CityLight Vineyard Church

It seems counterintuitive, but Biblical sacrifice doesn't lead to pain and sadness, it leads to joy. The sacrifice that Jesus invites us into is an act of worship. That act of worship brings us closer to Him and works to set us free from the power of greed and materialism. It is a part of our spiritual practice that is inspired and empowered by Jesus' immeasurable act of sacrifice on the cross. 

Guest speaker, Phil Chorlian, challenges each of us about those times in life when we are faced with a decision: will we respond with faith or fear? Fear leads us to maximize the obstacles and forget about God's provision in our lives. Faith reminds us of who God is, and encourages us to trust in Him. 

Today marks the start of a new season at CityLight! God has been showing us in this new season to pray and dream and raise money for the future! In this first teaching, Christian shares about where we've come from and where we're going as a church. He shares the vision for what a permanent location could look like for CityLight. And he shares the plan for how to get there!

When Jesus rose from the dead He initiated a new day for our relationship with Him. Our ability to walk with Him was changed that day, forever. As we read Jesus' words about this relationship, we discover the incredibly offer for us to live daily both filled by Him, and hidden in Him.

Do you need a fresh start in your life? Are you stuck in a bad habit, an old thought pattern, or an unhealthy relationship? Let's look together at the story of Peter's three denials of Jesus, and see how Jesus offered him a fresh start. We'll learn some valuable lessons for how we too can find a fresh start in Jesus.

The resurrection of Jesus changes everything for us. His life gives us life, freedom, purpose, and more. But sometimes we find ourselves living like He is still in the tomb. Be encouraged by this Easter message to live your life like Jesus is alive and with you!

In this teaching, we are challenged to talk to those around us about Jesus. What happens if we become lovingly bolder in sharing our faith? There are so many people in our daily lives seeking answers or trying to find something to hold onto in this world. We know God can be the answer and light that they so desperately need! Let's listen and hear how each of us, can ask God, to stretch us to reach out to those around us. 

Life puts a lot of baggage on us! We have to carry other people's expectations, stress from work, family issues, health issues, and more. As we look at Psalm 62, we find a deep source of encouragement as we learn that trying harder isn't always the solution. Often the way through the struggle isn't by relying on ourselves more, it's by relying on Him. He in turn is our strength, our protection, and our path. 

This world throws many punches at us and they can be a struggle!  As we finish our study of 1 John, we discover that following Jesus means that we are overcomers! By His grace, strength, and power we can overcome! If you are feeling stuck, this is a teaching for you!

How strong is your love reflex? When presented with a situation where it might be difficult for you to act in love, how do you respond? As we study 1 John, it becomes vividly clear that God's love reflex is to do whatever it takes for those He loves. When we wonder how to love someone, all we need to do is look at the cross. So how does that inform our love reflex? How can we strengthen our love reflex? And how can we learn to love people like Jesus does?

When we come to Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, His light begins to dispel the darkness in our lives. At the beginning of creation God said, "Let there be light!," it is in this same way Jesus comes into our lives as the true light that casts out all darkness. The exciting part is that it doesn't stop with us! As we are transformed by His love and mercy, we become more like Him every day! We become the light that shines in the world, sharing His love and gospel message with others!

As we begin our study of the book of 1 John, we look at how important it was that the followers of Jesus would be people of the Truth. Not just people who told the truth, but people who lived according to the revealed Truth of Jesus! Much like today, John was battling against many ideologies that threatened to pull people from the true faith in Jesus. His encouragement and challenges ring true for us today! When we apply them to our lives we will see our faith strengthened!

As we begin our study of the book of 1 John, we look at the importance of the  followers of Jesus being people of the Truth. Not just people who told the truth, but people who lived according to the revealed Truth of Jesus! To follow the example Jesus gave us through His life and teachings. Much like today, John was battling against many ideologies that threatened to pull people from the true faith in Jesus. His encouragement and challenges ring true for us today—as we learn to apply them to our lives we will see our faith strengthened!

What if we let Jesus into the "Now ", in the daily aspects of our lives. What if we saw the highs and lows in our lives as moments of opportunity for us to allow Jesus into those places in our lives? When we do, we are sure to see He is moving in each and every aspect of our lives. Let's listen as Brad Dunn shares from his heart how God has moved in the "Now", in his life. 

Jesus invites all of his followers to "remain in Him."What does that look like, and how do we do it? In this teaching, we look deeply at His teaching on the "vine and the branches" and how it can change who we are becoming as people!

Have you ever asked yourself these questions: Does God hear my prayers? Am I just talking to the air? How do I know what to pray about? What's the point of prayer? If so, you aren't alone. Many of us have asked these very honest and sincere questions. In this message we try to address seven ways that prayer can change your life. It may not be easy, but prayer is rewarding, formative, and yes, life changing!

We all want a relationship with God that is robust and can help through the hardest times of life. We want to feel connected, inspired, and filled with His presence. Often, we want that kind of faith without putting in the real work. In this message we address three big questions often asked about how to get closer to God. We also will offer some practical advice on how to get more connected with God. 

Jesus is very clear that He is the only way to true relationship with God and salvation. So what about other religions? Is it fair to claim that there is only one true religion? Is it fair that God would only provide one way to salvation? What about people who have never heard of Jesus? In this teaching, we hope to shed some light on the hope found in Jesus as we address these questions and more.

This is a question that people have been asking for millennia. This question is still relevant and one we all will ask in our lives. Other questions we also face are, What is my purpose? Do I have a calling? As we look at Scripture we'll find that God has created each of us individually on purpose for a purpose!

In the Bible there is a different kind of joy that is referenced multiple times. It is called "joy in the Lord." How is joy in the Lord different from other kinds of joy? How can we cultivate this joy on a daily basis and it all situations? In this teaching, Christian offers 10 passages of Scripture that shed light on how each of us can live in the joy of the Lord!

God cares deeply for those who are living with lack, struggling in life, or suffering from difficult circumstances. Throughout the Bible the poor, the mistreated, the lonely, have been His priority. Jesus came not just to give people the hope of salvation, but also hope today, in this life. He chooses to give them that hope through the church! How can we use what God has given us to bless, care for and encourage those around us who are suffering and struggling?

The amazing truth hidden in Psalm 16, is that no matter how low we get or how hard life gets, God has got us. Because Jesus raised from the dead He offers us a new life! With this new life in Jesus we can have full confidence of knowing God in a very intimate way. When we do, that confidence provides us with security, sustenance for our souls and the benefits of salvation. 

In the story of Moses we see an incredible picture of the lengths at which Jesus will go to free us from our bondage to sin and death. The beauty of this story is that God is the main character. He is the one who brings freedom, deliverance and healing. It is a free gift of His grace, just like the work He does in our lives today. We can find peace in knowing that the work is fully done. We learn to simply receive from His love and peace in our lives.

When we read the Old Testament story of Joseph, we see a picture of the whole life and ministry of Jesus. One key theme that is evident within whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, God will lift us up! Let's listen as we study together how God lifted up Joseph. We will see how this reflects how Jesus, will in turn, lift you up.

We all face the same test, don't we? The test of whether we will choose to follow God's way for our lives or choose to go our own way. Abraham was faced with this test, Jesus was faced with this test, and we are faced (almost daily!) with this test. In the passages about Abraham and his son, Isaac, we see the powerful foreshadowing of Jesus. In this incredible story, we see how Jesus will ultimately pass this test once and for all to free us from the power of sin and death. He will invite each and every one of us into a loving relationship with Him. A Father who held nothing back in his effort to redeem us. We are both encouraged by His act of sacrificial love and challenged to do the same for others!

We could also use more power for living, couldn't we? Power to live for God? Power to live full of peace? Power to live full of love for others? Guest speaker, Pastor Ray Longwood, exhorts us to live lives set apart for Jesus. In doing so, God will fill us with His power for living!

Living in this world will drain you! Life will wear you out if you aren't careful. But God has given us a way to be refreshed, replenished, and renewed—His presence! God invites all of us to the oasis of His presence. The hard part is making time to cultivate that in our lives. Will you?

As we continue our series on how we can engage with politics in this election season, we look at the Biblical principles of justice, humility and hope. These can guide us as we engage with politics and civic engagement.

In this election season, does Jesus offer us any guidance on how we show up as Christians? In this teaching we explore the politically divisive climate of Jesus' day. We see how He and His followers chose to engage in a new way. Jesus challenges us to rise above the fray to  bring peace and love to even those we disagree with most vehemently.

When we go through difficult times, often our struggles can be so consuming, it becomes hard for us to see God working. The truth is that God is working in us, through us and for us. This is one of the many ways that following Jesus brings us hope in our most challenging trials.

As we continue our series on "Bad Strategies", we are challenged to keep pursuing Jesus even when we don't see the outcomes we have prayed and hoped for. In this teaching, we dive into the story of Moses' mother, Jochebed. We see how a Mother's love continues and finds a way for her son! This is what God does for us! He is always working to see His children come to Him.  

Guest speaker, Andrew Greenplate, shares the Biblical vision for how God transforms cultures and nations, one person at a time. He shares passionately about God's mission to reach those far from Him and that begins locally but extends globally!

When you face problems, do you tend to isolate from other people? How is that working for you? In this teaching, we explore the story of Elijah and how God brought others into his life to support him. In this provision, Elijah could get through the hardest part of his life. We don't have to face our problems alone, especially as followers of Jesus. God has given us each other. If only we would use that amazing resource!

When we face the hard times of life, it can be tempting to just ignore them and hope they go away. As we look at the story of Jonah we discover that ignoring your problems only makes them worse. Can we learn, instead, to face our problem with the grace and help of God? In choosing to let Him into our problems, we guarantee we never have to face our problems alone. 

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus poses a choice to all of us. Will we choose the way of Jesus? Or will we choose one of the many other "easier" paths to follow. Jesus promises us that His path, while more difficult, will ultimately lead to true life!

Jesus wraps up the main portion of the Sermon on the Mount with perhaps one of His most famous one-liners: The Golden Rule. It is so simple anyone can do it, and yet so hard, no one can do it without God's help. What if we started to put ourselves in other's shoes and treat them the way we wish they'd treat us? How would that change our relationships, our communities, and even the world?

Jesus invites us to a lifestyle of prayer. Not just a one-off prayer but a consistent, relationship-driven, full-hearted life of prayer. Guest speaker, Brad Dunn speaks about the power of prayer in our daily lives. The need for patience when we pray. The power of hearing the testimonies of others.

As we continue our series on, The Sermon On The Mount, we read in Matthew 7, where Jesus commands each of us to not judge one another. Jesus challenges us to evaluate how we look at ourselves and one another. Do we tend towards the critical, the snap judgment and the negative evaluation? Or do we tend to be like Jesus in how we view one another - with grace, forgiveness and thinking the best?

No matter what stage of life you are in, there is plenty to be anxious about these days. Yet, in the middle of the chaos of life, Jesus invites us to "not worry." How does this work? How is it even possible? In this teaching we look at several "truth anchors" in the Word. These anchors can hold us fast to His peace when the world is a storm of anxiety.

This week we interview two teenagers (Noelle and Maddie Robinson) at CityLight to talk about what it looks like to live for Jesus with an "undivided heart" as a teen. They share some personal insights that will be helpful for teens and adults alike. If you are a parent - definitely have your teens listen!!! If you are an adult - listen as much of what they share pertains to adults and faith too! Or listen just because you like to laugh!!

Jesus encourages us to store up treasures in heaven rather than focusing our energy on storing up treasures on earth. What does this mean for you? Clearly, He is teaching that there is more to life than just making money and being comfortable. It can be challenging to not be distracted by this fast paced life of consuming more. What can we do to refocus ourselves God's priorities? How can each of us learn to keep our hearts focused on the eternal treasures? 

The Good Life Podcast is back! In this episode we discuss with Mandy Dunn the importance of our secret life with God and she shares some personal insights on how reading the Bible continues to be so powerful for her. She also shares some of her story of how hard worship leading is for her. And, of course, we talk about a lot of other really off topic things!

Before we practice our faith in the presence of others, we need to be practicing our faith before an, "audience of one." In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to have a robust "secret life" of faith. He stresses that God sees what we do in secret and He will reward us. He is looking to have our hearts, and not just our actions.

When Jesus talks about loving your enemies, it can be easy to dismiss it as irrelevant for our lives since most of us don't have literal enemies. What can we learn from this teaching for our lives? How can we apply Jesus' encouragement to pray for, love, and do good for those who are difficult for us?

Guest speaker John Elmer invites us to consider the "holy discontentment" God has placed inside each of us. What gets us up in the morning? What gets us stirred up in our hearts enough to DO something about it? John challenges us to use the gifts and talents God has given each of us. To use them in this world for His purposes. Listen and be challenged! Lean into who God has made you to be! There is only ONE you! 

Why does God care if we lust after other people? Why does God care who we sleep with? In this teaching we cover both of these questions and more, as we look at how God can help us live with sexual wholeness in an over-sexualized culture.

In this episode we dig deeper into Jesus' teaching about contempt, anger, and reconciliation.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus puts His finger on our relationships. Where are we hurting? Where are we harboring resentment, anger or bitterness? How can we move towards forgiveness and reconciliation? Jesus emphasizes that the community of believers will be the light of the world. If we are to be that light  we need to learn to love each other -- and that will always require doing the hard work. Relationships are a gift from God, but they aren't easy. In the hard work though, we will find God's grace and healing.

Listen in as Amos and Christian discuss what it means for us to be the Salt and Light of the earth - and how when Christians live by the Word of God, we really do offer the world an hopeful alternative!

What happens when the people of God live by the Word of God? It draws the world to God! The world is looking for Christians, for churches, who live by the Word of God. Who love like Jesus, serve like Jesus and live like Jesus. When we live according to His Word, we become that light that those living in darkness need. Are you living in the light? 

During our new sermon series, "The Good Life", we will be releasing midweek mini podcast discussions about the text from the previous Sunday. This week's episode is a conversation with Kevin Schneider about the Beatitudes. Enjoy!