Vine Talks

“All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” John 10:8 My spouse and I were once given a week in a resort with just one stipulation: we must attend a sales presentation at the resort office. Easy, right? But as we sat through the high pressure, slick marketing pitch, my spouse became annoyed...

“...he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3 The sign on the door saying, “Welcome-ish: Depends on who you are and how long you’re staying” didn’t feel very welcoming and made me pause before knocking. Would I be accepted?...

“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7 To get a clear picture of Jesus’ meaning in this “I am” statement, it is helpful to understand a little of that ancient culture, especially of sheep and shepherding. Although we envision a corral or barn, a sheep pen was nothing more than...

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” John 12:46 The last time we find the word Light in the book of John is found in chapter 12 verse 46: “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” What is the purpose of light coming? It's simple! Light comes so that...

Day 12 of the Lent Devotional series “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:9 Have you ever felt like you couldn’t see what was in front of you?  My son experienced this strange experience when he was swimming one evening in our backyard. He had begun his swim right before the sun was setting...

Day 11 of the Lent Devotional series “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12 The second “I am” statement of Jesus is found in John 8:12. Scripture tells us that Jesus proclaimed “I am the light of the world” during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. This Israeli holiday celebrat...

Day 10 of the Lent Devotional series “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51 We spend hours of our day thinking about food. When is lunch? When is dinner? Should I eat that? Maybe we should just eat out? Do we have shredded cheese at home for tacos? (Maybe...

Day 9 of the Lent Devotional series “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?... If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11 Prayer is one of the most important parts of our relationship with God but can also be one of the most difficult...

Day 8 of the Lent Devotional series “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts…” Acts 2:46 Bread, in the Bible, is not only used as a form of sustenance, but as a connection point. The writers of the gospels and letters of the New Testament were living in a collectivist culture, in which all purpose and m...

Day 7 of the Lent Devotional series   “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3 John begins his gospel by calling Jesus “the Word.” This week, we are considering how Jesus conti...

Day 6 of the Lent Devotional series “When they measured [the manna], whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” Exodus 16:18  The exodus of the Israelites from the bondage of Pharoah was a time of great testing from the Lord. God repeatedly showed His people that He was faithful to keep His promises. In Exodus chapter 16...

Day 5 of the Lent Devotional series “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35    In John chapter six, Jesus has just performed the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The people who have gathered to hear His teaching are asking...

Day 4 of the Lent Devotional series “'Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.'” So the Jews said to him, “'You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?'” Jesus told them, “'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple&quo...

Day 2 of the Lent Devotional series “… so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name”. John 20:31   Starting tomorrow, you will go through several aspects of the divine identity of Jesus Christ. We believe...

If you wanted to introduce yourself to someone, you might say, “I am,” then fill in your name. You may then want to use some words to describe who you are.   How would Jesus describe himself? There is much to be said about Jesus...

Day 1 of the Lent Devotional series But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9  What is Lent? The word “lent” comes from the Old English word “lencten.” It refers to...

CRT. Intersectionality. Wokism. What do these words mean and how do they cause division among God’s people? Kenneth and Doug take on these toxic words and apply Scripture to bring Unity where there is division.  

Co-hosts Kenneth and Doug share the vision for this podcast, the Biblical precedent for unity among God's people, and how God forged together brothers from a black church and white church to be unified as God's church. According to Acts 2, the church was born on the Day of Pentecost. Numerous nations were represented that day and many received the gospel. That inaugural church was divers...

Unafraid to tackle complex topics, two pastors from different racial and cultural backgrounds discuss ways for the church to model racial unity. This podcast's mission is to encourage and demonstrate unity among the people of God while celebrating our diversity. "The church cannot really take pride in doctrinal and theological purity if we allow tribalism and racism to dim the light of t...