Westwinds Teaching

If you wanted to find Jesus, where would you look?Near the end of his life, Jesus told his disciples exactly where to find him—not in temples, not in power, but in shared practices that form a different kind of community. Baptism. Prayer. Scripture. Reconciliation. Generosity. And especially, the table.In this message, Pastor Cory explores why the table was—and still is—the place where eyes are opened, enemies become neighbors, and Jesus is recognized in bread broken and shared.The invitation is simple: come to the table, and look again.

Prayer isn’t about escape. It isn’t about begging God to take away all the hard things. In Acts 4, when the early church faced persecution, they didn’t pray for protection or revenge. They prayed for boldness.In this message, Pastor Cory explores how prayer has always been the place where God reshapes our desires, opens our eyes, and fills us with courage. It’s where we learn to see God making all things new—even in the face of evil—and where we find the confidence to live differently in the world.Prayer doesn’t change God. It changes us.

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples walked with their heads down, convinced the story was over. Jesus had died, and with him, their hope. But then—he showed up. Not in glory, not in spectacle, but in conversation, bread, and brokenness.In this message, Pastor Cory shows us how the story of Scripture has always been about a God who pursues us—even when we hide, even when we’re confused, even when the ending feels unclear. Through the garden, the prophets, the cross, and resurrection, God keeps rewriting the story with grace.The question is: can we see him walking with us, even now?

In Acts 8, Philip meets a man who had every reason to be excluded—an Ethiopian eunuch, rejected in the temple, treated as an outsider, and told he had no future. And yet, when he asks, “Is there anything to keep me from being baptized?” Philip’s answer is simple: “No. Get the water.”In this message, Pastor Phil unpacks what this story means for us today. Baptism isn’t about fitting a mold—it’s about being welcomed into Christ, into His way, into His body, and into His resurrection life. No matter your past, your story, or the labels you’ve carried—there is nothing keeping you from belonging.

As Paul closes his letter to the Galatians, he boils it all down: “Being circumcised or not doesn’t mean anything. What matters is becoming a new creation.”In this final message of the series, Pastor Cory unpacks what it means to move beyond boundary lines and into a life centered on Jesus. It’s not about birthright, religious credentials, or performance. It’s about letting the grace and peace of Christ go deeper than belief—becoming the very operating system of our lives.Through confession, communion, and baptism, we don’t just talk about grace. We practice it. Together.

There isn’t just one “road” to Jesus.In Galatians, Paul reminds us that it’s not about the vehicle that brought you here—whether you grew up in church, stumbled into faith later, or found Jesus in an unexpected place. What matters is not the labels, the rituals, or even how polished your faith sounds. What matters is faith expressed through love.This message explores the tension in the early church between law, grace, purity, and inclusion—and reminds us that no matter your background, you have a gospel story to share.

This week, Pastor Phil unpacks Paul’s words in Galatians about freedom and what it means to live by the Spirit instead of falling back into performance or rule-keeping. He draws on Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, showing how the Spirit is like the wind—unseen, unpredictable, but always present. Living in the Spirit isn’t about striving harder or checking religious boxes. It’s about awakening to God’s presence, opening our spiritual eyes and ears, and letting His love shape our lives.

We work so hard to prove we’re “good enough”—to God, to others, to ourselves. But in Galatians, Paul says something radical: “It is for freedom that Christ has set you free.” Not freedom so you can do more. Not freedom so you can earn it. Just… freedom.This message takes on perfectionism, performance-based faith, and our obsession with keeping all the plates spinning. You’ll hear why real freedom isn’t found in trying harder—it’s found in bringing your whole self, even the messy parts, to Jesus… and resting in the love that’s already yours.

We spend so much of life trying to earn our place.But in Galatians 3, Paul reminds us that God’s promise isn’t something we achieve—it’s something we receive. Before there were rules, before there was pressure to perform, there was a promise. And that promise still stands.This message invites us to let go of striving and step into the kind of grace that can’t be earned—but can change everything.

It’s human nature to want to know who’s in and who’s out.In Galatians, Paul confronts our instinct to build boundaries—religious systems, identity markers, and insider codes that make us feel safe. But Jesus didn’t come to reinforce the old walls. He came to tear them down. This message explores why we keep adding rules to a gospel that’s already good news—and what it means to live in the freedom of Jesus instead.Simple faith isn’t small faith. It’s real faith.

What was the law ever really for?In this message, Pastor Phil walks us through one of Paul’s boldest arguments in Galatians—that the law was never the goal. It was a guardian, a teacher, even a protector. But eventually, it gave way to something more powerful: love. We explore how Jesus fulfilled the law not by abolishing it, but by revealing its heart—and how grace invites us into something deeper than rule-keeping.This isn’t about being lawless. It’s about learning how to love.

What happens when the good news stops sounding like good news?In this message from Galatians, we look at one of Paul’s most confrontational moments—and what it reveals about the kind of community we’re called to be. A church without hierarchy. A table without shame. A gospel without conditions. Because if grace isn’t for everyone, it’s not grace.This isn’t just about what we believe. It’s about how we live.

In a world full of division and gatekeeping, what does it look like to be a church that actually makes space?As we begin a new series in Galatians, we explore Paul’s bold message of grace over law—and how easy it is to slip back into rulekeeping, even with good intentions. This message invites us to rethink what holds a community together, and what it means to live with open hands, open hearts, and open tables.Grace isn’t a loophole. It’s the center.

What makes a church more than just a place you go?In this message, we explore the shared practices that shape a faith community—not as rituals to perform, but as rhythms that form us. From open tables to shared stories, from forgiveness to generosity, this is about becoming the kind of people who live out what we believe.Not perfectly. But honestly. Together.

What makes a church worth sticking around for?In Part 2 of this series, we look at the things that actually shape a church community—not just music or messages, but shared tables, mutual commitment, and wide-open invitation. Through stories, reflections, and some honest questions, we explore how a church becomes more than a building—it becomes a place where people carry each other.If you’ve been wondering whether church is still for you… this might be your sign.

What actually makes a church… a church?In this message, Pastor Cory traces the story of the Church from the birth of Christianity, through early debates, through persecution, through global expansion—up to our little corner in Jackson, Michigan. Along the way, we see that disagreement isn’t new, diversity of experience isn’t a weakness, and being rooted in history might be more important now than ever.This is the story we come from. And it’s still unfolding.

A year ago, our church made space—physically, financially, and spiritually—so others could find their way in. Today, we celebrate what God has done with that space.In this message, Cory traces our journey from wilderness and healing into a new season of growth. Through ancient festivals, the story of Pentecost, and real stories from our community, we’re reminded that God moves in every season—but especially when we open our hearts to others.This is what it means to be a church for anyone. And this is just the beginning.

The Holy Spirit isn’t just here to comfort us—it’s here to confront us.In this message, we look at what happens when the Spirit actually gets involved in our lives—not just with power and inspiration, but with challenge, truth, and disruption. From Saul’s transformation to moments of personal conviction, we explore how the Spirit moves us from safety to surrender, from comfort to courage.The question isn’t just: “Is the Spirit here?” It’s: “Are we actually listening?”

What if the Holy Spirit’s power isn’t about control—but transformation?In this message, Dr. Jo Anne Lyon shares a powerful and personal story of how the Spirit rewired her life from the inside out. Through vulnerability, humor, and deep insight, she reminds us that God’s power is not about taking over—it’s about waking us up. When we get honest about our pride, our limitations, and our hunger for something more, the Spirit moves. And when it does, lives change.This isn’t about performance. It’s about surrender.

What if we’ve misunderstood what revival is really about?In this message, we begin exploring the Holy Spirit—not through hype, but through honesty. We talk about feeling stuck in our faith, overwhelmed by division, and unsure if real change is even possible. But the story of Pentecost shows us something powerful: the Spirit doesn’t erase difference—it meets us in the middle of it.Revival doesn’t begin with noise. It begins with honesty, humility, and a willingness to move.