Christ Is Everything

/
Christ Is Everything

As we near the end of this Advent and Christmas season, we must go back to the foundational element for all of the other Advent elements, and that is Christ. He is the only way that we can truly have hope, peace, joy and love. As many people say this time of year, and as cheesy as it may sound at times, Jesus truly is the reason for the season! Christmas is about Jesus Christ. 

 The word Christmas literally means “Christ's mass,” which comes from the Latin word “‘to give thanks.” This points to the truth that we should give thanks to God for sending the gift of his son Christ into the world.

Read More

Get Your Gift in Before the Ball Drops on 2017

/
Get Your Gift in Before the Ball Drops on 2017

Happy New Year!

We hope that you and your family enjoyed a great Christmas season. As another year wraps up, we celebrate the transformation, life change, and growth Jesus has brought in the lives of so many people. Thank you for your investment in our ministry, because without you, this year would not have been possible. As we head into 2018 and aim to Complete the Pathway, we believe that Jesus has more life change and impact to bring in this next year.

Would you prayerfully consider a generous gift towards the Lord’s ministry through Vintage Church as we close out 2017? 

Read More

Monday Morning Reflection: The #1 Question We All Ask

/
Monday Morning Reflection: The #1 Question We All Ask

This weekend was no doubt you a unique weekend with the arrival of Hurricane Nate in the gulf. While we didn’t gather corporately in person, we were at least able to gather together through technology. If you haven’t watched our online gathering, you can find it HERE. 

Nevertheless, we continued in the Apocalypse series, looking at Revelation 4–7. I want to remind you to check out all of our sermon resources, including an introduction to Revelation at vcnola.com/apocalypse. Also, don’t forget about our upcoming Equip Series: Unveiling the Apocalypse. I know I probably didn’t come close to answering all of your questions about things like the seals, 144,000, and other unique elements. That’s what the Equip Series is for! Join us for 4 Sunday nights (10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12) from 5–6:30 pm. 

Read More

Won't Be Held Down

/
Won't Be Held Down

For Jesus’s disciples and his followers, the Saturday after his death was a dark day. Their hope, Jesus, had died, and now his corpse laid in a tomb. But they had no idea of what would await them the next morning. They had no idea that on Sunday morning, Jesus would not be there. In the power of God, Jesus had resurrected from the grave, defeating sin, death, and hell. Looking back, Peter says this on the day of Pentecost: “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pang s of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:23–24). Death was not able to hold him! Unbelievable.

Read More

It's Not Too Late

/
It's Not Too Late

Today is Good Friday, the day our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and died. When we read the Gospel accounts of his crucifixion and death, we see many similar elements of the story. Luke, however, tells an interesting story about the two criminals crucified next to Jesus. One of the criminals derides Jesus, like the rest of the crowd. The other criminal, however, has a different reaction. Turning to the criminal deriding Jesus, the other criminal asks, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due regard of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:40–41). This criminal clearly understood something about Jesus. Despite Jesus’s mangled appearance, the criminal knew Jesus was the Messiah, the one who was to come and save the people. Because of who he knew Jesus to be, he called out , “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:43). Then Jesus replies, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Read More

Poured Out

/
Poured Out

The Passover was a special meal for all Jews, especially for Jesus and his disciples. Jesus gathered his disciples together for what would be their last Passover together. The meal begins as it normally does, but then Jesus does something rather odd. He picks up the bread and breaks it as was custom and says, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He continues, picking up the wine, a drink all Jews would have at their Passover meal. But it’s not just wine. Jesus says, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” No one had done this before. Jesus had just redefined the Passover meal, a meal Jews had been participating in for over 1,000 years. But Jesus also knew what he was about to do would change history forever.

Read More

Serving as Worship

/
Serving as Worship

Christians often become so consumed with the act of serving that they forget the core reason for doing so. Anyone who is engaged in and involved in the local church has probably served their local church in some capacity. Yes, the church is busy and a lot of things happen on a weekly and even daily basis, but is that the only reason we should serve? Jesus gives us the importance of serving in John 13. The King of Kings humbled himself prior to his journey on the cross by washing the feet of his disciples. Simon Peter wanted no part in this, thinking that he should wash the feet of Jesus instead. Jesus knew though that in order for someone to have relationship with him, they must give of themselves fully to him. This washing of feet is an example of what it takes to truly know and walk with Jesus, which is service and humility. The fact that we even have new life in Jesus is a demonstration of service itself. Jesus serves us so that we can in return serve others.

Read More

New Life in Jesus

/
New Life in Jesus

The implications of knowing Christ are extremely significant! The Apostle Paul writes this letter to the Church of Corinth, reminding them of who they are in Christ Jesus and what that means for them in their present circumstances and situations. Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This is a phrase that we hear quite often in the church today, but do we really live like this? Second Corinthians is a book of reminders. The Church of Corinth was in a place where they desperately needed to be reminded of the truths of God, in order to resist temptation and stand against the enemy. Paul also reminds the Corinthians that because Christ has reconciled us to himself, we can also demonstrate reconciliation to others. This is an act that we are simply unable to do apart from Christ Jesus.

Read More

Bearing the Weight

/
Bearing the Weight

Have you ever thought about the justice of the cross? Jesus was completely sinless and thereby innocent. Yet he died the death of a criminal. Crucifixion was brutal. While painful, crucifixion was also publicly humiliating. A person would hang there on a cross, normally naked, while others passed by. When people saw people crucified, they knew they were criminals. Yet Jesus “bore our sins in his body on the tree.” Despite his innocence, Jesus willingly went to the cross. He knew his death was not just about him but about finishing the mission God had sent him to accomplish. He became sin so that we might become righteousness.

Read More