Westminster Talking the Text

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, May 10, 2026 | Acts 17:22-31 | with Donovan Drake, Sarah Bird Kneff, and Stephanie BoazJohn 14:15-21Christ our advocate 14:15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.14:16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.14:17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.14:18"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.14:19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.14:20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.14:21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, May 3, 2026 | John 14:1-14 | with Donovan Drake, Sarah Bird Kneff, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz & Will WellmanJohn 14:1-14Christ the way, truth, life 14:1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.14:2In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?14:3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.14:4And you know the way to the place where I am going."14:5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"14:6Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.14:7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."14:8Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."14:9Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?14:10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.14:11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves.14:12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.14:13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14:14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, April 26, 2026 | Acts 2:42-47 | with Donovan Drake, Sarah Bird Kneff, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz & Will Wellman42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.Life among the Believers43 Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds[a] to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home[b] and ate their food with glad and generous[c] hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, April 19, 2026 | Luke 24:13-35 | with Guy D. Griffith, Sarah Bird Kneff, Ashley Higgins, & Will WellmanLuke 24:13-35Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, April 12, 2026 | John 20:19-31 | with Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, Ashley Higgins, & Will WellmanJohn 20:19-3119When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, April 5, 2026 | Easter Sunday | John 20:1-18 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, Ashley Higgins, & Will WellmanJohn 20:1-18Seeing the risen Christ 20:1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.20:2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."20:3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.20:4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.20:5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.20:6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,20:7and the cloth that had been on Jesus's head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.20:8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed,20:9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.20:10Then the disciples returned to their homes.20:11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb,20:12and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.20:13They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."20:14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.20:15Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."20:16Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).20:17Jesus said to her, "Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"20:18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and she told them that he had said these things to her.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, March 29, 2026 | Palm Sunday | Matthew 21:1-11 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, Ashley Higgins, & Will WellmanMatthew 21:1-11Jesus enters Jerusalem21:1When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,21:2saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.21:3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately."21:4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet;21:5"Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."21:6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;21:7they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.21:8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.21:9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"21:10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?"21:11The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, March 22, 2026 | Fifth Sunday in Lent | Ezekiel 37:1-14 | with Donovan Drake, Stephanie Boaz, & Ashley HigginsEzekiel 37:1-14The dry bones of Israel37:1The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.37:2He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.37:3He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."37:4Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.37:5Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.37:6I will lay sinews on you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD."37:7So I prophesied as I had been commanded, and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.37:8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them, but there was no breath in them.37:9Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."37:10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.37:11Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.'37:12Therefore prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.37:13And you shall know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people.37:14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, March 15, 2026 | Fourth Sunday of Lent | John 9:1-41 | with Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, Sophie Maness, & Will WellmanJohn 9:1-41The man born blind 9:1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.9:2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"9:3Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.9:4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.9:5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."9:6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes,9:7saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.9:8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"9:9Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the he."9:10But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"continue reading here...Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Third Sunday in Lent | Exodus 17:1-7 & John 4:5-15 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, Ashley Higgins, & Will WellmanExodus 17:1-7Water from the rock 17:1From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.17:2The people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?"17:3But the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?"17:4So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do for this people? They are almost ready to stone me."17:5The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go.17:6I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.17:7He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"John 4:5-42The woman at the well 4:5So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.4:6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.4:7A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."4:8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)4:9The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)4:10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."4:11The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?4:12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well,and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?"4:13Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,4:14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."4:15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, March 1, 2026 | Second Sunday in Lent | Genesis 12:1-4a & John 3:1-17 | with Donovan Drake, Stephanie Boaz, Ashley Higgins, Will Wellman, and Adam DeVries.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, February 22, 2026 | First Sunday in Lent | Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 & Matthew 4:1-11 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, & Will Wellman.Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7Eating of the tree of knowledge The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.And the LORD God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden,but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?"The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'"But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die,for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.Matthew 4:1-11The temptation of Jesus Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished.The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory,and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, February 15, 2026 | Transfiguration Sunday | Matthew 17:1-9 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, Will Wellman, and Sophie ManessMatthew 17:1-9Christ revealed as God's beloved Son 17:1Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.17:2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light.17:3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.17:4Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."17:5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"17:6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.17:7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid."17:8And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.17:9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, February 8, 2026 | Isaiah 58:1-12 and Matthew 5:13-20 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, Will Wellman, and Sophie ManessIsaiah 58:1-12The fast that God chooses 58:1Shout out; do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.58:2Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they want God on their side.58:3"Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day and oppress all your workers.58:4You fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.58:5Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?58:6Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?58:7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them and not to hide yourself from your own kin?58:8Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.58:9aThen you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, "Here I am."58:9bIf you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,58:10if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.58:11The LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail.58:12Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.Matthew 5:13-20The teaching of Christ: salt and light 5:13"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.5:14"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.5:15People do not light a lamp put it under the bushel basket; rather they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.5:16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.5:17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.5:18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.5:19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.5:20For IDiscover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, February 1, 2026 | Micah 6:1-8 and Matthew 5:1-12 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, & Will WellmanMicah 6:1-8The offering of justice, kindness, humility 6:1Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.6:2Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel.6:3"O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!6:4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.6:5O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD."6:6"With what shall I come before the LORD and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?6:7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"6:8He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?Matthew 5:1-12The teaching of Christ: Beatitudes 5:1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.5:2And he began to speak and taught them, saying:5:3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.5:4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5:5"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.5:6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.5:7"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.5:8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.5:9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.5:10"Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.5:11"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.5:12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, January 25, 2026 | Isaiah 9:1-4 & Matthew 4:12-23  | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, & Will WellmanIsaiah 9:1-4Light shines for those in darkness 9:1But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.9:2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined.9:3You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.9:4For the yoke of their burden and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.Matthew 4:12-23Christ revealed as a prophet 4:12Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.4:13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,4:14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:4:15"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles--4:16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."4:17From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."4:18As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishers.4:19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fisher of people."4:20Immediately they left their nets and followed him.4:21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.4:22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.4:23Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, January 18, 2026 | John 1: 23-42 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, & Will WellmanJohn 1: 23-4223He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. 24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, January 11, 2026 | Third Sunday of Christmas & Holy Baptism | Isaiah 42:1-9 & Matthew 3:13-17 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, & Stephanie BoazIsaiah 42:1-9Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God's Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the heavens said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, January 4, 2026 | Second Sunday of Christmas| JOHN 1: 1-18 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, & Stephanie BoazJOHN 1: 1-18In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God.All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into beingin him was life, and the life was the light of all people.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.There was a man sent from God whose name was John.He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'")From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, December 28, 2025 | First Sunday of Christmas| Matthew 2:13-23 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, & Stephanie BoazMatthew 2:13-23The slaughter of innocent children Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egyptand remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,"Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazarene.”Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, December 21, 2025 | Fourth Sunday of Advent | Matthew 1:18-25 | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, & Stephanie BoazMatthew 1:18-25Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit.Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly.But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:"Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, December 14, 2025 | Third Sunday of Advent | Matthew 11:2-11 | with Donovan Drake, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, and Will WellmanMatthew 11:2-11The forerunner of Christ 11:2When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples11:3and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"11:4Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:11:5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.11:6And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."11:7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?11:8What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.11:9What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.11:10This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'11:11"Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, December 7, 2025 | Second Sunday of Advent | Matthew 3:1-12 | with Donovan Drake, Ashley Higgins, and Will WellmanMatthew 3:1-123In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” 4Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”Isaiah 11:1-1011A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.Romans 15:4-134For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.5May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.7Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, November 30, 2025 | First Sunday of Advent | Isaiah 2:1-5 | with Donovan Drake, Guy Griffith, Ashley Higgins, and Will Wellman Isaiah 2:1-5       The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come    the mountain of the Lord’s houseshall be established as the highest of the mountains    and shall be raised above the hills;all the nations shall stream to it.    Many peoples shall come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,    to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may teach us his ways    and that we may walk in his paths.”For out of Zion shall go forth instruction    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  He shall judge between the nations    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;they shall beat their swords into plowshares    and their spears into pruning hooks;nation shall not lift up sword against nation;    neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob,    come, let us walkin the light of the Lord!Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, November 23, 2025 | Reign of Christ Sunday | Colossians 1:11-20  | with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Ashley Higgins, and Will WellmanColossians 1:11-20May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father,[a] who has enabled[b] you[c] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption,[d] the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in[e] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in[f] him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God[g] was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, November 16, 2025 | Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost | Malachi 4:1-2 & Luke 21:5-19 | with Donovan Drake, Guy Griffith, Ashley Higgins, Will Wellman, and Stephanie BoazMalachi 4:1-2A day of healing for the righteous 4:1See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.4:2 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.Luke 21:5-19Suffering for Jesus' sake 21:5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said,21:6"As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."21:7They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?"21:8And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them.21:9"When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately."21:10Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;21:11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.21:12"But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.21:13This will give you an opportunity to testify.21:14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance;21:15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.21:16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.21:17You will be hated by all because of my name.21:18But not a hair of your head will perish.21:19By your endurance you will gain your souls.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, November 9, 2025 | Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost | Luke 20:27-38 & Psalm 98 | with Donovan Drake, Ashley Higgins, Will Wellman, and Stephanie BoazLuke 20:27-38 27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, 'Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.' 34 Jesus said to them, 'Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.' Psalm 98 1O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory. 2The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. 7Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. 8Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 9at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equityDiscover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, November 2, 2025 | Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost | All Saints' | Ephesians 1:11-23 | with Donovan Drake, Ashley Higgins, and Will WellmanEphesians 1:11-23God made Christ head over all 1:11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,1:12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.1:13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;1:14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.1:15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers,1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,1:18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.1:20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.1:22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, October 26, 2025 | Joel 2:23-32, Luke 18:9-14 | with Donovan Drake, Ashley Higgins, Stephanie Boaz, and Guy D. GriffithLuke 18:9-14He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, October 19, 2025 | Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 121; Luke 18:1-8 (The Parable of the Unjust Judge)  | with Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, and Donovan Drake.Worship Bulletin for this episode!Jeremiah 31:27-34 27The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. 28 And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29 In those days they shall no longer say: "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." 30 But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. 31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt-a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Psalm 121Luke 18:1-8 (The Parable of the Unjust Judge) 18Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" 6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, October 12, 2025 | Luke 17:11-19 | with Guy D. Griffith, Sophie Maness, and Donovan Drake.Luke 17:11-1911On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, October 5, 2025 | 2 Timothy 1:1-14 & Luke 17:1-10 | with Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, and Ashley Higgins2 Timothy 1:1-14Guard the treasure entrusted to you 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 1:2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 1:3 I am grateful to God--whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did--when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.1:4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.1:6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands,1:7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.1:8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, in the power of God,1:9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, and this grace was given to us in Jesus Christ before the ages began,1:10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.1:11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher,1:12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard the deposit I have entrusted to him.1:13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.1:14 Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.Luke 17:1-10Faith the size of a mustard seed 17:1 Jesus[a] said to his disciples, “Occasions for sin[b] are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come! 17:2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin.[c] 17:3 Be on your guard! If a brother or sister sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 17:4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"17:6 The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.17:7 "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'?17:8 Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me; put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you mDiscover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, September 28, 2025 | Psalm 146 & Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 | with with Donovan Drake, Stephanie Boaz, and Ashley HigginsPsalm 146Help and hope come from God 146:1Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!146:2I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.146:3Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.146:4When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.146:5Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,146:6who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;146:7who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;146:8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.146:9The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.146:10The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15Jeremiah buys a field 32:1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.32:2At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah,32:3awhere King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him.32:6Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me:32:7Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.'"32:8Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, "Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself." Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.32:9And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out the silver to him, seventeen shekels of silver.32:10I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the silver on scales.32:11Then I took the sealed deed of purchase containing the terms and conditions and the open copy,32:12and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard.32:13In their presence I charged Baruch, saying,32:14"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time.32:15For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, September 21, 2025 | Psalm 113 & 1 Timothy 2:1-7 | with with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, and Ashley HigginsLiving Out The WordWhen do you pray? If God’s desire is for everyone “to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth,” what is the evidence that is our desire, too? How do you think prayer works?   Put another way, what is your theology of prayer?Psalm 113 God, the helper of the needy Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time on and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!1 Timothy 2:1-7 Make thanksgivings First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all-this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, September 14, 2025 | 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and Luke 15:1-10 | with with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, Stephanie Boaz, and Ashley Higgins1 Timothy 1:12-17Christ Jesus came for sinners 1:12I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful and appointed me to his service,1:13even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,1:14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.1:15The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance; that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the foremost.1:16But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, as an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.1:17To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.Luke 15:1-10Lost sheep and lost coin 15:1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.15:2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."15:3So he told them this parable:15:4"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?15:5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.15:6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.'15:7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.15:8"Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?15:9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'15:10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, September 7, 2025 | Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Luke 14:25-33 | with with Donovan Drake, Guy D. Griffith, & Stephanie BoazThere was an error in the recording and the correct text is Luke 14:25-33. Thank you for understanding.Deuteronomy 30:15-2015 See, I set before you today life and prosperity,death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.Luke 14:25-3325 Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, August 31, 2025 | Proverbs 25:6-7 and Luke 14:1, 7-14 | with with Donovan Drake, Ashley Higgins, & Stephanie BoazClick HERE for complete worship archive!Proverbs 25:6-76 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great,7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.Luke 14:114 On one occasion when Jesus[a] was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely.Luke 14:7-147 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host, 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.

Westminster Talking the Text for Sunday, August 24, 2025 | Luke 13:10-17 | with with Donovan Drake, Guy Griffith, Ashley Higgins, & Will WellmanLuke 13:10-1710 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water?16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.