Ashworth Church - West Des Moines

Self-control in a culture of indulgence doesn’t mean we say no to everything — it’s about having the inner strength and desire to say yes to the right things. It’s the fruit of spiritual formation and ultimately one of the ways to true freedom.

Wisdom is more than a way of thinking. It’s demonstrated in how we live. In a world inundated with information and knowledge, wisdom tends to take a backseat to selfish ambition and boasting. Listen as we explore what Godly wisdom looks like and its importance in our communities.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored the ways God speaks to His people. But, what do we do when God doesn’t speak? When He doesn’t answer a prayer? Listen as Pastor Amy looks at examples of God’s silence in Scripture, both dismantling the falsehoods we believe about silence and teaching us how to engage with God in the midst of it.

What if God speaks, and we don’t respond? Our response to God’s voice is just as important as our ability to listen to Him. It’s the difference between admiring what Jesus says and actually doing something about it. Responding to God’s voice can be risky, but it’s always worth it.

As we continue learning how to tune ourselves to God’s voice, we also grow in discerning what is true. When it comes to our decisions, beliefs, and purpose, we need to rely on Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and our community for discernment. Listen as Pastor Amy and Pastor Brent explore what Godly discernment looks like in everyday life.

What could happen if we had the same discipline in our lives for listening to the Spirit as we do for prayer and Bible study? The truth is, we can’t have life without the Spirit. We cannot hear God without the Spirit. We cannot come to God without the Spirit, and the Spirit of God is who ties it all together.

The Bible is God’s Word in print. When it’s difficult to hear God, it’s one of the best places we can turn. Listen as Pastor Brent continues our series about hearing God speak – specifically through His written Word.

Despite our best intentions, learning to listen to God can be difficult. The noise of life — busyness, information overload, anxiety, and even algorithms — can drown out the voice of a God who often speaks in the silence. What voices are speaking loudest in your life?

God has always been speaking — whether it was to prophets in the Old Testament or ordinary people of today. But, you may find yourself asking: Will God still speak to me? Listen as Pastor Brent kicks off a new sermon series entitled Is This Thing On?.

As we conclude 2025, take a moment to pause and reflect. What did God do in you this year? What might He do in the you next year?

In the lineage of Jesus, we find yet another unexpected woman with a story of redemption. Bathsheba may be a victim of King David’s sinful desires, but God still uses her to bring Salvation to the world. Listen as Pastor Brent and Pastor Amy dive into our final story in these sermon series.

As we continue exploring the stories of women in the genealogy of Jesus, we find Ruth. A widow and outsider, she commits herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and ultimately demonstrates great faith and courage in orchestrating her marriage to Boaz, her guardian-redeemer. Ruth shows us God’s providential care and His ongoing work of redemption in our lives.

God often uses the people one would least expect, and that was certainly the case for Rahab. Despite being a non-Jewish woman of a scandalous profession, Rahab is known as a woman of great faith in Scripture. Explore her story in the book of Joshua as we continue taking a look at some of the women in the genealogy of Jesus.

The genealogy of Jesus doesn’t include who one might expect. In fact, the stories of women like Tamar in the Old Testament are some of the messiest we find in Scripture. Yet, God can still work through the mess of Tamar’s story and bring the Messiah and redemption to the world. And if that’s the case, is there anything in your life He cannot redeem, including you?

Gratitude begins with an awareness of God. So often, busyness, distraction, entitlement, and even forgetfulness prevent us not only from being grateful people — but from experiencing the presence of God.

As followers of Christ, we hold both joy and sorrow at once. Weeping is an acknowledgement that things are not the way God intended them to be, and laughter and dancing are an acknowledgement that the resurrection has the last word. God abides in both of these seasons of life, encouraging us to allow ourselves to feel the joys and pains of each authentically.

Following Jesus isn’t always easy. In life, we’re constantly faced with struggles, discouragement, and despair. Jesus invites us to keep going. Listen as Pastor Brent shares about the hope we can find in Jesus as we persevere.

Ecclesiastes teaches us that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” The seasons we experience in life, whether joyful or difficult, teach us Who is in control and how to respond to the larger story God is writing in our lives. Follow along for the next few weeks as we learn how to find God in the midst of every season!

In the end of the book of Exodus, we find a spiritually restless group of Israelites impatiently waiting for Moses to return from the mountain. They abandon their trust in the Lord, instead creating a golden calf to worship in His place. God is furious with their actions, telling Moses He plans to destroy them. Moses pleads for God to relent, and He does. This passage of Scripture reveals a part of God’s character that we often like to ignore. But, we also find that He’s not just a God who punishes — He’s a God who forgives.

Hear how God’s moving in India through our mission partners, Vishwa Vani! Listen as our team shares stories and testimonies from their time in India this fall.