Westside Church Northwest Podcast

Faith isn’t just what you believe on Sunday. It’s what protects you the rest of the week.

In this message, Pastor Cory wraps up our series on Faith and finishes the teaching on the shield of faith. We recap how faith works—what it is, how it comes, how it gets released, how it gets fed, and how it leads—then look at why Paul said “above all, taking the shield of faith.” What you believe about God determines what the enemy can get through.

You’ll hear why unused faith is like ammo still in the box, how to starve out negativity and speak life, why “deconstructing” your faith is a trap, how Jesus answered when the devil quoted Scripture, and a testimony of God’s favor in the middle of layoffs.

God already laid the spread out. Faith is how we stop leaving the good stuff on the table.
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Abraham didn’t earn righteousness by works, the law, or circumcision. He believed God — and God accounted it to him as righteousness. In this verse-by-verse look at Romans 4, we see how that same faith connects us to Abraham’s promises: increase, blessing, a great name, and a life that keeps moving forward and upward.

This message covers:
• Why Abraham was justified before the law and circumcision
• The difference between wages (what we earn) and grace (what God gives)
• How David described the blessedness of sins not being imputed
• Faith that produces action without trying to bargain with God

If you’ve been treating God’s goodness like something you have to work for, this teaching will reset that. Righteousness is received by faith. The promises follow.
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God is not asking for part of your life—He’s asking for all of it. In this message, Pastor Timm shares a powerful call to full surrender. Drawing from his own story of quitting tobacco after 25 years, Tim unpacks what it really means to move beyond “committed enough” and give Jesus every room of your heart.

Key points:
Examine your commitment (2 Corinthians 13:5-7, Psalm 139:23-24)
Full commitment requires surrender (Romans 12:2, 1 John 1:5, Ephesians 4:22-24)
Strongholds keep us from the fullness of God (2 Peter 1:3-8, Hebrews 12:1-2)
Freedom comes through complete surrender (James 4:7-8, Galatians 5:1, Luke 9:23)

This is an invitation to dump the “mud” out of your glass so the Lord can fill it with His peace, power, and presence. No condemnation—just an open door to greater freedom and deeper relationship with Jesus.
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Looking the part isn’t enough. Jesus is looking for fruit. In this message, Pastor Chris continues from last week’s call to fully commit your life to Jesus and digs into what real fruitfulness looks like. Drawing from the barren fig tree in Mark 11 and Jesus’ words in John 15, he challenges us: if people (and Jesus) got close to your life, what would they find—leaves, or actual fruit?

Key points:
The difference between the culture of Christianity and the character of Christ
Why “trying harder” never produces the fruit of the Spirit
What it really means to abide in the vine
How daily personal encounters with God—not just Sunday moments—change everything
Galatians 5:22-23 and the fruit that only comes from remaining in Him

This isn’t about looking more spiritual. It’s about a heart that actually stays connected to Jesus so the real fruit starts showing up at home, at work, and with the people closest to you.

If this message challenged or encouraged you, take a moment this week to honestly ask: “If Jesus examined my life closely, what would He find?” Then take one simple step toward abiding—more time in the Word, in prayer, or in worship.
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We’ve been building the foundations of faith — what it is, how it comes, how it’s released, how it’s fed, and how it must lead. Tonight we come to the piece Paul calls “above all”: the shield of faith.
Ephesians 6:16 says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
The enemy’s only real access to your life is through thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. Fiery darts. His goal is to get you to believe something about God, yourself, or your situation that doesn’t line up with the Word. When your belief system is solid — when your faith shield is whole — those darts get quenched before they ever take root.
In this message you’ll learn:
- Why the shield of faith is listed “above all” the other pieces of armor
- How fiery darts show up as thoughts, ideas, and suggestions
- Why a faith shield full of holes (from not feeding on the Word) leaves you vulnerable
- How to recognize the counterfeit by knowing the original
- Practical ways to raise your shield and refuse the enemy’s lies

Key Scriptures:
Ephesians 6:10-17 • John 8:44 • Revelation 12:10 • John 10:10 • Genesis 3:1-13
Your future as a believer is bright. The things that used to wreck you for days don’t have to anymore. Keep building a faith shield with no holes in it.

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