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You're 30 seconds into a conversation, and you can already see their eyes glazing over. Or worse, you're the one glazing. This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess gets honest about three ways we fake listen without meaning to, and what it actually looks like to hear someone well. If you've ever caught yourself mentally composing your response before the other person finished their sentence, this one will sting a little (in a good way).

Discover:

• The three most common listening traps: distraction, self-focused listening, and listening with an agenda to fix
• Why sharing a similar story back often feels like a competition instead of a connection
• What Proverbs 18:13 says about answering before you've actually heard someone
• A three-layer listening method: what happened, what it meant to them, what it touched in them
• How to offer support without turning someone into a project

Presence is the first thing someone notices before a single word is spoken. And in a world full of scrolling, multitasking, and mental noise, the simple act of looking someone in the eye and actually hearing them might be the most radical thing you can do this week.

Key Takeaways:

• Your presence is the number one gift you can offer someone
• Stay curious, not competitive. Ask follow-up questions instead of sharing a follow-up story.
• Listening to fix someone isn't love. Holding space for them is.
• Ask permission before jumping in with solutions
• Real listening builds the kind of trust where people feel safe enough to be fully known

Question for you to think about:

When is the last time you asked a follow-up question instead of sharing a follow-up story?

If this made you rethink how you show up in conversations, share it with someone who needs it. Drop a comment and tell us which listening trap you're working on. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.

Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community Church

Framework: BLESS (Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, Share)

Scripture referenced: Proverbs 18:13

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#MidweekMotivation #Listening #BLESS #WestsideCommunityChurch #WildWorkOfGod #Communication #Relationships #ChristianLiving #Presence #ListenWell

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Join us as Gabe Kolstad shares a message on How to Help When You Don't Know How.

#helpingwhenuncertain #wildworkofgod #godswork #Jesus #fullservice #fullchurchservice #christian #sermon #worship #westside #church #2026sermon #churchonline #gabekolstad

Westside is a place made up of real people from all walks of life. We are a “come as you are” church that strives to be a safe place for people to investigate faith. No matter your story, questions, doubts or struggles, we’re glad you’re here today.

LINKS & RESOURCES:
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What if trying harder to share your faith is actually getting in the way? This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess unpacks the first step in the BLESS framework: Begin with Prayer. But this isn't a lecture about praying more. It's about why surrendering control is the thing that actually opens doors, changes your heart, and takes the weight off your shoulders. If you've ever felt the pressure to be someone you're not in order to share Jesus with people, this one is for you

Discover:

• Why Jesus began every major moment of His ministry with prayer, and what that means for us
• How prayer shifts the responsibility for life change from you to God
• The practical habit of pausing in prayer and following through when God puts someone on your mind
• What it looks like to pray for open hearts, opportunities, boldness, and alignment with God
• Why your weakness might be the most important thing you bring to the table

You don't have to be the most persuasive person in the room. You don't have to have all the answers. When you begin with prayer, you're handing the results to the one who actually changes people. And that, as Jess puts it, sure does take a load off.

Key Takeaways:

• Prayer is the non-negotiable starting point for sharing your faith
• Surrender comes before strategy
• God uses your weakness to show His strength
• Praying for someone often opens doors you never would have knocked on yourself
• You're not responsible for the outcome. You're responsible for showing up.

Question for you to think about:

What if you paused right now and asked God to put one person on your mind, then followed through with a simple text?

If this encouraged you, send it to someone who's been feeling the pressure to "do more." Drop a comment and let us know how prayer has opened doors in your life. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.

Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community Church

Framework: BLESS (Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, Share)

Tool: Download the Westside app to use the BLESS tool 

• IOS: Download on the App Store
  • Android: Download on Google Play

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#MidweekMotivation #Prayer #BLESS #WestsideCommunityChurch #WildWorkOfGod #ShareYourFaith #HolySpirit #ChristianLiving #BeginWithPrayer

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Welcome to Westside! Engage in the chat and Follow along with message notes at https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/notes-resources

Join us as Gabe Kolstad brings us a message about being in the Middle of a Move of God.

#ingodsmove #wildworkofgod #godswork #Jesus #fullservice #fullchurchservice #christian #sermon #worship #westside #church #2026sermon #churchonline #gabekolstad

Westside is a place made up of real people from all walks of life. We are a “come as you are” church that strives to be a safe place for people to investigate faith. No matter your story, questions, doubts or struggles, we’re glad you’re here today.

LINKS & RESOURCES:
SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommu...
To support this ministry and help us o reach people all around the world click here: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.c...

STAY CONNECTED:
Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx/

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What if everything you thought about evangelism is actually getting in the way? This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess and Pastor Gabe have an honest conversation about the baggage Christians carry around sharing their faith, why the "spiritual salesperson" approach backfires, and a simple five-step framework called BLESS that changes the whole game. Gabe confesses how he started out blitzing his neighborhood with church invites and what happened when he stopped.


Discover:

• Why most Christians feel like they have to become a different person to share their faith
• he BLESS framework: Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat together, Serve, Share your story
• How Gabe's 20-year neighborhood journey went from door-to-door invites to an organic prayer circle
• Why trust is the only currency that matters for the gospel in Portland
• How to use the free BLESS tool right from the Westside app
• The difference between a transactional approach and a relational lifestyle

The best part? None of this requires you to be someone you're not. You don't need a megaphone. You don't need all the answers. You just need to be willing to listen, show up, and share your own story when the time comes. This is the Jesus way, and it's been working for 2,000 years.



Key Takeaways:

• Evangelism starts with prayer and listening, not talking
• Trust is built through presence, not invitations
• You don't need to know all the Bible answers to share your story
• Serving someone's real needs opens doors that arguments never will
• This is a lifestyle, not a program or a tactic with an end date

Question for you to think about:

What would it look like to invest in one neighbor this week with zero agenda other than actually knowing them?

If this reframed how you think about sharing your faith, pass it along to someone who needs to hear it. Drop a comment with your story. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.


Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community Church

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Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/give


Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com

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#MidweekMotivation #BLESS #Evangelism #WestsideCommunityChurch #ShareYourFaith #WildWorkOfGod #ChristianLiving #Community #Trust #Portland

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Join us as Gabe Kolstad brings us a message about how God Isn’t Finished With You Yet. 

#godsnotdone #yourenotdone #godswork #Jesus #fullservice #fullchurchservice #christian #sermon #worship #westside #church #2026sermon #churchonline #gabekolstad

Westside is a place made up of real people from all walks of life. We are a “come as you are” church that strives to be a safe place for people to investigate faith. No matter your story, questions, doubts or struggles, we’re glad you’re here today.

LINKS & RESOURCES:
SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommu...
To support this ministry and help us o reach people all around the world click here: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.c...

STAY CONNECTED:
Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurch/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx/

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What if the cure for your anxiety, your loneliness, or that loop of negative thoughts isn't more self-care, but stepping outside of yourself entirely? This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess sits down with Nancy, a psychologist and coach, to unpack what the research actually says about what happens in your brain when you serve others. Turns out, the science lines up perfectly with what God designed us for all along.

Discover:

• Why self-focus mirrors what psychologists call "mental rumination" (a nice way of saying obsessing)
• How compassionate acts activate your brain's reward centers and create a reinforcing loop
• The difference between "fluctuating happiness" and "authentic, durable happiness"
• Why self-transcendence is negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts
• How to get your kids outside of themselves and shift their perspective for years to come
• The spectrum from codependency to extreme independence, and where healthy interdependence lives
• A practical local resource for one-off volunteer opportunities (no long-term commitment required)

We live in a culture that says "you do you." But the research, and scripture, both point to something deeper: we were made to be intertwined. Like Redwood trees whose roots hold each other up through every storm, our wellbeing is connected to how we show up for the people around us.

Key Takeaways:

• Serving others releases dopamine and serotonin, creating a reinforcing loop in your brain's reward centers
• Self-transcendence is protective against depression, anxiety, and obsessive thinking
• You don't need grand gestures. Holding a door or sharing a lunch counts.
• Modeling altruism for your kids can shift their worldview for decades
• Take care of yourself AND others. Interdependence, not codependence.

Question for you to think about:

What's one small thing you could do this week to step outside of your own head and into someone else's day?

If this reframed something for you, share it with a friend who's been stuck in their own head lately. Drop a comment and let us know how you're putting this into practice. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.

Scriptures referenced: The Greatest Commandment (love God, love others as yourself)

Series tie-in: Serving series at Westside Community Church

Local resource: Hands On Portland: handsonportland.org

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Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/give

Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com

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#MidweekMotivation #MentalHealth #ServingOthers #WestsideCommunityChurch #Anxiety #Psychology #ChristianFaith #DurableHappiness #Community #BrainScience

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What happens when a man who was homeless and planning to end his life gets stopped by a stranger at a bus stop? This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess sits down with Ben and Monica Morrow, a married couple at Westside who carry two very different stories of pain, transformation, and the kind of change that only God can produce. If you've ever wondered whether people can actually change, this conversation might convince you.

Discover:

• How a stranger's prayer at a bus stop became the turning point in Ben's life
• Why it took 10 years after that moment for Ben to call himself a Christian
• Monica's journey of searching for healing in all the wrong places before finding God
• What Men's Alliance and Women's Alliance at Westside have done for their growth
• Why they believe change isn't a destination but a daily, active choice

Transformation isn't instant, and it's rarely clean. Ben and Monica are honest about that. But what God has built in them, in their marriage, in their family, and in their daily choices is evidence that real change doesn't require you to have it all together first. Sometimes it starts with one prayer you didn't expect.

Key Takeaways:

• Change is inevitable. The question is what direction you'll change in.
• God doesn't waste your pain. He makes purpose out of it.
• Community accelerates transformation. You weren't meant to do this alone.
• You don't have to fix yourself before God can start working.
• Saying yes once can set an entire life on a different trajectory.

Question for you to think about:

What if the change you've given up on is closer than you think, and the only thing standing between you and it is one decision to lean in?

If this encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it this week. Drop a comment with your story. And make sure you subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.

SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1

Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/give

Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx

Send us Fan Mail

Follow along with message notes at https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/notes-resources

Join us as Gabe Kolstad brings us a message about our Lord who heals. 

#peace #godcanyouhelpme #thegodwhoseesme #Jesus #fullservice #fullchurchservice #christian #sermon #worship #westside #church #2026sermon #churchonline #gabekolstad

Westside is a place made up of real people from all walks of life. We are a “come as you are” church that strives to be a safe place for people to investigate faith. No matter your story, questions, doubts or struggles, we’re glad you’re here today.

LINKS & RESOURCES:
SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommu...
To support this ministry and help us o reach people all around the world click here: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.c...

STAY CONNECTED:
Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurch/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx/

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What do you do when "past performance predicts future performance" starts to feel like a life sentence? This week, Gabe Kolstad unpacks the one shift that can take you from hopelessness to hope, even when your external circumstances haven't changed. He shares a real story from Westside of a man who walked in devastated and was visibly transformed just weeks later, then walks through 2 Corinthians 4 to reveal what might be happening behind the scenes of your struggle.

Discover:

• Why the business rule "past performance predicts future performance" is the wrong lens for your life
• The difference between your external scoreboard and your internal one
• What Paul meant when he said our light and momentary troubles are achieving eternal glory
• How to fix your eyes on what's unseen when the visible feels overwhelming
• A practical mindset shift you can make today

Sometimes the worst seasons produce the strongest internal growth. If your life doesn't look like a win right now, this episode might reframe everything. The scoreboard you've been reading might not be the one that actually counts.

Key Takeaways:

• You are not your own source of hope
• External loss does not mean internal loss
• What you can't see might be more real than what you can
• Hope is expectation, and expectation can be redirected
• God works in, through, and behind the hard stuff

Question for you to think about:

What if you stopped keeping score by what's visible and started paying attention to what God is building inside of you?

If this hit home, share it with someone who needs it this week. Drop a comment and tell us how you're processing this. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.

Scriptures referenced: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, Psalm 121, Jeremiah 29:11

Series: Hope and Future at Westside Community Church

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Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com

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