Vida Church Santa Maria

The Greatness of our God

The Psalms are an amazing portion of Scripture, helping us understand the wonder of God. And Psalm 145 is an incredibly rich passage that reflects God in his: greatness, grace, goodness, glory, and generosity!

Easter – Celebrating the Author of Life!

Jesus was called the "author of life." What exactly does that mean, and how might it offer the key to understanding the Easter story? We're taking a look at the resurrection of Jesus through the window of an event that took place shortly after the first Easter, and discover why you can't eliminate the author from their own story!

A Heart for God: A (Gritty) Loving Heart

When our hearts are right, our lives are right. But what a journey to ensure our hearts are right (and stay right) with God! And at the center of this issue is our love. What does it look like to have a heart that's being transformed by Jesus' love — then activating that love in our world? To love in the way of Jesus isn't just a warm embrace; it's a gritty, tenacious love that requires heavy lifting — strong enough to confront, and strong enough to forgive.

A Heart for God: A Heart at Rest

Our lives matter to God — but not because of what he can get from us. He doesn't value us because of what we produce. In fact, he invites us to come to him and find rest. How is this possible in our busy lives that are often marked by striving and weariness? While there are no shortcuts, there are ways we can cultivate a greater trust in Jesus so that ultimately we can truly find rest in him.

A Heart for God Part 3

"I am looking for the fellowship of the burning heart — for men and women of all generations everywhere who love the Savior until adoration becomes the music of their soul." Those words were penned years ago by pastor and author, A.W. Tozer. They poetically describe people whose hearts are passionately pursuing Jesus. But what does that passion look like, and how can we keep those fires stoked in our lives? Let's sit by the fire together and have that conversation.

A Heart for God Part 2

What is the downside of living with a polluted heart? What's so bad with letting in a little greed, hate, gossip, lust, pride, etc? We're looking at three negative results of heart pollution — and gaining insight into why Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart."

A Heart for God Pt 1

Our hearts have always symbolized the center of life. Not only do they keep our bodies running, but they represent the center of our passions, our will, and our most deeply held beliefs. It's our hearts that drive our decisions. So it's critical to ask: do I have a heart for God, or has some other lesser thing occupied the very center of who I am?

What Ministry Looks Like

From the life of Paul the Apostle, Pastor Israel shares three characteristics of ministry life that are important for ALL of us: expect criticism, walk in courage, care for others.

Lost & Found Pt 4 – When Loss is Permanent

When we experience loss in our lives, many things are restored by God — even things we thought were hopelessly gone. But there’s other kinds of loss that is permanent and painful. Where is God in that? Today we look for answers in Scriptures and in the hope-filled story of Dennis and Debbie Jordan who lost their young son to leukemia.

Lost & Found Pt 3

When Jesus told stories about things that were lost and found, he was talking to two groups of people: those who knew they were lost (the "sinners"), and others who didn't think they were lost at all (the "religious" folk). And what both groups learned through his stories was revolutionary. God isn't angry — he's filled with love and absolute readiness to bring restoration to lives! Which group do you think was happier with that message? 😎

Lost & Found Pt 2

In the stories Jesus tells, we find that God never gives up on us and that he celebrates when we are found! Yes: we have a God who parties (really good parties...with music and dancing!). Why? Because he delights in us. He's not angry with us, even when we're lost because of our own foolishness. He longs to rescue us and fully restore whatever has been lost. And when that happens, he celebrates!

Lost & Found Pt 1

All of us experience loss. Sometimes it’s self-inflicted and other times it’s just life taking a hard left turn. But God cares about it all! In Luke 15 Jesus tells three stories about loss and restoration — and in them we can all find hope for our stories, no matter how painful the loss.

Anchored in Community

Being Anchored in Community really means to be Anchored in Relationship. Pastor Mike shares with us how important community was in the bible and how important it is to be in relationship with others now. Fellowship allows us to share out of our abundance when there is need and being Anchored in Community is exactly this – it is being able to share what you and others have in common otherwise known as Salvation.

Anchored in Mission

As we grow connected to God, it’s never meant to just be about us. God isn’t interested in our “project self!” But he consistently and passionately invites us to join him on a mission of redemption in the world. This week we’re taking a closer look at God’s mission, and discovering how serving others anchors us to Jesus like never before.

Anchored in Prayer

Prayer is an incredible way to commune with God — and every time we pray, we're dropping a faith-anchor. Today we're looking at a story Jesus told that's all about prayer, and why we should always pray and never give up!

Anchored in the Word

The storms we've faced over the past years — they're not going away any time soon. But good news! Jesus promised we can build solid lives, even in storms, as we're anchored in him! Today we're discovering how we can be anchored to God through his word, the Bible. Plus, we're launching a new Bible reading initiative — SM4 260 — that will take us through the entire New Testament in one year. Cool fact: there are 260 chapters in the New Testament, AND 260 weekdays in a year. So, we're reading one chapter a day, Monday - Friday. More info and our reading plan here: https://sm4.org/260

Unwrapped: Unending Joy

Christmas is over — all that remains is to drag the dead Christmas tree out to the trash and pay the bills that stacked up in December. Was it worth it? Absolutely! In fact, the JOY of Christmas isn’t meant to be experienced just once a year. Christmas is over — but Christ remains! And the joy we have in him can stick with us through every season, even the hard ones.

Unwrapped: Unshakable Faith

The first Christmas came at a time of incredible upheaval in Israel. There had been 400 years of conflict and silence from God. Nearly all hope was gone when God broke his silence by speaking to Mary. And faith arose as she believed what God said about her life. This Christmas we can join with Mary and declare to God: we want EVERYTHING you have for us!

Unwrapped: Unrelenting Love

What if there had been no Christmas? What if Jesus had never come? We can barely imagine the catastrophic loss that would have been to humanity — whether people believe in him or not! His powerful influence has shaped all of our stories and has held back darkness from completely overtaking the earth. Much of that has to do with his unrelenting love. He came to the world because of love, and he embodied love, even to his death on the cross.

Seeing the Invisible: the Way of the Future

At the end of Hebrews 11, we find both stories of victory and of suffering. It's easy to have faith when we feel like we're conquering and victorious — but it's much more challenging when we're going through the pain of suffering. Today we gain insight into our faith as we learn to SEE what God is up to in our stories, especially when they are hard.