Song Writing Interview:Todd Bagley & Michael Bynum at the WH (YouTube)

Christmas Day 2010 at Jim and Patsy's home

We Are Taking A Day Off After The Snow Day

Christmas Day Snow 2010 In Gadsden

Freezing night temps with ice forming. So we decided the safest thing to do was take the day off and not try driving into town. Gravel trucks came by seven times during the day and night. Wind slamming frozen limbs against the house. This is the South. Meaning this kind of weather doesn't come this way often and we lose all of our wisdom concerning autos on black ice patches. No live streams today.

A Little Saturday Morning Christian Discussion Over Coffee

Discussion with Wayne Findley, Lane Smith, Bobby Sparks. Jim mans the Nano
cam.

Talking About Priorities

I thought I would go and look over our priorities from the 2010 perspective. I was told by the God to “start a church” back on January 16, 1983. It took two years to wander around with this mandate and by January 1985 we had a checkbook with our name on it: Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Gadsden. That’s our real name registered with the IRS. AVC-USA got concerned that the Vineyard movement would lose the “service mark” of the name “Vineyard”(It’s like if you and I say “Coke” when we mean any soft drink then the word “Coke” would go into general use and no longer be a “trademark”). Anyway, AVC asked the Vineyard churches in the USA to change our names and stop calling ourselves “Vineyards” but call ourselves the name of the city (or something), then Vineyard (like the Baptist, etc. - the name of the association or domination), then the word church. So ten years into this change I heard many Vineyards refused to change their name. (I sound so obedient to authority, don’t I?) Michael Bynum was telling me one pastor’s story that he refused to use the word “church” because he said the word “fellowship” had a greater connection for him. He said “fellowship” communicated better the value of “church life” being about “a spiritual family that fellowships together”.

So why are you writing about this you ask? Because WORDS are a way to communicate IDEAS, and STORIES do an even better job of it. The old saying is so true: “A picture is worth a 1000 words.” Sometimes even 1000 words can’t do it justice. My conflict inside over the word CHURCH versus FELLOWSHIP continues. I’m sure you have some ideas that would be communicated better if you could just find better words to use.

An example of someone who can write with such clean thinking would be C. S. Lewis. Go and read any of his 54 books for a few minutes and your mind will become clean and your thinking level.

Or read anywhere in the Gospels. After a few minutes you will find that the air clears, you start to get in touch with who you are, who God is, and everything starts to come into focus.

K & L > Z

This time next week K & L will be on their way to the Far East to get Z! What a long and exciting countdown it has been.

There’s a calendar that Father is keeping and He has circled the Wedding Feast of His Son. All of creation is counting down. Hope you know (yada) Him. Get in touch with me and we’ll get you on His list!

Eye has not seen and ear has not hear what God our Father has in store for us, for YOU!

Blessings from Gadsden, Alabama, USA  - jim 

OUR PRIORITIES

Introduction

   Priorities describe how we spend our time, energy, and money. They are the things we do. Priorities grow out of the things we value and believe in. Our priorities are based on the Bible, the Word of God, that is the standard for all that we do at the Vineyard. In other words, nothing that we do should ever be opposed to the Bible’s teaching. We aim to do all that the Bible teaches. We have a particular approach to the Bible. We think that it was given not only to give us insight and understanding but also to equip us to do God’s work. Thus, we emphasize training that is doing the truth in addition to knowing the truth. Because we stress doing, our teaching and preaching are intended to be practical and relevant. We aim, through expository preaching and topical messages and modeling the Christian lifestyle, to call people to follow every part of the Christian life as revealed in the Scriptures.

1. Exalting God’s Presence (Worship): The highest priority of God’s people is to worship Him, that is, to give to God the worth that He ought to have in our lives. In the Bible, one meaning of worship is to draw near. Thus, in worship we give ourselves to God in love and He comes to us in the fullness of His Spirit. We believe that an intimate relationship with God is the basis of all that we do as Christians.

2. Expressing God’s Love (Ministry): Ministry at the Vineyard flows from two basic assumptions. First, it is based on the compassion and mercy of God. Jesus was the embodiment of God’s compassion and mercy toward those in need. Thus, through the imitation of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to minister out of hearts which are filled with Christ’s mercy and compassion.

   Second, Jesus Christ as the Messiah came to establish the Kingdom of God, that is, God’s right to rule in the world (Matt. 9:35-10:10). This kingdom rule and reign of God is extended through the world in, among other things, the following ways:

 Preaching the Gospel with the aim of making disciples

 Praying for the healing of the sick

 Teaching believers to follow Christ

 Feeding the poor

 Counseling those in need of God’s wisdom

 Giving to the work of Christ

 Building up families

 Social action

3. Enfolding God’s Family (Fellowship): Vineyard exists to care for and to build up people, not programs. Fellowship begins with our relationship with Jesus. It also involves our commitment to Christ’s body.

   We believe that this commitment to Christ’s body can best be expressed by being involved in small groups (i.e. kinships, home fellowship groups, special interest groups). We must know one another in order to love one another and to share one another’s burdens. Small groups are the basic structure in the Vineyard for comfort and counsel, service to one another, intimate relationships, healing and prayer. In these groups, we stress such things as honesty, integrity, reality, acceptance, and love.

4. Edifying God’s People (Discipleship): The New Testament calls Christians to a radical commitment. We believe that we are called to an unconditional surrender of our whole lives to Christ. We do not do this in a legalistic way or to impress or judge one another. Instead, our surrender to God springs from a response of love and thanksgiving to God who loved us and gave Himself for us.

   As a church we stimulate one another to discipleship. One meaning of disciple is pupil or learner. It involves binding oneself to another so that the disciple does what the master does. In Christian discipleship our aim is to be bound to Christ and to imitate Him. We believe we are to imitate Jesus in all He did—preaching, healing, praying, delivering the demonized, caring for the poor, etc.

5. Evangelizing God’s World (Evangelism, Church Planting & World Missions): Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (I Tim. 1:15). He accomplishes that salvation through the witness of His people accompanied by signs and wonders (Mk. 16:20). There are almost 150 million unchurched Americans in the post World War II generation. That means that an enormous missions field exists for churches like the Vineyard here in the United States. The large urban centers of this country are ripe for the harvest. There are also tens of millions of unreached peoples around the world whom we are called to reach (Matt. 28:18-20).

   Studies in missions, evangelism, and theology show that a chief way  to evangelize nations and peoples is to plant churches. Therefore, local, regional, and global church planting is a Vineyard priority.

©1997, 2010 Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Gadsden – Revised 12-1-2010

Interview with Jordan Magee about Prophetic Dance

Jordan Magee is a singer, songwriter, dancer, and
now a dance drama playwright and choreographer.
It's also exciting to see how others got involved with the
dance drama.

Living Like The Future Is Now

In The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber relates a story he had heard about what Tom Watson, the founder of IBM, had said concerning the success of IBM. It is said that Tom answered his questioner as follows:

IBM is what it is today for three reasons. The first reason is that, at the beginning, I had a very clear picture of what the company would look like when it was finally done. I had a model in my mind of what it would look like when the dream—my vision—was in place.

     The second reason was that once I had that picture, I then asked myself how a company, which looked like that, would have to act. I then created a picture of how IBM would act when it was finally done.

     The third reason IBM has been so successful was that once I had a picture of how IBM would look when the dream was in place and how such a company would have to act, I then realized that, unless we began to act that was from the very beginning, we would never get there.

     In other words, I realized that for IBM to become a great company it would have to act like a great company long before it ever became one.

     From the very outset, IBM was fashioned after the template of my vision. And each and every day we attempted to model the company after that template. At the end of each day, we asked ourselves how well we did, discovered the disparity between where we were and where we had committed ourselves to be, and, at the start of the following day, set out to make up for the difference.

     Every day at IBM was a day devoted to business development, not doing business. We didn’t do business at IBM; we built one.

(emphasis mine)

From The E-Myth Revisited, pages 69-70, 1995

CHRIST IN US, THE HOPE OF GLORY. "God willed to make known among the nations the riches of the glory of this mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations but now has been revealed to his saints. It is Christ in you the hope of glory" (Col 1:26-27).

The IBM vision of Tom Watson is a good illustration of this 

passage. If we live today as if we really are seated in Christ 

what would our everyday lives look like? It just might be that 

living like we were already mature would cause us to mature 

more quickly. Imagine that you and I are the adopted sons 

and daughters of God Most High. Wait a minute, WE ARE 

ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD MOST HIGH!!!

How To Run The Great Hall Sound Board

David, Nathan and A. J. Talk About Healing

Liz Wood Interview On Song Writing

Our Values (The Ones We Know)

OUR VALUES

Introduction

   Every house is built upon a foundation. Gadsden Vineyard Church, GVC, is built upon the foundation of conservative, evangelical Christian theology (see GVC's Statement of Faith). We actively stress certain ideas and attitudes that govern our choices about how we use our time, energy and resources. These are our values.

                   

   Our primary value can be stated in one word - RELATIONSHIP. We are committed to growth in intimacy with God and with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ and to growing His Family - extending His kingdom throughout our community and the world. We want to know God and our fellow brothers and sisters better! We believe our relationship with God and each other is the primary value from which everything else in our fellowship flows. (Matthew 22:37-39) Therefore, God and His children are not to be used to meet our own personal ambitions. We prefer rather to learn to relate to Him and to them in a way that will bring wholeness to our lives. From this basic value come all the other things that we value.

     A. We value the PURSUIT OF GOD. We are hungry to know God’s presence, to hear His voice, and to follow hard after Him. (Psalm 63:1-3)

     B. We value CHRISTLIKENESS. We desire that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ love, mercy, grace, truth, purity, power, and integrity would shine through all that we do. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

     C. We value BEING SPIRIT-LED. We honor Jesus as our head and the Holy Spirit as our counselor-teacher. We seek to be responsive to the Holy Spirit in life and ministry. (Galatians 5:22-25)

     D. We value PRAYER essentially because it is our primary means of communing with God and because it is God’s primary means of accomplishing His purposes in the world. We expect God to answer prayer and often experience healing and restoration in people’s lives.

     E. We value DISCIPLESHIP and aim first to grow as disciples of Jesus ourselves and then to make disciples of others. To enable people to learn more quickly and with greater awareness, we use a clinic model of teaching and demonstrating in everything we do. (Philemon 6; Matthew 28:18-20)

     F. We value THE KINGDOM OF GOD. We believe that when we meet the unconverted and serve them, that God will back up our message with signs and wonders - Power Evangelism. As we love 

them, God will meet their needs through our actions and prayers, and we will see God heal and work wonders through His mighty presence and His Spirit’s gifts to all. (Mark 1:14-15)

     G. We value the MERCY OF GOD. We believe that mercy is fundamental to all that God does in salvation.Therefore, we aim to extend mercy to one another and to all to whom we minister. (Colossians 3:12-13)

     H. We value INTEGRITY. We seek to speak truthfully, deal honestly, and live uprightly with God, with each other, and with ourselves. (Ephesians 4:14-15)

     I. We value SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We believe that Christ has put significant leadership authority in the hands of the senior pastor and leadership team. We aim to exercise that authority with humility, selflessness, grace, care for the sheep and a sincere desire to build up the Body of Christ. (II Timothy 2:24-25; John 10:11b)

     J. We value the INDIVIDUAL, single or married, adult or child. We believe that all people will someday stand before God and have their life examined to disclose the degree of stewardship they have exercised in their lives and work. We want everyone we know to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)

We plan to help one another strive to do all we are called to do in our generation. We believe everyone can and should minister; therefore, equipping the body is a goal in all of our actions.
     K. We value UNITY. We are convinced that all who belong to Christ are one in His Body, the Church. We aim to maintain unity by honoring all who call on Jesus’ name and by seeking reconciliation with all parts of His church. (John 17:21-23)

     L. We value COMMUNITY, a “sense of belonging.” We are honored by every person whom God adds to the Gadsden Vineyard Church and desire that he or she participate in a small group where he or she can live and grow in a community of love and acceptance. In small groups people learn to love one another and to share in the ministry of reaching the unchurched. (I Corinthians 13:4-7; Colossians 3:12-14)

     M. We value REALITY. We aim to walk in the Spirit and expect to see real supernatural works of God. We aim also to function on the natural plane based on God’s leading and excellent, rational thinking. (James 1:5) We strive to hear the Holy Spirit and walk by faith. We also believe that the Spirit’s promptings will go hand in hand with realistic, rational thinking.

     N. We value SIMPLICITY. We desire to do nothing for religious effect but rather to operate in a natural low-key, unpretentious manner. We want every expression of ours—whether our speech, our music, our behaviors, and our physical environment to be non-hyped and reality based. We enjoy showmanship and stage presence but value it only as good theater and entertaining. (Philippians 4:4-8)

     O. We value BEING CULTURE CURRENT. We aim to develop an atmosphere of ease and to speak, act, and dress in ways to which our culture can respond positively. We want to use music, terminology, and technology to stay in touch with our communities and meet their needs. (I Corinthians 9:19-23)

     P. We value DUTY. We believe that as Christians we have moral obligations to perform regardless of what our emotions dictate. (Hebrews 10:25)

     Q. We value LOYALTY that is an ever enduring, steadfast, faithful, patient, persevering attitude and action toward other Christians. (John 15:13; Proverbs 17:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-11; I Corinthians 13:4-7)

     R. We value EFFICIENCY. We want to get as many people involved in the ministry as is possible. (Current research shows that only fifteen to twenty percent is involved in ministry in the average traditional church setting.) We strive to discover one another's spiritual gifts and calling to encourage each other to grow in Kingdom ministry.


     S. We value EVANGELISM and want to PERMEATE OUR CITY and OUR REGION with Kingdom ideals. We want to take the Christian lifestyle out into the lives of the people in our area by meeting in homes and other places. We don’t want to wait until people find their way into a church service. We believe friendship, worship and service evangelism will build relational bridges to the unchurched lives.


     T. We value being part of a MOVEMENT. We believe God is going to change the activities and behaviors of current Christianity into a more biblically functional form in this generation. We believe the small group movement is a plan of the Holy Spirit to reach different people groups all over the earth. We value the accountability and exchange with others that being in a movement brings. We believe that existing permanently, as an independent church, can be dangerous and with time could allow a church to drift away from orthodox Christianity.

     U. We value being BUILDING (FACILITIES) CONSCIENTIOUS. We will use any space necessary to get the job done to equip our people. We believe the main work of the church takes place in small groups. We have no desire to build a fancy building for attracting people or to prove we have arrived; we prefer our “form to follow the function” when it comes to the spaces we rent or purchase. We work at establishing Kingdom authority over facilities for which we are responsible. We also aim at making our environs as aesthetically pleasing as is reasonable.

     V. We value ACCOUNTABILITY. Small group meetings commonly focus on a Biblical teaching related to a life problem. Because one cannot hide in a small group, there is a natural relational accountability in this environment. We believe the leaders and members stay spiritually healthy through close accountability and transparent relationships.

     W. We value GENEROSITY. We are committed to freely give away all that we have freely received from God.
     
     X. We value HUMILITY. We know that humility and thankfulness leads to being healthy, mature Christians who aren’t judgmental but lead by the love of Christ.

     Y. We value OUR CHURCH CULTURE. We love who we are and our evolving unique church culture.

We have a list of about 25 values. Of course, there are move than 25 that go unstated in our local church culture.

The Ordination Service of A. J. Nichols

Watch Sunday Morning Teaching in People & Blogs  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Walking Out The Prophetic

Starting a few months ago one of the guys in our church that I have know for a few years gives me "a word" that I should start doing Live Streaming. "Thanks for the word. I'll pray about it." I did pray - a little. A month later he gives me the same word. "Thanks, I will work on it." (I planned to work on it but didn't get around to it.) About another month goes by and he says as he leaves Sunday morning, "The LORD wants you to stream as soon as possible." "I will do the research necessary next week." I start researching. I buy a hundred foot Cat 5 cable. That's where I stop. Life moves on. We are having a speaker come in the next week.


The second night of the conference A. J. Nichols comes in with his PC and says they are going to stream tonight. "You'll need a cable that can handle 100mps, I say." I have one that I got last week. In 30 minutes we had strung the cable, using two ladders, a projector cart and some Duct Tape. We were on the Internet - Live. We continue to stream and little by little are getting better with it. When John Crowder comes a few weeks later a guy in Russia is watching John in real time.


This blog had about 2700 hits in it's first five years. It now has been averaging 50 visitors a day. I bet you can guess when the change started - when we stepped out and leaned into "the word".

Same guy has given me a new "word". Here it is: "The LORD wants you to set up a LCD 50 inch large screen monitor in a front window and show worship and teaching around the clock. A visual sending the Word out into the streets."


I think I learned from the last time that it isn't so much HOW you fulfill the word as it is TRYING to move on the word the best you know how to do it.


Today I stopped by Walmart and looked for a large screen monitor. I talked with the Spirit as we looked at the screens. The most peace was on a Sony 45.9 inch unit. It was priced at $748.97. I'm starting a fund today toward this flat screen. "God pays for what He orders." That's what Kenn Gulliksen would tell us in the early days of the Vineyard movement. If He speaks to you on this, well, cool. If He does not, well, cool. I will let you know what happens next.

Rachel Muller - Single: Gaze (All The Days)

Rachel Muller has got a single for sale online. It's called Gaze (All The Days). It's available at these locations on the web: Itunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gaze-all-the-days/id404895537?i=404895542
 or at CD Baby http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rachelmuller  or at Amazon Music  http://www.amazon.com/Gaze-All-the-Days/dp/B004CTCG6Q/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290384157&sr=301-1 
It's like God's timing for releasing music. I hear there are more tunes coming in the next few weeks from more of our songwriters.

Scott Parker Songs on Itunes and CD Baby

Scott has released two of his tunes you can now download. At CD Baby   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/scottparker1   and at Itunes   http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/psalms-103/id404886762  and at Amazon Music  http://www.amazon.com/Psalms-103/dp/B004CV6V3I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1290381827&sr=8-1-catcorr  Song titles include: Psalm 103  and The King Is Here.

More Casual History - Episode FOUR

Sam On Deliverance

Michael Bynum's about the Vineyard

Organic First Fruits Worship

Taste and Hear. More of last night's Organic First Fruits Worship at Ustream. Look under Connects over on the right side and down.

The Archippus Within

Yesterday I taught from Chapter 3 and 4 of Colossians. I so like that we get to find out that Onesimus (4:9) is restored. (Part of his story is in Philemon) And that John Mark, Barnabas's cousin is back on the mission field (John Mark's story is in Acts).

In the next to last verse of Chapter 4 (4:17) there's a personal message to Archippus. Mr. Paul says to him, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may continually fulfil it." NASB

The NASB leaves out 'continually' but it applies in our time and culture. So many things continually calling our name, pulling us aside from the important. Don't you find it hard to stay on track? There's a Tat for you to put down your arm: "Take Heed To Stay On Track". What kind of font to use? Maybe in a 1967 Poster style.

Casual History Part 3

Jim tells some more of Gadsden Vineyard's history.

Divine Curiosity

How many times have you heard someone say, "Don't worry about what people think"? I have heard it many, many times and have even said it myself.

Have I been guilty of worrying about what other people think? Yep! Have I ever let it keep me up at nights? Yep! Have I ever been influenced by what people think? Yep! Haven't we all?

Do you think Jesus wondered about what people thought of Him? In Matthew 16, Jesus was divinely curious if just for a brief moment.

He asked His disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?" The disciples knew what they were saying. (Jesus probably knew, too.) They quickly replied: "Some think you are John the Baptizer. Some think you are Elijah. Some say you are Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

Jesus then turned His attention to the disciples. He must have been really curious because the Message Bible says, "He pressed (pushed, pressured) them saying, 'How about you? Who do you say that I am?' "

Peter responded, "You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus answered, "God bless you, Simon . . . My Father in heaven, God Himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am." Jesus could have stopped talking there, but He didn't. What He said is amazing: "And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are." Wow!

Jesus is still curious today. He still asks, "Who do you say I am?" Sadly, many of us stop listening after that first revelation of who God is. However, God has so much more to say to us besides that. He longs to tell us who we really are and that we have total access to Him and the riches of His kingdom and that we have an awesome future secure in Him. No more barriers!

Oh, may we always press in and listen as He reveals more secrets about Himself, and as He speaks those precious words, may we be open and listening for all His precious words to us.

Tech Report

We weren't able to get up our 10-10-10 service Sunday morning on Ustream.

Traveling the "L" in the Chicago area puts one in touch with people and their lives. Living in North Alabama almost everyone you pass is in a car or truck. So here are all these people going by but they (and yourself) are enclosed by all that glass, steel and plastic. You are close but separated. You can't sense them spiritually, emotionally or physically. But put them six inches away in a subway car and you become quite aware of their presence on all levels. Being with hundreds of people for a week affects you. One tends to pray for the person next to you. I rarely pray for people driving by except to ask God to help their driving skills! Today I would say: "Get close, get involved, and God will flow through you."

Moving Is Good [post 59]

Ice Melt

Moving is good, any kind of moving. Looking back at the last few years I would say I was waiting. Waiting for something but not sure what it was. God was with us as a church and just to offer a time of intimate worship was very satisfying most of the time. We were growing in our love for each other. But...


The other day I had a thought. It has been like going swimming at a family owned swimming pool outside Attalla called Lake Rhea. Cold mountain water came down all year long into this creek. The family had built a large pool with a fishing lake on down stream. The water from the creek flowed into the pool, then the pond and on down stream.You could have a picnic, a family reunion (we did many times), use the main building to get something to eat or dance to the jukebox. You could come early and leave late.


The thing that connected the other day was that the water coming into the pool was set to match the outflow. In a closed system, like a pool in your back yard, the water just recirculates. But in a pool that is spring feed you had to let the overflow out or else it overflowed!


I can see now that God put the plug back into our church 'pool' a couple of years ago. It has been like filling up a backyard pool with a garden hose. It takes days to fill up a 30,000 gallon pool. The water has been rising for many months now and it's causing the landscape to change because the pool is full again. Like having a heavy spring rain, there is so much water that it has over flowed the walls and looks like a creek flowing. It looks like Lake Rhea. I like it. "Stuff is a-moving again."

Casual Talk About Our Church History [post 58]

I've been cleaning up a corner of my church office and used it for the next installment of our church history.

Why The Vineyard? Part 1 by Christy Wimber [post 57]

http://www.yorbalindavineyard.com/article/why-the-vineyard/

What can I say about this article? Oh, WOW! Christy was part of the Friends church that John and Carol Wimber first joined. She is John's daughter-in-law and is senior pastor of the Yorba Linda Vineyard. You have got to read this. And then go on to read Part 2.
http://www.yorbalindavineyard.com/article/why-the-vineyard-2--remember-who-you-are/
It's current and it's our beginning all talked about in one place. Enjoy like a box of chocolates!

jim

One of A.J.'s Great Videos of GVC Worship [post 56]

Tour of the Great Hall & A Little History [post 55]

Jim gives a little history and around-the-room tour at Facebook.

Todds visits James 2:17-18 [post 54]

This is a very important piece of scripture because it relates to the exercising of our faith. Let’s take a look:


17- If faith has no works, it is dead. How true. If we turn that into anything else, it makes perfect sense. Let’s say, if “labor without accomplishment is wasted labor” or “love without affection is never felt’’. You get the point. Our faith is the confident expectation of what we believe in. But if we truly believe it, and we confidently expect it, shouldn’t we walk in that expectation? Shouldn’t there be evidence in our lives of what we say we believe?


18- I will show you my faith by my works. Jesus said that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Then He said we would be known by our fruits. Either way, good or bad, a tree should produce fruit. Remember, Jesus also told us that a tree that didn’t produce fruit at all wasn’t worthy of the ground it used and should be cut down and thrown into the fire. Faith is the very base of our relationship with God, and if it is real, it will produce fruit. If it is empty, it is useless.


Let us exercise our faith, maybe it will get stronger…

-Todd Bagley

Editor's Note: Todd teaches a 4pm Sundays Worship and In-Depth Bible Study at Gadsden Vineyard. Come on by and sit in.

Todd visits Romans 12:1-2 [post53]

Let's look at Romans 12:1-2 today:


In v.1 when he mentions that our bodies should be a living and holy sacrifice, I'm scratching my head. So let’s break it down. In this sentence there are two things noted about our bodies as a sacrifice:


1) Living – When he says living, he isn’t just talking about us being alive and drawing breath as men. He’s referring to being alive in Him. If we look at 1 Corinthians 3:16, we see that we are a temple of God, and the Spirit dwells in us. We are living because the Spirit is alive in us.
2) Holy – To be holy is to be sanctified. We are sanctified only through our faith in Jesus and the power of His blood.
Notice that both of these things require Him, and cannot be achieved on our own. So how do we “present” ourselves as a sacrifice, acceptable unto God? By submitting ourselves to Him. That is worship, right? It’s giving ourselves into complete submission with all reverence and servitude to Someone greater.


In v.2, he gives some good guidance here. Do not be conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of your mind. Again, we have two things of significance:


1) Not conformed to the world – We are not to be like the world. The world is the sin that we were born into. However, we tend to want to fit into that, because it’s what we know. It’s so often very comfortable and feeds our flesh. But in Romans 8:29, we see that we were predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. And as Jesus said, you can’t serve two masters…
2) That leads us to the transforming part. Remember that little thing about denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily? That’s where this comes from. In the laying down of our old selves, the denial of our flesh and earthly minds, we can take on the mind of Christ. We can become more like Him, which is the ultimate goal. Remember, Jesus said that we are to be perfect like our God who is perfect. That only comes through our denial of ourselves and submitting to Him. In this process, transformation is taking place. Our minds are being renewed to its original state, prior to sin.


If we can do this, we are living instruments of worship.

-Todd Bagley

Editor's Note: Todd teaches a 4pm Sundays Worship and In-Depth Bible Study at Gadsden Vineyard. Come on by and sit in.

The Beginning of the Vineyard Movement [post 52]

Kenn Guliksen is an amazing church planter. He would go to a beach and start an oil painting of the scene. Before long he would be having many conversations about his painting. He would mention that he was doing a beach bible study and people would start coming. Once he had four different bible studies going he would start a beach worship service. A church would form and he would go paint somewhere else and do it again.


Each time he reworked how the church plant functioned he would change the name of the church. Kenn was in the process of doing this and felt lead to start one in Hollywood. He asked the LORD for a new name and was led to  Isaiah 27:2-3: 

2 In that day, "A vineyard of wine, sing of it!
3 "I, the LORD, am its keeper ; I water it every moment. So that no one will damage it, I guard it night and day. NASB

Kenn and Joanie Guliksen

Back in the early 1990s John Wimber was interacting with a group of Christians in the Kansas City area that moved in prophecy. They had all agreed that the Vineyard movement was about intimacy and compassion. Looking back I would agree with them. That's always been at the heart of the movement. We are only a part of the universal body of Christ but Intimacy and Compassion is a big part of our spiritual DNA.

- Jim Bentley

A Sample of Todd Bagley's Teaching from Colossians 3:22-24 [post 51]

About a year ago, I had the idea to put all of the Sunday afternoon teaching on here. I posted once, and that was it. Turns out there wasn't grace for it. So, here I am a year later with a new idea. I'm gonna post some of my thoughts on different scriptures. I've been doing this via e-mail for quite some time, and it's been pretty good, so let's see how it goes. I'll start with Colossians 3:22-24.


What we see here is an issue of servitude. This is a simple concept that we have tainted with generations of well meaning but selfish and worldly ambitions. Most of my life I was told if I worked hard, I could make something of myself. That I could be whatever I wanted to be. And there’s the problem. The real measure of success is not what we can make of ourselves, but that we can become who we were made to be. Let’s look:


v. 22 – A) Obey your masters on earth. I think, all jokes aside, we would all agree that we are not slaves to anyone on earth. But the idea is the same for those of us who work for someone else. Paul calls us to obey. But he goes on to explain how and more importantly why.


B) Notice he says not with external service as pleases men. Obedience simply means to follow orders. So we can do that. But the why do we do it? Not because we want to please the one who asked us, but because we want to please and glorify the One we serve, being God


v. 23 – A) Whatever you do. I’ll stop there for a moment. Notice that he doesn’t point out. He says whatever, meaning regardless of what is you do. Now this is originally directed at slaves, but as most of us are bound to a job for financial purposes, you can get the same point. It doesn’t matter what different careers or skill sets or pay scales we think of, work is work.


B) Do it heartily, or, from the heart. This tells me that when we have been assigned a task or taken on a chore, we should apply ourselves with intent on excellence. “But what if I’m not getting paid enough for the work that’s being asked?” “What if the task at hand isn’t fun or exciting?” “It ain’t fair!” All of these expressions I have thought or said at some point or another. Fact is it doesn’t matter. I have to remember that we don’t serve our employers or our clients or whatever. We work for them, but we serve God. When we work for someone, we have made an agreement to do a job for a wage. We can leave at anytime, and they too can let us go at anytime. So why do I say all that? Let’s continue…


C) As for the Lord rather than for men. This is where it gets tricky. First of all, as a service unto God, all of our lives should be dedicated to pleasing Him. Moaning, groaning, whining and complaining doesn’t get us there right? It doesn’t give Him glory when we grumble or throw a tantrum. What does give Him glory is a job done well regardless of circumstances, done with honor and dignity. He is glorified when we do well, if the work was done in servitude to Him. Now here’s the twist. We can still do a job well and excel in what we do, and fail at servitude. The part about serving God rather than men – men doesn’t just mean the folks we work for, it includes us too. Often times we set our minds to achieve or accomplish, but is selfish ambition. It is us trying to find gratification or fulfillment in the work of our own hands. This is a dangerous thing, because that leads to pride. Or sometimes we feel that if we work hard enough, we’ll get noticed and find favor with men, hence advancing ourselves. Again, not a good way of thinking because we are placing our hopes in the hands of men, and not God. So what then? Let’s continue…


v. 24 – A) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Wow. And here we were thinking that a bonus or a good 401k was significant. By inheritance, he speaks of eternal life! What more is there than forever with the Father? There is nothing on this earth, regardless of how good it may appear, that can compare with that. The right now always seems better than the later on, but we must remember to stay focused. Because as he concludes v.24, it is the Lord Christ whom we serve.


I confess that this is one that I need to work on. I give each one of you permission to call me out if you hear me grumbling or slacking, and ask me “who do you serve?” I would hope that our attitudes and self application reflects the will of God and is pleasing to Him, and nothing else.

-Todd Bagley

Better Is One Day In Your House... [post 50]

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  - Psalm 84:10 ESV

The Gate of Heaven - Pamela Simpson's Message [post 49]

Pamela Simpson spoke Sunday August 8th. It was a great message. It's over in the Sermon Player. Her speaking gift is stronger than ever.

Interview with Bobby Sparks, Masterlogger [post 48]

Using a Nano Gen5 we got to interview Bobby Sparks at The Waffle House. Look under our Blogs section to visit Bobby's Spiritual Journey Blog Site.

The True KING [post 47]

I spoke from I Samuel 12 today. I was thinking about how the true KING doesn't need to flex His KINGly muscles. He doesn't get involved with expressing his personal glory like the kings of the earth. No gold statutes, no bridges, no roads, no buildings named for him. Little human men look around and say He's not there as if they think that would do anything. They shoot their words up into the air but never notice their words have fallen to the ground and are lying all around them like so many dead flies. The true KING goes on about His chosen business. Such otherly greatness and mystery.


The Holy Spirit came today while we worshipped through song. There was power and passion that became an awesome stillness like distant heat lightning. It felt like flashes with no sound. Just stillness. A deep stillness. Then someone erupted in praise and thanksgiving. A screaming single voice proclaiming His greatness.


It was electric.

- Jim Bentley

La Liberte' de L'Interieur (Freedom Within) [post 46]

This is a short little film that I think you will like. Enjoy!

http://bcove.me/1ommso8g

- submitted by Clay

Michael Bynum On Worship Leading [post 45]

Michael Bynum long time Vineyard pastor, worship leader and song writer talks about worship leading.

Hope & Despair - From Adoption Revolution [post 44]

From http://louxfamilyblog.com:

“Hope and despair are not opposites. They are cut from the very same cloth, made from the very same material, shaped from the very same circumstances. Most of all, every life finds itself forced to choose one from the other, one day at a time, one circumstance after another. The only difference between the two is that despair shapes an attitude of mind; hope creates a quality of soul. Despair colors the way we look at things, makes us suspicious of the future, makes us negative about the present. Hope, on the other hand, takes life on its own terms, knows that whatever happens God lives in it, and expects that, whatever its twists and turns, it will ultimately yield its good to those who live it well. When tragedy strikes, when trouble comes, when life disappoints us, we stand at the crossroads beween hope and despair, torn and hurting. Despair cements us in the present; hope sends us dancing around dark corners trusting in a tomorrow we cannot see. Despair says that there is no place to go but here. Hope says that God is waiting for us someplace else. Begin again.”

The Loux Family Blog
Living out an "Adoption Revolution" fueled by night and day prayer

Thanks to Laura Catoe for the above quote.

Michael Bynum In Person [post 43]

Michael Bynum as interviewed at the Waffle House:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbentley/4501434356/

Grouting completed! [post 42]

The fine work of Tim and Phillip Nesbitt, tile contractors.

- Jim Bentley