Messages…

Ephesians 4:16 // September 2020 // Karen Green Kingdom unity is a stark contrast to the division of this world. This week we sit down with Karen Green to discuss how the Lord uses the diversity of his body to come together in love for his purpose and his kingdom.

September 2020 // Jake Thomen Since the birth of the new testament church we see unity being a constant battle. Why does it matter so much and and why is it such an important component for the Vessel?

Micah 6:8 // August 2020 // Stan Horrell Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly... It's easy to understand, but an impossible task. This week we have a conversation with someone who has seen humility in Christ followers through frontline missions around the globe.

Philippians 2:3-11 // August 2020 // Sean James Humility isn't about trying harder, learning more or being a better Christians. At its core, it is about recognizing who WE are in light of who HE is.

Titus 2:1-8 // August 2020 // Shae Thomen The Next Generation plays a significant role at the Vessel and in the Kingdom of Heaven. This week we celebrate our students and look a what biblical discipleship looks like.

1 John 3:16-24 // August 2020 // Brian Burns This week we sit down with Brian Burn, a local business owner, to talk about what it looks like to live generously.

2 Corinthians 9 // August 2020 // Jake Thomen To live generously means much more than to simply give out of requirement or obedience. The Kingdom value of generosity is to give you life away for the sake of the gospel.

1 John 1:5-10 // July 2020 // Stuart & Mary Lou This week we sit down with missionaries from the Vessel who are serving in Nepal. They teach why authenticity is so important when when sharing the gospel with unreached people.

Romans 12:1-2 // July 2020 // Jake Thomen What does authenticity look like, and why does it play such a significant role in who we are at the Vessel? This week we dive into Romans 12 to take an honest look at authentic faith.

2 Kings 4:1-7 // July 2020 // Jake Thomen Vessels are created to be filled. This week we look at 2 Kings 4 and the miracle of the woman who gathers vessels that God fills with olive oil.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 // July 2020 // Jake Thomen Our missions statement says... We are called to be vessels of the living Christ, set apart for his purpose and his Kingdom. This week we look at what in means to be a biblical vessel.

Acts 6:1-7 // June 2020 // Joseph Ho This week we start a two part series where we will look at what scripture says about racial justice. In Acts 6, we see how the early church responds to this very issue.

2 Corinthians 5:18-6:10 // June 2020 // Jake Thomen As we gather again on Sunday morning for the first time in 12 weeks, the world around us continues to crumble in brokenness. This week, we look at how we feel and desperately look to scripture for guidance and peace.

Acts 8 // May 2020 // Jake Thomen As we prepare to gather again next weekend, we wrap up our series 'The First Days' with Philip and the Ethiopians Eunuch in Acts 8.

Acts 5:1-5 // May 2020 // Jake Thomen Join us for Church at Home! We will look at Acts 5, honor our High School Seniors and have a special announcement regarding gathering again on Sunday mornings.

Acts 4:12-22 // May 2020 // Jake Thomen When we consider how the good news of Jesus moves forward in this world, how does that happen? Organically? Supernaturally? Intentionally? This week we look at the role the first church played in helping in the advancement of the Gospel.

Acts 3:1-10 // May 2020 // Jake Thomen The ministry of Jesus Christ didn't stop with his death, resurrection, and ascension... but it continued through the early church. This week we look at what it means for us to follow in the legacy of ministry that Christ set in place and handed down to us.

Acts 2:42-47 // May 2020 // Jake & Shae Thomen The early church looked much more like a family rather than an hour-long meeting on Sunday mornings. This week we look at how God created us to be a community of believers united in Christ.

Acts 2:1-15 // April 2020 // Jake Thomen Many of us know about the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell in the upper room, but this moment has become shrouded with mystery and even divisive for some. This week we take a deep dive on the gift of the Holy Spirit and what it means for the church today.

Acts 1:12--26 // April 2020 // Jake Thomen Immediately following the ascension of Christ we see the birth of the church. This week we look at the faithfulness, commitment to prayer and the shared ministry of the disciples.

Easter

Luke 24:36-49 // April 2020 // Jake Thomen The resurrected Christ gathers with his disciples in the upper room (not a temple), shows them his wounds and opens their minds to the scripture.

The Last Days

Luke 19:41-48 // April 2020 // Jake Thomen Usually, we remember a smiling Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to a multitude of people who are cheering him. Would it surprise you to know that Jesus was weeping and looking for a fight?

Luke 19:1-10 // March 2020 // Jake Thomen The story of Zacchaeus is a short one that many of us heard as a child. This week we look at what we can learn from him about changing our perspective.

Luke 18:35-43 // March 2020 // Jake Thomen If Jesus was to ask you the question, "What do you want me to do for you?", how would you answer? This week we look at the last days of Jesus' life and the interaction he had with a blind beggar on his way to the cross.

Witness

1 Timothy 6:11–16 // March 2020 // Jake Thomen What is our responsibility in the long legacy of bearing witness to Christ? This week we take a look at how we are to “fight the good fight” by being witnesses with our own lives.

Acts 1:8 // March 2020 // Joseph Ho Jesus said his disciples would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. How would that have made them feel?

John 8:18 // March 2020 // Jake and Shae Thomen A witness laying claim to the truth is a powerful and significant thing. This week we look at Jesus as the chief witness and the bold claims that he made about himself.

Hebrews 12:1-2 // February 2020 // Reid Langehennig In order to understand what being a witness truly means, we must look to the Biblical story and see how God has used ordinary humans to testify to His great love.

Acts 1:8 // February 2020 // Jake Thomen Being a witness is a simple concept that often becomes complicated in a Christian context. This week we look at our calling to be a witness for Christ and what a significant theme it plays throughout scripture.

Flourish 2020

James 1:19-25 // February 2020 // Jake Thomen Sometimes it's almost too simple. When talking about responding to scripture James simplifies it this way, "Do what it says." This week we take a moment to consider how we respond to God's calling for us to flourish.

Hosea 14 // February 2020 // Jake Thomen Like a plant turning towards the sun, God makes us flourish when we turn away from our sinful lives and towards him. This week we look at the beautiful image of flourishing described by the prophet Hosea.

1 Corinthians 3:7 // January 2020 // Jake Thomen Planting, watering and harvesting are all part of the process that helps a plant to flourish, but the growth itself is miraculous. This week we look at how God uses us to help his church flourish.

Ezekiel 47:1–12 // January 2020 // Jake Thomen In one of the most beautiful passages in the Old Testament, Ezekiel tells of this miraculous river that flows towards the Dead Sea. This week we look at this image in light of our own faith and consider how God is miraculously deepening our own faith.

John 15:1-8 // January 2020 // Jake Thomen When a vine is flourishing it bears healthy fruit. This week we look at Jesus’ statement, "I am the vine; you are the branches" and consider the fruit that is produced in us and our church.

Psalm 92:12-15 // January 2020 // Jake Thomen This week remember 2019 and look ahead towards the year to come. As a new decade is upon us, we focus on our vision and the calling that the Lord has for the Vessel in 2020.

Advent

Luke 1:44 // December 2019 // Jake Thomen At the heart of Christmas is joy. All of the traditions, celebrations and gatherings are to remind us of the joy that we have in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 40:5 // December 2019 // Jake Thomen If the Christmas season was to be summed up in one word, that word might be anticipation. For advent this week we focus on the anticipation of the birth of the Messiah.

2 Chronicles 7:14 // December 2019 // Joseph Ho Our four weeks of Advent starts with the theme of repentance. Why kick off the holiday season on such a downer? Listen and find out! (Hint: What are two ways Jesus is different from Santa?)

Luke 17:6 // December 2019 // Karen Green This week, we get a visit and word from Karen Green from Haven of Love Ministries. She encourages us to allow the Lord to "uproot" things like pain, addiction and unforgiveness in our lives.

Colossians 3:12-17 (Colosenses 3:12-17) // November 2019 // Jake Thomen & Diego Recarte (Inglés y Español) Being thankful is more than a time of year or a pleasantry of human interaction. It is foundational to all aspects of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Come & See: The Gospel of John

John 21:19b // November 2019 // Sean James John ends his Gospel with a story of how Jesus pursued Peter even though he denied Jesus. Jesus calls Peter even deeper into relationship despite his brokenness as his life changes from “Come and see” to “Follow me!”.

John 18:28-40 // November 2019 // Jake Thomen Jesus engaged in relationship, not religion. As Jesus stood before Pilate, hours before his death, he testified to the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven.

John 13:1-17 // November 2019 // Jake Thomen On the eve of his death, girded in humility, Jesus spent his last moment washing the feet of his disciples. This week we look at our identity and calling to be servants.

John 3:22-30 // October 2019 // Steve Shaver Our greatest joy is known when we become nothing so God can be all. This week we look at John’s passion to take a back seat while Christ is glorified!

John 11:25 // October 2019 // Jake Thomen "Jesus wept." One of the shortest, yet most emotional verses in all scripture. This week we look at the miraculous raising of Lazarus and how Jesus comforts us when we are broken hearted.

John 6:1-13 & John 6:25-35 // October 2019 // Jake Thomen The only miracle recorded in all four gospels was feeding the multitude. Is there more to the miracle than meets the eye? Was Jesus doing something greater than just multiplying loaves and fishes?

John 8:30-58 // October 2019 // Joseph Ho Today we hear a conversation that made people who believed in Jesus end up wanting to kill him. What could Jesus have said that made this happen?

John 5:1-15 // September 2019 // Sean James Do you want to get well? A seemingly simple question, with a potentially more complicated answer. This week we look at Jesus’ interaction with a disabled man at the Pool of Bethesda and what it means for our own lives.

John 4:7-30 // September 2019 // Jake Thomen What are the early wells that you drink from? What are the prejudices that you hold on to? This week we look at Jesus’ meeting with the woman at the well and the offering of living water.

John 3:1-16 // September 2019 // Jake Thomen Nicodemus was the religious leader of his time, yet he knew that what Jesus offered, he did not have. This week we will look at the secret meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus.

John 20:30-31, John 1:1-5, John 1:29, John 1:49-50 // September 2019 // Jake Thomen This week we begin a series on the Gospel of John. We start with the end in mind and receive the invitation to “Come & See”.

A Message to Share

Acts 2:37-47 // September 2019 // Jake Thomen At its core, the Gospel is good news, that is to be shared. This week we look at our calling to take the Gospel out into the world and to invite others in.

Why We Gather…

2 Corinthians 3:18 // August 2019 // Jake Thomen The transformative work of Jesus is often a process. This week we look at how our gathering gives the Spirit the freedom to transform our lives into His image.

John 6:25-35 // August 2019 // Joseph Ho If you think about it, communion is one of the strangest practices of Christians. Why do we do it? This week, Joe Ho looks at the practice of communion and why Jesus said that it was so important.

Psalm 100 // August 2019 // Jake Thomen Worship is a key component of what we do when we gather, but something that we don’t always fully understand. This week we take a look at Psalm 100 and the truth about worship.

Matthew 18:19-20 // July 2019 // Jake Thomen There is power in numbers. This week we look at the promise of Jesus to be in our presence when we gather together with others in his name.

2 Chronicles 6:12-14 // July 2019 // Jake Thomen There are many reasons that the Sunday gathering is dying. This week we look at the biblical precedent for gathering and why it is still important.

Kingdom of Heaven

2 Corinthians 5:20 // July 2019 // Jake Thomen As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we have both rights and responsibilities. This week we look at what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about this and how we are to live as citizens of the kingdom in a foreign land.

Colossians 1:13–14 // June 2019 // Sean James This week we take a look at two Kingdoms at war… The kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. What does this look like in our lives and what role does the power of choice play for you?

Matthew 6:9–10 // June 2019 // Jake Thomen What does it mean when we pray "your kingdom come” as Jesus taught in Matthew 6? This week we look at the power of that prayer and why we should pray it for our lives and for our church.