Click the link to listen in: Live Different 3
2.22.2012
4.16.2012
Live Different 3
Week 3 in a 4 week series called Live Different. This week's focus was on pursuing holiness in all we do & letting that pursuit of holiness shape our lives. Not to avoid sin because we know we can't or shouldn't do it - but to love God & His ways more so that a pursuit holiness becomes our sole motivation.
Click the link to listen in: Live Different 3
2.22.2012
Click the link to listen in: Live Different 3
2.22.2012
3.06.2012
Contact Without Contamination
As a Christian, God has called us out. God has called us to be holy. To be sanctified. To be set apart for His purposes.
Basically, God has called us to live different. And to live so different, people notice a difference. And that difference be so significant, this world desires to know the difference maker. Curious to find out who & what makes the difference in our lives.
1 Peter 2:9-12 tells Christians they are God's "chosen" people. We have been chosen to belong & live for God exclusively. Not to live for anything else in this world - but to live for God alone. Furthermore, this passage of Scripture makes it very clear this world is not our home as Christians are then called to live as "aliens & strangers." When we realize we don't belong to this world, we don't follow the patterns of the this world. We don't immerse ourselves in all the ways & habits of culture. We don't let the norms of culture & sin become normalized in us. Essentially, we don't apply for citizenship here. We don't belong.
Now, the point here is not to live isolated. Because this world desperately needs Jesus. This world desperately needs the love, influence, and witness Christ has called us to show. The point is we don't get infected. Separation is not isolation - it is contact without contamination.
The challenge again is we live so different it makes a difference in the lives of others. Instead of following the pattern of this lost world, we show this world a different way of living that leads to unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom from sin. And the hardest part is understanding the way we live is a direct advertisement for this difference.
In 1805, Christian missionaries presented the Gospel to a council of Native American chiefs & leaders. Upon hearing the Gospel, Chief Red Jacket had this response:
They were waiting to see a difference. Waiting to see a change.
Now is this world waiting on you? Waiting to see something different in your life? Waiting to see change? Waiting to see if Jesus makes any difference at all?
Live different. And show this world the difference maker in your life.
JV
Basically, God has called us to live different. And to live so different, people notice a difference. And that difference be so significant, this world desires to know the difference maker. Curious to find out who & what makes the difference in our lives.
1 Peter 2:9-12 tells Christians they are God's "chosen" people. We have been chosen to belong & live for God exclusively. Not to live for anything else in this world - but to live for God alone. Furthermore, this passage of Scripture makes it very clear this world is not our home as Christians are then called to live as "aliens & strangers." When we realize we don't belong to this world, we don't follow the patterns of the this world. We don't immerse ourselves in all the ways & habits of culture. We don't let the norms of culture & sin become normalized in us. Essentially, we don't apply for citizenship here. We don't belong.
Now, the point here is not to live isolated. Because this world desperately needs Jesus. This world desperately needs the love, influence, and witness Christ has called us to show. The point is we don't get infected. Separation is not isolation - it is contact without contamination.
The challenge again is we live so different it makes a difference in the lives of others. Instead of following the pattern of this lost world, we show this world a different way of living that leads to unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom from sin. And the hardest part is understanding the way we live is a direct advertisement for this difference.
In 1805, Christian missionaries presented the Gospel to a council of Native American chiefs & leaders. Upon hearing the Gospel, Chief Red Jacket had this response:
"We are told you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while, and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, and makes them honest, and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said."
They were waiting to see a difference. Waiting to see a change.
Now is this world waiting on you? Waiting to see something different in your life? Waiting to see change? Waiting to see if Jesus makes any difference at all?
Live different. And show this world the difference maker in your life.
JV
1.26.2012
Bow & Confess
A tough question we all faced last night in worship: How do you view Jesus? And when was the last time you bowed before Him in humility?
I think the problem many of us have is that we don't view Jesus for who He actually is. We often have a very comfortable view of Christ. Our homeboy. Our best friend. The man upstairs. Or maybe a Sunday School image of a well-manicured looking Jesus holding sheep. Whatever your image of Jesus is, does your depiction of Christ live up to who Jesus actually is?
Philippians 2:6 clearly tells us Jesus IS God. Not a smaller version of the big God. Not a less mighty or less powerful version. But equally God. Jesus is God in all of His majesty. So let us not cheapen who Jesus was & who Jesus still is today. And let us not dishonor Jesus with a cheap image of Him when we worship, meditate, pray & come before Him in His presence.
John 12 speaks to the unbelief of the people in that time. Despite Jesus working right in the midst of their lives, they still did not believe who Jesus claimed to be. So John quotes Isaiah in verse 41, because Isaiah SAW Jesus in all His glory. Isaiah saw Jesus on His throne.
So in Isaiah 6, we see Jesus high & lifted up on the throne. We see angels worshipping Him. And we see Jesus in all of His glory, power, might & holiness. And check this out: Jesus leaves that throne & trades it for a cross. He steps down from the throne that requires all men to bow before Him, and instead comes down & bows before us on the cross. That make sense??
But Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that Christ has been placed BACK on that throne. That Jesus was raised from the dead, overcame death, conquered sin, and has returned to His rightful place. And that one day EVERY knee will bow & EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Best part? Isaiah 45:23 reiterates this promise. And God goes on to even swear by His own name. Ever swear to God?? Well God swears to Himself here. He swears & promises that every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Every single person will recognize Jesus as King.
So the question comes back around: How do you view Jesus?
Do you view Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? And more importantly, do you view Him as the King & Lord of your life?
We all need to realize one day we're going to bow. We're going to hit our knees & honor Jesus for all He is. Whether it's here on Earth. In Heaven. Or even in Hell. But it's going to happen.
And we should want to be found ready. Want to be found in humility. Want to be found honoring Jesus for who He is & what's He has done for us.
Recognize Christ as King. Make Jesus LORD of your life. And hit your knees in humility.
Recognize Christ as King. Make Jesus LORD of your life. And hit your knees in humility.
JV
1.12.2012
12.15.2011
Born to Serve
In Matthew 2:1-12 we find the story of the wise men coming to find the Christ. Traveling, searching & seeking to find the One promised to be the King. They traveled a great distance, sought directions in Jerusalem, and then followed the star God had set before them. All to come worship the King. And when they arrived at the place Jesus was staying, they did just that. The bowed down before Him. They brought Him gifts. They honored Him. They worshiped Him. They came & did all this for the King. All for the promised Messiah found in the baby Jesus.
But if we flip a couple chapters over in the life of Jesus, we see a very different Jesus. In John 13 we find Jesus on his hands & knees washing the feet of His disciples. Doing the work of the lowliest servant, we see Jesus washing, cleaning & honoring His disciples dirty feet.
So what happened? What transcended in Jesus' life to go from being worshiped & honored as a King, to now doing the work of a lowly servant? Why do we see such a different Jesus?
TRUTH: Jesus didn't come to be a great earthly king. He came to serve. Mark 10:45 tells us Jesus "didn't come to be served, but to serve." Jesus was born to serve. He even made "Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" in Philippians 2.
So if Jesus came as nothing, only to be a servant, why do we try to be everything? Why are we always wanting to be somebody? Why do we desire recognition & want others to think we're great? Why are we striving for popularity, money, friends & all kinds of "stuff"?
You see, the King of the universe came to this world as a lowly servant. He came not be served. But to serve. And John 6:38 tells us that was God's will for Jesus' life.
So why do we so often think that's not God's will for our life? How do we think we somehow escape that & are called for great recognition?
Jesus came as servant. He was born to serve. Born to put others above Himself.
And we are called to imitate Him. Jesus tells His disciples after washing their feet to go imitate Him & do to others as He has done to them.
That's our calling. That's our purpose. That's God's will for our lives.
Be a servant.
JV
*Please read this through the understanding I'm not knocking down striving for greatness. We are called to be the best & give our best to God. What I'm pinning down here is questioning our motive for greatness. Do we strive to be great to honor us? To be recognized? Or to honor God? To glorify Him? That's greatness.
But if we flip a couple chapters over in the life of Jesus, we see a very different Jesus. In John 13 we find Jesus on his hands & knees washing the feet of His disciples. Doing the work of the lowliest servant, we see Jesus washing, cleaning & honoring His disciples dirty feet.
So what happened? What transcended in Jesus' life to go from being worshiped & honored as a King, to now doing the work of a lowly servant? Why do we see such a different Jesus?
TRUTH: Jesus didn't come to be a great earthly king. He came to serve. Mark 10:45 tells us Jesus "didn't come to be served, but to serve." Jesus was born to serve. He even made "Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" in Philippians 2.
So if Jesus came as nothing, only to be a servant, why do we try to be everything? Why are we always wanting to be somebody? Why do we desire recognition & want others to think we're great? Why are we striving for popularity, money, friends & all kinds of "stuff"?
You see, the King of the universe came to this world as a lowly servant. He came not be served. But to serve. And John 6:38 tells us that was God's will for Jesus' life.
So why do we so often think that's not God's will for our life? How do we think we somehow escape that & are called for great recognition?
Jesus came as servant. He was born to serve. Born to put others above Himself.
And we are called to imitate Him. Jesus tells His disciples after washing their feet to go imitate Him & do to others as He has done to them.
That's our calling. That's our purpose. That's God's will for our lives.
Be a servant.
JV
*Please read this through the understanding I'm not knocking down striving for greatness. We are called to be the best & give our best to God. What I'm pinning down here is questioning our motive for greatness. Do we strive to be great to honor us? To be recognized? Or to honor God? To glorify Him? That's greatness.
12.08.2011
Love Never Fails
This past month we've been digging into love. God's love for us. Our love for God. And our calling to go & share God's love with this world.
1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us "love never fails." Seems like such a great statement & truth, but somehow we see love failing every day. Friendships come to an end. Our Facebook status changes from "in a relationship" to "single." Marriages turn to divorce. People walk out on us. Homes are broken. If love never fails, then why do we see love failing every single day? How is it love can often be so conditional?
Here's the problem: we live in a world of broken love. We live in a world that doesn't know what love is. That teaches love wrong. Misrepresents love. Replaces love. And as a result, love fails. We fail at love. Others fail loving us. Love in this world simply fails.
BUT here's the good news: we have a God who loves us with an unfailing love. A never ending love. Psalm 36:7 counts God's unfailing love as "priceless." God's unfailing love that always protects us. Is always trustworthy. Gives us hope. And an unfailing love worth fighting for. God's love never fails.
And God demonstrated His unfailing love for us through His Word. In the OT, God promised His people over & over redemption. Freedom. Life. All through a Messiah that would come & fulfill all He had promised from the beginning. And then that Word, God's promises, became flesh. Became a reality.
We see God's true unfailing love for us come ALIVE in the birth of Christ. God has given us a love that never ends through Jesus' birth.
So as we celebrate Christmas, remember the significance of Jesus coming to Earth. His birth was so significant because God fulfilled all His promises to us through it. The promise God had given from the very beginning, became real that night. The promise of His unfailing love. All through the birth of a child.
So as you go through this Holiday season spreading Christmas cheer, be sure to pass along God's unfailing love to others as well. This world needs it. This world wants it. And it's our job to give them a love & hope that will never end.
JV
1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us "love never fails." Seems like such a great statement & truth, but somehow we see love failing every day. Friendships come to an end. Our Facebook status changes from "in a relationship" to "single." Marriages turn to divorce. People walk out on us. Homes are broken. If love never fails, then why do we see love failing every single day? How is it love can often be so conditional?
Here's the problem: we live in a world of broken love. We live in a world that doesn't know what love is. That teaches love wrong. Misrepresents love. Replaces love. And as a result, love fails. We fail at love. Others fail loving us. Love in this world simply fails.
BUT here's the good news: we have a God who loves us with an unfailing love. A never ending love. Psalm 36:7 counts God's unfailing love as "priceless." God's unfailing love that always protects us. Is always trustworthy. Gives us hope. And an unfailing love worth fighting for. God's love never fails.
And God demonstrated His unfailing love for us through His Word. In the OT, God promised His people over & over redemption. Freedom. Life. All through a Messiah that would come & fulfill all He had promised from the beginning. And then that Word, God's promises, became flesh. Became a reality.
We see God's true unfailing love for us come ALIVE in the birth of Christ. God has given us a love that never ends through Jesus' birth.
So as we celebrate Christmas, remember the significance of Jesus coming to Earth. His birth was so significant because God fulfilled all His promises to us through it. The promise God had given from the very beginning, became real that night. The promise of His unfailing love. All through the birth of a child.
So as you go through this Holiday season spreading Christmas cheer, be sure to pass along God's unfailing love to others as well. This world needs it. This world wants it. And it's our job to give them a love & hope that will never end.
JV
11.17.2011
Spring Break 2012
I'm excited to announce our Spring Break 2012 plans to you guys today!
So far, we've been to Dallas for a mission trip in 2010. Then to Keystone to hit the slopes in 2011. And now this year, we're headed to Knoxville, TN for an unforgettable mission trip in 2012. We'll partner with World Changers & go serve that community through work projects & construction. Here's the scoop:
WHEN: March 18 - March 21
WHERE: Knoxville, TN
WHY: Work. Serve. Do Missions with World Changers
WHO: All MS & HS Students
WHAT: Work Projects & Construction
COST: $135 (includes lodging & food on site)
DEADLINE: Sign up by December 21 --> $50 Deposit
Feel free to contact me for any further details or questions. And be sure to sign up by the deadline! Don't miss an opportunity to experience God in this unique way!
JV
10.21.2011
10.19.2011
Guy on a Buffalo: Ep 1
Chuck Norris' favorite mini-series. In case you missed our opener last week...here you go!
10.13.2011
Chris Tomlin Concert
Chris Tomlin is coming to Little Rock next week...AND WE'RE GOING! It's going to be an awesome night of worship. Chris Tomlin & Christy Nockels will be leading us in a time of worship, and Louie Giglio will bring us God's Word. This is going to be a powerful night & you don't want to miss it! Here are the details:
WHEN: Friday, October 21@ 7:00 PM
WHERE: Verizon Arena
COST: $30 (guaranteed floor seats)
MEET: Up @ NLBC @ 5:15 PM
Eat before you come & be sure to buy your tickets from John ASAP!
JV
WHEN: Friday, October 21@ 7:00 PM
WHERE: Verizon Arena
COST: $30 (guaranteed floor seats)
MEET: Up @ NLBC @ 5:15 PM
Eat before you come & be sure to buy your tickets from John ASAP!
JV
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