the Vine

Guest Pastor Jim Van Yperen shares a crisp, compelling message, from Paul's stirring introduction to his letter to the church at Ephesus, on what it means to be "in Christ".

Please accept our apologies for the low audio and background noise from the church heating system.

Pastor Scott Lambert contiues his sermon series on "The greatest upside-down story ever told", describing the Old Testament notions of hope as they apply to the expectant waiting of all creation for the Messiah. That hope turns to celebration as we wait on the Lord. Scott uses Mary's song ("The Magnificat") to illustrate Mary's trust in God blossoming into celebration of God's plan as she visited her cousin Elizabeth before the births of John and Jesus.

Pastor Scott Lambert continues his Advent sermon series, "The Greatest Upside Down Story Ever Told" by taking us to an online meeting, ca. 0 AD, of the Messiah Development Council (MDC) to hear subcommittee reports on Logistics, Education, and Marketing. Humans, with our focus on power as we understand it, would get God's plan for the Messiah, for His own Son, all wrong! But God's true "way of working" works with, and gives us, something better -- hope.

Pastor Scott Lambert's message on December 2, 2025, was split into two parts. Here is the main part of his sermon on "Fear to Joy", focusing on Mary's, and Joseph's, reaction to news borne to both of them by angels. Fear is an innate human response, but the angels' messages in the Advent story are prefaced by "Fear not!"

As America approaches Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27), Scott Lambert shares a profound yet entertainingly agrarian (and quantitative) reflection on two Biblical episodes that underscore the power of voluntary giving (for both the giver and for the Kingdom of God) and the importance of gratitude for the gifts we receive.

"All that have is Thine alone, A trust O Lord from Thee"

Scott Lambert focuses on Jesus' Emmaus walk to give us context for our walks with Jesus – Son of God and our Savior – observing that, while salvation is personal, our worship (and the whole of the church on earth) is a team activity. 

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" 

– John 14:1-2 (NLT)

Guest preacher Scott Sottosanti shared with us his compelling message, taken from Paul's letter to the church at Galatia, on grace: what it isn't, what it is, and how we experience it. We thank Scott for joining us on November 9th.

The Nicene Creed is an "extra-scriptural" yet foundational document of the Christian faith. In this sermon, Pastor Scott Lambert weaves together history, theology, Scripture, and grace to enhance our understanding of the circumstances surrounding the crafting of this statement of faith and the value it brought to the early church as well as the church today.

A compelling look at the powerful, uplifting, yet challenging message delivered by Paul to the first Christian congregation in Europe, the church at Philippi. Our guest preacher for this message is Timothy Pillsbury of CU Vox Dartmouth, and we thank him for sharing it with us.

Guest preacher Michael O'Leary gives us a crisp, powerful, and insightful assessment of the multi-leveled miracle of Jesus' healing of a leper who runs to the healer. Jesus touches the unclean leper, thus confounding expectations and inverting Mosaic law. "The clean thing" (Christ) touches the unclean (the leper) and renders it (him) clean. So, too, Jesus "became sin for us" so that we might be made clean.