WestGate Church Teaching

The Betrayal of Judas

Olivet Discourse (the ready handmaidens)

Cleansing the Temple

In the last verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul gives a flurry of imperative commands, some of which seem...well...difficult at least. Forgive EVERYONE. Rejoice ALWAYS. Pray CONTINUALLY. David Kim and Josh Fox stop by to talk through these instructions, why they’re important and discuss whether or not Paul’s command to “greet each other with a Holy Kiss” is okay to skip during a worldwide pandemic.

Final, parting words are important. And as Paul concludes his letter to the church at Thessalonica, he gives a flurry of advice, all of which revolves around one central idea: healthy relationships. Paul exhorts this community to honor and respect the faithful leaders who have served them, to love and forgive each other well, and to be grateful to God and listen to His Spirit. It’s a reminder that whether it’s the leaders among you, the people around you, or the God above you - healthy relationships are absolutely essential to the health of a Christian.

This Sunday will celebrate Palm Sunday - the Triumphal Entry of Jesus as King into Jerusalem. In today's podcast we will consider the invitations to welcome the King, worship the King, and be children of the King.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul gives a warning to the church to not be “drunk” or “asleep” - lest we miss the important work God is doing (and about to do). But what does it mean to be spiritually asleep? Or, conversely, what does it mean to be spiritually awake for us, in the 21st century? Also, is God anti Piña Colada? Worship pastor Corinna Girard stops by to chat about all this, and more.

It is easy to drift into ambivalence, even about matters of primary importance. In the final chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul urges the early Christians against living a spiritually apathetic or lazy or numbed-out life, urging instead watchfulness and preparation. Paul even uses war-time metaphors, saying that just as soldiers have helmets and shields, Christians have to practice faith, hope and love to prepare for their battle.

This week we lift our eyes from ourselves to the work of God in the world around us. Join us for a time of guided prayer for revival in the world. That God breathe the breath of Life, the Holy Spirit, into the whole Earth afresh and anew.

So what exactly happens at the end of time? When Jesus comes back, how will that work, exactly? Perhaps no other Christian doctrine has generated more controversy than the question of end times. And in this episode, Steve Clifford and Jay Kim stop by to talk about the historical and Biblical roots of what 1 Thessalonians 4 calls “being caught up in the air.” They discuss the implications, why Paul wrote what he wrote, and why we should focus not on what the Bible *doesn’t* tell us, but what it *does.”