Vineyard Altoona Podcast

*TW the introduction contains statistics about sexual abuse that some may find disturbing For many, the thought of God as Father or as a male is not a helpful thought, but it is an obstacle to faith. Is there anything we can offer to these people that helps? Today, Derek looks at the question “Is God a person, and if so, is God male?” If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, fee...

Today we begin our "Asking for a Friend" series where we address actual questions submitted by real people in our community. Today we will explore the question "How do we know if God is real?" If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a connect card here: vineyardaltoona.churchcenter.com/people/forms/288405 We're always grateful for your continued financial...

As we begin a new year, it’s a great time to consider how you want the future to be different. People everywhere are making resolutions to live differently this year than they did last year. What if there was a resolution that you could live into this year that would change the rest of your life? Today, Derek offers the resolution you should consider for 2023. If you'd like to connect with us or s...

So many of us struggle to trust God. In fact, the Bible says this is what has been the problem for humans since the beginning. In spite of our struggle to trust God, he continues to be faithful to us. The Good News of Christmas is that God keeps his promises, and you can trust him. Listen as Derek shares this word on Christmas Eve. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel f...

Today, Evan looks at the story of King Ahaz in Isaiah chapter 7, as well as the angels appearance to Joseph in Matthew 1. In both passages God promises to be "Immanuel" God with us. The two appearances however, are very different, and force us to look long and hard at our hearts as we prepare to receive "Immanuel" in the form of Jesus. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, fe...

For so many of us, peace is an ideal that we struggle to find, especially this time of year. Jesus invites us into a life of peace, but we're not even sure how that works. How do we find the life of peace Jesus offers in the midst of the world that is pressing in around us? Today, Derek will continue our Advent series with a message called "Peace in the Tension". https://forms.gle/88zrxnxLFM9EHgEt...

The Christmas season has become very commercialized. Americans this year are expected to have higher retail spending in the Christmas season than ever before…by a lot. But all of this can come at a greater cost than just the price tag. How do we live through the Christmas season without losing our souls? Today Derek talks about this in a message called "How Can I Resist Being Greedy?" If you'd lik...

This week begins the Advent season, which is a season that puts us intentionally in touch with the reality that we are a longing people. All around us things are not as they should be. Relationships are broken. Work is broken. Families are broken. Our bodies and our health are broken. The temptation for all of us is toward cynicism or resignation. But for those who would dare to hope for a better...

What would it take to be justice and mercy people in our whole lives? Is it something that we should even consider? Today Derek talks about how living a life of justice and mercy is not just a good thing to do, but it is a matter of life and death. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a connect card here: vineyardaltoona.churchcenter.com/people/forms/28...

In a world that is broken, where so many are hurting and in need of help, it can be hard for us to know what to do. As we think about how followers of Jesus should interact with the marginalized, we can look to Jesus as our example. Today Jeri talks about what Jesus taught about who God helps and how God helps. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a con...

In our culture is common for us to separate the spiritual things we do from the other things we do. We have a tendency, then, to put some things in the spiritual category while other things we would put in a secular category. We would put church and church activities in the spiritual category. When it comes to caring for the poor and marginalized, we assign those activities to the realm of social...

What lengths would you go to in order to keep someone from making a mistake? What if that mistake had eternal implications? The way the Church engages in issues of justice, mercy, and marginalized people is something with eternal implications, but increasingly these things have been abandoned to the realm of politics and non-profit work. Today, Derek talks about how justice and mercy ministry is c...

Throughout this sermon series, we have talked about what it looks like to live out our mission statement: "Transforming the spaces we inhabit by the power of the Gospel." Some steps along the way have been living a life of service, and emotional health. Today, Jeri will wrap up the series by talking about intentional community and how an intentional path of discipleship is vitally important. If yo...

What do you think of when you think about greatness? Scripture paints a picture of what it means to be great as living a life of service. But why should we live a life of service? How do we do that? What about when people don’t appreciate it? Derek unpacks all of this today. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a connect card here: vineyardaltoona.churc...

Living a Gospel-oriented life is difficult. It’s hard to live a fully-integrated Christian life in every sphere because when we find ourselves in uncomfortable or anxiety-producing spaces, our broken patterns come through. But often we are blind to these processes. How do we discover them and grow past them? Today Derek talks about the role of emotional health in the spread of the Gospel. If you'd...

You’ve probably heard our mission statement “Transforming the spaces we inhabit by the power of the Gospel”. But what does that mean? How do we work that out? Today Derek explains this as we begin our new series with that name. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a connect card here: vineyardaltoona.churchcenter.com/people/forms/288405 We're always gra...

The premise of this series has been that our own encounter with Jesus is what propels us into the world to share Good News. We've talked about how Jesus is Good News for those who are deconstructing and for those who are marginally religious. Today, Derek finishes our sermon series by explaining how Jesus is Good News for religious people. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request...

Statistics indicate that many people are leaving Christian faith. Of these people, many are people who have been marginally religious. Is there any good news for the marginally religious? Does Jesus have anything to offer to those who are leaving faith? Today, Derek shows how Jesus is good news for the marginally religious. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to f...

We all have questions pertaining to faith. Those questions can lead to doubt, pain, and even sometimes people leaving the Church and faith all together. Today Jeri looks at the life of the apostle Thomas to show that the Gospel is good news for those who are deconstructing their faith. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a connect card here: vineyardal...

Actual encounter with and experience of Jesus is an essential part of Christian faith. While it is great to have experiences in our Christian faith, we need to ask the question: What is the point of the experiences we have as we follow Jesus? Today Derek explains the purpose of our experiential encounters with Jesus. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out...

Every church wants to see new people come to faith in Jesus in the midst of their respective community. Most Christians also understand that part of the role of a believer is to share faith with those who don't yet know Jesus. But so often we are at a loss for how to make that happen. The Bible shows a picture, though, of a people who are so captured by encounter with Jesus that they can't help bu...

We live at a time in American history where it has become common for people to deconstruct their Christian faith, and some never reconstruct it. Even if we never deconstruct our faith in a big way, many of us struggle with what's supposed to happen in our lives after we say yes to Jesus and get baptized. But God intends for us to live in his eternal life now and forever. So how do we live into tha...

Ingrained in each of us is an understanding that the world is not as it should be. According to John, those who are born of God through faith in his Son, Jesus, will overcome the world. What does it look like to overcome? Is it winning at life, or is there something else, something more? How do we as followers of Jesus live the life God has promised in Jesus? It's only through faith and trust in G...

How would you know for sure that you were in fellowship with God? So many people wrestle with that. Is there any certainty to be had? In 1 John, the Apostle John outlines how you can know that you are indeed rightly related to God. Today Derek shares this outline with us. If you'd like to connect with us or share a prayer request, feel free to fill out a connect card here: vineyardaltoona.churchce...

Over and over the Bible says that God is love. The Bible also says that God's people are called to love those around us. Unfortunately, there has often been a breakdown somewhere, and the reputation of the Church is often not one of love. What is wrong? How do we fix it? Today, Derek talks about how we are called to experience the love of God in such a way that we would be able to give it away. If...