Vine Thrive Podcast

Christian testimony of young Kate Dowds - 20/08/2023 by The Vine Church - Dunfermline

Steven expresses gratitude for the opportunity to preach and shares his intention to explore the Book of Numbers to rekindle faith. He reflects on a personal spiritual journey that saw enthusiasm wane but emphasizes the importance of purity and a strong connection with God. Steven encourages the congregation to trust in God's power, engage in greater works, and believe in the possibility of supernatural experiences in their city.

God is calling you in this season to make the shift from the shallows, to the thrill of the white waters .

So many believe the cost is too high after so many setbacks.

One single hymn line nails every excuse:

"He is worthy of it all"

Dive in and let the river of the Holy Spirit carry you.

“The book of Revelation has some powerful messages for us today. One of them is that worship springs from an amazing God!”

The river of the water of life is one of the great themes of the bible and promise for every Christian. It culminates in the renewal of all creation with heaven and earth coming together in perfect harmony, and God and Mankind finally and completely re-united. This message asks how we can experience that river and begin to drink the water of life right now.

This message revolves around the idea of how we perceive God's face when we are weak, struggling, or experiencing failure. Aaron starts by asking the congregation to imagine the face of God or Jesus. He then shares a personal experience during his early morning prayer walk, where he read a passage about reflecting on one's relationship with God. This reflection leads to envisioning God's face as a loving, compassionate, and understanding father, who delights in his children, even in their weaknesses and failures.

The message highlights two contrasting views of God's face: a face of law and a face of grace. The face of law is judgmental, disappointed, and possibly angry when we fall short. In contrast, the face of grace is full of love, compassion, empathy, and understanding, always ready to embrace us, even in our mess.

Aaron references the Prodigal Son story as told by Jesus to illustrate God's face of grace. When the son returns after squandering his inheritance, the father, representing God, runs to him with compassion and love, rather than anger or disappointment. Jesus' teachings and interactions with various individuals, like the woman caught in adultery and Peter's denial, further reveal God's face as one of compassion, forgiveness, and delight in His children.

The message emphasizes the power of grace and its ability to see the goodness and glory within us, even amidst our failures and weaknesses. Just as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables received grace and compassion instead of punishment, we, too, can encounter God's face of love and transformation.

Aaron concludes by urging the congregation to embrace the gospel of grace and to love others as Jesus did. By seeing others with compassion, looking beyond their faults, and recognizing their inner beauty, we can imitate Jesus' love and transform lives.

Ultimately, the message emphasizes that trusting the God who delights in us, even in our weakest moments, leads to joy, transformation, and a radiant countenance that is free from shame. By turning our eyes upon Jesus and gazing upon His wonderful face, the things of earth grow dim, and we can experience the light of His glory and grace.

"The Book That Can Cook" takes us on a captivating journey into the word Bethlehem and its spiritual significance, serving up a delightful feast of insights. From discovering that Bethlehem means "House of Bread" to unravelling biblical references and historical events like Rachel's birth, the story of Ruth and Boaz, and the anointing of David as king, we see how these elements contribute to the profound importance of Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. Through these connections, the intentional selection of Bethlehem becomes evident, fulfilling prophecies and emphasizing its pivotal role in the birth of Christ. This enlightening adventure offers a nourishing spiritual meal that goes far beyond a simple demonstration, inviting us to savour the depth and significance of Bethlehem's place in history.

Alan Kelly - Water Baptism | 25/06/2023 by The Vine Church - Dunfermline

Steven Paton delivered an engaging sermon at Vine Church that left the congregation inspired and reflective. Through humour and profound insights, he reminded everyone not to underestimate the power of Jesus to transform their lives.

Highlighting the story of the demon-possessed man from Mark 5, Steven emphasized the struggles we face today and the need for Jesus' intervention. He humorously recounted the villagers' surprising response to witnessing the miraculous healing, shedding light on our own resistance to change. The sermon challenged the congregation to examine their faith and embrace transformation, reminding them that blaming God for hardships is misguided. Ultimately, Steven left the listeners eager to embrace the power of Jesus' healing in their lives and ready to welcome the transformation that awaits them.

Spiritual Fathering and Mothering

The crying need of our generation is for spiritual mothers and fathers. We live in an age of information overload and people can find any information they want in a matter of seconds at the click of a button.

However, what people desperately need and long for deep down is connection. There is an overload of information, resources, coaches and mentors available. But very few spiritual mothers and fathers even in churches. And yet nothing influences people more than someone who genuinely cares, loves and invests in their life like a spiritual mother or father.

A spiritual mother or father connects because they have proximity, time, love and integrity. This foundation creates the atmosphere for influence and transformation in their lives. People who experience post-traumatic growth have had someone in their life acting like a mother/father figure to help them heal and gain new vision and direction for their lives.

In my message, I want to show through the example of Paul and Onesimus, that we all need a spiritual mother/father and are called to spiritually mother/father others also.

“I’d much rather make an appeal because of our friendship. So here I am, an old man, a prisoner for Christ, making my loving appeal to you. It is on behalf of my child, whose spiritual father I became while here in prison; that is, Onesimus.” (Phm 1:9, TPT)