WestGate Church Teaching

In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul mentions two men named Timothy and Ephaphrodites and says that he holds these men “in high regard.” So what is it about these men that make Paul write so glowingly of them? The answer is not only challenge to the prevalent modern definition of manhood, but also a roadmap for men searching for what it means to be a man. Because if the Bible celebrates certain things about certain men, it might just mean those things are important to God Himself, and maybe even reveal something about God Himself. (HINT: it’s not about the size of your biceps).

According to the most recent statistics, nearly 30 percent of all bandwidth used in the United States is used for pornography. In fact, pornography accounts for more web traffic than Netflix, Twitter, and Amazon - combined. So when we discuss the modern world and technology, we have to discuss this subject. But beyond the numbers, pornography also twists and distorts our ideas about sex. Worship pastor Mark Averill talks about how our misuse of the good gift of sexuality given to us by God actually makes us less human - and less happy. And sharing his own deeply personal story, shows how God can restore and heal us.

Join moderator David Tieche for a roundtable discussion with folks from all sorts of backgrounds discuss the unique challenges of trying to faithfully follow Jesus while living in our modern digital age. We’ll delve into all sorts of topics, including whether the values of the digital age are at odds with the values of Jesus, why cell phones in the bedroom are a bad idea, and what parents of teens most need to know about tech. We’ll also hear from an actual, real-life teenager about what he wished his parents knew about what it’s like to be a teen right now.

The Roman philosopher Seneca once said, "To be everywhere is to be nowhere." This is one of the most insidious dangers of the digital age - the very same technology allows us to be everywhere actually leads us nowhere. So what are we to do? Since its earliest days, the Christian church has always been most effective and dynamic when standing in contrast to the cultural norms of the day - zigging when the world is zagging. And in the digital age, one of the most counter-cultural things followers of Jesus can do is to gather when the world scatters.

We live in a very weird time in human history.  Technology as an ever-present companion via our cell phones is a rather new experiment, but many people report feeling as though this phone is coming in between them and the most important people in their lives, or is somehow distracting them from being their best self or even, exerting more control over their lives than they’re comfortable with.  Does the Bible have anything to say about this? How can we move into a place of human flourishing? And how can we put boundaries around our phones so that it is always a tool, and never a Master.

In one of the most striking stories in all of Scripture, the prophet Elijah (easily one of the most important characters in the entire Bible) goes through a period of deep and profound discouragement and depression. He actually runs away from his city, into the wilderness, and hides in a cave. But though Elijah believed all was lost, and he was completely alone, this story of what God does - and how God gently responds to Elijah’s needs - reveals a deeply helpful truth. That even though all data points seem to point to a reality that we’re all alone, we’re not. God sees. God cares. And God acts. For our benefit, and for the world’s.

One of the most commonly documents ailments of the modern soul is loneliness, which could be defined as “the emotional state of being disconnected.” But if that’s the problem, then how do we get authentic connection? Using details from his own journey as an immigrant to New York City, and then a transplant to Boston and then later, the Bay Area, pastor David Kim shares how a search for connection led him down false (and destructive) roads. He’ll also share how story of God in Genesis 16 helped him understand and live in the healing reality that he is seen, heard and valued.

In 2018, the health care provider Cigna wanted to investigate the link between loneliness and health risks. This new research makes an argument that loneliness isn’t just sad, it’s actually killing us. This year, 45,000 Americans will take their lives, and more than 70,000 will die from drug overdoses. But it’s not just national statistics. The Bay Area is filled with people, who when polled, say things like, “Life is moving too fast” or “I have to work more hours than I would like” or “I struggle with home/work balance” or “I feel alone a lot of the time” or “I wish I spent more time with the people I love the most.” What does it mean for those of us living in the modern world when we start to feel deeply disconnected from ourselves, and from other people? In this message, lead pastor Steve Clifford searches for wisdom from the Bible and the teachings of Jesus, and offers meaningful, helpful steps that each of us can take toward authentic connections.

It’s Easter, the day that Christians celebrate the incredible, mind-bending story of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We might be a little familiar with this story now, but to We examine the story told in Luke 24 where Jesus appears to two men, walking away from Jerusalem, deeply discouraged because the one they had hoped would be the hero of the day, Jesus, has been cruelly killed by the Romans. Jesus shows up, and walks beside them, but they don’t recognize Him at first. So Jesus goes through a series of intentional (and even a bit odd) lengths to show the men it’s Him, and that Death has not won, and that History is about to be cracked open. And in this story we see a deep truth: we can miss Jesus if we don’t pay attention. And we see another deep truth echoed from the beginning pages of the Bible: God longs to walk with us, and break bread with us.

Lead pastor Steve Clifford examines the day after Good Friday, but before the Resurrection, when God seems to be silent and absent. We examine the idea that Jesus is working in the dark.