Disruption to Difficulty to New CreationAv Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Boundaries- The Wise and the Fool Proverbs 9: 7-9, Proverbs 12:15 and Proverbs 14:17 The wisdom literature of Proverbs often contrasts the wise and the fool. It’s too easy to say that there are wise people and there are fools. In reality, even those of us who have grown to be as wise as possible have areas of life that need developed. However, the …

What are we “praying” about? Meditation, Contemplation, Rumination.Av Joel Hubbard

Av Jim Zartman

Teach Us To Pray- Pray AND Ask Read Philippians 4:6-7 In this short verse Paul is teaching on prayer and makes the point that relationship and connection with God is the main goal of prayer. Any relationship that is primarily transactional and about getting our own needs met isn’t a healthy relationship. That’s not the kind of relationship we want …

3 JohnAv Jim Zartman

Av Joel Hubbard

Read Luke 9:28-36 Luke 9 has several stories in it and in the middle of these stories about other people there is a pause for a story about Jesus himself. In the middle of a longer chapter there is an aside for this story of the transfiguration. It begins by making a note that it is eight days after the previous story. This is a new week. We have n…

Jonah is an old testament story about a prophet who missed what it was all about. He is told to prophesy to the people of Ninivah to repent or they will be destroyed. They do repent and his is angry because he wanted them to be destroyed. We see in him the truth that it isn’t just the gift that matters but the heart. His heart isn’t there for peopl…

Biblical Genres- Wisdom Read Proverbs 1 Wisdom literature is all through the scriptures and clear examples of this are books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Wisdom literature points to the best way to live but also asks questions beyond what is clear. Wisdom understand how things are not always clear but still points at the best way to live in the …

Biblical Genres- Law Code Read Exodus 20: 1-21 The ancient idea of Law wasn’t like our concept of law. Some “laws” carried public consequences for breaking them and some were internal issues that others couldn’t see. Law Code functioned more like a wisdom code. In modern times people have been talking about a “rule of life,” a set of personal value…

New series on the genres of literature in the bible. We start with "Story."Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Daniel 4- Lessons From The Fire Read Daniel 4:27-37 King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a great and powerful tree that is cut down. Daniel interprets the dream as being about how the great king will be cut down and become like a beast of the field for a time. In the Old Testament the word “righteousness” means “right relationship with others.” It’s …

Daniel 3- A “Yes” to God through a “No” Read Daniel 3 The author of Daniel is such a visual artist. He paints incredibly vivid pictures in his story telling to engage the imagination and pull you into the story. The story is dramatic and dynamic. The author wants to grab your attention so you get the point. Following the chapter about Nebuchadnezza…

Daniel 2- But God Can Read Daniel 2 Daniel has been through three years of training and is working in the king’s court. He is one who has proved himself wise enough to be there but this is the ultimate challenge. There is an impossible task, all the other wise men hopelessly say it’s impossible, Daniel agrees it’s impossible, but then he says, “But…

Daniel 1- Thriving in Dark Places Read Daniel 1 Daniel was just a teenager when he was taken from his home in Judah to Babylon to serve Nebuchadnezzar. Growing up Judah was under Egyptian rule and 2 Kings says Jehoiakim who was placed on the thrown by Egypt did evil in the sight of the Lord. Daniel grew up a man of faith when his own King (of Judah…

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

1 Thessalonians 3 - Vine and Pipeline Read 1 Thess 2:17- 3:13 “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” Paul asks. There is a celebration of the community of faith in this section of scripture. There is an emphasis of “let’s celebrate each other” in this passage. Adding to thi…

1 Thessalonians 2- Message and Motivation In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul is speaking up for himself and those he worked with to start the church there. He uses relational language and clarifies his motivations. He wants them to understand his heart and where he was coming from. He uses language of being a child to show humility. There is also parental i…

Gods and the True God 1 Thess 1:8-9 Your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God Paul is making a point in 1 These that there is the true God and other “false…

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 “Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sistersloved by God, that he has chosen …

Av Danielle Fernekees

WITHNESS. Love is with. Not against, not away, and not forced toward. Love is with. (Notes from Zoom Chat) God with us: receptivity. Receive God as God. Easier to accept God’s holiness than his love. God finds a way to come to us in Jesus. We believe more in getting rid of the bad than nurturing the good in us. It’s about nurturing the garden not g…

Advent- Patient JoyAv Jim Zartman

Advent- Light and Dark Luke 2: 1-21 The Shepards were keeping watch over their flocks AT NIGHT. The angel appeared and the LIGHT- the glory of the Lord was bright around them. The light comes in the darkness. The message of light, that God had come in human form, came to those who were forgotten in the dark. Shepards, the outcasts of society, are t…

See message on youtube here. Advent- Hope and Words Luke 1:1-25, 57-66 From Genesis and throughout scripture there is a theme of words creating new worlds and new realities. Words can bless and build up and encourage. Words can tear down, separate, discourage. We want to use our words well but it can be hard to develop that habit because that’s not…

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard

Ecclesiastes- A Time for Everything Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 As the Byrds sang, “To everything turn, turn, turn” based on this passage of Ecclesiastes. There are seasons, there are moments, there is a time for everything. This time right now is the time for this to happen. We want to be “there” but we can only be “here.” When we get “there” it will…

Ecclesiastes - Vapor Ecclesiastes 1, 2 38 times in the book of Ecclesiastes the author uses a Hebrew word that means “Vapor” or “Breath.” Some versions translate the word to “meaningless” or “futile” but the word doesn’t carry that negative connotation in Hebrew. The author certainly goes back and forth from negative to positive as he looks at the …

Mark- The Power of a Question Read Mark 15:1-15 We often want God to give us answers to whatever we are struggling with. They wanted that from Jesus too. We have to remember that when God took on flesh in Jesus he didn’t give many answers. When asked hard questions he usually responded with non-answers that confused his audience, stories, or anothe…

Mark- The Most Useless Passage Read Mark 14:1-11 Joel called this the “most useless passage” because it isn’t really a passage you can “use.” It isn’t a story about right and wrong. It’s a story that steps out of the logic of function, use, right, and wrong... it’s categorically different. It’s Beautiful. Logically it’s wasteful. The woman’s action…

Mark- You Are Not Far From The Kingdom Read Mark 12:28-34 Jesus has had several prickly encounters in a row. He’s been challenged, questioned, and they’ve even tried to trap him. In this passage someone approaches him with genuine curiosity. This one teacher of the law stands out and is different. He listens to Jesus and sees that he has answered w…

Mark- Render Unto Caesar Read Mark 12:13-17 There were four political parties in Jesus’s day. The Pharisees, the Herodians, the Essenes, and the Zealots. The Pharisees were religious law keepers and enforcers who believed if they were pure and righteous enough God would overthrow their oppressors (Rome). The Herodians thought it prudent and wise to…

Mark- Club Jesus Read Mark 9:1-13, 30-41 Let’s look at the beginning of this chapter before we move on to the passage from Sunday morning. Before we get to this passage about being the last, the disciples just witnessed the transfiguration and Jesus healing a boy who is sick with a evil spirit. Let’s take a look at the Transfiguration and then tie …

Av Joel Hubbard

Mark - Your Faith Has Made You Well Read Mark 5:21-43 Jesus is always flipping the script. He always surprises the people he is interacting with. That’s how it is in this story with two people who have resources and means but can’t solve the problem in front of them. Jesus is always stepping into unsolvable situations and surprising us with both hi…

Mark- Get Back on the Path Mark 1: 14-15 Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Nothing is more central the the history and theology of the Vineyard than “The gospel of the kingdom.” There is a rich history of work around this sub…

Av Joel Hubbard

Av Joel Hubbard