Sunwest Fc's Weekly Sermon Podcast

This week we continue to unpack the gifts of the gospel. Jesus not only came to reveal God’s love and save us from sin, he also came to set up his Kingdom. This kingdom is not of this world, although it is all around us. It cannot be contained by geographical boundaries and it is open to all.

This Sunday we continue to break down the Good News in 30 words. We are currently unpacking the gifts of the Gospel. These gifts are what God has done for us that we cannot do for ourselves. This week we are going to look at how God has saved us from sin. Even though this phrase is really common in church circles, it is not un-common that many have misunderstood what this means and the beautiful implications of this gift.

We’ve begun to breakdown the Good News in 30 words. Last week we looked at the ground of the gospel and this week we will start to unpack the gifts of the gospel. The apostle John said that “God is love”. These words have profound implications on who God “is”, not just what God is like. God is not just loving, his very essence is love. What this gift means for you is nothing short of life changing.

As we know, the Good News of Jesus (or the Gospel) is simple enough for a child to understand and complex enough to ponder for our entire lives. The last two weeks we looked at the Gospel in its most simplistic forms, summarizing it in one word and three words respectively. This week we will begin moving deeper into its beauty and complexity. Join us for the rest of the series as we explore the gospel in thirty words.

Many religions or belief systems have what is called a creed. No, we’re not talking about your favourite 90’s rock band, we’re talking about a summary (creed) of what a group of people believe. A creed can help people think through what they really believe, how they really want to live, and what they are really willing to die for. For example, Islam has one called the Shahada and it says: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” Does Christianity have a similar creed? Actually, it does. The earliest creed of the church was summed up in a simple, beautiful, world-changing, three-word statement. Join us this week as we cover the Good News in three words.

There is a board game called Othello, and it’s tagline is “A minute to learn, a lifetime to master.” We could apply this phrase to the Good News of Jesus. It is simple enough for children to understand, yet complex enough to ponder for your entire life. As we look at fully understanding the good news of Jesus for seekers, saints, and sinners we will begin with the good news in its most simplest form. This week we will learn the Good News in one word.

This week we begin a brand new series called (re)union. We will be doing a deep dive into what is often referred to as the gospel. Gospel means “good news”. Often this good news has been oversimplified and sanitized. In these increasingly volatile times it is so important that we understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Join us as we rediscover the good news of Jesus for seekers, saints, and sinners.

In this series we’ve been looking at distorted views of God that many of us end up believing. Science and faith have often been positioned as enemies. This is a new concept that is a distortion of what faith in God is all about. Historically, faith and science have been friends. If God is real and true, the pursuit of science can and should lead us to greater awe and worship. Join us this week as we re-discover a God who is pro-science!

If God is real, good, and all powerful why does suffering and evil exist? This question has historically been the biggest barrier to faith for many. When bad things happen how do you make sense of it? Where is God when tragedy strikes personally or to those around us? Does God even care? He seems to be heartless. Join us this week as we dive into this mystery and see God’s response to the problem of suffering.

Where is God? I can't sense God. I can't hear God. I can't feel God. Have you ever said or thought any of those things? Maybe they've been a hurdle to you believing in God. Join us this week as we dissect more false assumptions that many of us believe that ironically cause us to struggle with our belief in God.

There are many reasons why people choose not to believe in God. It’s possible, that many of those people may not really be rejecting the true God but rather a distorted view of God. In this series we look at these assumed views and offer an alternative one. This week we will focus on the “Killjoy” God that is out to overwhelm us with a million rules and suck the joy out of life.

It can be difficult to believe in a God we cannot see. We wonder why God didn’t answer our prayers, why God allows suffering, or why we can’t feel His presence. God may not meet all your expectations—but that’s good news! Find out why in a new series: "I Want to Believe, But..."

We may not be able to control what going on in the world around us, but we can control what is going on inside of us. The Bible teaches us that thankfulness is a choice. And this choice has the potential to change what we see and how we experience what is happening in the world around us.

Wouldn’t things be easier if everyone just had the same perspective and opinions as you? No disagreements or misunderstandings? We often put a lot of energy into convincing people to think like us or pushing back against others who don’t. In our particular culture, it seems the gap between different perspectives is getting larger and the the actions and reactions are getting more extreme. Two thousand years ago Jesus created a community, not from uniformity, but from something much powerful than that. Join us this week as we explore how people from different cultures, perspectives, and languages found something worth uniting over.

We all see the world through a set of eyes. What we choose to see impacts the lives that we end up living. Faith and fear are words that describe our perspective and our behaviour. Are you living your best life? Maybe it's time to Reset and choose to live a life driven by faith instead of fear.

Pessimism. Negativity. It’s understandable. It seems like 2020 can’t end soon enough. Wouldn’t you like to hit a Reset button? We may not be able to control what happens outside of us but we can choose what happens inside of us. How do you choose your normal in a time of abnormal? This week we will learn to focus on the Good News in a world of Bad News.

In a time of polarization and strong opinions, how does the church move forward in unity and mission together? Tune in this week as Pastor Matt is going to talk about Penguins and Crabs and what we can learn from them to keep the main thing the main thing in a world that is prone to division.

Belonging. It matters! There’s a good reason why the Bible calls the followers of Jesus to connect with one another and to do something about it. Find out what God’s purpose is for your church or small group. This week, Paul Loewen, our Alberta MB Conference Director, will share on a topic that he is passionate about. If you want to know why church matters, don’t miss this Sunday!

26 weeks! That's how long we've been studying the book of Mark. That's exactly half a year. Our world feels very different now than what it did when we began. But Mark wrote this book for a church that needed to be reminded of the source of its hope. Tune in for our last week in Mark and be encouraged that no matter who you are, where you've been, or what you've done, Jesus invites you into a new beginning.

One of the most dramatic and mysterious statements in the Bible is right before Jesus breathes his last breath and says, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Isn’t Jesus God? What does this mean? What is going on? Join us this week as we explore the mystery of what is happening and what that means for you!