Seven Messages for Seven Churches

Westside Church of Christ

Media Give App

Seven Messages for Seven Churches

Revelation 2-3

September 14, 2023 • Bryan Fojtasek

Give

Revelation chapters 2 and 3 contain shorter, more specific messages for each of the seven churches that John is writing to. The general outline of the letters is pretty similar -- Jesus affirms what they are doing well, points out areas that need correction, gives them a call to action, and reminds them of the amazing promises God has in store for those who endure faithfully. Those messages of repentance, perseverance, and faithfulness are just as important for us today as the day they were written.

Trumpets and Bowls

Bryan Fojtasek

In this class we go over a couple of tough passages: God's acts of divine discipline represented by seven bowls and seven trumpets. Our approach is to view them as God standing in solidarity with the victims of oppression by holding guilty people accountable, while emphasizing that these acts of judgment are intended to produce repentance.

The Judgment Scenes

October 26, 2023 • Bryan Fojtasek

There's a lot of judgment scenes in the book of Revelation. How should we make sense of those? Is God an angry tyrant bent on punishing people he doesn't like? Or is there a healthier view of him that makes sense in the grand scheme of Scripture? Perhaps the better reading is to view God as a loving father who is disciplining his children so that they will turn away from evil and turn to God instead.

Martyrs of the Faith

October 19, 2023 • Bryan Fojtasek

Revelation 6-7 describes a multitude of faithful Christians who remained steadfast in their commitment to Jesus even when it cost them their lives. Their example should inspire us to live bold and courageous lives of faith and to trust in God's goodness, no matter what.