Sermon
Whose Will are We Doing? Rev. Bill Westlund Preaching
October 5, 2025
“This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”
Whose Will are We Doing?
John 6:27-40
Rev. Bill Westlund
Sharing Our Story
September 28, 2025
“Go home to your own people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.”
There are times in life when our experience of God's presence in our lives and seeking God's will are particularly important. College is one of them. Theta Alpha is the only Christian women's sorority on the campus of the University of Central Florida. For many years, our facilities have been part of the lives and faith of many young Christian women. Many have told me that the faith of their college years has been inseparable from Theta Alpha and the generosity of our sharing space with them.
This Sunday, they will lead us in songs of worship, share with us about the ministry of Theta Alpha, and speak about scripture that God has used in their lives and faith.
The Gospel in Music Sunday Service
September 21, 2025
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Rather than a "sermon," God's Word in today's service is in song and scripture, not just the spoken word. A lot of music preceded the pastor's speaking, and more followed it.
Music powerfully connects our physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Whether it is music we hear that touches our hearts or the music we make that expresses our inner self in ways exceeding the limitations of spoken words.
This Sunday, we will join in singing many traditional Gospel songs that tell the Good News of God's great glory and love in Jesus.
Overflowing Love
September 14, 2025
Ephesians 3:14-21
The love of Christ that surpasses understanding.
Painters, poets, theologians, and hymn writers have all tried to capture something of God, yet God cannot be measured with any tool or boundary. And yet, we often attempt to confine God by limiting his place in our lives—attending church on Sunday but forgetting prayer on Monday, seeking forgiveness without changing our ways, praising God in worship but failing to share his love, or thanking God for blessings while withholding them from others. When our view of God is too small, we feel helpless instead of hopeful, alone when God is with us, and overwhelmed by our brokenness when God is reaching out. That is why the Apostle prays that we might receive the power to comprehend the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, and live beyond measure lives—lives marked by loving enemies, being born again, valuing what God values, and forgiving without limit. Though these things may seem foolish to the world, they reveal a love and power far beyond our own.
Life-Changing Treasure
September 7, 2025
Ephesians 3:7-13
I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power.
Out of love and grace, God offers us far more and far better than we would ever imagine.
The good news is that God looks far beyond our narrow and short-sighted wishes and desires. He calls us into his love and purposes, which are of far greater value than the things we once pursued. So much so that when or if we draw close enough to God to get a peek, everything else pales in comparison.
Viva La Revolution – Ephesians 3:1-12 - Oviedo Presbyterian Sermon
August 31, 2025
Ephesians 3:1-12
For everyone to see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.
Is God's plan for us to have a better life or new life?
The good news of Jesus Christ is not just about our sins being forgiven, but about God’s purposes for the whole world. “For God so loved the world…” means salvation is never private; it overflows into mission. Our transformed lives become light for others, inseparable from God’s work of redeeming creation. The Apostle Paul himself was not just improved but completely changed, from persecutor to servant of Christ, caught up in God’s revolutionary plan. And so are we. To be a Christian is to be part of God’s great movement—the overthrow of sin, the extension of mercy, justice, and humility, and the sharing of the good news to the ends of the earth. Christianity is not reform. It is a revolution!
Now I See It! – Ephesians 3:1-6 - Oviedo Presbyterian Sermon
August 17, 2025
Ephesians 3:1-6
This mystery has now been revealed.
Life is full of discoveries—moments when we suddenly realize what has always been there but we overlooked. Movies give us these “Ah ha!” moments, like Dorothy waking up in The Wizard of Oz, the Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes, or Bruce Willis’ reveal in The Sixth Sense. Something is revealed, and our view of everything changes. The Apostle Paul experienced a revelation that changed his life—once a rabbi who studied scriptures and hunted Christians, he believed he understood faith. But on the road to Damascus, Jesus revealed himself, blinding Paul. Suddenly, what was hidden was clear, and Paul was never the same.
Paul calls this experience a mystery and a revelation. A mystery is something hidden, and a revelation unveils it. Paul’s understanding of Jesus Christ was unveiled; instead of imprisoning Christians, he was imprisoned for being one. What was once hidden—that Gentiles are heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in Christ’s promises was now openly declared. The message in Ephesians, though first given tor 1st-century Christians, remains true today: God’s plan in Jesus to unite all things and make us his children is incredible news. The question is whether we will only dip a toe into faith or dive in headfirst. Jesus makes it clear that there are no half measures; following Him requires full surrender. Though not always easy, those who entrust their lives to God discover a treasure beyond measure —a mystery revealed that changes everything.
One in Christ
August 10, 2025
Ephesians 2:11-22
We are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God.
This passage from Ephesians can sound like a foreign language to modern ears, filled with terms such as circumcision, covenants, commandments, and cornerstones. The writer is not showing off vocabulary but using familiar concepts to his first-century Jewish and Gentile audience to reveal something new.
Ephesians proclaims a radical shift: through the blood of Jesus, the wall between Jew and Gentile has been destroyed. Circumcision is no longer the sign of God’s covenant—Christ’s sacrifice is. It is no longer the keeping of commandments or animal sacrifices that restore relationship with God, but the work of Jesus on the cross. Those once excluded are now brought near, strangers are made family, and the message of peace is for both the insiders and the outsiders. This has profound implications: we are called to welcome, not exclude; to unite, not divide. Our hope and standing before God are not based on our birth, goodness, or rituals, but entirely on Christ. This good news should shake our assumptions, compel us to care for the lost, and lead us to live with a purpose of bringing people together before God in Jesus Christ.
What's Your Function?
August 3, 2025
Ephesians 2:1-10
We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.
When we pursue purposes other than those for which we were created, our lives become bent and mangled—like tools misused for the wrong tasks. But when we live into our true purpose, we find contentment. It’s important to remember that we are not saved by good living—we live good because we are saved. Salvation is a gift of grace, not a reward for works. But that gift changes us. Once Jesus takes residence in our hearts, our lives begin to reflect his. Acts of compassion—feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, showing kindness—take on eternal significance. The joy of giving, serving, and loving others leaves the deepest imprint on our lives. As Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” We are created for good works, and when we embrace God’s purpose for us, we begin to experience the abundant life he intends.
The Great News of Grace
July 27, 2025
Ephesians 2:1-10
By grace we have been saved through faith, and this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God.
Grace is counter to the world around us. We think of life as a series of upward achievements and milestones: the first day of school, graduating, jobs, family, accomplishments, and we hope for a nice retirement. At first glance, life appears to be a journey from dependence to independence. A newborn child is utterly dependent on their parents, but it is the beginning of a journey away from them, and perhaps becoming a person others are dependent upon.
Grace is, however, a move away from independence to discover that we are utterly and completely dependent upon a God who loves us and does for us what we can never do ourselves.
Grace is not given because we deserve it; God offers grace because of who God is.
