Franklin Vineyard Church Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Franklin Vineyard Church
Joshua 3:10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites...
We are continuing in our series, Taking Destiny, by looking at the Jebusites. This word means something like anxiety, dread, or worry.
Coming out of the last few years, most if not all of us struggle with anxiety. Whether it's acute or something prolonged, we worry about so many things, and we can sometimes let our worries overwhelm us. But in Philippians, Paul reminds them to put their trusts and hopes in the Lord. His solution to worry? He tells them to worship and make their requests known to God.
The Lord cares about us! He loves His children, and the more that we realize that we are His beloved, the less worried we should be about the future, about our pasts, or anything at all. Resting in the arms of God, He is our security and our peace.
Let us confront our anxieties with the love of God!
Joshua 3:10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites...
We are continuing in our series, Taking Destiny, by looking at the Hittites. This word means something like fear of danger or fear of the unknown and failure, and we'll be talking about our need to put our fears to rest!
All of us, at one point or another, have to deal with fear. The phrase, "do not be afraid," is used 366 times in the Bible; one for each day of the year plus a bonus for when we get more fearful.
And this fear especially creeps in whenever we're about to step into something special and important, especially when God is calling us to something unknown. But we're called to keep taking steps, and in order to do that, we must deal with our fears!
Joshua 3:10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites...
We are continuing in our series, Taking Destiny, by looking at the Girgashites. This word means something like a stranger, and we'll be talking about our need to put down roots. We'll spend some time looking at Vineyard Values, and why it's important for us to be rooted in the love of God as we continue to take steps towards the destiny laid before us!
Joshua 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go...
We are continuing in our series, Taking Destiny, by looking at the Kadmonites. This word has connotations of history, tradition, and things of the past. Something that we all must deal with when we are walking in our destiny and purpose is the things of the past, and for many of us who have grown up in the faith, that means that we also have to deal with the spirit of religiosity.
The religious spirit isn't a bad thing at first! When we first come to faith, we usually try to readjust, reorient, and take on new practices that will draw us nearer to the Lord, but sometimes these practices become ends in themselves when in reality they are meant to lead us closer to Jesus.
Unfortunately, this spirit is extremely subtle, and it can affect most of us without knowing. We must be quick to deal with this spirit, as it can take root quickly before we really ever know what hits us. And since the chances are that we all struggle with this, we’re going to begin the work of expelling this spirit from the land!
Numbers 13:25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land...
We've been in a new series, Taking Destiny, looking at how God invites us to the Promised Land, but that the journey to the Promised Land is not without its challenges or roadblocks. This week, we are looking at the Amorites!
As we begin this series, we're going to look first at the battle of the Amorites. As we mentioned last week, Amorite means "sayer," like people that are always talking about you and saying something negative. These are adversarial spirits that are just constantly tearing people down.
As followers of Jesus, we're all called to be leaders and change agents in the world, so whenever you begin to do things of significance, people will always talk. But we have to remember that our real battle, our real struggle, isn't against flesh and blood!
Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
As God was leading the Hebrews through the desert to the Promised Land, they encountered many different obstacles (some physical but many spiritual). Each of these obstacles represents something more than just what they are, and many of us have to go against these hindrances all the time. But if God promised it, He will back His act, and we are called to walk boldly and confidently to the places that He sends us!
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...
God is so intentional, and He set things in motion from the very beginning.
This weekend, we'll be looking at five movements in the Bible, and Easter Sunday, Jesus' resurrection, is at the center of it all! God knew what was going to happen the whole time, and He knew how to set things back into His order.
It's the Greatest Story Ever Told, and we can't wait to tell it again! Jesus Christ is alive and has conquered the grave. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
We are continuing in our series, Kingdom Culture, looking at all the ways that we are called to live under the rule and reign of King Jesus.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
This is the weekly sermon podcast for the Franklin Vineyard Church
In this teaching from our Kingdom Culture series, Pastor Grant Pemberton discusses the fear of the Lord and its role in shaping the life and mission of the Church.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
I Kings 18:43-44
Matthew 4:19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of all people..."
Eugene Peterson talks about discipleship and following Jesus as long obedience in the same direction, taking one step at a time with the Lord, and being obedient is what it means to be a follower of Christ. But, as many of us know, obedience is challenging. We sometimes have our questions, concerns, and even fears when God calls us to follow Him, but obedience is all about surrender and submission.
There's so much freedom in letting go, and like John the Baptist said, "I must decrease so that He may increase." The more that we surrender and submit to the way of the Lord, the more boldness and confidence we will have knowing that our good God is leading us to streams of living water.
And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. - Matthew 7:28-29
This weekend, we are continuing our series, Kingdom Culture, looking at all the ways that we live out our callings under the rule and reign of King Jesus!
John Wimber once said, "When God calls you to an extraordinary task, He provides extraordinary resources."
And we sometimes worry or wonder how we can accomplish what Jesus is calling us to, but like Peter taking steps onto the water, it's all about trusting the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to help us do what Jesus is calling us to do! It's sometimes nerve-wracking or intimidating, but Jesus is so good, so kind, and so powerful; all authority has been given to Him, and in turn, He sends us out to continue His work and ministry. Whether that's in your office or with your family or friends, the whole world needs Kingdom People to go out and do the stuff!
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
We are so excited to continue our series, Kingdom Culture, and we'll be looking at different areas of fear!
At a baseline, all humans have different kinds of fears. Whether it's fear of provision or fear of losing control, there are many ways that our fears and insecurities keep us from what God is calling us to do. And what's even more is that the enemy knows these fears and magnifies them in us, basically holding us down. It's awful, and we all know the feeling. But that's not what God has called us to do!
1st John reminds us that God's Perfect Love casts out fear, and as followers of Christ, we have a command to kill fear and to walk in the boldness and confidence of the Lord!
Ephesians 4:12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.We are continuing our series, The Main and the Plain, this weekend at the Vineyard!John Wimber, one of the founders of the Vineyard, had many expressions that helped convey deep theological truths. He would often talk about being "naturally supernatural" in how we pray for one another. Or that Christ's followers were called to go out and do the works of ministry because "the meat is in the streets." Even this idea of "the main and the plain" was a Wimberism describing how we ought to read the Bible and look for the "main and plain" reading rather than do all types of gymnastics to interpret a passage.
We didn't live-stream this service, due to the nature of it being a worship circle, but we wanted to post the podcast! Katherine shares her heart using Psalm 63 as an invitation to all to experience the Lord in a fresh way.
Acts 2:1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place... We are continuing our series on the Trinity! We'll be looking at Acts 2 and how the Holy Spirit came onto the scene and empowered the disciples to go out into the world! It's an amazing story of how the church came to be. Pentecost, the feast of first fruits, is when the disciples in the Upper Room received the Spirit of God and then did amazing things for the Kingdom. It's also Communion Sunday, so for those of you joining online, make sure to have your elements ready!
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you... We are beginning a new series that will continue through the month of June looking at the persons of the Trinity! These first two weeks will be looking at the Holy Spirit as we prepare for Pentecost, the day in the church calendar where the disciples in the upper room received the Holy Spirit and went out into all the world proclaiming the Good News about Jesus! This week, we will unpack the Spirit in the Old Testament.
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching." We are finishing up our Easter Challenge series this weekend at the Vineyard. This week, we will focus on "The Journey Forward." This section is all about our callings and responsibilities and how we live our lives on a mission for God! Pastor Jon will close us out, and we will also be having a little gift for all of our graduates!
Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. We are continuing our Easter Challenge series this weekend at the Vineyard! This week, we'll look at the mission to reach others! Pastor Jon will be talking about how God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. We all have a sphere of influence, a place that the Lord has put us in, to reach people for the Kingdom of God! God desires that all people be saved, and He has entrusted us with this opportunity to reach others. As Christians, we are all called to be witnesses, partnering with the Spirit, in going out into the world. People are hungry for the real thing.
Acts 2:42 The Message They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. It's Mother's Day! We're continuing our Easter Challenge series by continuing our conversation we had last week about the need for church life. Pastor Jon will be speaking on the family of God and why it's important for us to see each other as siblings in Christ. The saying goes, "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." And that's absolutely true. In the family of God, everyone has a part to play, and we have to continue to be devoted to one another and to the mission of God.
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. We are continuing our "Easter Challenge" series, and Pastor Jon is going to be speaking on the importance of church community, loving one another and serving God. We need the church just like the church needs us, and the more that we understand our role in the church, the healthier the church will be (and by association, we also become healthier!). God designed us to be in community, to love and serve one another, and the church is the best place for us to plug in. We learn who we are and are able to use our God-given talents and resources to enable the church to be all that the church is called to be!
We are continuing in our series, The Easter Challenge, by looking at the truth of God's Word. Michael speaks on "what" the Bible is and "how" we can read the Bible better as the people of God.
We are starting a new series, The Easter Challenge, and we are encouraging everyone to take steps in their faith in Jesus for the next 30 days! Pastor Jon begins our series by looking at the Resurrection of Jesus and how the disciples proclaimed "wow." We all need "wow" moments in our lives, and Jesus has come to breathe life into us today.
We are finishing up our series in the Gospel of John this week! Hasn't this been a great discussion? We've looked at the feeding of the 5,000, the man born blind, the centurion's son, walking on water, water into wine, and the healing at Bethesda. All of these stories show the kind of Savior that Jesus is, and they reveal God's redemptive plan for humanity.
We are continuing in our series in the Gospel of John looking at the seven signs of Jesus' ministry. Jesus performed all these miracles so that people would believe (and keep on believing), and this amazing story in chapter nine shows that Jesus both forgives and heals.
We continue in our study in the Gospel of John, and this week, we look at Jesus walking on water! It's an amazing story of how Jesus appears to the disciples in their distress.
Jesus doesn't simply calm the storm (as he does in the other gospel accounts). He comes to the disciples in their fears and worries to offer his presence and help.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do. John 6:5–6
We are in a series looking at the seven signs in John. These signs reveal who God is and who Jesus is. They were amazing acts that revealed God's purposes in the world. This week, Kris Bearss speaks on John 6:1-14, where Jesus feeds over 5,000 with only a few small loaves and a couple of small fish!
John 5:6 ...“Do you want to get well?”
Pastor Jon continues our series looking at the Seven Signs in the Gospel of John.
Jesus sees a man lying by the water known for its healing properties, and he asks him if he wants to get better. It seems obvious to us as readers that of course this man wanted to get better, but to Jesus, this man was near the healing waters but not in the healing waters.
So often, we hope and pray that God answers our requests that we forget that we need to fully commit. We can't be on the fence when it comes to our prayers. We have to be bold and be courageous!
We are continuing our series in the Gospel of John! Over the next seven weeks, we'll spend time looking at each of the miraculous signs in the Gospel of John as we get closer to Easter.
This week, we'll be spending some time looking at John 4:43-54 with the story of the Royal Official's Son. It's a wonderful story of determination, persistence, faithfulness, and evangelism.
We sometimes have poverty mindsets, and we begin to think that God could never answer that prayer request or meet that need. But God who is so rich in mercy chooses to lavish us with love, grace, and mercy. As He is faithful and generous with us, we in turn should respond in kind. Pastor Jon will be closing out our series, "Change My Heart, Oh God" by looking at how God invites all of us to be open and willing to take steps, to give of ourselves generously as He does for us!
We're continuing our series by looking at how God wants to change our closed hearts! As God has fully welcomed us into his heart, we are called to do the same. Many of us have created walls to protect ourselves from hurt, confusion, or lies. And there are good walls, good boundaries, but the issue lies when we've used those walls of protection as a way to separate us from God and fellow Christians. Using Ephesians 2:11-22 as a biblical guide, Michael and Jon Sterns will be speaking on opening ourselves fully to what God wants to do — with one another and with Him. Ephesians 2:14 — For He Himself is our peace who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...
When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” Luke 7:20 In Luke's Gospel, John's disciples come to Jesus and ask this question. They had heard of Jesus's amazing works and teachings, and yet they had their doubts. The same is true with us! Some of us have been in the church for a really long time, and we've become calloused to the working of the Spirit. And we have to overcome our doubts with faith. Pastor Jon is going to be speaking on moving from a place of callousness to softness and being open to the Spirit's moving! We all have our doubts, and the important thing is to take these to the Lord before our hearts and minds become calloused. So change our hearts, oh God!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. As we begin this new year, Pastor Jon was praying about the church and what he felt like God wanted him to speak on for the first sermon series. And as he prayed, he felt like the Lord was bringing to mind the old Vineyard song "Change my heart, oh God." Over the next few weeks, we'll spend some time looking at some character changes that Pastor Jon wants to lean into, and this week we are focusing on our vision.
1st Peter 1:3-4 — Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
We're starting off the new year with a talk about the importance of seeing the bigger picture! It's so easy for us to get derailed and thrown off by the little things that seem to knock us down. But we have to remember that God has promised us an eternal destination! We don't have to sweat the small stuff because God's got us.
We are finishing up our Advent series by looking at the Promise of Love.
God promises throughout Scripture to "be with" His people. In all the hardships and pain in the Old Testament, God promised to be near. But in Jesus, God's presence was manifest in a person!
The Promise of Advent is that God's love would be felt by all in Jesus. In every encounter in the New Testament, Jesus embodied love. This wasn't just an idea; Jesus was love personified, God manifest.
"JOY to the world, the Lord is come!"
We are in the third week of ADVENT, and we are continuing our series in The Promise. Our worship leader, Katherine Michael, is sharing on the Joy of the Lord.
(This is a shortened message due to the Kids Christmas Musical)
We are continuing our series "The Promise," and we are looking at the promise of Peace. In Isaiah 9, the people are promised a Messiah that would bring about a period of peace for all people. And Luke picks up this idea in his Birth Narrative.
The very first people that the birth is announced to, outside of Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth, are shepherds.
Why shepherds?
Because Luke is making a theological claim that the peace of Christ is for all people, and everyone gets to receive that gift so long as they surrender to the lordship and leadership of Jesus. He is the true King that will usher in the peace of God forever.
A promise is an assurance that a certain thing will come to pass. We make promises all the time. Sometimes we see them through. Other times they never become a reality. But God is different. When he makes a promise, we can be confident that he will be faithful to bring it to fruition.
The Bible is full of promises from God to his people, and there is one life-changing promise we celebrate every Christmas: God's promise of a Savior named Jesus.
This Sunday we take a look at this idea of the Promise of Hope.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. In Colossians, Paul tells the church to put to death the former ways and to put on Christ. It's an amazing passage talking about how we get ourselves ready for thankful worship.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Paul spends the last chapter of Galatians looking at burdens and loads. When we carry each others' burdens, Paul says that we are fulfilling the law of Christ. It's a pure act of love to sit with someone suffering and help them get out of their pit, and each one of us is called to help one another get out of our dark places. As Pastor Jon mentioned last week, this is part two of the message that he was preparing. He spent some time looking at the phrase: "brothers and sisters." It's because we are family that we care for one another. It's because we are family that we serve one another. It's because we are family that we love one another as Christ loves us.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. As we've been looking at Galatians, one of the concepts that Paul wants to unpack: law versus grace. Law is what we do, but grace is what God has on our behalf in Jesus. And the way that we uphold the law of Christ is by carrying each other's burdens. What God desires out of our relationships is serving one another, praying for each other, and loving the way that God loves us. Jesus is both our teacher and model for living this out. He taught his disciples to love another, and he himself also showed the way.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
This week, we'll be spending some time looking at the Fruits of the Spirit — specifically patience.
We continue our series in Galatians with a message about the Spirit-Filled Life and how we are adopted into the Father's Kingdom! Galatians 4:4–7
Galatians 2:20 — I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. There's a church fight going on, but it's not about the carpet, the volume of the worship, but about what it means to live the life of faith. In this passage, Pastor Jon unpacks one of the great passages of this study in Galatians, "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). What Jesus is offering is life beyond our wildest imaginations because of this one crucial choice to live a crucified life.
Galatians 3:24-25 — The Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
We continue our study of Galatians with a further look at the role and use of the Law… and why Paul commends it as “good,” “perfect,” and “holy”…even though it’s powerless to help us keep what it demands.
Galatians 2:20 — I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul is huge on community in Galatians, and community is about submitting one to another. As Jesus gives himself to us, we too are called to give ourselves to one another. Though, we all know how hard that is!
It's mutual submission, learning how to surrender and give honor to the other as we also give honor to the Holy Other. The cross calls all of us to lay down our rights and privileges to the Lord.
Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
Somebody get Paul a Snickers bar! In chapter three of Galatians, Paul does not hold back because he is upset that the Judaizers within the Galatian church are trying to get new converts to put on something that's not theirs to put on. These rites and rituals are completely fine except when people think that they determine our standing with God, which is why Paul is so upset.
Paul urges the Galatians to remember the cross of Christ, the focus and center of the Christian faith. It is what God has done on our behalf rather than what we do that determines our righteousness.
We are continuing our study in Galatians! Paul writes to the Galatians the importance of surrender and submission, especially in the realm of conflict. The issue at hand in Galatia is that "Judaizers" were encouraging new converts to take on old Jewish purity rites. Paul is a little upset...because it's all about the cross! It's all about what Christ has done on our behalf, and it's not about what we do or add to the gospel.
Galatians 2:20 — I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 1:6 – I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the one who chose you. He chose you to live in the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different “good news.” Scholars of the New Testament have long noted that Paul's letter to the Galatians captures the apostle at his most rhetorically frustrated and annoyed. Paul is upset with the church in Galatia for going back to their old ways, trying to rely on the flesh rather than the Spirit, and he's just trying to figure out why... So this letter is corrective: Paul is trying to address divisions, call for church unity, refresh peoples' understandings of the Gospel, and remind people of who they are in Christ.
We're excited to begin this new series because it has a lot to offer to where we are today!
Psalm 91:1-2
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." This week, we wrapped up our Summer in the Psalms series with a teaching from Kitty Sterns and Katherine Michael. Throughout the Bible, God is constantly reminding His people to not fear, to not be afraid. Someone once counted 366 times that this is said — one for each day and an extra for a Leap Year. Why do we get afraid? Maybe it's circumstances...maybe it's the season that we're in...maybe it's all the questions...maybe it's everything...But God calls us to be courageous and full of faith!
Psalm 1 — Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers...
We've been looking at the Psalms, and this is the very first Psalm, the entryway to the whole book setting the tone for how we ought to use, live, and read the Psalms.
We all have to make decisions...where to eat...where to live...where to work...who to marry...and thankfully, the Lord has provided the means in which to make these decisions: come to Him.
God has graciously provided us His Spirit so that we aren't alone in anything, and as we make decisions, we seek His counsel and the counsel of wise followers of God. It's very relational.
Todd Hunter, former Vineyard National Director, came and spoke to the Vineyard Southeast on the importance of rest, reflection, and re-direction. It was a powerful talk on the importance of being grounded in the love of God in uncertain times.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Special guest Bubba Justice will speaks on the importance of repentance.
This word, repentance, sometimes has negative connotations, but for the Christian, it is what we are constantly invited to do because we constantly fall short. To sin is to miss the mark of God, and in order for us to get back on the right track, we have to confess our sins to God and to one another. John writes: if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness.
We had a special guest August 20th where David Wagner spoke on the importance of prophecy, and then he moved into giving prophetic words for folks in the audience.
Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
This Psalm is the story — in the form of a hymn of praise — of one who is excited about the goodness of God. God’s goodness was revealed to him in a dramatic way in a time of need. The truths that the Psalmist declares aren’t new, but the fact that they are now his truths make it so much better. What excites the Psalmist so much is the way that his personal experience, his story, is confirmed by the traditions of his ancestors. In this psalm, he both rejoices in his own personal encounter while also proclaiming the truths of his family's faith.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
We are in a series looking at the Psalms, and this week, we'll be spending some time in Psalm 46. This incredible psalm has inspired many different songs over the years, including "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." It's been a source of hope and confidence for believers over the last few millennia, and we're looking at it once again to stir up our faith.
Psalm 139:16 ...all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God has a great plan for our lives! You've heard us say this many times at the Vineyard, and you're going to hear it once again: God has a heart for the disenchanted. This week we look at Psalm 139 and begin our new series for August looking at the Psalms.
Bonhoeffer calls the Psalms the songbook of the church because it is full of many songs for the faithful to sing. Whenever you find yourself in a hard spot, look in the Psalms. There you will find Psalms of lament, hope, despair, faith...being rooted in the Psalms helps us to see God in all things!
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
We're wrapping up the Gift & Giver series as we review all the points throughout the series, and we'll offer some good takeaways.
This week, we looked at Romans 8:26–27 as it relates to our prayer lives. As people of the Spirit, we have the opportunity to pray for people and to receive prayer. Both are necessary components of doing life together.
Romans 8:26–27 NIV
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
This week, we're looking at the gift of prophecy. Join us as we explore what prophecy is and its main purpose: to edify the Body of Christ.
There are so many thoughts and ideas about what prophecy is, and we want to be a church that seeks the prophetic. God sometimes gives us words of knowledge or words of exhortation to give to someone, and these words reveal God's love for us! The primary purpose of prophecy is to reveal God and God's intention for humanity.
1 Corinthians 14:1 — Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy...
John 14:26 - But the Holy Spirit, the Helper whom the Father will send in my Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you!
We're continuing with our Gift & Giver series, studying the ministry and person of the Holy Spirit. Join us as we learn more about who the Holy Spirit is, and how He works in us and for us.
We are continuing our look at Spiritual Gifts this week! Pastor Jon will offer some practical ways for us to discover and practice our gifts! We're looking forward to this one :)
1 Corinthians 12:4–6 — There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 — There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
This week we are taking a look at 1 Corinthians 12! As we continue our series on the Gift & Giver, we will learn about spiritual gifts. Each gift has been given to the Body of Christ for the upbuilding of the church. These gifts aren't just to make us feel elite or powerful; they're given to the church for the edification of the church.
We'll be spending some time looking at Jesus' baptism, and then we will have baptisms of our own! We love this sacrament because it's an outward expression of what Christ is doing in our hearts: cleansing us and making us more like him.
Paul says in Romans 6: Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
In our baptisms, we are putting to death our old ways and old lives, and we are surrendering to what God wants of us. And in order to fulfill all that God asks of us, we have the Spirit to fill us and empower us to do the things that Jesus did.
We're beginning a new series looking at the Holy Spirit. Michael shares on Pentecost Sunday and the 5 P's: promise, picture, posture, preaching, and practice. As we go throughout this series, we hope that you encounter the Holy Spirit in a fresh and powerful way.
This Sunday we explore the importance and value of worship. In the Vineyard, we want to create a space for people to experience the tangible and real presence of God in worship. Worship isn't simply a 30-minute musical session where people get to perform. Worship is a lifestyle, like a muscle that must be developed, and we want to return once again to the importance of being a worshipping community!
The Influence Legacy... Do you know your life is designed to be a life of influence? Marketers hire “influence marketers” to endorse their products so that we will buy them. Lobbyists work extremely hard at influencing laws, politicians, and public opinions. Coaches influence their teams to victory, pastors hopefully influence, and we know there is influence from our mothers and fathers.
Everybody has influence, and everyone has the opportunity to pass on The Influence Legacy. What are the crucial practices you can pass on to others? Listen as Pastor Jon lays out a challenge to be a person of influence!
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 — For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Apostle Paul uses the communion table as a physical representation of what happens to us in Christ. The church in Corinth was going through so much...all you have to do is a quick skim of the book to see that there were divisions, arguments, and disputes. And Paul uses the table to remind them, and us, that it is the Lord's Table that brings us together.
It's incredible when families come together to eat, but we all know that there are so many dynamics within families that sometimes make family meals a little awkward. Join us this Sunday as we discuss the importance and value of coming together to share communion.
Mark 5:34 — He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Join us as we look at this incredible healing story in the Gospel of Mark. Pastor Rafael of La Vina will be sharing with us as we continue our series...from before. We're not done looking at God's healing nature!
Mark 9:27 — But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
This week, we continue our series looking at the love of God (with a little throwback to our Healer series).
The word describing the boy standing up is resurrection language. The healing that took place here was a precursor to Christ's own resurrection, a preview of what was to come.
When healings happen, they are indicators of our life to come (whether in this age or in glory), so that's why we pray for healing! We ask for the Kingdom to break in here and now, for people to experience the resurrecting power of Christ.
This is why we do what we do! This is Christ's love in the here and now.
What is Love?
The answer may seem obvious — that God demonstrated his love for us; that we when were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). What might not be as obvious is how this love has power today to transform every aspect of our lives.
This season, you’re invited to join us for a special three-week series starting Easter Sunday. We’ll discover together that the resurrection still changes everything.
This week, we will be looking at the love of God and Jesus' command to love one another.
Luke 24:12 — Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
How many of us find ourselves like Peter at the tomb wondering what God is up to?
We sometimes settle for snapshots rather than the greater story, and with Jesus, we have to remember that there is always more. This is the love that Jesus offers to us, "I am the restorer."
We can't get bogged down in the details when God is writing a better story. The love of God restores things to how they ought to be, not the way that we might expect them to be.
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd...
Jesus was always full of passion and compassion. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus' full humanity on display. One of our favorite things about Jesus (and of course there are many!) is that Jesus operated out of love and grace in his healings. He would look at folks to see how he could help their situation.
We worship a God who is near to us, and he is also dear to us. He is not a distant God who folds his arms in frustration. No, what we see in Jesus is that God is love. He has compassion on us. As he healed throughout the Gospels, he was moved with passion and compassion.
We are going to look at different passages of Scripture where Jesus shows up and heals. In him, we experience healing physically, spiritually, emotionally, communally... there are so many ways that Christ wants to heal us. And we are excited to explore that together.
This week, we are looking at the character of God when it comes to healing. As we've been saying throughout this series, we believe that God wants to heal, and we are hoping that we will begin to stir the faiths where we pray big prayers again! However, we've all lived long enough to see that God doesn't always heal the way we might expect. Join us as we explore and unpack this idea of the delay in our healings.
For the Lord is GOOD! And his mercies are new every morning. (Psalm 100:5)
This week, we will take a look at Luke 18:35-43: The Healing of the Blind Man. We will do a study on Bartimaeus and the crowd and see how we can use these two models in how we pray for each other.
We believe that we will all be healed, whether in this life or the life to come, and we will continue to contend for God's Kingdom to break in here and now.
We are going to look at different passages of Scripture where Jesus shows up and heals. In him, we experience healing physically, spiritually, emotionally, communally... there are so many ways that Christ wants to heal us. And we are excited to explore that together.
Mark 2:12 — He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
We are continuing in our new series looking at God as Healer! We are looking at Mark 2 — the healing of the lame man. We will talk about how it is important for us to be a healing community and how Jesus is always at work.
We believe that we will all be healed, whether in this life or the life to come, and we will continue to contend for God's Kingdom to break in here and now.
We're moving into a new series focusing on God as Healer! We believe that we will all be healed, whether in this life or the life to come, and we will continue to contend for God's Kingdom to break in here and now. We're going to look at different passages of Scripture where Jesus shows up and heals. In Him, we experience healing physically, spiritually, emotionally, communally...there are so many ways that Christ wants to heal us. We're excited to explore that together.
Pastor Jon speaks on the provision of God. We will be looking through 2Corinthians 8-9, a great section in the Bible on what it means to be good receivers and good givers. In God's Kingdom, we are always provided for. It is in both God's name and character to provide for his children, and as receivers of God's free gifts, we are also encouraged to be good givers.
This week, Pastor Barry speaks on the Kingdom of God: The Kingdom has a King! Sometimes we forget who is in charge, and the Kingdom reminds us that God is in charge. He will heal us, deliver us, and provide for us. And the radical love of God pursues us in the best kind of way.
Pastor Jon and Michael share on how our theology of the Kingdom of God shapes us in our everyday lives.
God is able, but do we live that way? Because of disappointments and setbacks, it's easy to drift into a place of complacency, cynicism, or the belief that God made the world and then stepped away from it. Or thinking that God’s not intimately involved, and there is no Providence. In this series, we are going to look at the practical understanding of what it means with a bent towards the breakthrough of the Kingdom of God in our lives. We will be reminded of God's power to change our circumstances and our culture.
God is able, but do we live that way? Because of disappointments and setbacks, it's easy to drift into a place of complacency, cynicism, or the belief that God made the world and then stepped away from it. Or thinking that God’s not intimately involved, and there is no Providence. But in this series, we are going to look at the practical understanding of what it means with a bent towards the breakthrough of the Kingdom of God in our lives. We will be reminded of God's power to change our circumstances and our culture. This Sunday, we are looking at the spirit of apathy. With disappointments and the "no's" of the world, we sometimes think that God isn't able to say "yes" to our prayers. Pastor Jon will be offering practical ways to break through the spirit of lethargy.
God is able, but do we live that way? Because of disappointments and setbacks, it's easy to drift into a place of complacency, cynicism, or the belief that God made the world and then stepped away from it. Or thinking that God’s not intimately involved, and there is no Providence. But in this series, we are going to look at the practical understanding of what it means with a bent towards the breakthrough of the Kingdom of God in our lives. We will be reminded of God's power to change our circumstances and our culture.