River City Vineyard - Teachings

What does the arriving Kingdom of God and a mustard seed have in common? Jesus tells a parable to explain.

Jesus spoke the good word of God's Kingdom arriving "as they were able to hear it." How able are we to hear the word of the Kingdom spoken to us from the parables today? Let's listen and find out.

Listening is a skill to learn. With practice we can increase our capacity for listening to others. According to Jesus the better we listen to him, the more we will receive in understanding the Good News of the Kingdom.

Jesus was a story teller. His stories where parables, "stories that call for a response" from those who have "ears to hear". And what about those with ears that do not hear. What keeps us from listening and responding to the message of the Kingdom?

Let's embrace and enjoy the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God in our right-side up world!

A parable is an everyday story inviting response. What response does the Parable of the Sower invite?

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says...

We are living in a time of unrest. Families, churches, and nations are divided. Rather than focusing on the problem how about looking at the solution? What can move us from our disunity to unity?

God does ask us at times to wait. Most of us prefer NOT to wait. We resist waiting. Our culture has instilled instant gratification in our daily experiences, so waiting seems abnormal. And yet, God asks us to wait and for good reason.

Cathy is visiting us from Luton, UK where she works on community reconciliation and peacemaking in a multicultural city. We are excited to learn from her many years of experience in the ministry of reconciliation.

Seeing what Jesus is doing in our community this New Year and joining him in the adventure!

May we make this our daily, community prayer for 2017?

The theme of the third Sunday of Advent is Joy. We want to experience the intense joy of the Good News announced by the angels over Bethlehem to the shepherds. "Do not be afraid (too late for that the shepherds were terrified by the sudden, unexpectant, brilliant a appearance of the angel!): Look (catch your breath and listen to this announcement)____I am bringing you good news of great joy f...

Peace is the theme of this second Sunday of the Advent Season. May we all receive the peace Jesus has to give to us, so that we become the peacemakers of our generation!

The rule of our King is our refuge in any storm. Give thanks!

It is a simple question, what did Jesus come to do? Thankfully, Jesus has an answer for us. We do not need to make up our own answer. Hopefully, we will listen to him and continue his mission in our generation.

Jesus was quick to silence evil and to expel that evil from the person it tormented. As we follow in Jesus' footsteps we are not to choose the lessor of two evils. That choice would still be a choice of evil. We are to expose evil for what it is. We are to have nothing to do with evil. We must be about the business of silencing the destructive works of the evil one.

Jesus invites two sets of brothers to follow him into a whole new way of life. No longer will these four fish for fish. They will fish for people in the business of the Kingdom. May we learn to catch the people of our generation without any hooks or bait with a net cast wide into a very diverse sea!

Jesus began the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth. How will we continue what he began? Will we resist the temptations to promise prosperity, to seek popularity, or to rely on political power to build kingdom?

"Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind."

Sometimes we present baptism as a choice between either water or Spirit. Sadly, we can even pick sides about one type of baptism over the other. How about both are essential for Kingdom living. We must be baptized in water and also in Spirit. Both water and Spirit for all who follow Jesus!

John the Baptist constructed a "road" for the Messiah/King to enter human history. That was his prophetic task. Now there is the need for others to maintain the "road" so that every generation has the opportunity to enter relationship with Jesus. Will we do the work needed for our generation?

In light of unfavorable ratings we might be tempted to conclude that we are living in a time of God's disfavor. Yes, circumstances can be gloomy like living under a dark cloud, but what does Jesus say about the times we live in?

Three steps toward reconciliation we can take: listening, healing, confessing & forgiving. May we embrace the message and ministry of reconciliation for the sake of our neighbors. God help us to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.

If we are to reconcile our wounds must be healed. Healing comes from Jesus and his work finished on the cross. May that healing flow into our brokenness.