Advertise on podcast: West Church Peabody Podcast

This Sunday we continue in Acts 10:1-23. This passage is about God’s determination to help his church know that He definitely intends for the good news to go to the nations, the Gentiles. He makes it so clear to Peter and Cornelius. In doing so, God breaks down so many lesser barriers that we use to judge and separate us from one another. Even Peter struggled to understand this and needed God’s help. And what we find is that God does this through us through the simple means of sharing together at a meal. Come prepared to be challenged.

As we look at Acts 9:23-43, there is a summary statement in verse 31 that highlights the way in which the church at the time was strong in the Lord. Pastor Bill will highlight the four ways listed: God is raising leaders, God is calling people to faith, there is a Holy Spirit culture and God is doing amazing things through his people. These are not the only ways that God strengthens the church, but they are meaningful and important ways for us to recognize God’s hand at work. Please pray that God would strengthen us like this as the body of Christ and the family of God.

This Sunday will be our second in the new Summer series “Advance” on Acts 8-15. We will look at the story of the conversion of Saul, who became known as the Apostle Paul (9:. What struck me as I read this story again was the before and after. Who was Saul? Who did he become after that? Jesus rescues us from who we were and transforms us by his life into someone new. And yet we are the same person, just better, because of grace and mercy.

This week we will begin a new Summer series entitled “Advance! The Good News is Going Out.” This will be a verse by verse study of Acts 8-15. I taught Acts 1-8 back in 2020 and we are continuing where we left off. We will see how the gospel continues to advance to the the nations ( the gentiles) through the service of Philip, Peter. Barnabas and Paul. This week we will look at the strange and wonderful story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. If you are like me, perhaps you find some of the stories of how God used people to spread the good news a little intimidating. Where did the early believers get the confidence and the boldness to do what they did? How did they find people to talk with? As we look a little closer, we will see that their actions were actually made of a gradual process of ordinary actions that any Jesus follower can make.

This Sunday we will be highlighting 3 reasons why the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to worship God as a way of Life. Hebrews 13:15 states "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." The 3 reasons given to us in the passage are found in verses 9-14. 1. We approach God now by Grace not merit 2. We have a better place to meet with God; the Throne of Grace in Heaven 3. We have a better destination; New Heaven and New Earth

This Sunday is the fourth installment in our series, The Church at Worship. This week we’re aiming high, really high, as high as heaven. In Hebrews 1218-29, the writer says, “You have not come to Mt. Sinai. You have come to Mt. Zion. So don’t hang up on God. Worship Him. You’re gonna make it.” Pastor Bill will hang his thoughts on two headings: 1) You now have the best. 2) Appreciate it. He hopes to illustrate for you how to visit Mt. Zion.

As we continue our series “the Church at Worship,” we will be looking at the passages where Paul says we should “sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” We will see that singing for Christians is something that we are to “put on.” Singing is a replacement behavior for something else we are supposed to “put off.” Singing helps us to be different in our Christian life. Singing is a gift that God has given us that engages our whole person: body, mind and spirit. When we sing praise to God, God changes us. He changes us from who we were, our old habits, attitudes and ways of thinking, to new people who think like and act like Jesus. That’s an amazing reason to sing, so we can be transformed.

This Sunday, we will be looking at John 4:1-30 where Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, “…the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” Whatever Jesus was saying about worship means that he was doing something different and new. What we will find is that Christian worship is in a new Spirit and we worship in a new truth. Christian worship is different from Samaritan worship and it is even different from Israelite worship because we have a new Savior, a new Messiah.

This Sunday we will look at Psalm 100. The big ideas here will be: 1) Who God is, 2) Shapes How We Worship Him. Psalm 100 makes two fundamental claims about God: 1) The LORD is God and 2) The LORD is good. The Psalm gives us a variety of ways in which we are to come to him based upon who he is: a joyful noise, gladness, thankfulness, praise and blessing. How are we to worship knowing that Yahweh is God and Yahweh is good? Surely our praise should be god-sized and good-sized. We’ll think about that.

This Sunday, Resurrection Sunday! We will be looking at the third scene in Luke 24:26-53. What struck me was how needy, doubting and weak Jesus first followers were and how patient, encouraging and promising Jesus was with them in their condition. I see a lot of myself in them. He really speaks to our need, in at least four ways: 1) He comforts us because he is a real person, 2) He explains “why” to us, 3) He lets us know what’s next, 4) He gives us more and more of God. The risen Jesus really is an amazing Savior.

This Sunday will be the second in our series: “He’s Alive.” We will look at the next scene in Luke 24:13-35, the road to Emmaus. Here we will see: 1) If Jesus had just died we have no hope, 2) If Jesus was raised we have joy filled purpose. It’s a puzzling surprising story of how the resurrection of Jesus changes everything in our lives.