Vineyard Groningen Sermons

The first, and cornerstone practice in following the way of Jesus, is the practice of Sabbath. In this message, Matthijs explains more about the theological background, and practice of this day of worship and prayer.

This is part 1 of a 10-week series about organising your life around being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus and doing what Jesus did. In this series, we are going to get very practical, because we believe that being a disciple of Jesus is about much more than holding certain beliefs, it's about adopting the lifestyle of Jesus. This series is the start of a two year journey deeper into the practices of Jesus with the organisation Practicing The Way. www.practicingtheway.org

For years, Jan tried to combine sports and faith, but it didn't work out. People in the world of sports didn't understand his faith, and people in church didn't understand his commitment to his sport. Until he discovered that line in Romans 12 where it says that we are supposed to dedicate our whole body as living sacrifices for the glory of God. This message was given on our first Sports Sunday, and is the last in a three part series on Identity, answering the questions: Who Am I? Where Do I Belong? and What Is My Purpose?

We all have a deep inner need to know others and be known by others. Whether you trace this back to a pre-historic context where exclusion meant immanent death or early childhood development and attachment theory and oxytocin – it all points to the same thing: we are wired for community. This is why we find it important to 'fit in' and connect to others with similar values or hobbies. And this is also why the deepest hurt we can experience comes from relationships - a parent that didn't hear you, classmates that excluded you, a boss that bullied you or a relationship that ended in tears. God invites us to know Him and experience being known by Him. And He invites us into His family, the community of believers, where we can belong through knowing others and being known by others.

As a child, the answer to the 'Who Am I?' question was simply saying your first name. Later in life, this answer no longer satisfies. In the ages of hyper individualism, placing high value on choice, autonomy and independence, this simple answer actually became harder to give a satisfying answer to. People tend to look two different ways for identity questions; outward and inward. As Christians though, we have another way to look to find an answer that truly satisfies.

We're going on an adventure! Sunday's message is now online. Alex preaches on the story of Joseph, which is actually the story of the house of Jacob. Joseph's life was quite a journey, but very different from the typical 'hero saga'. Are you ready for the Holy Spirit to take you on an adventure?

In this message we look at the life story of Jacob. In the story of Jacob, we find God working beauty in brokenness. In Jacob’s story, we find a lot of brokenness. Yet, God is working amidst of all of it. We will walk through three tendencies in Jacob’s life, deception, dysfunction and struggle, and seek to apply some of his life lessons to our lives.

In this message, we are going to look at the life story of Abraham. His story in Scripture covers a period of 100 years, starting when he was 75, to his death at 175. Abraham’s life story is foundational, because so much of it speaks to how God is going to write the story of His people and how He wants to interact with His people. It sets up the story of Israel and the plan of salvation God has for this world. We are going to pick up on some threads in this story that are key to understanding how this all plays into the story God is unfolding in Scripture.

In the Summer, we are going to zoom in on some Bible characters from the Old Testament, looking at their stories, understanding how they relate to God's big story, and learning what that means for the unfolding story of our lives. Our world is a world of stories. We engage with stories almost every day through TV, books and other media. These stories are far more than entertainment. They shape our view of the world, and they give us a reference point for our unfolding story. As people of the Word, we have such a rich resource of ancient life stories that play a significant part in God's story. As they say: "history is His-story". Understanding this will help us to understand our own lives in the context of God's unfolding story and will also help us to more freely share our story with others, believing they can meet Christ in it. In this message, we look at the full story of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.

The final chapters of the Bible paint a picture of heaven coming down to earth in the form of the New Jerusalem; a garden-city in which those who belong to God can live with Him forever, completely restored, completely renewed. This future is not something we can accomplish through human willpower or progress. It is a future that can only come through Christ’s return. Yet, as ambassadors of this coming Kingdom, we get to build for the Kingdom. We can actively announce it, and live in anticipation of its arrival. In Revelation 21-22 we see three themes jumping out: Presence, Restoration and Flourishing. We’ll discuss all three in the text and then seek to apply how we live as a people belonging to that future reality, announcing it in the here and now, as God’s church in this city and as God’s people in our neighborhoods.

In this message, we discuss an unpopular and uncomfortable topic: Hell. What are we supposed to say about it, think about it, do about it? And what if you are a Bible believing Christian that loves God, but is highly uncomfortable with the idea that your best friend who happens not to be a Christian is going to be thrown in a lake of fire where he will be tormented forever and ever without any hope or perspective? Let's dig in to what the Bible has to say about all this.

Revelation gives the Church a central place in the unfolding drama of God's Kingdom coming to earth. In this message, we touch on chapters 7, 11, 12 and 19 to discover that Revelation's vision for the Church is a multi-ethnic army of martyrs, sealed with the Spirit and called to participate in God’s cosmic war as faithful witnesses, even unto death, awaiting the day of our marriage with the One who gave His life for us.

One of the major themes in Revelation is Babylon. The book sharply points out what it is, where its power comes from, what it does and what its fate is. Babylon is the demonic infused human empire that aspires God's throne and hates God's people. It is the antithesis to the Kingdom of God. In this message, Koen looks at Revelation 13, 17 and 18 to unpack the truth about Babylon, focusing on its call to those who belong to God's Kingdom to 'come out of her'. What does this mean and how is this all relevant for our lives today?

The visions in Revelation of the three series of judgment set the tone for how people respond to the book as a whole. Some protest, some are puzzled, some take it literal and some try to spiritualise it away. In this message, Koen Prinzen gives 7 keys to give you a better framework for understanding of the judgment scenes in Revelation, perhaps taking away some of that discomfort, and understanding what it means for us today so that we can respond with faith, rather than with fear.

Revelation 4-5 is the centering vision of the whole book. From this vision of the Throne Room, the rest of the book will unfold. In this message, we explore the concentric circles op beings around the throne involved in worship, and the meaning of the Lamb that is worthy to open the scroll. We end by looking forward to the next three parts in this series in Revelation, understanding what we are taking with us when we journey through the rest of the book and talk about Judgment, Babylon and the Conquering Saints.

This message is part of a 7-week series on Revelation. In this series we are uncovering the relevance of this incredible book for our daily lives. We will cover topics like; judgment, Babylon, heaven and hell. What does this mysterious and book teach us about how to follow Jesus in the 21st Century? Let's dig in. The book of Revelation is receiving mixed reviews from Christians and non-Christians. You either love it or hate it. Some treat it as the main body of a biblical puzzle to create a timeline for the end times. Some are just freaked out by it and treat it as if it is not in the Bible at all. In this message, we talk about how the book of Revelation presents itself to us; as an apocalypse, a prophecy and a letter, and we talk about why this is the most satisfying end to the biblical canon possible.

Honour is the recognition of the value, contribution and importance of other people. In a culture that harbours contempt, the church needs to be a place that breathes honour. But how does honour work? In a Jesus-community, honour flows up, down and all around. It's the key to healthy relationships, and gives space for the work of the Holy Spirit.

When we fail to embrace the message of the Resurrection we will continue to live in defeat. The grace of God does not only change our ultimate destiny, but also our everyday reality. In this message, Koen Prinzen discusses 1 Corinthians 15 to understand that through the resurrection of Jesus, we share in His victory over sin, death and meaninglessness.

In times of crisis, how do we keep sane and prevent being overwhelmed? It’s by walking in the way of humility, after Jesus’ example. When we walk in the way of humility, we will be bold when God’s justice calls us to, merciful for people even to the point of loving our enemies, and we will live within the limitations of the Holy Spirit’s leading for us, personally.