The Names of God: Alpha & Omega

Alpha and Omega, a name for God used only three times in scripture all in Revelation, is deep with meaning. It's the name of God that ties us to both the history of God and the future of God. In the beginning of his book "The Pursuit of God", A.W. Tozer says, "We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge in us that spurs us to the pursuit." God is the very source of even our own longing for Him, but not only is He the source, He is our destination and end. He is both the author and finisher - what He initiates, He will complete. 

The Names of God: Yahweh

In one of the most revealing examples we have of God making himself known, He tells us His personal, intimate name: Yahweh. In this name, God makes Himself known, not as a generic deity, nor a philosophy, but as a personal, knowable being - even if just in part. In this teaching, we explore what this name and this story tell us about God, and how we can fulfill our Summer of Blessing as we bless people in the name of Yahweh. 

The Names of God: The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob

This sermon is the first of our new summer series, "The Names of God", and goes along with our Summer of Blessing campaign, reminding us that as Abraham's spiritual heirs, we inherit the promises and blessings of God to Abraham, and are blessed to be a blessing. This week, Pastor Josh shows how we have a spiritual lineage - God is the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" and is also personally, our God. "The God of the Patriarchs" may seem like a distancing name of God at first, but this name of God ties us to the blessing, heritage, and inheritance from the very beginning. 

Blessed To Be A Blessing

God has poured out so many blessings of all kinds - material, emotional, spiritual - but they aren't meant to be stored up and hoarded only to be used for our own benefit. We are blessed to be a blessing. God blessed Abraham and told him that the entire world would be blessed through his descendants. In Galatians 3, Paul reveals that as believers in and followers of Jesus, we are actually spiritual heirs of Abraham that have inherited both the blessing and the mandate to pour out that blessing on the whole world. 

Elements: Blessing and Joy

Joy is a result of our Christian walk. That joy - part of the blessing of God - is visible and beautiful to a world that was made to know joy. We are meant to not only enjoy God's blessings, but to BE a blessing to the whole world.

Elements: Work

The Fall of Man adversely affected everything, including our God-given mandate to work. Work is an essential part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and live out our mandate and calling. Yet for many of us, our view of work has been distorted into thinking that work is an inconvenience or even an evil to be avoided. When we approach work with a Kingdom of God perspective, the element of work in our lives can be a satisfying, fulfilling, and even transformative aspect of our discipleship. 

Elements: Community

Our culture and society praises very individualistic, independent lives, but scripture never talks about solitary Christians. We are meant to be in communities of faith. Even the Lord's prayer is written as from a plural perspective referring to "our" Father and "our" sins. Community is an essential element of our faith and in this sermon, we look at how Psalm 133 encourages that aspect of our discipleship. 

Elements: Prayer

While we may think of prayer as natural, Jesus needed to take time to teach His disciples to pray. Like Him, we need time in prayer with our Heavenly Father. Looking at Jesus' teachings on prayer, we see that prayer is meant to be bold, persistent, and that the answer to all of our prayers is fulfilled in the Holy Spirit. 

Elements: The Word of God

Many Christians are not living their spiritual potential because they aren't feeding themselves properly. The Word of God, both spoken and written, are essential elements of our daily walk. 

Elements: Repentance & Holiness

This week we look at how the first element of the Christian life is repentance. Repentance doesn't cause us to look at ourselves, but causes us to realize that we're meant for a different world - the Kingdom of God. Repentance, then, leads us on a pilgrimage through holiness - the idea of being separate from the world, but united with God. 

Elements: Intro

Our spiritual walks are meant to be such that we abide with God, day in and day out. In order to be healthy, maturing disciples, there are basic components that must be a regular part of our lives. Pastor Josh introduces this new sermon series, "Elements", by discussing how our reliance on the Holy Spirit and pursuit of Jesus must be a 7 day a week adventure. 

Now What?

When the disciples discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty, they weren't really sure what to do next - so they just went home or went on with their normal routines. In this sermon, Administrative Pastor Leah Pavel shares from the story of the disciples on the Emmaus road to show that Jesus was revealing himself to his disciples and teaching them to recognize Him. Likewise, we must look for Jesus in unexpected places and ways and learn to pay attention when He is "burning in our hearts" so that we learn to hear and discern the voice of the Lord. 

Easter

The cross was not the end of God's plan. It's critical that we see the cross through the lens of the resurrection to understand the full power of God's grace, mercy and forgiveness but also to understand our future hope. 

Palm Sunday

As Jesus entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, the crowds gathered to worship Him, shouting 'Hosanna' and laying down palm branches and their coats on the road in front of Him to make a way for their Messiah. This crowd knew they weren't here to watch a show, but a real demonstration of authority and power. Jesus will still be a king without our worship, but He won't be our king. In worship, we declare to Jesus and to others that He is indeed in our king, and in worship, we are participants in the coming of the Kingdom of God. 

Journey to the Cross: Revealed in the Prophets

Jesus sacrifice on the cross is foretold all throughout scripture, beginning all the way back in Genesis. It's clear that God knew His rescue plan all along. Many of the prophets point to a savior that will take the punishment for our sin. In this sermon, Pastor Josh focuses on one prophet in particular, Jonah, and how the story of Jonah is a foreshadowing of the life of Jesus. What Jonah struggled to do by obeying God and preaching forgiveness, Jesus faithfully completed in a strikingly similar story, except without flaw. 

Journey to the Cross: Sacrifice

A sacrifice is something that costs dearly and doesn't come back. We're often so busy trying to accumulate things that we don't ever sacrifice. The though of having to or needing to is foreign and unappealing. We much prefer compromise. But a life of discipleship requires sacrifice - a living one that is holy and pleasing to God. 

Journey to the Cross: Genesis

This sermon is the first in the Journey to the Cross series that will take us through to Good Friday. The long time evangelist, Rev. Billy Graham, passed away this week, and if there was one thing that Rev. Graham's life was all about, it was pointing people to the cross and bringing the cross in view of those who had not yet experienced it's power. In this teaching, we look at the foreshadowing of the crucifixion that begins all the way back in Genesis and are called to ask ourselves if we are living our lives in view of the cross. 

The Wisdom of God: Jesus

The last in this Wisdom of God series, this sermon looks at the wisdom that is found and demonstrated in the life and teachings of Jesus himself. This sermon came the Sunday following the tragic shooting at a high school in Florida, and thus Pastor Josh spends some time reflecting on how the wisdom we find in Jesus impacts the broken and hurting world we find ourselves in, specifically in such horrific events as this. 

The Wisdom of God: Rebuke & Reproof

VCHS's own William Simkiss shares his insights with us this week on the wisdom of heeding God's reproof before we require a rebuke. Pastor Josh wraps it up with a note of application on what it means to be our brother's keeper and operate as a family of faith. 

The Tragedy of Wisdom

Having wisdom does not guarantee obedience, blessing, or God's favor. Solomon was given wisdom, discernment and wealth but in the end found it all to be meaningless when his heart turned away from the Lord and he stopped following God's ways. Late in his life, he looks back and realizes that his best chance for a happy and fulfilled life was to follow God's commands. The tragedy of Solomon is the tragedy of what could have been. But his writings give us direction to avoid the same folly.