Sermon
The Gift of Gratitude - Philippians 4:4-6
November 23, 2025
With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
The Gift of Gratitude
Philippians 4:4-7
Thankfulness isn’t usually our first instinct when life is hard—jobs are lost, loved ones die, times are tough—and even Scripture shows Jesus weeping, the Psalmist asking hard questions, and Paul writing from prison. Yet Paul urges us to bring our requests to God “with thanksgiving,” not because thankfulness ignores pain, but because it helps us see that God is with us even in the dark valley. Gratitude is a vital spiritual discipline that opens our eyes, costs us our fixation on what we want, and helps us appreciate what we have—even hot dogs or peanut butter when we want steak. Thankfulness is an act of faith; it doesn’t remove our troubles, but it takes away much of their power as we remember God’s presence, provision, and what we can do and give, not just what we’re missing.
Essential Oneness
November 16, 2025
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Essential Oneness
Ephesians 4:1-6
We are called not only into a restored relationship with God but also with another, grounded in unity in love and peace. The repeated “one”—one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and our one God—shows that the oneness of God leads to the unity of God’s people. Church is not something you attend but something you are part of, a community rather than an audience.
Race to the Bottom
November 9, 2025
Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.
Race to the Bottom
Ephesians 4:1-6
In a world that celebrates strength and self-promotion, humility, gentleness, and patience can seem out of place. Yet these are the very qualities that defined the life of Jesus. Ephesians 4:1-6 calls us to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” Scripture reminds us that “love is patient and kind,” and we are called to reflect Christ’s enduring love, especially when life is hard or others fail us.
Those Who Led the Way
November 2, 2025
A faith that lived first in your grandmother and your mother, and now, I am sure, lives in you.
Those Who Led the Way
2 Timothy 1:3-7
"I'd rather see a sermon than hear a sermon," is the powerful claim of an old saying. Many people played a role in demonstrating God's love and revealing Jesus to us, not just in what they said, but in what they did and who they were.
The Apostle Paul speaks about the impact of Timothy's grandmother and mother's lives and faith shaping Timothy's.
This Sunday, we will remember and give thanks to those people whose lives touched and shaped ours.
"Corrective Lens" Rev. Bill Westlund Preaching
October 12, 2025
"Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
Whose Will are We Doing?
Daniel 4:19-27
Rev. Bill Westlund
Whose Will are We Doing? Rev. Bill Westlund Preaching
October 5, 2025
“This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”
Whose Will are We Doing?
John 6:27-40
Rev. Bill Westlund
Sharing Our Story
September 28, 2025
“Go home to your own people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.”
There are times in life when our experience of God's presence in our lives and seeking God's will are particularly important. College is one of them. Theta Alpha is the only Christian women's sorority on the campus of the University of Central Florida. For many years, our facilities have been part of the lives and faith of many young Christian women. Many have told me that the faith of their college years has been inseparable from Theta Alpha and the generosity of our sharing space with them.
This Sunday, they will lead us in songs of worship, share with us about the ministry of Theta Alpha, and speak about scripture that God has used in their lives and faith.
The Gospel in Music Sunday Service
September 21, 2025
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Rather than a "sermon," God's Word in today's service is in song and scripture, not just the spoken word. A lot of music preceded the pastor's speaking, and more followed it.
Music powerfully connects our physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Whether it is music we hear that touches our hearts or the music we make that expresses our inner self in ways exceeding the limitations of spoken words.
This Sunday, we will join in singing many traditional Gospel songs that tell the Good News of God's great glory and love in Jesus.
Overflowing Love
September 14, 2025
Ephesians 3:14-21
The love of Christ that surpasses understanding.
Painters, poets, theologians, and hymn writers have all tried to capture something of God, yet God cannot be measured with any tool or boundary. And yet, we often attempt to confine God by limiting his place in our lives—attending church on Sunday but forgetting prayer on Monday, seeking forgiveness without changing our ways, praising God in worship but failing to share his love, or thanking God for blessings while withholding them from others. When our view of God is too small, we feel helpless instead of hopeful, alone when God is with us, and overwhelmed by our brokenness when God is reaching out. That is why the Apostle prays that we might receive the power to comprehend the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, and live beyond measure lives—lives marked by loving enemies, being born again, valuing what God values, and forgiving without limit. Though these things may seem foolish to the world, they reveal a love and power far beyond our own.
Life-Changing Treasure
September 7, 2025
Ephesians 3:7-13
I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power.
Out of love and grace, God offers us far more and far better than we would ever imagine.
The good news is that God looks far beyond our narrow and short-sighted wishes and desires. He calls us into his love and purposes, which are of far greater value than the things we once pursued. So much so that when or if we draw close enough to God to get a peek, everything else pales in comparison.
