After a year of discussion, study, and discernment, The Vine Church on June 15, 2022 announced that it would be taking a completely open and affirming stance towards LGBTQ individuals. That means that such individuals will be welcomed as full members, able to engage in all activities and positions at The Vine, and they will be affirmed in their identity. As expected, the decision was not met with universal approval, and a number of members decided to amicably leave The Vine as a result. Nevertheless, those who remain believe this to be the right, Godly decision, as difficult as the process may have been.

In this episode of the podcast, Warren and Jason discuss this new direction, what it means for the church, and why The Vine decided to take this controversial path.

In December 2019, The Vine Church had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to speak about how our identity as Christians can change the way we think about the self. Over the next three weeks, we will be reposting the three sessions on the podcast. This is the final of the three episodes.

This session is the sermon he delivered on Sunday, December 8, 2019, bringing the ideas discussed on Saturday directly into how we respond to the grace and love of God. Part 3 of 3: Love Stories

For a generation or more, our culture has told us that building a healthy self-esteem is the foundation of well-being and happiness. But look around: rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are all sky-rocketing. What has gone wrong? Perhaps self-esteem isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and might actually be at the root of our problems. Is self-esteem a trap? In his talks fusing psychological science and spirituality, author and psychologist Richard Beck will point us beyond self-esteem toward a more secure and joy-filled life. Dr. Beck is an award-winning author, blogger, and professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.

In December 2019, The Vine Church had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to speak about how our identity as Christians can change the way we think about the self. Over the next three weeks, we will be reposting the three sessions on the podcast. This is the second of the three episodes.

This is Part 2 of 3: An Alternative Plan

For a generation or more, our culture has told us that building a healthy self-esteem is the foundation of well-being and happiness. But look around: rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are all sky-rocketing. What has gone wrong? Perhaps self-esteem isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and might actually be at the root of our problems. Is self-esteem a trap? In his talks fusing psychological science and spirituality, author and psychologist Richard Beck will point us beyond self-esteem toward a more secure and joy-filled life. Dr. Beck is an award-winning author, blogger, and professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.

In December 2019, The Vine Church had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Richard Beck to speak about how our identity as Christians can change the way we think about the self. Over the next three weeks, we will be reposting the three sessions on the podcast. This is the first of the three episodes.

Part 1: The Self Esteem Trap

For a generation or more, our culture has told us that building a healthy self-esteem is the foundation of well-being and happiness. But look around: rates of depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide are all sky-rocketing. What has gone wrong? Perhaps self-esteem isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and might actually be at the root of our problems. Is self-esteem a trap? In his talks fusing psychological science and spirituality, author and psychologist Richard Beck will point us beyond self-esteem toward a more secure and joy-filled life. Dr. Beck is an award-winning author, blogger, and professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.

What was it like to actually BE there? That's a question we have all asked at one point or another. So many moments and events throughout history that we learn about and are amazed about what happened. But most of human history didn't have video cameras or instant replay. But what must it have been like to be there? In this week's podcast, Warren, Rachel, and Jason draft the top 5 moments in the New Testament that they would like to have witnessed. Some tragic, some joyful, all incredible and engrossing. How did they appear, sound, smell, or feel? We can only imagine, and this episode attempts to discuss the top moments the three would love to witness first-hand.

In an episode that coincides with our current Sunday morning sermon series, Warren and Terry discuss authorship possibilities regarding Genesis and give some thoughts on the book’s first chapter. Along the way they talk about reasons we conversations about authorship matter (and why to a certain extent they don’t as it relates to our faith), the importance of being open-minded in our approach to Scripture, and more. In the episode, Warren references a more in-depth essay entitled “When Was Genesis Written And Why Does It Matter?” This essay, written by Pete Enns which suggests authorship other than solely Moses, can be read here.

This past Sunday, Warren concluded the "Standing Firm" sermon series, looking at the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:13-17, but there were a few pieces of the armor that were not addressed in the series. In this week's podcast, Warren, Rachel, and Jason discuss the meaning and implication of the shoes of readiness, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.

There is great value in exploration, discovery and understanding something from someone else’s perspective. These types of experiences can happen from the comforts of our own home or while riding a bus across Israel. In this episode Warren talks with Terry and Zoe Rascoe about their recent trip to Israel and Jordan, where they were able to explore and discover a part of the world they have read about in Scripture for decades. In talking about some of the places they were able to visit, the Rascoes share some of why the trip was personally meaningful for each of them. Over the course of the conversation Terry and Zoe talk about the impact of traversing the area’s hilly and mountainous terrain, discovering one of Zoe’s new favorite dessert, tensions in that part of the world, “Sabbath elevators,” and more.