WestGate Church Teaching

In the world of ancient Thessalonica, travelling orators and philosophers were primary entertainment, and a big draw for ancient Greek and Roman crowds who valued public speaking highly. In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul outlines all the ways he was NOT like that when he came to the people in Thessalonica, not as an orator, but as a herald from God, not as an celebrity, but as a servant and not as a stranger, but as family. In this way, Paul shows his (and Jesus’) heart, method and motives for His people.

Why Lent? Where does Lent come from? What's it for? Why can Lent be a powerful tool to experience healing and freedom in your life?

Steve stops by to talk about 1 Thessalonians 1, the opening chapter of Paul’s letter to that church, where Paul gives encouragement to a beleagured church. We talk about the idea of “decadence” and how that relates to spiritual stagnation, and how Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians both encourages hard work for the Kingdom WHILE ALSO limiting the effects of human effort at the very same time.

In the opening chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul writes some deeply encouraging words to this early church, commending them for the way they’re living out their faith. We all need some encouragement, especially in trying times. Steve offers some encouragement of his own, showing that whether you’re depleted, feeling divided or distracted in your faith, there are ways forward.

Jay stops by to chat about Paul’s (first?) letter - 1 Thessalonians. We’ll talk about the unique legal and political place Thessalonica had in the ancient world (especially in relation to Rome) and why that matters, what reasons historians and theologians give for why these early Christians were viewed with such suspicion by their Greek-God-worshipping neighbors, and why one simple, four-syllable Greek word parousia - which Dave mispronounces at least four times - is the key to understanding why Christians who experience gut-wrenching moments of suffering can say, simultaneous with their grief was an inexpressible and triumphant joy and hope.

IN this introduction to the Book of 1 Thessalonians, Jay Kim talks about a particular Greek word that keeps popping up (four times in the short letter, in fact) - the word parousia. It’s a word that ties into kings, and kingdoms, and the future - and for Christians, the promise of a reality so good and so real that it can charge every moment here - even terrible ones - with hope. As we’ll see for the people of Thessalonica, this simple, four-syllable ancient word contained a universe of meaning, and a universe of hope. And if we have ears to hear, it can do the same for us.

Steve stops by to talk about the lessons we can glean from the incredible and provocative life of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Including the high cost of being in community, and whether or not it’s okay for a Christian to be a part of a secret plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Every year, at the end of Compassion Immersion, we take some time to study the life of a hero of the faith who made a global impact for the Kingdom of God. This year, we will focus on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German-born theologian, whose writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential. Apart from his theological writings, Bonhoeffer was known for his staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Hitler's genocidal persecution of the Jews, for which he lost his life in a concentration camp. Through Bonhoeffer’s life, we can see a number of important lessons, including fidelity to Christ above all other allegiances, the non-optional role community plays in spiritual growth, and the costly demands of following Jesus Christ.

Global Compassion pastor Keivan Tehrani stops by to discuss how being connected to so many global missionaries helped him stay buoyant and hopeful in 2020, how he was able to pivot his entire non-profit’s focus after its core mission was all but shut down, and why he has hope that this season of testing and trial will produce good things.

There’s a story about a world-famous musician, who minutes before going on stage, was informed that his prized instrument had been stolen. With little options remaining, the musician was given a hand-me-down, beat-up, clearly inferior instrument and asked if somehow, he could make that work. He did. To thunderous applause. During this season of COVID-19, it’s pretty clear that hardly any of us are playing with our “first instrument.” Our normal lives and ways of doing things have been wildly disrupted. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t improvise with what we have. And it doesn’t mean we can’t do something special for God and with God.