Franklin Vineyard Church

Franklin Vineyard Church
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These are the podcasts from the teaching ministry of the Franklin Vineyard Church located in Franklin, TN.

  1. 6d ago

    God's Endless Pursuit of Us

    In 1 Kings 19, Elijah flees after his life is threatened. Not only does God supernaturally provide for him, but also meets him in a cave and restores his purpose. Be encouraged! No past mistakes or failures can stop God's love from meeting you where you are today. He can and will restore you.

  2. Sep 22

    Finding Your Song for the Lord

    1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are taking a break from the Beatitudes by looking at what it means to Minister unto the Lord! The Lord is worthy of our praises and adoration, and we can't just simply think these things about Him. We must open our mouths and proclaim His praises!There's something so powerful about singing to Jesus and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth, and we are joining in the song together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together wrote, "It is not you that sings, it is the Church that is singing, and you, as a member of the Church, may share in its song."We sing ourselves into the truth of who God is and who we are as His Bride and Body.

  3. Sep 14

    The Pursuit of Peace

    Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.We are nearing the end of end of our mini-series, Blessed, by looking at the end of the Beatitudes. Peace-making is much more active than simply being a peaceful person. Peace-making means entering into places and spaces of conflict and bringing the shalom of God, and this shalom is much more than the absence of strife.God's shalom is God's kingdom. It's His rule and reign, and this task of ushering in the kingdom is the role and responsibility of every child of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul says, "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." Reconciliation is the Gospel.As God has forgiven us in Christ, we extend that grace, mercy, and peace to one another (and to those that are far from God!). It's such an upside-down value, which is why it follows that as we make peace, we may experience persecution. And to not let persecution dissuade us or discourage us, we must continue to rest in God's peace and flow in His mercy. As C.S. Lewis puts it, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." We aren't doormats, inserting ourselves into chaotic situations and being passive.No, to be a peace-maker means to actively step into situations that need God's presence, God's goodness, and God's Spirit, and say, "Peace, be still."

  4. Sep 7

    The Pruning of the Heart

    Matthew 5:8-9 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.The heart is the seat of personality, and the personality is the sum total of mind, emotions, and will. The mind is our intellect and thought processes. Emotions are how we feel. And our will is how we make decisions. All together, this is our heart.Purity, obviously, means purity. It means without blemish and stain and shame, and in a lot of ways, Jesus is recounting the 10 Commandments here: to love the Lord with all that you are and to have no other gods before Him.That's what purity is all about! To acknowledge and recognize that God alone is God (which is what the Jews would recite often in their shema "Hear O Israel"). As they were pure in heart they would see God. Jesus is promising that the disciplined person would not only have an eternal reward but an "on-earth" one as well.Paul says in Romans, "As much as it depends on you, be at peace with all people..." And it's that challenge that should confront much of our modern way of keeping record of wrongs and holding things against one another.We live in a world that feels like we're always teetering on combustion, with wars and rumors of wars, and the Christ-like modus operandi is to make peace. This is an active move, not passive, in entering into hostile environments and bringing the shalom of Jesus into places.It's not the absence of problems and pain, but it's His presence. And that is why they will be called Sons of God; they are functioning as Christ Himself in reconciling two distant parties, two far away people. This is the way of the Kingdom.

  5. Aug 31

    The Attribute of Mercy

    Matthew 5:6-7 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. A.W. Tozer once said that you could have as much of God as you want. This desire, this need, to be filled by God is created by God so that God alone can meet the need!What Jesus is talking about in this beatitude is that you are blessed if you have such an appetite, such a need, that you cannot live without what you are longing for. The Greek word for thirst has connotations of a thing you cannot live without; you've got to have it, or you won't live any longer. He's not simply talking about being parched. It's a holy desperation! Jonathan Edwards wrote about this desperation in his book, Religious Affections, which deals with the spiritual manifestations and the desires of the heart. Paul wrote in Colossians 3, "Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above and not on earthly things." The irony of this godly desire is that it seems so natural where you want it so much that you can't even tell the difference between true physical desire.The next Beatitude continues this thread of building off the earlier ones: receiving the very thing that is being given. Mercy is an attribute of God. It is letting people off the hook, not reminding them of their faults or failures or the ways that they've messed up. In a word, being godly is being merciful, and it's absolutely an act of our will! We could easily go tit-for-tat, keeping track of all the wrongs done to us, but as Paul reminds us, love keeps no record of wrongs. It's not reactive; it's responsive.But as God has forgiven us in Christ, we too forgive those who trespass against us. That forgiveness is reason enough for us to pray for those that hurt us, to turn the other cheek, to give to those who ask, to be kind to those who are ungrateful, and to show mercy even when others are unmerciful.This is the leaven of the Kingdom that affects the world one trespass at a time! It may seem like a slow process, but it's the small seed that becomes the Oak of Righteousness!

  6. Aug 24

    The Inheritance of the Meek

    Matthew 5:4-5 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. We are moving into our next set of blessings, and John Stott, a British pastor, once said that this verse can be almost translated, "Happy are the unhappy." You'll remember from last week where we talked about the upside-down values of the Kingdom, and this is another one of those instances. Who would ever think that weeping and mourning are good things? But the promise is this: Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted. Their sorrow may last for the night, but joy will come in the morning!There is a season for everything, and the promise that Jesus offers here (and in His Farewell Discourse in John) is that the Holy Spirit will give comfort to those who need comfort. That is His name after all!Mourning creates an entry point for the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do, to provide His love and grace in the moments that we need Him. And it goes along with meekness because it recognizes our great need for the Comforter. Meekness is easier to describe by what it isn't than what it is; it's the opposite of self-righteousness, arrogance, haughtiness, smugness, and defensiveness. And in a world that focuses greatly on what we can accomplish, meekness is recognizing the greatness of God and His strength make perfect in weakness.The end result is inheritance. As Paul says in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Or as Winston Churchill said, "If you're going through hell, keep going." The other side of pain is glory, and as we walk through the fire, He is with us!

  7. Aug 17

    The First Step to the Kingdom of God

    Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The way up is down is a great summation of so much of what Jesus taught, and as He begins His teaching on the mount, He starts by highlighting the "poor in spirit." In one sweeping statement, Jesus invites all who feel helpless, hopeless, full of despair, unworthy, and totally empty to taste and see that He is good.It's an invitation for all of us to experience the love of God in a brand new way! This first Beatitude isn't addressed to the elites or to the higher ups, but to those that are far from God (and probably even feel far from God!) that they really are blessed. They may not realize it, but these people, us, are the very candidates for carrying the message of the Kingdom because it's all about God! It has nothing to do with our merits or strengths, but it is all about God's grace made perfect in our weakness.The quickest way to get God's attention isn't by shouting or showing of great strength, but it's when we have nothing to give, nothing to offer. Because then it really is God showing up! To quote the great hymn: Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. 'Twas blind but now I see.The message of this first Beatitude is all about Grace: God's unmerited kindness towards humanity. And this lays the foundation for all of the blessings that come from God. It has nothing to do with what we bring to the table, but it is all about what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.

  8. Aug 12

    Living from a Kingdom Perspective

    Matthew 5:1-2 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them... We are continuing in our Matthew study and looking at a new portion in Matthew 5, The Beatitudes. It's called the Beatitudes because of the Latin rendering of "blessed." This portion of the Sermon on the Mount talks about the blessings of being God's people! Nowhere is the Holy Spirit mentioned in this portion, but this is really just the Fruits of the Spirit said in another way. And Jesus talks about being in the Spirit leads to blessings. Rather than focusing on worldly success, power, or status, the Beatitudes emphasize humility, mercy, righteousness, peacemaking, and faithfulness, presenting a vision of true blessing that often challenges human expectations.For Christians, the Beatitudes serve as both a source of hope and a guide for daily living. They reveal God's promises to those who trust Him, even in the midst of hardship, and encourage believers to develop Christlike character in our relationships with others.By studying the Beatitudes, we can gain a deeper understanding of Jesus' message and are challenged to live lives marked by compassion, integrity, and unwavering faith in God despite the situation we may find ourselves in. It's one of those upside values that we experience blessings even if it doesn't always feel that way.

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About

These are the podcasts from the teaching ministry of the Franklin Vineyard Church located in Franklin, TN.

Information

  • Creator
    Franklin Vineyard Church
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    107
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Franklin Vineyard Church
  • Show Website
    Franklin Vineyard Church

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