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In 1 Kings 19, Elijah flees after his life is threatened. Not only does God supernaturally provide for him, but also meets him in a cave and restores his purpose. Be encouraged! No past mistakes or failures can stop God's love from meeting you where you are today. He can and will restore you.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are taking a break from the Beatitudes by looking at what it means to Minister unto the Lord! The Lord is worthy of our praises and adoration, and we can't just simply think these things about Him. We must open our mouths and proclaim His praises!There's something so powerful about singing to Jesus and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth, and we are joining in the song together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together wrote, "It is not you that sings, it is the Church that is singing, and you, as a member of the Church, may share in its song."We sing ourselves into the truth of who God is and who we are as His Bride and Body.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.We are nearing the end of end of our mini-series, Blessed, by looking at the end of the Beatitudes. Peace-making is much more active than simply being a peaceful person. Peace-making means entering into places and spaces of conflict and bringing the shalom of God, and this shalom is much more than the absence of strife.God's shalom is God's kingdom. It's His rule and reign, and this task of ushering in the kingdom is the role and responsibility of every child of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul says, "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." Reconciliation is the Gospel.As God has forgiven us in Christ, we extend that grace, mercy, and peace to one another (and to those that are far from God!). It's such an upside-down value, which is why it follows that as we make peace, we may experience persecution. And to not let persecution dissuade us or discourage us, we must continue to rest in God's peace and flow in His mercy. As C.S. Lewis puts it, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." We aren't doormats, inserting ourselves into chaotic situations and being passive.No, to be a peace-maker means to actively step into situations that need God's presence, God's goodness, and God's Spirit, and say, "Peace, be still."

Matthew 5:8-9 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.The heart is the seat of personality, and the personality is the sum total of mind, emotions, and will. The mind is our intellect and thought processes. Emotions are how we feel. And our will is how we make decisions. All together, this is our heart.Purity, obviously, means purity. It means without blemish and stain and shame, and in a lot of ways, Jesus is recounting the 10 Commandments here: to love the Lord with all that you are and to have no other gods before Him.That's what purity is all about! To acknowledge and recognize that God alone is God (which is what the Jews would recite often in their shema "Hear O Israel"). As they were pure in heart they would see God. Jesus is promising that the disciplined person would not only have an eternal reward but an "on-earth" one as well.Paul says in Romans, "As much as it depends on you, be at peace with all people..." And it's that challenge that should confront much of our modern way of keeping record of wrongs and holding things against one another.We live in a world that feels like we're always teetering on combustion, with wars and rumors of wars, and the Christ-like modus operandi is to make peace. This is an active move, not passive, in entering into hostile environments and bringing the shalom of Jesus into places.It's not the absence of problems and pain, but it's His presence. And that is why they will be called Sons of God; they are functioning as Christ Himself in reconciling two distant parties, two far away people. This is the way of the Kingdom.

Matthew 5:6-7 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. A.W. Tozer once said that you could have as much of God as you want. This desire, this need, to be filled by God is created by God so that God alone can meet the need!What Jesus is talking about in this beatitude is that you are blessed if you have such an appetite, such a need, that you cannot live without what you are longing for. The Greek word for thirst has connotations of a thing you cannot live without; you've got to have it, or you won't live any longer. He's not simply talking about being parched. It's a holy desperation! Jonathan Edwards wrote about this desperation in his book, Religious Affections, which deals with the spiritual manifestations and the desires of the heart. Paul wrote in Colossians 3, "Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above and not on earthly things." The irony of this godly desire is that it seems so natural where you want it so much that you can't even tell the difference between true physical desire.The next Beatitude continues this thread of building off the earlier ones: receiving the very thing that is being given. Mercy is an attribute of God. It is letting people off the hook, not reminding them of their faults or failures or the ways that they've messed up. In a word, being godly is being merciful, and it's absolutely an act of our will! We could easily go tit-for-tat, keeping track of all the wrongs done to us, but as Paul reminds us, love keeps no record of wrongs. It's not reactive; it's responsive.But as God has forgiven us in Christ, we too forgive those who trespass against us. That forgiveness is reason enough for us to pray for those that hurt us, to turn the other cheek, to give to those who ask, to be kind to those who are ungrateful, and to show mercy even when others are unmerciful.This is the leaven of the Kingdom that affects the world one trespass at a time! It may seem like a slow process, but it's the small seed that becomes the Oak of Righteousness!

Matthew 5:4-5 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. We are moving into our next set of blessings, and John Stott, a British pastor, once said that this verse can be almost translated, "Happy are the unhappy." You'll remember from last week where we talked about the upside-down values of the Kingdom, and this is another one of those instances. Who would ever think that weeping and mourning are good things? But the promise is this: Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted. Their sorrow may last for the night, but joy will come in the morning!There is a season for everything, and the promise that Jesus offers here (and in His Farewell Discourse in John) is that the Holy Spirit will give comfort to those who need comfort. That is His name after all!Mourning creates an entry point for the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do, to provide His love and grace in the moments that we need Him. And it goes along with meekness because it recognizes our great need for the Comforter. Meekness is easier to describe by what it isn't than what it is; it's the opposite of self-righteousness, arrogance, haughtiness, smugness, and defensiveness. And in a world that focuses greatly on what we can accomplish, meekness is recognizing the greatness of God and His strength make perfect in weakness.The end result is inheritance. As Paul says in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Or as Winston Churchill said, "If you're going through hell, keep going." The other side of pain is glory, and as we walk through the fire, He is with us!

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The way up is down is a great summation of so much of what Jesus taught, and as He begins His teaching on the mount, He starts by highlighting the "poor in spirit." In one sweeping statement, Jesus invites all who feel helpless, hopeless, full of despair, unworthy, and totally empty to taste and see that He is good.It's an invitation for all of us to experience the love of God in a brand new way! This first Beatitude isn't addressed to the elites or to the higher ups, but to those that are far from God (and probably even feel far from God!) that they really are blessed. They may not realize it, but these people, us, are the very candidates for carrying the message of the Kingdom because it's all about God! It has nothing to do with our merits or strengths, but it is all about God's grace made perfect in our weakness.The quickest way to get God's attention isn't by shouting or showing of great strength, but it's when we have nothing to give, nothing to offer. Because then it really is God showing up! To quote the great hymn: Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. 'Twas blind but now I see.The message of this first Beatitude is all about Grace: God's unmerited kindness towards humanity. And this lays the foundation for all of the blessings that come from God. It has nothing to do with what we bring to the table, but it is all about what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 5:1-2 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them... We are continuing in our Matthew study and looking at a new portion in Matthew 5, The Beatitudes. It's called the Beatitudes because of the Latin rendering of "blessed." This portion of the Sermon on the Mount talks about the blessings of being God's people! Nowhere is the Holy Spirit mentioned in this portion, but this is really just the Fruits of the Spirit said in another way. And Jesus talks about being in the Spirit leads to blessings. Rather than focusing on worldly success, power, or status, the Beatitudes emphasize humility, mercy, righteousness, peacemaking, and faithfulness, presenting a vision of true blessing that often challenges human expectations.For Christians, the Beatitudes serve as both a source of hope and a guide for daily living. They reveal God's promises to those who trust Him, even in the midst of hardship, and encourage believers to develop Christlike character in our relationships with others.By studying the Beatitudes, we can gain a deeper understanding of Jesus' message and are challenged to live lives marked by compassion, integrity, and unwavering faith in God despite the situation we may find ourselves in. It's one of those upside values that we experience blessings even if it doesn't always feel that way.

Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.We often speak of the church as family. It's an idea that God started in the Garden of Eden, and the very first church was the Family of Adam and Eve.All throughout Scripture, there's this cadence of God bringing more people into His family, and this reaches a crescendo in Acts when the Holy Spirit was poured out in the Upper Room.God wants to build His church, and He's really good at it! He brings in people and sends out people, and that's how it all goes. The church is literally the "sent out ones," and our identities won't fully be realized without stepping out to what God is doing.In Acts, there's a gathering and a sending, a breathing in and breathing out, and we're so excited to partner with God is doing in this new season.

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.Last week, we talked about how God has prepared good works for each of us to do, and this week, we are looking at our role in the whole body!When a person comes alive in the Body of Christ, the whole flourishes. And that's how God designed it to work. It's like a beautiful symphony, but every instrument needs to be in tune and every instrument needs to be heard.God has given incredible gifts to His Church, and it's His People!You and I are all created for something greater, and that is found in how we use our gifts for the glory of God and the building up of the Church. It was never meant for just use to have a gift, but our gifts are for the whole Body to grow and thrive.Join us at church where we will have a time of Mining for Gold!

Romans 8:19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. We are taking a break from Matthew to take a look at an important concept: Listening to the Lord! In Romans, Paul speaks about all of creation longing for the children of God to rise up, and many of us are unwilling to take that next step into our purposes and callings because of fear, disappointment, anxieties, and maybe even not recognizing that God is calling us into it!Listening to the Lord is such an important tool, and it's a holy ask. We have to constantly ask Him to speak, and even more so, we have to constantly create space on our end to listen.God's design, God's blueprint, is that His people would thrive, that we would step out of darkness and wilderness into His light and into the Promised Land. But we'll let fears and worries keep us out of what God has for us. But as Paul reminds us in Ephesians, "God has created us as His workmanship to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do!" It's a divine set up. It's our calling card. And many of us stay in the shadows because we don't know what God's voice sounds like or may not even know what He's calling us to!

Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” At the Jordan River, the Father spoke a word over Jesus: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." And the very next thing that happened? The Spirit led him into the desert, where that word was tested by three ancient powers — economic, religious, and political.Bread. Temple. Crown. These same three powers run through the whole of Scripture, from the serpent in the garden to Solomon's empire — and they are still at work today, closer than you think. If you have received a real word from God — a calling, a promise, a purpose that resonates deep in your bones — that word will be tested. Not to prove it false, but to cultivate and protect its purpose.Testing is how a living word becomes life-giving. In this message we'll walk through how the Accuser turns even true words against us, and how Jesus answers each power — not by grasping, proving, or shortcutting, but from a cross-shaped posture the powers can't touch.The wilderness isn’t just a proving ground — it forms us. Come ready to recognize the powers at work in our world, to identify the word God has spoken over you, and to learn how, like Jesus, we can bend the powers toward the Kingdom rather than being bent by them.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Happy Independence Day weekend! This is a momentous year for Americans celebrating 250 years of independence, but for the Christ follower, we have always been free! We've been set free from the bondage of sin, from darkness, from captivity, and God has placed us into His marvelous Kingdom!As followers of Jesus, we have an inheritance that gives us unalienable rights, and many of us operate like we're still in bondage. But as we come alive to our destinies and callings in Christ, amazing things happen. Jesus came into this world to give us Abundant Life, not that we just coast or glide through, but that we would have the life that God intended.Our heart at the Vineyard is that we would all come alive to this reality, that we wouldn't operate in fear and anxiety, but that we would step into the amazing and incredible things of the Lord. And as we step out into our callings, the Holy Spirit empowers us to do the works that God has prepared in advance for us to do!

Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As news of John the Baptist’s imprisonment spread, Jesus stepped into the spotlight, beginning His public ministry in Galilee. His message was urgent and transformative: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”Walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus encountered ordinary fishermen—Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John—men immersed in their daily work. With a simple yet life-changing invitation, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” He called them to a greater purpose and callings. Without hesitation, they left their nets, boats, and even family behind to follow Him.This passage marks the beginning of the movement that would change the world, revealing Jesus’ authority to call people into a new life of faith, mission, and discipleship.

Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”Continuing in our study of Jesus' baptism, we're looking at the Identity of the Son of God. The baptism story is told four different ways all declaring the same thing: Jesus is the Christ the Son of God! And this identity comes from the heart of the Father.God's words to Jesus and to those who were present that Jesus is His Son, He is loved, and He brings great pleasure to God. This is the heart of God towards His Son, and it's the heart of God towards us in Jesus!Before any of us step into what God has for us, we have to remind ourselves of who we are and whose we are. Jesus received this word from God, and immediately was driven into the wilderness and into temptation. We often think that when we step into our callings that we won't experience hardships, but we have to remind ourselves that "Abba, I belong to you." Jesus knew His identity, and this is what drove Him throughout His whole ministry!