Central Vineyard Church

This week Dan continues our series The Gift and the gifts by exploring one of the most beautiful, hopeful, and complex gifts of the Holy Spirit: healing. Healing is one of the places where hope and disappointment often meet. Many of us carry stories of God's surprising power breaking in, and many of us also carry stories of waiting, groaning, and unanswered prayer. So why do we still pray for healing? In this talk, Dan explores healing through the Vineyard lens of the Kingdom of God — the now and the not yet — where Jesus' ministry reveals God's future wholeness breaking into the present. Every healing is a signpost of resurrection, a glimpse of the world as God intends it to be, and a foretaste of the day when all things will be made new. The talk also looks at the gift of faith, the gift of healing, and the simple Vineyard five-step model for praying for the sick. It finishes with an invitation to be a church who pray with expectation and humility, asking the Holy Spirit to give us a taste of God's future wholeness now. To watch the Vineyard USA "5 Step Healing Prayer" video, do so here.

This week at Central Vineyard, Dan continues our series The Gift and the gifts as we turn from the Gift of the Holy Spirit to the gifts the Spirit gives. Exploring the New Testament's teaching on spiritual gifts, Dan frames the gifts of the Spirit as “gracelets” — little manifestations of God's grace, given for the common good. These gifts are not labels to possess, platforms to build, or performances to admire. They are graces received from God, practised in love, developed through use, and matured in the way of Jesus. From words of revelation, to works of power, to acts of mercy and service, the Spirit gives gifts widely across the whole body so that everyone can participate in the life and ministry of Jesus. The invitation is to ask, “What grace is God giving me, and how can I pass it on?” The talk closes with a simple prayer practice, inviting us to behold someone in love and ask the Holy Spirit what grace might be needed for them — a word, a prayer, or an act of service.

In this fifth part of our series, and on Pentecost Sunday, guest speakers Mel and Kirk Beyer share on the Pentecost effect then and now, with Mel framing it up with some theoloical thoughts, and then, Kirk sharing a recent story of how it looks in reality.

NOTE: We apologise for the audio quality of this recording, we had a technical difficulty. In this fourth part of our series, and on Ascension Sunday, Alisha Wiseman explores the strange and beautiful tension of life with the Holy Spirit: Jesus is reigning, the Spirit has been given, the Kingdom has come — and yet so much of our lives can still feel unfinished. From Acts 1, we are invited to see that waiting is not passive, empty, or meaningless. It is one of the places where God forms us. We wait with honesty about our need, attentiveness to the Spirit's presence, and surrendered trust that God is still at work — even when our experience does not yet match the fullness of the promise. The good news is that we are not abandoned in the waiting. The Spirit is already here, already within us, already moving among us — sometimes suddenly and miraculously, and sometimes slowly, quietly, forming us into people who reflect the likeness of Jesus to the world.

In this week's message from The Gift and the gifts, Dan traces the big biblical story from Eden to Pentecost to New Creation, asking: how will God dwell and commune with His people again? At Pentecost, the long ache of Scripture begins to be answered. The Holy Spirit is no longer mediated through a certain space, or just a few prophets, priests, kings, or leaders, but poured out on all God's people as the new Temple People. This Gift restores communion with God for all people, makes the Church a preview of the coming future Kingdom, and invites every one of us to participate in the ministry of Jesus. The promise is not just for the unusually spiritual or the impressive few. "We all get God. Every one of us. We all get to play."

In the second part of our Pentecost series, The Gift and the gifts, Dan explores the Holy Spirit as the Gift who often surprises us and widens the frameworks we thought were fixed. Tracing the story of Peter, the Wimbers (early leaders of the Vineyard movement), and some recent stories from at Easter Camp, this message invites us to see that life with the Spirit is not something we generate through hype or pressure, but someone we receive with open hands. The Spirit is the living presence of Jesus among us — teaching, filling, empowering, and sometimes lovingly expanding the grids we have carried.

In this opening message of our new Pentecost season series, The Gift and the gifts, Dan opens the series with Jesus' instruction to the dicsiples to "wait for the gift." Preparing us for the season ahead of Pentecost in the Church calendar, we consider the gift: the Father who promises, the Spirit who is given, and the grace-gifts poured out for the good of others. Pentecost reminds us that the Christian life begins in gift — not achievement, earning, or proving ourselves ready enough — but in the astonishing generosity of God who gives His own Spirit. And because the Spirit is poured out on all people, this is not a series for the spiritually elite. It is an invitation for every one of us to receive, participate, and join in the ministry of Jesus in the world.

Join us for a special week celebrating baptisms and the stories of those who were baptised.

In the fifth and final part of our Deadly Sins for Lent series, Dan explores simplicity as a counter-practice to greed. Looking at Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6, this sermon unpacks how greed is more than wanting money or possessions — it is the restless ache for more — and how simplicity becomes a Spirit-formed pathway into contentment, trust, and learning to live with enough in the Kingdom of God.

In this fourth talk of our Lent series, Deadly Sins for Lent, Alisha speaks on generosity as the counter-practice to greed, and how generosity is far better than we can imagine, but it will cost us.

In this third talk of our Lent series, Deadly Sins for Lent, guest speaker Lyndon Reiff shares with us his real life experiences of practicing generosity as a counter-formation to greed, and encourages us to do the same with some helpful wisdom.

In this second talk of our Lent series, Deadly Sins for Lent, Alisha explores greed — not simply as having a lot, but as the subtle, restless pull for more that can quietly shape our hearts. Through Jesus' words and the story of the rich young ruler, this talk names greed for what it is: a trap, a false promise, and a rival to the life Jesus offers. But this is not a talk about shame. It's an invitation to freedom. As we begin this Lenten journey, we're invited to come honestly to Jesus, to loosen our grip on what cannot satisfy, and to discover the deeper abundance of a life shaped by trust, generosity, and surrender.

Join us for Family News: A Sunday of vision, updates and inviations to join Jesus in the restoration of all things. Co-leaders Dan Sheed and Alisha Wiseman share on our mission to join Jesus in the restoration of all things, and significant pieces of how we sense to do this: generation-to-generation life, a micro-enterprise endeavour of creating a consignment store to support our outward initiatives, and our sense to build an intentional pathway for global missions. Also they update us on our continued exploration of buildings and facilities for the future and Josh Kimpton from our board then announced that the Wisemans' will be taking a sabbatical at the end of this year. To give financially to the special offerings mentioned in this podcast, see centralvineyard.org/giving

Lent 2026 begins with a new long-term journey for Central Vineyard: over the next seven years, we'll move through the Deadly Sins FOR LENT, one each Lent, as we let Jesus reform what deforms us. In this opening message from Luke 4, we explore Lent as preparation, not punishment — a wilderness season where truth, repentance, fasting and generosity can make us ready for resurrection life. We also begin with a light introduction to the Deadly Sins and highlight greed, naming how the quiet drive for “more” can shrink trust, distort vision, and harden the soul. To counter this, we are invited to practise generosity and simplicity, and rediscover the freedom of knowing Christ is enough.

In Week 2 of Shared Life, we turn to Philippians 2 and discover that real community isn't held together by effort or chemistry, but by a way — the way of Jesus. Paul begins with grace received, not commands, inviting us into a shared posture shaped by encouragement in Christ, love, and life in the Spirit. At the centre is Jesus, who does not grasp for status but empties himself in humility. This sermon explores why community is hard, why humility feels risky, and how shared life slowly forms as our allegiance to Jesus becomes a shared way to not grasp, together.

We live more connected than ever, yet many of us feel unseen, unknown, and alone. In this opening talk of our Shared Life series, we explore why loneliness has become so normal — and how the gospel offers something deeper than thin connection. Drawing from Paul's letter to the Philippians, this sermon invites us to rediscover koinōnia: a shared life that starts with a shared allegiance to Jesus, because the Gospel is a message about belonging already given.

As you consider your 2026, we invite you to consider how you will walk out living in God. Dan looks at church history, and how Perpetua and Felicitas embodied this in a radical way when they stepped into a Roman arena with joy, unity, and unwavering faith, leaving a lasting impact on those who witnessed their sacrifice. Today, we face our own arenas, and the question remains: how will we walk the way of Jesus?

In this final message of the Introduction series, Dan reflects on Mary's story in Luke 1:26–38 and the extraordinary forming of love within her ordinary life. Exploring the Spirit “overshadowing” Mary, this message traces God's dwelling presence from Creation, to the Ark of the Covenant, to Mary — and now to the Church — reminding us that love is not manufactured but formed by God in willing, available hearts.

Join us for this third Introduction reflection, where we look at Elizabeth's story as a picture of how God develops deeper joy in us. Luke shows that her five months of hiddenness weren't wasted — they were the darkroom where God transformed years of disappointment into a joy ready to be shared when Mary arrived. This story invites us to embrace the slow, unseen work of God in our own lives, trusting that what He develops in the dark will one day be displayed in the light.

Join us as we continue our Advent reflection series Introduction. In this second reflection, Dan looks at Simeon and the “peace of recognition”—the kind of peace that comes not from circumstances resolving, but from seeing Christ in the middle of our lostness. A full description of the episode with detailed information. Episode Note A formatted description of this episode, supported by Apple Podcasts. Other podcasting platforms may display this description differently. Episode Type Full (default) A complete episode. Season Number Apple Podcasts only displays season numbers for podcasts with more than one season. Episode Number An episode number. This sets the recommended order for your podcast episodes. Episode Duration (hh:mm:ss) The duration of this episode. Explicit Content This episode contains explicit content. Podcast Analytics URL To track analytics for this episode using a third-party service, enter its URL. Learn more.

NOTE: Our apologies, but the opening minute of this talk was not recorded. Join us as we begin our Advent reflection series Introduction. Dan explored how Zechariah's story in Luke 1 shows that God often restores hope not through noise or quick answers, but by creating space — the surprising gift of silence that softened his cynicism and slowly retuned his hope. Advent invites us into the same posture. In a season that easily fills with hurry, God meets us in the stillness we tend to avoid. Let's make room for quiet, so we can begin to perceive the new things God is doing.

In this message Dan explores the final parable in Matthew 13 as a picture of God's sweeping, uncurated grace towards a future where God puts the world right. The Parable of the Net shows us a Kingdom that gathers everything, while reminding us that the sorting is Jesus' job, not ours — while also holding the sober truth that our choices matter in God's story of renewal.

In this message, Alisha Wiseman explores Jesus' parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl — two short stories about discovering something so valuable it reshapes your whole life. Through themes of discovery, sacrifice, and joy, Alisha reminds us that the Kingdom is a treasure worth giving everything for—and that in Jesus' eyes, we are the treasure He joyfully gave everything to have.

In this talk Dan Sheed explores one of Jesus' shortest parables — a one-sentence story on the Kingdom being like yeast that is mixed into a dough — and how even though it is hidden, it is quietly working its way through everything. This story invites us to patiently trust the unseen and unpanicked work of God's Kingdom in our ordinary lives — because even when it's hidden, we can stil trust that the dough is still rising towards completion.

In this message, Dan Sheed explores Jesus' first recorded parable — the Parable of the Sower — as the doorway into all the others. What if this story isn't about soil management, but about a reckless and generous Sower — a God is who is extravagantly sowing His Kingdom everywhere, even in places of resistance, and how good soil is found not through effort, but through grace and a willingness to listen.

In this opening message of our new series, Parables, Dan explores why Jesus chose to teach through these stories which create an analogy of comparison. These stories reveal the hidden reality of God's Kingdom — grace breaking into ordinary life, and a world where God is ruling and reigning. Dan offers some wisdom on how to treat parables and how to practice reading them.

In this one-off message, guest speaker Adam Russell shares on the need for friendship in our discipleship journey and looks at the relationship between David and Jonathan as an archetype of covenant friendship.

In this one-off message, Communities Pastor Ella Oh invites us to revisit Jesus' words: “You are the light of the world.” Together we explore what it means to live outward as God's people—shining His light not just in safe spaces but into the dark and broken places of our city. Ella also shares the story of Gratis, our church's long-running outreach birthed from a simple “yes” to joining God's mission, and the new opportunity before us to dream together about how this ministry can be sustained and multiplied thanks to a generous offer in our community.

For the past 10 weeks we've been exploring When Life Goes East — those seasons when life doesn't go to plan. From relational breakdown to anxiety, disappointment, and hitting the wall in our faith, we've seen that “east” moments are part of every human story. But they're not the end of the story. In this final message, Dan CLoses with a theology of suffering and hope: that God meets us in our ache, His Kingdom is already breaking in, and our story ultimately ends in resurrection and homecoming.

When faith feels like winter — cold, stripped back, and endless — where do we turn? In this message, Dan unpacks our need for the Good Shepherd who leads us not where we want to go, but where we need to go. He offers three practices for keeping hope alive at the Wall: moving learning from head to heart, praying with honesty and hope, and staying close to the flock.

Faith isn't just about projects we complete — it's about the journey of becoming. But on that journey, we will all face the Wall: the place of exhaustion, silence, and disorientation. Join us in this final section of When Life Goes East as Dan unpacks what the Wall is, why it matters and how going through it leads to greater love and freedom.

Disappointment is something we all carry — the gap between what we hoped for and what is. In this message, Alisha explores what it means to live in the “Saturday” space of life — that confusing middle ground between loss and resurrection, when God feels silent and hope seems buried. Instead of despair or denial, we're invited to wait — to bring our raw honesty before God in lament, to lean into community, and to discover that even in our deepest disappointments, Jesus is walking right beside us.

Disappointment is the feeling of sadness when what we hope for doesn't come to pass. Join us as we hear guest speaker Bron Tait share her story and wisdom on facing disappointment with God/life, with others and with ourselves.

Anxiety doesn't just disappear — it often needs to be unseated. In this second message on the theme of anxiety, Alisha explores Paul's call to “let the peace of Christ rule” and draw on insights from Nader Sahyouni, whose three A's model offers a practical way forward: Avoid less, Accept more, Attach better. Through Scripture, neuroscience, and the “Please, Thank You, Yes” prayer model, we learn how to meet anxiety with God's presence and grow a deep, lasting peace.

When Jesus says, “Do not worry,” he's not dismissing anxiety—he's inviting us into a deeper way of living. Join us as explore how anxiety isn't just something to silence, but a signal—an invitation to pay attention to what is going on under the surface, and discover Jesus' invitation to return to the Father's love.

What can we practically do when relationships fall apart — when life “goes east”? In this message, Dan invites us into the slow, sacred work of reconciliation. Rooted in 2 Corinthians 5, we explore how God makes His appeal through us, calling us to be peacemakers in a fractured world. With practical tools like the Ladder of Integrity and the posture of curiosity over defensiveness, this talk offers hope-filled steps for heading towards peace.

What do you do when a relationship breaks down — when the last conversation hurt, or the message notification makes your stomach drop, or the distance between you and someone feels unbridgeable? In this episode of When Life Goes East, we explore the reasons under the surface why relationships fracture and how we begin the hard, healing work of reconciliation. Through the ancient stories of Genesis 3 and 4, personal reflection, and pastoral wisdom, Dan openly tries to uncover the hidden emotions and unspoken boundaries that sabotage connection — and discover the God who runs to meet us on the road back home.

What do we do when life unravels—when prayers go unanswered, dreams die, or suffering lingers longer than we'd hoped? In this first episode of When Life Goes East, Alisha explores a bigger story—the biblical arc from creation to fall, from exile to redemption. This isn't just a conversation about pain—it's about learning to live with honesty, hope, and deep faith in the God who meets us in the valley. Because even when life goes east of Eden, the story isn't over.NOTE — Due to a technical difficulty with this sermon recording, the last 10 minutes are unrecorded. A transcription of the missing part is available on our website.

Join us for a different ending to The Familiar Stranger series — a special Q+A Sunday where Dan, Alisha, and some friends of Central Vineyard answered various questions sent in about life with the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to be a church truly aligned with the Holy Spirit? Using the image of a sailing crew “seeing the wind,” this message explores how the early Church responded together in one accord to the Spirit's movement. It's about being united as a community marked by both the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, living self-giving love in everyday life. Join us to discover how the Spirit aligns us for Kingdom purposes, creating a community filled with awe, generosity, joy, and growth. Learn how we can recognise and respond to the Spirit's movement — together.

Pentecost often slips by unnoticed in our cultural calendar—but what if it's one of the most important days of all? In this message from Acts 2, we explore Pentecost as the day the Church was born and sent into the world. It's not just about fire and wind—it's about mission, courage, and God's presence breaking into ordinary people for the sake of others. The Spirit fills us, yes—but not so we stay in the Upper Room. We're filled to be sent. So… where is the Spirit sending you?

What if true freedom isn't something you chase—but something the Spirit gives? This week in The Familiar Stranger series, we explore The Spirit who brings freedom—not always by changing our circumstances, but by transforming us from the inside out. In a world obsessed with personal freedom yet plagued by anxiety and isolation, the Spirit invites us into a deeper kind of liberation—one rooted in the presence of Jesus. Teaching out of 2 Corinthians 3, Alisha looks at the Spirit that unveils Jesus and helps us to walk with Him daily.

Life has become so loud—notifications, headlines, conversations, distractions—that tuning in to God's voice can feel impossible. In this message, Dan gets personal about his own hearing loss, the noise that surrounds us, and the quiet whisper of the Spirit that we're so often missing. Drawing from Elijah's encounter on Mount Horeb and Jesus' words as the Good Shepherd, we explore what it means to move beyond just hearing—to truly listening, recognising, and knowing the voice of God. This sermon is a gentle invitation to step away from the noise and into stillness, where the Spirit speaks in the whisper.

Have we settled for knowing about God instead of truly knowing Him? In this Pentecost series opener, we explore how the Holy Spirit—often the most ignored member of the Trinity—isn't a force to harness, but a Person to know. Drawing from John 14 and Tyler Staton's The Familiar Stranger, we ask why the Spirit feels like a stranger to so many, and how we can begin to walk with Him as a friend. If you've ever felt distant from the Holy Spirit or unsure how to relate to Him, this first talk of the series is a gentle but powerful invitation to start again.

This Stories Sunday, we're taking a moment between series to name something beautiful God is doing in our midst: forming us more and more into an intergenerational whānau. Drawing from Joseph Hellerman's When the Church Was a Family and Jesus' redefinition of family in Mark 3, we explore the vision of church as a spiritual household — where we belong to one another across every age and stage. Alongside this reflection, we hear a collection of stories from within our community that show this vision coming to life in real and inspiring ways.

What does worship really cost us—and what does it say about who we love most? In this sermon Alisha dives into the unforgettable story of Mary and the alabaster jar, where a year's wages are poured out in a single act of extravagant devotion. She takes us through the tension between image and surrender, we explore how real worship isn't polished—it's costly. This isn't about emotional hype. It's about devotion that dares to let go of control, reputation, and safety for the sake of love.

1 Peter 2:5 offers two powerful images: we are called to be living stones and holy priests. In this message, Dan unpacks the confronting challenge in this passage—the difference between simply attending worship and actively tending to it, like a priest caring for the presence of God. In a culture steeped in consumerism, we're invited out of passive Christianity and into a participatory life of worship, where we minister, create, serve, and handle. Worship isn't something we watch—it's something we do.

Worship is both structured and spontaneous—like a classical quartet following a set score and a jazz trio freely improvising together. In this episode, we explore what it means to worship with Kingdom expectation, embracing both the known and the unknown, the planned and the Spirit-led. Through scripture, including Colossians 3:16 and the Lord's Prayer, we uncover the deep connection between worship, prayer, and expectancy. What happens when we make space for the Spirit to lead? How do we prepare for the spontaneous? Join us as we lean into a posture of faith-filled anticipation, longing for God's Kingdom to break in among us.

Worship holds a hidden power: what we behold, we become. This week, we explore the transformative nature of worship—not as a call to conformity, but to true transformation. Worship reveals the direction of our hearts and offers a space for reorientation. Join us as Donald Goodhall unpacks this theme through Psalm 115 and the lives of three men—St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and Amos—exploring what it means to behold and become.

Worship is more than just thoughts in our heads—it's love expressed through our whole selves. This week, we explore embodied worship and how our physical actions—singing, kneeling, clapping, lifting hands—are vital expressions of our love for God. Just like we naturally respond with our bodies at a concert or when holding a newborn, true worship invites us to respond fully to God's love. Join us as Rob Wiseman unpacks Psalm 95 and what it means to offer our whole selves in worship.

Worship isn't something we manufacture—it's our response to God's love. Love, Returned explores how true worship flows like 1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us.” We don't initiate worship; we step into what God has already begun. It's about intimacy, not performance—opening our hearts, not striving. Join us as we rediscover worship as a love story, not a task.