FBCWest

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things God calls us to do. Many people say unforgiveness harms us emotionally or physically, but Scripture shows that refusing to forgive carries an even deeper spiritual consequence.

Jesus commands us to forgive others as God has forgiven us in Christ, not merely once, not only when it feels easy, and not only after someone asks.

Through the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus shows the seriousness of receiving mercy while refusing to give mercy. From the cross, Jesus prayed for those crucifying Him before they even asked for forgiveness. And through Joseph’s story, we see how God can take what others meant for evil and use it for good.

This sermon challenges us not only to forgive one person, but to become forgiving people, reflecting the heart of our Father, who forgave a debt we could never repay.

Sermon Notes

Ephesians 4:32 Forgive each other as God has forgiven you

Matthew 18:21 – 35 How many times are we forgive & what happens if we don’t

Matthew 6:12 We are to pray forgive us as we have forgiven.

Matthew 6:14 & 15 If you don’t God. Does not forgive you

Luke 23:34 Jesus prays for those who are crucifying Him and they have not even asked for forgiveness

Many Christians know they should read the Bible and should study the Word of God. Scriptures are not merely helpful literature or religious advice. Scriptures are God-breathed, profitable for teaching, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness.

The Bible reveals who God is, teaches us how to live, corrects us when we wander, strengthens us in righteousness, gives encouragement and hope, and lights the path before us. God’s Word is not temporary or outdated, it endures forever.

All Scripture points us to Jesus. God spoke through the prophets, through Scripture, and ultimately through His Son, who is the exact representation of God’s nature. If we want to know God, understand His will, and walk faithfully, we must treasure, study, remember, and obey His Word.

The Word of God is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path, and the testimony that leads us to Christ.

Sermon Notes

2 Timothy 3:16

2 Peter 3:14 - 16 It is God breathed Paul’s writings are Scripture

1 Peter 1:24 & 25 Lasts forever

1 Peter 2:1 – 3 Long for it

Psalm 119:9 -19 Helps to keep it and never forget it

Psalm 119:105 It is a light to our way

Romans 15:4 Gives hope and encouragement

Hebrews 1:1 – 3 God spoke through Jesus who is God

What is the difference between happiness and joy?

There is Christian call to rejoice always. Happiness often depends on circumstances, but biblical joy is rooted in the Lord, His salvation, His Word, and the hope we have in Him. Joy is not meant to stay hidden. Rejoicing means expressing the joy God has placed within us.

Believers are to rejoice even though one's own life included suffering, persecution, imprisonment, and hardship. Joy is not based on an easy life, but on a secure relationship with Christ.

This message challenges us to ask:

Do we have joy?

Do others know we have joy?

Are we rejoicing in the Lord always—not just when circumstances are good?

Because of whom God is, what He has done, the salvation He provides, the hope He gives, and the Word He has revealed, believers have every reason to rejoice.

Sermon Notes

Philippians 4:4 Always

Philippians 3:1 In the Lord

Psalm 35:9 In God and His salvation

Psalm 118:19 – 24 This day because of Jesus

Psalm 119:161 & 162 At His word

Romans 12:9 – 13 In hope

Philippians 2:18 Share your joy

The Tongue by First Baptist Church of Westminster, California

Has anyone ever failed to keep a promise they made to you? Have you ever failed to keep a promise yourself? In this message, we look at the promises of God and why His Word can be trusted. Unlike people, God does not make promises He cannot keep. He is faithful, and because He is faithful, believers can hold fast to hope without wavering.

This sermon walks through several promises God has given to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose: eternal life in Christ, resurrection and life through Jesus, a new and imperishable body, a permanent heavenly dwelling, a divine nature, the Spirit’s intercession, God working all things together for good, and the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

These promises are not merely for the future. They give strength, courage, and confidence now. God promises His presence when even two or three gather in His name, rewards what is given up for His sake, and remains with His people to the end of the age. This message is a reminder that we walk by faith, not by sight—and that the One who promised is faithful.

Sermon Notes

Hebrews 10:23 Jesus is faithful

1 John 2:25 Eternal life

John 11:23 – 27 Belief in Jesus we then receive His resurrection and life

1 Corinthians15:35 – 58 A new body

2 Corinthians 5:1 – 10 We to get a permanent and eternal body

2 Peter 1:2 – 4 Will have a divine nature

Romans 8:26 & 27 The Spirit prays for us according to the will of God

Romans 8:28 He causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose

Romans 8:35 – 39 Nothing can separate us from God’s love

Matthew 18:20 Jesus is there if just 2 or 3 are gathered in His name

Matthew 19:29 Whatever you give up for Jesus, He will reward you many times more

Matthew 28:19 & 20 Jesus will be with us even to the end of the age

Anxiety is one of the most common struggles people face, but God gives us a better answer than simply masking it or coping with it. Peace is not the temporary peace the world offers, but the peace Jesus gives.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.” His peace is not based on perfect circumstances, personal control, or the absence of trouble. It is rooted in who He is and what He has done.

Peace is not merely a feeling. It is a gift from Christ, a fruit of the Spirit, and the result of being reconciled to God. Whatever circumstance you are facing, the Lord of peace is able to grant you peace continually.

Sermon Notes

John 14:27 Jesus gives us His peace

Philippians 4:6 – 9 Prayer rather than be anxious and God’s peace surpasses all comprehension. Also dwell on positive things

1 Peter 5:7

Galatians 5:22

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Cast your cares on Jesus, He cares for you Peace is a fruit of the Spirit The Lord can grant peace in every circumstance

Ephesians 2:14 - 18 Jesus is our peace and He stops division by reconciling us to God

Colossians 1:19 – 22 Jesus by the cross reconciled and made peace for us

Isaiah 1:9 Jesus is the Prince of Peace

What does it mean to be called by God?

Many Christians assume that God’s calling is limited to pastors, missionaries, or those in formal ministry. But Scripture shows that every believer has been called by God for His purpose. Paul explains that God does not call people because they are wise, powerful, noble, or impressive by worldly standards. Instead, God chooses ordinary people so that His power is displayed, and no one can boast.

The gospel may seem foolish to the world, but to those who are called, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Our responsibility is not to rely on clever speech, personal ability, or persuasive arguments, but to faithfully proclaim Christ and trust the Holy Spirit to do the work only God can do.

This sermon also explores the nature of God’s calling:

We are called to share the Word of God

We are called to sanctification and holiness

We are called according to God’s purpose, not our own

God’s calling is irrevocable

God knows who we are, including our weaknesses, failures, and limitations, yet He still calls us. The call is not about our greatness, but about His power, His grace, and His purpose. There is no greater calling than being used by God to point others to Christ.

Sermon Notes

1 Corinthians 1:18 – 25 Coming to know God is not through wisdom, but preaching the word

1 Corinthians 1:26 – 29 Consider your calling. We aren’t special, but God chose to share the word, but it is all God’s doing. There is no boasting

1 Corinthians 1:30 Boast in the Lord

1 Corinthians 2:1 - 5 Paul acknowledges it was not his skill, but the power of God

1 Thessalonians 4:7 God’s calling is for sanctification

2 Timothy 1:8 & 9 We have a holy calling according to His purpose

Romans 11:29 His calling is irrevocable

Where do we look for love? What happens when we look in the wrong places?

In this message, Pastor Joe teaches from Scripture about the permanent, initiating, and unshakable love of God. The Bible tells us that God does not wait for us to love Him first. He loved us while we were still sinners, sent His Son as the payment for our sins, made us alive in Christ, and calls us His children.

This sermon walks through several passages, including 1 John 4:10, Ephesians 2:4–9, 1 John 3:1–2, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, and Romans 8, showing that God’s love is not based on our worthiness, performance, ethnicity, or ability to change ourselves first.

God’s love is not temporary. It is not reluctant. It is not fragile. He loved us first, demonstrated that love through Jesus Christ, gives us eternal comfort and good hope, and promises that nothing can separate His children from His love.

If you have ever wondered whether God truly loves you, whether you have failed too many times, or whether you are still His child, this message is a reminder: God has not merely said He loves you—He has shown it.

Sermon Notes

1 John 4:10 God loved us first even when we did not love Him

Ephesians 2:4 – 9 God loved us greatly and seated us with Him in the heavenly places

1 John 3:1 & 2 Because of God’s great love we are called and are children of God

2 Thessalonians 2:16 God loved us and has given us eternal comfort and good hope

John 3:16 God’s love does not distinguish our genetics

Romans 3:5 God’s love does not depend on changing first

What does it really mean to be blessed?

In this message, we’re challenged to move beyond thinking of blessings as temporary or material and instead see the deeper, lasting spiritual blessings God has given us. Drawing from Ephesians 1, we discover that believers are not just lucky or fortunate—we are chosen, redeemed, forgiven, and sealed by God, with an eternal inheritance that cannot be taken away.

This sermon then shifts to Matthew 5, where Jesus describes a different kind of blessing that one often feels counterintuitive. Blessed are those who mourn, the gentle, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and even those who are persecuted. These are not weaknesses, but marks of a life aligned with God and filled with His favor.

The message challenges us to change our perspective:

Stop focusing on what we don’t have

Start recognizing the spiritual blessings we already possess

Learn to rejoice in both good times and difficult circumstances

Instead of asking “Why me?” in hardship, we are encouraged to ask, “Why not me?”, trusting that even in difficulty, God is still blessing us and shaping us for eternity.

When we truly begin to count our blessings, we realize something powerful—we will never reach the end of the list.

Sermon Notes

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be God who blessed us with every spiritual blessing

Ephesians 1:4 - 14 Positional blessings – holy & blameless, redemption, made known the mystery of His will, an inheritance, and seal by the Holy Spirit as a pledge as God’s own possession

Matthew 5:3 – 12 Character and Circumstance blessings – the kingdom of heaven, comfort, inheriting the earth, to be satisfied, receive mercy, seeing God, called sons of God, the kingdom of heaven and great reward

Balaam could not curse the people of God, but he still found a way to profit. In this message, the story moves from Numbers 25 back to Numbers 31 to reveal the tragic truth: Israel’s fall into idolatry and sexual immorality did not happen by accident. It came through Balaam’s counsel and evil advice designed to bring God’s people into sin when open opposition had failed. What Balaam could not accomplish by cursing, he tried to accomplish by compromise.

This sermon also draws a direct line from Balaam to Solomon and then to Jesus’ warning in Revelation 2:14. The message is clear: love God first, guard your heart, do not let relationships pull you away from the Lord, and do not follow teachers who make sin sound acceptable. God’s commands are not there to ruin life, but to protect it. Grace is real, but grace is never permission to compromise. The call is to trust God fully, love Him wholly, and remain faithful to Him.

Sermon Notes

Numbers 25:1 - 3 Israel begins to play the harlot with the women of Moab and make sacrifices to Moab’s gods

Numbers 31:13 – 16 Balaam counsels to sin against God

1 Kings 11:1 – 13 Even wise men rebel against God for their love of foreign wives

Revelations 2:14 Jesus against the teachings of Balaam