Vista Community Church

1. Spiritual leaders must be humble servantsn2. Spiritual leaders must be trustworthy stewardsn3. Spiritual leaders must recognize that they will be judged by Godn4. Spiritual leaders must know their Biblesn5. Spiritual leaders must be prepared for sacrifice n6. Spiritual leaders must set an example to follown7. Spiritual leaders must understand where their strength/power comes fromn8. Spiritual l...

Paul addresses the division in the Corinthian community by calling it a sign of spiritual immaturity. Because when we stand in self-righteous judgment of someone else's spiritual immaturity, we've merely revealed our own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the Apostle Paul plants a church in the city of Corinth, he leaves to plant other churches elsewhere. However, once Paul leaves the young church encounters many problems. One of the big problems is that there is not unity among the people. There are a lot of divisions and factions within the church that threaten to tear the church apart. So, Paul pens his first letter to the Corinthian churc...

In John 1:35-49, we read a cluster of stories about evangelism. But modern people are increasingly uncomfortable with evangelism. Why? And what does it look like to do evangelism Jesus's way? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joseph, Jesus's earthly, adopted father, is confused, insulted, and left in the dark due to the strange pregnancy of Mary. Why does God make Joseph wait for an explanation? Why does God make us wait for explanations? And in what sense has Jesus already explained everything we need to know? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Christmas we remember and celebrate the first Advent (coming) of Christ. As believers, we also look forward to another Advent (the 2nd coming) one day. But there is also a current advent where Christ longs for us to know Him, hear from Him, and be used by him in our lives. How can prepare rather than procrastinate when it comes to this current advent? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

John the Baptizer prepares the way for Jesus by preaching a message of judgment and repentance. But behind John's judgment, there is a deep and severe kindness, because the God who comes to judge us is the same God who loves us unconditionally, and is committed to our redemption and renewal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as Austin and Dave wrap up our Sex Talk Series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If we're honest, we probably all have to admit that we've failed when it comes to sexual sin in one way or another. So, the question becomes... what do we do about it? The good news is that Jesus has already done something about it. His sacrifice for us both pays for and cleanses our sin. We need to acknowledge our sin and realize that it is a big deal to God despite what our culture says. Then we...

What does Scripture say about homosexuality? What does that mean? How can the church be a place that is faithful to Scripture and welcoming to those who experience same-sex attraction?nnBig Ideas: -The church has a history of singling out homosexuality for an especially severe condemnation while turning a blind eye to many other forms of sexual sin.nn-When it comes to homosexuality and Scripture,...

What is God's design for gender? How has sin corrupted God's design for gender? How is Jesus redeeming God's design for gender, and what does that look like in the church?nnnMessage Title: Battle of the SexesnnMessage Date: 11/3/2019nn nnBig Ideas: -Genesis 2 describes the creation of gender as something characterized by equality, similarity, and complementarity.nn-This relationship was infected b...

We live in a culture that is absolutely consumed by sex. Our culture says a lot of different things about sex, but what does God have to say about sex? What is a proper sexual ethic for believers and how do we live in the midst of a culture that send such confusing messages? The truth is that sex was designed by God and given to us as a gift to be shared within a particular context... the covenant...

Does America have a race problem? How much should Christians care? What can Christians do? In discussion Changes by Tupac Shakur, we address these questions and try to understand why racial reconciliation is an essential feature of the gospel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a worldwide migration away from religion and toward spirituality. But are we supposed to be spiritual instead of religious, or should we be spiritual and religious? Jesus was a deeply religious and spiritual person, showing us what it looks like to be both instead of one or the other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke takes his time describing Paul's epic journey to Rome. Paul is a prisoner of Rome and at the mercy of the sea. His life is not in control, but he still proclaims the message of the kingdom "unhindered". How can this be? Maybe the way to live the full life is to not have control of circumstances and outcomes, but to move beyond control into something greater. The Discipleship Pathway is design...

Paul get's arrested and is led through a series of trials. One trial is before Felix the governor or Judea. Felix fails to render a verdict and just keeps Paul in custody. During that time Felix has a lot of opportunity to hear the gospel from Paul, but he never responds to it. Felix's life is a lesson/warning to us in missed opportunity. At the same time, Paul's life is a shining example to us of...

Paul's presence in Thessalonica incites a riot and he is accused of turning the whole world upside down. This is one instance of a pattern in The Acts of the Apostles: faithfulness to the gospel constantly gets the early Christians into a good kind of trouble. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the gospel goes to the Gentiles a question is raised by the Jewish believers regarding what is necessary for salvation. Is faith in Jesus enough, or is it necessary to obey the Jewish laws and customs also? In Acts 15 they hold the first church council meeting to decide this issue. Essentially, it's a question many still ask today. What is necessary for Salvation? Is it just Jesus, or Jesus plu...

As the early church continues to grow, seven men are chosen to help minister and serve the growing congregation. Acts 6 tells us that Stephen is one of the seven chosen and he turns out to be a very important part of the revolution that is the church. His life and death stand as a transitional part of the book of Acts. After his death, the church falls under a lot of persecution. However, rather t...

In the early days of the Christian revolution, we catch a vision or radical sharing and generosity. But the idyllic picture is lost when the church faces its first internal crisis and is reminded of the seriousness of her call to holiness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leah is unloved and rejected most of her life. We'll see Leah set aside her affliction and agony to offer God a sacrifice of praise. We'll also see God use this seemingly secondary character in the Bible to begin ushering in the ultimate Salvation of the world. He always has the final say. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lydia is a wealthy business woman who becomes the first convert to Christianity in Europe. She responds to the gospel preached by Paul in Philippi and immediately responds with obedience, hospitality, and generosity. She opens her home to Paul and his team and provides a space for the new church to meet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of Jephthah's daughter is perhaps the strangest, saddest story in the Bible. A young girl is senselessly sacrificed because of her father's self-absorbed, faithless vow. We remember her story so we can do better, but more importantly, we remember her story because God has done better. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary is probably the most famous woman in all of scripture. Her life stands as a great example to us of grace and humility. As a young unwed teenage woman, she had a lot of reasons to fear and worry after the angel came to her and announced that she would be the mother of the Lord Jesus. But Mary chose to surrender to the will of God and to remember his past faithfulness rather than worry. Hosted...

After a brief discussion regarding the primary views on roles of women within the church (specifically looking at both the complementarian and egalitarian views), we'll explore the life of Anna. She was a faithful elderly widow mentioned in just a few verses in Luke's gospel. Yet her life has much to teach us about living faithfully for the Lord. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...