The Vine Church

For many people, their job is merely “the daily grind” needed to provide for family or pay the bills. Yet our work is a vital means for fulfilling God's purpose for our lives and displaying his grace to those around us. We bear God's image in our workplaces, experiencing his blessings and expressing his nature through our efforts, integrity, creativity, generosity, and excellence. No earthly chore is without the opportunity to observe his divine hand. No challenge in task or relationship is without opportunity to represent God's heart. In this podcast, author and pastor Bryan Chapell shares this biblical perspective of vocation, explaining how God gives purpose to our work by making it an instrument of his grace to our own hearts, as well as a way of bringing his goodness and glory into our world. Chapell explains how we can worship God by our work, rising above drudgery, duty, or self-interest with the understanding that our jobs are unique callings for displaying God's character and care. Our work is worship when we see the glory beyond the grind, the mission in the mundane, and the grace at work.

Pastor Doug Logan is the Vice President of Advancement for the Acts 29 church planting network. He has many years of pastoral experience working among people in poverty in the inner city. Doug has a deep passion for the truth of God's word to penetrate every aspect of human life. You will hear his passion from the very beginning of this conversation.

David and Linda Johnson are faithful members of The Vine Church. They are unique at The Vine because we don't have many members who are in their sixties or seventies. But the Bible says that wisdom often comes with age and those who walk with the wise will become wise. So take 30 minutes and listen to the wisdom that comes from these beloved senior saints!

At The Vine, we are seeking to mobilize the church to serve different marginalized populations in Madison. Listen in for how we are calling all Vine members to take part in this!

At The Vine, our Sunday morning has an intentional structure. Have you ever wondered why we structure our service the way we do? If so, this podcast is for you! In the end, our service seeks to follow an order that reflects the movement of God in our world. After listening to this episode we are confident that it will provide new and rich meaning to your Sunday morning experience.

Mr. and Mrs. G live in a country in North Africa where they labor to see churches planted in a place where it is technically illegal to be a Christian. As you can imagine this is no small task, but God raises the spiritually dead here and there alike. Nothing is too hard for his Spirit. Listen in to learn more about their culture and the unique challenges of the work they are attempting to do. It's a fascinating conversation.

Christians belong to God's own family. This promise is difficult for some people to believe, and even for some believers to remember in their day-to-day struggles with shame or regret. But it's repeated throughout the Bible, reflected in Christ's genealogy, and true of the church today; God's family is filled with broken people whose stories are a testament to his staggering love. In He Is Not Ashamed, Erik Raymond takes a close look at the “family portrait” of God—filled with imperfect people throughout Scripture—and shows that God is not repelled by anyone's shameful past, but delights to redeem and receive those who believe in him. Studying Hebrews 2:11 and other passages in both the Old and New Testaments, Raymond shows that Jesus's heart is bent toward those who have an embarrassing history, feel far from God, or struggle with sin. By studying God's abounding love for undeserving people, Christians learn to accept his grace and confidently embrace their place in God's family portrait.

Today on The Vine Conversations podcast we welcome Emma Leeson, one of the directors of Every Daughter here in Madison, WI. Every Daughter is a ministry that seeks to engage with women who have been or are being trafficked and exploited sexually. See more information by going to their website at www.everydaughter.com

For most people with children, parenting is the best thing and the hardest thing they have to do in life. The little years can be especially exhausting but also so rewarding! In light of this, Zach and Kim Nielsen are joined by James Davenport for a well-rounded Biblical discussion concerning parenting our little ones for the glory of God.

In our search for meaning and purpose, we can be influenced by idols like outward beauty and ability, sex, abortion, and gender fluidity. Even good things like marriage and motherhood can become symbols of idolatry. We may sense that these counterfeits are hollow and leave us feeling unsettled, but where should we turn instead? Jen Oshman equips us to reject the empty, cultural promises of our age and recognize our unshakable and eternal identities in Jesus. Addressing timely topics such as the sexual revolution, LGBTQIA+, social media, and feminism, Oshman provides compelling cultural analysis and engaging discussion questions to help us uncover God's good design and purpose for our lives. Good news awaits—we really were made for so much more. Resources mentioned in the podcast: Article: Opinion: Consent is not enough. We need a new sexual ethic. Book: Rethinking Sex: A Provocation Jen's Book: Cultural Counterfeits

Hear an update from The Vine's very own, Justin and Laurel Eccles. What is going on in Ecuador? How is their ministry taking shape? What are they learning? How can we pray for them? All these questions answered and more! Check it out.

Today we welcome Mr G. (name abbreviated for security concerns) to the Vine Conversations Podcast. In this interview we learn more of what it means to plant churches In North Africa. The challenges to this task are certainly unique from an American perspective. Mr. G. recounts some heartbreaking stories, but also victories of God's word and Spirit in this part of the world. Don't miss it. It will inspire you.

Jonathan K. Dodson (MDiv; ThM) founded City Life Church with his wife, Robie, and a small group of people. They have three great children. Jonathan is also the founder of www.gcdiscipleship.com and author of several books including the award-winning The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing, Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Here in Spirit, and Our Good Crisis. You can find all of Jonathan's books here.

On The Vine Conversations podcast we welcome The Vine's very own, Naomi Ledgerwood. As a single person for her whole life, she has numerous insights and reflections about being single to the glory of God. This is an often overlooked topic in the local church and The Vine seeks to remedy that! Please tune in for this important conversation about what it means to single and how married people can attempt to walk in their shoes.