woodside bible church

Part 7 of the Thy Kingdom Come Series. Mark 5:21-43

Part 6 in the Thy Kingdom Come Series

How does Jesus' kingdom grow and advance? Is it through military might or political power? Does the kingdom grow through compelling others to follow Jesus with strong-arm tactics and violence? Maybe we should consider how Jesus talked about the kingdom advancing and growing, and follow him in the patterns he laid out for gospel advance. In this message on Mark 4:21-34, Pastor Jeremy Writebol helps us see three principles for gospel advance and calls us to deeper, faithful work even in the small places and ways. 

What is the condition of your heart? Would you say your heart is fertile towards God's Word? These are all questions that may arise as we listen to the parable of the sower in Mark chapter 4. Jesus teaches this parable to a large crowd of people, and He brings a calling to those who have an ear to let them hear. In other words, itseems like what He was trying to illustrate was important for them to hear. As we carry on in our series, Thy Kingdom Come, we will learn of the four conditions of the human heart, the hard heart, shallow heart, distracted heart, and fertile heart. We will see that Jesus’ reign is accomplished through His word.

In this message we discover how the Lord asks for our full allegiance and commitment to His kingdom. Letting go and giving up control is a difficult task. In our walks with Christ, this is what He asks of us, to allow Him to have full control of our lives as He guides us in the way He has paved. Jesus asks some thought-provoking questions in the gospel of Mark, which will call us to examine our hearts and ask ourselves the questions, "Who is Jesus to me? Have I fully surrendered to Him?"

Are you aware of the labor shortage? Not just for workers in our society, but for laborers in the kingdom of God. In this last message in our Elijah: A Man Just Like Us series, Pastor Jeremy Writebol helps us recognize the key things we need to be engaged in God's call on our lives. We want to see Elijah pass the baton, and to take it up ourselves to see the advance of the gospel. 

Have you ever felt ravaged by sorrow for yourself? Ever felt defeated and bundled in a ball of self-pity? In a society that is fixated on ourselves, it’s likely you’ve felt this way before. Even Elijah, a man of great faith, fell into a pit of depression caused by his self-pity. In this message, Pastor Jeremy Writebol shows us how God answers our own self-pity by his grace and call on our lives. 

Is anxiety or being anxious, a sin? Anxiety is an issue of giving weight to the things we care about. If we give the proper weight to the proper things, then our anxiety over them is not sin. But if we give improper weight to things, our anxiety could be the kind that Jesus instructs us against. Each of us needs to ask ourselves this question considering scripture, how do I address my anxious heart? In our series, Asking for a Friend series, we’ll answer tough questions and provide you with gospel-centered answers that you can share with a friend. We all have questions, but sometimes, navigating the answers to cultural issues through the lens of the Gospel can be challenging. We need to look to God, who he is, and what he has done to help properly reorder our cares and anxieties. Listen to our newest messages, Is Anxiety a Sin?, and begin to see that reflecting on God will reorder our anxieties. 

Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16-23

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

Throughout the years, most have tried to find the meaning and purpose of life. They pose questions like - Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Who am I? How should I live? And statistics prove that year after year, more people are looking for those answers outside of the church and God, relying on and believing in money, self, power, politics, or something else! One reason why people are so worked up is because their belief — their faith — in all these other things is letting them down. We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through His last hours and teaching with His disciples in the book of John known as “The Farewell Discourse.” Here in scripture, we will answer the question: What are we supposed to do when the way we were headed doesn’t seem certain anymore? Listen to our newest message of the series, Jesus the Way, and see that believing in Jesus is still the only way!

Is there any word that could better describe the state of our world, our nation, our communities, and even our churches than “divided”? “I follow her… We follow him… Us versus Them… Me against the World!” Differences of opinion have led to a tribalism where discussion and sincere debate is no longer tolerated. What do we do with our differences? If the world will know Christ by the love we demonstrate for one another, how do we find unity in such a fractured world? We aren’t the first generation called to represent Christ in a splintered society, and God’s Word addresses this exact issue in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. So, join us for Divided: Seeking Unity in a Fractured World, as we discover the unifying power of a people called to follow Christ!

As our culture becomes increasingly secular, many of us face the challenge of feeling singled out or isolated for our Christian values. When faced with a culture that challenges our identity in Christ, we can often be left wondering, is God’s wisdom and power truly greater than human “wisdom?” Join us as we conclude our series, Divided: Seeking Unity in a Fractured World, by looking to 1 Corinthians 1 to discover how we can be a people who don’t succumb to the world’s divisions but are united in following Christ. Listen to our final message of the series, Choosing Weakness, and learn how to place your trust not in the "wisdom" of the world, but in God. 

It’s as easy as…” Sound familiar? We live in a culture flooded with the newest “quick fix” to all our problems. And we’ve started to believe happiness is just a click away. The problem? Behind that pill, product, or program lies an empty promise and another disappointment. Through this summer series, we’ll reject culture’s “new big idea” for God’s time-tested truth. Together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him, where true satisfaction awaits. 

The Big Idea: Disciples can be confident that God both hears and answers our prayers.
Point 1: We have confidence in God's acceptance of our prayers because we are in Jesus' care.
Point 2: We have confidence in God hearing our prayers when our main concern is His will.
Point 3: We have confidence in the outcome of our prayers because God gives only good.

In a culture preaching the power of whatever feels right to you, it’s time to set aside positive vibes for a Truth you can stand on. The New Testament book of James is a call to counter-cultural living, the kind that rejects the latest “feel good” message for a mature faith. Join us as we kick off our six-week series, Live the Truth. Pastor Rob Bentz shares our first message, Surviving Seasons of Suffering, as we discover how only a mature faith can survive the intense trials that life brings. 

As we turn to Ephesians 4:1, we discover the importance of living out your calling in Christ. Together, we'll be challenged and encouraged by the Truth in this important passage of Scripture. So listen with us in our newest message from Pastor Steve Zarilli to be encouraged to know the worth and nature of your calling in Christ.

In part five of our Christmas series, Eyewitness: Finding Your Christmas Story in Theirs, we turn to Luke's Gospel to read of a couple very important people who are rarely included in the telling of the Christmas story--Simeon and Anna. Both lived faithful lives before God while waiting for the promised Messiah. Pastor Rob Bentz will help us see how their faithfulness in waiting offers us guidance on how we can navigate our own seasons of waiting. 

Part four of our Christmas series, Eyewitness: Finding Your Christmas Story in Theirs, looks at three responses to the birth of Jesus found in the second chapter of Matthew's gospel. Pastor Rob Bentz will guide us as we examine the responses of the Scribes, of King Herod, and of the Magi. How they responded to the birth of the Messiah gives us guidance for how we can respond to the coming of the Christ, today!

No one likes to wait. We are a generation of instant gratification: we get what we want when we want it. So how do you think you'd last if you were told to wait years for something? Or even, hundreds of years? As we conclude our Christmas series, Eyewitness: Finding Your Christmas Story in Theirs, we turn to the book of Luke where we encounter Simeon & Anna as they respond to the arrival of Jesus after decades of waiting. Listen with us to our final message of the series, Waiting on Jesus, and learn from Simeon and Anna how waiting in faith enables us to receive God’s promise!