This episode of the After the Sermon Podcast from "Sanctity of Life Sunday," is from Deuteronomy 30's exhortation to "choose life." Pastor Will discussed the cultural and political context of the pro-life movement, expressing disappointment in the lack of a staunchly pro-life major political candidate and the church's historical shortcomings on the issue.

He answered a listener's question on how to argue against abortion from a philosophical and scientific perspective, centering the argument on the question of when human life begins. He also addressed a theological question about reconciling God's sovereignty (predestination) with human free will, describing it as a divine mystery.

The conversation concluded with personal applications from listeners, including a powerful testimony from a woman who repented and found healing after a past abortion.

Pastor Will explained that earthly blessings should be seen as a "foretaste" of heavenly ones, meant to stir worship and a longing for God. He contrasted this Christian perspective with an atheistic one, arguing the goal of life is to glorify God, not just maximize pleasure. Will then discussed how church members can encourage each other by continually pointing back to God as the source of all good things. He also reflected on other questions he had anticipated from his sermon, specifically concerning his point about God calling people to "move on" from certain life stages and clarifying that his message about God's blessings was not an endorsement of the prosperity gospel.

In this podcast episode, Pastor Will answered follow-up questions from his recent sermon on community. He discussed the church's growth in community cohesiveness over the past year, reflecting on a 2025 resolution and looking ahead to how an upcoming building renovation might strengthen intentionality. He also addressed the role of shared hobbies and affinities in building Christian friendships, arguing they are important for practical connection alongside the deeper bond of shared faith. Finally, he provided a detailed theological interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7, arguing that it allows for temporary, restorative separation in marriages that have become destructive, with the ultimate goal of reconciliation.

Pastor Will addressed a detailed question about whether it was disobedient for married believers to choose not to have children or use birth control, concluding it was a matter of conscience that required examining one's heart motivations. He also discussed which of God's purposes (reflecting, glorifying, or proclaiming) was most underdeveloped at their church, how to measure faithfulness, and the importance of not "coasting" in the Christian life, particularly for retirees. The conversation concluded with practical advice on how being made in God's image should impact daily life and how to identify and change habits that fail to glorify Him.

Pastor Thad answered follow-up questions related to Sunday’s. He began by providing a detailed explanation of the Greek grammatical term "present active command," using "do not be anxious" from Philippians 4:6 as an example. He emphasized that such commands are meant for ongoing obedience and are not mere suggestions. He then assessed the health of his church, West Hills, in terms of members praying for one another and bearing each other's burdens, describing it as "growing." He identified pride and discomfort as barriers to deeper vulnerability and offered practical steps for the congregation to improve, such as making prayer a habit, praying for others in the moment, and being more open in small groups.

This conversation was a question-and-answer session from the "After the Sermon" podcast, hosted by Brian with lead pastor Will. Pastor Will addressed follow-up questions from the congregation regarding his recent sermon, "God's Truth Cures the World's Lies," the first in a series titled "The Antidote." He elaborated on how scripture provides joyful fulfillment, recommended resources for biblical apologetics, and clarified theological concepts such as eternal security (being "kept"), the specific nature of Jesus's prayers for believers versus the world, the existence of false churches, and the ongoing intercessory work of Christ in heaven. The session concluded with an exploration of the sermon series' central metaphor of the gospel as an "antidote" for sin rather than a preventative "vaccine."