Valley Life Church

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

On Sunday, January 21, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message exploring how fasting restores our spirit through the element of testing, through our relationship with God as Father, and through learning to trust.

Matthew 4:1-4 (NIV)

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (ESV)

And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

https://bit.ly/Matthew4_1-4NIV

https://bit.ly/Deuteronomy8_2-3ESV

On Sunday, January 14, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message introducing fasting as a way to enhance spiritual passion by setting clear spiritual goals, practical intentions for fasting, and a heart open to receive the Lord’s reward for your faith.

Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

https://bit.ly/Philippians3_10-11NIV

https://bit.ly/Matthew6_16-18ESV

On Sunday, January 7, 2024, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message to invite us into the practice of prayer and fasting as a way to present ourselves to the Lord, allowing God to transform us and reveal to us God’s will.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

https://bit.ly/Romans12_1-2ESV