SunWest Church Weekly Sermon Podcast

2026-08-16: When God first called Gideon, he wasn't a warrior—he was hiding. He saw himself as weak, insignificant, and unlikely to make much of a difference, but God saw something in Gideon that Gideon couldn't yet see in himself. What if faith isn't about believing you're capable of extraordinary things, but believing that God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people?

2026-08-09: The story of Ruth begins with famine, grief, and impossible decisions, but it ends with hope that changes the course of history. This Sunday we will explore how God weaves redemption through the ordinary moments and messy realities of our lives.

2026-08-02: This Sunday, we continue our Hall of Faith series as we look at the life of Noah. Together, we’ll explore the heart of a God who grieves over a broken world, yet never stops pursuing His people. We discover that God’s delight in Noah reveals His invitation for each of us to walk closely with Him today.

2026-07-26: Have you ever found yourself running from your past, from a difficult conversation, from hurt, or even from God? This Sunday, we'll explore the life of Jacob, a man who spent years on the run before discovering that God was calling him back. Before Jacob could face his brother Esau, he had to wrestle with God and discover a new identity. All are welcome as we explore this powerful story of grace, transformation, and the question we all must answer: What are you running from, and what is God calling you to return to?

2026-07-12: Moses is remembered as one of the greatest people in the Bible, yet his story is marked by failure, disappointment, and forty years in the wilderness. So what made his life extraordinary? This Sunday, we'll explore why so many of us settle for lives that are smaller than the purpose God has for us—and how God often does His greatest work in us before He does His greatest work through us.

2026-06-28: When we look at the darkness in our world, it's easy to ask, "What's wrong?" But perhaps a better question is, "Where is the light?" In this message, we'll explore Jesus' vision of the church as a city on a hill, a people who reflect His love so clearly that others are drawn toward God. Come discover how the church is called to be a beacon of hope today and a glimpse of the coming Kingdom where God's light will make all things new.

2026-06-21: What if your deepest identity isn't what you do, but whose you are? From an abandoned infant in Ezekiel to the wedding feast in Revelation, we'll trace the story of a God who pursues, claims, and is preparing his people for something far better than we've imagined. Join us as we discover what it means to be the Bride of Christ.

2026-06-14: When most people think of church, they think of a place to go. The New Testament paints a very different picture. It describes the church as the Body of Christ—a living, connected, breath-filled entity through whom Jesus continues His work in the world. Join us this Sunday as we discover what it means to belong, why every part matters, and how finding our place in His body helps us become who we were created to be.

2026-06-07: After healing a blind man, Jesus turns to the image of sheep and shepherds to reveal a deeper truth about humanity: we are all sheep in need of a shepherd. But why sheep? Why a shepherd? As we continue our series on “The Church,” we’ll explore John 10 and discover what it means to belong to the flock of God — one flock under one Shepherd.

2026-05-31: Family can be one of the most beautiful parts of life… and one of the most complicated. This week, we’ll look at a surprising moment in Jesus’ ministry where He asks a question that challenges everything people thought they knew about family, belonging, and who’s truly “in.” As we continue our series on "The Church", we will explore the kind of family Jesus came to establish.

2026-05-24: “What do you mean by ‘church’?” For many of us, the word comes loaded with assumptions—buildings, services, traditions, or institutions. But is that what Jesus had in mind? Jesus didn’t come simply to start a religion or create an organization. So what was He building?

2026-05-17: We all long for change. More peace. More joy. More patience. More purpose. But in a world telling us to try harder and do more, Jesus offers a different invitation. Jesus says, “I am the true vine,” reminding us that lasting transformation doesn’t come from striving, but from staying connected to Him. Let’s explore together where real change begins. What it means to abide in Christ and discover the life, freedom, and fruitfulness that only He can give.

2026-05-10: In a world that constantly tells us to “live your truth,” Jesus makes a shocking claim: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This Sunday in our “I AM” series, we’ll wrestle with one of the most important questions ever asked — “What is truth?” — and discover that truth is more than an idea to believe; it’s a person to follow. Because sometimes the hardest part about the truth isn’t hearing it… it’s choosing to follow “it”.

2026-05-03: Not every voice that leads you actually cares for you. Jesus draws a sharp line between the good shepherd, the hired hand, and the wolf—and the difference shows when things get hard. The hired hand protects himself, the wolf takes what isn’t his, but the good shepherd stays, defends, and lays down his life for the sheep. This week, we look at the 4th “I am” statement of Jesus, and consider its implications for our lives.

2026-04-19: We all know what it’s like to feel lost, confused, or stuck in the dark. Jesus steps into that reality and makes a staggering claim: "I am the light of the world." Not a light. Not one option among many. In week two of our I AM series, Jesus invites us out of confusion and into clarity. Because when you see Him for who He is, you finally see everything else more clearly - including yourself.

2026-04-12: In a world full of voices telling you who to be, Jesus steps in and tells you who He is. In the Gospel of John, He doesn’t just teach—He reveals Himself through seven bold “I AM” statements. Each one pulls back the curtain on His identity and invites you to see life, truth, and purpose differently. Join us as we discover not just what Jesus said—but who He is, and what that means for you.

2026-04-05: Good Friday and Easter aren’t just moments we remember—they’re the turning point of history and the invitation into a new kind of life. On Good Friday, we reflect on the weight of the cross and the depth of God’s love for us. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the victory of Jesus—life over death, hope over despair, and a future that’s been rewritten. Whether you’ve been in church your whole life or you’re just exploring faith, you’re invited to join us at SunWest Church for one of our Good Friday or Easter services. There’s a place for you—and this might be the moment that changes everything.

2026-04-03: Good Friday and Easter aren’t just moments we remember—they’re the turning point of history and the invitation into a new kind of life. On Good Friday, we reflect on the weight of the cross and the depth of God’s love for us. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the victory of Jesus—life over death, hope over despair, and a future that’s been rewritten. Whether you’ve been in church your whole life or you’re just exploring faith, you’re invited to join us at SunWest Church for one of our Good Friday or Easter services. There’s a place for you—and this might be the moment that changes everything.

2026-03-29: Jesus prepares his disciples for sorrow, grief, and loss, but he doesn’t leave them without hope. He promises a joy that cannot be taken away. This message explores how Jesus tells the truth about suffering, how joy can exist even in the middle of pain, and how the resurrection reminds us that what feels like the end may actually be the beginning of new life. Let our longing for joy be transformed into abundant life.

2026-03-22: Before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples something surprising: “It is best for you that I go.” How could that possibly be true? This Sunday, we’re exploring what Jesus meant and why the gift of the Holy Spirit is not a downgrade, but an upgrade. Discover how God is not just with you, but in you, bringing truth, guidance, and transformation to everyday life.

2026-03-15: This week, we arrive at the seventh sign in John—the final miracle before the cross. It’s a story where waiting stretches faith and hope feels buried. Doubt, grief, and disappointment all collide as Jesus arrives four days late. But what looks like the end becomes the stage for one of the greatest revelations of who Jesus is.

2026-03-08: In the Gospel of John, Jesus keeps drawing a line between light and darkness, sight and blindness. In the sixth sign, a man born blind receives his sight—but the real question becomes: who is actually blind? The story challenges a religious mindset that is still alive today. Join us this Sunday and see what happens when Jesus opens our eyes.

2026-03-01: Have you ever set out in a direction, convinced that it was the 'right' thing to do, only to find yourself met with resistance? The disciples obey Jesus and set sail only to find themselves in the midst of a storm. They're rowing hard and going nowhere. Yet it is in that powerlessness that they find something even more powerful than the storm.

2026-02-22: One of Jesus’ most famous miracles begins with something simple: lunch. A hungry crowd shows up, and Jesus feeds them. But the bread was never the point. He wasn’t just filling stomachs — He was exposing a deeper hunger and offering Himself as the only true sustenance. When we come just to take, we miss what He’s really giving.

2026-02-15: “Do you want to get well?” It seems like such a simple question that would lead to an obvious answer. Yet Jesus asks this question more than once because the answer isn’t as obvious as we think it is. Many people don’t want to be well. Many people would rather be a victim than a victor. In this third sign in John’s Gospel, Jesus confronts both paralysis and religious conformity, inviting one man—and all of us—to choose true wholeness.

2026-02-08: Last week, we began our Miracles series, exploring the seven miracles in the Gospel of John - though John calls them signs. These are moments where eternity breaks into the present, where heaven touches earth. John’s hope is that we wouldn’t fixate on the event itself, but on what the sign is pointing to. This week, we turn to the second sign, the healing of the nobleman’s son - a single moment that captures the lifelong tension of faith.

2026-02-01: In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ miracles are never just displays of power. John calls them signs—because they point beyond what Jesus did to who He is, what God is like, and what God is doing in the world. These signs were written not only to impress us, but to compel us to believe and trust in Jesus. If you’ve ever wondered whether there is more to faith than spectacle, more to belief than answers, and more to Jesus than meets the eye—this series is for you.

2026-01-25: Noise. Screens. Busyness. Endless options. Our lives are crowded with things we once chose—and now those things often choose us. The life Jesus invites us into is not accidental or reactive; it is prayerful, purposeful, and profoundly countercultural. As we bring this series to a close, we focus on the one thing every follower of Jesus is called to choose. The one thing may lead to many things, but many things rarely leave room for the one thing.

2026-01-18: Prayer can be confusing—we're told God hears us, yet our experience often says otherwise. This message explores why God sometimes says "no" or "wait," revealing that unanswered prayer isn't rejection but redirection. We'll discover that God's silence often protects us from requests that would harm us, contradict His purposes, or expose hearts needing realignment. Rather than getting God to bless our plans, prayer is about aligning our desires with His will and deepening our trust beyond what we can see.

2026-01-11: "Please teach us how to pray." That's exactly what Jesus' followers asked him 2,000 years ago—and it's still one of the most honest questions anyone can ask. Here, we answer that question using Jesus' own response: the Lord's Prayer. Whether you've never prayed before, stopped praying long ago, or pray regularly but want to go deeper, Jesus gives us a simple, practical framework that anyone can follow. Learn how to start a conversation with God, what to actually say, how to bring your real needs and struggles into prayer, and why forgiveness is central to the whole thing. No religious background required. No perfect words needed. Just an honest desire to learn. Join as we sit at Jesus' feet and ask him the same question his first followers did: "Teach us how to pray.

2026-01-04: We’re excited to announce a new sermon series, What If We Prayed, inviting our church to seek God together with fresh faith and expectation. As part of this series, we’ll be entering 21 days of prayer and fasting, setting aside intentional time to listen, trust, and grow as a community. Whether you’re new to prayer and fasting or have practiced it for years, this journey is for everyone. Join us and see what God will do in your life.

Did you miss it? The true message of the miraculous birth of Jesus? Too many did. Will you?

The Christmas story fulfills God’s promises throughout history. This week, we’ll look at the earliest one—a brief but powerful promise given thousands of years before Jesus’ birth. For generations, people waited for its fulfillment, but often misplaced their faith in the wrong people out of misunderstanding or impatience. And even with the full light of the Christmas story, we still fall into the same pattern today.

The lives and stories that came before us shape who we are, often more than we realize. This week, we’ll explore how the Gospel of Matthew reaches back to an Old Testament prophecy to reveal a centuries-long story of God’s faithfulness; a promise woven through kings, crises, and choices, all the way to Joseph deciding whether to remain engaged to Mary, now unexpectedly pregnant. And through it all, God was working. God was present. God was, and is, still with us through this promise kept.

2025-12-07 When Isaiah spoke God’s promise into Assyrian darkness, he named a child not yet born: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Seven centuries of waiting. Then Bethlehem. Every title kept. Every promise fulfilled. The government truly on his shoulders—our burdens included. If God kept his biggest promise through a baby in a manger, he’ll keep the one you’re holding onto today. The kingdom grows. The light still breaks through.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2025-11-30 As we enter Advent we are starting a new series: Promises Kept. From Christmas music to ancient songs, we’ll explore how Psalm 98 invites us to remember God’s faithfulness, sing a new song, and rediscover joy. Just as Israel sang of God’s past victory and Mary echoed those promises at Jesus’ birth, we too are invited to remember God’s promises kept. Together we’ll discover how the birth of Jesus fulfills the hopes sung by generations before us.

2025-11-23 This week, we’re looking at Daniel’s most famous moment. He stands firm and loves well in a culture of compromise, and it lands him in a lion’s den. The miracle everyone remembers is that he survived the night—but the real miracle happened long before he ever entered the den. Join us this weekend as we finish our series “Life in Babylon.”

2025-11-16 How would you live if you knew the length of your time on earth? Would that perspective change your priorities and your goals? Daniel speaks truth to power and Babylon again, challenging their short-sighted perspective. Sometimes we can forget that our time on earth is but a breath. Although that perspective can feel heavy, it actually frees us to live with eternal hope and purpose today.

We’ve been following the story of Daniel and his three friends—an inspiring picture of integrity and influence in the midst of Babylon. But what if we’ve been reading it from the wrong perspective? Instead of identifying with Daniel, maybe we’re more like King Nebuchadnezzar—people with power, pride, and something to lose. Join us this week as we explore the King’s dramatic transformation.

Daniel's three friends find themselves face-to-face with the ugliness of Babylon. Their personal convictions become a public ultimatum. Yet they demonstrate a posture, a resolve, and a faith that have made this one of the most beloved stories in Biblical literature. But the story wasn't written down just to be retold; it is intended to be re-lived.

There have been many ‘Babylons’ in history. Many societies and countries have risen to power only to fall shortly thereafter. This week, we look at a prophetic, yet timeless dream that Daniel interpreted for a King. It challenged their true allegiances and hopes then, and it should still challenge ours today. Where does our true hope lie? The invitation for them and for us is to come face to face with the ‘rock bottom’ truth of the dream so we can live with true hope.

Babylon is not a locality—it’s a mentality. God’s people have always faced the challenge of living in “Babylon” without losing who they are or what they’re called to. Yet God also calls His people to influence Babylon. How can we live with conviction while building connection, favour, and influence? Join us as we learn from the roadmap Daniel and his friends left us.

2025-10-12 How do you live with character and integrity in a hostile and contentious culture? How do we stand firm and love well in a culture of compromise? As followers of Jesus, we are called to love God and love people. Loving people involves having the courage and tact to speak truth with grace. Loving God can sometimes mean believing and doing countercultural things. Join us this week as we begin a new series, following the life of Daniel, learning to live in Babylon.

We’re celebrating 30 years of God’s faithfulness at SunWest — and you’re invited to join the story! Whether you’ve been part of our church family for decades or just recently started attending, this milestone weekend is all about reflecting on where we’ve been, celebrating what God is doing, and looking ahead to the future He has for us. Come be part of the celebration — because this is a story worth telling!

Batman and the Joker. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Frodo and Sauron. Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Every good story has a hero and a villain—two characters locked in conflict. But have you ever wondered what really separates them? Why we cheer for one and recoil from the other? Truth is, the line between hero and villain is surprisingly thin. And how we respond to that line is what makes our own lives a story worth telling... or one that isn’t.

2025-09-21: All good stories have a guide. Luke had Yoda, Frodo had Gandalf, Harry Potter had Dumbledore, and the Karate Kid had Mr. Miyagi. If we want to live a story worth telling, we too need a guide to help us along the way. Like sheep who need a shepherd, we need the good shepherd to guide us into the lives Jesus has for us. This journey is not done alone, but with the help of others who are living like the people Jesus wants us to become. Discover how, with the guidance of others, we can live a story worth telling.

2025-09-11: What if the very thing we spend our lives avoiding is actually the key to the story we're meant to live? This message tackles our uniquely Canadian talent for conflict avoidance (we apologize when someone steps on our toes!) and reveals why our mental health crisis might be connected to our pursuit of a conflict-free life. Through surprising insights about great stories, thriving relationships, and Jesus' most counterintuitive invitation, discover why the ultimate conflict might just be the ultimate freedom. Spoiler alert: The most dangerous lie isn't what you think it is.

2025-09-07: We’ve all put down a book or turned off a movie that wasn’t worth finishing—it was probably missing the essentials of a good story. The same is true in life. The very elements that make stories compelling are the ones that make our lives meaningful, because they echo the greatest story ever told—the gospel, the story of Jesus. Don’t waste your life. Live a story worth telling.

2025-08-31: We all end up in the wilderness—by choice, by others, by circumstance, and even by God’s leading. But the wilderness is not your home. Follow Jesus through it. Don’t take shortcuts—they only keep you stuck. Jesus went through the wilderness so it would never be your destination.

2025-08-24: After calling down fire from heaven in a great display of faith, Elijah finds himself the very next day alone and afraid in the wilderness. God shows up and meets him in an unexpected way—not through a big display, but in a gentle whisper. This Sunday, we’re going to explore the importance of being more aware of the whisper, as it's God’s voice that sustains us through both the highs and lows.