Viva Vineyard Church

Why would I want the Holy Spirit's gifts? The fact that we would even ask that question suggests we need to go back to mind-bending basics...

Can I trust the Holy Spirit? Really. 

Pentecost Sunday. A day long prophesied, happens. The Spirit is poured out. What about today? This talk kicks of a new series where we get really practical about how to grow your relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

Red pill, blue pill? We’re talking about moments when God helps us see things how they actually are. Sometimes that can be deeply unsettling, but if we can stay in the unsettling, these moments also present us with an incredible opportunity for change.

Where you and I see rusted scrap someone else sees a 1964 Lotus Elan. God's in the business of restoration. And he has no, Too Hard basket. For you and me that's the best hope we can possibly imagine. 

C.S. Lewis writes, "But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world…" Somehow disasters and suffering can be instrumental in freeing us into happiness. Really, how? In the ancient words of Joel we look for answers. 

Old. Awkward. Confusing. Grating. Offensive. And - Christians believe - God's Word. But is it worth the effort really? What harm is there in just reading the New Testament and avoiding the other 3/4s of the Bible? Well, to show our cards, we think it's as bad as just watching episode 8 in an 8 episode series.

In our first time in our new venue, we pause to pull the doors back on what's going on, what we're about and where we're headed.  The old spider or starfish metaphor is at the heart of this moment. So are three bored kids and a picture that began to swim...

This isn't a talk, rather it's a collection of voices from the Viva family retelling the Easter story. It's the recording for our Easter journey at Feaster 2022 - Easter Sunday.

How do we find hope when the prognosis is clearly terminal, when all our spin and optimism about everything’s going to get better if…. When that runs out, where can we find hope? Easter is next week. At the heart of Easter are historical events recorded over a 3 day period. For 2 millennia billions of people have looked to these events as the way to find hope when the prognosis, personally, in the...

Worship and pleasure? Not the sort of word association you'd expect, perhaps. But the Bible is clear - worshipping God is an experience of profound pleasure. Ok, but how do we experience that?  That's the substance of this talk. 

This is a big important topic if we're ever going to understand worship on planet earth. Claire and Sarah circle in on the story of a woman who poured out her best. A story we're still talking about 2000 years on. That's got to say something about what it means worship when it hurts. 

In this episode we grab a cup of tea, sit down and Claire and Sarah and I take a first swipe at what the Bible tells us about the purpose of worship. It's our introductory conversation to our new first four part series on worship.  Core idea: we all worship something. This issue is what? But that's just the beginning...

We’re finally at the conclusion of Jesus’ ridiculously famous teaching, The Sermon on the Mount, which has been occasionally called the constitution of the Kingdom of God. Jesus came declaring, “Repent, the kingdom of God is here.” With Jesus’ healing ministry in full swing, crowd control has become an issue. But there is a growing band of people who are getting serious about following Jesus, so h...

We unpack Matthew 7:7-12 and ask, Are there areas of life where you’ve stopped asking of God? Maybe you’ve gone down the DIY route? Where are you at in terms of your vulnerability with God? Do you need to give yourself space and permission to lament your way back to worship?

Jesus is clear, Do not judge. But what exactly is he saying? Is he calling his followers to stop thinking? To stop discerning who can be trusted or can't? As always the way Jesus is calling his followers to live is radical but it's radical like an open prison door. 

In the secret place we learn what is truly of value. As we experience our Father God we realise the truth of what Jesus said in John 17:3 “This is eternal life to know God.” There is nothing greater than knowing God but only time in the very presence of that God will convince you of that fact. In the secret place we change how we invest. Our eyes shift in focus. Our treasure is no longer the secur...

What are the barriers that are stopping you from really spending time with God? Here are three that need our attention: shame, religiousness and rebellion. And Jesus has a way through each one in a prayer he taught his followers to pray.

How can we stop settling for snacks and power bars and actually sit down have a meal with God? Well, it takes T.I.M.E.

Jesus flips the script on prayer. Public, showy religious, seen needs to go. But what goes in its place? How do you get motivated to pursue something no one else sees? 

Christmas is full of messages about joy and peace. But we're never given a good reason why. In short, we want the emotions of Christmas without looking at the why. What would happen if we did? 

On this Sunday, we reflected on the Viva dream and Moses' packing decision. 

Jesus assumed his followers would fast. Why? How does going without food help deepen your walk with God?

Jesus is famous for telling us to love our enemies. It's a great idea until you actually have an enemy. How, in the real world, is it possible to not lash out but love?  

People living in the kingdom of God don't need the puff and bluster of religious language and big impressive oaths. When each person is honest in their intentions we are free to trust each other. How good is that! Matthew 5:33-37