Northwest Vineyard

In this installment of the Remarkable Women in the Bible series, Pastor Scott Engebretson unpacks the story of Deborah from Judges 4–5 . Serving as both a prophet and a judge in Israel during a dark cycle of national oppression, Deborah was a remarkable leader who rose to the top of her field, using both strategic wisdom and prophetic insight to bring God's peace into seasons of deep chaos . Scott...

Continuing the Remarkable Women in the Bible series, Pastor Hannah Engebretson explores the story of Rahab from Joshua 2 . As a Canaanite, a woman, and a prostitute, Rahab seemed like the most unlikely candidate for God to use . Yet, when confronted with the reality of God's power and mercy, she put her trust in Him and took a massive, life-threatening risk to protect the Israelite spies . Through...

In the first message of the series Remarkable Women in the Bible , Pastor Scott Engebretson walks us through Exodus 1:6–21 to highlight two unsung heroes who changed the course of history: the midwives Shiprah and Puah . Facing a brutal decree of forced population control and infanticide from a powerful, unnamed Pharaoh, these two women chose holy defiance over fearful compliance . By placing thei...

In the conclusion of the Stuck in a Moment series, Pastor Scott Engebretson explores Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 and 12:8–14 to break down the limits of human wisdom and knowledge ( Hokema ) . When we live purely with an "under the sun" perspective—relying solely on worldly information, self-effort, and human intellect—we eventually hit a wall of cynicism and painful helplessness . Access to more informa...

In week four of the Stuck in a Moment series, Pastor Scott Engebretson tackles one of the most sensitive yet universal areas where we feel trapped: our finances . Diving into Ecclesiastes 5:8–20 , Scott acknowledges the overwhelming financial stress gripping our culture and confronts the illusion that more money equals more security . The teacher of Ecclesiastes reminds us that a disordered love o...

In week three of the Stuck in a Moment series, Pastor Scott Engebretson unpacks Ecclesiastes 1:3–11 and 3:9–11 , exploring the heavy, often monotonous weight of time . Whether counting down the fleeting days of summer or watching decades slip by, we often feel like time is a thief and an abyss of forgetfulness . Scott contrasts the teacher's pessimistic view of an endless "wash, rinse, repeat" cyc...

In week two of the Stuck in a Moment series, guest preacher RJ Owen dives into Ecclesiastes 2 to unpack the teacher's heavy reflections on labor, achievement, and burnout . In a world that often treats employment, career, and even deep-seated callings as modern-day religions promising identity and fulfillment—a cultural trap known as "workism"—Ecclesiastes offers a sobering reality check: it is al...

Launching a new five-week series through the book of Ecclesiastes titled Stuck in a Moment , Pastor Scott Engebretson opens up the ancient wisdom text to address the very modern feelings of monotony, exhaustion, and feeling stuck in life . Scott breaks down the structure of Ecclesiastes—distinguishing between the narrator and the core monologue of "the teacher"—and explores two central concepts th...

Closing out the summer series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Scott Engebretson addresses Matthew 5:10–12 : "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Scott unpacks the reality of Christian persecution across the globe while providing necessary perspective on what persecution is—and isn't—for the Western church . Emphasizing that Jesus's vision...

Continuing the summer series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Hannah Engebretson explores Matthew 5:9 : "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Opening with a lighthearted look at a 20-year marital compromise, Hannah dives into the profound difference between simply being a "peacekeeper" who avoids conflict at all costs and being an active "peacemaker" who courageously ste...

Continuing the summer series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Scott Engebretson tackles Matthew 5:8 : "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Scott challenges the common tendency within the church to dismiss purity of heart as an impossible standard reserved only for heaven . Instead, he presents biblical purity as an undivided loyalty and single-hearted devotion to God here and now . Exp...

Continuing the summer series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Scott Engebretson returns to examine Matthew 5:7 : "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Scott explores how our ability to extend compassion and forgiveness to others is directly tied to our own experience of God's grace. He explains that if we find ourselves harboring bitterness, judgment, or an unmerciful spirit, it serve...

Continuing the summer series on the Beatitudes, Sam Stephens walks through the fourth beatitude in Matthew 5:6 : "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Sam contrasts the cultural obsession with chasing superficial appetites—like scrolling through social media—with the deep spiritual hunger we are actually created to experience. He explains that kingd...

Guest speaker Emily Crider steps into the "Flourishing" series to examine the third beatitude: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Drawing from her extensive ministry work with university graduate students, Emily breaks down our modern discomfort with the word "meekness," which is often misconstrued as weakness, powerlessness, or passivity. By contrasting the oppressive, self...

In this installment of the "Flourishing" series, Pastor Scott Engebretson addresses our cultural aversion to grief and the rising phenomenon of emotional "dryness." Looking at the second beatitude in Matthew 5:4 , "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," Scott challenges the American standard of rushed bereavement. Sharing a deeply personal reflection on the legacy and loss of h...

Continuing the summer series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Scott Engebretson tackles our tendency to make false assumptions about life, work, and faith. Zooming in on Matthew 5:3 , Scott unpacks the countercultural definition of what it means to be "poor in spirit." He explains that kingdom flourishing doesn't come from getting louder, bigger, or more self-reliant, but from a posture of spiritual bank...

Kicking off a new summer series on the Beatitudes, Pastor Scott Engebretson introduces what it truly means to live a life that flourishes. Transitioning into Trinity Sunday, Scott contrasts cultural and academic definitions of human flourishing—like Harvard University's Human Flourishing Project—with the countercultural vision cast by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Drawing a linguistic link fro...

Preaching on Pentecost—the birthday of the church—Pastor Scott Engebretson concludes the journey through the book of Galatians with a powerful look at Galatians 5 and 6 . Scott challenges the common misconception that the Holy Spirit's power is only meant for spectacular, headline-grabbing moments. Instead, he reveals that the "B-Side" of Pentecost is the internal power of God working daily to res...

Continuing through the book of Galatians, Pastor Hannah Engebretson dives into one of the most powerful and challenging passages in Scripture: Galatians 5 . On a joyful Sunday marked by celebratory water baptisms, Hannah addresses the internal tug-of-war we all experience between the "flesh" and the "Spirit." She explains that while the flesh naturally produces destructive results—such as anger, b...

Preaching on Mother's Day, Pastor Scott Engebretson highlights a moment of "providential convergence" as the journey through Galatians brings us to a passage where the Apostle Paul describes his heart as being in the pains of childbirth for the church. Drawing from Galatians 4 , Scott explores what it truly means to look at our desires and evaluate what we are passionately striving for. He explain...

In this message, Pastor Scott Engebretson tackles the "Do It Yourself" (DIY) mentality that often creeps into our spiritual lives. While DIY skills are great for home repairs, Scott argues that they are spiritual "kryptonite" when it comes to our relationship with God. Drawing from Galatians 3 , he explores the story of Abraham to show that righteousness has never been something we can manufacture...

Continuing through the book of Galatians, Pastor Scott Engebretson explores the vital role our environment plays in our spiritual growth. Using the devastating impact of recent freezes on Florida's citrus crops as a metaphor, Scott explains that just as a physical freeze can destroy fruit, our "spiritual climate" can either nurture or stifle the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Focusing on Ga...

Continuing the series through Galatians (alternatively titled "Fruit and Flame"), Sam Stephens explores the danger of "gatekeeping" the Kingdom of God. Drawing from Galatians 1 , Sam warns against the trap of legalism—likening it to someone trying to sell bottled water while standing right next to a flowing river. He emphasizes that the Holy Spirit's power at Pentecost wasn't just for a one-time e...

Launching a new series through the book of Galatians, Pastor Scott Engebretson introduces "The B-Side Life." Using the analogy of vinyl records, Scott explains that while the "A-Side" represents the polished, popular versions of ourselves we present to the world, the "B-Side" is where the raw, authentic, and soulful work of the Holy Spirit happens. Exploring Galatians 1 , Scott addresses the "perv...

On this Easter Sunday, Pastor Scott Engebretson concludes the "Participating" series by exploring the world-changing reality of the Resurrection. Scott contrasts the "simulated wonder" of illusions—like those performed by magician Harris III—with the tangible, historical truth of the empty tomb in Luke 24 . He challenges the idea that the Resurrection is merely a metaphor or a "beautiful story," a...