Sunwest Fc's Weekly Sermon Podcast

Look at any movie, book, or painting and you are bound to encounter the human need for connection with other human beings. We are wired for relationships (friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships). This can lead to the assumption that our deepest longings are realized only when we complete the puzzle by finding that missing piece. But is that person, really the missing piece? Join us for this series as we explore how our relationships can't complete us, and the damage that does when we assume they will.

In our world today we can have same-day delivery, fast food, instant entertainment, instant communication with whomever we want, and a search engine or chat GPT to give us answers to any of our questions. We have all been shaped by this culture of speed, and because we want it, we assume it's good. But how has this shaped our faith? How has this shaped our ability to process things in a healthy way? In a world that tells you that your opinions, preferences, and comfort are the most important thing, we have added an expectation of immediacy. This combo can provide the knockout punch to our spiritual formation...unless we learn to slow down and tend our heart.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have talked about Deconstruction, what it is, and why we get there. When Deconstruction is done well with the right motive it can be a source of tremendous growth in our lives. But how do we go about that “reconstruction” process? Join us this week and next as we look at how to reconstruct our faith well.

Over the last decade the word Deconstruction has been used, claimed, and tossed around quite a bit. It is a word that is intended to describe someone's journey away from faith. But did you know that questions and doubts are a part of faith not an enemy of faith? Perhaps it’s our understanding of faith that needs to be deconstructed. Deconstruction is a normative and healthy part of the faith journey. What if deconstruction wasn’t the destination but one stop on the journey of reconstruction and growth? Join us as we explore what it means to question your faith without losing it.

Over the last decade the word Deconstruction has been used, claimed, and tossed around quite a bit. It is a word that is intended to describe someone's journey away from faith. But did you know that questions and doubts are a part of faith not an enemy of faith? Perhaps it’s our understanding of faith that needs to be deconstructed. Deconstruction is a normative and healthy part of the faith journey. What if deconstruction wasn’t the destination but one stop on the journey of reconstruction and growth? Join us as we explore what it means to question your faith without losing it.

It’s the time of year we’ve all been waiting for. In fact, the word Advent means waiting. Beyond the cultural parts of this season that we all wait for, there is a universal longing in every human heart that awaits the presence of God, purpose, eternity, rescue, and deliverance. Christmas is the story of God’s response to every longing heart. Come celebrate with us.

A wishlist at Christmas can tell you a lot about the person who wrote it. It can tell you about their dreams, goals and aspirations. It can also tell a lot about someone when they don’t get what’s on their list. But maybe when we don’t get what we want we’ll be more open to considering what’s on God’s Wishlist.

2023-12-03 Wishlist - Part 1: Undeck The Halls, Pastor Dan Bergen by

Jonah is a story that has captured the imagination of children and adults alike throughout history. It’s the story of someone who ran from the call of God. It’s the story of a God who cared too much about a city to let that person run away from their call. The fact that Jonah wasn’t perfect didn’t stop God from using Jonah. We are Jonah.

Jonah is a story that has captured the imagination of children and adults alike throughout history. It’s the story of someone who ran from the call of God. It’s the story of a God who cared too much about a city to let that person run away from their call. The fact that Jonah wasn’t perfect didn’t stop God from using Jonah. We are Jonah.

Jonah is a story that has captured the imagination of children and adults alike throughout history. It’s the story of someone who ran from the call of God. It’s the story of a God who cared too much about a city to let that person run away from their call. The fact that Jonah wasn’t perfect didn’t stop God from using Jonah. We are Jonah.

Many of us use prayer as a last resort when life goes sideways or things don’t go according to plan. But Jesus taught a different posture. He taught that prayer is the first option. In fact, Jesus taught that we (that includes you!) could personally hear God’s voice and that this personal connection would be the source of living life in all its fullness. Join us this week as we conclude our Words To Live By series by ironically ending with the thing we should always do first.

When the first followers of Jesus chose to follow him they knew intuitively they were embracing a life of risk. When hardship and challenges came their way they weren't seen to back down, they chose to buckle down. They chose courage over comfort. Many today see Jesus as the key to a comfortable life. Let’s not confuse the peace that Jesus brings with worldly comfort. May we rediscover the call to risk.

There’s probably one thing that everyone in the world can agree on…there are a lot of problems in the world. But most people assume the “real” problem is out there. Consequently our hope for change often is out there somewhere too. But what if we take the Bible seriously and believe the real problem is in the human heart. If that’s true, then real transformation doesn’t start out there, it starts in me and it starts in you.

Have you ever been so excited about something that you weren’t able to keep it to yourself? Why is it that many Jesus followers say that Jesus is the most important thing in their life, yet they are very reluctant to even talk about him? Jesus was all about breaking barriers and encountering people that were far from him. When his followers "got it" they too began to believe they couldn’t keep Jesus and everything he had done to themselves. Are we willing to follow their lead and break barriers so that anyone can join us on the journey of following Jesus?

Sometimes maintenance is good. Staying on top of your dental cleanings, doctor check-ups, and oil changes is important. We do maintenance when we want something to stay the same as long as possible. But God doesn’t want everything to stay the same. God wants us to experience growth and transformation and for others to experience that too! Jesus invites us not to maintain but to multiply.

Jesus had some very strong words for some people. That’s not surprising. The surprising thing is that his strongest words were reserved for the religious community. They lacked an awareness of their own condition while they were quick to judge the condition of others. This prevented them from receiving the gift God had for them, and it prevented others from experiencing it too. Jesus invited everyone to come and experience transformation…everyone except, perfect people.

Words create. In the beginning God spoke creation into existence. Today when we speak we can bring things into existence. We can build up and tear down, and we can create cultures and environments through our words. The words we choose will shape us over time. Join us for this six week series as we look at the values of SunWest… the words that we have chosen to live by.

It’s a wonderful time of the year! The SunWest ministry year begins again. Invite your family and friends for a celebratory Kick-Off service, with a free hot dog bbq lunch and family activities provided after.

In a world of judgment and outrage, Jesus calls us to adopt a different posture—one that enlists us in his kingdom-come mission.