Westside Church Northwest Podcast

You are not a sinner who occasionally tries to do better. If Jesus is your Lord, you are a saint who is called to reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God.

In this message, we finish Romans 6 and dig into one of the most practical identity passages in the New Testament. Paul doesn’t leave us with vague encouragement—he gives clear instructions: consider yourself dead to sin, do not let sin reign in your body, and present your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

We look at the difference between being under law and under grace, why “shall we sin because we are under grace?” is the wrong question, and what it means that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price. The teaching also covers the judgment seat of Christ—not a question of whether believers go to heaven, but of what fruit remains after the fire.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in old patterns or wondered whether real freedom is actually possible, this message is for you. God didn’t just forgive your past; He changed your identity so you can walk in it.
Support the show

What if the biggest limits on your life aren’t your circumstances—they’re how you see yourself?

In Romans 12:1–3, Paul isn’t telling us to think less of ourselves. He’s telling us to think accurately—according to the measure of faith God has given and according to who we actually are in Christ.

This teaching shows that our identity in Jesus has always been available. We didn’t invent it; we discover it, learn how to harness it, and walk in the power and purpose God already prepared for us.

You’ll hear how the fruit of the Spirit is already in every believer (Galatians 5), how we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), how the anointing teaches us (1 John 2:20), and how we put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge (Colossians 3:10). We also look at how Jesus Himself found His identity in Scripture and why the same process is essential for us.

Whether you’ve been walking with Jesus for decades or you’re just getting started, this message will help you stop settling for less than what Jesus died and rose to provide.
Support the show

Romans 13 shows why Christians cannot stay silent on government, policy, and culture. Politics matters because policy influences people—and we care about people. The position of authority is God-ordained, but the people who fill those positions are not automatically righteous. We are called to honor the office, resist ungodly mandates, and vote according to fruit rather than personality.

There are three ways societies are governed—tribalism, globalism, and nationalism—and this explains why a biblical form of nationalism (anchored in strong families, the church, and righteous civil leadership) is God’s best design for nations right now. Isaiah 33:22 highlights the separation of powers and clarifies why America is a constitutional republic, not a pure democracy.

The message then turns to the heart of identity: you are a saint, not a sinner. God has removed your sins as far as the east is from the west. Focusing on your righteousness in Christ weakens sin’s grip, while the blood of Jesus cleanses your conscience so you can serve the living God freely. When you know who you are, you can live confidently—at home, in the church, and at the ballot box.
Support the show

Pastor Cory walks through Romans 13 and Romans 6 to show why Christians can’t afford to sit out or vote based on personality and feelings. He addresses Christian nationalism, the difference between a constitutional republic and pure democracy, the three ways societies are ordered (tribalism, globalism, and nationalism), and why the family, the church, and civil government must stay in their God-given lanes.

If you’ve ever wondered how faith and citizenship fit together, or how to stop identifying as a “sinner” once you’ve been redeemed, this message is for you.
Support the show

In this message, Rick Renner goes after a question many believers still wrestle with: When life is crushing you, did God send it—or allow it from a distance?

We walk through James 1:1, 13, 17, and 5–8 and show from the Greek why James uses a double negative: stop saying God is the source of what destroys you. God cannot be tempted with evil and does not give evil. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights—habitually, abundantly, with no shadow of turning.

You’ll hear:
- The difference between God acting directly vs. people blaming Him remotely
- Why Old Testament thinking (“everything comes from God”) still shows up in the church
- The test for whether something is from God: is it good, advantageous, and moving you upward?
- How to ask God for wisdom
- Why a double-minded person is unstable and why faith has to be rooted, not tossed

He also talks honestly about self-sabotage, personal responsibility, drawing near when you don’t have answers, and lining your mind up with who God actually is.
Support the show