The weekly podcast from Grace Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Oceanside,CA. gracevcf.org
Episodes
Friday Mar 17, 2017
Friday Mar 17, 2017
KATHRYN SCOTT
Christian songwriter and worship leader from Northern Ireland.
Kathryn and her husband Alan serve as pastors of Causeway Coast Vineyard, a church that they planted in 1999 in Northern Ireland.
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Sunday Mar 12, 2017
Sunday Mar 12, 2017
BREAKING THE ORPHAN SPIRIT- w/JOEL INCORVAIA
"I will not abandon you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18
-Romans 8:15
-John 15:5
-Matthews 18:3
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Sunday Feb 26, 2017
Sunday Feb 26, 2017
YOUR STORY w/EDDIE and BETHANY ROACH [Missionaries to Cambodia)
Through out History, every culture, every person has a story, but what do our stories revolve around? Are our stories giving God glory? We are going to look at our personal stories this week. We will journey together to see and learn how to explain that it's His Story. These living stories are made for everyone to hear, to reveal Jesus to the lost.
1). TELL YOUR STORY-
2). YOUR STORY-
3). GOD IS OUR REDEEMER-
4). LIVE IN HIS STORY-
5). KNOW YOUR PART IN HIS STORY-
6). MAKE HIS STORY [HisStory] KNOW-
We were put here for His story.
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Sunday Sep 11, 2016
Sunday Sep 11, 2016
Epic Friendship, Part 2
How Koinonia empowers us to face loss and maintain joy
The Importance of Mourning Loss
Matthew 5:4
While we await the consummation of the Kingdom when sorrow and pain will be no more, we all will experience the pain of loss.
The path to blessing in the face of the reality of loss includes wisdom of mourning.
The Cost of Avoiding Mourning
- When we avoid mourning our losses, we short circuit emotional and spiritual growth
- We can get stuck and spend the rest of our life reacting to present situations out of the pain of our unresolved past hurts. The effect on our relationships is devastating.
- If we don’t face the pain through mourning, we often self-medicate in addictive ways that are immeasurably destructive physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually: substancea buse, sexual addiction, workaholism, religious performance, and many more
The example of David -- after the death of Saul and Jonathan, David leads the entire nation in an extended season of mourning before moving on to the long awaited establishing of his kingdom. 2 Samuel 1:17-27
More than half of the Psalms are songs of lament!
“…we are deepened by taking the time to grieve our losses before moving on.” -- Peter Scazzero
Pay attention to the pain. Acknowledge it. Experience it with Jesus instead of fearing and avoiding it.
- Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb (John 11:32-43)
- Jesus mourned over Jerusalem’s rejection of her Messiah and what it would cost them (Matthew 23:37)
- Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
How mourning loss benefits us
- We become compassionate with the compassion of our Father in Heaven
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
…the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
- We are less covetous and idolatrous. We rarely say, “I have to have that…”
- We are more in touch with the reality of heaven
- We discover that our brokenness bonds us together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Mourning empowers us to be authentic and enter into real relationship.
How Koinonia Empowers Us to Face Loss and Maintain Joy
Philippians 2:25-30 NLT
25 Meanwhile,I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker,and fellow soldier.
Koinonia – New Testament Greek word, primarily meaning fellowship, sharing in common, communion. “Koinonia is being in agreement with one another, being united in purpose, and serving alongside each other. Our koinonia with each other is based on our common koinonia with Jesus Christ” (from www.gotquestions.org/koinonia.html)
True Brother – our shared experience in Christ as daughters and sons of God the Father, brings us into a relationship with each other and Jesus as brothers and sisters that is deeper and more profound than the ties of natural family.
Co-Worker – When you work together in the eternal mission of Jesus Christ, that shared purpose serves also as ballast that keeps the ship of friendship upright even in the severest of relational storms.
Fellow Soldier – In Christ, we are in a spiritual battle. The depth of relationship that is built in defending each other from the attacks of the kingdom of darkness is indeed epic.
Joy– the sense of overall and ultimate well-being, even in the midst of suffering and loss.
Jesus teaches that the love experienced in koinonia results in “complete” joy.(Complete joy is joy so full you couldn’t have any more!)
John 15:9-15 NIV
9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
John’s experience of koinonia resulting in joy
1John 1:1-4
1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
- The complete circle of love:
I have fellowship with the Father
Is hare that fellowship with others
They enter into fellowship with the Father and with me
Our joy is made complete
Paul’s experience of koinonia maintaining joy in the face of loss
2Corinthians 7:3-7 NIV
…I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
- God comforts the downcast, and He does it through our koinonia (deep fellowship made possible by our shared relationship with Jesus)
Sunday Sep 04, 2016
Sunday Sep 04, 2016
Epic Friendship
Philippians 2:25-30 NLT
25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29 Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30 For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn't do from far away.
Koinonia – New Testament Greek word,primarily meaning fellowship, sharing in common, communion. “Koinonia is being in agreement with one another, being united in purpose, and serving alongside each other. Our koinonia with each other is based on our common koinonia with Jesus Christ” (from www.gotquestions.org/koinonia.html)
True Brother – our shared experience in Christ as daughters and sons of God the Father, brings us into a relationship with each other and Jesus as brothers and sisters that is deeper and more profound than the ties of natural family.
Hebrews 2:11 NLT
11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.
Co-Worker – When you work together in the eternal mission of Jesus Christ, that shared purpose serves also as ballast that keeps the ship offriendship upright even in the severest of relational storms.
Fellow Soldier – In Christ, we are in a spiritual battle. The depth of relationship that is built in defending each other from the attacks of the kingdom of darkness is indeed epic.
Philippians 1:27-28 NLT
27 Above all,you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don't be intimidated in anyway by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.
A relationship of true brother,co-worker and fellow solider in Christ empowered Paul to highly esteem his friendship with Epaphroditus, while simultaneously freeing Paul to release him to serve in a distant land to fulfill the God’s eternal purposes.
Real God | Real People |Restoring Lives
Real God
God is Alive! When we meet He shows up, and we experience Him through His Word, His Spirit and each other.
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”
— Matthew 18:20 NASB
Real People
Come as you are. We grow by getting real with God and others in genuine,caring relationships.
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. “ — Acts 2:46-47
Restoring Lives
Give it away. We freely share the truth, love and power of Jesus to heal and restore broken lives.
“For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you…” — 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
Sunday Jul 26, 2015
Sunday Jul 26, 2015
The Path, Power, and Freedom of Forgiveness
Relational Wholeness in the body of Christ is our non-negotiable goal
The most powerful force for emotional health and relational wholeness is the power of forgiveness
Forgiveness– Why it is crucial
Mathew 18:21-35
1 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him,‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
We are tormented when we don’t forgive
The person that offended stays with us wherever we go
Our unforgiveness overflows to our other relationships
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
Our inability to give forgiveness to others is a clear indication that we are not able to receive forgiveness ourselves. Receiving and giving forgiveness are inseparably linked
Matthew 6:12-14
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Forgiveness means to release another from their legitimate debt – it is costly because the offended resolves the hurt by love and releases the offender without making them suffer.
Forgiveness frees both the forgiver and the forgiven
To live in unforgiveness is to live in chains.
Forgiveness– What it is and what it isn’t
Forgiveness is giving up my right to make you pay the debt you owe me, and turning that debt over to God to deal with as he sees fit. It means I am now free, and the offense no longer is an issue between us.
Forgiveness is not denial or minimizing the offense.
Matthew 18:35
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Forgiveness from the heart means we connect fully with the pain. Without facing the pain, our forgiveness will be superficial. But having connected fully with the pain, we can choose to fully release the debt to God.
Forgiveness is a choice of the will.
Many people are stuck, waiting for a certain feeling before they can forgive. Feelings often follow the choice to forgive, but the act of forgiveness is a choice independent from any particular feeling.
“We do have a choice. We can hold on to bitterness and resentment, or we can chose to cling to God’s peace. Resentment and peace cannot co-exist. They cannot live in the same house. Divorce the one from the other. Let go of hatred and you will be on your way toward forgiveness.” –Training manual, Oceanside Healing Center
Forgiveness is not saying I trust the offender. Forgiveness is freely given, trust is earned.
Forgiveness does not say there are no consequences to the offense.
Forgiveness – How to do it
Luke 23:33-34
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Realize and Feel there is an offense
Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to clarify the offense
Identify the offense
Be real about the cost of the offense
Choose to forgive and be free
The sizeof the debt is irrelevant
This is a crisis of obedience -- God would not command us to do something He doesn’t enable us to do.
Be sincere with God about the offense
Forgive
Verbally. “I forgive you for [what you did]…” Not just a generic “I forgive you.”
Release the person from owing you anything for the offense
Turn the debt over to God.
Ask God to forgive you for living in unforgiveness until now
Forgive yourself – one of the most difficult things to do
Begin to pray blessings for the offender
Be honest with God – do I have anything against Him for not “protecting me”?
Colossians 3:12-14
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Ephesians 4:32
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Wednesday Jul 15, 2015
Wednesday Jul 15, 2015
Relational Wholeness in the body of Christ is our non-negotiable goal.
If you have real relationship, you will have conflict
Love does not resolve conflict by walking away
Many of us are broken emotionally and relationally because we don’t know how to go through conflict to get to restoration.
Learn how to lovingly confront when when hurt and offense have brought conflict to your relationships
“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” (Matthew 18:15)
Bible References
- Luke 17:1 - 1
- John 13:34 - 35
- Proverbs 18:17 - 17
- Proverbs 26:17 - 17
- Matthew 18:12 - 17
Sunday Jul 12, 2015
Sunday Jul 12, 2015
Relational Wholeness in the body of Christ is our non-negotiable goal
Luke 17:1 NKJV Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come…”
Luke 17:1 NIV Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come…”
- It is inevitable that there will be offenses in our relationships
- It is the offended, not the offender, who is at greatest risk of responding in sin
Luke 17:3 So watch yourselves…
Bible References
- Luke 17:1 - 4
- Matthew 6:36 - 37
- Matthew 7:1 - 2
- Ephesians 4:32 - 32
Sunday Jul 05, 2015
Sunday Jul 05, 2015
Relational Wholeness in the body of Christ is our non-negotiable goal.
Romans 12:4-6 The Message
4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its
meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.
The principle of Mutual Interdependence – Our identity is complete in Christ. Flowing from Christ’s identity is a mutual giving and receiving of life and love with other sons and daughters of God, characterized by: authenticity, mutuality, compassion, and mercy.
Bible References
- Ephesians 1:9 - 9
- Ephesians 3:10 - `0
- Ephesians 4:15 - 31
- 1 Corinthians 12:12 - 22
Sunday May 31, 2015