get them read. I want to share some thoughts that have inspired me to create a reading practice, as well as share some practical tips that have helped me get through a lot more material with great benefit. It’s worth asking the question here, ...  Read More

As you walk through the Minneapolis Institute of Art, you may notice a recurring element in the paintings. It’s the same prop that likely comes to mind if you were to imagine a solo actor on stage in a Shakespeare play. That common element: a skull. It’s not there though due to a morbid fascination with the macabre. Rather, it serves the same purpose as our upcoming “Memento Mori” service. Let me ...  Read More

This week a small contingent from Westview joined in what has been a long-standing annual experience: attending the Bethlehem pastors’ conference. It is always helpful in drilling down on a theme to continue to grow as a pastor. It’s also refreshing to catch up with other pastors who are serving across the Cities, the country, and the world. Here are a few takeaways for you, Church. This particula...  Read More

In the movie Finding Nemo, the absent-minded sidekick is a blue tang fish named Dory. She is endlessly forgetful and relentlessly optimistic. She has one repeated principle for life, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming." You could say she would agree that you have need of endurance (cf. Hebrews 10:36). We would do well to apply Dory's principle to our en...  Read More