Vista Community Church - Vespers: Recent Episodes
Vista Community Church
We are a church that seeks to love God and love people through living and sharing the Gospel. 7051 Stonehollow in Temple, TX. Find out more at http://thevista.tv/college
Just like the disciples, you and I have been called to follow Jesus. The question isn't whether or not we have been called, but whether or not we believe Christ is worth following.
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God had a plan for his people! He has good plans for your life as well. Will you choose to be obedient?
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Despite God's promises and instructions, in times of doubt, impatience, anxiety, and distrust God's people turn to idolatry. How often do we do the same?
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In this sermon, we will look at the historical details, explore the meaning, and discern the purpose of the Tabernacle in the Book of Exodus. We will also explore the biblical timeline of God's presence with his people. We'll see where we started, where we're at, and what we can look forward to when it comes to his presence.
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In chapter 18, we learn from Moses that the burden of leadership can be heavy, especially if we try and do everything on our own. Do we have wise counsel in our lives that are going to encourage us, but also call out things that aren't good? In chapter 19 God restates his desire to be in relationship with his people. In response to God's grace, we are all called to be priests and take part in God's mission on earth.
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In the sermon, we will discuss the whole chapter of Exodus 16. I will highlight the Lord's promise of provision and the significance of remembering the faithful acts of the Lord.
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A Tale of two tests; one for Egypt, the other for Israel. Will Pharoah learn his lesson from the 10th plague or harden his heart? Will Israel learn that Yahweh can be trusted at all times or desire to return to slavery?
God will give us over to the desires of our hearts, so how do we position ourselves to desire the right thing?
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After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, Israel is finally released from captivity through a 10th and final plague; the death of the firstborn of all living things. The angel of death will pass over and spare any Israelite family who obeys the specific instructions given by Moses. These instructions have significant meaning for both the Israelites then, and also for us now.
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God is revealing his power to both His people and the Egyptians. He has the ultimate authority! We see this play out through the 10 plagues and God's confrontation with Pharaoh. God uses evil for his good!
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Through the story of Moses, we learn what God says about identity and calling.
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Through a survey of Exodus, we will learn that God is freeing his people from something, but he is also freeing his people for something. We will also discuss how important a healthy fear of God is in our lives. When we fear God, we get to be a part of ushering in fruit and life, instead of death.
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This parable teaches us to be prepared for the day Jesus returns! How are we waiting faithfully, patiently, and wisely?
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Teaching about the freedom we get from forgiveness and the importance of forgiving others through the parable of the unmerciful servant.
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The parable of the hidden treasure teaches us that the kingdom is worth investing everything was have! That means following Jesus is going to be costly, but it's worth it!
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Life is guaranteed to throw some curve balls at us. The temptation when that happens is often to look back at our lives before that curve ball and long for the "before." But God calls us to look forward. He's doing a new thing.
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Too often Christians make the same mistake as Peter on the mount of transfiguration and confuse experiencing the powerful presence of God with Christian maturity. But true Christian maturity looks much different according to Jesus.
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The way we can apprentice to Jesus is to do this just like Christians have done for centuries…by adopting the Practices of Jesus. To be like Jesus, we must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus. Understanding the power of our habits and incorporating the Practices of Jesus into our lives helps prepare us for the transformative work of God in our lives.
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We have all been through suffering to some degree or another. Suffering is a great teacher. We also grow best when we grow in community. Part of that comes from learning through other people's stories and from hearing each other's perspectives on scripture. Paul thought Timothy was valuable for the church despite his youth, and through their relationship, we see that the church needs all ages to flourish.
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All the data points to one fact: today's college students are anxious, worried, and fearful. The toxic stress many of us feel is truly harmful to our bodies. Sometimes life can feel paralyzing. Yet, Jesus's invitation to us is one of trust--not to worry because God knows us and knows what we need.
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Finding identity, meaning, and purpose in life seems to be one of the greatest challenges most people experience. However, for followers of Jesus, our identity doesn't have to be discovered because it has been assigned to us. We could never find our true identity outside of Jesus and thus are called to live a life focused on knowing and following him.
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1 Timothy 2 is one of those controversial texts. What if we unpacked it according to the things going on in the culture of the church in Ephesus and realize that we live in a different time?
What we believe shapes how we live as Christians. Therefore, we must make sure we are being formed by the truth.
With judgment day coming soon, we must stand firm in the grace of God. How are we going to find practices and relationships that help us remain firm in Christ, while we are in this world that is always trying to knock us off our feet?
As we live with purpose, waiting for Jesus to return, we must do so in community. Within community we practice loving and serving each other, leaving our selfish life behind. The best way we can serve each other is by realizing the ways God has gifted us and using those gifts to love others.
Workism has been named the religion of millennials. Young adults in our country work more than ever before, taking less vacation than ever before. Our temptation is to find our purpose in our work. But as followers of Jesus our purpose is not something to be found, it is assigned.
When things don't go our way or we are in a season of suffering, are we able to give an answer for the hope that we have? Our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus and that He has the final word!
We are called to live in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This gives the world a glimpse of what the Kingdom of peace looks like. How can we be people who breed unity and strive to embrace peace as the glue for our communities?
Our world tells you to do what is best for you, but is that the story of the gospel? In 1 Peter 3, we learn about submission and what it means to put others before yourself.
We all have desires, but should we always act on those desires? Peter teaches us that we are to abstain from sinful desires. We must notice the areas of our lives that are being twisted away from loving God and loving people, leading us into sin. These areas don't just affect us. Peter teaches us that when we choose to abstain from sinful desires, people are watching us and will respond in glorifying God.
1 Peter 2:4-10 helps us change our perspective and come alive in our identity in Christ, so that we can be strange in this world. We are all apart of the the royal priesthood, which means we all get to be pastors! Therefore, we should view our lives as an offering that honors God.
There's a temptation to walk through this life as a passenger, instead of a driver. Although, we are made in the image of God, which means we have responsibility here on earth. How are we caring for the spaces we have been given? Where in your workplace, classroom, or neighborhood, can you take responsibility and bring God's goodness?
God's word is a gift that has the power to transform and nourish us. But if we're being honest, the Bible can feel complicated, overwhelming, and confusing. Therefore, it is important we know how to engage with the story of scripture. Once we have tasted God's kindness, His pure word is something we should crave, embracing its ability to nourish our new life in Jesus.
The two ways Peter encourages us how to be strangers this week are with how we handle trials and by practicing holiness. Looking different than the rest of the world in our trials doesn't mean we aren't allowed to have feeling in our suffering, but it means knowing our identity in Christ transcends our circumstances. Trials prove our faith genuine when we realize God is the only one we can turn to for hope. Peter also challenges us to get our head in the game and pursue the holiness modeled by God. This means being set apart from our sinful nature and leaning into the holy nature of God.
Before we jump into the letter of 1 Peter, it is important we try and understand the context. Who is writing the letter and why? The author, likely Peter, addresses his audience as exiles, aliens, and strangers. He is encouraging them how to live as strangers in this world. Peter's original audience and Christians throughout history aren't alone in our call to be strangers. We get to look to Jesus, who was the ultimate example of not fitting in with culture or people's expectations of Him. Therefore, this semester we will learn how to embrace stranger things together.
How do we have healthy relationships with our parents when we are in college? What does it look like to honor our parents in the Lord as we become independent?
Through Christ we are forgiven and we are called to forgive others just as Christ has forgiven us!
Are we going to let God define what is good when it comes to sex and intimacy? Or are we going to attempt to define what is good on our own terms?
Dating a follower of Jesus can be very countercultural, so we need to talk about how to date in a healthy, God honoring way. Community is key!!
Jesus set the perfect example of how we are called to spend time with the lost and listen to their stories, in order to share the love of God. We have to be people who love beyond our comfort zones and safe church bubbles. Although, when we are living out this call, we must remember we are not Jesus and we often fall into temptation. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, are we secure in our relationship with the Lord and through him ushering in transformation? Or are we being the ones transformed?
Letting someone go on sinning within the church hurts the person sinning and the church body as a whole. How do we healthily confront sin within the church?
We are designed to be in relationships. Our true friendships should be deep, sacrificial, and committed. Jesus is the perfect model of a true friend.
Until we become secure in our identity in Christ, we are always going to try and use other people to make us whole and therefore we will come out disappointed in our relationships every time. Jesus is the only relationship that can truly satisfy us!
We are ending this series with the story of the Tower of Babel. Through this story of a people trying to make a name for themselves, we see that sin affects humans ability to communicate. How does Jesus restore our ability to be good listeners?
Sometimes it is hard to see the flood, God wiping out the entire earth, as God. Although, this story is apart of larger story that points to the hope that is found in Jesus. God promises to deliver us and bring us eternal life if we put our trust in Jesus.