The Westgate Podcast

Here we go folks! Westgate pod is back!

This week Dan explores the concept of anxiety, and how prayer can help us deal with even the worst of worries in our lives. He also says 'hey' to an extra special guest!

This week Nick takes the helm and asks the question: what are we building our lives on? 

Two of Jesus' parables challenge us to think deeply about our priorities, our use of our time, our values and what the foundation of our lives might be. 

This week, Nick and Dan begin a new teaching series exploring the Parables Jesus told to his followers.

But what is a parable? Why are so many of them so obscure? Why not just teach his lessons in plain language?

All this and more, check it out!

Western Christianity is very preoccupied with eternity - and especially with the eternity of others. But the Bible is not the story of how to get in to Heaven, it's the story of how to restore Earth. Scaring people into salvation with stories of Hell was not Jesus' recruitment model. His model was staggering self-sacrifice. Some of the questions about the nature of Hell aren't possible to answer, any more than we can answer the question of what's on someone else's mind or in their heart.

What we can say is that the western idea of eternal torture in Hell isn't super consistent with scripture, and the idea of God casting people into it even less so.

We do know that eternal life in the form of resurrection is a gift that is offered to us, and that it is accomplished by Christ's sacrifice cleansing us of everything that separates us from God.

In the meantime, the job left to do - creating a world that looks like Heaven - is literally our purpose as beings created in the image of God.

Special guest Emma Buckingham joins Dan and Nick this week to discuss the difference between opening the Bible occasionally for a quick read and allowing the Word of God to actually transform you the way God promises it will.

How does our attitude toward the Bible determine what we get out of it? How can we engage with it more? What's the benefit?

Nick and Dan tackle an age old question: if Jesus' sacrifice can cover all sin, why do we need to change our lives at all? Why not just keep sinning? After all, we can just ask for forgiveness, right? How about some more ice cream?

Nick and Dan aren't sure Paul agrees.

This week Nick and Dan chat about the themes of the Easter story, about rejection of Jesus and about the beautiful restoration that is offered by Christ's sacrifice.
Spend this Easter not only being restored, but committing to that restoration and to living like someone who is full of Jesus!

We're all locked down with nowhere to go - how can we put this time to good use? One of the best things you could possibly do for yourself right now is to spend some of this time cultivating and growing your relationship with God. Develop disciplines in your personal prayer life that will not only grow your relationship with God during the lockdown, but will set you up for a whole life of growing and developing with God.

It's your Isolation gift to yourself.

This week, Nick and Dan discuss Christian responses to Covid-19. How should Christians behave? Do we need to self-isolate? What about the people saying that faith is enough to keep us safe from disease? What does the Bible say about all of this?

We'll also talk about the hiatus of our regular worship services and some practical ways to help the church and the community during periods of isolation.