Vida Church Santa Maria

What we repeat matters. It not only sticks in our minds, but it can change the direction of our lives. And the ideas we repeat about Jesus are of the greatest importance. Today we look at three truths that are at the core of our faith and are worth affirming again and again: Jesus is here, Jesus is good, Jesus is Lord.

Our world is filled with lies that cause havoc in our lives: "You are not enough." "You'll never succeed." "You're too far gone — God would never forgive you." We can't turn to Snopes.com to debunk these lies, so where do we turn? Jesus gives us insight into how to break free from lies and live in the truth.

John 3:16 is likely the most widely known verse in the entire Bible. But do you know what comes right before it? Jesus references one of the least-known stories — about Moses and snakes! Why did Jesus choose this obscure story, and what can we learn from it to help us level up our understanding of the gospel?

When we hear the idea about being a "slave of God," it's difficult to comprehend. For most of us it's such a counterintuitive, and even negative, concept. But in Scripture, James and others talk about it in a very positive way. Today, Pastor Mike unpacks this idea and shares the importance behind Jame's words.

God has given you gifts — and he expects you to use them! That's the message from Romans 12, and today Pastor Ken helps us discover why God's gifts are so important for us to understand and use in our day-to-day lives.

In one of the most iconic passages from the book of Romans, we're hit with several non-rhetorical questions. It starts off with, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" And the answer is simple: lots of people! The reality is we face all kinds of opposition from different directions. But while it's good to understand our opposition, it's even more important to know where Jesus is in all of this — and with each question, the Apostle Paul gives us solid truth about Jesus for us to consider in times of opposition.

Today, Pastor Joel Arreola, our missionary to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, speaks from Romans chapter one about being unashamed of the gospel of Jesus. It is a powerful word, combined with stories of what God is doing in Mexico today.

What you think matters! It has a profound impact on your faith and just about every area of life. The Apostle Paul talks about our thinking in several of his letters — but it's in Philippians 3 that he makes 14 specific references to our minds — what we think, what we know, and what we believe.

One of the most memorable promises in the New Testament is found in the first chapter Philippians. We're told that God will carry on to completion the good work he began in us. That's great news — but what exactly does that look like? In the following verses, Paul actually answers that question and then illustrates it from his own life. God is growing love-informed wisdom within us that enables us to see the world from his perspective.

In a powerful prayer captured in Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul asks God to send his power to do three specific things in his friends' lives: transform them from the inside out, allow them to experience all of God's love, and enable them to walk in the fullness of life God intended. Each of these things is available for us through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Deep insights from a blind man who cried out to Jesus! In Mark 10 we read about Bartimaeus, who would not be silent or allow the crowd to hold him back from receiving his healing and freedom.

Jesus talks about shame, but not in a way we typically think about it. In Mark 8, Jesus makes the hard statement that if we're ashamed of him, then he'll be ashamed of us. These are hard words, but Jesus isn't being harsh. He's being real. His words call us to consider if we're giving in to a world that's increasingly "faith shaming" those who are aligned with the gospel. And it causes us to ask: if we're not to be ashamed, then how should we live out our faith in our generation?

Taking inspiration from Jesus' promise to make his followers "fishers of people," Pastor Mike helps us grapple with the amazing diversity of ways to share the good news of Jesus with others.

Our POV: "I'd do anything to find real life!" – God's POV: "I did everything to give you real life!" What Jesus did through the cross and that first Easter was to create a NEW and LIVING WAY. He did it for all of humanity, even the most broken and vulnerable. And it's not just a temporary fix. The promise of Easter is that new life available to us permanently. Even after death, we live!

Living in relationship with Jesus isn't just about receiving God’s blessing. And it isn't just about giving and giving. It’s about living in such a way that both giving and receiving are happening in a powerful rhythm of spiritual life. That's the kind of life God will bless. But you can't give what you haven't received — so today we're focusing our attention on what stops us from receiving all God has for us. How can we live in a way that invites his blessing?

In Galatians, Paul tells us that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Today, Pastor Kaelyn shares how as Christians and those who have faith in Jesus, we need to be able to express our faith in love to those around us. When we have the fruit of the Spirit evident in our lives, we can love others well and it can change the world.

The Apostle Paul was alarmed and angry when he was writing to his friends in the region of Galatia. People had been coming into the churches there, trying to get them to follow a different gospel — which Paul said was no gospel at all. So, what is the gospel? And why is this conversation so important for us today?

Do you ever feel like something is missing from your faith? In Acts 18-19 we find back-to-back stories where this was the case. These followers of God had received John's baptism, but not the baptism of Jesus. In fact, they'd never even heard the good news about the Holy Spirit. But they were open to receiving ALL God had for them and soon were walking in the fullness of the Spirit. That can be our story as well! Dive into this message about the mission of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Are we open to change, or will we say something like, Are You Kidding God? How do we respond when God speaks to us about doing something in His name? Today, Pastor Gary shares from Acts chapter 11 and how we should make changes to our life so that when God says GO, we can go.

Jesus' primary mission was to bless humanity. And the primary obstacle in the way of receiving that blessing is sin. That's why Jesus went to the cross, in order to destroy sin's power over us. Today we're looking at three of the massive blessings that flow into a life that's turned from sin to Jesus. Get ready to be blessed!