Vertical Church Teaching

Scripture: John 13:1–35

What happens after we encounter Jesus?

Throughout this series, we’ve seen people searching for a place that feels like home. Nicodemus searched through religion. The Samaritan woman searched through relationships. The man at Bethesda had spent decades trapped by his circumstances and excuses.

Each of them found what they were looking for in Jesus.

But Jesus doesn’t simply welcome us home and leave us there. He gives us a new purpose: to help others find their way home.

In John 13, on the night before the cross, Jesus kneels to wash His disciples’ feet. Then He gives them a command:

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34

Jesus becomes our standard for what love looks like. It serves. It sacrifices. It moves toward people. And Jesus says this kind of love will become one of the clearest ways the world recognizes His followers.

Christianity is not just about what Jesus does for me; it becomes about what Jesus wants to do through me.

Your story can become somebody else’s invitation.
Your healing can become someone else’s hope.
Your life can become evidence that Jesus still transforms lives.

When Jesus welcomes us home, we do the same for others.

We love people.
We serve people.
We invite people.
We point people to Jesus by loving them like Jesus.

Let’s make heaven crowded.

Connect with Vertical Church and discover more ways to Encounter God, Follow Jesus, Experience Freedom, and Make an Impact.

GET UP | WEEK 3
Scripture: John 5:1–9
Question: How do I actually follow Jesus?

At the pool of Bethesda, Jesus meets a man who has been unable to walk for thirty-eight years. He knows the man’s circumstances and asks a question that reaches beyond them: “Do you want to get well?”

This message explores how painful experiences can become the story that keeps us stuck—and how Jesus calls us forward through trust and obedience. We cannot heal ourselves, but we can respond to the One who has the power to change us.

Key takeaways:
• Jesus meets us in our pain, disappointment, and brokenness.
• There is a difference between wanting our circumstances to change and being willing to change.
• Our past may explain where we are, but it doesn’t have to determine our next step.
• Following Jesus means trusting His word above the reasons we believe change is impossible.
• The command of Jesus comes with the enabling power of Jesus.

Remember:
“Your current situation may not be your fault, but how you respond is now your responsibility.”

Reflect:
Where have you been waiting for circumstances to change before responding to Jesus? What would obedience look like today—forgiving, confessing, surrendering, or asking for help?

Jesus meets us where we are, but if we are willing, He doesn’t leave us where we are.

THIRSTY HEARTS | Welcome Home — Week 2

We all have a thirst that we’re trying to satisfy.

Success. Approval. Control. Relationships. Money. Comfort. Achievement. Even good things can become dangerous when we ask them to give us what only God can give.

In John 4, Jesus intentionally travels through Samaria and meets a woman at a well. She comes looking for physical water, but Jesus exposes a much deeper thirst and offers her “living water”—a life only He can provide.

Jesus knew her entire story, and He came to the well anyway.

Her encounter with Jesus changes everything. She leaves behind her water jar, runs back to the people she had been avoiding, and tells them about Jesus. Her story didn’t disqualify her from carrying the Gospel; her encounter with Jesus gave her a story worth telling.

The question isn’t whether we’re thirsty. The question is: What well are we going to in order to satisfy that thirst?

Every other well eventually runs dry. Jesus doesn’t.

Scripture: John 4:1–42
Series: Welcome Home
Message: Thirsty Hearts

WEEK 1: BORN AGAIN

Scripture: John 3:1–21

Nicodemus had almost everything people use to convince themselves they are okay: education, morality, influence, religion, and biblical knowledge. Yet when he came to Jesus, Jesus didn’t tell him to try harder or learn more. He told him, “You must be born again.”

Human effort can change our behavior, but it cannot create spiritual life. Religion says try harder; Jesus says you need new life. We don’t need an improved version of our old selves—we need God to do something in us that we could never do for ourselves.

Jesus points Nicodemus toward the cross and explains that this new life comes through believing in Him. Our goodness can’t save us. Our success can’t save us. Our religion can’t save us. We need Jesus.

John also allows us to watch Nicodemus change. He first comes to Jesus at night, later speaks up for Jesus before his peers, and finally publicly honors Jesus after the crucifixion when association with Him could cost him something.

The man who came to Jesus in darkness eventually stepped into the light.

That is what happens when we truly encounter Jesus. We come out of the darkness, step into the light, and eventually stop caring who knows that we belong to Him.

KEY SCRIPTURES
John 3:1–21
Ezekiel 36:25–27
Titus 3:4–7
1 Peter 1:3, 23
John 7:50–51
John 19:39–40

BIG IDEA
No amount of outward goodness can produce inward transformation. Humanity’s greatest problem is sin, and we don’t simply need better behavior. We need a new birth.

THE TRUE AND BETTER KING
A Tale of Two Kings

SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 7:8–16; Luke 1:31–33; Luke 22:19–20

Throughout this series, we’ve followed the lives of two of the most famous kings in Scripture: Saul and David.

It would be easy to walk away thinking the lesson is simply that Saul was a bad king and David was a good king. But Scripture does something deeper. It holds up a mirror.

The story of Saul exposes the places in us where fear, insecurity, pride, approval, comfort, lust, and control compete for the throne of our hearts. We may say that we trust God while still trying to control the outcome. We may ask God to lead while quietly keeping one hand on the wheel.

The question underneath the entire story is:

WHO IS ACTUALLY LORD OF MY LIFE?

THE SPIRIT OF SAUL IN ALL OF US

Saul’s greatest problem wasn’t simply that he lost the throne of Israel. His greatest problem was that he refused to surrender the throne of his own heart.

And something is always competing for that seat in us.

Fear wants it.
Approval wants it.
Comfort wants it.
Pride wants it.
Lust wants it.
Control wants it.

Whatever sits on the throne eventually begins to rule everything beneath it.

If FEAR is king, manipulation often becomes the fruit.

If APPROVAL is king, compromise becomes easier.

If COMFORT is king, disobedience eventually feels normal.

If PRIDE is king, correction feels like an attack.

If LUST is king, people become objects for our desires instead of people made in the image of God.

If CONTROL is king, trusting God and trusting others becomes almost impossible.

Manipulation may be the fruit, but fear may be the king. Compromise may be the fruit, but approval may be the king. Defensiveness may be the fruit, but pride may be the king.

DAVID SHOWS US BOTH THE BEAUTY AND BROKENNESS OF A HUMAN KING

David is different from Saul in some incredibly important ways.

When Saul reaches for control, David waits.

When Saul protects his position, ego, and reputation, David trusts God’s promise.

When Saul attacks David, David refuses to return evil for evil.

David demonstrates qualities every follower of Jesus should desire: trust, humility, obedience, patience, and repentance instead of image management.

But David still isn’t enough.

The same David who showed extraordinary restraint in a cave eventually showed horrifying selfishness from the rooftop of a palace.

He could defeat the enemy standing in front of him, but he could not defeat the enemy within him.

The pasture didn’t make David perfect.
The anointing didn’t make David perfect.
The victories didn’t make David perfect.
The throne didn’t make David perfect.

David still couldn’t save himself.

THE HEART OF REPENTANCE

One of the greatest differences we see between Saul and David is what happens when their sin is exposed.

Saul is confronted and repeatedly tries to manage the perception.

David is confronted and eventually says:

“I have sinned against the LORD.”

Psalm 51 gives us a window into David’s heart after his sin involving Bathsheba and Uriah.

“Have mercy on me, O God…”

“Wash away all my iniquity…”

“Create in me a pure heart, O God…”

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation…”

That is repentance.

Repentance isn’t asking, “How can I make this look better?”

It isn’t, “How can I explain what I did?”

It isn’t, “How can I protect my reputation?”

Repentance says:

“God, I have sinned. Have mercy on me. Cleanse me. Change me. Create something in me that I cannot create in myself.”

Maybe being a man or woman after God’s heart doesn’t mean we never fall. Maybe it means that when God exposes what is in our heart, we don’t protect it—we surrender it.

But even David’s repentance points us beyond David.

Because if the message of the Bible were simply, “Be more like David,” we would all be in trouble.

David needs grace too.

GOD MAKES A PROMISE

In 2 Samuel 7, David is finally king. His enemies have been subdued, he is living in Jerusalem, and he wants to build a house for God.

But God turns the entire conversation around.

David wants to build God a house, but God essentially tells David:

“You are not going to establish Me. I am going to establish you.”

God promises David that He will raise up one of his descendants, establish his kingdom, and establish his throne forever.

This is the DAVIDIC COVENANT.

A covenant is a binding promise God makes in relationship with His people.

And the beauty of this covenant is that its ultimate fulfillment does not rest on David’s ability to hold everything together. It rests on God’s ability to keep His word.

David will fail.

Solomon will fail.

The kings after Solomon will fail.

The kingdom will fracture.

Jerusalem will fall.

Eventually, David’s throne will appear to be empty.

But God had spoken one word that would not disappear:

FOREVER.

So how would God keep His promise?

JESUS IS THE PROMISED KING

Centuries later, an angel appears to a young woman named Mary.

Luke 1:31–33 says:

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus… The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David… and his kingdom will never end.”

There it is again.

The Son.
The throne.
The Kingdom.
Forever.

God did not forget His promise.

God fulfilled His promise in Jesus.

Jesus is the Son of David toward whom the promise of 2 Samuel 7 was ultimately pointing.

And suddenly the entire series comes into focus.

Saul could not save us.

David could not save us.

We cannot save ourselves.

Jesus is the King who remained faithful where every other king failed.

Saul used people to protect himself.

Jesus gave Himself to save His people.

David sacrificed another man to cover his own sin.

Jesus sacrificed Himself to cover ours.

David needed forgiveness.

Jesus provides forgiveness.

Our salvation is not ultimately being held together by the strength of our promise to God, but by the strength of God’s promise to us in Jesus Christ.

THE TRUE AND BETTER KING

The gospel is not:

“Stop being Saul and try harder to be David.”

David needs grace too.

The gospel is that the true King has come. Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves, and now He calls us to receive His life and turn from everything else that has been ruling us.

The throne of our hearts is already occupied.

The question is: by what?

Before communion, our response is repentance—not because repentance purchases forgiveness, but because Jesus has already purchased forgiveness. His kindness gives us the courage to bring what is hidden into the light.

So we pray:

Jesus, I am not King.

My fear is not king.

My desires are not king.

My reputation is not king.

My wounds are not king.

My plans are not king.

JESUS CHRIST IS KING.

THE TABLE REMINDS US WHO OUR KING IS

When Jesus took the bread and cup in Luke 22, He pointed His disciples toward the new covenant established through His own body and blood.

When we come to communion, we are not celebrating how faithful we have been to God.

We are remembering how faithful God has been to us in Jesus.

His body was given for us.

His blood was poured out for us.

The covenant stands because Jesus is faithful.

So we lay down our idols.

We repent of every rival king.

And with empty hands, we receive again the grace of the only King who truly gave Himself for His people.

BIG IDEA:

Saul wasn’t the king we needed.
David wasn’t the king we needed.
We cannot be our own king.

Jesus is the true and better King.

SCRIPTURES:
2 Samuel 7:8–16
Psalm 51:1–4
Psalm 51:10–12
Luke 1:31–33
Luke 22:19–20

What happens when someone else’s hurt becomes a weapon aimed at you?

In 1 Samuel 18 and 24, Saul throws the spear—but David refuses to throw it back. Through jealousy, wounds, trauma, temptation, and revenge, David’s story shows us that evil wins when it successfully reproduces itself in us. The cave becomes the place where David must decide: Will he become like the man who hurt him, or trust God enough to respond differently?

But David’s story doesn’t end in the cave. Years later, the man who once refused to take Saul’s life becomes a king who uses his power to take Bathsheba and arrange Uriah’s death. It’s a sobering reminder that enough comfort, power, and praise can make us forget who we were when we needed God most.

Yet even David’s greatest failure isn’t greater than God’s covenant love.

In Spears & Caves, we discover what it means to tend to the heart, refuse revenge, overcome evil with good, leave judgment to God, and trust a love that never gives up—even when we fail.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:5–12; 1 Samuel 24; Romans 12:21; 2 Samuel 11

What matters most isn’t what people see—it’s what God sees.

In 1 Samuel 16:1–13, Samuel arrives at Jesse’s house looking for Israel’s next king. Like everyone else, he is immediately drawn to what looks impressive. But God reminds him of a truth that changes the way we see ourselves and others:

“People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

David wasn’t even invited into the room. He was overlooked, unnoticed, and tending sheep while everyone else was being considered. But while people saw a shepherd, God saw a king.

In this message, we discover that God cares more about character than appearance, private faithfulness prepares us for public battles, and seasons that feel insignificant may actually be seasons of preparation.

You may feel overlooked, but you are not forgotten by God. Your value is not determined by who notices you. The question isn’t simply, “What do people think about me?” but “What does God see in me?”

Text: 1 Samuel 16:1–13
Big Idea: God sees what people cannot see.

In 1 Samuel 15, Saul doesn’t completely reject God’s command. He simply decides which parts he will obey.

That’s what makes selective obedience so dangerous.

In “The Price of Pride,” we continue our A Tale of Two Kings series by looking at Saul’s failure to fully surrender to God. Saul obeys when it’s convenient, justifies what he wants to keep, blames others when confronted, and ultimately becomes more concerned with protecting his image than truly repenting.

Samuel’s question cuts through every excuse: “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears?”

Sooner or later, whatever we refuse to surrender will make noise.

This message challenges us to ask some difficult questions: What have I kept? What have I justified? What have I renamed? Where has God already spoken clearly, but I’m still trying to negotiate?

Because if Jesus is truly King, He gets the final word.

BIG IDEA: Selective obedience is still disobedience.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:1–35

If God is calling you to take a next step, don’t keep putting it off. Whether it’s surrendering an area of your life, turning from sin, or following Jesus in baptism, let today be the day the excuses stop.

Encounter God. Follow Jesus. Experience Freedom. Make an Impact.

What happens when fear takes over?

Saul looked like everything Israel wanted in a king—strong, impressive, and capable. But beneath the surface was a heart increasingly controlled by insecurity and fear. When the pressure mounted and God asked him to wait, Saul chose control over trust.

In Week 2 of A Tale of Two Kings, we look at Saul’s rise to power and the moment that exposed what was happening inside his heart. His story confronts us with an important question: What are we trying to protect because we’re afraid to trust God with it?

Fear tells us that if we don’t take control, everything will fall apart. Faith reminds us that even when everything appears to be falling apart, God is still on His throne.

Big Idea: Fear will always tempt us to seize control when trust requires us to wait on God.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 9:1–2; 10:20–24; 13:5–14

The contrast ultimately points us to Jesus—the King who never grasped for control, never acted out of fear, and trusted the Father completely, even when obedience led Him to the cross.

We don’t have to live controlled by fear. We have a King we can trust.

What if the most terrifying thing God could say is, “Okay. Have it your way”?

In 1 Samuel 8, Israel demands a king so they can be “like all the other nations.” Their request seems reasonable, but underneath it is a deeper problem: they are rejecting God as their King and looking somewhere else for the security, peace, and control that only He can provide.

In this first message of A Tale of Two Kings, we trace Israel’s story from Genesis through the Judges and discover a pattern that still exists in us today. When trusting God becomes difficult, we are tempted to replace Him with something visible. We take good things and turn them into god things. We begin measuring our lives by what everyone else has, and eventually we stop asking what God wants and start asking why He won’t give us what we want.

Sometimes God’s “no” is an act of love—and sometimes His judgment is allowing us to experience the consequences of the very thing we demanded.

As we begin the story of Saul and David, we’ll discover that neither earthly king is ultimately the hero. Their stories point us toward the true King we need: Jesus. Because the greatest battle isn’t over who sits on Israel’s throne. It’s over who sits on the throne of our hearts.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 8
Series: A Tale of Two Kings