Westview Church Podcast

Matthew presents faith not as an idea to agree with, but as a way of life to be practiced. In this episode of Why Matthew, Pastor Marty explores discipleship as a walk—formed through daily practice, questions, failure, and growth. Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, this episode invites listeners to see faith not as certainty, but as commitment to learning the way of Jesus over time.

Following Jesus doesn’t just change how we think—it changes how we feel. In this episode of Why Matthew, Pastor Marty explores how Matthew understands heartbreak as part of discipleship, not a failure of it. Jesus is repeatedly moved by compassion, grief, and love, and his disciples are formed by learning to see—and feel—the world differently. This episode reflects on what happens when our hearts grow tired or guarded, and how Matthew invites us not to harden, but to widen.

In the Gospel of Matthew, discipleship isn’t measured by how much you know—it’s revealed by how you move, who you stay close to, and how willing you are to be changed. In this episode, Pastor Marty explores the markers Matthew gives us for recognizing real discipleship: movement, proximity to Jesus, imperfect obedience, and outward transformation. This is not about getting faith “right,” but about participating in a way of life that reshapes us for the sake of others. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re actually following—or just maintaining—this episode is for you.

Because it was written for communities under pressure—not perfect people.
 
New episode of the Westview Podcast with Pastor Marty is available now.

Welcome to the Westview Church Podcast. I’m Pastor Marty.
As we enter this new lectionary year, we’re spending time with seven questions about the Gospel of Matthew—a gospel that has shaped so much of our Christian imagination. Matthew gives us Jesus as the new Moses, a teacher forming a people in the midst of upheaval, and a vision of faith that’s orderly, challenging, and deeply human. Each week, we’ll dig into Matthew’s world, its theology, its tensions, and the way it continues to shape who we are as a church today. Thanks for joining!

In a world where truth feels fragile and courage feels rare, this 15-minute Westview Church podcast explores what it means to grow a backbone shaped by Christ Himself. Not the loud, partisan versions of courage we see everywhere, but a deeper, steadier courage rooted in truth, compassion, and integrity.
 
Pastor Marty walks through seven thoughtful, challenging questions designed to help us stand more firmly, live more honestly, and reflect Jesus more clearly in a culture that often pulls us toward fear or silence. It’s a grounded, hopeful invitation to grow a Christlike spine in an age that desperately needs one.

In this week’s episode, Pastor Marty invites listeners to explore seven deeply personal questions about prayer — not as performance, but as presence. These reflections ask how we can let silence speak, pray from where we really are, and let everyday life become prayer itself. It’s a gentle, honest conversation for anyone who wants to deepen their prayer life without the pressure to “get it right.”
 
“Prayer begins when you stop trying to sound holy.”
— Pastor Marty
 

Today we’re asking what happens when the Jesus of Luke meets the theology of Paul — and how their different emphases still shape American Christianity.
These are seven questions to help us see what kind of faith Jesus actually modeled, and what kind of power he rejected. This isn’t about pitting scripture against scripture, but about finding the heartbeat of Christ that can still heal a divided church.