Vineyard Church of Augusta Podcast

Reese LeRoy | Jesus understood the pain of rejection.  He was rejected by the very people he came to save.  The good news for us is that the One who was rejected chooses us, welcomes us, and loves us in all of life…including the times when we experience the fickleness of people and the pain of rejection.

Sam Sahyouni | What do we do when our world stops, but God seems to stay 20 miles away? In this installment of our LENT… For Real! series, we dive into the raw, messy, “Day 4” reality of the death of Lazarus in John 11. It's a story for anyone who has ever prayed an “if only” prayer—“Lord, if you had just been here, this wouldn't have happened.” We explore the unsettling tension of God's timing and why Jesus—the Resurrection and the Life—waited two extra days before showing up. Discover why the “blessing” of mourning isn’t found in the absence of pain, but in the proximity of a God who is called to our side (Parakaleo) to weep with us before He ever works a miracle. Whether you are like Martha, needing the “Head Truth” of the Kingdom, or like Mary, needing the “Heart Presence” of the God who weeps, this message is a reminder that your “Day 4” is not your final chapter. It's time to be unbound.

Reese LeRoy | There is an epidemic of loneliness in our world.  When we experience loneliness, Psalm 23 serves to remind followers of Jesus that we are really not alone.  God invites us to place our absolute trust and peaceful confidence in Him as our loving Shepherd and gracious Host.

Dr. Tamara Noel | We serve the God of miracle, signs, and wonders who displays His strength in the midst of His people. We are invited to come boldly to the Lord, fully confident that He is able to do more than what we can ever dream. Yet, in this world we will have trouble. Here are three key lessons for the believer to keep in mind about suffering.

Reese LeRoy | In John 3, Jesus interacts with a religious leader named Nicodemus.  Nicodemus came to Jesus with a number of questions that Jesus welcomed.  In their interaction, we see that a holy curiosity is a gift from our good and loving Heavenly Father who invites His children to come to Him with everything…including our questions.

Reese LeRoy | Our message series for Lent begins in Matthew 4 where we find Jesus in the wilderness.  In this difficult setting, the perfect Son of God demonstrates to broken humanity that we are perfectly created to need God’s love and care for our perfectly imperfect lives.

Don Pearson | The scriptures and the history of the church give testimony to the ministry of healing prayer. Jesus modeled it, Holy Spirit empowered it, 2000 years of church history testifies to it, and every believer can learn how to participate with Him in healing prayer.

Reese LeRoy | The prayer of blessing is a unique ministry tool that God gives us to affect His good purposes in people's lives.   The first thing God did after He created Adam and Eve was to bless them.  In Scripture we see that the blessing of God is not to be kept only for ourselves. It is to be shared and imparted to others because we are blessed to be a blessing.

Mary-Margaret LeRoy | When invite the Holy Spirit into our prayer time, he helps us and lovingly guides us. Romans tells us we don't know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit does.

Reese LeRoy | Our new message series on prayer continues with a focus on praying passages from the Bible.  When we pray Scripture, we use the words of the Bible to guide and inform our conversation with God. While there are many practical reasons to pray scripture, ultimately this approach helps our prayers become a truer reflection of the heart of God for ourselves and for others.

Reese LeRoy | We begin 2026 with a focus on prayer and a reminder that God invites each of us into a greater experience of spiritual growth and deeper intimacy with Him through amazing privilege. As St. Augustine wrote, “True, whole prayer is nothing but love.”

Reese LeRoy | In this final message from our Advent and Christmas series, we consider lessons about prayer and waiting from Simeon and Anna from Luke 2.  The message also includes a contemplative exercise where we reflect on 2025 and anticipate what God is inviting us into in 2026.

Dan Gaudinier | We might not have to be perfect for God to love us. But we do need to be ready to receive His love, to nurture our connection with God and others, and be bold to reveal His generosity to those around us.

Reese LeRoy | On this third Sunday of Advent, our focus is the joy of God’s kingdom.  This joy is not something we can engineer.  It is a grace – a gift of God that is rooted in faith in Him and an awareness of His presence with us at all times. With the story of the Wise Men, we see that joy is a pursuit of the heart that leads us to worship and results in blessings of direction and protection for our lives.

Robin Trafford | Because of Joseph’s obedience, the Prince of Peace was ushered into this world. We have the privilege of accessing this peace by inviting God’s Kingdom into our day to day lives.

Reese LeRoy | On the first Sunday of Advent, we focus on the hope we have in Christ.  By looking at the account of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke, we see how this hope is based on God’s character and His never-ending faithfulness to us.

Reese LeRoy | On this final Sunday of Compassion Month, we look at the story of Jonah and how God reveals His great compassion for the people of Nineveh.  In the life of Jonah, we see our human tendency to care more for the things that bring us comfort and pleasure than for the people who are lost and hurting.

Todd Matthews | Todd Matthews of His Feet International was our guest speaker.  Todd shared about his organization that focuses on making disciples of unreached people groups in Asia.  Todd challenged us with Jesus’ teaching from the Parable of the Great Banquet and explained how life’s interruptions can be opportunities for kingdom inbreakings and holy moments.

Mary-Margaret LeRoy | Jesus reveals the Father as he is moved with compassion to heal the sick and feed the hungry. We, in turn, are invited to be the hands and feet of Jesus. As he commanded the disciples to bring the loaves and fish to him, Jesus invites us to bring our resources as well as our brokenness to him. This sermon explains how this is the imprint we intend  to follow as we serve the poor.

Reese LeRoy | We begin Compassion Month at VCA with a focus on the compassion of our God.  Throughout scripture we see that God’s compassion is not merely emotional or passive.  It is always active and powerful, offering forgiveness and rescuing those who believe.

Duke Lancaster | Duke and Marie Lancaster are Vineyard pastors who love the church and give themselves to seeing it encouraged and empowered across the country and around the world.  In this message, Duke talks about the absolute essential role of the church in the life of every believer.

Sam Sahyouni |If we wait until the work is done to rest, we'll never rest. Kingdom rest starts before the list is complete — because rest is an act of trust.

Reese LeRoy | In the final message of our series on Ruth, we see how the story concludes with Ruth marrying Boaz and Ruth giving birth to Obed, who would become the grandfather of Israel’s greatest king David.  Ruth, Boaz, and Obed are also included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Their stories remind us that God has purposed that everyone be included in the story of His kingdom coming and advancing throughout the world.

Reese LeRoy | Ruth’s journey reminds us that lives that seek to follow God are marked by both seasons of doing and times of being still.  When we have done all that we can do, God invites us to be still, to trust in Him as our Redeemer, and then watch Him do what only He can do.

Mary-Margaret LeRoy | New seasons don't happen like the flip of a switch. They take time and so we wait. At the most critical part of Ruth's story, she had to wait. Transformation takes place as we wait with the Holy Spirit. Ruth's example of waiting and submitting mirrors that of Jesus.

Reese LeRoy | This week in our series on the Book of Ruth, we focus on the important role of guardian-redeemer that will be carried out by Boaz. Boaz foreshadows how Jesus will come to rescue and restore all who trust in him as our Savior and our Redeemer.

Reese LeRoy | In our series on the Book of Ruth, we see how God will sometimes use ordinary, natural circumstances to bring about His extraordinary, supernatural plans for our lives.  Ruth 2 reminds us that our lives are in the hands of God who is sovereign and is always at work in ways we often do not recognize or perceive.

Reese LeRoy | This message marks the beginning of a new series on the Book of Ruth. In this short four-chapter book from the Old Testament, we’re able to see how this young widow’s ordinary decisions and everyday faithfulness to follow God resulted in Him responding to her with extraordinary and unimaginable experiences of His love and goodness…just like He desires to do for us today!

Reese LeRoy | Reading scripture is a spiritual practice that is essential for followers of Jesus.  As we come to God's Word with hunger and expectation, the Holy Spirit will show us the paths we should take in life and empower us with strength and courage to carry us through difficult times.

Reese LeRoy | In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presumed his followers would give, pray, and fast.  When carried out for an audience of one, these spiritual practices help align our hearts and lives with God. In the final message of this series, we examine biblical fasting and see that, ultimately, it is about the cultivation of a greater appetite for God’s presence and the priorities of His kingdom.

Reese LeRoy | In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about the spiritual disciplines of giving, praying, and fasting as natural expressions of a healthy disciple’s life.  In this passage, Jesus instructs us how NOT to pray, and he also gives us a framework for our prayers. With the model of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us to a deeper level of intimacy with Father God resulting in greater effectiveness with our prayers.

Reese LeRoy | In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives principles for healthy spirituality that truly reflects God's rule and reign in our life. Among the principles for healthy spirituality in our religious life, Jesus talks about giving, praying, and fasting.  This message focuses on Jesus’ presumption that the life of a healthy disciple will be a life that gives.

Reese LeRoy | In the final message of our series on miracles from the Old Testament, we focus on Elijah and the spiritual showdown with the prophets of the false god Baal. Thousands of years later, this event serves as a reminder to us that the Lord our God is holy and powerful. In His love, He calls us to rid our lives of sin so that we can live fully surrendered to Him.

Mary-Margaret LeRoy | God's power and sovereignty are on full display in the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea. And so is his steadfast love. All of this is available to each of us right now, in this moment.

Sam Sahyouni | In this week’s message, we explore one of the most surprising miracles in the Old Testament—the moment God made an iron axe head float. It's not dramatic or life-threatening, but it reveals something powerful: God cares deeply about the small stuff. Through this story, we're reminded that nothing is too ordinary, too personal, or too insignificant for God to notice. He's not just powerful in the extraordinary; He's present in the everyday. Whether it’s lost keys, quiet worries, or small daily burdens, God is near—and He invites us to bring it all to Him.

Reese LeRoy | The story of Balaam and his donkey shows us that God will go to incredible lengths to protect and guide us in the ways that are best for us. It's up to us to listen and obey.

Dan Gaudinier | When looking at the miraculous victory at Jericho, we should consider the ways the ways the Israelites drew close to God in order to move from substance living to the fullness of God's favor. We too have the ability to meet God at the nexus of obedience, and worship and step in to the fullness of His promises.

Reese LeRoy | In 2 Kings 4, we have another example that God is faithful to provide for those who look to Him – sometimes in miraculous ways! God welcomes us in our emptiness and invites us to trust Him – even when you have no idea of how He is going to care for us.

Dr. Cheryl Jones | The Old Testament tells stories of God the Father  interacting with His creation on a day to day basis in a way that reveals His character to us, today.  We learn that He is a God of integrity who honors His promises, a God of compassion who honors our choices, and a God of wisdom whose miracles bring life and hope.

Reese LeRoy | In our summer message series on miracles from the Old Testament, we see that miracles can happen when our faith in God is expressed in obedience to Him. Daniel 3 gives us a very vivid example of this with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Their story reminds us that God does not promise us a life without trials and difficulties. When they do occur, He promises to be with us and carry us through.

Reese LeRoy | We launch our new summer message series on miracles in the Old Testament in 1 Kings 17.  Through His prophet Elijah, God performs three miracles and reminds us that He is Lord over nature, that He has unlimited resources for those who trust Him, and that He is Lord over death in all its forms.

Dr. Nadar Sahyouni | In this message, from guest speaker Dr. Nader Sahyouni, we explore what it means to hear God’s voice and how we can grow in confidence that it's truly Him speaking. Through Scripture, we learn practical ways to tune our hearts to His leading and how His voice brings clarity, peace, and wise discernment in our daily lives.

Don Pearson | In order for us to live in the freedom of our own forgiveness we must be willing to forgive/release those who have sinned against/hurt us.

Reese LeRoy | Jesus invites us to choose the life-giving resources of God’s kingdom rather than the things of this world that can never satisfy.  Ultimately, this is an invitation to trust God, not to settle for less, and to continually choose His best for us.

Tamara Noel | Jesus’ death and resurrection make it possible for us to find purpose and significance as humans. He gifts us with His salvation and invites us to enjoy This Resurrection Life. Today, we delve into the Joy of Sowing and Reaping!

Reese LeRoy | The call to confession and repentance is God’s invitation to joy-filled intimacy with Him. These practices bring us into salvation, and they continue in the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification as He makes us more like Jesus.  Confession and repentance are a vital part of our relationship with God that brings about joy-filled freedom.

Reese LeRoy | Jesus’ resurrection life is available for our fragile lives so that we can experience his abundant life. In order to experience God’s gift of salvation and sanctification (the on-going process of becoming more and more like Jesus), we need to acknowledge the ongoing challenge of sin.  Genesis 3 shows us how sin impacted relationships in the Garden of Eden, and how they continue to impact relationships today.

Reese LeRoy | On this Easter Sunday, we focus on John 20 as we join Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb.  Because of the tomb was empty and Jesus is resurrected, we are able to have the same kind of intimate relationship with Father God that Jesus has with Him!

Dan Gaudinier | In our series “This Fragile Life,” we are looking at how, in the messiness of life, God meets us, helps us, and calls us beyond. In the triumphal entry, as in life, Jesus makes His way to meet the deepest cry of the human heart; just perhaps not how we expect.

Reese LeRoy | Our only right response to the extravagant love of God is extravagant worship. In John 12, we see Mary’s beautiful example of this and how our love for Jesus is meant to be a beautiful fragrance to the world around us.

Reese LeRoy | Living out the reconciling work of Christ requires us to view ourselves and others through a lens of God's grace. Even in the midst of life's trouble and pain, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5 challenge us to focus on God's grace for ourselves and then see how His grace can live through us.