Posts by Brandon Levering

Join us this winter for our study in Acts....

Join us this Sunday September 16th as we begin a new sermon series titled "See How He Loved Them: Meditations on the Heart of Jesus"...

Join us for a short sermon series titled "Treasure that Lasts: Gospel-Fueled Stewardship"...

Join us as we spend the summer season in this book for all seasons....

To give everyone more time to dig out of the beautiful snow this morning, we are cancelling 8:30 am and 9:30 am activities (e.g. Choir rehearsal, Sunday School, Prayer in the Parlor), but we will have our worship service at our regularly scheduled time of 10:30 am. Please use caution while traveling. Thank you!...

Join us this winter and spring at Westgate as we feed on Hebrews and its brilliant portrait of Christ and his supremacy. ...

We are pleased to announce that Julie VanWagenen will be serving as our new Communications and Administrative Assistant at Westgate....

Advent is a season of waiting and hoping. It’s a time of recognizing that we still live in a fallen world--lamenting the wrongs we see and longing for them to be made right. But it’s also a time of hoping in God’s answer to this fallen world...

The news from Sutherland Springs, Texas, today is devastating. More than two dozen dead in a shooting at First Baptist Church, nearly half the congregation in a small town outside of San Antonio. In this spirit of grief and brotherhood in Christ we offer our prayers for the victims and their families. And we lament this tragedy and the brokenness of this world, while at th...

Last September the RE:Focus process we began in February culminated by gathering to discuss our new mission, vision, values, and commitments, as well as sketch a path forward for implementation. We want to share a few revisions we made as a result of the feedback, and give you an update on the first steps of implementation, specifically the formation of our Local Outreach ...

Last weekend’s events in Charlottesville, Virginia, were horrifying. But those events are also indicative of a larger and much deeper problem in American society. In such times of racial tension and evil, we must rally around the only thing powerful enough to bring healing: the cross of Jesus Christ. For this reason, we’ve called a special prayer gathering for peace an...

After several months of seeking the Lord, we’re excited to share a significantly revised draft of our updated vision, along with the mission that drives it, the core values that guide it, and the core commitments through which we will seek to advance it. ...

As part of our current efforts to refocus our vision as a church, we recently shared a significantly revised draft of our updated vision. Here we want to tell you a little more about what our new core values....

We recently shared a revised draft of our updated vision, along with the mission that drives it, the core values that guide it, and the core commitments through which we will seek to advance it. Here we want to explain a little more about our new core commitments....

What is biblical exposition? And why is it so central to our gathered worship? These are the questions we’ll explore in this series of posts. We’ll start here with the first one: what is biblical exposition?...

Why is biblical exposition is necessary for the life and health of our congregation? Here is the first three reasons: it reflects a healthy doctrine of Scripture....

Part three of our series on what biblical exposition is and why it's necessary for the life and health of the church....

To take advantage of cooler mornings during the hot summer months, our Sunday worship service will begin at 9:30 am during the months of July and August. ...

This Sunday we return to our series through the book of Exodus, following Israel into the wilderness where God will reveal why he saved them--that they might be his special covenant people among all the nations....

If you missed our recent Life on Mission Conference with Trevin Wax, or would like to review one of the sessions, the audio is now available online....

Life Explored is an informal and relaxed seven-week course, designed for anyone who wants to find contentment and happiness in life. We will meet on Friday nights, 7:00-8:30 pm, beginning March 3....

The elders are inviting the congregation into a season of prayer, discernment, and planning in order to refocus our vision with greater clarity and specificity for the months and years ahead....

Join us for one of our two new adult Sunday School classes at 9:30 am: Parenting: Leadership from Love, and The Heart of the Reformation. Beginning Sunday, January 8....

God’s desire to dwell with his people is one of the most consistent themes of the entire biblical story. And the climax of that desire, what ultimately makes it possible for a holy God to dwell with sinful people, is the incarnation of Jesus Christ....

We need to see the world through a biblical lens--to affirm what is good and right, to reject what is false and wrong, and to show how the gospel tells a better story and answers the deepest longings of people in our time. This is what Trevin Wax will help us focus on during our 2017 Life on Mission Conference....

The story of Exodus is not just Israel’s story; it’s God’s story, Jesus’ story, and therefore our story. So join us this year as we enter into this story to behold our salvation and the glory of God....

As the summer comes to a close, remember that our worship service will begin at 10:30 am starting this Sunday, Sept. 4, and will continue at that time through June....

Few truths are more celebrated in the church than the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. This is because few truths are more central to Christianity than the marvel that Jesus Christ died in our place (as a substitute) to pay the just penalty for our sin (atonement)....

The book of Job resonates with both the suffering we experience and the searching questions it generates. It’s the story of one man’s devastating loss and the struggle to make sense of God in the midst of it. Join us in August as we walk through this honest yet hopeful book....

Join us for Vacation Bible School and our Summer Celebration this July....

As we wrap our minds and hearts around this weekend’s tragedy in Orlando...

Join us during the month of June as we explore together “something more sure”...

This summer at Westgate we’re focusing on three critical elements of a healthy church: Word, Prayer, and Fellowship....

The goal of this meeting is to pray loyally, boldly, and expectantly for God open a door for the gospel here in the MetroWest....

As we recently said goodbye to our Student Minister, Lawrence Klingsheim, and commissioned him and Ashley for their new ministry in Minnesota, we wanted to update you on our student ministry leadership transition heading into 2016....

This week we say goodbye to our Student Minister, Lawrence Klingsheim, and his wife Ashley and daughter Ellie, as they move to Minnesota to pastor a church on the north shore of Lake Superior....

Wherever you are in your journey, the letters of John invite us to come home to God. Abide with him...

If trivial matters like football games and films are so good we can’t help but share them with others, what about the best news of all? ...

How do we engage our changing culture in a meaningful way without compromising the truth of the gospel? Join us for our series: The Gospel in the Public Square....

During our recent 40th anniversary celebration, we introduced a ministry strategy our elders have been working on to help us put our vision into practice more effectively in the years ahead...

The theme for our 2015 Missions Conference is “Unreached People Groups” ...

In continuing the conversation about the gospel and entertainment, here are a few helpful links to additional resources....

Membership in a local church is a healthy and important part of living out our faith and serving Christ together....

Greetings from Sam and Esther Hollo...

Join us Sunday, Sept. 20, as we celebrate 40 years of God's work in and through us....

Join us on Sundays at 9:30 for our Christian Education classes....

A lot of the common ideas people have today about heaven are not only rather dull and unexciting, but actually fall far short of being biblical....

Sunday services start at 10:30 beginning this Sunday, Sept. 2....

What difference does the gospel of Jesus actually make for our work? We won’t claim to sort everything out, but we do hope to find some clarity and direction as we focus on this subject beginning in August in our series, “The Gospel at Work.”...

Summer offers just the kind of breathing room we need, between the weight of academic deadlines and the flurry of extracurricular activities, to let ourselves reflect on a few deeper questions about life and school....

Don't forget that Sunday services begin at 9:30 throughout July and August....

Does the good news of Christ really make any difference for those whose home life is marked by an often crushing disability? How does the gospel narrative give us categories for making sense of disability? How does it give us direction for loving and sharing life with those who live with disability in the church? ...

Forty years ago today, on June 1, 1975, Westgate Church held its first public worship service at Regis College. Forty years later, God is still at work through Westgate as we seek to bring the gospel of Jesus to bear on lives throughout the MetroWest....

In a church culture that is dominated by professional clergy and polished programs, it’s easy to think that when Jesus gave his Great Commission, he wasn’t really talking to me. But when we look to the Scriptures and listen to our Lord, we realize that disciple-making is for everyone....

A year-end letter from the Westgate Elders, looking ahead to 2015 and our renewed passion for making disciples....

The main application of Matthew's entire Gospel is our participation in the mission Jesus gives his church--to go and make disciples of all nations. What does that mean? What does that entail? How might we be faithful to that call personally, and also as a congregation here at Westgate? ...

I’m excited to invite men, young and old, to our upcoming Men’s Conference, here at Westgate on Nov. 14-15. The conference is hosted by the Metro West Men’s Ministry that we are part of, along with First Baptist Church in Sudbury, and Trinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland....

Join missionaries Rick & Debbie Sacra as Rick shares his experience with the Ebola crisis in Liberia, including his own battle with and recovery from the deadly virus....

We will be holding a prayer gathering on behalf of Dr. Rick Sacra Thursday night, Sept. 4, at 7pm in the church parlor....

If you've been a part of Westgate for a while, you may have recently noticed a subtle change in the name of our small group ministry: home fellowships are now called home groups....

The crisis of Christian persecution is hard to process, and even harder to know what to do. One thing we can and must do is lament....

The goal of our recent Life on Mission Conference was to seek God to deepen our awe for him and his gospel, along with our passion and skill in living as missionaries wherever we live and work. Here are four specific prayer points from the conference that we can be praying together....

For the next forty days we are inviting the congregation to join together in prayer for gospel growth in and through us at Westgate....

The purpose of this conference is to help equip each of us to live on mission each day for Christ. Come hear Jared Wilson and Bland Mason help us see how the gospel of Jesus shapes and fuels that kind of mission....

We want take time at the beginning of 2014 to think freshly about what it means for us to be the church, and what that means for Westgate in moving forward with our vision....

As the New Year approaches, we want to take the time once again to praise God for what he has accomplished in the year behind us, as well as look with expectation for what we pray he will do in the year ahead....

Here’s a little more information on why we have pew Bibles, why it was time to update them, and why we replaced them with a different translation than what we had before....

Due to the current winter storm, the snow accumulation forecast, and poor road conditions, we have cancelled Sunday School and our worship service for Sunday, December 15. ...

Part four of our series on what biblical exposition is and why it's necessary for the life and health of the church....

Just a reminder that beginning Sept. 15, Christian Education classes will begin at 9:30am...

To learn more about Amelia Allen and her parents' journey of trusting God in the face of disability, watch the video linked here....

For a variety of reasons, a number of church-goers remain on the fringe for years, attending (even serving) but not joining a local church. For this reason, here are four invitations to those who remain on the fringe, in hopes of encouraging you to take the step of church membership....

Stop by the Cry Room (Rm. 201) after the worship service this Sunday, May 5, or Sunday, May 19, to get your picture taken for our new photo directory....

Special events in light of this week's tragic bombing in Boston....

There is one thing on earth that no bomb can shake, and no terror can overcome: your presence. “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”...

We often limit the scope of revival to nonbelievers coming to faith. But as Tim Keller notes, "Gospel renewal does not simply seek to convert nominal church members; it also insists that all Christiansâ€"even committed onesâ€"need the Spirit to bring the gospel home to their hearts for deepened experiences of Christ's love and power." ...

Being a missionary requires intentionality. If you were going to serve in a faraway country, you’d spend months â€" maybe even years â€" planning, preparing, learning the language, and designing a long-term strategy. Why wouldn’t you live with that same sort of intentionality as a missionary in your own neighborhood?...

As we celebrate the hope that's found in Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection, please join us for any of our gatherings this Holy Week....

Join us, beginning this Sunday (March 10), as we spend the next several months walking through Christ’s vision for life in his kingdom��"life in joyful submission to the King of heaven and earth....

As we prepare our hearts to reflect freshly on the power of the cross and the hope of the resurrection at Easter, we want to commit the Lenten season to prayer as a congregation....

With our services cancelled this morning due to winter storm Nemo, I thought I would share a few thoughts on how we might serve God this Lord’s Day even though we’re unable to gather for corporate worship....

Due to the storm, all church activities are cancelled for Sunday Feb. 10....

One of my prayers for Westgate during 2013 is that God would move us to finally make a pivot outward in the direction of our ministry efforts, in accordance with of our vision to be a gospel-centered community living each day on mission for Christ....

A summary of our January vision series and a call to prayer in the months ahead....

Please join us at 9:30 am this Sunday (Jan. 20) as we talk and pray together about some of the practical implications of moving toward our vision as a church....

To start the new year, we’re going to take a short break from our Matthew series and focus on the vision we adopted as a congregation one year ago: to be a gospel-centered community living each day on mission for Christ....

As we grieve with the families and children in Newtown, CT, joining us in lifting this prayer to our sovereign and merciful God, who alone can make all things right. From Scotty Smith......

This Sunday not only begins our Advent celebration, but also our new sermon series through the Gospel of Matthew entitled, "Jesus: King of Heaven and Earth." ...

If you missed one of the sermons from our Ecclesiastes series, you can find both audio and notes on our website....

The charge of missions is to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). But what is the ultimate goal the drives and fuels that charge?...

Our annual missions conference at Westgate is just around the corner. ...

Our annual All-Church Retreat at Sandy Island is coming up Sept. 7-9. We hope you'll consider joining as we rest, have fun, get to know one another better as a church, and spend time in God's Word, that we might see, trust, and treasure Jesus as he has made himself known to us in the Old Testament Scriptures....

For too long I and much of the evangelical world have been content to make belief in the Trinity a test of orthodoxy, but have failed to explore the implications that the Trinity has for our lives....

Listen to two sermons from Ecclesiastes 3 as Solomon explores the effect that time, eternity, and the hidden plan of God have on life under the sun....

Ecclesiastes lends itself particularly well to engaging those interested in exploring the faith, and here are four reasons why....

There's an uncomfortable parallel between an abandoned building project and our lives in a fallen world....

Join us and bring your friends and neighbors to come wrestle with life through the honest yet hopeful lens of Ecclesiastes....

Though the Bible version in our church pews and usually up on the screen is the NIV, I'll be preaching Ecclesiastes from the ESV. I thought it would be good to explain why....

Four facts about one of the central, yet not always well understood, tenets of the Christian faith: resurrection....

It's hard to make sense of the excitement and fervor of Palm Sunday unless we realize that Jerusalem remained in many ways a city under siege....

Whether you're visiting us for the first time, or a member checking out the new digs, we hope you'll find our new website fresh and even more useful than before....

In Philippians 4:14-23, Paul describes the way we live our lives before God as giving off a particular smell-the sweet aroma of an acceptable sacrifice. ...