Woodside Bible Church Farmington Hills

Have you ever felt trapped in a situation? You feel like you are so far gone, or the circumstances are irredeemable. While in those moments of desperation or possibly years of trials, how often do we try to just solve all our problems on our own? We try to muster up all our strength, just to feel exhausted and back at the bottom. And possibly, how often do we even acknowledge our need to be saved? It shows a weakness which is not popular in our culture today. However, it is only through salvation that we truly can find freedom! We continue our Christmas series, Fulfilled: His Promise Kept, Our Longing Met, where we will discover how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to us. In scripture, Matthew takes great care to help us see how Jesus’ birth fulfilled the promises of God by bringing deliverance to God’s people back then and today. In Jesus, God offers you escape from exile and restoration back into his family. In Jesus, God is calling you back home. Will you receive the invitation? Listen to the third message in our series, A New Exodus, and find security in knowing that through Jesus, God offers deliverance!

What’s the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Was it an Xbox, a vacation, or a red rider BB gun like in The Christmas Story? When I think back on the greatest Christmas gifts I’ve received, what made them great was not what they were or how much they cost but who they were connected to or came from. What made them great was the person I received them from rather than the possession itself. Relationship changed everything! We continue our Christmas series, Fulfilled: His Promise Kept. Our Longing Met., where we will discover how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to us. As we look at our section of the Christmas story today, we find a similar reality, examining Jesus’s birth when the Wisemen come to find Jesus born in Bethlehem. Listen to our first message in our series, A King from Bethlehem?, and recognize that in Jesus, the least can become the greatest!

Everywhere we turn, it seems someone or something is promising to finally give us the satisfaction, happiness, and peace we long for. Yet from advertisements to political campaigns, these promises – and the empty places within us – remain unfilled. Throughout His Word, God makes promises, too – the kind that connect with our deepest needs, longings, and desires. But in today’s day and age we can’t help but wonder, will He actually keep them? Today we begin our Christmas series, Fulfilled: His Promise Kept, Our Longing Met, where we will discover how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to us. Together, we look through the book of Matthew’s narrative and see that he has given us an account of how Jesus has fulfilled the signs of Isaiah’s prophecy. Listen to our first message in our series, A Surprise Arrival, and see how in Jesus, God comes to be with us!

How often do we do a double check before we leave the house, go on vacation, or during prep, saying “Do I have everything I need?” We want to make sure nothing is missing, and we are good to go! The question is worth asking about our lives, especially in regard to our spiritual pursuits. Do we have everything we need to flourish and to overcome in this world? We conclude our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” His concluding message to his disciples is aimed and driving home in their hearts and lives that they have everything they need because of what he has done. Jesus wants us not just to intellectually affirm the truth, he wants us to believe and experience it in every area of his life. As we conclude, we’re going to see how he equips and prepares us to walk with courage because we have everything we need. Listen with us in our newest message, Walking in the Way, and rejoice that Jesus’ victory provides us everything we need to follow him.

It seems to be a common theme in life to find “happiness”. We see it on bumper stickers, motivational decor, and even on t-shirts! Even in our country’s Declaration of Independence, it says we have the “unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” We want to be happy. We want to pursue the things that will ultimately make us happy. But how often do we try to find happiness in fleeting “things” of this world? While happiness can fade, we find that joy is steadfast! In light of all these conversations, we ask, where does the path towards true joy take us? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” In our passage, Jesus speaks of a joy that cannot be taken away, that will meet our heart’s desire and beyond. Jesus makes this audacious and bold claim that the object of pursuit for every human ever is Him! Listen with us in our newest message, Making a Way to Eternal Joy, and unravel the way of Jesus leads to fullness of joy!

One of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith actually revolves around one of the persons of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit. Questions arise like, is it a force or maybe like the force? Is the Holy Spirit an “it” or the Holy Spirit a “he?” Even beyond “what the Holy Spirit is,” or the better question, “who the Holy Spirit is?” What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the world and our lives? Part of what adds to the questions surrounding the Holy Spirit is that different Christian traditions place different emphases on the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. So, how do we answer these questions? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” As we examine today’s text, Jesus brings his most straightforward teaching on the role of the Holy Spirit for the way ahead. Listen with us in our newest message, The Way of the Spirit, and learn how the ministry of the Holy Spirit spotlights the Son!

Have you ever felt unprepared in a situation? Maybe you didn’t realize that would happen or possibly someone else didn’t prepare you correctly for what was to come! Some have felt this way about becoming a Christian! Maybe you didn’t realize when you signed up that spiritual victory comes through carrying your own cross. Is it worth it? We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” As we examine today’s text, hours before Jesus is to be crucified at Calvary, he wanted his disciples to know what to expect from the world and how he would help them through all the hostility they would face. Listen with us in our newest message, Haters and the Helper, and see how knowing our opposition and our support helps disciples stay on the way.

So, what is the foundation for all who profess faith in Christ? What is the source of living a life that reflects the things Jesus teaches? While this may seem a bit too simple, too religious, too churchy, the answer remains - Jesus Himself! We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” As we examine today’s text, we’ll find two significant ways that Jesus shapes our life in community with other believers, by defining our definition of love and redefining the nature of our relationships. Listen with us in our newest message, The Way of Love, and see how walking in the way of love looks far different than we imagine.

Have you ever noticed that in the Bible fruit is frequently used in parables, stories, or symbolism? Fruit and farming were common things among the people of Bible, so it was an easy topic to relate to in a message. While scripture was written to the people of those days, it was also written for us! So, it is important for us to understand just exactly what Christ means when posed with the question; “How do we produce fruitful lives?” We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” In these particular verses in John, we see several key aspects of what discipleship of Jesus looks like. Listen to our newest message of the series, Abiding in the Way, and recognize how disciples of Jesus produce fruitful lives!

In both Christian and non-Christian settings, Jesus is a more well-known name! People know about Jesus and the stories about him. Similarly, God is also known throughout the world. But there’s one person of the Trinity that seems to be more of a mystery: the Holy Spirit! Even many within the church don’t fully understand who and what the Holy Spirit really does! We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his last hours and teaching with his disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” Through diving into scripture, we unpack the question, what active role does the Holy Spirit have in your everyday life as a believer? When you think about your days, is the Holy Spirit an active participant in your day-to-day life? Listen to our newest message of the series, A Helper for the Way, and find comfort that Jesus Sends the Spirit to Help us on the Way!