Vine & Branch Church Sermons

When a person turns their faith in God and his Kingdom into a self-centered belief system rather than God-centered devotion, discontentment is the result. Discontentment with how God is working makes repentance nearly impossible. yet God in His compassion continues to pursue both pagans and prophets.

Jonah refuses to deliver a message of truth and compassion, as God commands of him because he is angry at the LORD’s workings. Jonah’s attitude and disobedience put him in conflict with God, and he therefore becomes a man or ironic inconsistencies.

Jonah is commissioned by God to warn Nineveh of impending judgment. Yet, Jonah flees from this task. The satire and irony are meant to criticize the tendency of God’s people who have experienced His grace yet lack the concern and willingness to obey God’s truth and compassion with others. To experience the grace of God and not be willing to convey his compassion is a tragedy that Chris...

Ephesians 5:15-21 emphasizes the importance of living a life of wisdom and purpose, especially in a world that opposes God and allures us to its ways. Paul writes his letter to the Ephesian church, to provide a framework for living as a part of the world, YET separate from it as a citizen of God’s Kingdom possessing Gospel values.

God works in the world in surprising ways to bring about revolutionary hope. This revolutionary hope allows us to exist in this broken world with lives that joyfully hold forth Christ as King.

Once again in today’s account we see the two parallel truths in Luke’s Gospel; TRUTH and JOY. For Mary and Elizabeth, the reality of what God is doing is progressively becoming more palpable to them and it erupts into joy, faith-filled obedience, and Hope for God’s deliverance.

In this second alternating, miraculous birth narrative, Luke again illuminates the two parallel themes of  truth and joy . May we be reminded once again that the Gospel of Christ is  always Good News of Great Joy .

TRUTH finds its expression in JOY at Gods decisive action in the history of his people to accomplish our salvation; the Truth of the Gospel is always “good news of great joy”.

God is the eternal King. His greatness, goodness, and faithfulness, flowing from His unchanging character, are so magnificent that they must be proclaimed to every generation by all of creation forever.

God is deeply Interested in teaching his people a PLEASING way, a FAITHFUL way - to deal with difficulty and discouragement. Psalm 42 teaches us the pleasing and faithful way to address our disappointments using them to draw us toward God and praise.

Grumbling, complaining, and discontentment is faithless – it’s a sin against God who uses hardships for the benefit of the people He loves.

Living congruently (in step) with God’s own Spirit placed in the life of the believer, is the way we LIVE IN FREEDOM. This life of freedom manifests in Eden-like Qualities and joyful Love and service to God and others.

Only the pure Gospel brings freedom and adoption into God’s family. Any addition to the pure gospel straps the believer back into the shackles of the law.

The Gospel is Promised by God, fulfilled by Christ, Confirmed by the Spirit. If we look to anything else for confirmation or comfort of our salvation, we are believing a false Gospel and we are just like the Galatians.

Know and obey the word of God and you will not nullify the grace of God in salvation.

The good confessions is: Christ is King! He's king of the universe, king of truth, king of life.

Handout notes

Show grateful honor, in word and deed, to those who the LORD has provided to provide for you.

"These things" are the indisputable Gospel truth diligently applied, leading to a life of progress in purity of heart, good conscience, and a sincere faith.

False Teachers were misusing the Old Testament; devoting themselves to hidden/secret knowledge of genealogical lineages and perpetuating historical myths as truth to be applied. They loved to be in the know having insider knowledge that they alone possess. They had a desire to be "Teachers of the Law" but were distorting it and using it wrongly; they were adding to the Gospel.

Defining the Role of Deacon: Deacons are an official office in the church. They are chosen and tested by the elders and the church family. Deacons use their gifts, taking initiative to tangibly assist the elders, and create margin for them by: Organizing, coordinating, solving, and facilitating. Primarily the deacons exemplify - in word and action - a culture of intentional service and unity. In t...

Timothy's task is to build spiritual walls. "Guard the truth that leads to life." One of Timothy's main tasks in Ephesus is to develop leaders. And these need to be qualified in the exact same areas they are calling people to follow. The listed qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 are for the leaders specifically, men in particular, and the church in general.

Luke 10:38-42