Valley Life Church

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message about Jesus’ first public teaching, continuing with the final passages of the Beatitudes about enduring rejection for Jesus’ sake. Jesus teaches that rejection will come to those whose lives are dedicated to the Lord. We are part of a long line of those who know rejection, but who have also turned that rejection into an opportunity to rejoice. Jesus reminds us that our rejection in this world will result in a blessing in God’s kingdom and in heaven to come.

Luke 6:22-23, 26 (NIV)

Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,

for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

https://bit.ly/Luke6_22-23_26NIV

On Sunday, May 14, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message about Jesus’ first public teaching, which is the Beatitudes, and explains how to know we are blessed.

1. The blessed know their need for God.

2. The blessed long for connection with God.

3. The blessed trust God with the now and the future.

Luke 6:20-21 (NIV)
Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.”

https://bit.ly/Luke6_20-21NIV

On Sunday, May 7, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message about how Jesus healed many people on one occasion. From this story, we see that Jesus wanted to teach his disciples how to see the people as he does, to see their needs, and to acknowledge Jesus as the source of their healing.

Luke 6:17-19 (NIV)

He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

https://bit.ly/Luke6_17-19NIV

On Sunday, April 30, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice led us through an exploration of three themes found in this passage. 1) The key to Jesus’ life and ministry was prayer, submitting himself to God his Father. 2) When Jesus had important decisions, he would spend the night in prayer. Jesus’ example is saying to God, “Not my will, but yours be done.” 3) The decision in this passage was for the Twelve Disciples, but we discover that we are chosen by God in Christ when people have prayed for us to know Jesus. Prayer is the key to bringing our loved ones into God’s family.

Luke 6:12-16 (NIV)

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

https://bit.ly/Luke6_1-11NIV

On Sunday, April 23, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message reminding us that Jesus came to set us free from the Law. As we let Jesus set us free, we’re invited to allow him to silence our inner critic. Finally, Jesus wants to lead us with love, grace, compassion, and truth so that we might be his representatives in our world.

Luke 6:1-11 (NIV)

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

https://bit.ly/Luke6_1-11NIV

On Sunday, April 16, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Gio Serrato shares a post-Easter message of encouragement to not live in fear, but to place our focus on the Lord, to listen to God’s voice, follow the direction we hear, and in the moment of distress remember to cry out to the Lord for help.

Matthew 14:22-33 (ESV)

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

https://bit.ly/Matthew14_22-33ESV

On Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice shared an Easter message encouraging us to expect a sense of disorientation when we experience life-changing events. Jesus promises us, though, that he will be with us and visits us in our hour of need by declaring, “Peace be with you!” Jesus desires for us to place our trust in him and shows us the path to follow that will lead us to deepen our trust in the Lord.

John 20:24-29 (NIV)

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

https://bit.ly/John20_24-29NIV

On Sunday, April 2, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice continued our series “A Closer Walk with Jesus.” Today, we look at the passage where Jesus talks about new wine skins. Jesus invites us to experience the new thing the Lord is doing in our lives and the renewal of broken parts of our lives. When we embrace the new thing, it establishes a new and living way as we walk in the new covenant provided by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. 

Luke 5:33-39 (NIV) 

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

https://bit.ly/Luke5_33-39NIV

On Sunday, March 26, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice continued our series “A Closer Walk with Jesus.” Today, we look at the story of the calling of Matthew (AKA: Levi) and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus looks for mismatched callings and has a place for us on his team if we just follow him and realign our calling in Christ. Jesus sets aside the religious pressure to be judgmental and reminds us that we all need to come to him and change our lives by receiving his grace that empowers us to be like him.

Luke 5:27-32 (NKJV)

After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

https://bit.ly/Luke5_27-32NKJV

On Sunday, March 19, 2023, VLC gathered in person, which was also broadcasted online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart Nice continued our series “A Closer Walk with Jesus.” Today, we look at the story of Jesus forgiving and healing a paralyzed man who was let down through the roof by his friends to get to Jesus. Pastor Stuart encourages us to examine our faith by asking, are we judging Jesus, are we making a way to get to Jesus, are we embracing God’s grace through faith?

Luke 5:17-26 (NIV)

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

https://bit.ly/Luke5_17-26NIV