Podcasts - Sutton Vineyard Church

Hannah shares how Ezra 10 isn't the triumphant ending that we may anticipate once God's people had rebuilt the temple. Disappointment and pain followed. How can we learn from Ezra how to approach disappointment in our own lives?

Have you ever wondered what the way to God might be? This week, Libby explores how we might find the way to God. Starting at Genesis, at the very beginning, and continuing through Ezra's journey of rebuilding the temple as a temporary way for the exiled Jewish people to reconnect with God, all the way to the moment Jesus became the only way. Libby highlights Jesus' powerful declaration in John 14:6, "I am the way," explaining how His life, death, and resurrection established the ultimate and only path to the Father. Now, through faith in Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we have direct and open access to God.

Did you know that the most important part of the temple isn't the building itself? This talk from Paul explores Ezra Chapter 7 and what it means for us today. It's not about grand structures or religious routines, but something much more personal: our hearts. This message delves into how Ezra's journey to Jerusalem highlights God's desire for a genuine connection with each of us. So, let's ask: What does it truly mean to make your heart a 'Holy of Holies' for God, and how does that change everything?

This week Libby and Julian unpack chapter 5 of Ezra, and talk about the church being the church that spills over into the community and beyond! A part of this is aligning our finaces with our vision so listen in for more about how our finances are aligned with our purpose.

Pete compares a trip to the dentist with Ezra 4 and the Dark Night of the Soul. Sound strange? It is. But also strangely comforting. Whether your progress has stalled outwardly or your faith feels dry inwardly, this message is for anyone who's ever wondered, “Where is God when nothing is moving?” Want to know how a root canal connects to revival? Hit play.

Libby unpacks Ezra 1-2, where God calls exiled Israelites to rebuild Jerusalem, a parallel to how we need restoration in different areas of our life and world too. God's enduring promises, fulfilled through a pagan King in the account of Ezra, inspire action. The Israelites' return highlighted God's faithfulness amidst ruins. The call to rebuild was both physical and spiritual, restoring the Temple and their relationship with God. This echoes Jesus' call to build His Kingdom, demanding sacrifice. We're urged to identify "ruins" in our lives and communities, actively participating in God's restoration, grounded in faith, with hope in Jesus, the ultimate Restorer.

Sam finished our series on Acts by looking at Acts 9 and the Road to Damascus, where we hear about Saul's dramatic transformation. Sam explores what this says about God's love and absolute willingness to forgive all of us, as well as what we can learn from Ananias about how he treats Saul. Offering love and forgiveness changes people, can change their lives, and it is the foundation of the Christian faith. We are instructed to take that out to others.

This week Libby talks about the profound truth that God knows and calls each of us by name. Drawing from Isaiah 49:1, she highlights God's universal, personal, and deep call. Just as a child recognises their parent's voice, we, as believers, are urged to listen for God's voice. Libby emphasises the church's role in nurturing faith through prayer, encouragement, discipleship, and generosity. It calls for intentional listening and action, reminding us that God's love and plan are intimately woven into our lives, as beautifully expressed in Psalm 139.

Dr John Andrews takes us through the simple but powerful lesson of listening and obeying. As we turn to Acts 8, we see Philip being uniquely used by God simply because he listened. How can we listen to God as we follow the prompts of the Holy Spirit?

Challenges come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, they are practical; other times, they are spiritual; and sometimes, they are both. We never want to over-spiritualise things that are just natural, but as Christians, we can sometimes downplay spirituality. Stephen could see with spiritual eyes Christ in the middle of his pain, we too must see with spiritual eyes.

Have you ever had your confidence knocked or been unsure about where to place your confidence? When it comes to faith, we are told to place our confidence in the Lord, but what does that look like? We drop in on Stephen's account in the book of Acts and learn how his confidence in God inspires us to rely on the Lord.

Explore how we can live with others and live for others with the account of “The Choosing of the Seven” in Acts 6:1-7. We are perfectly positioned to reach and serve the vulnerable and marginalised with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Obedience is an uncomfortable word. We usually think of control and oppression, but God's call to obedience leads us to become more like Jesus. Sometimes obedience is costly, but as we choose to submit our hearts and lives to Jesus, God begins to shape in us his good and perfect desires for our lives.

This week, we share stories from across our church, looking at those reaching out and being built up. Everybody has a story, and sharing it causes other people to build hope and faith. Listen to some of those powerful stories that speak of God's goodness and love as he uses us for his purpose.

Happy New Year! Join us as we take time to reflect together on 2024 and to lean in and listen to what we sense the Lord saying for this year. We often begin with hopes, dreams and goals, but we want to see what the Lord says and how he might lead us into a year of expectation.

With the pressing in of Christmas and the year's accumulation, we can find ourselves stressed out. Widespread exhaustion and anxiety are felt by many, and within that, we meet Jesus with a call to find peace and solace despite stress.

Expect the unexpected... or at least expect Jesus, who comes to us in unexpected ways. God is not predictable but breaks through with his kingdom in the most unlikely ways. He comes with tidings of discomfort and joy!

Even in the holiday cheer, we can be met with fear. Delve into anxieties or uncertainties in a world fraught with challenges, reframing the hopeful question into shared worries and a light that dispels fear.

With courage comes risk, and with risk comes discomfort. Hannah journeys through Acts 4:1-22 challenging us to partner with the Holy Spirit as Peter and John did, and how we can see reward when taking courageous risks partnered with the Lord.

In this talk, Paul takes a look at Acts 2:42-47, and how it challenges us to live a life marked by love, sacrifice, and availability. Are we truly aware of God's love and His call on our lives? Are we willing to respond, even when it's inconvenient or challenging? Join us as we explore the heart of the early church and discover how to live a life that makes a difference.

Are you feeling lost in the hustle and bustle of life, caught up in your own self-centered narrative? This sermon explores the importance of stepping into God's grand story, a narrative that offers purpose, meaning, and transformation. Discover how baptism can be a powerful symbol of joining this divine story, aligning your life with God's eternal plan.

This Sunday Sam continued our series through Acts, looking at Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost: the day when the Lord's spirit came in power to the early followers of Jesus. We read how the permanent indwelling presence of God descended and filled the followers of Christ, and the unifying impact it had on many around them that day. We are all invited to dwell in the Holy Spirit. Sam explored how profound this is and how many people see the day of Pentecost as a real representation of the reversal of the story of the Tower of Babel.

Often, we get our sense of worth from what we do. But what do you do when you no longer get to do what you used to do? In other words, how do we respond when circumstances change, and we can no longer do something we once loved or found fulfilling? Are we more in love with what we do than the one we do it for? Is serving Jesus in any way he wants more important than our own preferences?

Hannah opens our new series by exploring our Purpose through Acts 1:11 and how we should focus on doing more being than doing.

Ever wondered if love at first sight is real? In today's sermon Pete will make you rethink everything. He dives deep into the concept, using personal stories and biblical wisdom. Discover the profound truth about God's unconditional love and how it's the ultimate purpose of our lives.

On Vision Sunday, Libby and Julian talk about what God has been saying to Sutton Vineyard this season, that we are being called to go deeper with God. They update us on some exciting new things in the life of our church, we take time to commission our new Community Pastor, Claire, and we hear about the growing relationships with our mission partners in South Africa.

Have you ever considered God's leadership style? He definitely has one! In this talk, Paul goes over the final day of the creation story in Genesis to discover what it is. Then he looks at how both Jesus and Esther have the same creative, relational leadership style as God the Father. He also mentions gardens and tassled wobbegongs, but that's just par for the course.

On the penultimate Sunday of our Created to Create series Sam looks at Imagination and what it means “to be creative”. Too often we say we aren't creative but the freewill the Lord gave us means we create without knowing, whether we like it or not!! The big question is what we do with it. We are invited to create in the Lord's image, just as we were created in God's likeness.

The rhythm of your life determines the sound of your soul. Our habits and experiences shape who we are. The rhythms we have in place can feed our soul or deplete it. Using the analogy of music, our lives are like note in the symphony of God's creation. So, what is the sound of your soul and what rhythms do you have that help you stay in tune with your heavenly Father?

The world around us can teach us how to creatively flourish where we are planted. It is vital to be firmly rooted in the fertile soil of church community, continually working the ground of our creative spiritual lives and enjoy the creativity found in community.

You might not think about structure as something creative, but we were created by a God who brought order out of chaos and structure for the world to take shape and create space for incredible beauty. Structure creates space for growth, and as we explore day 2 of creation, we may discover how creating structure in our lives can help us thrive.

We are created by a creative God. Too often, we dismiss creativity as something for 'creative' people, but there are all kinds of creativity. God has made us with a desire to create - each carrying a spark of his inspiration. How might art and inspiration draw us close to the creator as we discover beauty in his creation?

The church is the people, and today, we celebrate the incredible dedication and love of everyone who has served at SVC this year. We honour everyone who has helped create space for Jesus to be worshipped and his table extended to the least, the lost, the near, and the far-off. Thank you all!

Are you tired of feeling dissatisfied, no matter what you have? Join Pete as he explores the Apostle Paul's surprising secret to contentment, found in Philippians 4:11-13. Learn how to find peace and joy in any circumstance, even when life throws you curveballs. This isn't about pretending everything's perfect, but discovering a deep-rooted contentment that comes from knowing God. Uncover the surprising truth about how contentment is a learned skill, not a magical feeling. Most importantly, discover the divine power that enables true contentment.

Feeling anxious? You're not alone. This Sunday, we dive into Philippians and explore 7 practical steps revealed by Paul in his letter to the Philippians that can lead you to a deeper connection with God and lasting peace.

What we focus on fuels our thoughts. Have you ever been stuck thinking about something that consumes all of your attention? When we invite Jesus into our lives, we become citizens of heaven and with new citizenship comes a new focus that consumes our thoughts with a healthy focus. This Sunday, we explore what it means to have a new focus as Citizens of Heaven.

It can be so easy to fall into the trap of trying to 'earn' righteousness, but this can be a slippery slope to legalism. Paul offers us some wisdom in Philippians, urging all of us to priortise our relationship with Jesus and know Him better, as it is through Him righteousness is found. Join us as we spend some time looking at Philippians 3:1-11 and the wisdom Paul offers us for our lives today.

"Have you ever said out loud or in a prayer, 'I'm just not sure I'm always a good Christian'? I look at the lives of some Christians, and they all seem so holy. We can be forgiven for thinking that coming to Jesus means we become perfect. In truth, we still struggle and mess up; the difference is that we have the light of Jesus, which helps set us on a radiant road. Join us as we explore what it means to walk in the light of Jesus. "

Do you ever wonder what true humility really looks like? How do we cultivate a heart that prioritises others in a world that constantly tells us to chase achievements at all costs? This sermon by Libby, diving into Philippians 2:1-11, challenges our understanding of humility. Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but prioritising other people's needs and reflecting the selfless character of Christ.

We will find ourselves in different levels of adversity in our lives. It comes to us in many forms. As we walk with Jesus we find ourselves living with a different perspective. When we live for eternity, we overcome adversity by seeing things from a Heavenly perspective. The joy with high in Jesus causes us to rise above adversity.

Jesus is at work in our hearts as we walk the shadowed path of this world. We are being transformed, going from glory to glory (to quote Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:18). We have been saved from a lost eternity, restored to a reconciled relationship with the Father, but that work of glory is incomplete. What does it look like to walk through through the shadows of this world, knowing we are incomplete, but living with the hope of one day being fully complete in Jesus?

What is your life's purpose? Are there ways we can be so overly convinced of our ideas that we are blinded to God's intended purpose for our lives? Consider the awe-inspiring transformation in Paul's life when he encountered Jesus-his purpose was radically redirected and his plans were dramatically changed. As you encounter Jesus, may you find your sense of purpose in serving him, and may he reveal a new direction in your life.