"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."      – Matthew 5:16

Our elders have chosen the theme of "Glorify" for the congregation at Westside to focus on throughout this year.  What does it mean to glorify God?  Is giving glory to God just limited to praise?  How can we glorify God in other aspects of our lives?

The gospel of John records for us what Jesus' definition of glorifying God is.  In John 17:4, Jesus prays, "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou has given Me to do."  Jesus defined glorifying God as doing the work the Father had given Him to do.  What matters to God and what actually glorifies Him is that we "do life" God's way!  In John 15:8, Jesus stated "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."  As we go about our lives each and every day, we need to be working for God and His glory, not our own successes or accomplishments.

Glorifying God requires:

• Knowledge of His will and His commandments (I John 2:6, John 15:8)
• Telling others about God and the salvation that we have through Jesus Christ (I Pet. 2:9-10) 
• Living a pure life and fleeing from sin (I Cor. 6:18-20, Phil. 4:8)
• Using our resources to further His cause (II Cor. 9:13, II Cor. 9:6-7)
• Perseverance in unity and contending earnestly for the faith (Eph. 4:3, Rom. 15:6, Jude 3)

We invite you to join us in worship and study as we endeavor to align our lives more closely to God's will!