The weekly podcast from Grace Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Oceanside,CA. gracevcf.org
Episodes
Sunday Aug 21, 2016
Sunday Aug 21, 2016
Increase – The Parable of the Measure
Mark 4:24-25
24 "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued."With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. 25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will betaken from him."
· There is nothing greater in life than to experience the revelation ofGod
John 17:3 (The Message)
3 And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The oneand only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
· “Consider carefully what you hear”-
God has made His Word – therevelation of Himself – available to us
Hebrews 1:1-3
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at manytimes and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by hisSon, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made theuniverse. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representationof his being
· “with the measure you use,it will be measured to you – and even more.”
God has given us authorityand responsibility to determine the measure of revelation we will receive
How to listen for maximum increase
o Prioritize the place ofGod’s Word in your life
Acts 2:42-43
42 They devoted themselves tothe apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of breadand to prayer.
Note – The “apostles’teaching” is written down for us; it is the New Testament
o Approach the Word withexpectant faith –
Hebrews 11:6 (The Message)
6 It'simpossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants toapproach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough torespond to those who seek him.
Proverbs 8:17
17 I lovethose who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Jeremiah 29:13-14
13 You willseek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found byyou," declares the Lord
o Let the Word judge youinstead of you judging the Word
Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For theword of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, itpenetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges thethoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden fromGod's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him towhom we must give account.
o Put the Word into practice
Informationwithout application leads to deformation
Butinformation with application leads to transformation
James 1:22-25 New LivingTranslation
22 But don'tjust listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are onlyfooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is likeglancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forgetwhat you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that setsyou free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then Godwill bless you for doing it.
The ”Law” of Increase
“Whoever has will be givenmore; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."
· This principle is true with natural strength – the more we exercise thestrength we have, the stronger we become. If we don’t use the strength we have, we become weaker, and we lose thestrength we once had.
· This principle is true with knowledge – the more knowledge we have, themore we can acquire. But when we stoplearning, even the knowledge we once had begins to be forgotten.
· This principle is true of any skill
· This principle is true of shouldering responsibility. When we are faithful with what God entruststo us, He entrusts more to us.
Matthew 25:21
21 "His master replied,'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a fewthings; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master'shappiness!'
Jesus came to reveal the Father, and He has entrusted to His Church thecontinuation of revealing God to our entire world. Let us be those who choose a large measurefor receiving the revelation of God, that we may in turn reveal Him to ourworld by who we are, what we say, and what we do.
Isaiah 60:1-3
1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of theLord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over thepeoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kingsto the brightness of your dawn.
Tuesday Aug 09, 2016
Tuesday Aug 09, 2016
The Life of Jesus – The Sermon on the Mount
The Overflow of the Kingdom Heart
Matthew 6:1-18
The Power of Living from the Father’s Love
Matthew 6:1
6 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
We live from the overflow of our hearts
Luke 6:45
45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Until we know the love of the Father, we will continually search for significance, approval, and meaning from others, never satisfying this thirst. Every relationship has the potential to be come an identity crisis.
When our hearts are filled with the Father’s love, we no longer search for significance and approval, we live from our identity as loved sons and daughters, and righteous acts are the natural overflow.
John 4:14
14 but whoever drinks the water I [Jesus] give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Righteousness at its core is love for God and love for others. We truly love when our love is the overflow of the love we have received from God.
Our first priority, then, is to receive and live in God’s love
1 John 4:16-20
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us …
19 We love because he first loved us.
The Depth of God’s Love for Us is Beyond Comprehension
God the Father loves us with the same love He loves Jesus with!
John 17:23, 26 Jesus’Prayer to the Father
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
1 John 3:1
1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
“You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all. For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Father of God. ‘Father’is the Christian name for God.”
J.I. Packer
The Overflow of the Kingdom Heart
Jesus in his humanity lived from the foundation of God the Father’s love and approval, and now as sons and daughters of God we can live from that same secure foundation
John 6:27
27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life,which the Son of Man will give you. Onhim God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
When we intimately know the Father, He shows us what He is saying and doing, and we join Him in His work.
John 5:19-20
19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Because we are children of the Father, loved by the Father, our full hearts overflow in acts of Righteousness from Him and for Him.
Matthew 6:3-4 Giving to the needy…for the eyes of our Father
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6-7 Communing with the Father in Prayer for the advance of His Kingdom
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:17-18 Cultivating a Hunger for God ..l for the eyes of the Father
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Sunday Jul 10, 2016
Sunday Jul 10, 2016
Keeping the Fire Alive
A life of worship in view of God’s Mercy
Romans 11:33-12:2
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
Keeping our hearts on fire is Worship
Romans 12:11
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor [NIr V: Never let the fire in your heart go out], serving the Lord.
· Being spiritually “on fire” is for every Christian at every stage of the Christian Journey.
The nature of spiritual fire
Natural fire is a phenomenon that occurs when a fuel substance such as wood combines chemically with oxygen and gives out light and heat. The fuel must reach ignition temperature, and then the reaction perpetuates as the heat produced keeps the fuel at ignition temperature.
Spiritual fire is similar. Our lives offered to God (which is worship) are the fuel. God’s Spirit is the oxygen, and God Himself brings us to ignition temperature.
It’s not a working of ourselves up into a spiritual/emotional frenzy.
It is the work of the Spirit. Our part is to offer ourselves in a life of worship to Him. His part is everything else.
The Spiritual fire goes out when we stop offering the fuel of our lives.
Spiritual Fire is directly related to love
Romans 12:10-13
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor[RSV-“be aglow with the Spirit”, Good speed-“on fire with the Spirit”], serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
· Devoting ourselves to each other in brotherly love as an act of worship and honoring one another is like an ignition spark that gets the fire burning.
· There is a self-perpetuating flow: spiritual fire flows out of love for one another; that same fire flows back into more love, which produces more fire.
We can fan spiritual fire into full flame
2 Timothy 1:6
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Remember the testimony of your spiritual heritage
2 Timothy 1:3-6
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
- Paul takes Timothy back to his grandmother, the 1st Christian in Timothy's family history (Acts 14, 16)
- Paul's recalls his own Jewish heritage as the offspring of Abraham
- When we join a community of faith, that church's heritage (almost always birthed in revival) becomes our heritage.
Sunday Mar 27, 2016
Sunday Mar 27, 2016
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Bible References
- John 3:14 -18
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- Isaiah 53:3
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- John 19:1 -7
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- Isaiah 53:12
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- Luke 23:32-34
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