(Our devotion today is from David Brenner)Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all of this?”They answered, “Yes.”He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”Matthew 13:51 (The Message paraphrase, by Eugene Peterson)Ever since college, I’ve t...  Read More

Our Saturday devotion is from Music Director Anthony Spain - thank you Anthony! Psalms 131-135, Proverbs 27Reality check - “El Shaddai” by Amy Grant is now almost 40 years old- really you might ask? Yes, as it was released in 1982.I distinctly remember where I was when I first experienced this song. At the time, I was touring throughout the west and mid-west with a Christian music group, and was i...  Read More

Psalms 126-130, Proverbs 26, John 12:23-25, Galatians 5:22-26I wonder how fruitful you feel during this Coronavirus? I still find I get to the end of the day and wonder where it has gone...Today we are on the final seed/soil combo in the parable of the sower -- fruitful harvest! So it is worth remembering what Jesus says about the fruitful life:Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls...  Read More

Psalms 121-125, Proverbs 25, Matthew 6:25-34This will be a quick devotional, because honestly I've found when it comes to the 'worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things' (Mark 4:19, the 'thorns' that choke out Jesus' message of the kingdom of God) a lot of extra words don't help.Two words help.A verse of Scripture that refocuses our attention on God's love, suff...  Read More

Psalms 116-120 / Proverbs 24 / Micah 6:8 / John 15:1-8Sustained discipleship is difficult.The last two days we have reflected on the hard ground that gave the seed (the message of the kingdom of God) no purchase. Today I’m reflecting on the seed that falls upon rocky soil, springs up quickly (I always imagine enthusiastically!) but then withers in the heat of the day because it has no roots. Jesus...  Read More

Psalms 111-115 / Proverbs 23 / Ezekiel 36:25-27 / Matthew 13:14-16In the middle of the parable of the sower – between the story and its explanation – Jesus quotes the prophecy from Isaiah 6:For this people’s heart has become calloused;they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes,hear with their ears,understand with their heartsand turn, ...  Read More

Psalms 106-110, Proverbs 22, Mark 4:1-20When your words came, I ate them;they were my joy and my heart’s delight,for I bear your name,Lord God Almighty.(Jeremiah 15:16)Yesterday in worship we considered some of Jesus’ parables about seeds, including the parable of the sower from Mark 4. It is repeated in our reading today. Our devotions this week tarry on this idea of the different soils – the rec...  Read More

Our devotions this Saturday come from music director Anthony Spain.Isaiah 53:3He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.Realizing he was going deaf, a young composer began to shut himself away from people out of embarrassment. He then cried out in writing when he was...  Read More

Psalms 91-95 / Proverbs 19 / John 8:33-36It seems fitting on Juneteenth to share reflections from Dr. Tony Evans (Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas). Today in particular, I am humbled and ashamed at the injustice against enslaved persons in our history -- grateful for all that the witness of the Black church in America reveals to us about the depth and breadth of gospel endurance -- a...  Read More

Psalms 86-90 / Proverbs 18 / Hebrews 3:1-13Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts ...(Hebrews 3:7)Today.Over the past couple of weeks, seeking refreshment for soul as well as body, I found myself returning to a classic of Jesuit spiritual formation -- Self Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. I love that title.  I can picture one of my nephews as a small bo...  Read More

While Pastor Laurie is away, our devotions are from members of the West Side family. It's a gift to hear and join in how others in our fellowship are walking with Jesus during this time.Today's devotion is from Stacy Kutz. Stacy is on staff at WSPC, working with our Kids & Families, Youth, and Young Adults.(Psalm 13)My last few devotionals focused on hope. Hope in Jesus through the power of the Ho...  Read More

While Pastor Laurie is away, our devotions are from members of the West Side family. It's a gift to hear and join in how others in our fellowship are walking with Jesus during this time.Today’s devotion is from West Side missionary Vic Trautwein. Leslie and Vic Trautwein were members at West Side from 1994-1996 and have been West Side supported missionaries with Kids Alive in the Dominican Republi...  Read More