How can a good God allow suffering in the world? Is suffering evidence against God? What should our response to suffering be as Christians? John helps us answer these hard questions about the tension of suffering.
Sermons
Speaker: John Kliewer
Hurts So Good: Take Up Your Cross & Follow
September 22, 2019 John Kliewer Celebrating the Tensions of the KingdomWhat does the Bible say about our suffering in this life? Is God pro-pain? Do only bad people suffer? John answers these questions and shares on how our lives can be journeys that hurt so good.
This world guarantees us that we’ll have some sort of trouble. We need God to teach us the secret to contentment, and how in Jesus we can have peace in a troubled world. What’s the secret? It has nothing to do with delusional thinking, blaming others or running away and more to do with just being still and trusting God will come through.
John leads us through a look at one of the best freedom stories in the Bible, Israel’s freedom from slavery in Egypt. So, what really is freedom and how do we find it today?
The Holy Spirit Changing the World
June 9, 2019 John Kliewer A Practical Guide: Holy Spirit Led CommunityJohn continues our series about the Holy Spirit.
At the Vineyard we pray “Come, Holy Spirit” a lot. When we pray “Come, Holy Spirit” we ask God to come and show us that he’s overcome the world. We’re asking him to make the world perfect again. We’re asking for miracles, healing and his kingdom to come on Earth as it is in heaven. Praying this can be confrontative, but it’s also good, powerful, and amazing.
Everyone gets gifts from the Holy Spirit. John shares on what the gifts of the Holy Spirit are, how we get them, and how we can use them.
The Holy Spirit loves us and empowers us. But it shouldn’t all just be talk. The Holy Spirit wants us to experience him. John shares with us on how we get to have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit right now!
Remembering the benefits of God’s love can be a key factor in being loved by him. Yet, to experience those benefits (to live, to feel the greatness of God’s love), takes more than just an intellectual exercise. Remembering the benefits of God’s love needs to go deep, they become central in our lives and govern our behavior. Also as a reminder, God loves you.
How do we know God loves us? What evidence do we have? John shares on how God shows us his love throught the things he gave us and what he did on the cross.