Home Brew - Walking with God

·46 min·4 clips

Shatnaz felt a hand touch her shoulder during prayer, experiencing infinite love and unity with God.

The episode opens with Shatnaz welcoming listeners to West City Church. She shares her background as an immigrant from Iran, describing the cultural shifts and political manipulation affecting her homeland. Shatnaz recounts her spiritual journey, explaining she initially came to church seeking community rather than conversion. During a service, she unexpectedly raised her hand and felt a physical warmth on her shoulder, which she interprets as God's touch, leading to a profound sense of unity and love. She references Gospel of John chapter 17. Another speaker then takes over, humorously noting his reluctance to preach. He frames life as a journey, emphasizing walking with others and with God. He shares about his 63-year marriage to Loris and their wedding hymn. The speaker describes his early religious upbringing at Swanson Street Church of Christ in Melbourne, where he became intensely religious, viewing God as a perfectionist. He discusses disappointments like being conscripted for national service. After a business career with Mobil Oil, he transitioned to church ministry, prompted by his wife Loris. He identifies several turning points where God 'shook his cage.' While studying Romans at theological college, he shifted from seeing righteousness as doing right things to being in right relationship. As a pastor at Delkeith Road Church of Christ, he confronted the gray areas of life and moved beyond black-and-white thinking. Through a Spirituality for Ministry group, his approach to the Bible changed from a repair manual to a starting point for communion. Reading Henry Blackaby's 'Experiencing God' helped him see God invites us into work He's already doing. Mission work in Fiji introduced him to disciple-making movements, releasing him from feeling responsible for converting others. He reflects on shame from earlier door-knocking evangelism. Recently, Sky Jathani's book 'With' helped him identify four ways people relate to God: life from God, life over God, life for God, and life under God. He recognizes he still engages in all these, but aims for life with God, where God is the focus, not a means to an end. He shares practical illustrations, including following his son Mike while driving in Florence, as a metaphor for trusting God step by step. The speaker encourages developing 'touching points' with God, similar to daily dialogues in marriage. He connects this to communion, inviting all to participate. The episode closes with a communal benediction focused on serving others in Jesus' name.

As heard by us

A warm, personal sermon about faith maturing from performance into relationship.

This West City Church message leans into welcome, memory, and belonging before reaching a harder inward turn: what it means to stop treating God like a repair manual and begin walking with him.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want faith framed as a walk, not a checklist.

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