WestGate Church Teaching

PARTY CRASHER | Paradigm for Politics, Pt I - Worship, Love Neighbor, Image of God, Wisdom, Justice, Speech| November 3, 2024 Nov 03, 2024

Paradigm for Politics, Pt I - Worship, Love Neighbor, Image of God, Wisdom, Justice, Speech It’s pretty common, in our charged political environment, to see people using strong, harsh and even demeaning language toward those they disagree with politically. But what gets lost in the vitriol and name-calling is that the very things we fear at a broad, societal level - collapse, violence, destruction - is actually rooted in the posture we choose to take toward one another (and toward those on the other side of the political aisle) in the person, intimate level. It begins with the choice between dishonoring or dignifying those with whom we disagree, between loathing our enemies or loving our enemies. And the Bible is clear - if you claim to love God, and hate your brother or your sister, you’re lying and kidding yourself. Enter, the invitation of Jesus, to extend undeserved love to others just as you have been extended undeserved love by God Himself. And in doing so, we bring about a very different sort of Kingdom: the Kingdom of God Himself. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): 1 John 4:19-21 NIV

THE AFTERWORD: The Party Crasher: How Jesus Can Disrupt Politics as Usual Oct 27, 2024

Description: It’s a pretty contentious political environment out there, often times with people shouting past each other. Sometimes, it seems that politics has become like a new religion. Jay and David dive into the ideas of Joshua Ryan Butler’s book The Party Crasher. They explore the the four distinct political ideologies at play in our culture, and how understanding them can help us not only understand our own political leanings, but empathize and connect with others in different sectors. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

PARTY CRASHER: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems our Partisan Divides | Pledge Allegiance to the King | October 27, 2024 Oct 27, 2024

PARTY CRASHER: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems our Partisan Divides | Pledge Allegiance to the King | October 27, 2024 In our current cultural moment, with a national election looming, the political divide feels as wide as it's ever been. Various political tribes present various visions of what will ultimately lead to society-wide flourishing. But Jesus is the ultimate Party Crasher, both affirming and confronting the various visions and inviting us to embrace a bold new vision of His Kingdom. In this series, we learn to live well in our polarized political world, in a way that can bring peace for the exhausted, courage for the anxious, comfort for the weary, and hope for all of us. For followers of Jesus, the fulfillment of hope and the path to true flourishing is found always and only when we pledge our allegiance to Christ alone. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills)

BEAUTIFUL DAY 2024 | Celebration Service | October 20, 2024 Oct 20, 2024

This past weekend, more than 1700 folks volunteered at 16 different high-impact service projects across the county at something we call Beautiful Day. And it really was beautiful to see people serving their communities. But. All this activism without a meaningful connection to God can lead us awry - just as prayer without “movement” (real, sacrificial action) can be empty, too. The real work isn’t done on a weekend, but in the faithful persistence to keep serving and giving and loving. The Bible teaches us that this work, though it may seem so, so slow, is the way God works and the Kingdom grows. SPEAKERS: Finny Abraham + Jay Kim (Saratoga), Finny + DAT + Archie Jackson (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Acts 3:4 NIV SPEAKERS: David Tieche (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 16:21-27 NIV

THE AFTERWORD: How to Combat Compassion Fatigue and Cynicism in a World (that seems to be) on Fire Oct 20, 2024

Oftentimes, in the church, there is a weird divide between folks who are contemplative and folks who are more activist. Join host David Tieche as he chats with Finny Abraham and Lily Weirich from our local compassion team about the role that prayer has in activism. Finny and Lily share stories and insights from what they’re learned leading Beautiful Day, and warning signs that pop up when someone is moving into activism without prayer. Finny and Lily also talk candidly about compassion fatigue and cynicism that can creep in, and what they have found as the antidote. Speakers: David Tieche + Finny Abraham + Lily Weirich

THE AFTERWORD: THE GREAT GIVEAWAY | True Influence in an Age of Influencers | October 07, 2024 (Copy) Oct 07, 2024

We live in a world where people strive to be "influencers" - but (perhaps) that word doesn't mean what we think it means. David sits down with Ruth Beteivaz and Natalia Dahlgren to talk about two "influencers" - two people who made a giant, formative impact on their lives but who aren't famous at all. We talk about what real influence is, what it does in us, and some practical ways that you and I can help make a big kingdom impact with our lives. Speakers: David Tieche + Ruth Beteivaz + Natalia Dahlgren

THE GREAT GIVEAWAY: The (Not So) Secret Way to a Life Worth Living-Lose Your Life to Find Your Life Oct 07, 2024

In one of the most provocative (and difficult) sayings of Jesus, He invites people to “deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow me.” One of the least appealing recruitment statements ever. And yet, despite what our culture or our world screams, the way to life is not to affirm myself, assert my wants and serve my own interests - it’s to do the exact opposite (which is what Jesus says to do). And in doing so, we find that though this path will cost us, it is always, always worth it. SPEAKERS: David Tieche (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 16:21-27 NIV

THE AFTERWORD: THE GREAT GIVEAWAY | Generosity Inside My DNA | September 29, 2024 Sep 29, 2024

Hey kids! Today, we’re going to talk about the intersection of religion and money! What could possibly go wrong! Jay and Dave talk about ways that Christian leaders have talked about money that’s destructive, and some better ways to discuss this sensitive but important topic. We also dive into some of the research that seems to demonstrate that Jesus was right when he said that “it’s more blessed to give than to receive.” We also examine some of Jesus’ words about generosity and how His (counterintuitive) teachings help us reexamine our lives. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE GREAT GIVEAWAY | Generosity Inside My DNA | September 29, 2024 Sep 29, 2024

THE GREAT GIVEAWAY | Generosity Inside My DNA | September 29, 2024 The story many of us believe is that the good life is found in getting *as much* as you can as *quickly* as possible. But this story is wrong. Jesus famously said the opposite - "it is more blessed to *give* than to *receive*" (Acts 20:35). In fact, Jesus claims that we’re made with a latent generosity within us because we are made in the Image of a generous God. We’ll look at how we’re actually hard-wired to give our lives away, and how that's the (not so) secret way to a truly meaningful life. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 6:19-23 NIV

THE AFTERWORD: Loving (Difficult) People Sep 24, 2024

Most people fall into one of two categories. When conflict - or just difficult interpersonal things - inevitably happen, they either “cut people off” or they “care too, too much.” South Hills congregation pastor Archie Jackson stops by to talk about how Jesus challenges both sets of people when it comes to dealing with people who are difficult to love. We chat about Jesus’ command to love one another, why the Church is more like the Muppets than we’d like to admit, and why it’s so draining to try to connect to some people. Speakers: David Tieche + Archie Jackson

RENEWAL IN THE (SILICON) VALLEY | A Renewed City, Church and World | September 22, 2024 Sep 22, 2024

In Luke 13, Jesus prays for His disciples, that they would love one another well. Jesus even says that people will know they are Jesus’ disciples by the way they live one another. But wow - this is not always easy. There are some people in our lives who are a real challenge to love. We dive into ways to love difficult people, realizing that often, it’s not even about them, but about how we respond. Because being patient, kind and forgiving is the way that Jesus treated us, and extending that love that God gave to us to other people is the way of Jesus. SPEAKERS: Archie Jackson (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Colossians 3:12-14

RENEWAL IN THE (SILICON) VALLEY | Renewed by Love in an Age of Fear | September 15, 2024 Sep 15, 2024

How much do you worry? Are you pretty unfazed by life, or do you trend toward anxiety? Is worry a sometimes annoyance, or a constant companion? Jesus talks about worry plainly in the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus’ message is pretty simple: knowing and experiencing the love of God drives out fear. In this way, fear is like a dashboard warning light, driving us to God to deal with the underlying concerns and worries we have about being left out, not having enough, or not being enough. And by bringing our fears to God, and being honest about them before Him, we find that God is inviting us to trust in His provision and presence. And like a candle drives out darkness, God’s presence can drive out fear and we can experience…peace. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 6:25-30 NIV, 1 John 4:13-19 NIV

THE AFTERWORD: A Panel Discussion on the Communal Rule of Life | September 8, 2024 Sep 08, 2024

We all want (or want to want) renewal from God in our life. And we know it’s something only God can do in us. But that this work is not passive, and that we have a role to be intentional. This past weekend, our staff outlined seven (7!) spiritual practices forming a “wheel of formation” or a communal rule of life that act like a trellis helps a vine grow. Dave and his three (3!) guests talk through each of the seven spiritual practices and their location in the life of the early church. And then in a candid discussion, we explain how the seven (Commit, Gather, Grow, Connect, Serve, Give, Invite) have shaped us personally and helped us become more like Jesus. Speakers: David Tieche + Archie Jackson + Ruth Beteivaz + David Kim

RENEWAL IN THE (SILICON) VALLEY | Communal Rule of Life | September 8, 2024 Sep 08, 2024

In the Book of Acts, as the early Church is being launched and birthed, two things are clear. One, it’s the work of the Spirit of God that’s creating and formed and shaping this group of early Christians. And two - this group is doing everything they can to participate with God’s Spirit in this work. Renewal and transformation is a work done by God alone, but it’s not a passive thing and it requires intentionality. In this panel discussion, WestGate’s pastors discuss some core things the early Church teaches us that mark committed effort toward collective formation into Christlikeness. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): John 15:4-5, Acts 2:41-47

THE AFTERWORD: Renewal in the (Silicon) Valley - Week 1 Sep 01, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION: This Fall, we're talking about renewal, which simply means being realigned with God's presence. Jay stops by to talk about why this message is so personal for him. How is renewal different/distinct from revival? Are there aspects of it that we can control? And I ask Jay how does the vision from an ancient prophet named Ezekiel of a dry valley filled with dead bones relate to Silicon Valley? Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

RENEWAL IN THE (SILICON) VALLEY :: Breathing into the Valley of Dry Bones :: Sept 1, 2024 Sep 01, 2024

In the Book of Ezekiel, God takes the prophet Ezekiel into a valley filled with dry, dusty bones of things that have been dead for a long time, and then asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel stammers back, “Only you know, Sovereign Lord.” Which is the correct answer. Sure, God *can* do anything He wants, but will He? Will He bring bones back to life? Only God knows. This story rings true, even for us today in our own valley. Everyone knows that the Bay Area is one of the most irreligious and unchurched areas not only in the United States, but the world. And it can seem rather hopeless at times. And in a valley filled with wealth, but in short supply of hope, filled with innovation, but in such short supply of wisdom and righteousness, can God bring even this valley back to life? Only God knows. And although we have no control over what He does or does not do - but we can take small steps to prepare our own hearts for God’s presence in hopes our renewal might spark something - not just in us, but in those around us.

THE AFTERWORD: Dr. A.J. Swoboda drops some truth bombs Aug 27, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION This past weekend, our church had the joy of learning from pastor/author/professor/theologian Dr. A.J. Swoboda, who not only spoke at our 2024 Formation Conference but also over the weekend at all our of campuses. David invites two of his friends (Ruth + David) by to share their insights and highlights from the weekend. They chat about: 1. Asking for permission before offering spiritual advice 2. Why Doubting Thomas shouldn't be called that 3. The practical implications of tongues of fire descending on people's heads on the Day of Pentecost and 4. Why Jesus's most important question to us might very well be, "What do you want?" Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim + Ruth Beteivaz

Jesus, Our Flesh and the War for our Wants | August 25, 2024 Aug 25, 2024

Today's follower of Jesus exists at a moment in history when our desires, longings, and wants are being weaponized against us by cultural, spiritual, and relational forces. "Follow your heart" and "You do you" has become our moment's mantras. The result, for too many, is feeling torn asunder by the raging desires within. What do we do with our desire? What about our unwanted desires? And how do we cultivate desires which bring life and freedom and lead to Christ? Dr. A. J. Swoboda stops by to talk about what to do with our desires, and we find the wisdom of Scripture is not that we shuttle all desire, calling it bad, nor do we follow all our desires (no matter what). In short, what makes a follower of Christ is not whether or not we have desires. Rather, it is what we do with the desires we have.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | Forgiveness of Sins, Resurrection of the Body, Life Everlasting | August 18, 2024 Aug 18, 2024

Most stories are linear. Beginning. Middle. End. The opening pages of the Bible tell us a linear story - humans were meant to live with God, they rebelled and sinned - and then Death entered and humans lost everything. And if it weren’t for God, this is where the human story would end. Humanity’s biggest need is a solution to the problem of sin, destruction, and death, which leads us back to the end of the Apostle’s Creed, which says “I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” The end of the Creed goes back to the beginning of the human story, and offers us a new beginning—forgiveness and resurrection life. Which means – in each of our lives – a new beginning is available. Resurrection life is available. And the path to this new beginning, this resurrection life, is repentance and forgiveness, which is available to everyone.

THE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 7 - The Forgiveness of Sins and Life Everlasting Aug 18, 2024

Well. Guys. We’re at the end. No, I’m not talking about the end of our Apostle’s Creed sermon series, but also the end of the 2024 Summer Olympics and summer itself. Jay and I chat about all of it, including Tom Cruise. We also get more serious and talk about the phrase “forgiveness of sins” and how unpopular of an idea it is that we even *need* forgiveness. Even for Christians, as we swim in our cultural waters, our tendency can be to “minimize” sin and “maximize” (or focus almost exclusively on) grace. But sin is dangerously destructive. We also talk frankly about how unconfessed sin blocks God’s work - but repentance brings real life and connection to God and others. And, at the end, Dave shares a final parting gift to help us carry the Apostle’s Creed with us. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 6 - The Communion of Saints Aug 12, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION Miley Cyrus, in her song “Flowers” - the biggest hit of 2023 - told us that she didn’t need *anyone* else in her life to make her happy. Andy Gridley stops by to go back in time to traipse through all the “I am better off without you” empowerment songs from 1978 until today. Also, “I am better off alone!” might make for fun song lyrics, but it’s terrible life advice. We talk about the modern dynamic of individualism, and how it works against Christian formation. Finally, we talk through the “messier” aspects of Christian friendship – and why hard convos about difficult things actually can lead to life. Speakers: David Tieche + Andy Gridley

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | The Church, The Communion of Saints | August 11, 2024 Aug 11, 2024

In a world where a lot of people have doubts and suspicions (some quite fair and founded) about the Church, the Apostle’s Creed offers up a fascinating invitation “I believe in the holy Church and the Communion of Saints.” The invitation to deep, sacrificial, Jesus-centered friendship might not always be natural, or easy, but it’s central to our spiritual lives. And it brings life in ways we can’t even imagine. SPEAKERS: Andy Gridley (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | The Holy Spirit | August 04, 2024 Aug 05, 2024

After the Apostle’s Creed talks about God the Father and Jesus, it turns to the third member of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. But this can be confusing. Is the Holy Spirit an impersonal “force”? Is it a feeling? In this message, we examine the often-misunderstood Holy Spirit - how this member of the Trinity is talked about in Scripture, the role He plays in our daily lives to empower us – and how we can participate with the Spirit of Go to produce fruit and life, not only in us, but in all around us. SPEAKERS: Glenn Packiam (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Colossians 3:16

THE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 4 - Hell + Judgment Jul 29, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION Hey kids! Let’s talk about hell and judgment! Archie Jackson and David Kim stop by to talk about why they each lost sleep trying to tackle the two most confusing clauses in the Apostle’s Creed - that Jesus “descended into hell” and that He will come back to “judge the living and the dead.” What does that mean? We talk about the difference between the words the Bible uses to describe the afterlife, including sheol, gehenna, hades, paradise and Abraham’s bosom - and how the ideas about the afterlife shift and change a bit from the Old Testament to the New. We also talk about judgment - and Jesus as judge. We talk about why this concept makes people uneasy (even scared) - probably because of the caricatures that many of us carry about the idea of God’s judgment (and David Kim shares about how his VBS teachers locked him in a closet and dressed up like demons to get him to accept Jesus). Sheesh. Religious trauma much? And finally, we discuss how Jesus returning as judge is actually a very *good* thing, and a strong source of ultimate hope for Christians. Speakers: David Tieche + Archie Jackson + David Kim

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | Descended into Hell | July 28, 2024 Jul 29, 2024

Two of the most puzzling lines in the otherwise fairly straightforward text of the Apostle’s Creed is that Jesus died and then “descended into Hell” and that He will “judge the living and the dead.” These phrases are not only confusing, but also require some unpacking. What does it mean that Jesus went to hell? And what does it mean that he’ll judge everyone? Is that something to be frightened of? Does Jesus grade on a curve? Thankfully, the Biblical teaching on judgment is more robust than our caricatures, and is actually something that can infuse incredible hope in our lives. SPEAKERS: David Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) SPEAKERS: Christina Papoulias (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 3 - Jesus, Our Lord Jul 22, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION No one likes being bossed around. Even little kids will buck against it, saying things like, “You’re not the boss of me” or “You’re not my mom.” But the second line of the Apostle’s Creed says that Jesus is not only God, but the Apostles call him “Lord.” In a real way, they’re saying, “Jesus IS the boss of me.” David Kim stops by to talk about the implication of the phrase “our Lord” means obedience to Master. We discuss the idea that what you want the most is actually your identity, and how everyone has a Master (whether they want one or not). We also talk about the toughest parts of following Jesus, and practical steps to trying to obey Jesus - what it looks like, and what it doesn’t look like. Also, DK talks about eating a live octopus, which super grosses out David, who is from Ohio, and wasn’t around a lot of live octopuses growing up. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | Jesus, Our Lord | July 21, 2024 Jul 22, 2024

The largest section of the Apostle’s Creed is about Jesus. In fact, roughly 65 percent of the words are about Jesus. It’s clear this creed is not about doctrine, but a person. And the second line of the creed has the Apostles saying that Jesus is their “Lord.” This means not only deep personal attachment to Jesus, but allegiance to Him and only Him, above all others. But why? Why does Jesus demand to be Lord? We dive into what obedience is - what it isn’t - and why Jesus says that choosing Him as Master is - rather ironically - the *only* way to not be enslaved. SPEAKERS: David Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) SPEAKERS: Christina Papoulias (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 2 - God the Father Jul 15, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION The second line of the Apostle’s Creed states (beautifully) that God is both powerful and a father. But what if your experience with both “father” has been anything but good? And what you’ve seen power abused, in tragic ways that have brought real suffering? Christina Papoulias stops by to talk about how toxic environments can warp our view of God Himself, and that can impact our ability to connect with God. We also talk about how the words of the second member of the Trinity - Jesus, the Son - as He describes what His father is actually like, can heal us. Speakers: David Tieche + Christina Papoulias

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | God the Father Almighty | July 14, 2024 Jul 14, 2024

In the second line of the Apostle’s Creed, it says “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” In the Scriptures, it’s clear that God not only has a deep, loving, tender Father’s heart, but *wants* to be known to us as Father. But for many people, bad examples from our earthly Fathers can distort our view of God Himself, forming an emotional blockade to the kind of relational connectedness we’re invited into. But the Biblical story gives us example after example after example showing us that God is, indeed, a faithful and loving Father. And remembering that, and focusing on God’s faithfulness, not just historically but personally, can heal us. SPEAKERS: Christina Papoulias (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED: Timeless Truth for a Chaotic World | Introduction + I Believe | July 07, 2024 Jul 07, 2024

The world - if anything - is pretty unstable. Not just geopolitically, or economically, but even personally. Our own lives are pretty unstable. And yet, in an unstable world, followers of Jesus stand on the sound and secure foundation of a story that has been unchanging since Christ’s resurrection and ascension. In a culture saturated by pundits, personalities, influencers, followers of Jesus can live with peace and freedom grounded in this story, the truest story ever told. The Apostles’ Creed - a statement of belief that’s centuries old and dates back to the early Church - has been said by followers of Jesus across time, across cultures, across continents, across the centuries. And its words offer us stability, security, strength, truth amid the forgetful and frenzied weariness and exhaustion of our manic world. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD: The Apostle’s Creed - Week 1 - I Believe Jul 07, 2024

AFTERWORD DESCRIPTION If someone were to ask you, “What do you believe?” you probably wouldn’t be able to answer. “What do I believe about what?” you might say. Or more often than that, we are busy with life, and don’t really even give that question much thought. But sometimes, life forces us to answer that important question. When the world falls apart, and the sky seems to come crashing down, we have to answer, as a matter of deep importance, for ourselves, “What do I actually believe?” What is foundational? What is square one? And for Christians, across the centuries, the answer to that has been, among other things, the Apostle’s Creed. Jay stops by to chat about the Apostle’s Creed, why creeds matter and how a few paragraphs from 2000 years ago can actually shape us. We also talk about the word “believe” which sounds a lot like “wishful thinking” but isn’t. We also complain about the heat wave. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 8 - The Peace of God Jul 02, 2024

There’s a lot of talk in our world about the “power of positive thinking” - and even secular scholars talk about the importance of spending time in gratitude each day. In Philippians 4, Paul talks about the power of what we think about - and how what we choose to focus on actually has an impact on how we experience life. Lisa Averill stops by to talk about Paul’s advice, how it can lead to the dissolution of worry and to the presence of peace. Also, Lisa shares about how she almost killed her grandmother-in-law.

Philippians - This is Living | Philippians 4:1-9, Think about such things and the Peace of God | June 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024

Lisa Averill

Philippians - This is Living | Philippians 3:15-21, Enemies of the Cross | June 23, 2024 Jun 23, 2024

In Philippians 3, Paul uses a phrase that at first blush seems quite inflammatory. He says that many people “live as enemies of the Cross of Christ” - a phrase which seems to create an “us” vs. “them” mentality. But this is reductionistic. The truth is, all of us have the choice to live like that. We do this when we lean on worldly wisdom over Godly wisdom, religious tradition over the way of Jesus, display hostility instead of kindness/generosity, work against peace, fail to live humbly, obediently, in surrender. So this can be something “religious” people or “non-religious” people do. But, as Paul points out, God’s primary motivation is to save us from destruction— yes, the eternal destruction apart from God, but also the daily destruction we ourselves bear in our lives. This journey begins for all of us by reckoning with the fact that all is not well—in our world and in our lives, and admitting that WE. NEED. HELP. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Jay Kim (video) (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Philippians 3:15-21

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 7 - What does “enemies of the cross” mean? Jun 23, 2024

It’s a pretty common rhetorical tactic these days - you can win an argument if you say that the other person is either 1. Just like Hitler or 2. Just like the anti-Christ. But in Philippians 3, Paul actually says that it’s possible to live as an enemy of the Cross of Christ. This is a serious charge. But what does it mean? Does it mean you don’t believe the right things? Or say the right things? Or is it deeper (and less simple) than that? Jay Kim stops by to chat about this vexing phrase - and in end we find out that the decision to live as an enemy of the Cross isn’t just something that’s a choice for some people, but ALL of us.

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 6 - Cussing Pastors, Ambition and Male Friendships Jun 16, 2024

In the book of Philippians, Paul uses a *very* strong word to make a dramatic theological point. In fact, many scholars think it was a vulgar word that meant “poop” or “filth.” Does that mean that we should act like immature junior high boys? Absolutely! Mark Averill stops by to talk with Dave about Paul’s dramatic language, why he chooses that word, and the broader point Paul is trying to make. We also talk about how to know if you’ve made achievement an idol, what the warning signs are, and why friends are so important (especially for guys).

Philippians - This is Living | Philippians 3:1-14, This is Garbage | June 16, 2024 Jun 16, 2024

Author David Foster Wallace once spoke about the gnawing sense that we live in a rat race searching for something that will give us meaning. And in the Bay Area, the answer to the question, “What do I need to feel okay about myself and life” is frequently answered with “achievement.” Although this might have looked different 2000 years ago, the Apostle Paul also understood this drive to “be” and “become” and “do more.” And in Philippians 3, Paul warns us that this “drive to achieve” can derail our lives. Paul urges us to not seek after ultimate fulfillment in anything other than deep, personal connection with God Himself. Paul states that God is so good, and knowing Him personally is more valuable than anything. And we don’t have to try to impress God or earn our way to Him - we just need to humbly come to Him.

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 5 - Work Out Your Salvation Jun 09, 2024

Janet Jackson once famously asked “what have you done for me lately?” And although the sentiment behind this sentence is vastly different, the Apostle Paul also employs this line of questioning to the Church of Philippi, encouraging them to truly examine - really meditate on - all that God has done for them. But, Paul says, that activity shouldn’t be a mere mental exercise. It should change us. Or at least, make us want to change. South Hills Campus Pastor Archie Jackson stops by to talk about Paul’s famous exhortation to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” We dive into what it means, what it most definitely DOES NOT mean, and why the stakes are too high for Christians to refuse to partner with God to be transformed.

Philippians - This is Living | Philippians 2:12-18, Stars in the Sky | June 09, 2024 Jun 09, 2024

Midway through his letter, Paul encourages the young church family of believers at Philippi to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling.” This term “work out” can make us nervous. Is our salvation dependent upon how good of “work” we do? Because if so, uh oh! But Paul makes it clear that it’s God who does the work in us, through us and for us. Paul isn’t talking about working for or earning individual salvation. Paul is talking about how our already-saved-lives ought to work out in the real world, in our relationships with one another, so that an unbelieving world might see our otherworldly relationships of humility and sacrifice like light illuminating the darkness and be captivated. This isn’t easy - and does absolutely require passion, effort and focus on our parts, but it means that we get to participate with God to bring light to a dark world.

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 4 - Humility Jun 02, 2024

You don’t have to be a sociologist to see that selfishness and self-centeredness seem to be the default setting for us humans. Left to ourselves, people (often) use other people for their own gain. Ruth Nazanin BetEivaz stops by to talk about Philippians 2 and Paul’s incredible passage about the staggering humility of Jesus. We chat about how humility shows up in our world, why it’s so attractive to us and why it’s so difficult for us to live out. Ruth also shares how an act of humility by her sister changed her whole life. And as hip-hop heads, Ruth and David are the *only* theologians in the US talking about how Philippians 2 could solve the ongoing battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Also, David shares a particularly humiliating story about that involves him, a skunk and Safeway.

Philippians - This is Living | Philippians 2:1-11, Descend to Ascend | June 02, 2024 Jun 02, 2024

The Silicon Valley is a place of chasing. Chasing success. Chasing more. Chasing upward movement. But this relentless pace can be utterly exhausting. In contrast to this, Paul says that Jesus provides a different model of what it means to be human and find life. And counterintuitively - Jesus shows us that true life is found not by climbing the ladder for your own gain, but by descending in humility to serve other people. And if we follow suit, and live a life of humility, serving God and serving others, we will find not only joy, not only life, but God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 3 May 26, 2024

As children of the 80s, things have changed *quite a bit* in the realm of civic politics for David and Jay. We chat about how changes in technology have shifted the way that people engage with politics - and how that’s not always for the better. We talk about what it means to follow Paul’s instructions in Philippians 1 to “live as citizens of the gospel of King Jesus.” And finally, we discuss author Kaitlyn Schiess’s book “A Liturgy of Politics” which says that the modern political/news machine sends a number of messages to us including: * The Prosperity Gospel (money is what’s really most important) * The Patriotic Gospel (requires uncritical allegiance to one party - or one country) * The Security Gospel (candidate so-and-so will keep you safe from harm) And then we talk about how the Gospel of Jesus confronts each of these and often, upends them. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Philippians - This Is Living | Philippians 1:27-30, Citizens of Gospel of the King May 26, 2024

When Paul was writing the letter to the church at Philippi, a man named Nero was Caesar. Nero’s favorite titles were “Lord” and “Savior” and his demands of allegiance were total. To declare any other emperor (or king) as lord or savior was dangerous. But that’s exactly what Paul goes all around the empire doing. And Paul’s message to the Philippians is clear: living as citizens of God’s kingdom means declaring an alternative Gospel. This is a message with real edges. It means that in the midst of a false empire, Christians are called to declare the true kingdom. And in the midst of a false emperor, Christians are called to follow a true King. And as citizens of a different kingdom in the midst of this world’s kingdoms, Christians are called to live differently.

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 2 May 21, 2024

Hey! It’s a gift from God that no one in their right mind wants! Suffering! Join David Tieche and David Kim as they dive into the Biblical theme of suffering, both in the life of Jesus and in perhaps the most famous Biblical story of suffering: Job. The “Davids” talk about why we run from suffering (and the common ways we do so) and why suffering is such a powerful tool for spiritual development in the hands of God. They also basically just quote author and pastor Tim Keller (and his book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering) for 30 minutes because he’s SO GOOD on this topic. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

Philippians - This Is Living | Philippians 1:12-26, To Live is Christ, and Die is Gain May 20, 2024

If there’s one certainty in life, it’s that disease, death and disappointment will visit you. And yet, nobody wants to hear that. Let alone deal with that reality. Our secular world - whose consumerist culture screams messages that the goal of life is comfort and pleasure - is simply *terrible* at helping us cope with pain and suffering. In the middle of this, the ancient words of the Apostle Paul help us see how suffering is the Way of Jesus. And that not only does Paul say that suffering can have a deeply redemptive role in the story of our lives (and of those around us) - but he shows us the unlikely key to getting through these times of suffering.

THE AFTERWORD: Philippians - Week 1 May 14, 2024

Joy isn’t just the main character in Pixar’s 2015 animated classic INSIDE OUT. It’s also what we long for, and often, something we feel is deeply missing in our day-to-day life. Can our lives really be infused with joy no matter what our circumstances? How can we get joy? Does it require conditions to be perfect? And why is it so elusive? Jay Kim stops by to talk about Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he uses the word “joy” or “rejoice” 17 times in this short letter. It’s a main theme of the letter, and Paul’s advice on how to “get” joy is shocking and counterintuitive. We also chat about some specific challenges of modern life that fight against joy - and how the 1999 film “Fight Club” diagnosed the modern sense of joyless malaise and hopelessness (and even sorta predicted 9/11). Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Philippians - This Is Living | Philippians 1:1-11, Slaves, Saints, and He Will Complete It May 12, 2024

Life is not easy. Especially not in the Bay Area. And if we’re honest, the stresses of daily life - especially here in Silicon Valley - can not just overwhelm us, but trap us in the doldrums of malaise. So we increase the amount of entertainment or stimulation in an attempt to feel something - but this can have the reverse effect on us: making us numb to life. So...how can we live with joy? Real, true flourishing where we embrace the incredible wonders of life? Astonishingly, more than two centuries ago, a man named Paul tackled that exact question. And his answer was as perplexing back then as it is today. Paul says that true joy is possible, even in the worst of circumstances. He says that the path to JOY is not found by leading yourself, but following Jesus. Paul says that surrender leads to freedom, that decrease leads to increase and that death leads to life. We’ll dive into this short letter from Paul to his friends, and find that it’s as relevant today as it was back then. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): John 4:5-18

THE AFTERWORD: Wonderfully Made - Week 5 May 05, 2024

In our modern world that elevates individualism, a truth that often goes entirely missing is just how much our lives can impact other people. We affect one another far more than we’d like to admit. And the modern mantra of “privatism” which says “mind your own business and don’t interfere with other people and the way they choose to live their lives” sounds good, but it doesn’t work in real life. And often it’s cowardice, or worse, relational abdication. But how do we proceed to become people, like Jesus, who are full of both “grace” and “truth”? Jay Kim stops by to talk about that, and give some helpful advice for when situations arise when it’s difficult to do both. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Wonderfully Made - Week 5 - Surprising Grace + Sobering Truth May 05, 2024

Truly complex problems require us to be people committed to both patient love (grace) but also making sure that we arrive at the correct answer (truth). This is difficult, but the alternative is not good. As author Randy Alcorn once wrote, “Truth without grace breeds self-righteous legalism…grace without truth breeds moral indifference.” But in the Scriptures, we see that Jesus isn’t full of grace OR truth; He is full of grace AND truth. This is the vision set before us—not arbitrary or circumstantial decision-making between grace OR truth but a commitment to live at the intersection of grace AND truth. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): John 4:5-18

THE AFTERWORD: Wonderfully Made - Week 4 Apr 29, 2024

Naseem Khalili joins David Tieche for a fun and lively discussion about singleness, desire and what to do when life doesn’t work out like you’d dreamed. We talk about how unfulfilled longings can lead to deep disappointment with life - and even with God. We talk about how the Psalms of Lament can help pave the way for healing. And Naseem shares some practical things that married folks can do to prevent singles from feeling “less than” or like “second-class citizens.” Speakers: David Tieche + Naseem Khalili

Wonderfully Made - Week 4 - Singleness and Longing Apr 28, 2024

Being single in a world that idolizes romantic love - and often sends messages that life really only begins once you’ve met your soulmate - can often make navigating this season of life challenging. And the fact is, whether you’re single or not - having unmet or unrealizead dreams and desires is painful. And the longer you’re in longing, the more difficult it gets. Naseem Khalili shares about her journey in singleness, and shares some helpful lessons from Scripture that teach us not let disappointment dictate our belief in the Lord, but how to let our belief in the Lord determine how we process disappointment. SPEAKERS: Naseem Khalili (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Genesis 1

THE AFTERWORD: Wonderfully Made - Week 3 Apr 23, 2024

Our guest, Joshua Ryan Butler, joins David Tieche for a frank and pointed discussion about sex and gender featuring questions from our congregation. If the Creation story shows how the pairing of male and female (marriage) reflects the intended whole of Creation, then what do single people reflect? Are they incomplete? A sun without a moon? If everyone is “fearfully and wonderfully” made - then explain people with same-sex attraction? Did God make them “wrong?” Wouldn’t that make God cruel for giving SSA people a sexual attraction they can’t fulfill according to God’s law? Are churches that are not affirming more hostile (in some way) to the LBGTQ+ community? Also how should Christians approach people who identify as transexual, intersexual or asexual? We dig into these topics and more. Speakers: David Tieche + Joshua Ryan Butler

Wonderfully Made - Week 3 - Genesis and Sunsets: Heaven + Earth, Male + Female Apr 21, 2024

In recent years, the question of gender and biological sex - not someone’s sexuality or sexual attraction but a person’s internal sense of self and the social expression of that - has become a cultural flashpoint. What does it mean to be “male” or “female”? Is it fixed, or chosen by an individual? Does a person’s biological sex even matter? And what does God think about all this? In this talk, author and pastor Joshua Ryan Butler delves into the theology of maleness and femaleness found in the Creation story in Genesis to bring clarity to this confusing and layered topic. SPEAKERS: Joshua Ryan Butler (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Genesis 1 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Genesis 1

Wonderfully Made - Week 2 - Thinking More of Sex: The Spirituality of Sexuality Apr 14, 2024

The Christian sexual ethic has historically been one of the more contentious and contested ideas in our cultural moment. What does the Bible actually say about sex? How is it the same as what our culture says, and how is it different? Is sex really reserved only for straight, married couples? If so, what does this mean for those folks who are teens and young adults, who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, or who are part of the singles community? Does that mean those folks have to deny their sexuality? As we examine this together, we see the Genesis creation account taken with the model of Jesus can provide us a way to see what sexuality is really about, and how, properly understood and defined, can lead to everyone accessing their sexuality in ways that bring life, and not pain or confusion. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Genesis 1

THE AFTERWORD : Wonderfully Made - Week 2 Apr 14, 2024

There’s no topic more confusing or contested in our culture than the topic of sexuality. This week, Jay Kim joins David Tieche to dive in. Sexuality is obviously a part of what it means to be human, but how big a part of our identity should it be? What are some ways that Christians talk about sex and sexuality that are reductionist, or incomplete or even harmful? Is a church merely having a non-affirming stance fundamentally unloving to folks who are gay? And what can we learn from the life of Jesus Himself about what it means to be sexual beings? Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD : Wonderfully Made - Week 1 Apr 07, 2024

This week starts the beginning of our five-week series called Wonderfully Made, which WestGate Church is doing in coordination with several other Bay Area churches. In this week’s episode of The AfterWord, Jay Kim (lead pastor of WestGate Church), Filipe Santos (lead pastor of Echo Church) and Phil Eubank (lead pastor of Menlo Church) talk about the genesis of the Wonderfully Made Sermon Series, why it’s important right now, and what each of them is hoping the series will do in each of their congregations.

Wonderfully Made - Week 1 - Souls with a Body or Embodied Souls: A Theology of the Body Apr 07, 2024

There is a common misunderstanding today, even among Christians, that human beings are primarily souls who happen to have bodies. Or, go to any gym and you’ll see contradictory messages of both idolizing the body AND simultaneous hatred of the body. Sometimes in the same person! But the Biblical story makes clear that from the beginning, to be human is to be a body. And this is a good thing. Being humans means having a body. And - as the Bible shows - what we do with that body is our choice and really matters.

Easter 2024 - 03.31.2024 Mar 31, 2024

The Ancient Greeks and Romans told stories of ambrosia, the mythical food of the gods that granted immortality to all who ate it. And we modern folk are obsessed with bio-hacking our bodies and diets, for the sake of longevity. But while the ancients wanted to defy death, and we Bay Area folks want to delay it, the story of Jesus is how one person defeated death. And the implications of this show that the Resurrection isn’t just a historical event, but a present reality that can provide us hope and courage to face whatever comes our way. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 28:1-10

Matthew (Season 9) - It Is Finished - Week 5 - 03.24.2024 Mar 24, 2024

As Jesus is dying on the Cross, He yells out “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” This is one of the more famous sayings of Jesus, if only because of the anguish behind it. Is God forsaking Jesus? How can that be? This is no mere physical death: this death is also a separation from Himself - a tearing apart of Jesus’ eternal identity. But Jesus is not merely saying words of pain - that line “My God, My God” is actually a quote from a Psalm. Psalm 22 to be exact. And if you read that Psalm, you see so much more going on. Jesus is thinking about the WHOLE psalm, and its implications. And what that psalm says - coupled with what happens immediately after Jesus dies inside the temple - shows us more than Jesus in pain. It shows us Jesus at work, with the Father, to redeem every square inch of the whole world. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 27:45-51

Matthew (Season 9) - Week 5 Mar 24, 2024

After Jesus dies, Matthew writes that the curtain in the temple was torn, a detail he finds incredibly significant, but which might seem bizarre to us. What’s up with this curtain? Why is God ripping it up? Is God upset at His interior decoratingand design? What’s going on? Jay Kim stops by to chat about the implications of this moment in Matthew 27, not just theologically, but what it means for us personally. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

Matthew (Season 9) - Week 4 Mar 17, 2024

Author and researcher Brené Brown defined shame as “the intensely painful feeling of being unworthy of love or belonging.” There are not *some* people who deal with feelings of shame and others who escape this. We *all* deal with this. David Kim stops by to form an-all-David podcast in which we talk about how shame shows up in our lives, how it’s the same and slightly different in men and in woman and how the Christian response to shame is unique and powerfully effective. DK also shares how shame almost caused him to pee his pants in public. Shame is real, y’all. God can help. Don’t pee your pants. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

Matthew (Season 9) - Peter’s Denial - Week 4 - 03.17.2024 Mar 17, 2024

One of the most famous parts of the story of Jesus’ death is that His friends completely fail Him. Most famously, Jesus’ lead disciple, Peter, makes a valiant pledge that he would never deny Jesus, and then, mere hours later, does exactly that three times. There’s much to this story. Matthew is showing us that we all overestimate our own goodness. But Matthew is always showing us the steadfast and unmoveable love of Jesus, who despite Peter’s failure, still goes to the Cross for him. And in the end, as Peter stands outside bitterly weeping, crushed by his own shame and sense of unworthiness, we realize we all have to deal with shame. And that Jesus provides a unique (and uniquely powerful!) answer to this universal human issue. Not just for Peter. But for all of us. SPEAKERS: David Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 26:69-75

Matthew (Season 9) - Week 3 Mar 10, 2024

Matthew’s account of Jesus sweating blood in anxiety in the Garden of Gethsemane is an exceptional detail and a stunning moment. Newly minted Pastor Emeritus Steve Clifford stops by to talk about this exceptional passage, what it reveals about Jesus’s interior life with God, how Jesus’s moment is different than ours, and how it’s the same, and what lessons about life, grief, and pain we can learn from it.

Matthew (Season 9) - Doubting in the Garden - Week 3 - 03.10.2024 Mar 10, 2024

On the night before He was killed, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. There we find Jesus distraught and more anxious than He has ever been. He is experiencing deep, agonizing grief and anxiety. But facing a brutal death isn’t the only thing happening - Jesus is going to pay for and bear the weight of humanity’s sin. And yet, in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty, Jesus embodies faithfulness. And shows us the way forward though the pain and uncertainties of life, as well.

Matthew (Season 9) - The Last Supper - Week 2 - 03.03.2024 Mar 03, 2024

The Last Supper is one of the more important moments in the story of Jesus, memorialized not only in art but also in the life of the church (through the taking of communion). But familiarity sometimes is our enemy of seeing things clearly - and often, we don’t take the time to listen or reflect on not only what Jesus was saying to His disciples at the Last Supper, but how He was forming them. Jesus often used meals to not only make theological points about life with God, but to transform people. And this meal was not different for the disciples, and if we have eyes to see, can do the same things inside us. SPEAKERS: Mark Averill (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 26:17-30

Matthew (Season 9) - Week 2 - Jesus and Meals - 03.03.2024 Mar 03, 2024

The Gospels tell us that Jesus “came to seek and save the lost” - but then later on also tell us that He came “eating and drinking.” Meals play a big role through the story not only of Jesus, but the whole Bible. So why is that? Is God a foodie? Or is there something more going on. Mark Averill stops by to chat with David about the transformative power of meals, why the Last Supper is more than a meal, and how Jesus used the Last Supper both theologically and formationally not only for the Disciples, but for us today. Speakers: David Tieche + Mark Averill

Matthew : Season 9 - Week 1 - What is Humility and How Do We Know if We Are - 02.25.2024 Feb 25, 2024

Nobody likes to hang out with arrogant people. Nobody. And we love stories when “important” people are kind and humble. We even say they’re “down to Earth.” But what does it practically mean to be humble? Jay and David talk through professor Daryl Van Tongeren’s research into the three Universal features of humility (from his book Humble), and talk about how Jesus not only models these, but how living that out might look in our modern world (which seems to produce a lot of self-centeredness and self-aggrandizing). Also, in a display that can only be classified as “showing off” Jay sings. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Matthew : Season 9 - The Humble King Who Comes From The East - Week 1 Feb 25, 2024

In the Book of Matthew, the scene of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a pivotal moment. This moment, traditionally celebrated the week before Easter on Palm Sunday, is sometimes called “the triumphal entry.” This moment is leading to the central moment in human history, Jesus’ death and resurrection. But this opening scene is one of victory and kingship…is not really that “triumphal.” In fact, it’s anything but. The humility that Jesus shows as he enters Jerusalem, (and throughout the Gospel stories) is shocking. And what’s more, Jesus instructs his followers to embody this same shocking humility. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), video (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 21:1-9 SPEAKERS: Keivan Tehrani (South Hills), Finny Abraham (Saratoga) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 5:14-16

Compassion Immersion 2024 - Making Room - Week 2 - 02.11.2024 Feb 20, 2024

Description: David sits down with Keivan Tehrani and Finny Abraham to discuss what it means to be a global Christian with an eye on the worldwide movement of God. How do you not get overwhelmed by the global need? Also, Keivan shares stories from this past year from our missionary partners across the globe. We also talk about some of our missionaries who have the most dangerous assignments in Afghanistan, North Korea and Pakistan. We also talk about systemic evil (as opposed to personal evil) and how Christians think about and engage with that - including how some of our missionaries are taking on drug cartels(!). Also Keivan reveals that he’s officially banned from traveling to a number of countries. Speakers: David Tieche + Finny Abraham + Keivan Tehrani

Compassion Immersion 2024 - Making Room - Week 2 Feb 18, 2024

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His followers to be the “light of the world” and to “shine in the darkness.” And then Jesus makes a comically absurd statement, saying, “would you hide your light under a bowl?” to drive home the point: lights are meant to illuminate. In the second week of Compassion Immersion, Global Compassion pastor Keivan Tehrani stops by to share stories of ordinary people who simply let the light of Jesus shine, and in the process, really pushed back some darkness. And in the end, we find that “missions work” isn’t just what happens over there, but it can happen every day in our world right here. Sometimes in the most mundane and even unexpected ways. SPEAKERS: Keivan Tehrani (South Hills), Finny Abraham (Saratoga) Bible Passage(s): Matthew 5:14-16

Compassion Immersion 2024 - Making Room - Week 1 - 02.11.2024 Feb 11, 2024

After a terrible, horrible, no-good very bad week, David invited his three friends from the Compassion Team to help shift his perspective and bring back joy. And it works! Keivan, Finny and Lily stop by to share stories about what God is up to in the world for Week 1 of Compassion Immersion 2024. The team also thoughtfully answers some important clarifying questions, like “Why do we stop and pause for two weeks to focus in on global and local compassion?” How does doing that form us into better followers of Jesus? How does having an international perspective or experience help us understand God better? And how is church “charity” work different than other charity work, like say from a secular company or foundation? Is there any difference? This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation for Compassion Immersion 2024. And yes, David did finally get power back late last week. Speakers: David Tieche + Finny Abraham + Lily Weirich + Keivan Tehrani

Compassion Immersion 2024 - Making Room - Week 1 - 02.11.2024 Feb 11, 2024

Every year, we take some time as a church to slow down and celebrate what God has been doing through our mission partners, both locally and globally. This work would literally be impossible if people in WestGate Church didn’t sacrificially give of their time, talent, and treasure. And yet…there’s still an issue. Many people who are followers of Jesus really want to make a difference in the world by serving and caring for others, but the hustle and bustle of life here in the Bay Area makes it feel impossible. So how can followers of Jesus right here in the Silicon Valley, embody the essence of the gospel, make room for God, find time to serve others, care for others, and share the love of God through actions? The answer is found in a story in the Old Testament, about a man named Isaiah who has an exceptional encounter with God. And as we see how this encounter changed him, we see we’re invited in the same way. SPEAKERS: Finny Abraham (Saratoga), Keivan Tehrani (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Isaiah 6: 1-9

THE AFTERWORD | Here to Stay: Week 4 Feb 04, 2024

Well, guys, it’s the final week of our Here to Stay Campaign. As we wind up the public-facing aspect of the campaign, Jay talks about the lessons he’s learned during this campaign (including the months and months leading up to this), and what kinds of things he wants to carry forward with him into the future - both personally and us, as a church family. That’s the important stuff, but we also briefly touch on the theology of praying for the 49ers (or any sports team, really). Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Here to Stay: Immeasurably More Feb 04, 2024

One of the most famous stories that Jesus ever told is called the story of the Good Samaritan. It’s a story about activated compassion, about helping people who are hurt, even if it’s risky and even if it costs you. This is the way of Jesus. Over the past 16 years, WestGate Church has been haunted by the question “If WestGate Church burned down, would anyone care?” And we’ve tried to answer that with radical generosity, giving to partner organizations and non-profits to build wells, provide families in need right here in the Bay Area with good, and to care for refugees from Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan. In the end, the Here to Stay Campaign is also about the fact that we want to be good neighbors, to act like the Good Samaritan, and to show the world that Jesus is Compassion Embodied. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Jay Kim (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Isaiah 53:4, Luke 10:25-35

Here to Stay: If WestGate Burned Down Jan 28, 2024

One of the most famous stories that Jesus ever told is called the story of the Good Samaritan. It’s a story about activated compassion, about helping people who are hurt, even if it’s risky and even if it costs you. This is the way of Jesus. Over the past 16 years, WestGate Church has been haunted by the question “If WestGate Church burned down, would anyone care?” And we’ve tried to answer that with radical generosity, giving to partner organizations and non-profits to build wells, provide families in need right here in the Bay Area with good, and to care for refugees from Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan. In the end, the Here to Stay Campaign is also about the fact that we want to be good neighbors, to act like the Good Samaritan, and to show the world that Jesus is Compassion Embodied. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Jay Kim (South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Isaiah 53:4, Luke 10:25-35

THE AFTERWORD | Here to Stay: Week 3 Jan 28, 2024

This past weekend, we talked about how one (hugely important!) element of the Here to Stay Campaign is about generosity - we want to try, as a church, to give away more money outside of our walls than we ever have before. But why? Wouldn’t it be faster just to keep that money and use it for our own projects instead of giving it away? Well, it all comes down to “compassion.” Jay and David trace the concept of God’s compassion all the way back, and discover, shockingly, that when God first describes Himself to Moses, the very first word He uses to talk about His character is “compassionate.” We then talk about the compassion of Jesus, of the early Church, and how our call - today in this world - is the same. Also, Dave gets a little too excited and sings some Four Tops. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Here to Stay: Planting Seeds for Future Trees Jan 21, 2024

Elton Trueblood, a 20th-century author and theologian, once wrote, “A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.” His point is that we find deep meaning in our lives by giving our lives away. And part of the goal of the Here to Stay Campaign is to invite all who call WestGate Church home to give away our lives and church for the benefit of future generations. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Jay Kim (video South Hills) Bible Passage(s): Psalm 145:4-6, SPEAKERS: Jay Kim + Steve Clifford(Saratoga), Jay Kim (video South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Here to Stay: Week 2 Jan 21, 2024

We all stand on the shoulders of past generations. And if we slow down for even a moment, the impact of the people in our past on our present is nearly overwhelming. And personally, we all have people who have poured into us and sacrificed for our benefit. Especially as Christians. Jay and I reflect on Saints who have gone before us who have impacted us, on the difference between “results” and “faithfulness” and on how humans are more like trees than we’d like to admit. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Here to Stay: With God for the Good of All Jan 14, 2024

Every church has to answer the question “Why are we here?” For years, the short answer on that was that WestGate Church exists to be and to make disciples, learning and living the way of Jesus. Summarized in a word, the way of Jesus is LOVE—we exist to love God, one another, and our neighbors. But for the past few years, our leadership team and elders have been praying and asking God the question, “What does it mean to live this vision out faithfully, right here and right now?” And as we enter 2024, the particulars are becoming more clear. This message is the launch of the Here to Stay Campaign. Jay Kim and Steve Clifford explain the heart behind this campaign, and why it is WestGate’s prayerful commitment to be a church that’s truly here to stay…with God and for the good of all.” SPEAKERS: Jay Kim + Steve Clifford(Saratoga), Jay Kim (video South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Here to Stay: Week 1 Jan 14, 2024

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this past weekend was a big one for WestGate Church. We launched a massive campaign, called Here to Stay (the first in more than a decade) to raise $35 million. But even though this is the first weekend many people might have heard about it, it’s been in the works for years. Literally years. Jay Kim stops by to offer some behind-the-scenes info about how the vision for this campaign came from, why it’s not really about money at all, and why one of the driving forces behind the campaign are the values of “hospitality” and “kindness.” Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

EAT THIS BOOK 2024 Jan 07, 2024

For Christians, the Bible isn’t nice to have, it’s vital. Central. Christians believe that the Bible is not just a book, but the divinely inspired Word of God, spoken for us, to lead us in the way of truth and love, down the path toward God’s glory and our good. But it isn’t about intellectual ascent; it’s about transformation. And we find, in the Bible, that the Word of God is referred to as a number of things: it’s bread (life-giving, necessary to our selves for life), a lamp (guides our path in a world that’s dark, a sword (protects us in a world where we’re under assault from lies that assail us) and a scalpel (it does surgery on us to heal us).

THE AFTERWORD | EAT THIS BOOK 2024 Jan 07, 2024

For Christians, the Bible isn’t nice to have, it’s vital. Central. Christians believe that the Bible is not just a book, but the divinely inspired Word of God, spoken for us, to lead us in the way of truth and love, down the path toward God’s glory and our good. But it isn’t about intellectual ascent; it’s about transformation. And we find, in the Bible, that the Word of God is referred to as a number of things: it’s bread (life-giving, necessary to our selves for life), a lamp (guides our path in a world that’s dark, a sword (protects us in a world where we’re under assault from lies that assail us) and a scalpel (it does surgery on us to heal us).

THE GOOD SHEPHERD Dec 31, 2023

In Luke 15, Jesus tells one of His most famous series of stories, and starts by painting a stirring picture of the human condition. Jesus says that humanity is like a sheep that’s been lost. This isn’t an indictment on the sheep necessarily. It’s not that the sheep is bad. It’s that the sheep is bad off. Traditional Christian language is that we are hopelessly lost in our sin, which blinds us to our true condition and even to the reality that we even need an outside intervention from God. But as the story continues, Jesus reveals the most startling truth: that God is like a good shepherd, who leaves the 99 other sheep, and goes off into the night and dark to find that one sheep. This is very good news. SPEAKERS: Andy Gridley (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | The Good Shepherd Dec 31, 2023

Luke 15 is one of the most famous series of stories that Jesus tells, including one in which Jesus compares humanity to a sheep that is lost. The point of this story - that we are in trouble and need saving - grates at the central story that we modern people tell one another: that humanity is actually stunningly capable of solving nearly every problem that faces us. We aren’t sheep. We are capable. Strong! Smart! Andy Gridley stops by to talk about why Jesus uses this metaphor of sheep. We also trace this theme of God calling Himself a shepherd through the Scriptures - and find it everywhere. All in all, this conversation about sheep isn’t half baaaaaaad. Speakers: David Tieche + Andy Gridley

Down to Earth - Week 3 - No Longer a Slave, but God’s Child Dec 17, 2023

The 613 laws of the Old Testament are intended to remind us about who God is, and what kind of people He wants us to become. But they’re also there as a sobering reminder: there’s no way for us to keep all of them. Which means, there’s no way for any human to summon up the moral fortitude to earn a perfect score, and earn their way onto God’s good graces. This is beyond reach. And Biblically-speaking, Christmas is about the solution to this problem. Where SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Andy Gridley (South Hills) Bible Passages): Galatians

THE AFTERWORD | Down to Earth - Week 3 - Sonship Dec 17, 2023

What do circumcision, the Book of Galatians and Baby Jesus have in common? MOre than you’d think. In the Book of Acts, chapter 15, we have one of the first real church conflicts. A group of Jewish leaders were conviced that this new Jesus movement was basically a new form of Judaism, with a Messiah tacked on. But others said, “No, no. This a brand new thing altogether.” So…are the laws and customs of Moses still binding, or…no? Paul, writing to the Galatians with passion and emotion says Jesus is doing a new thing, because the law, as great as it was, could never really be kept by anyway. This is good news to these fledgling Jesus communities because it means that no one is granted this gift of Jesus Christ on the grounds of their ethnic worth, or their adherence to any sort of religious tradition – even Judaism! And that means that no one of any ethnicity or background is excluded from God’s saving reach. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Gridley

THE AFTERWORD | Down to Earth - Week 2 - Humility Dec 10, 2023

Nobody likes folks who are arrogant. We even invented a word for people who try to draw attention to themselves while pretending they’re not: humblebrag. But while we don’t like arrogant people, being a person who is humble - well, that takes a LOT of work, too. Does being humble mean we’re a punching bag? Does it mean we have to pretend we’re not good at things? Lisa Averill stops by to talk about humility lived out - what it is and what it isn’t. And we give a brief overview of humility in the Old Testament and new. Speakers: David Tieche + Lisa Averill

Down to Earth - Week 2 - Have the Same Mindset as Christ Dec 10, 2023

The Nativity stands as one of the great reminders that God is with us, but if we take a few moments to consider it, we’ll see another level. Not only that Jesus is “God come near.” But considering HOW FAR that journey was. What coming to earth cost Jesus. What is shows about Jesus. The early church had a hymn or song, which the Apostle Paul quotes in one of the most beautiful, soaring passages in the entire New Testament - Philippians 2. And in that song, Paul goes step by step through all the ways that coming to earth showed Jesus’ incredible humility. Giving up his rights, lowering himself, being a servant, and obeying God, even to the point of death. But Paul doesn’t just show us this so that we can be in awe - he says the point is to model this same kind of life. A life of humility. SPEAKERS: Lisa Averill (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Philippians 2:1-11

THE AFTERWORD | Down to Earth - Week 1 - The Incarnation Dec 03, 2023

Title: Down to Earth - Week 1 - The Incarnation Description: The birth of Jesus means that God has come to live among us, with the end goal of actually living *IN* us. Bonkers! But what happens if we don’t *feel* that God is very close to us? What happens if God feels pretty far away? Even though we might intellectually know this isn’t true, experientially God feels distant, like our prayers are hitting the wall. Is there anything we can do? Steve Clifford stops by to share some hard-won pastoral wisdom for what to do when God feels far away. Also, we talk about the very best Christmas present that we’ve ever received. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

Down to Earth - Week 1 - The Word Became Flesh And Made His Dwelling Among Us Dec 03, 2023

There is an art genre of known as “capriccio” (ka-PREE-cho) where artists take famous landmarks and depict them in places and times where they don’t belong. The goal is to shock the viewer out of complacency and really consider the beauty of the landmark depicted. The thing is, sometimes the entire Christmas story becomes so familiar, we need to do that with the birth of Jesus. Because when we consider the wonder and miracle that God came down to earth to dwell with humans, with the end goal to live not just with us but in us, that staggering reality really should cause us joy and awe.

The Tower, The The Stream, The Light - Thanksgiving 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Christmastime in the United States is a wonderful time, but it’s also a bit of a trap. If we are not careful, as Christians, we’ll allow the imagery of our culture around Christmas to dominate how we think about Christmas. And although there’s nothing wrong with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, one-horse open sleighs, or silver bells, those images aren’t the way the Bible describes what Jesus came for, and what He’s about. So we examine three images the Biblical writers give us to describe the coming Messiah, who He is, what He does, and how it can change everything. And in the process, this Christmas, we hope to see Jesus a little more clearly for who He is.

THE AFTERWORD | The Tower, The Stream, The Light Nov 30, 2023

Are Nativity scenes dangerous? Not, as in, “could they hurt or kill you” type of dangerous. That’s unlikely. Unless it’s a live Nativity and you get in the way of some angry live camels. But “dangerous” in the sense that they shift our imagination so that we can only see Jesus as a helpless infant. Jay and David stop by to break down three images that tend to dominate the Bible which describe who the coming Messiah is, and what He will do, describing a Messiah who’s anything but helpless. They are a strong tower, a stream in the desert, and a light in the darkness. We talk about how these metaphors given to us by the Biblical authors can more fully inform us about Jesus this season. And they can also transform us - if we’ll let them. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The With-God Life -Week 5 Nov 19, 2023

Most Christians would say that they think about God. Perhaps, even, think about God often, or at least when we’re not too busy thinking about other things. But what if instead of thinking ABOUT God we could make a switch to thinking WITH God. After all, our thoughts determine the orientation and direction of our lives. We examine what it might mean to do this, and what “thinking” with God might look like. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV

THE AFTERWORD | The With-God Life - Week 5 Nov 19, 2023

Many of us have had the experience of having a good friend, or a spouse, or a co-worker who just *gets* us. If we were to play Taboo!, we would slay. There’s even language for this: we say we are “on the same page” or are “in sync” or “on the same wavelength.” But what if we could do this with God Himself? Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 2 that we can have the same “mind as Christ.” But what does that look like? And how can we get there? Corinna Girard stops by to talk to Dave about that. Also, we talk about how Milli Vanilli ties into the spiritual discipline of Scripture reading. Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard

THE AFTERWORD | The With-God Life - Week 4 Nov 12, 2023

What does it mean practically to live life with God? Mark Averill stops by to talk about doing life with God, and how doing life WITH *anybody* is going to require things of us. We talk about what it means to get to know God and what it means to “follow” God. We discuss the metaphors the Apostle Paul uses for this. Also, Dave attempts to make a comparison between human beings and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Speakers: David Tieche + Mark Averill

The With-God Life -Week 4 Nov 12, 2023

Just like cars were made to run on gas, human beings were not made to do life on their own. God wants to do life *with* us. And when we decide not to - when we decide to run on our own power and strength – things don’t go well for us. Jesus invites us to do life with him, and when we do we discover life and peace. But…choosing to live life with God often will demand that we make some changes in the way we live, but it’s always worth it. SPEAKERS: Mark Averilla (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): John 14

THE AFTERWORD | The With-God Life - Week 3 Nov 05, 2023

Dave gets in his DeLorean and goes back in time to his sophomore year of high school when his best friend played him a song that contained a radical idea to him at 15 years old and that still seems incredible: that humans can talk conversationally (and safely) to God Himself. Jay Kim stops by to talk about this idea, and we go through John Calvin’s famous “four rules for prayer” that practically help us orient our hearts as we pray. Also, we debrief Halloween, and discuss our family’s costumes. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The With-God Life -Week 3 Nov 05, 2023

The ability to communicate might be the most valuable gift we have in this life. And the most meaningful communication we can experience is the sort of conversation that maximizes relational connection. Life with God offers us the tremendous gift of being able to talk with God. And yet, we so rarely do. And yet, in the Scriptures, we find a God eager to connect with us, inviting us to share with Him our griefs, our joys, our needs as we approach God’s “throne of grace.” SPEAKERS: John Ortberg (Saratoga), Jay Kim (South Hills) Bible Passages): Hebrews 4:14-16

THE AFTERWORD | The With-God Life - Week 2 Oct 29, 2023

There’s a saying that “people who talk to God are religious, but people who hear from God are certifiably insane.” And yet, the idea that God is trying to communicate with human beings is actually a central assumption of the Christian story and the Christian Scriptures. Jay Kim and Steve Clifford stop by to share their wisdom and thoughts about what it means for us to be a people who earnestly desire to WANT to hear from God. We talk about the difference between God’s voice and our own internal voice. And how we can cultivate wanting to “listen and obey” God in both desire and practice. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Steve Clifford

The With-God Life -Week 2 Oct 29, 2023

In our modern world, we are conditioned to believe that the most important thing we can do - indeed the thing that we must do – is BE HEARD. That’s what will give our lives meaning. And as a result, many of our lives today involve so much talking and so little listening. Is it any wonder that we have difficulty listening to God? This week, examine what it’s like to be a people who WANT to hear from God, and not only when we think we need it or because it will solve a problem we’re interested in. Throughout the Scriptures, the phrase “listen and obey” is used of people whose desire is to live a life that’s pleasing to God. And conversely, we find that people who ignore God’s voice, find that it’s then harder and harder to hear.

THE AFTERWORD | The With-God Life - Week 1 Oct 22, 2023

This week, David Tieche debriefs Beautiful Day with Jay Kim. And they talk about the ancient spiritual practice of The Examen (which Dave is disappointed to learn has nothing to do with “The X-men.”) We then discuss a book that some scholars think might be the most widely read Christian book in the past 300 years that’s not the Bible - a book by a French lay monk who spent all his life in obscurity. This book, titled The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is an exact antidote for modern people, who live noisy, busy lives where God gets crowded out. And in this, the invitation is to live more attentive, less distracted lives. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The With-God Life -Week 1 Oct 22, 2023

We live in an age of hurry and distraction. There are, at any given moment, 100 things pinging and dinging and vying for our attention (mostly, things trying to get us to buy something). And we live in a time where there is a lot going on. Both hurry and distraction are great enemies to spiritual growth and connection with God. God is not in a hurry. And as we see from the earliest pages of the Bible, all the way through, God is inclined to speak to those who show themselves truly hungry to hear from Him. This week, we talk about some concrete, helpful ways to slow down and become more aware of God’s always-there-presence so that we can live a life WITH God. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

Beautiful Day Celebration 2023 Oct 15, 2023

About 1600 people served at one of our 20 different worksites around Santa Clara County and beyond last weekend, all for the purpose of showing Christ's love to our neighbors. We call this effort Beautiful Day.

THE AFTERWORD | Beautiful Day Celebration Oct 15, 2023

THE AFTERWORD | Beautiful Day Celebration About 1600 people served at one of our 20 different worksites around Santa Clara County and beyond last weekend, all for the purpose of showing Christ's love to our neighbors. We call this effort Beautiful Day.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 8 - Week 5 Oct 01, 2023

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew (Season 8) - Week 5 - What is Greatness Description: In every culture, the people who get celebrated and honored the most shape that society’s view of what it means to be “great.” For example, the Bay Area’s culture of ladder-climbing and going-public-striking-it-rich inevitably sinks into our souls, and malforms our ideas about greatness. Jay Kim stops by to talk about why Jesus’ redefinition of greatness in Matthew 20 is not only radical but helpful and hopeful. We may or may not also talk for a bit too long about how the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce situation plays into all of this. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Matthew : Season 8 - Week5 Oct 01, 2023

In Matthew 20, the mother of two of the disciples (James and John) comes to Jesus and makes a particular request: can her boys have the seats of honor next to Jesus in His Kingdom. The other disciples are indignant, probably because they wished they’d thought to ask first. But amidst this immature, self-centered bickering, Jesus pulls them all aside and gives them a new definition of greatness. It’s not about power, or prestige. To be great in Jesus’ kingdom, you have to serve. This is good news in a way, because it means anyone can be great because anyone can serve. But Jesus doesn’t just teach a new model and definition of greatness - as we see later in the story, He lives it out. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages: Matthew 20:17-28

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 8 - Week 4 Sep 24, 2023

One of the most shocking and provocative things Jesus is ever recorded saying is found in Matthew 19, when Jesus says “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Woah. Andy Gridley and Steve Clifford join me to talk through this passage, what it means, and what it doesn’t mean. And we find out that while this passage might seem like it’s all about money, it’s actually about something much deeper: what money *means* and how money can *distort” our hearts. We also compare the Gospel accounts to see what additional information Mark and Luke’s accounts give us, and discuss why this passage is a sobering warning to every Christian. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Andy Gridley

Matthew : Season 8 - Week 4 Sep 24, 2023

In most times, in most places, having money opens doors and opportunities. For education, health care, recreation and even more wealth. Most of the time, having a lot of money is a real benefit. But in an astonishing conversation recorded in Matthew 19, we see that for one young man, money is actually a barrier. In an account recorded in three Gospels, Jesus has a conversation and then a confrontation with a young man (Mark says he has power, calling him a ruler) who is wealthy (the NIV says “many possessions”). He asks Jesus how to gain eternal life, and Jesus has a simple prescription: sell all you have and follow me. The fact that this man turns Jesus down on the offer is a sobering reminder to all of us: each of us has a thing that can “get in the way” of following Jesus. And Jesus will always ask us to lay that thing down, and follow Him. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Andy Gridley (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 19:16-30 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 18 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Steve Clifford (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 18 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 17

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 8 - Week 3 Sep 17, 2023

There may be no idea in our culture today that’s more universally applauded and less examined than the idea of vengeance. It’s embedded, almost unquestioningly, in our culture. Our most popular stories are based around vengeance. John Wick. The Equalizer. “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.” Even the biggest movie franchise in history is called The Avengers. It’s everywhere. Jay and I sit down to discuss Matthew 18 and Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness. And we find that Jesus insists that vengeance and forgiveness are actually opposite things, but that forgiveness and justice are NOT opposite, but are linked and dance together in important ways. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard

Matthew : Season 8 - Week 3 Sep 17, 2023

In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus a critically important question: how many time should we forgive someone who has wronged us? When we are wronged, however significant or slight the wrong may be, we are often overcome by the desire for revenge. In our worst moments, we are tempted to even project the approval of God on our vengeful desire. But Jesus confronts this idea by telling a story. And in that story, we learn that our desires for vengeance, though understandable, are destructive and have no place in the Kingdom of God, that forgiveness is necessary for not only our good, but the good of those who wronged us, and that God is more interested in forgiving and changing humans than destroying them for their mistakes and sins - which is very good news for everyone, especially you and I. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 18 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Steve Clifford (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 18 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 17

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 8 - Week 2 Sep 10, 2023

What does it mean to be great? In the Bay Area, the definition of greatness usually revolves around technological brilliance or perhaps business acumen. The company you started had an IPO and you made millions. Or maybe it’s around fame. In Matthew 18, the disciples ask Jesus a question about what makes a person great. Steve Clifford stops by to discuss how Jesus redefines “greatness” in a way that’s both shocking, disorienting, and deeply hopeful. We also examine what we can learn from Mark’s retelling of this exact same story in Mark 9. And we listen to a man nearly universally regarded as great - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr - reflect on what it means to be great as he talks about this passage in one of his final sermons. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard

Matthew : Season 8 - Week 2 Sep 10, 2023

In Matthew 18, the disciples, who are still trying to wrap their minds around the idea of a Messiah who would willing go to a cross and die, ask Jesus about greatness. Jesus responds to the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” and redefines greatness by highlighting…children…the most socially insignificant and relationally reliant people present. But in doing so, Jesus is not only changing definitions of what it means to be great, but showing the disciples how to live in this world. And Jesus’ upside-down lesson which made virtues of lowliness and humility, shocked listeners in the ancient world as much as it shocks us still today. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Steve Clifford (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 18 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 17

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 8 - Week 1 Sep 03, 2023

The story of the Transfiguration is one of WEIRDEST moments in the entire Bible. Nothing like this happens anywhere else in the Bible. Corinna Girard stops by to talk about all the hyperlinks in this story that go directly back to the Old Testament. We dig into why Moses and Elijah - who both died a long time ago - show up on the scene and what that means. We break down why Jesus starts glowing, and how the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation show us something very similar. And we talk about the strange reaction of the disciples – and the incredible response of Jesus. And finally, we talk about why this moment is a big one, and how it can bring us hope and certainty in a world that’s often lacking it. Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard

Matthew : Season 8 - Week 1 Sep 03, 2023

As the buzz around Jesus grows, Jesus affirms that He’s the Messiah, but then shocks His followers to their core by revealing that He will be killed, and will die on a Roman Cross, His followers are baffled, wondering, “If you’re going to die, does this mean you’re *not* the Messiah?” The next episode in Matthew 17 removes all shreds of doubt about Jesus’ identity as Peter, James and John see Jesus transformed into a figure, glowing white hot like lightning before their very eyes, with God the Father speaking audibly to tell them “this is my son, with whom I am well-pleased.” This dramatic moment changes the disciples, and it’s meant to change, us too. And if we examine it, we can see some deep truths about not only who Jesus really is, but also where history - and even our lives - are going. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 17

THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest - Week 4 Aug 27, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest : Love Your Neighbor Description: A while ago, we polled folks at WestGate Church and asked them which of the three loves was the most challenging to them. The winner, by a clear margin, was “love your neighbor.” This makes sense in light of our current cultural climate, where people who believe a lot differently from you are seen not as strangers, but enemies. Jay stops by to talk about practical ways to love our neighbor, and shares some tips and tricks. We talk about how this value is inviolable for those who want to follow Jesus. We also try to define “neighbor” and “love” in ways that help. Also! We delve into the neuroscience of human connection, and why this matters as we interact with people who aren’t followers of Jesus. Finally, David does a deep dive into the 1985 song “We Are the World” - an incredibly influential song that not only sold 20 million copies, but has spiritually resonant themes about responsibility toward sacrifice of one’s neighbor. Okay, he does in WAY too deep, but you know how Dave gets. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The Greatest - Week 4 Aug 27, 2023

In one of the most famous passages of the Bible, Jesus tells people that the most important thing in life is to love God with “all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” But Jesus, famously, doesn’t stop there. He adds to it, commanding His followers to “love your neighbor as yourself.” A tall order. In today’s world, it seems we tolerate our neighbors, or neglect them, or judge them, or even are suspicious of them. But if love means “seeking the good of the other” and “seeking connection” then we ask ourselves: what would it mean to “seek connection” with my neighbor and truly seek their good?

THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest - Week 3 Aug 21, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest : Love One Another Description: In John 13, Jesus tells His followers that He wants them to “love one another” as “He has loved them.” Jesus’ model of presence, connection and self-sacrifice are a TALL ORDER - especially in a busy Bay Area world. David Kim and Lisa Averill stop by to share thoughts about why community breaks down, and what makes community work. Also, is Christian community a…discipline, like working out? Also, is there a difference between Christian community and Christian friendship? Are they the same? We talk about all of it. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim + Lisa Averill

The Greatest - Week 3 Aug 20, 2023

Sermon Description: In John 13, Jesus says that He wants his followers to love one another as He loved them. He then says these loving communities will be a powerful testimony to a world that’s often filled with loneliness, isolation and conditional love. This isn’t always easy - it’s tough to love other people when our lives are filled with so many demands that we can barely take care of ourselves and those in our immediate vicinity. But perhaps that’s the point: in a world that desperately needs it, Jesus is telling His followers to forge these kind of communities. Not just for the sake of others, but for our own sake, as well. Bible Passages): 1 Cor 13 SPEAKERS: Lisa Averill (Saratoga), David Kim (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest - Week 2 Aug 13, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest : Love God Description: The problem with the phrase “love God” is that you have to do a lot of work to explain what you mean by “love” and what you mean by “God.” Those words are pretty mushy, semantically. We use the same word to say I “love” my mom and I also “love” tacos? What? Jay and David share a proper definition of love that’s not only helpful, but actionable. Also, if love is partially about working for the good of another, then how in the world can we “work” for God’s good? He’s got everything. Right? We dive into the Biblical truth that humans - you and I - can actually bring God joy and delight. Finally, Jay shares his personal picks for “best love song” of all time. And if you’re a fan of 90s R&B, his selections *will not* disappoint. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The Greatest - Week 2 Aug 13, 2023

One of the most famous passages in the entire Bible is 1 Corinthians 13, the famed “love is…” passage that’s often read at weddings. It’s a beautiful articulation of what love is. But Paul isn’t just being poetic. In ancient Corinth (as was the case in a lot of ancient places) religious systems were established to incite or earn the blessings of the gods. Do this, and maybe the gods will pay attention and help. This is contractual and conditional (If I do this for the gods, then the gods will do this for me.) But in Christianity, LOVE differentiates the way of Jesus from all other faith traditions, then and today. Christian faith is built on… covenantal love, based on relationships, and binding commitments based on promises made and kept. No other religion features a god willing to…die….for people. And if we see this - truly see it - it can change us, and change the way we live. Because once we see the love of God and experience it, it can overflow out of us. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | The Greatest - Week 1 Aug 09, 2023

Every Fall at WestGate Church, we take a few weeks to re-calibrate our lives and talk about the “three loves.” Love God, love your neighbor, love one another. But “love” is a pliable, somewhat mushy word, and often how we define what love determines how we live it out. Steve CLifford stops by to talk about a proper definition for love, some bad definitions of love, and how we can grow in love. He and Dave also debate the Greatest NFL team of all-time and Steve has some nominations for his favorite all-time songs about love. And Huey Lewis makes a cameo. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

The Greatest - Week 1 Aug 06, 2023

If you’ve been around WestGate Church for any amount of time at all, you’ve heard us talk about the three loves that are central to who we are as a church family (love God, love your neighbor, love one another). And the central goal of our community is to become disciples of Jesus as we learn and live the way of Jesus together. And, summarized in a word, the way of Jesus is LOVE. In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul outlines and defines this word “love” anchoring it not in feelings, or popular conceptions which often change, but in the unchanging nature of God, who He is, and His unchanging posture toward us. And Paul is convinced, if we truly grasp this, it will change the way we live and move in this world. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Steve Clifford (South Hills) Bible Passages): 1 Cor 13

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 7 - Week 6 Jul 30, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | Matthew (Season 7) Week 6 - Take Up Your Cross Description: In Matthew 16, Jesus introduces a clear definition of what it means to follow Him, and it’s one of the more famous sayings of Jesus - and one of the least “attractive” offers in human history. Jesus says to be His disciple, you must deny yourself (refuse to center your life around you) take up your cross (an instrument of Roman torture) and follow Him (give control over your life to Jesus) At first glance, this seems like the most un-American thing ever. But as we’ll find, Jesus’ highest ethic is love, and He wants us to become people of love, and this is the only way too really do that. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

Matthew : Season 7 - Week 6 Jul 30, 2023

Sermon Description: In the second part of Matthew 16, Jesus begins to reveal to His disciples a very difficult truth: His life’s mission is going to cost Him His life. Jesus is going to be killed. Obviously, the disciples, and Peter particularly, don’t have categories for this. Being the Messiah means Jesus will be a conquering King, right? But as Jesus explains, we discover that allegiance to Him will cost us. But in the end, we find that by following Jesus, we get two things that are worth it. First, it’s the path of Jesus Himself and He’ll be with us. And second, by denying ourselves and putting Jesus first, we actually will find life – true life, not some shallow substitute – and life everlasting. SPEAKERS: David Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 16

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 7 - Week 5 Jul 23, 2023

In the Gospels, Jesus asks a number of questions to people, and it’s never because He needs information. Jesus’ questions are pointed and often force people to dig deep, take stock of their lives and (usually) make a clarifying decision about their lives. In Matthew 16, Jesus does this with Peter, one of his closest disciples, and says to him, “What are people saying about me?” And then, Jesus turns it on Peter. “Who do you say that I am.” This is the first time Jesus has asked *this* question to anyone, and Peter’s simple but profound answer “You are the Messiah” reveals much. Andy Gridley and Jay Kim stop by to talk about what Matthew is trying to get us - the reader - to see (and do) in light of Peter’s grand announcement, and why the setting matters. Also, David and Andy share various food-related stories from their family vacations in Europe. Speakers: David Tieche + Andy Gridley + Jay Kim

Matthew : Season 7 - Week 5 Jul 23, 2023

SERMON DESCRIPTIONIn Matthew 16, the setting becomes important, and we know this because Matthew goes out of his way to point out that Jesus and His disciples have now come to the thriving city of Caesarea Philippi. This city was not only filled with idols and temples to particular Roman Gods - it was literally named after the leader of the Roman Empire and the governor of that region. All sorts of idolatry going on. And it’s in this setting that Jesus asks Peter a particular question: Who do you say that I am? This is a question for Peter about Jesus’ identity, but it’s also a question for us. In a world full of idolatry, just as robust and powerful as ancient Rome, do we see Jesus for who He truly is? As the Messiah - the High Priest and the True King sent by God Himself for our world? SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Andy Gridley (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 16

Matthew : Season 7 - Week 4 Jul 16, 2023

Speakers: Jay (SA) + Corinna (SH) Passage: Matthew 15:21-28 Blurb: In one of the strangest and disturbing texts in the Gospels, a Gentile woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter and Jesus responds by essentially calling her a "dog." So, is Jesus a cold-hearted, mean-spirited bigot? Or is there something profoundly and surprisingly beautiful happening here? Could it be that what seems on the surface like an act of bigotry is actually a revolutionary expansion of God's kingdom boundaries? In this teaching, we'll dive into one of the challenging stories of Jesus and encounter a bold new vision for what it means to belong.

Matthew : Season 7 - Week 3 Jul 09, 2023

"Looks can be deceiving." We know it's true but rarely believe it about ourselves. In Jesus' day, there were many who looked religious, pious, and devoted on the outside but in actuality were far from the people God wanted them to be. "Playing religion" is tempting—to look the part of a good and faithful Christian. But experiencing real change in our lives necessitates getting real, with God and others. In this teaching, we'll be confronted and comforted by Jesus' sobering words about being changed from the inside out and explore practical steps in that all important direction.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 7 - Week 2 Jul 02, 2023

Matthew 14 takes a pretty dark turn, as we see the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of this World come into violent conflict. The government kills Jesus’ close friend and cousin, John the Baptist in a particularly gruesome way. This sends shockwaves through the disciples, and Jesus. But Jesus’ response - and the ensuing story - teach us so much not only about God’s good rescue mission for this world, but also about Jesus Himself. Also, Matthew 14 is so chock full of content, this weekend we couldn’t even get to the part at the end of the chapter where Jesus (and then Peter) walks on water. Steve and I discuss that, and how Matthew is setting up Jesus as a type of “new Moses.” Also, David discovers a unique Greek word that Matthew deploys strategically when describing Jesus – and he shares it with Steve. It actually turns out it’s pretty important.

Matthew : Season 7 - Week 2 Jul 02, 2023

In Matthew 14, we learn some terrible news: John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus and the prophet who announced Him and baptized Him, is killed by King Herod. Overcome by grief, Jesus attempts to retreat and get away, but when He sees the crowds and masses, the text says He has “compassion on them” and spends a long time healing people and helping them. In this, we get a glimpse of God’s character in Jesus’ nearly-bottomless compassion and deep reservoir of love. And in the miracle that follows - the feeding of the 5,000 - we see God once again providing sustenence for His people in the desert. But this time, instead of food falling directly from heaven, we see Jesus’ disciples involved in the miracle. They’re the ones who identify the problem, and they’re the ones who Jesus invites to solve it. And through all of this, we see Jesus more clearly, His mission more clearly, and even our potential role more clearly. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 14

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 7 - Week 1 Jun 25, 2023

Hey kids! It’s Story Time with Jesus! In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a number of parables to illustrate to His followers what God and what the Kingdom of God is really like. But Jesus isn’t just providing insight or lecturing or sharing knowledge: He is telling these stories to provoke a response in people. These are stories told with intention. Steve and David talk about parables as a teaching form and then dive into the parables, including the longest one (the parables of the soils) that we didn’t even have time to get into this weekend. In the end, we see that even in the parables, Jesus is challenging, comforting and calling people to change the way they see things and live in light of that. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

Matthew : Season 7 - Week 1 Jun 25, 2023

Jesus’ parables are among the best-known and most influential stories in the world. Even if people know nothing of Jesus, they have probably heard terms like “prodigal” or “good Samaritan.” We examine the use of this unique form of teaching, and take some time to dive into some of Jesus’ parables and in the process, we see that Jesus is inviting us to not only see things in a different way, but to LIVE in a different way as well. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 13

Matthew : Season 6 - Week 6 Jun 18, 2023

The conflict continues between the Pharisee leaders and Jesus, culminating here with the leaders asking for a “miraculous sign” to prove to them that Jesus was really from God. Other places in the Bible, people ask for signs to help their tremulous faith, and God (gladly) obliges. Abraham, Gideon, and Joshua come to mind. But Jesus knows this is not a request done in good faith, and He’s not a circus performer doing tricks. He tells them no sign will be given, then backs up and says, “Well, one sign will be given: the sign of Jonah.” Here, Jesus not only foreshadows His own death and resurrection (which would be dramatic signs of His Divine nature) but He also locates Himself among a group of people in the Old Testament called the prophets. These are people who called God’s people back to the love of God, but whose message was either received with gratitude and humility - or provoked murderous hatred. SPEAKERS: David Tieche (Saratoga), Finny Abraham (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 11:39-50

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 6 - Week 6 Jun 18, 2023

In a fight with the Pharisees in Matthew 12, Jesus refers to Himself as being like Jonah. He’s clearly talking about Jonah’s miraculous rescue from certain death (which authenticated his message as being from God Himself), and foreshadows His own rescue from certain death as well (authenticating Him as Divine, too). Finny Abraham stops by to talk about the Resurrection and shares a true story from his childhood in India where the “sign” of Jesus’ resurrection deeply affected him. We talk about what it means to be people who are marked by the “sign” of the Resurrection - bearing witness to its truth and power. We also nerd out, and spend some time diving into the whole story of Jonah. This book is four short chapters (it’s only about 1000 words long) and is one of the strangest and most unique books in the Bible, but also one of the most beautiful in showing us the patient, pursuing heart of God to not give up on people, offer forgiveness and transform hearts and lives. Speakers: David Tieche + Finny Abraham

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 6 - Week 5 Jun 11, 2023

Description: Let’s pretend for a second that you’re wrong about something. There’s something you are doing or a way you’re thinking that’s (and again, we’re just pretending!) wrong. And let’s say that God wants to get your attention. Could He? If so, how? Steve Clifford stops by to talk about how we can avoid spiritual “group think” or “echo chambers” that can serve to ratify bad thinking Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

Matthew : Season 6 - Week 5 Jun 11, 2023

Sermon Description: Jesus continues His head-on confrontation with the religious leaders of Israel. In this episode, the Pharisee leaders, faced with miracle after miracle showing definitive proof of Jesus’ power and authority move to a smear campaign. They claim that Jesus is only able to do these things because He is aligned with the dark, evil spiritual forces of Satan. Jesus not only refutes the logic of this, but then counter-attacks, saying that the religious leaders are completely missing God’s work right in front of their eyes. He calls them a “brood of snakes” - a reference back to the serpent in Genesis 3 who is the enemy of God. To close, Jesus puts forth a simple test to know who is doing God’s work, and who is not, saying “good trees produce good fruit, and evil trees produce evil fruit.” In this, Jesus is inviting us to think long and hard about the kind of people we are becoming (and the kind of people we listen to and follow). SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 11:22-37

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 6 - Week 4 Jun 04, 2023

How are you at handling conflict? Do you avoid it? Tiptoe around it? Try to defuse it? Throw some gasoline on it and watch as it all burns? Hopefully not the last one. But more importantly, how does Jesus handle conflict? What can we learn from Him? In Matthew 12, Jesus walks headfirst into some gnarly conflict with the religious leaders, and it gets so intense, that when the episode is over, the Pharisees plot to kill Jesus. Kill Jesus. Steve Clifford and Corinna Girard step in to help process how this dramatic confrontation shows that Jesus has no patience for good people who are not good to people AND that loving people well and having “the fruit of the Spirit” in our interactions is a non-negioable part of following Him. This has dramatic check-yourself-before-you-wreck-yourself implications for all of us, especially in our polarized world of outrage. Also, added bonus, Dave shares a story from college about a conflict he had with an angry, imperialistic vegan he lived with in the dorms in New York City. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Corinna Girard

Matthew : Season 6 - Week 4 Jun 04, 2023

For the first 10 chapters of Matthew, Matthew records the amazing things that Jesus does and says. But then, in chapters 11 and 12, he tells the stories of how people respond to Jesus. And sometimes it’s awe, wonder and worship, but sometimes, it’s dramatic conflict. In Matthew 12, the Pharisees pick a fight with Jesus about the proper interpretation of the Torah (what we’d call the Old Testament). Jesus then picks a fight right back, saying that the Pharisees actually don’t understand their own sacred texts. And in the process, Jesus reveals that a person’s zeal to “be right” can lead them to be unloving, which is always a violation of the heart of God and the heart of the Scriptures. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 12:1-21

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 6 - Week 3 May 28, 2023

Description: As the Messiah, Jesus was good at a lot of thing. But there was one thing Jesus was awful at and that was meeting everyone around Him’s expectations. Dana and Andy stop by to talk about how Jesus disappointed people, and what that’s a good thing. We also talk about how Jesus’s response back to John the Baptist is actually a hidden Scripture code in which Jesus is basically telling John, “You’re going to die.” And we talk about how to make it through the seasons of life when crushing disappointment leads to a mistrust of God Himself, and how Jesus’ invitation to John and us at the end of Matthew 11 is the way forward. Speakers: David Tieche + Dana Clifford + Andy Gridley

Matthew : Season 6 - Week 3 May 28, 2023

Sermon Description: It’s a common temptation, when things go wrong in life, to get upset with God. Why did this happen? Why *didn’t* this happen? In Matthew 11, we see John the Baptist unfairly and wrong imprisoned, facing the death penalty at the hands of a crazy ruler. He sends a message to Jesus with a question: are you the Messiah, or what? John has some clear ideas about how Jesus is and should work, and the “good guys” getting thrown in prison (or worse, killed) isn’t how he imagined things going for God’s Anointed and His friends. Jesus’ response is chilling: Jesus affirms that He is the Messiah, and that no, John shouldn’t expect everything to go the way he expects it to. But that doesn’t mean that Jesus isn’t at work. And in the end, Jesus invites John and everyone listening to trust Him, even in the middle of confusing situations. SPEAKERS: Dana Clifford (Saratoga), Andy Gridley (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 11:1-30

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 6 - Week 2 May 22, 2023

This week, we have a whole bunch of questions about Jesus’ famous “mission discourse speech” in Matthew 10. Jesus famously said “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” What was He trying to say, back then, and how does that relate to us, today? Secondly, we believe that Jesus is actually beautifully compelling with both His life and His words. So how does that jive with His warning that people will hate Him and hate His followers? Jesus says his followers are like sheep sent out among the wolves. What does that mean? Also, how do you know when you’re being hated because you follow Jesus, and when you’re being hated because you’re a Grade A jerk? Jay Kim stops by to help David figure all this out. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Matthew : Season 6 - Week 2 May 21, 2023

It’s easy, as Christians, to get so focused on what God is doing in our lives (or what we need Him for in our lives) that we begin to think that God exists *for* us. Like, Jesus came to earth and died for *me*. Which, on one hand, is true, but in another way is entirely false. Jesus came to save humanity. In Matthew 10, we have the second big speech of Jesus in Matthew, and in it, Jesus outlines His big, overarching mission. But there’s a troubling reality: Jesus says that the “harvest is ripe” but that the “workers are few.” Jesus, like those first disciples, is inviting us with an urgency to join Him as He builds the kingdom. And a great deal depends on our response. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 9:35 - 10:42

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 6 - Week 1 May 15, 2023

Sometimes in the Gospels, one story is told multiple times in multiple Gospels. And while the stories are the same, the details that each author includes are *slightly* different. This week, we looked at the story of a bleeding woman and a man named Jairus’ daughter which is found in Matthew 9, and Luke and Mark. But while Matthew only devotes 8 verses to these stories, Luke doubles that with 16 and Mark gives it 21 verses of attention. Lisa and David go through these different accounts, each sharing their three (3) favorite details added by Luke or Mark that enhance the story in a really profound or beautiful way. Speakers: David Tieche + Lisa Averill

Matthew : Season 6 - Week 1 May 15, 2023

In Matthew 9, Matthew tells two stories of two different people in similar desperate circumstances. One is a woman with a medical condition she’s been suffering from for 12 years, and the other is a man whose young daughter is terribly sick - indeed, almost dead. Both are out of options. And both fall at Jesus’ feet asking for help. The response of Jesus (recorded not only in Matthew but also in the Gospels of Luke and Mark) show us so much about who Jesus is, and how with Jesus, no situation is too broken and it’s never too late for Jesus to step in and set things right - on Earth as they are in Heaven. SPEAKERS: Lisa Averill (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 4 May 10, 2023

Description: Comparison, it’s been said, is the thief of joy. And our modern Instagram world, it’s easy to compare and feel less than. Resident sage Steve Clifford stops by to talk about a few of the most dangerous enemies of contentment in our modern world. We talk about how social media can fuel our insecurities, and how to get out of that trap. And we talk about another source of insecurity in the Bay Area: the idea that I’m just not successful enough. We discuss where that feeling comes from, and ways that Christians can invite God into that conversation. David also uses an analogy from long division – MATH! – to describe a spiritual condition, which is absolutely the first time that’s ever happened. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 4 May 07, 2023

To be human is to have inferiority feelings, but the digital universe of social media presents an almost limitless potential for people to compare themselves against others. And this easily leads to discontentment, with our place in the world. With our perceived success. With the amount of things we have, or don’t have. Jesus, in Luke 12, warns us against this spirit of discontent, where we believe the myth that “more” will make us happy. And as we see, with Jesus, contentment is not a passive acceptance of the status quo, but the positive assurance that God has supplied one’s needs (which frees us to be generous) and a reminder that God is faithful to supply us what we actually need (and be freed from unnecessary desires which frees us to be filled with gratitude).

THE AFTERWORD | Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 3 Apr 30, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 3 - Money Description: In His teachings on money, it’s pretty clear that Jesus (and historically, the leaders of the early church) viewed money as a dangerous spiritual threat to people. And in the Bay Area, money might be the most frequently worshipped god because it promises so many different things to different people. Steve and Jay stop by to discuss why Jesus says to “be careful” and to “be on guard” against greed, why the spiritual rot of greed is nearly always invisible, and how two practices - generosity and transparency (which are radical and uncommon in not only our society, but also in our Christian circles) - can lead us to freedom. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Steve Clifford

Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 3 Apr 30, 2023

Money is the topic of more than 25 percent of Jesus’ parables. One out of every 10 verses (288 total) in the Gospels are about money and resources, and there are more than 2,350 verses in the Bible are about money and resources. Why? Because money can easily, easily lead to greed, which is enslavement to money and all that it promises. And this isn’t just a risk for those with plenty. It’s a high risk for all of us—those with financial hardship, uncertainty, and stability and comfort. We’ll examine how follow Jesus’ clear example to “be on guard” against greed and share practical ways to make sure that God is our Master, not money. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Steve Clifford (South Hills) Bible Passages): Luke 12:13-21

Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 2 Apr 26, 2023

YouTube playlists: Work Hard, Rest Easy Sermon Description: According to recent research, Americans spend more than 5 hours a day on leisure, with about 3 hours of that watching streaming content. That’s a lot of leisure time. And yet, 60 percent of Americans say they’re more tired than ever. We’re exhausted. We want to stop. We want to rest. But the things we’re doing don’t seem to be replenishing us. This is why the Biblical wisdom about Sabbath is so critical for our modern moment. In Scripture, we see that Sabbath is not an escape from work, but an intentional entering into God’s presence. It’s not about entertaining ourselves, but delighting in God’s goodness and grace. And it’s not about meaningless leisure, but meaningful rest. And for many of us who are worn out and tired, the invitation of God to Sabbath is likely exactly what our tired souls desperately need. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills) Bible Passages): Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:12-15

THE AFTERWORD | Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 2 Apr 23, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 2 - Questions about Sabbath Description: This week, David shares actual questions submitted by WestGate Church congregants about what it means for someone in the Bay Area to “practice keeping the Sabbath.” What does this look like, practically, in a region whose culture flows swiftly toward “overwork.” Does the Sabbath *have* to be on a Sunday? Irreligious people sometimes say they “Sabbath”…is there a way to Sabbath that’s functionally non-religious? What about if you’re an introvert? Does Sabbathing look different for different people? And how do you Sabbath if your work and family responsibilities don’t ever shut off? Jay Kim and Corinna Girard stop by to provide some pastoral insights to these questions and more. Also, find out what a “horse porpoise” is, and why it’s so important. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Corinna Girard

THE AFTERWORD | Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 1 Apr 16, 2023

Easter is a strange holiday for our post-Christian, mostly secular world. If you go just a little bit deeper than Peeps and chocolate bunnies, it’s actually pretty confrontational. The story says, “Jesus was dead, and now He isn’t and that means something BIG.” Jay and David talk about the “confronting” edges of Easter, and why Easter has harder edges than Christmas. We talk about if the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection even matters in an age that’s post-truth and post-facts. And David shares how the story of the Resurrection became critically important to his family this Easter. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Work Hard, Rest Easy - Week 1 Apr 16, 2023

In the ancient near eastern world, humans were universally conceived as being made by the gods to be slaves. Made from-the-mud servants, with little to no value. But in the story of creation in the first book of the Bible (Genesis) we see a dramatically different story. God creates humans not as slaves, but as co-laborers, stamped indelibly with God’s image, and given purpose and dignity. And they’re given good work to do by God Himself - work to bring order out of chaos, bring good potential to bear, and even infuse meaning into the mundane. In a world and culture that often looks to work to provide ultimate meaning, here is a crucial corrective. Work is a way for us to connect with God, as His image bearers, to bring His kingdom to earth (little by little!) every day. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Genesis 1:1, 17-19, 26-27, Colossians 3:23 SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 8:28-34

THE AFTERWORD | Easter 2023 Apr 09, 2023

Easter is a strange holiday for our post-Christian, mostly secular world. If you go just a little bit deeper than Peeps and chocolate bunnies, it’s actually pretty confrontational. The story says, “Jesus was dead, and now He isn’t and that means something BIG.” Jay and David talk about the “confronting” edges of Easter, and why Easter has harder edges than Christmas. We talk about if the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection even matters in an age that’s post-truth and post-facts. And David shares how the story of the Resurrection became critically important to his family this Easter. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Easter Service 2023 Apr 09, 2023

Sermon Description: The final book of the final Gospel contains a story of an ordinary man (Simon Peter) who comes face-to-face with an extraordinary story: Jesus has beaten death and is Resurrected. As we walk through Peter’s story, we show him moving from utter depression, to glimmers of hope, to majestic awe to being invited to respond to Jesus’ invitation and join Him in His work around the world. The invitation is the same to us as it was to Peter: consider what the resurrection of Jesus means for our lives. And in the end, we see that this story is either the biggest con in human history, or the fulcrum of human history: with little in-between. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages: John 21:2-17

Matthew : Season 5 - Week 6 Apr 02, 2023

Matthew 8 records an interaction of Jesus with two demon-possessed men, a story which seems fantastical (even made up) to modern ears. But the Biblical worldview, here and throughout, has no problem with the existence of an unseen realm, a world in which there are “powers of a dark world and spiritual forces of evil,” in the words of Paul in Ephesians 6. So if that’s the case, what are these “powers” and “spiritual forces of evil” up to today? And although demons can’t possess Christians, the devil can oppress and enslave us with lies. We examine some of the most common, pervasive lies the “spiritual forces of evil” speak today, and how Jesus still is and has the authority to lead us to freedom from these lies. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills) Bible Passages): Matthew 8:28-34

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 5 - Week 6 Apr 02, 2023

Title: THE AFTERWORD | Matthew (Season 5) - Week 6 - Demon-Possession, Healing and Authority Description: Two demon-possessed men tormenting a whole town? Jesus sending a horde of demons into a herd of pigs that then immediately drowns itself? The story of the two demon-possessed men in Matthew 8 is undoubtedly one of the strangest stories in the entire New Testament. Jay and Dave discuss the other Gospel accounts of this encounter and discuss the seeming contradictions between Matthew and Mark/Luke including 1. where this event happened and 2. how many people were possessed. We also discuss some of the more human aspects of the town’s inept initial solutions and the town’s puzzling request for “Jesus to please leave.” As always, Jesus is out disrupting things. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 5 - Week5 Mar 26, 2023

Sometimes, in the Gospel narratives, Jesus can come across as….cranky. In the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8, Jesus seems to be irritated (and even seems to rebuke) His disciples because they were afraid when a GIANT storm seemed ready to sink their boat. Sorry that we couldn’t fall asleep during a Hurricane like you, Jesus. But is the lesson here “don’t wake Jesus up during a nap because He’ll be grouchy”? Or is Jesus confronting something inside us that needs to be confronted? When storms come, even bad ones, is there a way to react that’s not what Jesus would want for us? Lisa Averill and Corinna Girard stop by to share their insights on this pretty incredible moment in the lives of the disciples. Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard + Lisa Averill

Matthew : Season 5 - Week 5 Mar 26, 2023

In Matthew 8, Jesus and His disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a giant storm erupts on the lake. His followers, many of whom were fisherman in that region, are more than worried: they’re terrified of the strength of the storm. What makes matters worse is that Jesus is literally asleep in the boat while all this is happening. This only adds to the angst and fear of the disciples. Does Jesus not see the storm? Does He not realize how bad it is? Does He not care? But as we examine this story, and Jesus’ response to His disciples, we see there’s a lesson for all of us. When storms come (and they will come) fear can overpower us, making it impossible to see anything but the ferocity of the storm. But Jesus wants us to focus, instead, on the fact that God Himself is in the boat with us. And that He can quell any storm. SPEAKERS: Lisa Averill (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 5 - Week 4 Mar 19, 2023

Sometimes, in the Bible, we encounter passages that - on their face - seem to make Jesus look like a giant jerk. One example is in Matthew 8, where a man says he wants to follow Jesus, but requests to first bury his father. Jesus says no, and tells the man to let “the dead bury the dead.” What the heck, Jesus? Compassion much? As always, there’s more going on in the story - and this is a textbook example of delayed obedience. Jay and I talk about how clever we can get with our excuses. Also a loyal listener writes in a question about how to deal with a problem that nobody seems to want to admit is a problem. And Jay plays a fun audio game where he tries to guess songs about “space and time.” Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

Matthew : Season 5 - Week 4 Mar 19, 2023

After the years-long pandemic, it seems that there’s been a shift in the way that people see their time and their space. In a world in which so many of us are overworked, under-rested, always chasing, never-arriving, it makes logical sense that we would so fiercely try to protect our space and our time. But in Matthew 8, we see back-to-back examples where two people approach Jesus to say they want to follow Him. Jesus invites them both, but in the process, He makes it clear that this journey won’t always be comfortable and it won’t always be convenient with their schedule. In the end, Jesus is asking us to examine the idea that our “time” is ours to do with as we please and if our “space” - our home, our house, our office - is ours, either. Like everything else, Jesus is saying that both our space and our time is a resource we can offer to Him in service of the Kingdom. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

Matthew : Season 5 - Week 3 Mar 12, 2023

In Matthew 8, we see the third of three healings that the author Matthew lists. He is being deliberate, but this third “miracle” is different than the others. Unlike the previous two, where people quite literally fell at Jesus’ feet begging Him to help, this time a sickly woman doesn’t say anything. But Jesus sees her, knows her need and heals her out of compassion. The author Matthew is clear: this is further proof that Jesus is the Messiah. It’s Jesus’ way of reversing the effects of the Fall, restoring what was broken by sin, and renewing all things. But the story doesn’t end there. The woman, newly healed, gets up and begins to help and serve Jesus and those with him. This is a powerful reminder: when we experience the healing of Christ—physical, emotional, mental, spiritual—the natural result is a committed life of service to him, the life of discipleship. This is not out of duty but out of deep gratitude. SPEAKERS: Mark Averilla (Saratoga), Jay Kim (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 5 - Week 3 Mar 12, 2023

Often, our image and concept of God (if we have any) is that He is distant and far away. Aloof, at best. And humans who are interested have to undergo nearly Herculean feats to find Him. The equivalent of hiking up a tall mountain to gain wisdom from a spiritual guru. But the Biblical narrative presents a radically different picture of God, especially when you consider the person of Jesus. Here, we don’t see God waiting for humans to get their act together and get to Him, but rather, God running out toward humanity. Jesus shows us God as a *pursuing* God. Mark Averill and Jay Kim stop by to chat about the power of this moment in Matthew 8 where Jesus sees and heals Peter’s mother-in-law - and then we examine the implications of this woman’s pretty remarkable response to being healed. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 5 - Week 2 Mar 05, 2023

We Americans have an uneasy relationship with authority - and have since the very beginning of our nation (right, King George?) But this distrust of authority has only been exacerbated in recent decades to the point that we are quickly becoming a people totally unaccustomed to and even repulsed by the concept of authority. What does this mean for Christians, who have said for millennia to be a people “under the authority” of Jesus? What does that mean? And how can a church (or a person) live out a life under “authority”? Also, Jay shares about the time he got into the most trouble with the “authorities.” Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Corinna Girard

Matthew : Season 5 - Week 2 Mar 05, 2023

We modern people have - for a variety of reasons - a trust problem. And specifically, we have a trust-in-authority problem. From broad institutional failures, to distrust of media, to the deepening of individual autonomy, we are becoming a people who are distrustful of all authority. For followers of Jesus, this poses a tremendous challenge mainly because one can't read the Gospels without being struck by the definitive and unapologetic authority Jesus communicates and claims. In Matthew 8, we see the story of a Roman Centurion who amazes Jesus by his understanding of Jesus’ clear authority. And in the process, we learn that following Jesus demands that we surrender to His authority.

Matthew : Season 5 - Week 1 Feb 26, 2023

Immediately after the famous set of teachings found in Matthew 5-7 called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes “down the mountain” and is immediately confronted in a shocking manner by a leper. According to Mosaic Law, this man would have not only been banished from the city, but was required to yell “Unclean, Unclean” to warn everyone of his condition. But it was more than simply taboo - this was dangerous: these diseases were contagious and deadly. Jesus’ interaction with this man - quite literally an outcast of society - shows us that He has unparalleled authority over sickness, matching the unique authority his preaching and teaching already illustrated. But it is Jesus’ posture toward the man that’s perhaps even more shocking, showing God’s heart and God’s posture toward broken humanity, giving all of us real hope that not only is the King powerful, but that He is truly good, and good to His core. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 5 - Week 1 Feb 26, 2023

In almost all zombie movies, the infected are treated like walking death - because in most of those stories, they are dangerous and contagious. In Matthew 8, we encounter a man with leprosy - pretty much the closest thing to an infected zombie in the ancient world. Contact with a leper was forbidden by God’s law, and for good reason: it could mean certain death. But Matthew records this shocking interaction between Jesus and the leper, and the story reveals a great deal about both of the men. We also talk about the laws of ritual purity and uncleanness in Leviticus (fun!), what they show about God, and what this particular miracle shows about Jesus (and why it’s good news even for us, even today). Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Corinna Girard

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion 2023 - Week 3 Feb 19, 2023

In her best-selling novel The Poisonwood Bible, author Barbara Kingsolver presents missionary Nathan Price as a deep force of evil on the people of the Congo where he goes to serve. He’s a stand-in for colonialism, for arrogance and makes the case that “Christianity” makes our world worse. This mindset is common – so common that when many modern people think about Christian mission work to evangelize (or proselytize), it’s often viewed with deep, deep suspicion. Political scientist and researcher Robert Woodberry set out to examine this very question - did the modern missions movement hurt the world, or help it. Steve and Dave talk about his findings, and although the tragedy of missionaries like Nathan Price sadly exist in the real world, there are also many examples like Adoniram, Sarah, Ann and Emily Judson - missionaries whose presence not only served the local people, but whose lives were blazing examples of holistic, sacrificial love toward others whose impact is still being felt. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

Compassion Immersion 2023 - Week 3 Feb 19, 2023

Once a year, on the final week of Compassion Immersion, we take some time as a church to highlight the work of a Christian missionary whose impact can be felt down through the pages of history. This year, we look at the very first Protestant missionary sent from North America: Adoniram Judson - specifically the role his spouses played. Judson was married three times, losing his wives to disease one after another as they served the people of Burma. From the linguistic brilliance and toughness of Ann, to Sarah’s extraordinary ability to run highly effective schools, to Emily’s writing ability, each contributed to the growth and success of the Burmese church. And their lives, filled with hardship and loss, also shine as an example of what it means of holistic, sacrificial love for others. In the words of Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

Compassion Immersion 2023 - Week 2 Feb 12, 2023

One of the core values of WestGate Church is a direct command by Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This week, Keivan Tehrani, our Global Compassion pastor, stops by to explain why this extends to the entire globe. And even though it’s easy to get quickly overwhelmed at the magnitude of the brokenenss of the world and the desperate need of so many, Keivan shows that it’s faithfulness in little, everyday ways - with your life - that God can use to make a real difference to show the world that God is good in a world that’s sometimes very bad.

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion 2023 - Week 2 Feb 12, 2023

It’s easy to get quickly overwhelmed at the magnitude of the brokenenss of the world and the desperate need of millions of people. And as people living in the Bay Area, it’s also easy to quickly turn myopic, focusing only on what’s going on in *my* life. Keivan Tehrani and Ryan Brailler from our Global Compassion Team stop by to share some incredible stories of ways they’ve seen God at work across the globe. Keivan also shares his story as a refugee from war-torn Iran, and why he thinks compassion is not only a non-optional part of what it means for a church and a Christian to be faithful to Jesus, but one of the strongest apologetics for God in a dark world. Speakers: David Tieche + Keivan Tehrani + Ryan Braillier

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion 2023 - Week 1 Feb 05, 2023

For the next three weeks, we’ll be in a sermon series called Compassion Immersion. But why compassion? Finny Abraham and Lily Weirich, both of whom work in the area of Local Compassion for WestGate Church, stop by to talk about this. They explain why works of compassion aren’t really optional for following Jesus, and how compassion demonstrates what Jesus is really like to a world that’s hurting. They also share stories of transformation they’ve seen in this past season. And speaking of changing lives, Finny also reveals how many diapers he goes through with a pair of baby twins at home. Speakers: David Tieche + Finny Abraham + Lily Weirich

Compassion Immersion 2023 - Week 1 Feb 05, 2023

In John 4, we see Jesus approach a woman who many in the orthodox Jewish community would have avoided. There were all sorts of barriers that would have prevented an Orthodox Jewish people from conversing with her: barriers around gender, race, religion and morality. Jesus’ interaction with this woman shows not only an incredible posture of grace and kindness, but also an invitation to capital T-Truth, where Jesus invites her to drink of “living water” found in…Him. And as the story shows, this duality of both 1. the correct Christlike posture, coupled with 2. the bold proclamation that Jesus is Truth was utterly transformative for this woman. And it’s a model of interaction that we modern Christians can emulate, too.

Eat This Book - How the Bible Changes Everything Jan 29, 2023

For Christians, the Bible isn’t nice to have, it’s vital. Central. Christians believe that the Bible is not just a book, but the divinely inspired Word of God, spoken for us, to lead us in the way of truth and love, down the path toward God’s glory and our good. But it isn’t about intellectual ascent; it’s about transformation. And we find, in the Bible, that the Word of God is referred to as a number of things: it’s bread (life-giving, necessary to our selves for life), a lamp (guides our path in a world that’s dark, a sword (protects us in a world where we’re under assault from lies that assail us) and a scalpel (it does surgery on us to heal us). SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | Eat This Book Jan 29, 2023

For generations and millennia, Christians have believed that the Bible was the very Word of God. But what does it look like, practically, for us to take the Bible seriously as God’s people? How can we do that? And how do we handle the elephant in the room for many people: that Jesus is great, but the Bible is antiquated, out-dated (and has been used as a prop for anti-science, racist and sexist movements). Jay Kim stops by to chat about that and Seattle pastor and friend-of-David Stanley Markowski shares practical ways and some best practices for ways the Bible has transformed people in his part of the country. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Stanley Markowski

THE AFTERWORD | A New Resilience - Week 3 Jan 22, 2023

This past weekend, we made the case that we need silence in our lives to overcome the loud, noisy distracting world in order to hear God. But that raises a point: if the world is noisy, and God wants our attention, why doesn’t He just shout? Break into our lives like the Kool-Aid man crashing through your house. That would do it, wouldn’t it? Why is silence necessary for us to connect with God? Why does the Psalmist talk to his “soul” as if it’s a different part of him? When we’re silent, is it to find out more about ourselves, or God? Or both? What if you’re easily distracted (even in silence) and your brain starts humming 90s music? Does that count? Is that praying? And what role does the Bible play in silence and connecting with God?

A New Resilience - Week 3 Jan 22, 2023

We live in a noisy world. We are inundated with noise pollution in our everyday lives. Because of population, technology, and industrialization, our world is literally louder than it’s ever been. But beyond auditory sound, and maybe more dangerously, we live with an alarming noisiness in our mental, emotional, spiritual lives. Amid the distraction of noise, what we most need is silence. We often lack resilience because we can’t hear God, and as a result, lack clarity, courage, and confidence. But we often fail to hear God, not because he isn’t speaking. We fail to hear God because we (like Elijah in the famous story in 1 Kings) expect Him to speak like a roaring wind, a thundering earthquake, or a blazing fire. We fail to hear God because there’s too much noise and our ears are unattuned to the gentle whisper. But if we do take the time to really listen - to quiet ourselves and our noisy world - we can find that God is still speaking.

THE AFTERWORD | A New Resilience - Week 2 Jan 15, 2023

This past weekend, we put forth a hypothesis that a lot of conflict in our lives is a direct result of a lack of humility. This week, Steve Clifford and Andy Barron join David to talk about the social science behind conflict – and why humility is the path forward in every case. We also examine the work of scholars Edwin Judge and John Dickson’s who studied ancient history to find out how humility - which was despised by the Romans and the Greeks - became a virtue in Western Civilization. We also talk about ways to cultivate humility – which is perhaps something no one *wants* to do, but everyone *needs* to do.

A New Resilience - Week 2 Jan 15, 2023

Sermon Description: You might have heard some folks say recently that the United States is “more divided than it’s ever been in its 247-year-long history.” Objectively, this is not true (see War, Civil) but it can *feel* like it’s true. But beyond the national landscape, conflict and division are part of our daily lives, too. How do we move forward? Enter here, the person of Jesus, who showed, through His life and more precisely His death, a new definition of what it means to be human (and what it means to be great). A definition that centers on the virtue of humility. We’ll examine how humility is the way forward through conflict and division. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | A New Resilience - Week 1 Jan 08, 2023

The word “resilence” is one that’s gotten a lot of traction lately. What makes a person “resilient” in life? Why do some people make it, and some collapse or give up? And is there something specific or particular about Christian resilience? As we walk into the new year, Jay and David talk about this. Plus, we dissect cultural stories that center on incredible human resistance - movies like Cast Away, The Martian and I Am Legend. What do they show us about what humans need to survive and how do Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4 add more depth and color to those very human needs.

A New Resilience - Week 1 Jan 08, 2023

Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD | Christmas Eve Jan 01, 2023

The AfterWord - 2022 Year in Review As this year comes to a close, David Tieche and Jay Kim sit down to review what their favorite moments were this past year - both in the Bay Area and in our church. We look back at all the things we taught on this past year and outline a few that really impacted us and left an indelible imprint on us.

THE AFTERWORD | Prepare Him Room - Week 4 Dec 18, 2022

One of the names given to Jesus is “Wonderful Counselor.” Jesus the Messiah is not “a counselor, among many options” but “THE” capital “C” counselor. Steve Clifford and Andy Gridley stop by to talk about what it means to have Jesus as your “Wonderful Counselor.” Is there a diagnostic? What are the signs that you are treating Jesus like just any ordinary counselor? How do you know if you’re doing it right? Andy Gridley shares the parallels he sees between following Jesus and getting his pilot’s license. Also, Steve talks about his broken Nativity Scene on his front yard that might be more Biblically accurate than you’d think. Speakers: David Tieche + Andy Gridley + Steve Clifford

Prepare Him Room - Week 4 Dec 18, 2022

One of the titles given to Jesus is the phrase “Wonderful Counselor.” In the ancient world, a counselor was a pivotal position for Kings, Queens and rulers, helping them not only make wise decisions, but live and rule well. And although the term “counselor” is used many times in the Bible, this is the only place it’s capitalized and the only place it refers to God Himself. This title is a proclamation AND an invitation. Jesus has come as a powerful God, performing signs and wonders, here to advise broken humanity, not just so that we can live more comfortable lives, but so that we can find God Himself, live well in His Kingdom and discover Life to the full and Life Everlasting. Will we listen to Him? SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga)

THE AFTERWORD | Prepare Him Room - Week 3 Dec 11, 2022

It seems that lately, whenever I ask people how things are going, the answer is the exact same: I’m good…just busy. And the holidays - and the list of things that have to get done - doesn’t help us to slow down. And yet, hurry is a dangerous spiritual enemy to the very things the Advent Season is supposed to usher in: love, peace, joy. So how do we stop? David Kim, WestGate Church’s Discipleship and Formation pastor, stops by to share his story about how a horrific car accident was the key to learning how to stop hurrying. We share what we’re learning about slowing down, because if our God is an “everlasting Father,” outside of time, then we should try to take steps to live unhurried lives….lest we miss God Himself. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

Prepare Him Room - Week 3 Dec 11, 2022

Often the Christmas Season is filled with hurrying, as we rush to do more and more in less and less time. But hurry is counterproductive, indeed it’s hostile soil for things like love and peace and joy. And sometimes, we hurry so much that even Jesus gets crowded out. The prophet Isaiah, writing about the Messiah, says that He will be “everlasting.” God is outside of time and invites us into lives that aren’t marked by frantic achievement, but stillness and peace. And one key way for to help “every heart prepare Him room” is to ruthlessly eliminate hurry.

THE AFTERWORD | Prepare Him Room - Week 2 Dec 04, 2022

Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace” by the prophet Isaiah, but if you actually look at the Christmas story in the Bible, it doesn’t seem all that peaceful. Mary is disgraced with a scandalous pregnancy. She’s told a “sword will pierce her soul.” Rome is the conquering power over the Jewish people. A genocidal tyrant kills a bunch of toddlers trying to kill baby Jesus. Joseph and Mary have to flee their land to Egypt. How is this “peace” exactly? Jay Kim stops by to talk about the Biblical definition of the word “peace” and how it doesn’t mean what we often think it means - in fact, it’s far better and more difficult simultaneously. ALSO: Dave introduces Jay to the “Little Drummer Boy” game and Jay shares his favorite Christmas songs.

Prepare Him Room - Week 2 Dec 04, 2022

One of the more famous titles for Jesus is from the famous words of Isaiah where He is called “the Prince of Peace.” Peace is what we often need, but often in our own lives, we attempt to make peace by either avoiding the conflict or dominating. We try to avoid to get peace or “win” to get peace. Neither work and what results certainly isn’t peace. Fortunately, later in the book, Isaiah outlines what the peace from the Messiah is actually going to look like, so we have a way forward, understanding that true peace takes work and humility to accomplish.

THE AFTERWORD | Prepare Him Room - Week 1 Nov 29, 2022

It’s Advent! But what does that word mean? We don’t use that word much. Does it have something to do with Advil? Advert(isements)? Jay Kim stops by to chat about the purpose of Advent and its meaning. We also discuss the first of four terms used by the prophet Isaiah to describe the Messiah - Mighty God. We talk about why it’s so tough for most of us to *actually* believe that God could do something miraculous and break into our world - but that truth is actually the key to hope.

Prepare Him Room - Week 1 Nov 27, 2022

Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote stirring and familiar words that someday, a Messiah would come, and that people would call Him “Wonderful Counselor” and “Prince of Peace” and “Mighty God.” All very nice, but it’s that last one - Mighty God - that trips a lot of people up. We live in a culture where the idea of God breaking into human history to do something big and powerful seems…well, that seems like something God used to do, or did for a group of people a long time ago. But not us. Not here. Not now. The Christmas story is a reminder that God is mighty, and still working, although - as we learn from the story of Jesus’ birth - it’s often in ways we wouldn’t expect. But if God can come as a baby in the corner of a dusty manger, then is there any place the power of God can’t break through into?

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew Season 4 - Week 5 Nov 20, 2022

The ending of the Sermon on the Mount is wild. Jesus’ most famous set of teachings is not a religious to-do list, but it does have strong implications about how we live. Jesus outlines things that His followers must actually DO, with God’s help, to follow Him. Things like fighting anger and lust, keeping your promises, loving your enemies, quietly giving to those in need, and not judging. And then Jesus ends the whole thing by warning about what happens if you don’t “put into practice” the words He’s just said. Steve Clifford and Jay Kim stop by to talk about the “knowing-doing” gap that exists in all of our lives, and how we can move from a group of Christians that talk about Jesus to a group that lives and loves like Him. Also, we talk about the best Thanksgiving foods, and Steve and Jay offer up some controversial takes on pumpkin pie and cranberries.

Matthew Season 4 - Week 5 Nov 20, 2022

In our digital age, there’s more information flowing around us than at any point in human history. And yet, hearing or knowing or being informed is not enough. It’s easy to be informed, especially today. Yet, there’s so little actual change in our lives and in our world. We know so much but we do so little. This is catastrophic. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concludes by making the point that DOING is what matters. And He ends with words of strong warning. “There is a storm coming,” He says, “So build your life upon my teachings.” We build strong and durable foundations for a meaningful life by “going about our assigned tasks,” by learning and living and *doing* the way of Jesus.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew Season 4 - Week 4 Nov 13, 2022

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with some stern and sharp warnings. David and Jay talk about the prophetic history Jesus is channeling in these, including the words of John the Baptist that Matthew includes in the beginning of his Gospel. Jesus also strongly warns against false prophets, so we ask the question, “What might be the false-teachings (pseudo-truths, deceptive ideas) that have made their way into life and faith here in the Bay Area, which threaten to divert us off the path that leads to Jesus and life?” Beyond of course, being a Dodgers fan.

Matthew Season 4 - Week 4 Nov 13, 2022

Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents some beautiful and soaring images of not only God, but what life with God can be. So you might expect, as Jesus’ most famous sermon comes to a close, that Jesus would end with a big rhetorical flourish. A giant inspirational rah-rah go-get-em-Tiger kind of pump-up-the-crowd ending. But He does not. INstead, Jesus ends soberly, with a series of warnings. We examine what Jesus is saying and why He is saying it, seeing how Jesus is keeping in lock-step with many of the prophetic witnesses that came before Him. God is glorious, His plans are good and the road with Him leads to life. And the gift is that any and all who come to God can. But the tragedy is that we can choose to ignore Jesus and choose a different path that leads to…destruction.

Matthew Season 4 - Week 3 Nov 06, 2022

Near the end of the sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins to wrap up this lengthy teaching by talking about prayer. And in that teaching, Jesus reinforces what He’s already taught earlier. Using the example of a father, Jesus says that God’s parenting is *at least* as competent and loving as human parents (who are not perfect all the time). Jesus then goes on to say that God’s provision is not merely mechanical, but familial and caring and loving - like a good father. In this teaching, we explore how this framing can change *everything* in the way we view God and interact with Him. Which is exactly what Jesus wants.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew Season 4 - Week 3 Nov 06, 2022

Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 7 can be a minefield of questions. Is Jesus saying that prayer is a blank check and we get whatever we want? That can’t be true. And if God knows what we need, what’s even the point of praying? Also, there’s an experiential problem: we all know people who have faithfully prayed for something very good, and that prayer has gone unanswered. What do we do about that? Steve Clifford stops by to share some thoughts about how our view of God and His goodness affect the way we pray. Also, bonus: Jay and Dave talk about what it means to be “good at prayer” and in a shock - learn how to properly pronounce superstar singer Adele’s name properly.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew Season 4 - Week 2 Oct 30, 2022

A while ago, the Barna Group did an extensive research project where they asked non-religious people why they rejected Christianity. What came back were three adjectives. Non-religious people perceived Christians overwhelmingly as 1. judgmental (87 percent of respondents), 2. hypocritical (85 percent) and 3. anti-homosexual (91 percent). Eeesh. Jay Kim stops by to talk about the fairly well-known command of Jesus “do not judge” in Matthew 7. We talk about this text, the (hilarious?) image Jesus uses to illustrate His point, and what Jesus means (and doesn’t mean). And we talk about why it’s critical that Christians arrest the all-too-human tendency to treat people with contempt and condemnation, because this does real damage, not just to them, but also to us - because it puts us in the place of God and distorts the message of Jesus - that the God who *could* condemn has chosen to forgive us and gave Himself up as a sin offering.

Matthew Season 4 - Week 2 Oct 30, 2022

Even people who are not religious at all know at least one teaching of Jesus, taken from Matthew 7 - the one where Jesus tells His followers to “do not judge.” Sometimes, this is used as a convenient shield to protect people against criticism or accountability, but it’s also true that being judged feels…awful. It’s like being rejected. Only worse. We’ll examine what Jesus means, and what He doesn’t mean by this saying. And we’ll examine Jesus’ dramatic and arresting metaphor about a person having a giant beam of wood in their eye and pointing out a speck of sawdust in someone else’s. Jesus is saying that heaping contempt and condemnation on people actually is spiritually dangerous because it makes us blind: both to our own evil and to the actual heart of God Himself, which is to offer grace to people - as grace which other people are just as entitled to as we are.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew Season 4 - Week 1 Oct 24, 2022

Way back in 1988, one-hit-wonder Bobby McFerrin topped the charts with his feel-good song “Don’t Worry. Be Happy.” Solid advice. But how exactly does one go about doing that? Saratoga Campus Pastor Lisa Averill sits down with David to talk about anxiety, how worry and anxiety are fundamentally different from stress and how to get free from worry using Jesus’ advice and words from Matthew 6.

Matthew Season 4 - Week 1 Oct 23, 2022

Lisa Averill

Beautiful Day Celebration Weekend Oct 16, 2022

Last weekend, more than 1,380 volunteers from WestGate Church donated more than 5,000 volunteer hours at 18 high-impact service projects across the city and the results were…well, you sort of have to see it to believe just how much was accomplished. In this message, we share photos, videos and stories from Beautiful Day. We also zone in on a brief parable from Jesus about how the Kingdom of God is like a giant mustard plant, which comes from one of the tiniest of seeds - reminding us that small acts of service done with great love can be used by God to make a big impact.

THE AFTERWORD | Beautiful Day Celebration Weekend Oct 16, 2022

Beautiful Day is a wrap! Local Compassion pastor Finny Abraham stops by to talk about how and why compassion and service projects expand “the kingdom of God.” Then Finny and David nerd out on Jesus’s parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13 like the world-class theologian botanists that they are. As a bonus, David shares a sermon clip from last year where he deep-dives into the parable of “yeast” showing that Jesus appears to be deliberately doing a Scriptural hyperlink back to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis - and what that means for followers of Jesus.

THE AFTERWORD | Beautiful Day Oct 13, 2022

This past weekend was Beautiful Day, with 1,380 volunteers from WestGate Church donating more than 5,000 volunteer hours at 18 high-impact service projects across Santa Clara county. Local Compassion Pastor Finny Abraham stops by to share stories from Beautiful Day, and insights into how this weekend grows the Kingdom in ways that no one can foresee or expect.

THE AFTERWORD | The Life We Want - Week 5 Oct 02, 2022

St. Francis of Assisi. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Augustine of Hippo. Saints are always attached to particular places. Jay Kim stops by to talk about the importance of “place” in the life of a person. We examine what it’s like to feel like an exile in a culture that’s often indifferent - and now, increasingly hostile - to allegiance to Jesus. And we talk about why the prophetic words of Jeremiah to “seek the good of the city” looks like. And we examine why community projects like Beautiful Day are actually one of the strongest apologetic for Jesus to our city that wonders not (only) if Christianity is true, but if it’s *good.* Also, Jay (who has never lived anywhere besides here) and Dave (who moved here 21 years ago) swap reasons why they love the Bay. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

THE AFTERWORD | The Life We Want - Week 4 Sep 25, 2022

A recent study conducted by Harvard in 2021 found a rising epidemic of loneliness, with more than a third of Americans (36 percent) saying they’re “lonely all of the time.” David Kim stops by - forming an all-Dave podcast - to share practical ways that Christians can reverse that trend. We tackle why the Bay Area’s culture leads to so much isolation (hypermobility, busyness because of the economic demands of the area, etc). Then, David shares principles from his new book “Made to Belong,” outlining five practical things you and I can do to build strong, healthy, transformative friendships and communities where we’re known, where we’re seen and where we can grow. Also, DK makes a weird Titanic reference because that’s his all-time favorite movie. So tease him about that later. Speakers: David Tieche + David Kim

The Life We Want - Week 5 Sep 25, 2022

More than 600 years before Jesus, the Israelite people found their lives in confusing shambles. Their capital city, Jerusalem had fallen, their city had been sieged, and they were led off in chains as war captives far away from their home to Babylon. This was a judgment by God and from God - the previous leaders of Israel had abandoned God. But now, as people faithful to God, they expected God to bring them right back home. The prophet Jeremiah, however, delivered a message from God Himself that said something different, telling them to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.” God says to put down roots, and work for the good of the people around them, even if they’re Babylonians. “I’m up to something good,” God promises. We examine these prophetic words and find the call is the same to us, today. Work for the good of the city. And in doing so, we find that God is (again! still!) up to something good.

The Life We Want - Week 4 Sep 18, 2022

One of Jesus’ most famous teachings is the story of the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus dramatically challenges the ethic that love is best spent only on people you love and like, and that some people are worthy of self-sacrificing love, and others are not. In this story, Jesus purposefully links the idea of “loving God” to “loving your neighbor.” We examine why this teaching is so important and discuss some ways to practice living this out in a world that’s filled with people who have contempt for their neighbor.

THE AFTERWORD | The Life We Want - Week 3 Sep 18, 2022

It’s been said that in modern America, the question people are asking is not “is Christianity true” but rather “are Christians good?” In Luke 10:27, Jesus forever links loving God with loving other people, saying “love your neighbor as yourself” and then doubles down with the famous story of the Good Samaritan. Steve Clifford and Andy Gridley stop by to unpack why this is so important and so difficult - before sharing pastoral advice on how to grow in this crucial area. Andy shares a moving story about a difficult-to-love neighbor and how the lesson isn’t always “the outcome will be perfect” but rather “God is trying to grow you in the area of love.” Also: Also, David is left speechless when Steve questions his love for yogurt when in fact, David is very pro-yogurt. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Andy Gridley

The Life We Want - Week 3 Sep 18, 2022

One of Jesus’ most famous teachings is the story of the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus dramatically challenges the ethic that love is best spent only on people you love and like, and that some people are worthy of self-sacrificing love, and others are not. In this story, Jesus purposefully links the idea of “loving God” to “loving your neighbor.” We examine why this teaching is so important and discuss some ways to practice living this out in a world that’s filled with people who have contempt for their neighbor.

THE AFTERWORD | The Life We Want - Week 2 Sep 13, 2022

Jay and David take some time to attempt to answer the question posed by the 90s Eurodance hit song from Haddaway, “What is love?” First, they work to come to a proper definition of the word love. Then, they explore why the Bible repeatedly and emphatically says that when it comes to loving God, it’s critical to remember that God loved us first. And finally, Jay shares some practical advice to help folks who might be asking the question, “What do you do when you don’t “feel” God’s love.” Also! To commemorate the start of the NFL season, David and Jay swap stories about one of the all-time great Bay Area football players - Bo Jackson. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The Life We Want - Week 2 Sep 11, 2022

By one measure, the Silicon Valley is filled with success. We have more than we’ve ever had. But we’re also working more than we’ve ever worked. We believe the myth that we can achieve and accumulate our way to the lives we want, and then when we’re exhausted with that chasing, we run to our preferred habits (Netflix binges, weekend getaways, coffee crawls, yoga, et al), believing that the relief will lead us to the lives we want. It doesn’t. In this series, we examine the invitation of Jesus to follow Him and His promise that He will give us life, and life overflowing. The way of Jesus, though, stands in stark relief to our cultural narratives, with Jesus inviting us to be people give, who serve, who commit to each other, and whose private and public lives are centered around living life with God. And in inviting us down this road, Jesus is actually inviting us to the life we actually, truly, deep down not only need, but want. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | The Life We Want - Week 1 Sep 07, 2022

The title of this sermon series is THE LIFE WE WANT, which implies that it’s possible for us to live in such a way that our choices are taking us toward a life we DON’T actually want. Jay and David talk about the primary cultural values in Silicon Valley and how these can deform us, if we’re not careful. We’ll examine the modern idea that community means carefully curated groups filled only with people I like and approve of - and how that can actually turn us into people who don’t love well. We’ll look why our modern leisure time isn’t actually filling our souls. And we look at the counterintuitive idea that it is serving - giving, and not accumulation - that is the key to happiness - and why that is. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

The Life We Want - Week 1 Sep 04, 2022

By one measure, the Silicon Valley is filled with success. We have more than we’ve ever had. But we’re also working more than we’ve ever worked. We believe the myth that we can achieve and accumulate our way to the lives we want, and then when we’re exhausted with that chasing, we run to our preferred habits (Netflix binges, weekend getaways, coffee crawls, yoga, et al), believing that the relief will lead us to the lives we want. It doesn’t. In this series, we examine the invitation of Jesus to follow Him and His promise that He will give us life, and life overflowing. The way of Jesus, though, stands in stark relief to our cultural narratives, with Jesus inviting us to be people give, who serve, who commit to each other, and whose private and public lives are centered around living life with God. And in inviting us down this road, Jesus is actually inviting us to the life we actually, truly, deep down not only need, but want. SPEAKERS: Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | The Unseen - Week 4 Aug 28, 2022

For the past three weeks, we’ve examined not only the reality of a spiritual realm, but also the idea that all of humanity is locked in spiritual battle with a vicious, lying spiritual enemy - the Satan. This week, Steve Clifford stops by to talk about the good news - we have a God who is not only immeasurably more wise and powerful than the Devil, but equips His children to win this war. Speaking of losing battles, Steve also talks about the Dallas Cowboys and David throws out a hypothesis about systemic sin and the NFL. Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford

The Unseen - Week 4 Aug 28, 2022

In the book of Ephesians, Paul, after warning the early church about the dangers of the spiritual war they are in, offers a long series of encouragements, saying to “be strong” and “stand.” Paul then enters into an extended metaphor, using a Roman Centurian’s battle armor to explain how those who follow Christ are not only equipped well in the battle against the Satan, but are set up to be more than victorious. SPEAKERS: Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Jay Kim (South Hills)

THE AFTERWORD | The Unseen - Special AfterWord Q&A with Dr. Gerry Breshears Aug 21, 2022

Dr. Gerry Breshears, professor of theology at Western Seminary in Portland, OR, drops by to drop some knowledge about what the Bible says about the spiritual realm. Dr. Breshears dives into the tough questions about angels, Satan and demons and tackles some perplexing passages of Scriptures that seem particularly strange to our modern ears.

THE AFTERWORD | The Unseen - Week 3 Aug 21, 2022

Lies - in the form of deceptive ideas - are the devil’s primary method of enslaving human beings. And yes, this impact individuals but those lies also become normalized in culture and society, and pretty soon, up is called down and down is called up and entire human societies in a vicious cycle of ruin. Jay and David talk about what big lies have become normalized in our society, and, in general, what kinds of things help Christians live in the truth and stay in the truth. Also: David remembers the life and work of Frederick Buechner, a brilliant author who had a tremendous influence on his life and Christian faith. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard + Steve Clifford Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim Speakers: David Tieche + Ben Pierce Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Barron

The Unseen - Week 3 Aug 21, 2022

Jesus says, in John 8, that the Devil’s primary method of warfare against humanity in the war of good vs. evil is lies. Lies. We examine how this has been the Devil’s strategy since the beginning, and how the lies that Satan told in the Garden of Eden to the first humans are the lies that he still tells us today. Lies about what the truth really is (did God really say…), lies about outcomes if we just do what we want (you won’t die) and even lies about the motives of God (He’s holding out on you, wants to keep you down.) We’ll look at this, and how to break free from lies and be a person formed by what’s actually truly true.

THE AFTERWORD | The Unseen - Week 2 Aug 14, 2022

In the New Testament, Satan is referred to roughly 28 times, 25 of which are by Jesus Himself. This past weekend, Steve and Corinna dived into what the Bible says about Satan, concentrating on the three descriptors given to him by Jesus - liar, tempter and accuser. Steve and Corinna share a bit more personally and pastorally about what these terms reveal about Satan’s tactics - and how we can live victoriously with God. Speakers: David Tieche + Corinna Girard + Steve Clifford Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim Speakers: David Tieche + Ben Pierce Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Barron

The Unseen - Week 2 Aug 14, 2022

The Bible’s message assumes the presence of a supernatural realm, but the idea of Satan feels foreign to a lot of modern Christians. In this message we explore what the Bible has to say about Satan by honing in on three descriptors that Jesus uses to describe him: that he is a liar, a tempter and an accuser. By looking at these, we can find out not only Satan’s tactics and game plan, but how to carefully avoid his traps.

THE AFTERWORD | The Unseen - Week 1 Aug 10, 2022

The idea of invisible angels and demons floating around, influencing people to do good (or bad) is the stuff of cartoons and make-believe. So what are we educated, modern folk to make of the times when the Biblical authors clearly assume the existence of these dark powers? Jay Kim stops by to help make sense of all this. When the Bible talks of other “gods” - is this polytheism? Are these other “gods” real things - or just imaginary? And why do we assume since we know way more than ancient people about cellular biology and other scientific realities, that we have nothing to learn from them regarding spiritual things? Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim Speakers: David Tieche + Ben Pierce Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Barron

The Unseen - Week 1 Aug 07, 2022

Imagine you went back to the 1940s and told a bunch of young men you were going to send them to the beach. They donned their swim trunks, grabbed their towels, boogie boards and sunscreen for an exciting and relaxing day in the surf. One catch: the beach was Normandy in June 1944. This difference in expectation and reality is often what happens to us modern people. The Biblical authors, along with the rest of the ancient world, believed that there was a spiritual realm full of spiritual beings, both good and evil, that exists right alongside the physical world we can see, hear, and touch. And that there was a battle for our lives and allegiances going on every day. The good news is, if we’re aware of it, we can make ourselves less vulnerable and be ready for the battle.

Matthew : Season 3 - Week 4 Jul 31, 2022

In our final week of studying the Lord’s Prayer, we come to a phase where Jesus tells us to pray for God’s help to avoid temptation and then to be rescued from evil. These words are very strange sounding to modern ears, but the life with God that Jesus has been describing in the prayer thus far - trusting God as a good father, believing He’ll provide what we need, and asking for His forgiveness and His help to forgive - is going to be a challenge. So challenging that we’ll be tempted to just walk away. And, add to that the reality that God and His people have a very real enemy who wants to “steal, kill and destroy.” Understanding this prayer can help us get some traction in our lives, and not only live with hope, but sober confidence.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 3 - Week 4 Jul 31, 2022

Jesus says to forgive, but sometimes it’s just not that easy. WestGate Church’s Care Pastor Ben Pierce stops by to talk about the harsh edges of forgiveness. We first discuss folks who review their past and still feel deep shame, sometimes even saying, “I just could never forgive myself for what I’ve done.” Then, we discuss whether offering forgiveness to people who have done horrific things lets people “off the hook?” Does forgiveness cheapen mercy and threaten justice and accountability. Finally, Ben shares stories from his time in Rwanda after the genocide in 1994 where forgiveness seemed humanly impossible - but God still found a way to bring people together. Speakers: David Tieche + Ben Pierce Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Barron

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 3 - Week 3 Jul 24, 2022

Jesus says to forgive, but sometimes it’s just not that easy. WestGate Church’s Care Pastor Ben Pierce stops by to talk about the harsh edges of forgiveness. We first discuss folks who review their past and still feel deep shame, sometimes even saying, “I just could never forgive myself for what I’ve done.” Then, we discuss whether offering forgiveness to people who have done horrific things lets people “off the hook?” Does forgiveness cheapen mercy and threaten justice and accountability. Finally, Ben shares stories from his time in Rwanda after the genocide in 1994 where forgiveness seemed humanly impossible - but God still found a way to bring people together. Speakers: David Tieche + Ben Pierce Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Barron

Matthew : Season 3 - Week 3 Jul 24, 2022

Perhaps the most difficult line in the Lord’s Prayer is where Jesus says that we are to seek God’s forgiveness for the things we’ve done wrong at the same time we forgive other people who have wronged us. This isn’t about God manipulating us with threats - just an articulation that being people of God means receiving and giving forgiveness. We cannot have one posture toward God, and another posture toward people. It’s not that we shouldn’t, it’s that it’s impossible. Jesus says, in stark language, that forgiveness is non-optional because that’s who God is and who He wants us to become.

Matthew : Season 3 - Week 2 Jul 18, 2022

In the second “line” of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus turns His attention to the physical needs of His followers, reminding them that God not only has, but will continue to be the source of their “daily bread.” Jesus is reminding us early in this prayer that God not only provides, but that we are dependent on Him. But because our daily lives are mostly void of the desperate need for basic necessities, this is tough to keep in front of u. But if we do the work, we can be reminded, daily that even the very breath in our lungs is a constant gift from God.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 3 - Week 2 Jul 18, 2022

First-time podcast guest Andy Barron (lead pastor of our Spanish-speaking congregation Casa de Fe) and Jay Kim join me as we dive into the Jewishness of the phrase “give us this day, our daily bread” - which hearkens back to Exodus and the provision of manna by God in the wilderness to the ancient Hebrew people. The lesson in the wilderness is the same as the invitation in the Lord’s Prayer - God is attempting to get His people to trust Him, not only as their provider, but as a reminder that they were dependent on God as their source of life. We also discuss how to understand this text well when most of us in the Bay Area aren’t at risk for missing a meal - and how not to conflate what we “need” vs. what we “want.” We also attempt to tabulate how many diapers Andy Barron - who is the father of six children - has changed in his lifetime. Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Andy Barron

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 3 - Week 1 Jul 10, 2022

In the opening lines of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us to call God “Father.” But what happens if when you hear the term “father” nothing positive comes to mind because of your own bad experiences with your own family of origin? What happens if when you hear the term “father” you think “absent” or “gone” or “uncaring” - or God forbid, something worse. Jay and Corinna share their stories and how the story of the Bible helped them heal from their own stories of abandonment from their own father. Also, taking a cue from Stranger Things, we ask, “What song would bring you back into the realm of the living if the evil Vecna tried to curse you?” Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim + Corinna Girard

Matthew : Season 3 - Week 1 Jul 10, 2022

If there were a list of the words of Jesus that have been most often quoted by people, Matthew 6:9-13 - called The Lord’s Prayer - would have to be included. But because this prayer is so familiar, the danger is that we’ll stop seeing it well and the words will become unfamiliar. IN this week, we’ll examine the opening words, and the fact that one of most important elements of this prayer that we’ve lost is the importance of the order of the prayer. Jesus first invites us to consider that God is a Father, and that everything else flows from that understanding. God is a good King, yes, but he’s more than that. He’s a good Father. And Jesus is reminding us straightaway, that’s who we pray to, in the Lord’s prayer—our good King, our good Father.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 2 - Week 5 Jul 03, 2022

Jay is back from Summer Vacation! In this passage, Jesus hits the same note three different ways as He talks about how dangerous it is to “play” or “perform” religion in front of people (and in front of God). Jay nerds out on some Greek words, talks about how our modern digital world has shaped millions of people into “performers” and the beauty of Jesus’ invitation to get off the treadmill of impressing people and be fully known by a God who truly sees you. Also: Dave finds out that Chris Pratt cannot actually tame velociraptors.

Matthew : Season 2 - Week 5 Jul 03, 2022

Every person (deep in our core) wants to be noticed and seen. We want the credit when we do something good and the acknowledgment of people around us. But this can get out of hand - especially when it comes to religion. In this verse, Jesus warns against doing good religious deeds for the sake of drawing attention to oneself, saying that’s as empty and fake as an actor in a play. Instead, Jesus turns toward internal motivations again, assuring His listeners (and us) that even if you’re anonymous and not famous, God still sees you and knows when you’re trying your best to live honestly before Him and reflect His character by doing good in the world.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 2 - Week 4 Jun 27, 2022

Producing outrage (stoking anger) and hyper-sexualization (inflaming lust) are a big part of how our modern world (especially our online worlds) operate. In fact, those things are MONETIZED. In light of that, what are Christians to make of Jesus’ strong warnings against anger, against lust and toward loving your enemies. Are we really supposed to gouge out our eyes to stop lusting? And isn’t hating our enemies a way to show God we’re really on His side? Steve Clifford and David Kim stop by to help make sense of how to live out Jesus difficult teachings found at the end of Matthew 5.

Matthew : Season 2 - Week 4 Jun 26, 2022

If the first part of Matthew 5 (the Beatitudes) were about who the Kingdom of God can - and is! - coming to…and Jesus’ next words – His instruction to live as salt and light – was about living out this Kingdom faithfully in a world that has rot and is dark, then the next salvo of teachings from Jesus show what living the kingdom out faithfully looks like. And this list is NOT fun to read, because Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter: we often excuse our own sin and bad behavior. It’s just easier to be angry, give in to lust, lie when it’s convenient, break promises when things don’t work out for us the way we want and hate people who we consider our enemies. Jesus says, “This can’t be the way you live.” And we’re left dropping to our knees, repentant and asking God for help.

Matthew : Season 2 - Week 3 Jun 23, 2022

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His followers “salt” and “light” - which assumes that Christians are to be a preservative in a world that’s filled with decay and death and light in a world full of darkness. WestGate Church’s College Crew director Ruth Nazanin shares a powerful story from both Scripture and her own life about what it means, practically, to be salt and light in a world that needs both desperately.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 2 - Week 3 Jun 20, 2022

This past weekend was Father’s Day, and Ruth Nazanin knows about the impact that a father can have. Ruth, who leads WestGate CHurch’s College Ministry, lost her father to cancer when she was just 10 years old, but his faith in Jesus continues to inspire and impact her. She stops by to talk to Dave about the origins of her name, the legacy of her father, and what it means to be salt and light for her and the next generation she helps to lead.

Matthew : Season 2 - Week 2 Jun 19, 2022

If there were a list of modern Beatitudes for the Bay Area, that list might read something like “blessed are the wealthy, for they will be comfortable” or “Blessed are the pure in purpose, for they will achieve with stunning efficiency.” But in Matthew 5, Jesus lays out 9 statements about who is actually blessed - who lives life with God and in peace, with joy. Jesus’ list is as shocking today as it was 2,000 years ago. Steve goes through this surprising list, discussing why each one is so surprising. And in the end, we see that the Kingdom is coming - God Himself is coming - to people you’d least expect in ways that heal and transform.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 2 - Week 2 Jun 12, 2022

Ever gone swimming in the ocean and gotten caught in a riptide or undertow? Those swiftly-moving currents can rip you right out to sea, no matter how hard you swim. Well, our culture has a strong undertow, and it’s not in the direction of Jesus’ teachings in the Beatitudes. Steve and David go through the Beatitudes - one by one, sharing thoughts and reflections about why each one is so not only counter to our culture, but counter to our own hearts. And in the end, we talk about how each of these statements in Matthew 5 creates a mosaic whose picture is Jesus (and why that’s good news for us). Also, Steve shares his thoughts on which Beatitude is most needed to be embodied by Christians in the world we find ourselves in now.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 2 - Week 1 Jun 06, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

Matthew : Season 2 - Week1 Jun 05, 2022

What does it mean to “live the good life?” What is happiness, really? Our culture often posts pics of people on fancy vacations or owning cool stuff while using #blessed. But what does it mean, according to Jesus, to be someone who is “blessed?” In chapters 5-7 of the Book of Matthew, often referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus starts by outlining what it means to truly find the blessed life. And the picture is not at all what we might think.

THE AFTERWORD | The Wise Life - Week 6 Jun 01, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

The Wise Life - Week 6 May 30, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

The Wise Life - Week 5 May 22, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD | The Wise Life - Week 4 May 15, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

The Wise Life - Week 4 May 15, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD | The Wise Life - Week 3 May 08, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

The Wise Life - Week 3 May 08, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD | The Wise Life - Week 2 May 02, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

The Wise Life - Week 2 May 02, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD | The Wise Life - Week 1 Apr 24, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

The Wise Life - Week 1 Apr 24, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

Easter 2022 Apr 21, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD | Easter 2022 Apr 21, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 8 Apr 14, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

Matthew Season 1 - Week 8 Apr 10, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 7 Apr 03, 2022

If you’ve been around Christian circles for a while, and ever heard someone preach on Matthew 4 and the calling of the disciples, chances are you *might* have heard it subtly implied that “leaving your nets” and “following Jesus” means 1. becoming a missionary to far-off lands - but if you can’t hack that, then at the very least, becoming 2. A pastor. Steve and David examine this (faulty) line of thinking - and why the narrative given to us by Matthew of Jesus calling these ordinary young men to follow Him is both far more comforting to us AND far more challenging to us than we originally expected.

Matthew Season 1 - Week 7 Apr 03, 2022

Toward the end of chapter 4, Jesus makes a dramatic invitation to two pairs of brothers to follow Him and join Him in His work. It’s a dramatic moment, with all four young men leaving the family business as fisherman to join Jesus. But as we examine the very human element of this story, we see that Jesus’ call to these ordinary tradesmen is actually exceptional news for us - and we see Jesus making the same invitation to us, to “lay down our nets” and “follow Him.” An invitation that makes demands of us, yes, but also is filled with a promise of a life far beyond anything we could have previously imagined as we walk behind and beside God Himself.

Matthew Season 1 - Week 6 Mar 27, 2022

SERMON DESCRIPTION

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 5 Mar 20, 2022

Steve and Jay stop by to talk about the third (and final) temptation of Jesus, where Satan offers Jesus the Kingdoms of the world (if only He’ll bow down and worship). We talk about what this means and how this plays out in our lives. We also talk about how the Biblical accounts of the temptation of Jesus are (and are NOT) like a football team stealing the other team’s playbook. Also in this episode: Steve breaks out an incredible Donald Duck impersonation, David breaks out a mediocre Scooby Doo and Jay does no impression at all but critiques ours.

Matthew Season 1 - Week 5 Mar 20, 2022

In the third and final temptation of Jesus, the Devil offers Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” There is just one catch: Jesus has to bow down to worship Satan. Jesus refuses. As we look at this story, we see some common threads between all three temptations. In some ways, the tactics the Tempter uses against Jesus are not uncommon to the ones he uses against us, trying to get us to doubt God's love and provision and goodness. And by seeing these patterns, we can get traction in our life when temptation inevitably comes.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 4 Mar 15, 2022

Jay and Dave talk through the second temptation of Jesus, where Jesus says that it’s wrong to “put God to the test.” We get it: don’t climb out on a tree branch and saw off the limb you’re sitting on, assuming God will turn you into Superman. But wait. Why is it wrong to test God? What about the story of Gideon, when he puts out two fleeces? Isn’t that testing God? What about Malachi 3, when God actually invites people to test Him to see if He’s good or not? How is this different than the Hebrew people needing water in the wilderness? Dave and Jay explore this, as well as answer pressing questions about the origin of Jay’s children’s names, the price of gas and whether or not Satan sang, “I Believe I Can Fly” to get Jesus to jump off the top of the temple (Jay says “no”).

Matthew : Season 1 - Week 4 Mar 15, 2022

After passing the first temptation, Satan tries to get Jesus to “prove” He’s the Son of God by throwing himself off the heights of the temple, implying that God will *have* to have Him, since He’s God’s son. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6, where Moses references a story that happened in Exodus 17 when the Israelites were without water in the desert, and grumbled and quarreled and tested God, saying "Is God even with us." Apparently, when things don't go our way or if they aren't easy, we quickly begin to wonder if God is even with us. Jesus' response to Satan is instructive. And this part of Matthew's story reminds us that our sinful, broken world is - and will remain – a wilderness. And God’s protection doesn’t always look like immediate comfort. But God’s protection does always lead to eternal certainty.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 3 Mar 06, 2022

In Matthew 4, a supernatural, evil, corporeal being referred to as “The Tempter” shows up to trick and trap Jesus. There’s no red suit and horns, but that’s Satan. How do we modern people make sense of this? Also, we talk about the method that Jesus uses to “pass the test” in the wilderness - referring to and believing the Scriptures. Do most modern Christians have too low a view of the value of the Scriptures? Dana Clifford stops by to chat about those questions, and shares how the Bible and its truths helped her in some of her darkest moments.

Matthew : Season 1 - Week 3 Mar 06, 2022

Immediately after Jesus is baptized, Matthew writes that He is led into the desert wilderness to be “tested” by God. But wait. Isn’t a test a bad thing? Is a “test” the same thing as “tempt” - which kind of means to trap or trick? And how can a test be a good thing? We’ll explore this intense episode where Jesus faces the same test that the people of Israel faced in the wilderness - and the same test we often face in our own wildernesses. We can either trust that God is there, that God sees us and that God will provide for us out of His love and care for us - or take matters into our own hands. And in this case, Jesus shows us how to pass this most difficult of tests.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 2 Feb 27, 2022

In Matthew 3, Jesus tells John the Baptizer that the reason He should be baptized is not because He has done something wrong (He has not), but because “it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This phrase “fullfill all righteousness” is really confusing (we don’t use that term in everyday life). Jay and Andy stop by to talk about what it means and why the baptism of Jesus is good news for you, for me, and for our suddenly war-torn world. We also pause to pray for Ukraine. And Andy’s attempt to freestyle rap is so bad, we stop the podcast and issue apologies to our listeners and to music itself.

Matthew : Season 1 - Week 2 Feb 27, 2022

To the Jewish mind, the idea of “water” was dual. Being a people located near a desert, water was seen as life. But as a non-sea-faring people, water was also seen as a place of death and chaos. As Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ baptism, though, we see a pattern continuing - God intervening in human history to lead His people through the chaotic waters of death into newness and life. And just like the stories of Noah from the Flood, Moses and the Red Sea and the tribes of Israel crossing the Jordan, Jesus’ baptism shows us that God is still leading people from death to life, if we’ll just follow Him.

THE AFTERWORD | Matthew : Season 1 - Week 1 Feb 20, 2022

The poet WH Auden once wrote that “we would rather be ruined than changed.” This, perhaps, is because often we’re afraid being changed *would* ruin us. And yet, the opening pages of Matthew has a man prophet named John the Baptizer telling people to change (repent) and says that somehow, God is involved in this change process. Steve Clifford and Corinna Girard stop by to talk about that. We also explore what it means to be “baptized in the Spirit.” Also, John the Baptizer says that Jesus will baptize people “with fire.” That sounds uber painful. That’s a bad thing, right?

Matthew : Season 1 - Week 1 Feb 20, 2022

Immediately after telling the amazing story of the birth of Jesus, Matthew jumps ahead nearly 30 years, fast-forwarding to the opening moments of Jesus’ time in the public eye. Jesus’ story intersects with His cousin, a wild-eyed prophet named John the Baptizer who attracts a ton of attention by telling people they need to “repent” because the Kingdom of God is very, very close. But this prophet also has some strong words for some religious leaders, and he makes some promises about Jesus that are perplexing, audacious, beautiful and terrifying - sometimes all at the same time.

THE AFTERWORD | Installation Celebration Feb 13, 2022

This past weekend, WestGate Church celebrated the installation of Jay Kim as the new lead pastor of WestGate Church. These kinds of leadership transitions are not only tricky, but a lot of time they don’t go well - and yet, this one went remarkably well. David sits down with Jay and Steve to talk about the behind-the-scenes story of this process, and what it meant for both Jay and Steve, and how this process grew them both.

Installation Service Feb 13, 2022

During this very special service, we celebrate the present and future of our church, along with the installation of Jay Kim as our new lead pastor. Steve Clifford is joined by special guests Dan Kimball and Isaac Serrano - two local church leaders and dear friends of WestGate - who each share some reflections on this unique season and encouragement for our entire church community.

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion - Week 3 pt2 Feb 13, 2022

PART 2: David drops by to talk with Steve about the incredible life of Lesslie Newbigin, who Steve argues is one of the most important theologians and missionaries of the 20th Century and one whose life offers many lessons to modern Christians - if we will just have eyes to see and ears to listen.

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion - Week 3 pt1 Feb 08, 2022

PART 1: David sits down with Roxanne Robbins, who founded the Christian non-profit Tukutana, which serves many of the most vulnerable people in Uganda (and East Africa). Roxanne shares how she went from running Division 1 track at Auburn University to working in a refugee camp in Uganda, then living in Africa, helping orphans, and then eventually starting her own non-profit. It’s the kind of story only God can write. She also shares about a spike in teenage pregnancies in her region caused when young Ugandan girls were sexually assaulted during the pandemic lock-downs. She’ll share Tukutana’s plans to tangibly help these new teenage mothers and their babies - and how you can join and help, too.

Compassion Immersion - Week 3 Feb 08, 2022

As we venture into the New Year, we have an opportunity to look back with perspective and look forward with hope. As we look back, we see much exhaustion and loss. Truth is, we all feel a little burnt out, weary, and beaten down. But God offers us a way forward, an accessible and transformative path leading to vitality, strength, and renewed purpose. In this teaching, we'll explore practical ways to move from burnout to wholeness and consider God's invitation to "be still and carry on."

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion - Week 2 Jan 30, 2022

It’s a DOUBLE EPISODE. (Look people, we all know that Double Stuffed Oreos are the best). In the first part, David sits down with Melissa Hung and Finny Abraham - who head up WestGate Church’s local compassion team. They share their favorite stories from the things they saw this past year. Then at (37:00) - David interviews Jeff Hudgens. After losing his father in the Vietnam War when he was young, Jeff turned to alcohol and cocaine to cope with the loss and pain. But a decision to go and visit the crash site where his father was killed when he was shot down in Laos changed Jeff - and eventually thousands of Laotian lives, too. Hear his incredible, redemptive story.

Compassion Immersion - Week 2 Jan 30, 2022

One of the more mind-blowing aspects of Jesus - reflected on not only by sages and writers throughout the ages, but also by the writers of the Bible - is His humility. For the God of the Universe to come down to earth is one thing, but then to spend His time serving and helping other people is quite another. And Jesus did not just serve the wealthy and powerful - but also the very poorest and most vulnerable. This week, Finny Abraham reflects on this aspect of Jesus, and how it can be the basis of inspiration for us to serve others with compassion as well. And in the process of serving the “other” with compassion, we can show the world what God is really like.

THE AFTERWORD | Compassion Immersion - Week 1 Jan 23, 2022

It’s week 1 of our annual Compassion Immersion series. This week, Keivan Terhrani, WestGate Church’s Global Compassion Pastor, stops by to share some amazing stories from around the globe. Private helicopters flying trained Haitian doctors (from the Haitian University we support) right to the front lines to save lives after the earthquake in Haiti. The incredible story of one of our supported Afganistan missionaries whose life was saved by a US serviceman from a Taliban bombing. And how COVID wrecked havoc, but also opened doors in places that traditional have been hostile to Christianity.

Compassion Immersion - Week 1 Jan 23, 2022

The early church faced tremendous difficulties. There were racial divisions, financial shortages and massive political fighting. In some ways, the same problems that plague our modern society. And yet this rag-tag group of ordinary people changed the world, in part because of their commitment to follow and live a life like Jesus of self-sacrifice and compassion. The early church cared about all the lost, hurting, broken and marginalized people - even risking their own lives, reputation and jobs to do so. And this is our invitation today, too. In the first week of Compassion Immersion 2022, we take time to hear stories from our Global Compassion Pastor Keivan Tehrani about the incredible work God is doing around the world. Stories of forgiveness, healing, provision and redemption. And in the process, we get to celebrate an extraordinary God who still works in and through ordinary people to do the extraordinary.

THE AFTERWORD | CONTINUUM - Week 2 Jan 16, 2022

Happy 2022 everyone! After being knocked down - but not out! - by the Omicron variant, David storms back to talk with Jay Kim about this week’s (amazing!) passage in Luke 8. The story of the woman in Luke 8 shows us a woman who had deep faith that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah AND showed us her desperation. But we don’t always have both. Desperation without faith leads to despair and faith without desperation leads to stagnation. We talk about whether we’ve seen people (and ourselves) trending more toward “despair” or “stagnation” - why this is - and how to arrest that.

Continuum - Week 2 Jan 16, 2022

This week, we examine a curious story in Luke 8 (also found in Matthew 9 + Mark 5) about a woman who comes to Jesus with a significant problem - she has been bleeding for 12 years, and no one can help. As Jesus passes by in a teeming crowd, she makes her move, believing that if she even just touches Him, then she will be healed. And she is. But that’s not the end of the story. And as we examine it, we find that this story reveals a lot about her, about Jesus and...us, too - especially about what it means to be people who are full of faith AND full of desperation at the same time.

Continuum - Week 1 Jan 09, 2022

For more than two thousand years, God's been writing his story in the world through the local church. In fact, each of us gets to play a small part in this big story in our church community, right here in our little corner of the world. This week we’ll examine the story of WestGate Church - its humble beginnings and how God moved to bring together a group of strangers and turned them into the family of God. We’ll also be turning pages in that story together as we celebrate God's faithfulness throughout years past and lean into that same faithfulness for the years to come.

From Burnout to Being Still Jan 02, 2022

As we venture into the New Year, we have an opportunity to look back with perspective and look forward with hope. As we look back, we see much exhaustion and loss. Truth is, we all feel a little burnt out, weary, and beaten down. But God offers us a way forward, an accessible and transformative path leading to vitality, strength, and renewed purpose. In this teaching, we'll explore practical ways to move from burnout to wholeness and consider God's invitation to "be still and carry on."

End-of-Year Communion Service | December 26, 2021 Dec 26, 2021

This special end-of-year service is a time where we gather to consider the year that has been and look forward with hope toward the year to come, and all the the good that God has in store. We'll sing and respond and recenter our hearts and minds on the great gift of life Christ came to offer each and every one of us.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 25, 2021

Steve Clifford

THE AFTERWORD | Adorning the Darkness - Week 4 Dec 20, 2021

The Christmas Story is so familiar that it runs the danger of being “Hallmark-ized” - with a Precious Moments™ Baby Jesus (no crying He makes!), cute donkeys and sheep, angels singing lullabyes and Mary and Joseph staring pensively and silently at the 8 pound 6 ounce Baby Jesus in the golden fleece diaper. But the actual Biblical story that Matthew gives us is far more terrifying. Jay and David talk about the dark side of this part of the Christmas story, and how it confronts the idea that “life with God automatically means life on easy street.” And how it’s good news the actual Christmas story is so tragic and terrifying because it means God can bring good anywhere. David also introduces Jay to one of his favorite Christmas songs (hint: it may or may not be from the 90s boy band NSYNC) to bring something joyful and upbeat.

Adorning the Darkness - Week 4 Dec 20, 2021

Upon learning about the existence of Jesus, King Herod - desperate to retain power - flies into a murderous, genocidal rage. Joseph and Mary must flee for their lives with the new child to Egypt. Life doesn’t get easier when God interrupts their lives. It gets harder. Much harder. And in the middle of that, there’s a temptation to wonder “Where is God in all this?” Matthew understands this question, and this part of his Gospel gives a clear answer to those wondering. Expertly weaving in references to the Old Testament to show God’s bigger story, Matthew tells is that the answer is “right in the middle of it. Just like He’s always been.”

THE AFTERWORD | Adorning the Darkness - Week 3 Dec 16, 2021

In Matthew 2, we meet one of the great villains of the Bible - King Herod. Dave dives into some fun extra-Biblical history that colors Matthew’s story and makes Herod even more villainous. And Steve explains why the mere presence of the Magi in this scene is shocking good news.

Adorning the Darkness - Week 3 Dec 12, 2021

In the beginning of Matthew’s story, we meet one of the great villains of the Bible - a power-crazed, politically serpentine megalomaniac named Herod. He has been installed by Rome as the “king of the Jews.” But. He’s not. He’s not the proper king. There is another. And in a shocking turn, some non-Jewish, pagan astrologers - some learned men from a nation very far away in the East - travel a great distance to tell Herod this truth. And in the process, we learn that God is up to something, and that the people who we’d think *should* see Jesus clearly don’t, and the people we’d never expect it do. And in the end, the story is a mirror, asking us a tough question. Are we more like Herod - busy building our own kingdoms - or are we like the Magi, willing to forego a great deal of comfort to respond to the incredible invitation of God to worship this baby, the King of All Kings.

THE AFTERWORD | Adorning the Darkness - Week 2 Dec 06, 2021

Merry Christmas to us! We get an early Christmas present with a new podcast studio. Steve and Jay are our first guests as we talk about the name “Immanuel” - which means “God with us.” We talk about three important implications of that reality, including how it is the reversal of traditional religious ideas about mankind “climbing” to God AND how it shows the relational nature of God. Finally, Steve shares powerfully about how the reality of “Immanuel” helped him through his moments of deepest grief after the death of his son - and how “God with us” can provide hope and healing for those grieving during the holiday season. Also, Steve reveals *his* favorite Christmas song right now.

Adorning the Darkness - Week 2 Dec 05, 2021

More than 700 years before Jesus was born a man named Isaiah - a prophet who spoke God’s words to God’s people - proclaimed that one day, God would come to them, set things right and *be with* humanity. His name, Isaiah said, will be “Immanuel.” That name means “God is with us.” And the birth of Jesus shows - in astonishing ways - the lengths that God will go to be with us. But. Sometimes, though this is what we need, we don’t really want this. As author Joshua Ryan Butler wrote, “Our problem is not that we’re reaching out for God and he’s refusing to be found. It’s the opposite: God’s reaching out for us, and we’re scattering in other directions.” This message examines the importance and world-restoring power of this simple name “Immanuel” - and what it means for you and I.

THE AFTERWORD | Adorning the Darkness - Week 1 Nov 30, 2021

It’s OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS SEASON, EVERYBODY! Jay Kim stops by to talk about the first week of our Adorning the Darkness series. We discuss how the story of Jesus’ birth is both huge and cosmic AND deeply intimate and personal. We also examine the idea darkness, explore how sin is like Cherynobyl and discover what Jay’s kid’s favorite Christmas song is (hint: It’s sung by WHAM! and is not a Christmas song at all, really).

Adorning the Darkness - Week 1 Nov 28, 2021

Light versus Dark. No other metaphor, no other imagery more accurately and profoundly captures the story of human experience quite like it. And no other image is used more frequently in the Bible to describe what God was doing on that first Christmas. God was - and is - bringing light into a dark world, through the birth of a baby boy. The word “adorn” means “to make beautiful” and that’s what God did on that first Christmas - sent beautiful light into a dark world. This week, we explore the genealogy of Jesus, which Matthew uses as a sort of “roll call that echoed the promises of God.” We see that since the very beginning, through all the ups and downs of Israel’s story—from God’s promise to Abraham to the rise of Israel to exile, through kings and prostitutes and everyone in between—God has been adorning the darkness since the very beginning, which gives us immense hope for today.

THE AFTERWORD | Leadership Transition Nov 21, 2021

This past weekend, it was announced that Jay Kim was affirmed unanimously by the elders to be presented to the congregation for a vote to be the next lead pastor at WestGate Church. Jay will be succeeding Steve Clifford, who has served in that role for more than 20 years. I sat down with Steve and Jay to talk through what that process was like for both of them, and in the process get some behind-the-scenes insight into leadership transitions - both what to do and what NOT to do to ensure health.

Leadership Transition Nov 21, 2021

Steve Clifford, who has served as the lead pastor at WestGate Church for more than 20 years, announces that after several years od conversation, that the executive leadership team and the elders have unanimously voted to present Jay Kim to the congregation (for a vote in January) to be the next lead pastor. Steve, Dana Clifford and Jay share the stage to talk about this unique process, and why they’re so excited about not only this move, but also the future of WestGate Church.

THE AFTERWORD | Abraham - Week 10 Nov 14, 2021

All the way back on Labor Day Weekend in September, we started our church-wide journey through the life of Abraham. But now, in the immortal words of Boyz II Men, we have come to the “end of the road.” David takes the mic around to folks on the staff (Ruth Nazanin, David Kim, Jay Kim and Steve Clifford) who preached a lot of the content during the multi-week series to ask them what their main takeaways were from the life of Abraham. And then he and the book’s editor Sarah Lee give some final reflections and share some of the ways this content has shaped them, too.

Abraham- Week 10 Nov 14, 2021

As we come to a close on the life of Abraham, we examine the totality of Abraham’s varied experiences with God. And we see an incredible pattern: time after time after time, God moves first to Abraham with incredible gifts. And then Abraham responds. Because some gifts are so good, they demand a response. And some gifts are so good, so charged with love, so overwhelming they change you. Just ask Abraham.

THE AFTERWORD | Abraham - Week 9 Nov 09, 2021

Throughout history, no single moment in the story of Abraham has captured the hearts and minds of poets, writers and visual artists than the sacrifice of Isaac. No story in the life of Abraham has captivated (and baffled) the hearts and minds of humans more than this one. Dave calls up two of his friends to talk through this story. Liz Ditty examines the various caricatures of this story, and how portraits of God as a “bad father” fall away quickly upon closer inspection. And then Sarah Lee joins me to talk through the hint we are given by the author of Hebrews about the mental state of Abraham through this ordeal - and how it pushes us to “think well” about God.

Abraham- Week 9 Nov 09, 2021

In Genesis 22, we are met with the emotional apex of of the entire story of Abraham. This story is so potent, it’s referred to in the Jewish tradition as simply “the Akedah” - which means, “the binding.” It’s the story of the moment where Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. The raw emotion of a father walking up a hill, being asked by God Himself to kill his only son is overwhelming. And puzzling. Let’s be honest - this story upon first reading doesn’t make God look too good. But, if we read carefully, we see something else going - a dramatic reveal that shows us that God is not a cruel, whimsical or cruel deity - or a God who takes and takes and takes - but rather a God who gives and gives and gives

THE AFTERWORD | Abraham - Week 8 Oct 31, 2021

So what exactly did the people of Sodom and Gomorrah do that was *so* bad that God decided to hail down fire and sulphur? It must have been pretty bad, right? David Tieche does a deep dive into this topic, looking into the story, examines the other places in the Bible where Sodom is referenced and looks to the tradition of historical Christianity. He then makes his best case - which he presents to Jay Kim and Sarah Lee for their feedback.

Abraham- Week 8 Oct 31, 2021

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a tragic story in so many ways. An outcry of injustice reaches the ears of God, who comes down to investigate. And the story ends with the complete and utter destruction of the city by God, who rains down fire. Throughout the rest of the Bible, even the name “Sodom” is used to represent a place of utter wickedness. But there’s more to the story, too. In the story, we see Abraham delicately arguing with God to save the city - and God (incredibly) agreeing to it - under one condition. And as we look at this complex story, we learn something about God, about His heart, and about what he’s hoping for His people.

THE AFTERWORD | Abraham - Week 7 Oct 24, 2021

The word “justice” has (unfortunately) become a cultural buzzword these days, bandied about and even weaponized in our polarized moment. But what is “justice” exactly? Jay stops by to discuss the ways in which we talk about justice in our world is helpful, and ways in which it’s not . And we talk about what it might look like to move forward for faithful Christians who are desperate to reflect the ethical character of God Himself in a world full of injustice and suffering.

Abraham- Week 7 Oct 24, 2021

In Genesis 18, a great outcry of pain and suffering reaches the ears of God from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This word “outcry” is a terrible word, used in the Bible to denote the cry of someone being violently oppressed or hurt. And God comes down to investigate it. And in this episode we learn something about God, and something about Abraham - that they are deeply concerned about justice. And in our world, full of injustice and full of outcries, we learn about what it means to be a people who reflect the very character and heart of God Himself: to love what is right, to do what is right and to set things right.

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