Vineyard Covington

What is the Kingdom? Lightning

The kingdom of restoring love that Jesus came to bring is at war with the kingdom of darkness. Now, everyone who follows Jesus gets to play in continuing that expansive mission of healing and freedom that Jesus started until he returns again.

Conditions right now are perfect for lightning to strike which keeps us aggressive, because at any moment the Kingdom could break in with power, healing and deliverance.

What is the Kingdom of God? Back to the Future

Jesus taught his followers to pray for his kingdom to come, to seek his kingdom first, and as we go doing the stuff he did to proclaim his kingdom has come near. Seems like a pretty important thing we should learn about...

The kingdom is God's saving rule and reign on earth as it is in heaven. It's what life is like when all things are set right and restored to the perfect way they should be. What if you could partner with the Spirit of God to experience the future breaking into our present reality with power, healing, and justice?

You can because the king is at work making all things made new!

April 25, 2021 | Upgrading In The Kingdom of God | Dave Workman

What is the Kingdom of God? Jesus wanted to make sure his followers understood the great value of the Kingdom of God -- that it was something worth trading everything we have for.

What is the thing keeping you from trading up to experience everything God has for you in his Kingdom?

March 28, 2021 | I Choose You | Tyler Garvey

Jesus chooses us to be with him and to send us out like him. What is the goal of life? Ultimately it’s all about love. Receiving his love and expressing it to others. This is why we practice abiding. We can’t give away what we haven’t received. A life overflowing with the love of God looks like a life sent out and laid down for the sake of others.

Abiding Practice Recap

Jesus invites us to come be with him so we can learn to live a life of love. Abiding practices train us in a posture of receiving and expressing his love to the people around us. We can’t give away what we haven’t received.

Which aspects of abiding have stuck with you the most? Where do you need to focus on practicing right now? Keep going to find sustainable, healthy rhythms because this part of our way of life following Jesus together.

Abiding Practices: Sabbath Part Two

Sabbath should be a day we look forward to all week and get filled with energy for the week to come. It's a day set apart for rest and worship. The Hebrew word shabbat means "to stop" but can also be translated "to delight." It takes some time thinking and planning to figure this out and find a rhythm, but it is absolutely worth it. Keep practicing, have patience and give yourself grace establishing this for whatever season of life you're in right now.

This week, stop working and delight in the wonder of life and creation with God. Think it through in advance. What are the things that fill you with joy and restore your soul? Do them! Guilt free.

Abiding Practice: Sabbath

We were created to do meaningful work and be fruitful, but we weren't meant to become slaves to work and productivity. Our world of hurry never stops, but we can develop a counter-habit of stopping each week to rest in the goodness of God's creation together.

Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word, Shabbat, which means "to stop." 

This week set aside a day or specific time to stop working, unplug and enjoy rest with God and community. Try starting with a meal to kickoff Sabbath. Light a candle, say a prayer, bless your kids or friends and pour some wine!

Abiding Practice: Scripture

There’s a way of reading the Bible for relationship rather than information. We can encounter the living God through his word and allow ourselves to be formed through it. Remember we’re practicing abiding in the love of Jesus — that means relational connection and intimacy, not just gathering facts. Let's practice slowing down as we read to become steeped in the word drawing out the full flavor of God in us.

This week, practice meditating on a passage of scripture to encounter the goodness of God. 

Check out the Lectio 365 app as a helpful tool in this practice:

Apple - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lectio-...​

Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...

Abiding Practice: Fasting

Fasting is emptying ourselves of the things we crave and replacing them with more of Jesus. It's designed to reveal our dependence and remind us that we are apprenticing to Jesus with our whole selves, including our bodies. In these practices we’re cutting things out to create more room for God to fill and meet us in a deeper way.

This week we're fasting together! Pick a day or other length of time, and choose a meal, specific food or something else to cut out as we fast (and pray).

Remember, fasting without prayer is just a diet, so allow this practice and those feelings of hunger to turn you to God in prayer as we continue abiding.

Abiding Practice: Centering Prayer

What do I do now that I’m quiet? It’s not just about creating a vibe; we really want to engage with God. Centering prayer is an intentional way to develop an inner reflex of turning our attention back to God over and over again. We learn to pray not just from our heads but our hearts and experience a deeper way of knowing God.

THIS WEEK: Practice centering prayer with us. Choose a word to center you on God, set a timer for 5-10 minutes (or more), and just be still with God. As thoughts pop up let them go by, say your word, and return to the center with God.

Big thanks to Dan Henry for joining us for this conversation! Learn more about him at www.pilgrimheart.io.