Coastlands Vineyard Messages: Recent Episodes
Coastlands Vineyard Church
Betty Frye shares some of her journey and what she's learned from Thomas and his doubts!
In this conversation, we let ourselves be "life-coached" by Jesus and the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Grab a notebook/journal, a pen, and join us in the journey!
John Jeter shares his journey of "reframing"--his life, the church, and even God. Where might you find yourself and experience a reframe from learning about John and his journey?
We take a look at the statement "To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor"...what is that about?
What does it mean that Jesus came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners/ In this conversation we look at just a few of the many things that entails, and end our conversation in tears of joy.
Looking at the roots and realities of Goodness, with our friend Bridget, a family therapist and social worker.
Thinking a little bit differently about what it means to "store up treasures in heaven"
To be absent from the body is to be present to the Lord--what does that mean and what happens after that?
We talk about dreams, bringing the future into the present, a way to talk about "principalities and powers," and part of what the church is for...
What does it look like for us to expand our "inner space" so we can show up with more grace, compassion, and room for others to be in process?
What is PTSG (no, that's not a typo)? What makes the difference between those of us that get beat up by challenges and those of us that become stronger? What do the Psalms teach us about offloading stress?
There are so many things coming at us currently, it's hard to keep from being emotionally depleted or frayed--how do we maintain some emotional solid ground under our feet? Plus we talk honestly about Philippians 4:13--"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"...Can we, really? Or does that mean something other than we often think?
What do we do when life continually knocks us off balance? How do we get back to center? Why does that matter and how does it look for us?
What does it mean and why does it matter when we say God is "all-present"? Does that just mean we can't get away from God, or that God is everywhere? What kind of Presence seems to really matter to God?
Building on the Drama Triangle we talked about a few weeks ago, we look at the three movements of relationship, the Wizard of Oz, and the way that Jesus navigated relational conflict and dynamics. Hint: He was BRILLIANT at it!
Building on the Drama Triangle we talked about a few weeks ago, we look at the three movements of relationship, the Wizard of Oz, and the way that Jesus navigated relational conflict and dynamics. Hint: He was BRILLIANT at it!
Katie helps us see two different shapes of how we live and how it affects us--one being the Drama Triangle of hierarchy and separation, and one being within the circle of the Trinity.
Did the Apostle Paul really want women to be silent in the church? In the first century, and now? What did that really mean?
Reflecting on how God is working even when we don't see it, and what happens when what we're looking for is right in front of us...
We look at the words about Eve that are often translated "help mate" in Genesis 2, what else they might mean and why it matters...
We talk about the Tree of Life, burning bushes, and being alive to the presence of a Present God, and one thing that helps lower our stress levels in challenging times
We explore the layers of the Resurrection account--did you know that John uses three different Greek words for the word "see"? What's that about? What can we learn from Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John on the first Easter and what do we need from Jesus to navigate uncertainty?
This is part of the recording of our online gathering over ZOOM--we talked about transition and breath and being a breath of fresh air. Links to the worship songs are below.
Why have we been talking about sleep and rest and rhythms? This morning we zoom out to look at what we're meant to steward and why it matters...
We look at the science of and spirit behind sleep and what it has to do with our formation...
What does it look like to meet with the Father now? To live from the Father's house? Christie introduces us to prayer as a place where we meet with God within
Rites of passage, our way of transformation, and shifting our heart center of gravity to the Father.
Why does Luke use two different words for "grew" when describing Jesus' development? What do they mean and what does that mean for us?
What can we learn from Jesus' response to Mary when she finally found him in the temple as a 12-year-old?
Christmas is a season of joy, but that doesn't mean it only contains positive emotions...what if we saw joy not as one of many states of being but as the foundation of what we're created for and the home-base from which to experience our existence?
We take a look at the scope and structure of the Sermon on the Mount and how Jesus transforms us through it.
What do we do with Jesus' words "Away from me, I never knew you!" Didn't he know us in our mother's womb?
We dislike narrowness, and we think that freedom is lack of constriction, but Jesus has a healthier, more beautiful understanding of freedom.
What does casting pearls before swine have to do with judging, asking, seeking, and knocking?
We look at Jesus' exhortations to spiritual authenticity and why we're afraid of stillness, silence, and solitude
Are the Beatitudes another list of ideals we need to live up to? Or is there something else going on there?
Before we delve into the Sermon on the Mount, we need to understand what it's for and what it's not for...and how it fits into the stages of our growth in God
Another look at the Good Samaritan, this time with a different connection to our lives today...
Do you ever find yourself just not knowing what to do, and looking for support and guidance? How have leaders in the Bible responded when they are asked the question: What Then Should We Do?
A beautiful morning learning about Lectio Divina through the parable of the Good Samaritan!
The early church shared meals because meals were community and connection, and because there was a famine. What are we hungry for today and how does the church meet that need?
What is the Ascension all about? Why is it so important, yet so seldom talked about? And what does it mean for us and the world?
Thomas gets the reputation of being full of doubt, but there's a lot more to his story and it has a lot to say to ours...
What happens when we're so familiar with Easter and the Resurrection that it seems to have lost its significance?
What does it mean that Jesus gave his life as a "ransom" for many? And why would he say we must become slaves, only to say in the next sentence that he came to set us free?
What do fasting, feasting, sabbath, bridegrooms, and new wineskins have to do with each other? What if Jesus is offering us a taste of life and delight through misunderstood and often-neglected practices?
Some beautiful stories from Phil Voth and some reflection on what does it mean to prepare the way of the Lord (Mark 1)?
Jesus didn't come for the spiritually fit but we sometimes try to be that anyway--what does that mean and why does it matter?
What is temptation really about? What is it an opportunity for? How did Jesus respond to it and what does that mean for us?
An honest look at the perplexing and disturbing parable of the Rich Man, Lazarus, Abraham's Bosom, Hades, and the chasm that no one can cross. And I kinda share where I stand at this point regarding Hell...
Why is God so harsh to the Rich Fool in Jesus' parable in Luke 12? What does it teach us about how we orient ourselves towards money? What does it teach us about our value and our life?
A few not-so-obvious layers to a familiar parable, and some interesting connections to other parables in Luke
What else is going on in the parable of the Prodigal Son? What's a central theme that's often missed unless we see through Near-Eastern, first-century eyes?
How does Jesus deal with our categories of sacred/secular, ministry/workplace, radical/ordinary, etc? What does he show us in his summons to Peter in the last chapter of John?
How does Jesus meet us in our shame? How does he move us from disintegration to integration? And what triggers the Fear response on our spiritual journeys?
A look at John 19, "Kingdom Theology" in John, the bankruptcy of the religious/political systems, all with a beautiful song at the end by Callie and Megan Gerbrandt!
And now is the judgment of the world--and that's a good thing! And now the Ruler of the world is cast out--who is that? And if I be lifted up, I will draw everyone to me...
We look at the story of Jesus' resurrection in John 20; some hidden treasures there that hint at what John thinks was going on, and how Jesus' resurrection speaks to three core needs of the human heart...
What does abiding mean? What about the branches that are cut off? Why does obedience have such a bad connotation, and can it be redeemed?
Jesus talks about reality, our thoughts, the dangers of religion, and Old Testament violence...(not in that order)
We cruise through the conflict chapters in John 7 and 8 as Jesus confronts the darkness and blindness of the religious leaders of his time, and talk about what he wanted them to see...
Exodus, Leviticus, a new covenant... Law or love, expectation or encounter, instruction or intimacy?
What does it mean and look like to "Rejoice Always" and what does that have to do with Christmas?
"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in trusting, and by the power of the Holy Spirit may you be full of confident hope..." Romans 15:13
What does it mean to be made in the image of God? How do we understand our sense of identity in light of who God is? Why does it matter?
Erase you? Enhance you? Have you deny yourself, find yourself, or deny yourself to find yourself? What does that even mean?
What happens when a woman trying to fly under the radar because of her shameful past meets a God who's seen everything she's ever done?
What happens when a woman trying to fly under the radar because of her shameful past meets a God who's seen everything she's ever done?
A drone's eye view of our Healing series and some question and response time--it got started with a doozy!
We use a "framing" metaphor to understand us living in the tension between what Jesus has done and the difficulty we have in experiencing it
A look at religious abuse, vulnerability, and other fun things to talk about it (based on Mark 3)
You have to hear Judy's incredible story about "a theology of Struggle" and her experience with terminal illness
Between a dumb question, a missing verse (John 5:4?!), and Jesus contradicting scripture, this passage was fun!
Between a dumb question, a missing verse (John 5:4?!), and Jesus contradicting scripture, this passage was fun!
There's something needed and longed for in all our hearts--what does it look like to receive and what is lost without the admiration of a father? There are two video clip links included below...
There's a revolution happening in regards to our understanding of God--what does it mean for us and life? Make sure to download the accompanying PDF with quotes from Richard Rohr's new book The Divine Dance that we read together during the message...
Why does the Ascension matter? What did it mean for Jesus? What does it mean for us? (NOTE: the video clips referenced in the message are linked below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB7fjEtzrsk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKhrCGPzLMw
Do you know what happened at your first Easter? And what is the "living hope" that 1 Peter tells us we were born into in the resurrection?
What was going on on the other side of Jerusalem that gives more meaning to Jesus riding into town on a donkey? What's so dangerous and threatening about Jesus?
A continuation of our conversation on chakras; why yoga is better than most prayers, and the Triune brain and why it matters
In this message we look at the Ignatian Examen: A way passed down through the centuries to check in with our soul and God as often as we'd like...oh, and at the end someone asks about their dog's chakras--pretty fun conversation!
What is the flow of Spiritual Energy and Spiritual Fitness? What did Jesus model for His disciples?
A vision for our faith, the trajectory of our lives, and a look at the related question: did Jesus simply come to restore us to the Garden of Eden? Or something more?
We're a culture obsessed with physical fitness, which is a good thing, but what is our level of attention to spiritual fitness?
What does it mean that God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-control? And how do we fan into flame the grace of God?
What are the dynamics of spiritual energy and love? In Gods economy, if you give something away, do you lose it forever? Is there enough time, energy, passion to go around?
What is the path to spiritual transformation? Is it service? Solitude? Small groups? Obeying Jesus' commands? Mimicking his life? Or something else?
Martin Luther King Jr. didn't have a complaint--he had a dream. Jesus didn't come to fix a broken system, he came to bring the Kingdom and Dreams of God. What does that have to do with us in 2017 at Coastlands Vineyard? Plus some thoughts on "God wants to use you" and Being before Doing.
In a culture of external cleanliness and emphasis on ritual purity, how did Jesus understand purity and what was he doing to worldviews of the time?
The first message in Sarah Shotwell's series "Piety, Power, and Politics: An honest look at church through the ages (and what we can learn from our journey)"
Is it possible to navigate the tension between performance-based faith on one side and passive faith on the other?
How does our childhood affect our relational wiring, and how does that affect our ability to experience the Father's love?
Our beloved Greg and Cathy Egger have responded to the call of Jesus to sell everything and go to Ireland, so this was our Sunday of honoring and sending them off...
Forgiveness is a painful, touchy subject that's often misunderstood. But it's also the doorway to our freedom and healing. How does that work and why does it matter?
What kind of provider is the Father? What are we asking for when we pray "Give us this day our daily bread"?
What does it mean for God's name to be "hallowed," or to "make His name holy?" What are we asking when we pray that?
Of all the ways Jesus could have taught us to address God, he chose ABBA. What meanings might have been behind that and what does it mean for us?
Jesus sets the stage for the Lord's Prayer and addresses where we (try to) find our acceptance and approval
New Years is often a time of reflection, goal-setting, and longing. So what do we do about that? Do we create resolutions, or see them as an invitation into deeper relationship with the Trinity?
How do we hold on to the joy available to us in the midst of difficult situations and times?
Can Joy be holy, or does holy always have to feel "heavy"?
"Until now you've asked nothing in my name, but ask so that your joy may be complete..." John 16:24
When Jesus calmed the wind and waves he didn't remove them, he returned them to their proper place in relation to Himself, within their God-given boundaries. What thing in our lives do we need to allow Jesus to return to their proper place in relation to Jesus?
Who did Jesus get his revolutionary tendencies from?
If the hope of freedom could sustain Mary through all that she had to endure, what can the hope of Christmas and of a fresh encounter with God help us to get through in this upcoming season?
What does the Holy Spirit want to conceive in us, corporately and individually, that will bring hope and healing to those around us?
Some people see the Holy Spirit as spooky, some people see the Holy Spirit as silent. Is there a balanced understanding of the Holy Spirit?
Does God demand sacrifices? Was the sacrificial system God's idea? Or is there something else going on?
Why does Jesus seem so different from the God of the Old Testament? A flood versus forgiveness, vengeance versus mercy, and demanding sacrifice versus becoming sacrifice--how do we make sense of all of that?
Sometimes we would like Jesus to wave a magic wand and calm the storms in our lives. But what if he has a different way of dealing with them? What might that look like?
We often think we know what Jesus meant when he commended Mary for sitting at his feet, but Jesus was saying a lot more than just "this is what I want you to do..." What if this story isn't about whether sitting is better than serving? There was also a whole different level on which Jesus was communicating, which is often missed in our reading of the story today...
Jesus didn't just heal broken individuals; he challenged and exposed the systems that contributed to their brokenness. We see two powerful examples of this in John chapter 5 and chapter 9...
Jesus didn't just heal broken individuals; he challenged and exposed the systems that contributed to their brokenness. We see two powerful examples of this in John chapter 5 and chapter 9...
The irony of when we ask God for travel mercies then get mad when we hit road construction, and the beauty of our participation in the life of God
The irony of when we ask God for travel mercies then get mad when we hit road construction, and the beauty of our participation in the life of God
Sometimes our Western version of the "Good News" is lacking in goodness--what if we went back to Scripture to see if we have been missing something? Would we find a reality that makes our minds expand and our hearts leap?