A Heart for the House

Have you ever stopped in the middle of something and asked, “What am I doing? Why am I doing this?” As a church, we must ask those same questions. If our direction is unclear or our ambition ungodly, our destination will be unbiblical.

Nehemiah 2:18 says, “Let us rise up and build.” But what are we building, and why are we building it? At West Side, we long to be a people shaped by Scripture, sustained by prayer, marked by hospitality, multiplying disciples, and fueled by generosity—a house with a heart that beats for the Lord.

  • Biblical

    2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17

    We will be a house on the rock.

    Shaped by the authority of Scripture.

  • Prayerful

    ISAIAH 56:7

    We will be a house of prayer.

    Dependent on the sovereign God.

  • Hospitable

    1 PETER 4:8-9

    We will be a house with open doors.

    Eager to welcome others in.

  • Multiplying

    ROMANS 10:13-17

    We will be a house that sends.

    A disciple making culture.

  • Generous

    2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-7

    We will be a house that gives.

    The fuel that helps us go.

We will be a biblical church.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

There are two houses—the first is built on sand and the second is built on stone. One has sturdy foundation; the other has a shaky one. As we consider the architecture of our church, Scripture is and ought to be the stone-like base upon which we build all things on. When we live under the authority of Scripture, we willingly allow God’s word to teach, correct, train, and rebuke. A biblical church is one that agrees that Scripture is the sweetest truth, the supreme authority, and the moral standard. Every decision we make, every emotion we feel, every ambition we chase, every opinion we hold; all of it held under the authority of Scripture.

  • Final Word: Why We Need the Bible by John MacArthur

    This book reminds us that Scripture is God’s inerrant and authoritative Word. This concise book equips the church to stand firm when others waver, showing that only by trusting God’s Word can we fulfill our calling and proclaim his salvation to the world.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Bible Reading as a Blessing, Not a Burden by Jeff Medders | In this short article, we are reminded that reading the Bible is a delightful privilege, not a dreadful duty.

    Can I Trust the Bible? by AJ Garcia | In this article, Pastor AJ shares four reasons why you can trust all of Scripture

  • Read:

    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17

    • Acts 2:42

    Discuss:

    • What does it mean to be blessed? To endure trials? To receive the crown?

    • How does Christ embody this verse and how can we look to him as an example?

    • Share ways that you have been tested/tempted and how you were able to overcome them.

    • Are there trials that you are still enduring that you need your brothers and sisters to come alongside you in prayer?

    Challenge:

    • Meditate on Psalm 119. The most concentrated portion of Scripture on Scripture. It will take 15 minutes to read.

We will be a prayerful church.

“These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
— Isaiah 56:7 (ESV)

If Scripture is the foundation, prayer is the rebar. To pray is to talk to God—simple as that. It doesn’t need to be complicated; in the same way breathing is not complicated. Martin Luther once said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” As we consider our church, is prayer the glue or glitter? Is it essential, whether or not it’s seen, or is it an ornate decoration? A house of prayer is one that recognizes the sovereignty of God and the dependency of man. A prayerful church is one that seeks the Lord in all things at all times.

  • A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World by Paul Miller

    This book calls us back to the simple, powerful practice of praying together. Paul Miller shows how corporate prayer fuels ministry, strengthens the weak, and unites believers in the Spirit’s leading. This book is a compelling vision for a church alive through prayer.

  • How Can I Improve My Prayer Life? by Dr. Don Whitney (6 min) | In this short video, Dr. Whitney shares a few tips on how to cultivate a sweet and repeatable prayer life.

    A Praying Church by Paul Miller (43 min) | This is a seminar on the importance of a meaningful prayer life for both pastors and for churches.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Read:

    • James 1:12

    • Proverbs 17:3

    Discuss:

    • What does it mean to be blessed? To endure trials? To receive the crown?

    • How does Christ embody this verse and how can we look to him as an example?

    • Share ways that you have been tested/tempted and how you were able to overcome them.

    • Are there trials that you are still enduring that you need your brothers and sisters to come alongside you in prayer?

    Challenge:

    • Live with gospel grit.

We will be a hospitable church.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
— 1 Peter 4:8-9 (ESV)

What good is a house without people to fill it? Four walls and a roof may be a building, but it certainly is not a home. In her book The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield writes: “Radically ordinary hospitality is this: using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God.” Being hospitable does not equal being friendly, although that is helpful. Being hospitable is being selfless. A hospitable church will be marked by their willingness and eagerness to invite others into community, especially brothers and sisters in Christ.

  • The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield

    This book shows how God uses ordinary homes and meals to draw people to Christ. Through her own story, Rosaria Butterfield invites us to practice radical, ordinary hospitality—opening our lives and tables so neighbors can see the gospel lived out with clarity, warmth, and truth.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Read:

    • James 1:12

    • Proverbs 17:3

    Discuss:

    • What does it mean to be blessed? To endure trials? To receive the crown?

    • How does Christ embody this verse and how can we look to him as an example?

    • Share ways that you have been tested/tempted and how you were able to overcome them.

    • Are there trials that you are still enduring that you need your brothers and sisters to come alongside you in prayer?

    Challenge:

    • Live with gospel grit.

We will be a multiplying church.

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
— Romans 10:13-17 (ESV)

A seed is small and unimpressive but is pregnant with potential. When that seed is planted and watered, it will sprout. Then the sapling matures to the point where it becomes fruitful. This is the natural lifecycle of a seed. The seed became a tree that produced fruit filled with seeds. The same is true for believers. A healthy tree multiplies; a healthy church does the same. To have a bigger church? No. To be obedient to Christ, to offer hope to our neighbor, to become a better disciple. Remember: Success is not measured by our seating capacity but by our sending capacity. A multiplying church owns the Great Commission by planting and watering. We make disciples who make disciples.

  • Walk With Me: Simple Principles for Everyday Disciplemaking by Bill Mowry

    This book invites us back to the simple, relational disciplemaking of the New Testament. Instead of programs or systems, this book shows how to share the gospel and help others grow in Christ through everyday relationships—heart to heart, simple, slow, deep, and Spirit-led.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Read:

    • James 1:12

    • Proverbs 17:3

    Discuss:

    • What does it mean to be blessed? To endure trials? To receive the crown?

    • How does Christ embody this verse and how can we look to him as an example?

    • Share ways that you have been tested/tempted and how you were able to overcome them.

    • Are there trials that you are still enduring that you need your brothers and sisters to come alongside you in prayer?

    Challenge:

    • Live with gospel grit.

We will be a generous church.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
— 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)

A car cannot drive without gas; nor can a meal cook without flame. In the same way, we cannot do all that God has laid before us to do without money. In other words, fuel is essential to help us go. Lord willing, you now have a sense for the kind of people God is forming us into. That is the destination. Wealth is not the end; it is a means to the end. The end is the glory of God. Money is not the main thing; mission is. But money is the fuel that will fund the mission. A generous church is one that gives, not out of begrudging obligation, but out of abundant joy.

  • Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn

    This book helps us see wealth through God’s eyes. Randy Alcorn challenges materialism and points us to eternal treasure, showing how generosity frees us to use God’s provision for his glory and others’ good. This book offers a biblical, practical vision for living open-handed.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Read:

    • James 1:12

    • Proverbs 17:3

    Discuss:

    • What does it mean to be blessed? To endure trials? To receive the crown?

    • How does Christ embody this verse and how can we look to him as an example?

    • Share ways that you have been tested/tempted and how you were able to overcome them.

    • Are there trials that you are still enduring that you need your brothers and sisters to come alongside you in prayer?

    Challenge:

    • Live with gospel grit.

A Heart for the House: Becoming the People God Wants Us to Be

Watch our 2025 Vision Series—A Heart for the House—where we discuss five attributes we believe God is forming us into for his eternal glory and our highest good.