Balham Vineyard Church Podcasts

Baptism is something we are extremely enthusiastic about at BVC. We love seeing God's sons and daughters choose into His Son, Jesus through this outward expression of faith. But have you ever wondered why exactly we get baptised? Join us this week as Terence explains the importance of baptism and the grand meaning behind this ancient ceremonial act. You'll find that it is way more than just a symbol!

God's desire for each and every one of us is that we would be fruitful in everything that we do. But with so many distractions vying for our attention and unhealthy mindsets detracting us from God's truth we often find ourselves caught up in emotional, mental, and spiritual blight. Join in this week as Phil covers Jesus' Parable of the Soils and gives us a down to earth understanding of the passage and what Jesus intended for his listeners to take away from it about themselves as well as the Kingdom of God.

Living in a state of tension is not something that comes organically or comfortably to us. We like resolution. We want the antidote now! But in this time between the Inauguration of the Kingdom of God and the Consummation of it we are stuck in the in-between. We are right smack dab in the middle of a war between conflicting kingdoms. Jason Clark, Regional Leader over Vineyard London City Churches joins us for this thought provoking topic and challenges us on what bastard (illegitimate) kingdoms we might be casually aligning ourselves with. Expect to be challenged, engaged, and moved to action. This is not a word to be missed!

At one point or another everyone has felt that feeling of being stuck in the in-between. Our vision is blurred, the end is nowhere in sight, and we can't quite remember why we've started on this road to begin with. Continuing our series on The Kingdom of God, Karen hits home with with this message on the radical middle. As a kingdom people we are caught up in this tension of the now and the not yet. The kingdom is here but not yet in its fullness. We are made anew in Christ but the world around us is still broken and deteriorating. Find out what this means for us in the 21st Century and how it's quite similar to what God communicated to the Israeli people over 2000 years ago through His prophets. We may find that the promise is better than we have even imagined or thought!

The Kingdom of God -- this golden thread sewn into the centerfold of the Bible is hinged on this one word: 'covenant'. From Genesis to Revelation we see this word played out and always with humanity on the breaking end of it. But God doesn't stop there. He continues to pursue us even though we break our side of the bargain time and time again. This is why we worship Him! Tune in this week as Steve reminds us of this covenant keeping God that never stops pursuing us in love. As the Apostle John so poignantly points out, "We love because He first loved us". It's because of this love that we respond in turn with love and devotion, and it's because of this love that fear, worry, and anxiety all lose their power in the presence of our praise. For the video link: https://thebibleproject.com/all-videos/?category=&q=covenant

Phil's back! And this time with the second talk in our series on The Kingdom of God. Picking up where Steve left off, Phil presents us with a brilliant summation of the kingdom from an Old Testament perspective. From the Exodus to the Davidic Rulership of Israel -- to the diaspora after the destruction of Jerusalem -- to Daniel's vision -- Phil gives us a more general outline of how the Kingdom has been increasingly winding up towards completion even though times and events have suggested otherwise. Be encouraged as we are reminded that the Kingdom is here and is only heightening in its fullness as the time of the King draws near!

What is The Kingdom of God? What does it look like when it shows up? And why is it relevant to me? All of these questions and more Steve answers as he kickstarts our next series on The Kingdom of God. Even more specifically, what happens to anxiety, worry, and fear when confronted with The Kingdom of God and its King? Tune in to find out!

Guest speaker James Rankine brings us a controversial message about the Church and it's purpose in this hour. Reflecting on the book of Acts, he draws our attention to the desperation and willingness of the early church to do whatever it took to see the message of Christ made famous. They were, as he put it, fire carriers. So what does it mean to be the church in this hour? And what does it look like to be a "fire carrier"? Tune in and hear for yourself and be moved to respond!

Money has to be one of the touchiest subjects for people. It's where many of us find our sense of security, power, or identity. It's no wonder Jesus spoke so prevalently about the subject. But should an inanimate object have such influence over our emotions, let alone our personal sense of identity? Join Viv as she dives into this matter and shares heaven's design for our lives in regards to finances and how giving generously actually opens up the abundance of God's freedom and favor over our lives. Giving has and will always remain a privilege and a joy for the giver! This is what we're intended for!

There are often misconceptions wrapped around the idea of holiness. Some of us mistakenly equate it singularly with sexual purity while others of us take more of an Old Testament approach towards striving and behavioral management. Neither of these are of course correct. So then, what is true holiness, and what does it look like to walk it out in today's day and age? This week guest speaker Charlie Arbuthnot demystifies and clarifies this often danced around subject. He provides scriptural and experiential teaching on what a lifestyle of holiness is in light of the cross; that it is more about resting and realizing than it is about striving and depriving.

Thank you for tuning in to this weeks podcast! You'll notice that this weeks message is more interactive than usual. Please take advantage of this. Feel free to pray along or receive the particular prophetic words that are given. God can minister to you and even heal you through just tuning in. So whether you find that you're heart is being stirred to intercede for London, or you have unsaved loved ones who need Jesus, or even one of these powerful words of knowledge have some personal application -- take time and receive. Let's get interactive!

One of the finer mysteries of spirituality is this element of prayer. Not only is it meant to be our greatest access point to God but it is also our main mode of enacting God's will upon the earth. But why prayer? Why is prayer the means he chooses to reconcile the world back to Himself through? In this weeks podcast Hannah McLean aims to answer these questions as she gives us a fuller understanding behind the practice of intercessory prayer. She points all fingers in all directions back to the cross where Jesus provided the initial and only necessary source of intercession. Every prayer, every request, and every supplication is empowered through his act of mediation between God and man.

"...Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." For nearly two thousand years this statement along with its accompanying text have been sung, quoted, and recited by Christ's followers. What is it exactly about The Lord's Prayer that has drawn in it's reciters for generations? Why did Jesus specifically say what he did when giving this instructional teaching? In a masterful attempt to answer these questions and more, Karen takes us on a comprehensive journey to break down and thoroughly understand what Christ intended when he iterated these famous words of scripture. Be refreshed. Be moved. And most importantly be re-connected with this passage as it applies to us here and now today.

In a society and time where intellectualism reigns supreme it's not always easy to tap into our emotions. If anything, we'd like to intellectualize them as well. But when looking at the Psalms we see a whole different take on emotional vulnerability and expression. Viv once again takes us there as she breaks down Psalm 3 bit by bit, emotion by emotion and applies it to present day circumstances. Listen in as she gives us practical application with how to handle the feelings and senses we experience on a day to day basis by looking to God and loving others.

Righteousness: what is it? Why does it matter? What does God have to say about it? And how does being righteous affect the world around us? Follow Steve as he discusses what true righteousness really is, how it runs hand in hand with social justice, and how it points to the truth of who we really are. As you listen, feel free to engage in your own way. As we symbolically shredded our negative aspects of personality, find a way that you too can physically let go of something.

Continuing his sermonette "Jesus, Welcome to the Mess" from BVC's Carol Service, Steve brings us back to the reality that life is messy. 2017 was of course, no exception. Many of us faced challenges of many kinds and are semi-expectant that 2018 may offer us similar push-backs. But even in the midst of these trials and tests God is moving upon our behalves. Listen in as Steve leads us through Psalm 27 and invites us to heed the words of the psalmist..."Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Be encouraged and be inspired as you hear story after story of what God has been doing in the lives of those who have come to call BVC their home. And be reminded; God is in the details of our lives -- working all things out for our good.

For nearly three hundred years now, churches have practiced the tradition of assembling and lighting the Christingle. Symbolizing Christ as the Light of the World -- it reminds us of just how lost we are without him. Join Steve as he revisits this meaningful yet slightly quirky tradition as he walks us through step by step what each part of the Christingle signifies. Feel free to assemble your own at home and be reminded of just how significant this time of year really is. Happy Christmas!

Leading up to our January launch of the House of Prayer, Terence continues our Prayer Series with an emphasis on fostering an attitude of expectancy within our prayer lives. Listen in and be encouraged as he breaks down biblical truths and passages about how Jesus teaches us to approach prayer and how it's his good pleasure to respond to those prayers. As we continue this season of Advent leading up to the holidays may we also be swept up in eager anticipation for what God wants to do in our lives today!

Continuing his series on spiritual formation, Alexander confronts the dilemma between action and contemplation. How do we, in fact, remain a people of peace even in the midst of so much busyness? What does it mean to be a peacemaker in our community or through our vocation? Follow Alex as he transparently speaks from his own struggles and reflects upon John 20: 19-21 & 1 Corinthians 3: 5-7. What is the balanced perspective God wants to impart?

"Lord, teach us to pray..." This is the only recorded account within the gospels where the disciples out-rightly ask Jesus to teach them how to do something. With that type of singularity in mind it should certainly grab our attention, even stir in us the same response for the tutelage of Christ: Lord ,teach us to pray. Steve pinpoints that the root of Jesus' power and unmatched wisdom stemmed from his active and abundant prayer life and that his disciples would've noticed this. Like he did with his very own disciples, he draws us into a deeper and more meaningful prayer life with the Father.