Parkside Church Westside Sermons

The empty tomb and the angel’s words point to the fact that death is not king, Jesus is King. Jesus has mastered death, which means that you can know with certainty that: the stone is rolled away for you! the tomb is empty for you! Jesus died for you...

The empty tomb and the angel's words point to the fact that death is not king, Jesus is King. Jesus has mastered death, which means that you can know with certainty that: the stone is rolled away for you! the tomb is empty for you! Jesus died for you and he rose for you! For the Christian, death is now the door through which we pass, to enter into the presence of God. We no longer have to fear death, because Jesus mastered death. Do you know this in your heart? | Outline: [I] Surprises at the Tomb, vs. 1-10 [II] Bribery in the City, vs. 11-15 [III] Worship on the Mountain, vs. 16-20

How do we know what God is like? What happens if we make up the rules ourselves and ignore what He said in the Bible? In this message on Judges 17 and 18, from the Old Testament, we meet a man who decided to re-invent "god" in a way that...

How do we know what God is like? What happens if we make up the rules ourselves and ignore what He said in the Bible? In this message on Judges 17 and 18, from the Old Testament, we meet a man who decided to re-invent "god" in a way that served his own interests. As we follow his story from arrogance to tragedy, we learn that man-made religion leads to empty idolatry, while true faith pursues the God Who has revealed Himself. | Outline: [I] The path of man-made religion, [II] The Arrogance of man-made religion, [III] The tragedy of man-made religion, [IV] The antidote to man-made religion.

The story in Mark 6 is a difficult one. In part, because of the awful things that happen: an adulterous relationship, sensual activity, foolish hubris and a grizzly beheading. There’s no doubt about it, this is a PG-13 story in the Bible. It’s...

The story in Mark 6 is a difficult one. In part, because of the awful things that happen: an adulterous relationship, sensual activity, foolish hubris and a grizzly beheading. There's no doubt about it, this is a PG-13 story in the Bible. It's shocking because Mark is straightforwardly telling us what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus. It means that you may lose your life for Jesus, dying for one who gave his life for you. Disciples of Jesus are to live for him…even unto death, and sometimes God's servants die unjustly. | Outline: [I] Speculation About Jesus, vs. 14-16 [II] Herod's Troubled Conscience, vs. 17-20 [III] Herodias's Malicious Plan, vs. 21-29

Up to this point in the story the disciples have been companions of Jesus but really they’ve been spectators. But as we come to this section in Mark’s rapid telling of Jesus’s life we have a pause and slight shift of focus. Mark turns the camera...

Up to this point in the story the disciples have been companions of Jesus but really they've been spectators. But as we come to this section in Mark's rapid telling of Jesus's life we have a pause and slight shift of focus. Mark turns the camera toward the disciples who have been trained by Jesus and now he sends them out a trial mission of their own. | Outline: [I] The Twelve Disciples (a) Are Sent with a Friend, vs. 7 (b) Are Sent with Jesus's Authority, vs. 7 (c) Are Sent with Minimal Supplies, vs. 8-10 (d) Are Sent with Jesus's Message, vs. 11-13 [II] Today's Disciples (a) Follow Jesus (b) Live Like Jesus (c) Help Others Follow Jesus (d) Build Relationships

Jesus is Nazareth’s most famous citizen and his hometown gives him an icy reception. There’s no tickertape for this hometown hero, instead he faces outright rejection. This story presents us with a sobering warning that knowing a lot about Jesus and...

Jesus is Nazareth's most famous citizen and his hometown gives him an icy reception. There's no tickertape for this hometown hero, instead he faces outright rejection. This story presents us with a sobering warning that knowing a lot about Jesus and having frequent exposure to the good news about him, is no guarantee that you'll be persuaded to belief. In fact, just the opposite can happen, familiarity can breed contempt and outright rejection of Jesus. | Outline: [I] Astonished (vs. 1-2) [II] Offended (vs. 3) [III] Marveled (vs. 4-6)