The Vine Church OC

Website: www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchOC​ Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: www.thevineoc.com/

Website: https://www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchOC​ Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: http://www.thevineoc.com/

Website: https://www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchoc Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: http://www.thevineoc.com/

Website: https://www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchoc Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: http://www.thevineoc.com/

Website: https://www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchOC​ Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: http://www.thevineoc.com/​

Website: https://www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchOC​ Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: http://www.thevineoc.com/​

Website: https://www.thevineoc.com/​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinechurchoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVineChurchOC​ Receive Weekly Updates from The Vine: http://www.thevineoc.com/

Behind all that we do in the world, including prayer for healing, is the need for us to be attentive to what God the Father is doing. As messengers sent by God with the authority to speak life into a place of death, we understand the gravity of the responsibilities God placed upon us. Thanks be to the Holy Spirit and under the authoritative name of Jesus, we have the ability to make huge impacts in this world for the glory of God!

In showing His wounds, Jesus revealed that He really had been nailed to the cross. He really had been pierced with the sword. The wounds are real and inflicted upon human flesh. Now, this is His real self, His real body. A body raised by God, a body that is actually, really there. What would your response be to seeing Jesus again?

On this Easter, we celebrate the risen Christ! A testimony from the scriptures that resonates in our souls as we hear the echos of Jesus' resurrection and stories of new life that continuously emerge in the lives of the people of God!

Some of us have felt powerless over the past, pandemic year. Work, mobility, health, and other valued things in our lives have been threatened. We had to isolate and dress ourselves with the garments of safety. However, we serve the One, in whom true power dwells. While the pandemic made us more aware of our weaknesses, the power of God is being revealed to us in new ways, through our human weaknesses. The key is to let go of expectations and let go of what we think is is right, normal, and even deserved. The real lesson is to learn that God's power, the unexpected, unpredictable, and life-giving Spirit that blows through our lives like the wind is being made known to us in new and fresh ways (through our weaknesses).

Hospitality requires the embracing of the stranger in such a way, that a change to the community is allowed. When our physical churches open up again, what we will have will not be the the old thing we enjoyed in the past; it will be something new. It will not be a resuscitation, but something in the lines of a resurrection, a new kind of body. Letting go of hostility is just the beginning!

Especially during this pandemic, we find ourselves without physical temples. As dispersed people, we lack a single geographical center. As a major silver lining, we find the authentic life of the people of God expressed in faithful communities. Overtime, these have emerged from monasteries, mission outposts, underground gatherings, homes and open spaces. Anywhere that devoted followers of Jesus can find in order to share this life that God has granted to us; a life that is for us and also for the sake of the world!

We can be a people of goodness when we view our rights as gifts, that empower us to live a shared life of mutual responsibility and care. It's amazing how our own needs get addressed in the process of serving others. Letting go of one's "self-determination" and serve experience something profound going on in their own lives. It just might be that this experience may be directly tied to them participating in God's goodness.

It may be good for us to ask ourselves what our experiences over the last year have revealed about our own need for healing. What is God showing us about our need for His fresh touch in our lives? What does it mean to let go of our shackles?

The picture is this: The mission of the people of God is to be present and faithful in a broken world where God is working, to reconcile that world to Himself and not counting their trespasses against them. Our laments demonstrate our solidarity with the world and our devotion to the God whose mission is to redeem it.

The Subversive Acts of True Humanity (Hebrews 13:1-16, John 15:12​-17)Mike McNichols 2021-2-14 by The Vine Church OC

Do we really need a High Priest? As the mediator for the new covenant between God and us, Jesus works in the present in-dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 5:1-10, 7:26-28, Mark 1:21-28). Mike McNichols shares as fully God and fully man, Jesus is the perfect example as our merciful and faithful High Priest!

The rest that God always desired for His people is not a geographic location. Rather, it is a centering in the very life of God (Hebrews 4:1-12, Mark 1:14-20). The invitation is not into their rest, but rather into His rest!

As Jesus is fully man, He became one of us (Hebrews 2:14-18, 3:1-8, John 1:43-51)! In Jesus, God experiences the full extent of the human experience: conception, birth, life, suffering, and ultimately death. Today, Pastor Mike McNichols preaches on one of the most human aspects of Jesus: being tested.

Some predict that many church buildings will be lost or reduced in size due to the pandemic. Yet, the longing continues for many of us. Pastor Mike McNichols contends that this longing should not be focused on what used to be, rather, this longing should be for God Himself (Psalm 84, Matthew 2:13-23).

From the earliest days of the church, we look forward to the coming of Jesus (Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Luke 2:22-40). From Jesus' birth and infancy, people understood there was something incredibly special about Jesus. Though there is sorrowful pain, suffering, evil, sin, and death in the coming of Jesus, these things do not have the last word. God, in Jesus Christ, comes with a message of reconciliation and healing for the world!

Today, Pastor Mike McNichols speaks on a sensical contradiction: how the gospels offer a counter-narrative to the world's logic (Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-38). Within the stories that insist on power and might, we see a triumphant emergence of strength in weakness and vulnerability; specifically, a story that leads from a birth of weakness, living in poverty, suffering helplessly, and dying brutally. Yet, a King will rise and through Him, God will be reconciling the whole world to Himself!

Whether we're experiencing, recounting, or rehearsing our stories of faith, we release the aroma of God that fills us with joy (Psalm 126:1-6, Luke 1:46-55)! Pastor Mike McNichols delves into how we might be able to find large pockets of joy in worship and intentional remembrance, especially during this pandemic.

Pastor Mike shares about expectations and hope (Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-8). What does it mean to have not a passive hope, but an active hope? It's hope in Jesus in whom we might remember both who we are and be the people of God's intentions. In the midst of this turmoil, we are to be a sign that points to Jesus and the reality of the Kingdom of God that is at hand.

As hope seems so far away, we are encouraged to look for the new season (1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37). God calls us to watch the present and be prepared for the future. Pastor Mike preaches that especially during a pandemic, we need not collapse into fear. We should be attentive to the moods and actions of our nation, but dare not replace the power and glory of God!

We are to be a people who are at the forefront of care for the needy, the sick, the imprisoned, the disenfranchised, and the oppressed (Zechariah 7:8-14, Matthew 25:31-46). We are to be a people leading the train of justice. Pastor Mike McNichols covers one important aspect of being a Christian. We are to stand with the suffering people of the world, meeting Jesus in "the least of these."

What will you do with your God given talents? Join us as Pastor Mike McNichols paints a picture of peace and security as we wait for Jesus. We do not have to fear nor be afraid of the unknown. As Jesus prepares his followers, He calls us to be faithful with what God has granted to us, and to participate in the work that is the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Watching for the One Who First Loved (Joshua 24:14-15, Matthew 25:1-13) Mike McNichols 2020-11-08 by The Vine Church OC

Pastor Mike McNichols covers not only the power of prayer, but the power of being weak and vulnerable in it (Romans 8:15-17, Romans 8:26-27, Matthew 6:5-13). Praying while directly addressing God as Father, the blood of Jesus moves our prayers from a declaration to an intimate moment with God.

Digging into Isaiah 52:3-7 and Matthew 13:24-30, Pastor Mike McNichols speaks upon God's kingdom at hand. With God's kingdom generously poured out into the world, we are called to participate in the life of this Kingdom as the weeds are exposed for what they really are. Scripture offers the answer to the age-old question, “Why are so many problems, sickness, and death in this world?”

Pastor Mike McNichols illustrates a picture of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). The dinner is prepared, and everything is ready. With God's free grace and righteousness in hand, how are we going to respond to the greatest invitation ever given?

As we ponder the gospel of Mark (10:35-45), Pastor Mike McNichols shares the truth that to be first in this Kingdom, we must be slaves of all. Most of us struggle with the big question, “What is my life's calling?” As Jesus' calling is sewn among us, we dig deeper into our character of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewing of the whole world.

As we navigate through anger and division in this world, God calls us to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). Pastor Mike McNichols offers several ways to do so while not only tolerating our neighbors, but loving them. In light of today's discord and disunion, our response should be “a love that flows from our entire selves, being given to God.” Emphatically, we should be loving in a sincere, honorable, and hospitable way (Romans 12:9-21).

Pastor Mike McNichols expounds upon the story of Jonah (Jonah 3:10-4:11), focusing specifically on God and his generous nature. As Jonah reluctantly steps into the experiential reality of his vocation and God's calling, he finds himself in God's working and active presence. Even in light of Jonah's own personal views on Nineveh, the God of the entire world responds with caring tenderness and kind generosity. The story of Jonah reminds us that God is present and at work in the most unlikely of places.

Referring to Jesus' prayer to his Father in John 17, asking that we would be one, Pastor Mike McNichols considers the question: How can we consider ourselves to be one even while we are so scattered? The source of our unity is God's love, and our work is to respond to that love. Our oneness comes from God alone and Paul offers a path towards that in Colossians 3:15 as he invites us to “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts”. As we do this we can be “one” for the sake of others.

Pastor Mike McNichols considers the question: How might we experience God as present to us even in a time of multiple disruptions? As we at The Vine find ourselves in an “in between” time of transition from one pastor to another, disorientation is multiplied by COVID19-restricted gathering and raging fires across the West. How can we learn from the disciples of Jesus who faced similar feelings of disappointment and distress (Luke 24)? Mike references the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake (magnitude 7.8) which leveled hills and raised others, leaving survivors disoriented by their changed landscape. Just as survivors relied on a compass to navigate their changed world, so we can orient ourselves around Jesus, our True North. As we do this together, we can experience Christ present to us in this time of multiple disruptions and transition.

Our bishop, Todd Hunter joins us for a special Service of Installation for our interim Pastor Mike McNichols and then shares a personal word of encouragement for The Vine. Drawing from Acts 13 and 16, Bishop Todd encourages us that we have reason to celebrate because we are living in a moment when we are being led by the Holy Spirit into a new season. He encourages us to continue seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit and find that according to Luke 11:13, there's no way asking for the leadership of the Holy Spirit without receiving it. “It's the reception of the Spirit, through the gifts of the Spirit, that gives the church the capacity to heal itself and the world.”

Pastor Michael Swanson preaches his last sermon to our congregation today. Drawing inspiration from Paul's farewell sermon to the Ephesians in Acts 20, Pastor Michael says goodbye. He outlines the history and values of The Vine in Phase 1 and encourages the church to head into Phase 2 with hope in God's goodness.

Kathleen Doyle of Vintage LA, concludes our summer series on Old Testament characters who encountered God. She shares about God's care for the broken-hearted and his faithfulness to those who trust him, as seen through the story of Hannah in I Samuel 1:3-18. Hannah is someone who experienced significant loss and deep shame imposed on her by her culture's values and expectations. Yet in the middle of this Hannah went straight to God in humility and poured out her whole heart. Kathleen encourages us to do the same, taking our hearts with all their emotions into God's presence to find healing.

What are the cries and outcries that tug at your heart? God is allowing you to hear those particular cries because he has appointed you as a “priest” to intercede on behalf of those particular people. Pastor Ger Jones of Vintage LA explains how through Abraham we can discover our unique and surprising calling to be priests in God's kingdom. We are priests who are “in Christ” and invited to function in God's love and authority. Will you step into this calling to be a priest that intervenes in prayer and action to see God's kingdom break through?

Pastor Ash Meaney, associate pastor at Vintage Church, continues our series on how God uses Old Testament characters despite their brokenness and weakness. He looks at Moses through the eyes of Stephen in Acts 7:20-36. Ash describes the life of Moses as “the transformation of the soul through the crucible of wilderness”, drawing three key lessons out of his life: a) our stories always shape us more than we think b) the wilderness is a place of profound transformation and c) God calls us in our weaknesses and beyond our abilities.

Do you find yourself connected to a person or a system that holds you back from what you really want? Dr. Henry Cloud, psychologist and best-selling author of over 45 books, addresses this question, sharing wisdom from the life of Lot. The Vine continues to join our sister church, Vintage Church LA, for their series on Old Testament characters whose lives were changed as God met them.

Do we put our trust in the promise, or in the God who promises? The answer makes all the difference! Dr. Bill Dogterom, professor at Vanguard University, shares this message entitled Abraham: Leaning Into Relational Obedience. This is the second in a summer series on how God met and changed characters from the Old Testament.

Ger Jones, lead pastor at Vintage Church LA, brings encouragement from 1 Samuel 17. God made you to be unique. There is no one like you and he made you for a reason. Sadly, often we struggle to find the freedom to be fully ourselves. Instead we are enslaved to what others think of us and trying to be someone we are not to get their approval and attention. Real transformation and purpose in God begins with finding the freedom to be fully who God made you to be. God brings that freedom - it's time to be fully you.

Ash Meaney, associate pastor at Vintage LA, shares two essentials that are fruits of a transformed life: our prayers and our proclamation. Nothing signifies our transformation with God more than the our hunger and devotion to prayer and our desire to share our faith with others. So Paul leaves us with some really practical instructions on how and what to pray for knowing they will be a source of maintaining our transformation and spiritual life, listing four key ingredients: devotion, watchfulness, thankfulness and purpose.

“Transformed people transform the world.” Pastor Ger Jones, lead pastor at Vintage Church LA, shares about “Finally Becoming Your Authentic Self”. In Colossians 3: 1-17, Paul confirms that we are new in Christ and yet we so often live out of old selves of anxiety, fear, and anger. Paul tells us how to live into who we already are in Christ by becoming our authentic selves. Change is possible not by willpower, but by arranging our lives around Jesus.

We may be living in a moment of the greatest social unrest since 1968 says Greg Ganssle, professor of philosophy at Biola University. Greg shares a timely message reminding us of the authority of Jesus over chaos, over all other authority, and over eight other areas, seen throughout the Gospel of Luke. This same authority is available today, in this current time of uncertainty. How will we respond?

Each of us has been uniquely gifted and invited into a specific calling or ministry. Ger Jones, lead pastor of Vintage Church LA encourages us to step into that unique ministry wholeheartedly, remembering four ingredients that Paul outlined in Colossians 1:24-29. Your ministry is a) for the sake of others, b) probably not visible, yet still vital c) sure to experience suffering and opposition d) a partnership with the Holy Spirit. As we embrace these aspects of our calling we can joyfully join God in his work around us and through us.

This final message in a series of three on Acts 2 describes two dramatic changes the Holy Spirit brought to that small gathering of believers at Pentecost. First, they were moved out of their building and into the streets, filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Secondly, they were moved towards fresh unity with a those of diverse languages, cultures, and customs. Pastor Michael suggests that right now we may be seeing a fresh work of the Holy Spirit as COVID-19 takes us out of our church building into our neighborhoods and as we hear God's invitation to racial reconciliation in this day. What if in the midst of all our current crises an outpouring of the Holy Spirit is on the way?

If ever there is a time we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it is now. To the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been added an increased awareness of systemic racial injustice and numerous riots in response. This second message in a series on Acts 2, explores our need for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to help us thrive in these uncertain times. Pastor Michael unpacks two important gifts we are given when the Holy Spirit is poured out: the actual presence of God and transformative power. Both of these were experienced by the early church at Pentecost which radically changed their lives from that day forward. But how can we lean in to receive what the Holy Spirit has for us?