On Easter Sunday, April 7, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Gio Serrato shared an encouraging message from the story of Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus. We learned that Jesus sees us with love and compassion and desires to be a part of our lives. Jesus invited himself over to Zacchaeus’ house and was welcomed warmly and with a commitment from Zacchaeus to make restitution to those he had wronged. The invitation to us is to consider what we can offer Jesus as we allow him to come into our lives.

Luke 19:5-6 (NIV)

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

https://bit.ly/Luke19_5-6NIV

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared an Easter message of freedom, love, and hope from John 20:11-16, when Mary Magdalene interacts with the risen Jesus. From this story we learn that because he lives we live in freedom from sin, shame, guilt, and fear. This freedom allows us to focus on our relationship with God and those closest to us. Finally, this freedom empowers us to live fully and freely in the present, not having to relive our past or be in fear of our future, but be present in God’s presence, knowing our future is in God’s hands.

John 20:11-16 (NIV)

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

https://bit.ly/John20_11-16NIV

On Sunday, March 24, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Jesus instructed them to declare, “your will be done.” This declaration can be understood as saying three things. 1) Aligning ourselves to God’s will first, 2) Having an attitude of humility and surrender with joy and enthusiasm, 3) Understanding that we have a mission to usher in God’s kingdom that is coming. When we pray, “your will be done,” we are giving ourselves over to live a life of faith with passion for God’s purposes and vision for the work of the kingdom through the body of Christ.

Luke 11:1-4 (NIV)

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’”

Let your kingdom come.

Let your will be done on earth

as it is done in heaven.

Matthew 6:10 (GW)

https://bit.ly/Luke11_1-4NIV

https://bit.ly/Matthew6_10GW

On Sunday, March 10, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Jesus instructed them to declare, “your kingdom come.” This declaration can be understood as saying three things. 1) All of me, 2) For all of you, 3) For your purposes. When we pray, “your kingdom come,” we are surrendering ourselves to God’s way and will, aligning ourselves to God’s presence and purpose so that we can be God’s people in the world, reflecting the love of Jesus.

Luke 11:1-4 (NIV)

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’”

Let your kingdom come.

Let your will be done on earth

as it is done in heaven.

Matthew 6:10 (GW)

https://bit.ly/Luke11_1-4NIV

https://bit.ly/Matthew6_10GW

On Sunday, March 10, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Jesus revealed to them that out of our intimate relationship with God who is our Father, we can pray, “Hallowed be your name,” which is a request that we reflect God’s glory as a fully integrated child of God.

Luke 11:1-4 (NIV)

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’”

https://bit.ly/Luke11_1-4NIV

On Sunday, March 3, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus’ disciples approached him and asked that he teach them how to pray. In this passage, we see that Jesus is more than willing to teach us to pray and as a lesson he gives us a pattern to help us reorient ourselves to the way of God’s kingdom. Lastly, we see that as Jesus says, “When you pray…” there is an embedded invitation to connect with God the Father allowing the Lord to meet our needs.

Luke 11:1-4 (NIV)

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’”

https://bit.ly/Luke11_1-4NIV

On Sunday, February 25, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus visited the house of Martha and Mary. In this story, Jesus sets the priority for his disciples as making oneself available to sit and listen in God’s presence. Unfortunately, Martha was the example of one who is anxious and troubled by the surrounding circumstances instead of finding peace in Christ.

Pastor Stuart shared a song at the end, which you can see here.

https://youtu.be/xzKKbe_GXWs

Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

https://bit.ly/Luke10_38-42NIV

On Sunday, February 18, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus was tested by an expert in the Law regarding the greatest commandments from the Law. Jesus declared that to love God is to love your neighbor, which seems like an upside-down message. The expert wanted to justify himself by passing over this reality and sought to justify himself by following the letter of the law. From this story, we see that salvation comes by faith, not by following the Law. Sometimes we skip over the reality before us in favor of knowing the right things instead of doing the right things. Lastly, we need to get beyond the justification of our lives and get back to repentance, humility, and the desire to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Stuart shared a song at the end, which you can see here.

https://youtu.be/OthlHj5Nst8

Luke 10:25-29 (NIV)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

https://bit.ly/Luke10_25-29NIV

On Sunday, February 4, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message encouraging us to contend for a spiritual breakthrough by seeing that we are surrounded by many faithful saints who have gone before us and have provided a foundation for our faith to increase. They also are examples for us to remove the hindrances that keep us from persevering in our walk of faith. Lastly, we must see our Christian faith as a marathon with Jesus as our forerunner, goal, and companion.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

https://bit.ly/Hebrews12_1-3NIV

n Sunday, January 28, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message exploring the blessings we receive when we commit ourselves to the Lord through a season of fasting. Among other things, we find that our spirits are restored, our hearts are reoriented, and we experience renewal in our lives as we seek to honor God with our worship.

Psalms 63:1-5 (NLT)

O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary

and gazed upon your power and glory.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself;

how I praise you!

I will praise you as long as I live,

lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

You satisfy me more than the richest feast.

I will praise you with songs of joy.

https://bit.ly/Psalm63_1-5NLT