CityLight Vineyard Church

Jesus says that he is the Bread of Life? For us to truly live we need to feed on who He is. But what does that mean and how do we do that?

We all usually know what we should do - the problem isn't knowledge, its application. This teaching will challenge you to do the work you know you need to do, in order to be the person you know you want to be!

In a surprising twist of a Bible passage, James tells us to count it “pure joy” when we face hardships. How is that possible? What does he mean? And how can we apply that to our lives? In this passage we learn how hardships can make you better at life!

A Christian truth that will lead you to a better life is the practice of repentance. Repentance, though, can be confusing. In this teaching we learn how God’s grace coupled with our effort will lead to lasting life change.

In relationships we often find that the easy choice now, doesn’t lead to the best outcome later. In this teaching we look at Biblical wisdom for relationships, and how often making the hard choice in the moment, will lead to the life you wish you had!

In the cross we see the incredible generosity of Jesus where he takes the worst of us onto Himself, and gives us the best of Himself as a free gift of grace.

This Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It can be easy to think that this event is mostly concerning our eternal salvation. In reality, the good news of the resurrection is something that impacts our daily lives. Find out how!

On Palm Sunday we remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus that marks the beginning of the Passion Week. But what does that event truly signify for us today? And in what ways do we miss Jesus’ offer of peace, similar to how the people of His time did?

A lot of the slogans you hear repeated from well meaning Christians tend to gloss over the rough edges of life and faith. Jesus doesn’t do this. The Garden of Gethsemane experience gives us a deep look at a Savior who suffered deeply. In fact, he suffered alone, so we don’t have to.

Jesus shows us how to love each other by humbling himself and washing the feet of his disciples. The question for us is, are our lives too full to actually be able to serve anyone? Are we too full of ourselves to serve those in need?

In the story of the feeding of the 5,000 we learn that Jesus not only cares about the spiritual needs of people, he cares about their practical needs as well. How, as followers of Jesus, can demonstrate the same compassion the those around us?

As Jesus describes his compassion for those who are far from Him, we are challenged to ask ourselves to do a “heart check.” Do we care like Jesus cares? Are we willing to search like Jesus searches?

Have you ever felt discouraged in your faith? Does it ever feel like things are taking too long, or the cost for following Jesus is too high? In today’s teaching we look at several short parables of Jesus that encourage us not to quit before we see the harvest in our lives!

We often relate the supernatural power of God only in the form of healing. However, as we can see in scripture, His Word brings us eternal life which is healing, restoration and redemption beyond our human understanding! Let’s dive in and see the amazing power His Word holds! 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us a beautiful vision for what the people of God can look like. If we can be transformed by following Him and become a people of deep character, faith and love—we can truly be the light of the world.

Are you someone who tends to minimize when things go wrong, or someone who makes a big deal out of them - maybe too big of a deal? In this passage about Jesus, we learn that while sin is worse for us than we think, God’s overwhelming forgiveness is more than we could ever imagine.

Looking at the list of the twelve Apostles, one has to wonder, “What was Jesus thinking?” These twelve are so completely different from each other! However, maybe that’s the point. If God can work with them, He can work with you!

We all face temptations of all kinds in our lives. In order to resist these, we must understand that every temptation is a short cut around what God really wants for you life. And because of that, every time we are tempted, God offers us an escape route. We just have to learn to find them.

As we begin our walk through the life of Jesus, we start with His baptism. In this amazing moment, we find out a lot about His identity: the Son of God, the Messiah, the one who has been prophesied about for hundreds of years.  As the story unfolds we see all the ways that Jesus fulfills identity. In much the same way we have a choice in this life: to life according to who God says we are, or to try and forge a different identity outside of God’s plan.

Throughout the Christmas narrative we see the authors of the New Testament drawing our attention to the faithfulness of God. The repeatedly show us how God us fulfilled prophecies from hundreds of years prior in the person and life of Jesus. This faithfulness is something we can rely upon as well. His faithfulness invites us to trust Him, even when we aren’t sure what’s happening in the moment.

According to the Bible, we have a lot to look forward to! The Christmas Story sets in motion a timeline where Jesus will indeed return again to earth. This time he will bring an end to all evil and suffering. What does the Bible teach about the return of Jesus and how should it shape our lives today?

One of the greatest truths that we can learn about God from the Christmas Story is that God is indeed with us. In fact, there may be no greater truth! No matter what you are facing, the fact that God is with you changes everything. 

Idols seem like a thing from the very distant past. People aren’t bowing to wooden statues that much these days. But what our modern day idols are more “idols of the heart?” In what says do we make good things become ultimate things in our lives?

As we wrap up our series on Colossians, we are encouraged to be people who carry the message of hope in Jesus to all people. This is a message that changes lives, still! How can we make the most of every opportunity to share this hope with others?

When we think about family, we get a variety of feelings, thoughts, and memories. Some are good, some are painful, all seem to be powerful. What does the Bible have to say about the family who is following Jesus together? How can God use the family as a way to bring hope and love not only to our family members, but also to others in our community?

How are we growing in faith? This passage in Colossians encourages us to let go of all the extra stuff we try to add, and to keep the focus on the simple message of Jesus. As we let go of faulty thinking, sin, and whatever else holds us back we can truly lean into Jesus. And one of the greatest ways to let go of all that is to move towards faith community. In true Christian community we can grow together, challenge each other, and encourage each other!

In order to truly embody the message of the Gospel we will find it necessary to live sacrificially. If Jesus lived sacrificially, there is no way for us to truly communicate His message without doing so as well. This teaching will challenge you to see that it’s the kindness of God that invites us to sacrifice for others.

In this passage Jesus is spoken of in the highest terms. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Redeemer of all things. If Jesus literally has the blueprints for all of creation, certainly we can trust Him to have the blueprints for our lives!

It can be tempting to think that our spiritual growth is all about the work we put in. And while it is true that we have work to do, we cannot replace the work that God by His grace does in our lives. Can we learn to see God working in our lives, and find the fruit that comes from Him?

Why do we read the Bible? We read so that we may know Jesus better. The Word of God is meant to draw us closer to the Son of God. Knowing His Word and loving Him are inseparable realities. However, it can be easy to forget this. How can we read for relationship?

As we read the Word of God, are we reading for information only, or are we allowing the Word to transform us. Are we letting the Word into our hearts to  change our lives? Are we becoming new people because we interact with God’s Word regularly?

The Word of God has been assembled over 1500 years, with 40 authors in three different languages. The key that holds it all together is that God is speaking through the words to us. We can trust this book, because God has spoken. The words aren’t meant to just inform us, but to transform us. To change us. To change our lives. And to change the world.

Have you ever wondered where the Bible came from? How did we get it? Why should we trust it? Is it authoritative? This week we tackle some of those questions as we begin our series on the Word of God!

What gets in the way of you saying “yes” to Jesus in your life? Is it time? Insecurity? Opposition? We all face obstacles and roadblocks, but how can we learn to overcome them and a big yes for Jesus in our hearts?

Often we say “yes” to many things we think are important in life. At times, these commitments take the place of the path God truly wants us to be on. We fill our lives up with so much that we tend to neglect the opportunities to serve, lead and build ourselves up in the Lord. As you listen to this teaching, ask yourself, ”What do I need to let go of so I can “fan the flame” God has placed on my heart and in my life.”

When God asks us to do something, do we lean YES or NO or MAYBE? In this teaching we talk about how to have a YES in our heart for Jesus!

The Biblical picture of the church is one of a group of people “called out” to work together towards a common goal. It is a picture of unity and diversity, where everyone has a place and a role to fill, but these roles are not all the same. Do you know what gifts God has called you to share in the church?

In this teaching, we look at three quotes from Jesus that every Christian should take some time to consider. The quotes invite us to look at our relationship with Jesus. They challenge us to grow closer to Him, to follow Him more fully, and to share our lives with Him and those around us. 

We all deal with worry, stress, and anxiety at some level in our lives. There are times when it is more pronounced—stressors in our lives arise that can take away our peace and leave us feeling vulnerable. What if there were things we could do on a regular basis—“spiritual practices”—that could raise the threshold of where anxiety breaks through our peace?

Last week we talked about “What If” Anxiety - the anxiety we carry in us about things that might happen. This week we talk about “What Is” Anxiety - the anxiety we carry about stuff that is actually happening in our lives! What causes you anxiety, and how does your faith in Jesus help you?

We spend a lot time being anxious about things that haven’t even happened yet. "What if" this or that happens? In a beautiful teaching in the book of John, Jesus offers some profound insight on how to trust Him in our anxiety. How we can not only find peace but live in a place of peace that truly changes our lives.

The #1 cause of anxiety for most people is financial stress. In this teaching, we look at the book of Proverbs to find lessons we can apply to our lives to live in peace financially.

Worship was central to David’s life. As we read the story of David we learn of his desire to build God a temple to worship Him. David had a deep passion to worship God with his whole heart. Reading about Davids' passion provokes questions we are each invited to consider," How do we approach worship in our own lives? What does worship mean to us? Are we just singing along, or are we truly experiencing the very presence of God?". 

There are a lot of times in life when we are waiting. Waiting to make decisions, waiting on answers to prayer, and waiting for big life moments. The word “waiting” carries with it the connotation of inaction, however Biblical waiting is quite the opposite. From the story of David, we can learn through his season of waiting in the wilderness. We will discover three questions we can ask regularly to encourage us during our seasons of waiting.

This week we look at a promise found in Romans 8. In this passage we read that, if God is for us, no one can be against us! This powerful passage illustrates the incredible work that Jesus did for us on the cross. He did the work for us, that we could never do for ourselves. And this fact, above all else, is the foundation for us to handle the hardships of life. This unshakable foundation will give us the strength and a grace that only comes from knowing Jesus.

In this teaching we look deeply at the story of David and Goliath. What is this story really about? Is it about David being a hero, defying the odds and overcoming a giant? Or is it about God being bigger than any of our problems? As we study the story, we discover the deep truth echoed in Romans, “if God is for us, who can be against us?”

David starts his story as an overlooked and taken for granted shepherd. He ends as the greatest King of Israel’s history. What changed? It was nothing he did. It was all God! God chose him and filled him with His Spirit. Just like He did with Jesus. And just like He will do with us if we are willing. In what ways can God’s Spirit empower you to embrace being an underdog?

The church isn’t a building! The church are the people of God gathered together, empowered by God and on mission for the world! At CityLight, we believe that “every piece matters.” In this message, we explore a passage from 1 Peter that beautifully explains how every believer matters. We learn how each of us has an  integral mission in this life and purpose within the church. 

It seems counterintuitive, but Biblical sacrifice doesn’t lead to pain and sadness, it leads to joy. The sacrifice that Jesus invites us into is an act of worship. That act of worship brings us closer to Him and works to set us free from the power of greed and materialism. It is a part of our spiritual practice that is inspired and empowered by Jesus’ immeasurable act of sacrifice on the cross. 

Guest speaker, Phil Chorlian, challenges each of us about those times in life when we are faced with a decision: will we respond with faith or fear? Fear leads us to maximize the obstacles and forget about God’s provision in our lives. Faith reminds us of who God is, and encourages us to trust in Him.