Woodland Hills Church
1,525 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 298 ratingsWe believe God's love extends to everyone—no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, and no matter what you believe. That love has the power to radically transform all of our lives, and is the only thing that can make real change in the world. Our hope is to welcome you into our community where we’re learning to love. Together.
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Episodes
Revival Time!
April 14, 2024 17:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThis sermon applies the instruction to “hear” what the Spirit said to the seven churches from Revelation by offering a letter to our church today. Specifically, it is a call to revival, to enter into a new space of renewal so that we might wake up to the work of the Spirit in and around us.
Preparing for the Time of Testing
April 07, 2024 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBIn the last letter to the seven churches, Jesus speaks of the endurance of the Philadelphians. They endure in times of trial and Jesus promises to keep them so that they might overcome and remain faithful. In this sermon, Greg challenges us to remain faithful in the midst of trials so that we might live in love, even when we face resistance to it.
Redeeming Creation
March 31, 2024 18:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBJesus rose on that first Easter Sunday in his physical body. He was not a disembodied ghost. This demonstrates that the resurrection is not merely about the salvation of our souls. It’s about bringing all things into wholeness: the physical experience of our bodies, other creatures and the entire world. In this sermon, Greg calls us into this radical vision of God’s comprehensive salvation.
The Problem With Palm Sunday
March 24, 2024 18:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBThis sermon narrates how Jesus was proclaimed as the Jewish Messiah by the people as they laid palm leaves as he entered Jerusalem. This is contrasted with their condemnation of Jesus to death, and it asks why they made this radical shift. Why did they adore him on Sunday and seek his crucifixion within the same week? These insights will open our eyes to what Jesus was doing, and what he is now doing in our world.
Big Reputation
March 17, 2024 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBIn this sermon, Shawna Boren explores the letter to the church at Sardis. This letter has a direct and somewhat harsh challenge given to a complacent and overly-confident church. These words are a warning to wake up and see reality for what it is so that we might more fully invest our lives in what really matters.
The Problem with Jezebel
March 10, 2024 18:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBIn this sermon, Jeremy Duncan, author of the book on Revelation entitled Upside Down Apocalypse, introduces Jesus’ words to the church at Thyatira. He unpacks the meaning of the violent and troubling imagery that we read, and he shows us how these words are meant to wake us up to the ways of the culture that undermine real life that only Christ can give us.
The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency
March 03, 2024 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBTo the church of Laodicea, Jesus spoke harsh words of confrontation because they depended on wealth for their well-being, living under the illusion of self-sufficiency. In our modern world the pursuit of financial gain is a common illusory trap, one that tell us that it will serve as a foundation for our lives, but, in reality, it cannot be trusted. Only God can be the source of true life.
Sui Generis
February 25, 2024 17:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBSui Generis is Latin for being of its own genre or unlike anything or anyone else. Each of us has a deep desire to feel special in relation to our Creator and this is the kind of relationship that God wants with each of us.
Spirit of Us
February 18, 2024 18:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBThis sermon addresses how crowds who are formed around evil agendas serve as seedbeds for Satan. This has been seen throughout history where one crowd sets itself up as possessing the solution at the expense of others. It is based on an “us” vs. “them” mentality. The modern malaise of polarization continues this tactic of the enemy, and as Kingdom people, we must recognize it for what it is and rise above it.
Being God's Billboard
February 11, 2024 18:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBThere is a cosmic war transpiring, one where Satan is in rebellion against God. We are caught up in a battle zone, and we, as parts of the church, have roles to play. This sermon explores what this means for us and how we influence the heavenly realms by being faithful witnesses to God’s character. Through the church, the wisdom of God is made known in mysterious ways that we cannot fully know.
Enemy-occupied Territory
February 04, 2024 19:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBSatan plays a main role in the book of Revelation. This sermon introduces who Satan is and his origin. It also addresses the primary tactics Satan uses and how we can combat and overcome them.
Our Hidden Treasure
January 28, 2024 18:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBThis sermon expounds upon the letter to the church at Smyrna, where Jesus offers encouragement to the church which will be facing suffering and persecution. In their struggles, they are told that they are actually rich, contrary to all of the evidence. If they endure, they will receive the crown of life.
Sheep Among Wolves
January 21, 2024 17:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MBJesus addresses the church of Ephesus in the first letter to the seven churches, telling them what they did well and what they need to work on. Specifically, Jesus confronts the fact that they have abandoned the love that they started with. They were good at orthodoxy, but struggled to live a life characterized by love. This is an important message for us today in the midst of perpetual divisiveness over ideological differences.
Marching On
January 14, 2024 18:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBFaith is about capturing a vision of what can be and having a conviction that stirs up action to move toward it. This faith also pertains to the pursuit of racial reconciliation. God has a dream for racial reconciliation that has not yet been fully realized, but as we see God’s vision, we can put our weight toward it, leaning into that vision as if it already has occurred.
Angelic Awe
January 07, 2024 18:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBJohn sees a vision of Jesus holding the entire angelic world in his hand, symbolizing his universal authority. This sermon explores the reality of an angelic world by highlighting how our knowledge of the universe is actually very limited. Then we learn the role that angels play and how we can participate in the victory that Jesus won over what the Bible refers to as “spiritual powers” that have held us in bondage.
Jesus One and Only Weapon
December 31, 2023 19:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MBThis sermon explores John’s first heavenly vision where he is told to record what he sees and send it to seven churches. Part of this vision is a sword that comes from the mouth of Jesus, the only weapon that is ever associated with Jesus. Why is this symbol important? What does it mean? And what is the significance of it being his only weapon? The sermon answers these questions.
The Gift of God's Compassion
December 24, 2023 20:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBChristmas is the ultimate expression of God’s compassion, a core attribute and expression of God’s being. This is an expression associated with the Hebrew word for womb, which means that compassion is about entering into the experiences of another. God enters into our life through Jesus and shows us what God is like.
The Gift of God's Grace
December 17, 2023 18:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBGod, at the core of his divine nature, is gracious. This means that God extends his favor to us as a gift, out of his delight in us. This grace is fully expressed in the coming of Jesus, and Christmas is a time to celebrate and receive the grace of God.
The Gift of God's Faithfulness
December 11, 2023 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MBGod proclaims to Moses that his character is faithful, even when his covenant partners are not faithful to him. Jesus was born to demonstrate God’s covenant faithfulness, coming to those who were not looking for him or able to recognize him when he came. God remains faithful to us today, never leaving nor forsaking us, even when we do not seek him or we rebel against him.
The Gift of God's Forgiveness
December 03, 2023 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBIn this second sermon of the Christmas series, we examine God’s forgiving character, how God forgives us, what it means to forgive others and why this is important to our own well-being, and to forgiving ourselves. This core trait of God’s is ultimately fulfilled in the life of Jesus, as he shows us what God’s forgiving nature looks like.
The Gift of God's Justice
November 26, 2023 19:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBThis opening sermon to the Christmas series introduces a central Old Testament passage that defines the nature of God, which is ultimately revealed in the coming of Jesus, the perfect embodiment of God. In this sermon, Greg addresses a difficult phrase where God is said to visit the iniquity of the parents on their children. How are we to understand this passage when it contradicts both Jesus’ teachings and his actions on the cross?
Slaughtering Lies
November 19, 2023 19:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBThis sermon examines three key phrases found in Revelation 1:4-8 that help us understand the overarching themes of Revelation and reframe popular ways that this book has been taught. Through these phrases, we learn that the end times is not about waging wrathful war but about destroying lies that deceive.
The Seven Spirits of God
November 12, 2023 18:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MBWhat are the “seven spirits”? To answer this question, Greg explores the way that Revelation employs numbers to convey truths, with seven referring to completeness or perfection. The seven spirits implies the perfect giving of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence, just as God completely poured himself out in the Incarnation.
The Bride Says "Yes" to the Dress
November 05, 2023 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBWhat is the endgame of all of Scripture? Since the Book of Revelation points to this endgame, it is crucial that we step back and look at the big picture of God’s purpose. This sermon answers this question by highlighting the goal of the preparation of the bride (God’s people) to be wed to the groom (Christ).
Three Works of Jesus
October 29, 2023 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBJesus, whom the book of Revelation gives divine titles, is at work in our world. This work is manifest in three ways according to this passage: he loves us, freed us, and made us. We put ourselves in a place to receive God’s ongoing love and to live out the freedom that we have been given. In addition, we have been made priests, people who offer this love and freedom to the world; we do this in our normal, everyday lives.
Rolling Stones
October 22, 2023 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBAs members of God’s kingdom, we are priests, what Peter calls “living stones,” who participate in God’s transcendent and glorious work to redeem all things. There is not a special class of people designated for this, but God includes us in his work to change the world.
The Faithful Witness
October 15, 2023 18:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBOur focus scripture states that God relates to creation in time, through the past, in the present, and toward the future that is to come. He walks with us in relationship, as is demonstrated throughout the Old Testament. This eternality of God is applied to Jesus in Revelation, highlighting the divine transcendence of the slain lamb.
The Saturation Point
October 08, 2023 18:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBWe are told that we are blessed if we hear and keep the words of Revelation. These words will challenge the norms of the culture that shape us, which means that we must be open to ways that we don’t know we are deceived. But even more than hearing, we must practice keeping these words, internalizing them in such a way that they become part of us.
A Living Faith
October 01, 2023 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBMany read Revelation as a predictor of the future. This turns God into a fixed, wooden object who does not actually relate to a living creation. But this book was never meant to be read this way. Instead, it points to a living God who relates to a living creation and calls us into a living faith.
The Time Is Near
September 24, 2023 16:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBThis sermon addresses the meaning of “the end is near.” Many explanations that the church has offered have caused great confusion because the book of Revelation has been used as a predictor of the very end of time. However, such explanations misunderstand the genre that Revelation is. When we read this book as apocalyptic literature, we can interpret the symbols rightly and see how it can serve to encourage the church to be faithful to Christ in the midst of spiritual warfare.
A Hope Revealed
September 17, 2023 17:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBIn this first sermon of our new series on the book of Revelation, we are introduced to how this book has been taught in ways that do not represent its meaning. We learn about its true meaning, and we discover why this message is so crucial to our present time. In a time when hope is waning, Revelation points us to the hope found in Jesus so that we might see the way that God brings victory when all seems lost.
This Is Us
September 10, 2023 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBWhile we are to invest in our individual Christian formation, we are also responsible for our formation corporately. We do not live out our faith merely as individuals. We live out our love for Christ together and work out our salvation as a group.
Antifragile Faith
September 03, 2023 17:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBThe struggles we face offer us a choice: avoid them or use them as an opportunity to develop antifragile faith. Pain avoidance will keep us fragile, but when we press on with Christ as the goal, we can develop perseverance or what Dan calls, antifragile faith.
Living Beyond Happy
August 27, 2023 17:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MBIn this sermon, Greg shares how God uses afflictions to form our character, if we have a vision for God’s ultimate goal of life and set aside the common goal of the pursuit of happiness. A vision to know God and live in his love will motivate us to enter into training that will shape us to love God and others. This training moves us beyond the never-ending chase of happy so that we might find joy in all things.
Postcards from the End
August 20, 2023 16:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBIn this sermon, Greg paints a picture of what God is doing now and what God will do at the end of history. He does this by providing three snapshots found in three passages that describe what the end will look like and how God will redeem all things by the power of his love. This gives us a reason for hope in the midst of any current suffering and pain.
The Goal
August 13, 2023 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThis sermon addresses how God uses the suffering we face in this world to form us so that we might know Christ and his glory. While the sufferings we face are not orchestrated by God, God meets us in these situations and provides us with the opportunity to meet Christ in the midst so that we might be transformed into his likeness.
Lessons from the ER
August 06, 2023 18:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBGreg shares physical challenges he's experienced lately and how during a visit to the emergency room, he began to understand the meaning of sharing in Christ’s suffering. He uses this experience to show how God meets us in our sufferings and uses them to bring about the transformation of knowing Christ.
Don't Look Back
July 30, 2023 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBThe Apostle Paul wrote that he does one thing: forget what is behind and press ahead to the goal to win the prize of God. In this sermon, Dan Kent explains what it means to forget the past and press on toward God. When we do this we find freedom and joy to move into God’s continuing new work.
Abiding in Truth
July 23, 2023 18:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBShawna Boren teaches through Jesus’ words about the vine and the branches from John 15, explaining how God works with us so that we might abide in Jesus and have the fullness of his life in us. She helps us identify issues that hinder our abiding in Jesus and how we can move into the life of the vine.
Raveling Truth
July 16, 2023 17:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBThis sermon provides a recap of the Unraveling Truth series, as Dan walks us through four elements of the series: Truth, God, Jesus and the Bible. He explains how these elements are related to each other and how they have implications for how we think and do day-to-day life.
What's Really Going On
July 09, 2023 17:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBMany people struggle in their faith because they have read in the Old Testament about the violence promoted and done by God. They ask how that violence is actually loving, and how it aligns with the God revealed in Jesus Christ on the cross. In this sermon, Greg provides a way to read these passages so that they point to the cross and demonstrate God’s love for the world.
Good Teacher
July 02, 2023 17:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBIn this sermon, Dan Kent asks the question, was Jesus a good teacher? He uses the story of the rich young ruler, who called Jesus “good teacher,” and Jesus’ response to help us see the uniqueness of Jesus’ teachings. The questions that this man brought to Jesus hindered his ability to receive what Jesus taught, and in the same way today, our questions limit us.
Where Are You, O Lord?
June 25, 2023 17:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBJim Beilby seeks to answer the question of where God is in the midst of the realities of our day-to-day struggles. This sermon addresses the apparent hiddenness of God when we are not experiencing his personal presence.
Gehenna
June 18, 2023 17:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBIn this sermon, Greg addresses the problem of hell and how many have walked away from the faith because they cannot reconcile a God of love with a place of endless torture. Greg gives a biblical understanding of hell by demonstrating its metaphorical language, how we bring hell upon ourselves, and how it actually is related to God’s love.
The Significance of the Church
June 11, 2023 17:00 - 42 minutes - 29.5 MBMany today view the church as insignificant and irrelevant, and therefore, the church is seeing many exit its doors and never returning. What are the reasons why people view the church in this way? How can the church counteract this perspective? These questions are explored so that we might understand what it means to be the church in today’s world and how we can participate in being God’s people in a way that is both significant and relevant.
Close Encounters of the Kingdom Kind
June 04, 2023 17:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBGreg interviews Adam Dyer, pastor of Yeovil Community Church in England and the Director of Jesus Collective. Through the conversation, we learn about practical ways God is working through his people when Jesus is placed at the center.
Peacemaking in a Polarized World
May 28, 2023 17:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBGreg Boyd interviews Bill Doherty about how he came to faith, how he facilitates peacemaking through his organization, Braver Angels, and how we can live in a divided and polarized world.
Was Jesus Crazy?
May 21, 2023 17:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBBased on the claims that Jesus made about himself, we have three options: to say he was a liar, a lunatic or that he is lord. This sermon addresses the question of whether or not Jesus was of a sound mind, and then claims that the only sane human to have ever lived was Jesus, and what the implications of that are.
Everyone and Everything
May 14, 2023 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBThis sermon addresses two issues people often find problematic about being saved through the work of Jesus. The first is the issue of particularity, or how salvation is an exclusive offer found only in Jesus. The second issue is what we are saved from. Many have argued that we are saved from the wrath of God, but this presents a myriad of problems, many of which actually portray God as inherently angry and violent towards humans. This sermon lays out a different view of salvation, one based ...
Church Scandal
May 07, 2023 18:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBThe Church is to be the representation of God’s life to the world so that the world might see and know God. Yet throughout history, the Church has repeatedly fallen short of this calling. Now, as a result, people are resisting the Christian faith because of the repulsive actions and words of those in the Church. What are we to do with this reality? How do we understand what is going on in the Church? And why did God set up the Church as his primary means for his mission? This sermon seeks to...