by Vineyard Church Maryville
What if the difference between God's Kingdom and every other kingdom is even bigger than we imagined?
Your current location and relationships are not accidental but are a divine assignment to practice the "incarnational" love of Jesus. Drawing on the example of early Christian martyrs and the concept of the oikos (relational ecosystem), we are challenged to stop looking for a "shinier" life elsewhere and instead transform our own neighborhoods and workplaces through intentional, embodied presence.
Our Missions Pastor, Josh Armstrong, brings a message from the book of Jonah. Jonah is one of the stranger stories in the Bible, and it gives us a stark reminder of God's heart for the human race.
If our cisterns are full, and we're sustained by the well, then maybe it's time to go on a quest for a spring!
Cisterns are a great way to store water, but a well is a way to access LIVING WATER! Let's talk about how.
Cisterns were essential infrastructure in ancient Israel. Turns our they're essential for us, too.
In the Old Testament the command is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength. When Jesus repeated it he said: Love the Lord with all your heart, MIND, soul and strength. Why did he change it?
Christmas is all about God giving us the greatest gift of all - the GIFT of His love. But like all gifts, this gift has to be received. However, rather than receiving His love, we often run from it which is why we often wonder why we still haven't found what we are looking for.
Joy isn't a puzzle to solve or a hill to conquer, it's an anointing to seek.
We often think of peace as an absence of trouble…but Jesus showed us that true peace is His presence with us in the midst of our troubles. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."